Abstract: A method and apparatus for determining the caliper and/or the ultrasonic transit time through the thickness direction of a moving web of material using ultrasonic pulses generated by a rotatable wheel ultrasound apparatus. The apparatus includes a first liquid-filled tire and either a second liquid-filled tire forming a nip or a rotatable cylinder that supports a thin moving web of material such as a moving web of paper and forms a nip with the first liquid-filled tire. The components of ultrasonic transit time through the tires and fluid held within the tires may be resolved and separately employed to determine the separate contributions of the two tire thicknesses and the two fluid paths to the total path length that lies between two ultrasonic transducer surfaces contained within the tires in support of caliper measurements.

Abstract: As applied to mounting a mortar in a combat vehicle, the mounting structure includes a weapon carriage supported on a support frame having one end hingedly mounted to the vehicle floor and another end releasably latched to cross-pins on the vehicle floor. The support frame includes a central pivot shaft and a peripheral roller track while the carriage includes a hollow hub receiving the pivot shaft and retractable spring biased ball rollers in rolling engagement on the track during rotation of the carriage for weapon repositioning. A spur gear is carried on the carriage and rotated by a hand crank and meshes with a stationary gear on the support frame to rotate the carriage about the pivot shaft. A clamping collar is provided on the pivot shaft to engage and force the carriage against the support frame with the ball rollers retracted to releasably lock the position of the weapon.

Abstract: As applied to mounting a mortar in a combat vehicle, the mounting structure includes a weapon carriage supported on a support frame having one end hingedly mounted to the vehicle floor and another end releasably latched to cross-pins on the vehicle floor. The support frame includes a central pivot shaft and a peripheral roller track while the carriage includes a hollow hub receiving the pivot shaft and retractible spring biased ball rollers in rolling engagement on the track during rotation of the carriage for weapon repositioning. A spur gear is carried on the carriage and rotated by a hand crank and meshes with a stationary gear on the supprt frawme to rotate the carriage about the pivot shaft. A clamping collar is provided on the pivot shaft to engage and force the carriage against the support frame with the ball rollers retracted to releasably lock the position of the weapon.

Abstract: A turret is mounted on an armored vehicle in rotating and pivotal fashion to allow the turret to be pivoted eccentrically from its operative position laterally out of the way without disturbing rotational engagement to expose an access hatch on the vehicle body for maintenance inside the vehicle. Removal of the turret from the vehicle is not required. After maintenance, the turret can be swung back to its original operative position for rotation on the vehicle. An operator's cage is attached to the turret and is specially configured such that the turret can be swung out of the way a sufficient amount without the cage hitting interior vehicle components.

Abstract: A gun sight positioning mechanism includes a slip clutch coupled sight slide that enables gun sight optics to be adjusted to extended firing ranges independently of gun inclination; a first range indicator fixed on the gun sight is associated with the sight slide to indicate the "range of target" and coincident adjustment of gun sight optics and a second range indicator is movably fixed to a gun elevating trunnion to serve as a memory of gun inclination so that a gunner will be able to remember to move (if required) the gun following manipulation of the sight slide to a different "range of target" position.

Abstract: A seat carriage is moveable vertically relative to a vertical support member by a first guide roller thereon located behind the support member and second guide roller thereon located in front of the support member diagonally below the first roller and by a constant load type spring secured on the support member and secured to the seat carriage to bias it upwardly when the carriage is unlocked from its adjusted position. The seat carriage can be easily locked or unlocked relative to an adjusted position by a toggle actuated spring-biased pin thereon engaged in one of several height adjustment apertures on the support member.

Abstract: The weapon charger for a combat vehicle includes a charger slide means in the weapon mantlet adapted to slide to a rearward position to engage and cock the weapon sear block and to a forward position to disengage from the sear block. The charger slide means is slid by means of a chain means connected thereto extending through the mantlet into the turret of the vehicle and driven by a hand crank actuated spur gear inside the turret. The crank is rotated clockwise to pull the charger slide means rearwardly to cock the sear block. A return spring means attached to the charger slide means pulls same to its forward position when the crank means is rotated counterclockwise.

Abstract: A suspension system for wheeled vehicles, particularly adapted to extended travel suspension systems for armored wheeled vehicles in which each of the front and rear vehicle wheel assemblies is mounted on a trailing arm suspension. The front suspension system includes an axle housing supported at either outboard end by a bell crank assembly, each including a trailing arm pivotally mounted to the axle housing at one end and at the other to a pivotal support on the vehicle hull or frame with a second shorter crank arm acting on a coil spring to resist arm motion by compression of the spring. Within each coil spring is disposed a stack of rubber bumper elements compressed with the spring while a pair of rubber bushings is provided at each pivot point of each of the trailing arms, the damping action of the stack bumpers and bushings performing a shock absorbing function. The rubber bushings also act as torsional springs and to accommodate limited tilting motion of the axle housing.

Abstract: Apparatus (14) for storing and feeding an ammunition belt (16) is disclosed as including a storage compartment (22) for the belt which is adapted to feed an automatic gun upon belt movement through the compartment in a feed direction. Dividers (24) are spaced along the feed direction and are mounted, preferably on the compartment floor (28), for movement between first positions extending across the feed direction and second positions extending along the feed direction. In the first positions, the dividers allow storage of the ammunition belt in a serpentine configuration. Movement of the dividers to the second positions allows the ammunition belt to pass thereby upon movement to the gun. Each divider is mounted by a pivotal support (26) having a detent which initially locates the divider in the first position thereof during loading of the belt and which allows subsequent movement to the second position thereof after closing of a compartment closure.

Abstract: Airport landing indicator apparatus designed basically for remote airports and landing fields including means responsive to wind direction and a pair of runway locators, in the form of lighted directional arrows, located at opposing ends of a runway. Wind direction determines which of the arrows will be lit for maximum safety in landing. Each of the runway locators includes a multiplicity of high intensity lamps forming an outline of a first arrow and a multiplicity of low intensity lamps contained within the confines of the high intensity lamps forming a second arrow. All lamps of a particular runway locator may be turned on by radio control from an approaching aircraft. The high intensity lamps, necessary for long distance observation, are automatically turned off by means of a photoelectric cell actuated by landing lights of the approaching aircraft to prevent temporary blindness. The apparatus may also contain a lighted specific wind direction indicator and a wind velocity indicator.

Abstract: An auxiliary firing mechanism (26) used to actuate a tripper for a gun trigger includes a remote actuator (28) connected to the tripper by an elongated connector such as a cable (30) that is moved by the cooperable action of a control member (68) and a rotatably and axially movable actuator member (74) of the actuator. Camming surfaces (90,92) of the control member and the actuator member of the actuator move the control member from a first position to a second position against a spring bias (76) thereof in order to actuate the tripper and thereby trip the gun trigger whereupon the camming surface (92) of the actuator member moves out of engagement with the camming surface (90) of the control member in order to allow the control member to be moved back to the first position by its spring bias. Axial and rotational movement of the actuator member then again engages the camming surfaces of the control and actuator members in preparation for another actuation of the tripper.

Abstract: A gun sight positioning mechanism (22) disclosed includes a parallelogram linkage for moving a gun sight positioning shaft angularly with a trunnion shaft (32) on which a gun is supported and has a slip clutch (44) that connects the linkage to one of the shafts so that the sight can be aimed downwardly at the target area while the gun remains aimed upwardly along the projectile path. Preferably, the slip clutch connects the linkage to the gun sight positioning shaft and includes a stop (56) that allows the sight to be aimed upwardly back into alignment with the gun after viewing the impact. First and second links (46,52) of the linkage are respectively connected to the trunnion and sight positioning shafts and interconnected by a connecting link (54) whose length is adjustable to insure the proper angular movement of each shaft with the other.

Abstract: A wiper drive assembly (20) disclosed is particularly adaptable for use with angularly skewed vision blocks (22) of an armored car. A hollow guide (28) of the assembly includes elongated first and second guide portions (30,32) that are adapted to extend alongside the vision blocks and which receive respective first and second wiper supports (70,104). Each wiper support has an extension that projects through a slot in the associated guide portion so as to allow mounting of the arm of an associated wiper (24,26). One of the wiper supports has its extension provided with a slidable connection (86) to a continuous drive loop which is preferably in the form of a chain (34) received by a pair of sprocket type sheaves (36,38). Driving of one of the sheaves moves the chain so as to drive the first wiper support (70) in a reciprocal manner.

Abstract: A hatch for an armored vehicle having a viewing block integral therewith to be moved with the hatch as the hatch is opened and closed. The hatch is mounted for guided movement on a downwardly sloping surface of the armored vehicle so as to move down and away from the hatch opening to allow viewing from the hatch opening downwardly over the opened hatch. The open and closing guides include a three-point roller guide rail support configured to allow the weight of the hatch to be carried by the rollers after an initial upward movement of the hatch from compressive engagement with a peripheral seal installed about vehicle openings and thence slid downwardly on the guide rails away from the opening.

Abstract: An armored wheeled vehicle configured for maximum resistance to penetration by frontally directed weapons fire while affording excellent visibility at the driver station and an extended field of fire for the weapon observation station, having an armored hull with an extended upper oblique frontal surface, sloping to a point rearward of the midpoint of the vehicle. The driver station is located approximately at the midpoint of the vehicle with the sloping frontal surface affording good visibility for the driver and includes a driver's hatch positioned over a driver station hull opening, the hatch adapted to be moved down and forwardly to provide an unobstructed driver view. The armament observation station is located to the rear and above the driver station, while the vehicle power plant is located along side the driver station. The front suspension includes a trailing arm type suspension minimizing the hull depth at the front wheels to allow the oblique frontal surface to be extended.