Patents by Inventor Hans-Ulrich Desgranges

Hans-Ulrich Desgranges has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 8534180
    Abstract: A weapon system includes a carrier vehicle and a vehicle dependent mortar, wherein the carrier vehicle has a crew space and a weaponry space to house the mortar, and the mortar is charged in an index position with mortar grenades, with several sheddable propellant modules on the tail shaft thereof. The weapon system avoids manual loading of the mortar with mortar grenades because an automatic loader is arranged in a weapon space separated from the crew space by a separating wall. The loader transports the mortar grenade from a magazine in the weapon space into the index position of the barrel of the mortar and axially inserts it into the mouth of the barrel, and an automatic shedding device is arranged in the weapon space to automatically remove unnecessary propellant modules from the mortar grenade after fixing target parameters and before insertion of the mortar grenade into the barrel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2013
    Assignee: Rheinmetall Landsysteme GmbH
    Inventors: Wilfried Becker, Wolfgang Boer, Hans-Ulrich Desgranges, Hans Moser
  • Publication number: 20120024141
    Abstract: A weapon system includes a carrier vehicle and a vehicle dependent mortar, wherein the carrier vehicle has a crew space and a weaponry space to house the mortar, and the mortar is charged in an index position with mortar grenades, with several sheddable propellant modules on the tail shaft thereof. The weapon system avoids manual loading of the mortar with mortar grenades because an automatic loader is arranged in a weapon space separated from the crew space by a separating wall. The loader transports the mortar grenade from a magazine in the weapon space into the index position of the barrel of the mortar and axially inserts it into the mouth of the barrel, and an automatic shedding device is arranged in the weapon space to automatically remove unnecessary propellant modules from the mortar grenade after fixing target parameters and before insertion of the mortar grenade into the barrel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 18, 2011
    Publication date: February 2, 2012
    Applicant: RHEINMETALL LANDSYSTEME GMBH
    Inventors: Wilfried BECKER, Wolfgang BOER, Hans-Ulrich DESGRANGES, Hans MOSER
  • Patent number: 6000313
    Abstract: A carrier vehicle (1) for a tube weapon (2) having a resiliently arranged undercarriage (3) and a support arrangement (5) which in the combat-ready position is arranged between the vehicle (1) and the ground (4), with the support arrangement comprising at least one support (6). To avoid manual readjustment of the support arrangements (5), even when firing from a position with a soft underground, the supports (6), which are disposed at the tail of the vehicle (1), are arranged so as to be slidable in the direction of their longitudinal axes (7) via a positioning motor (15). The positioning motor (15) is connected to an electronic control device (16) which actuates the positioning motor (15) in a manner such that the support (6) is pressed against the ground (4) with a definable force before a shot is fired and compensation is provided for the gap (18) which occurs between the support (6) and the ground (4) after a shot has been fired because of the resilient yielding and rebounding of the undercarriage (3).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 14, 1999
    Assignee: Rheinmetall Industrie AG
    Inventors: Wilfried Becker, Hans-Ulrich Desgranges, Uwe Eisenkolb, Heinz Haas, Udo Weinfurth
  • Patent number: 5945624
    Abstract: In order to accommodate the ammunition (7) in an ammunition magazine (1) in a space- and mass-saving manner without an external drive, and to subsequently remove the ammunition quickly from the magazine, the individual ammunition bodies (7) are disposed, with the aid of holders (10), on the chain links (8, 9) of a rigid-backed chain (6) (ammunition chain) seated to be displaced in two rails (3, 4). In such an arrangement, the ammunition (7) can be removed quickly from the magazine (1) through the withdrawal of the chain (6) and the pivoting of the individual chain links (8, 9) toward the rear side (15) of the chain (6), and stowed again when the chain (6) is pushed back into the magazine frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 31, 1999
    Assignee: Rheinmetall W&M GmbH
    Inventors: Wilfried Becker, Hans-Ulrich Desgranges, Heinz Haas, Uwe Eisenkolb
  • Patent number: 5677507
    Abstract: A mortar includes a weapon tube; a breech ring affixed to a rear part of the weapon tube; a loading tray supported by the weapon tube and extending rearwardly of the breech ring for receiving a mortar grenade prior to an introduction thereof into the weapon tube; and a breechblock plug movable along the loading tray for pushing a mortar grenade from the loading tray into the weapon tube. The breechblock plug has first and second positions: in the first position the breechblock plug is situated at a rear part of the loading tray and in the second position the breechblock plug is situated in the weapon tube. Further, a firing pin is provided which traverses the breechblock plug. The breechblock plug is secured in its second position by a locking mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 1996
    Date of Patent: October 14, 1997
    Assignee: Rheinmetall Industrie GmbH
    Inventors: Wilfried Becker, Hans-Ulrich Desgranges, Klaus Bornefeld
  • Patent number: 5648632
    Abstract: A weapon system for a combat vehicle includes a weapon movably mounted on the vehicle; an electronic weapon control device connected to the weapon; a weapon operating station for accommodating a gunner; a plurality of angled mirrors disposed in an array in the weapon operating station to provide a panoramic view for the gunner when situated in the weapon operating station; a separate switch associated with each angled mirror and connected with the electronic weapon control device; a camera attached to the weapon to be movable therewith; a display screen connected with the camera for reproducing an image representing a view seen by the camera; a support arrangement for movably supporting the display screen for travel along the array; a positioning drive connected to the electronic weapon control device and the display screen whereby upon operation of one of the switches belonging to one of the angled mirrors through which a target is observed, the electronic weapon control device moves the weapon at the target
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 1996
    Date of Patent: July 15, 1997
    Assignee: Rheinmetall Industrie Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Wilfried Becker, Dirk Kilfitt, Hans-Ulrich Desgranges