GB2280252A

GB2280252A - Securing armour plate

Info

Publication number: GB2280252A
Application number: GB9414558A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Alain Beaup; Georges Beudet; Jool Ponce
Original assignee: Giat Industries SA
Current assignee: Giat Industries SA
Priority date: 1993-07-22
Filing date: 1994-07-19
Publication date: 1995-01-25
Anticipated expiration: 2014-07-19
Also published as: FR2708096A1; FR2708096B1; DE4426082B4; DE4426082A1; GB9414558D0; GB2280252B

Description

1 2280252 A SYSTEM FOR SECURING ARMOUR-PLATING MEMBERS TO A SUPPORT

STRUCTURE, IN PARTICULAR TO AN ARMOURED VEHICLE.

The technical field of the present invention is that of securing members such as armour-plating members to a receiving structure, in particular to an armoured vehicle.

In order to provide a structure or a vehicle with increased protection against projectiles, it is well known to secure armour-plating members or "bricks" to the structure or vehicle, there being various securing methods allowing either permanent connection or temporary connection with a view to utilization over a predetermined time period.

It is therefore proposed in Patent FR-A-88 13 701 [2 650 3871 to secure studs to a vehicle with the aid of screws, and then to secure individual armour-plating sheets by screwing. That method requires holes suitable for pre-determined sizes of plates to be drilled in the vehicle walls, which operation is difficult because it involves action even on the armour-plating of the vehicle, and it may also present difficulties from the operational point of view.

Patent US-A-2 380 393 also describes means for providing increased protection for a vehicle by the addition of additional armour-plating members. To do that, a small bolt- retaining plate is welded on which allows the armour-plating sheets to be secured at a fixed distance from the receiving surface. That system can only be applied to surfaces which are sufficiently flat.

Patent US-A-3 681 881 describes a system comprising U-shaped clamps secured by screws to the receiving structure and to the additional sheet. That system requires the receiving structure to be drilled.

An object of at least the preferred embodiments of the present invention is to provide a device for securing armour-plating members which does not require the wall of the vehicle to be drilled and which 1 - 2 permits the distance between the receiving structure and the armour- plating member to be varied.

In one aspect, the invention provides an armour-plating system comprising at least one armour-plating member and securing means for securing the armour-plating member to a surface of a structure so as to define a gap therebetween, the securing means including elements spanning said gap and of adjustable length to accommodate variations in the size and/or shape of the gap.

In another aspect the invention provides a securing system for securing armour-plating members to a support structure, such as the wall of an armoured vehicle, the device comprising a frame on which a set of armourplating members is affixed, said frame being joined to the structure by telescopic struts, each of which comprises an outside tube to be welded at its free end to the structure and by an inside tube joined to the frame, variations in the curvature of the structure being accommodated by the relative positions of the two tubes.

In one embodiment, each strut also comprises a hemispherical cap disposed between the structure and the outside tube.

Each cap may have a radius of about 30mm to 60mm and a height lying in the range of about 15mm to 28mm, and the outside tube may have an outside diameter substantially equal to the radius of the cap.

The securing means is for example constituted by.a bolt, which is engaged at one end in an open aperture formed near the end of the inside tube and which passes through the frame onto which it is screwed, said bolt being retained on the inside tube by two wings defined by the aperture.

Said frame may take the form of a metal part provided with holes by which it is secured to the struts and with holes for securing bricks, and it is for example joined to the structure by four struts and supports four armour-plating members by means of screws.

An advantage of the preferred embodiments of the present invention resides in the fact that the inclination of the armour-plating members may be adjusted whatever the state of the support surface and whatever the inclination of that surface itself.

3 A further advantage resides in the fact that the armour-plating members may even be secured to a surface which has marked curvature.

A still further advantage resides in the fact that 5 the receiving device requires welding operations only.

Other advantages and features of the invention emerge onreading the remainder of the following description of various embodiments which are given by way of example and which are illustrated by the accompanying drawings in which:

- Figure 1 is a schematic section view of a device of the invention, Figure 2 represents in section the detail of how the strut and the frame are connected, Figure 3 is a view from above of the inside tube, Figure 4 is a view from above of the frame, and Figure 5 is a section view showing the connection between the frame and the armour-plating member.

Figure 1 shows a schematic section view of a device of the invention which allows armour-plating members 4 shown by dotted lines to be secured with a fixed inclination with respect to the support structure 1. The support structure may be an armoured vehicle, the external surf ace 2 of which has a pronounced curvature 3. device comprises a frame 5 for receiving the armourplating members 4 and struts 6. A frame 5 may therefore receive one or more armour-plating members 4, for example four, and may be secured to the structure 1 by four struts 6. In this embodiment, each strut 6 is constituted by a part-spherical cap 7, an outside tube 8, an inside tube 9 and a securing means 10. Each cap 7 may for example have a (spherical) radius lying in the range 30 mm to 60 mm and an average height lying in the range 15 mm to 28 mm. The cap 7 is made of a steel-type metal and is welded at 11 to the structure. The outside tube 8 is welded at 12 to the cap 7 and extends along an axis of adjustment X. The inside tube 9 is secured in the 1 4 outside tube 8 by a weld 13 and has an aperture 14 to receive the securing means 10 which connects the inside tube 9 to the frame 5. In this figure, it can be seen that the orientation or inclination of the armour-plating members 4 relative to the outside surface 2 of the structure 1 can be adjusted by altering the length of just one tube or of both tubes simultaneously. A securing device is therefore obtained which is very simple to make and which can be adapted to any shape of surface 2.

Figure 2 shows another embodiment, in which the cap is omitted. In this embodiment, the outside tube 8 is secured directly to the structure 1 by a weld 15. The free end of the inside tube 9 is provided with an aperture 14 through which the securing means 10 can be engaged, the securing means being constituted for example by a bolt 16, the head 17 of which bears against two wings of said inside tube and the nut 18 of which bears against the frame 5. The section shown in Figure 3 shows the free end of tube 9, the aperture 14 in which defines the wings ga and 9b against which the head 17 (shown in dotted lines) of the bolt bears. Thus, if the frame 5 should be damaged following impact of a projectile on the armour-plating member 4, the armour-plating can be rapidly replaced.

The view of frame 5 from above as represented in Figure 4 shows that the frame is made of a large perforated metal part, each side of which has a breadth e of about 30 mm to 40 mm and a thickness of about 8 mm to 20 mm. The frame 5 is provided with holes 20 for securing the armour-plating members 4 and holes 21 for securing the frame to the strut 6. In can be seen from the figure that the frame 5 is provided with four points (holes 21) for securing the struts, which limits the number of securing points onto the wall of the armoured vehicle.

The dimensions of frame 5 may of course vary considerably. Thus, a frame may be provided for just one armour-plating member or for a plurality of such members, depending on the surface area of the structure to be protected.

The armour-plating member is secured to the frame 5 by means which are shown in section in Figure 5. They are constituted by a strut 22 and a bolt 23. For this purpose, each strut 22 is constructed in the form of an internallythreaded tubular member, one end of which comprises a terminal 24 which is a force-fit in a hole 20 of the frame 5. The connection of the strut 22 is improved by a weld 25 to the frame 5. As seen in the figure, each armourplating member 4 is provided with transverse holes 26 which match up with the struts 22. The member 4 is secured by screwing the bolts 23 into the threaded struts 22.

Trials carried out on the device for securing armour-plating members to a vehicle demonstrate the reliability of the system and its ability to be repaired in the event of damage.

Each feature disclosed in this specification (which term includes the claims) and/or shown in the drawings may be incorporated in the invention independently of other disclosed and/or illustrated features.

The appended abstract as filed herewith is included in the specification by reference.

J 6

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. An armour-plating system comprising at least one armour-plating member and securing means for securing the armour-plating member to a surface of a structure so as to define a gap therebetween, the securing means including elements spanning said gap and of adjustable length to accommodate variations in the size and/or shape of the gap.

2. A system according to Claim 1, wherein the securing means comprises a frame to which the armour plating member is attached, the adjustablelength elements being attached to the frame.

3. A system according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the adjustable length elements are welded to the surface.

4. A system according to any preceding claim, wherein the adjustablelength elements are telescopic struts.

5. A system according to Claim 4, wherein the telescopic struts each comprise an outer tube which is affixed to the surface.

6. A securing system for securing armour-plating members to a support structure, such as the wall of an armoured vehicle, the device comprising a frame on which a set of armour-plating members is affixed, said frame being joined to the structure by telescopic struts, each of which comprises an outside tube to be welded at its free end to the structure and by an inside tube joined to the frame, variations in the curvature of the structure being accommodated by the relative positions of the two tubes.

7. A system according to Claim 5 or Claim 6, wherein each telescopic strut also comprises a part-spherical cap disposed between the structure and the outside tube.

8. A system according to Claim 7, wherein each cap has a radius of about 30mm to 60mm and a height lying in the range of about 15mrn to 28mm.

9. A system according to Claim 8, wherein the outside tube has an external diameter substantially equal to the radius of the cap.

10. A system according to Claim 6, wherein the inside tube is joined 7 to the frame by a bolt which is engaged at one side in an open aperture formed near the end of the inside tube and which passes through the frame.

11. A system according to Claim 2 or Claim 6, wherein the frame is provided with hole by which it is secured to the struts or other adjustable-length elements, and with holes for securing the armourplating members.

12. A system according to Claim 11, wherein each frame is joined to the structure by four struts and supports four armour-plating members.

13. A system according to Claim 10, wherein the bolt for securing the frame is retained on the inside tube by two wings defined by the aperture.

14. A system according to Claim 2 or Claim 6, wherein the armourplating members are joined to the frame by bolts.

15. A securing device according to Claim 14, wherein supports are disposed between the armour-plating members and the frame, each support being welded to the frame and each bolt then being screwed into the support.

16. An armour plating system substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

17. A vehicle provided with an armour-plating system according to any preceding claim.