GB2071829A

GB2071829A - Light armoured vehicles

Info

Publication number: GB2071829A
Application number: GB8107678A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1980-03-17
Filing date: 1981-03-11
Publication date: 1981-09-23
Also published as: IN157067B; PT72637B; BR8101494A; JPS56146476A; PT72637A; DE3109976A1; ES267113Y; GR74832B; BE887789A; CH642445A5; NL8101282A; IT1136808B; IE810492L; ZA811464B; MA19097A1; ES267113U; IT8120312A0; GB2071829B; FR2478295B1; FR2478295A1

Abstract

A light armoured vehicle comprises a lower shell (21) assembled together with an upper shell (22) which covers the lower shell at least partly so as to form an armoured case (2). The lower shell (21) is assembled by detachable means (studs or spot welds) to a chassis (1) which is independent and autonomous and mounted on wheels and supports all the driving, transmission and shock-absorbing suspension means of the vehicle, so that the case (2) may be easily substituted for a body with which this chassis is usually provided, and vice versa. Thus, a light armoured vehicle may be formed by joining the armoured case (2), instead of a conventional body of a truck, small truck or van, to the chassis (1). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Light armoured vehicles This invention relates to light armoured vehicles, e.g. for reconnaissance and patrol purposes.

It is known from the applicant's French Patent No. 79 15 552 of 18 June 1979 for light armoured vehicles to be constructed from a lower case in the shape of a shell or dish, the case being formed by deflecting walls and acting as a chassis for fixing mechanical and driving means for its propulsion and its displacement. It has been found that although such light armoured vehicles are satisfactory from the safety point of view, their assembly and manufacture substantially increase production costs because all the mechanical means required for the displacement of the vehicle must be permanently fixed under the case. Consequently, due to this design, all the fixing points of the mechanical means must be provided under this case, which seriously complicates the construction of the case.

It is known from the applicant's French Patent No. 2 254 205 of 7 December 1973 to use a rigid chassis whose rear part is at a lower level than its front due to the fact that longitudinal side-members thereof are offset in the region of a rear spring support of a front suspension assembly of the vehicle so as to divide the chassis into two parts at different levels, the front part being higher than the rear part, which is reserved for the body of thd vehicle. An advantage of such a chassis is that it includes all the necessary fixing means, e.g. brackets for receiving a motor unit, spring supports for fixing shock absorbing leaves, means for fixing the front and rear axles, gear box differentials, fuel and water tanks, etc.It was therefore though that such an independent fully equipped chassis would be perfectly suitable as a framework for a light armoured vehicle.

According to the present invention there is provided a light armoured vehicle comprising an armoured case supported by a chassis mounted on wheels, wherein the case comprises two shells of substantially trapezoidal sectional shape which are superimposed on one another and assembled together, the upper shell is at last partly closed in the front of the vehicle, the lower shell comprises a peripheral surrounding skirt formed by adjoining longitudinal walls and transverse walls which have different inclinations toward the interior of the vehicle, and the skirt extends downwardly beyond longitudinal side-members and cross-members of the chassis and includes an upwardly extending inner flange which is hooked onto said longitudinal side-members where it is fixed at a plurality of points by detachable fixing means with the interposition of shock-absorbing means, the case being capable of being disassembled from the chassis, which carries driving means, transmission means and shock-absorbing means, so that the case can be replaced, if required, by a conventional body, or vice versa, so that the vehicle is convertible with the use of the same chassis.

Consequently, a vehicle embodying the invention may for example be formed by the original and surprising assembly of a lightly armoured case, formed by two superimposed shells, with an independent chassis which may be a chassis that was intended only to receive conventional bodies of trucks or vans.

The invention will now be further described, by way of illustrative and non-limiting example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a side view of an armoured vehicle embodying the invention; and Figure 2 is a rear view of the vehicle of Fig.

1.

The illustrated vehicle comprises a chassis 1, such as that described in the aforementioned French Patent No. 2 254 205, on which there is detachably fixed an armoured case 2 formed by two superimposed shells 2,-22 which are of substantially trapezoidal sectional shape and which completely surround the chassis 1 around all of its periphery and rest on the upper side of the chassis.

The chassis 1 (Fig. 2) comprises two longitudinal side-members 1112 which are interconnected in a conventional manner by crossmembers 3. Each side-member 11-12 is offset or cranked in the region of an associated rear spring support 4 of a front suspension assembly 5 so that a front part 6 of the chassis is raised relative to a rear part 7 which usually supports the body of the vehicle. A front spring support 8 of each front suspension assembly 5 is fixed to the raised part 6 of the chassis and, in combination with the associated spring support 4, serves to fix the associated front suspension asssembly 5, which comprises a shock absorbing leaf spring assembly.The chassis 1 also inludes a bracket 9 for fixing hydraulic or pneumatic shock absorbers 10, the chassis being provided with a set of front wheels 11 and a set of rear wheels 12, each of which is provided with a bell housing (not shown) which encioses a differential. The chassis 1 also supports a gearbox 1 3 and connections 1 4 and 1 5 between the gearbox 1 3 and the front and the rear differentials. The chassis 1 also includes a passenger compartment, or more precisely parts forming a cab of the vehicle, i.e. a dashboard 16, a steering wheel 17, a gear lever 1 8 and seats 1 9 with which the cab is equipped.

The set of rear wheels 1 2 also is mounted on leaf spring assemblies 20 which are mounted on the side-members 1 r-12 of the chassis by front and rear spring supports 21 and 22. Here again, in the same way as for the front axle, shock absorbing means for the wheels is completed by pneumatic or hydraulic shock absorbers 23.

It will be understood that the chassis 1 may have either two driving wheels or be provided with a dog clutch system whereby all four wheels may be made driving wheels by means of the gearbox 1 3 which is provided with the dog clutch system.

Before mounting of the case 2, the chassis is provided with merely the cab equipment 16-17-18-19, to the exclusion of the body, the bonnet and the wings which will be formed directly by the armoured case 2.

The case 2 comprises a lower dish-shaped armoured shell 2, which extends oniy to a joint plane 24 and is joined to a second upper armoured shell 22, the joining together of the shell in the joint plane 24 being effected, for example, by means of bolting or welding. The lower shell 2, has its front, rear and sides formed by a skirt comprising inclined walls 25 and 26 in the form of longitudinal strips which are interconnected along a junction line 27, the walls 25 and 26 being deflecting walls located in a plane which is other than perpendicular to the horizontal so that projectiles, e.g. mine splinters or projectiles coming from fire-arms directed at the vehicle, are deflected off the walls and outwardly of the vehicle.

The lower shell 2, forms a part of the armouring of the vehicle, the wall 26 extending the wall 25 and extending under the chassis 1, both in the regions of the sides and in the regions of the front and rear of the chassis, so as to protect it, as can be seen from Figs. 1 and 2.

The lower shell 2, may be provided with a bottom, which may or may not be armoured, which is rigid or integral with, or mounted on, the skirt formed by the walls 25-26. The shell 2, may instead be devoid of a bottom of its own, the bottom in this case being formed by a floor 28 (which may or may not be armoured) rigid with the side members 1,-12 of the chassis (Fig. 2).

In the latter case, the inclined wall 26 is extended towards the interior of the chassis 1 and rises in the form of a flange 29 having an end portion 30 which is bent at a right angle and hooks or bears on the side-members 1112 of the chassis, with the interposition of shock-absorbing blocks 31 or rubber or plastics material, and is detachably fixed to such side members, e.g. by means of studs and nuts or spot welding, as described below.

The shell 22, superimposed on the lower shell 21, also has side walls and front and rear walls 23 which are inclined. A front wall 32 constituting the bonnet is also inclined and is bordered laterally by inclined walls 33 also defining the bonnet. The lower shell 2 has wheel openings 34 in the regions of the front and rear axles 11 and 12, as seen in Fig. 1.

Advantageously, the case 2 is merely placed on and fixed to the side-members 1, and 12 of the chassis 1 by means of brackets or fixing tabs rigid with the chassis and allowing the use of studs which extend through the bottom of the case, or the floor of the chassis, and receive lock nuts. These fixing points (diagrammatically shown at 35) are judiciously arranged throughout the length of the sidemembers 1 2 of the chassis so as to ensure a localised and exact assembly of the case on the chassis. The fixing means are detachable so that the case may be dismantled for replacing it if necessary by a conventional body for a utility vehicle or van. However, the case may be fixed to the chassis, while allowing it to be removed, by spot welds spaced along the side-members 1,-1,.

The upper shell 23, superimposed on the lower shell 2,. may have a protective roof 24 which is also armoured. However, the wall constituting the roof may be provided with a large opening forming an 'open body'. The rear end of the upper shell 22 may be arranged in a form of a double door 36 allowing access to the interior of the vehicle, this double door also being armoured.

As has been described above, the illustrated vehicle has an armoured case which is closed or open at its top and is detachably mounted on an independent and autonomous chassis including all the driving means, mechanical suspension means, gearbox, etc, so that the case may be assembled immediately and rapidly with the chassis or detached therefrom as quickly as possible. The design and bodywork of the vehicle are such that it is practically invulnerable or at least highly resistant to projectiles or mines splinters.

Claims

1. A light armoured vehicle comprising an armoured case supported by a chassis mounted on wheels, wherein the case comprises two shells of substantially trapezoidal sectional shape which are superimposed on one another and assembled together, the upper shell is at least partly closed in the front of the vehicle, the lower shell comprises a peripheral surrounding skirt formed by adjoining longitudinal walls and transverse walls which have different inclinations toward the interior of the vehicle, and the skirt extends downwardly beyond longitudinal side-members and cross-members of the chassis and includes an upwardly extending inner flange which is hooked onto said longitudinal side-members where it is fixed at a plurality of points by detachable fixing means with the interposition of shock-absorbing means, the case being capable of being disassembled from the chassis, which carries driving means, transmissions means and shock-absorbing means, so that the case can be replaced, if required, by a conventional body, or vice versa, so that the vehicle is convertible with the use of the same chassis.

2. A vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the case comprises an armoured bottom fixed to the longitudinal side-members of the chassis by detachable fixing means.

3. A vehicle as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the fixing means comprise studs and nuts arranged at intervals along the entire length of the longitudinal side-members.

3. A vehicle as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the fixing means comprise studs and nuts or spot welds arranged at intervals along the entire length of the longitudinal side-members.

4. A vehicle as claimed in claim 1, claim 2 or claim 3, wherein the chassis is upwardly offset at the front so as to define two different levels.

5. A vehicle as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein said interposed shock absorbing means comprise shock absorbs of rubber or plastics material inserted between folded edge portions of the skirt and the longitudinal side members of the chassis.

6. A light armoured vehicle substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

CLAIMS (11 May 1981 )