Mobile armory

Abstract

A mobile armory is described that is based on a modified EDSS shipping container. The EDSS includes a plurality of weapons enclosures slidable between fully inserted positions inside the EDSS and fully extended positions extending from the container. The enclosures are supported on telescoping rails that are attached at the top of the container, either to a frame secured inside the container, or to mounting beams welded to the lower surface of the container top wall. Each enclosure has top, bottom, rear, and end walls that define a compartment with a front opening. Panels are slidable between fully closed positions to cover the opening, and fully open positions for access to the compartment. Weapons racks are mounted at selected positions in the enclosure to store rifles, pistols and other weapons. During transport, the enclosure panels are locked and the EDSS doors are locked, providing double security.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

(1) Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a transportable weapons container, and in particular to a weapons container based on a conventional quadcon or tricon having an internal configuration to store military rifles, pistols, shotguns, and other weapon systems.

(2) Description of the Prior Art

When on deployment, military personnel assigned small arms weapons, e.g., rifles and pistols, are required to carry the weapons with them until boarding a vessel or other transport means. The weapons are then turned over to an armorer, who has the responsibility of safely and securely storing the weapons until the transport means has reached its destination when the weapons are then returned to the military personnel.

When transport is by sea, the weapons are turned over to the armorer as the military personnel board the ship. The weapons can then be stored in a storage room or locker assigned for this purpose. Armory facilities are typically older, and are not capable of storing modern weapons safely because of upgrades (laser sights, optics, accessories, etc.)

Equipment Deployment Storage Systems (EDSS) are small shipping containers developed by the U.S. military for transport of equipment. A quadcon is a container sized such that four quadcons secured side-by-side have the same footprint as a standard 20′ ISO intermodal container, providing the advantages of a segregated loading pattern with the ease of handling of a standard 20′ container. Similarly, a tricon is sized such that three side-by-side tricons have the footprint of a 20′ container. As used herein, the term EDSS encompasses quadcons and tricons. In parts of the description directed specifically to quadcons, it will be obvious to one skilled in the art that the structure can be resized to fit a tricon.

An EDSS has a structural steel welded frame with floor, top, sides and door panels made of corrugated steel. The double front doors at one end of the EDSS are lockable for security. The container base allows for four-way fork lift entry.

While EDSS are ideal for secure transport and storage of a variety of goods, including weapons, there is a need for an improved way to store small arms within the interior of the EDSS that will ensure compact storage, freedom from damage to the weapons during storage, and rapid retrieval of the weapons.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to an improved weapons storage container based on a conventional EDSS, and in particular relates to an EDSS modified with a plurality of small arms weapons storage units slidable in and out of the EDSS. The following description of the invention is directed to modification of a quadcon. It will be understood, however, that the invention also contemplates modifying a tricon in a like manner.

In general, the quadcon modified by the present invention is a conventional quadcon as previously described having an interior defined by a top wall, a floor, side wall, a rear wall and a front wall with double doors hinged at their outer edges to the front edges of the side walls are pivotal inwardly. By military requirements, any interior modification of a quadcon cannot result in piercing of the quadcon walls.

Preferably, provision is made for slidable insertion of four weapons storage units into the quadcon interior. Each storage unit is comprised of an enclosure having a rectangular rear wall, a top, a floor, a front side wall, a back side wall, and slidable doors covering the front of the enclosure. Each unit also includes configurable weapons racks to securely support weapons, rifles and/or pistols, within the enclosure.

Preferably, a horizontal divider shelf divides the interior of the enclosure into an upper section and a lower section. Separate pairs of sliding double panels may cover the upper and lower sections. The walls, floor and divider shelf are preferably formed of steel sheet welded to each other to form the enclosure. The enclosure may also have full length without upper and lower sections to accommodate larger weapons.

Each pair of panels is comprised of left and right panels with the panels slidable within parallel upper and lower trackways. Each panel includes a handgrip opening or other gripping means to facilitate sliding of the panel between open and closed positions. The panels also preferably include grill covered openings for improved ventilation.

The enclosure rear wall includes means for attachment of the storage racks and selected positions within the enclosure. Preferably, the attachment means is in the form of spaced parallel holes that are sized to receive bolts that extend through the storage racks and the rear wall. The front side wall of the enclosure includes a handle toward the front of the enclosure.

To enable sliding of the enclosures in and out of the quadcon, the upper wall of each enclosure is attached to the outer section of a telescoping rail, while the inner section of the rail is secured within the quadcon as will be further described. Preferably, the rail also includes an intermediate section, with the intermediate section being supported by roller bearings on the inner section, and the outer section being supported by roller bearings on the intermediate section. The rails are mounted parallel to the enclosure rear walls and the quadcon side walls.

A guide rail is attached to the floor or bottom wall of each enclosure to slide within a guide receiver secured to the floor of the quadcon. Similarly, the guides and guide receivers are parallel to the enclosure rear walls and the quadcon side walls.

As noted previously, penetration of the quadcon walls is not permitted by military regulation, preventing bolting the telescoping rails and guides to the quadcon top and floor. Therefore, mounting of the rails and guides within the quadcon requires insertion of a support frame within the quadcon with the frame being held to the interior of the quadcon, or by welding of support beams, e.g., square tubular steel beams, to the lower surface of the roof of the quadcon, with the rails being attached to the support beams.

The frame, for example, can be constructed of square tubing sections welded together. The frame can include upper and lower parallel, horizontal side sections on each side of the quadcon interior, upper and lower parallel, horizontal end sections at the front and back of the quadcon interior, and left and right parallel, vertical sections at the front and back of the quadcon interior. The ends of the vertical sections are welded to the ends of the side and end sections to form the frame. Standoffs are adjustable outwardly from the outer sides of the frame, e.g., from the vertical side sections, to engage the inner surfaces of the quadcon walls, thereby securing the frame within the quadcon interior.

The inner sections of the telescoping rails and the guide receivers are then secured to the upper and lower end sections of the frame parallel to the frame side sections. For example, the rails and receivers can be welded or bolted to the frame sections.

Alternatively, the quadcon can be modified by welding beams to the bottom of the quadcon roof at the front and back of the quadcon interior, transverse to the quadcon side walls. The rails can then be welded or bolted directly to these beams, eliminating the necessity of an interior frame.

Each enclosure includes one or more weapons support racks to secure a plurality of weapons within the enclosure. Each enclosure can be configured to hold only rifles, pistols or other weapons systems, or a combination thereof. Rifle support racks are comprised of a lower section with means for securing the butts of the rifles and an upper section to secure the rifle barrels.

For example, the rifle support rack lower section can be attached to the floor of the enclosure and can include a plurality of spaced butt receivers having the shape of the rifle butt profile, each butt receiver being comprised of a pair of facing curved guides. The rifle support rack upper section can be attached at the desired level above the enclosure floor to the enclosure back wall and includes a plurality of barrel receiving recesses configured to the dimensions of the rifle barrels. The upper section can also include a latching means to secure the barrels in the recesses, e.g., a sliding bar having arms slidable in front of the barrels.

The enclosure can also include one or more pistol support racks instead of, or in addition to, the rifle support rack. Each pistol support rack is attachable to the rear wall of the enclosure and includes a plurality of pistol receiving recesses to securely hold the pistols. Each pistol rack is loaded from the top, with the pistol being lowered into an appropriately sized hole. Gravity or a locking bar holds the pistols in their berth with the barrel pointing down and the butt of the pistol exposed to show that there is no magazine in the pistol.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the enclosure is divided into upper and lower sections by a horizontal shelf extending outwardly from the rear wall and between the front and rear side walls of the enclosure. One or more pistol support racks are mounted in the upper section of the enclosure, while a rifle support rack is mounted in the lower section of the enclosure. A first pair of sliding panels extends across the upper section of the enclosure, while a second pair of sliding panels extends across the lower section of the enclosure. Each pair of panels includes a lock attachment plate for use in locking the panels in the closed position during weapons storage and transport.

Preferably, four of the enclosures are mounted parallel within the container, with the fronts of the two enclosures closest to the left facing toward the right side of the quadcon and the two enclosures closest to the right facing toward the left side of the quadcon. Each enclosure is attached to a telescoping rail, which is also attached to the upper interior of the quadcon or to a frame within the quadcon so that the enclosure can be slid in and out of the quadcon.

When used, the doors of the quadcon are opened and an enclosure is pulled outwardly to its open position by pulling on the handle on the front side wall of the enclosure. One of the enclosure doors is then slid to the open and locked position. The enclosures lock in open and closed positions by spring actuated foot bolts. Pistols and/or rifles are then mounted in the support frames and secured in place. The enclosure panels are then closed and locked. The enclosure is then slid back into the quadcon. This procedure is repeated for all enclosures to be used to secure weapons. The quadcon doors are then closed and locked. The procedure is reversed to remove weapons from the quadcon.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the mobile armory with four weapons enclosures installed in a quadcon.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the mobile armory with the doors of the quadcon open.

FIG. 3 is a front view of a quadcon enclosure of an alternative configuration with the doors closed.

FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the top of a quadcon with welded support beams.

FIG. 5 is a detailed view of a part of an enclosure floor showing rifle butt receivers.

FIG. 6 is a detailed top view of the rifle barrel support with locking plate.

FIG. 7 is a detailed front view of a part of the pistol support.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In the following description, terms such as horizontal, upright, vertical, above, below, beneath, and the like, are used solely for the purpose of clarity in illustrating the invention, and should not be taken as words of limitation. The drawings are for the purpose of illustrating the invention and are not intended to be to scale.

The following description of a mobile armory, generally 10, is for a modified quadcon 12. It will be understood that the invention is also applicable to tricons. FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional quadcon 12 of known construction in which are slidably mounted four weapons enclosures, generally 14. FIG. 2 also illustrates the same quadcon, differing only in the manner of support of the enclosures. As illustrated, two enclosures on the left of the quadcon as viewed from the front face to the right, while the two enclosures on the right face toward the left, i.e., the fronts of all enclosures face toward the center of the quadcon.

Regulations prohibit drilling holes in the walls of a quadcon or tricon. Therefore, other means of securing the enclosures must be used. In the configuration shown in FIG. 1, each enclosure 14 is supported on beams 16 welded to the bottom of quadcon roof 18, while in FIG. 2, the enclosures are supported within a frame 20.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 4, each enclosure 14 is attached to three-section telescoping roller rails, generally 22, with outermost rail section 24 being attached to beams 16 and innermost rail section 26 being attached to the top of enclosure 14. A guide 28 is attached along bottom of each enclosure 14 and rides along a guide rail 30 attached to quadcon floor 32 to ensure accurate tracking of enclosures 14 as they are slid in and out of quadcon 12.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, rails 22, instead of being attached to beams 16 are alternatively attached to frame 20, which is inserted into the interior of quadcon 12 and secured in place with adjustable standoffs 34. Rails 22 are attached to top frame sections 36, while guides 28 are attached to bottom frame sections 38.

Each enclosure 14 is comprised of a rear wall 40, a top wall 42, a bottom wall or floor 44, a rear side wall 46, a front side wall 48, and a front opening covered by slidable top and bottom pairs of panels 60, best illustrated in FIG. 3. Each panel 60 includes grill covered openings 62. A latch plate 64 on the front edge of each panel pair is attachable to latch openings 66 in front side wall 48 to enable locking of panels 60. An optional divider shelf 68 can be attached across the interior of enclosure 14 at a selected level depending on how the interior of enclosure 14 is configured.

Rear wall 40 includes a plurality of attachment openings 70 for use in bolting weapons racks to rear wall 40 at selected locations. As shown, the preferred embodiment includes a pistol rack, generally 72, in the upper part of enclosure 14 and a two-section rifle rack, generally 74 in the lower part of enclosure 14. It will be understood that other configurations are possible, including two or more pistol racks, two rifle racks, other racks for other small arms, weapon systems, etc.

The lower section 76 of rifle rack 74, illustrated in detail in FIG. 5, is comprised of a plurality of equidistant, aligned butt receivers 78 attached to a removable butt receiver plate 80 removably attached to bottom wall 44. Each butt receiver 78 is comprised of a pair of facing C-shaped sections defining an interior space generally conforming to the dimensions of the butt of the rifle to be stored. FIG. 5 also shows trackways 82 and 84 within which lower door panels 60 slide.

FIG. 6 illustrates the details of the upper rifle rack section 86 of rifle rack 74 used to support and secure the barrels of stored rifles. Rack section 86 is comprised of a lower horizontal plate 88 having a plurality of semicircular cutouts 94 on its front edge to receive rifle barrels. The number of cutouts 94 is equal to the number of butt receivers 78, with cutouts 94 being aligned above receivers 78. Rack section 86 also includes a slidable locking plate 96 with locking arms 98. Plate 96 is slidable between an open position exposing cutouts 94 to permit insertion of rifle barrels and a closed position in which arms 98 extend in front of cutouts 94, preventing removal of rifle barrels from cutouts 94.

Pistol rack 50, shown in detail in FIG. 7, is comprised of spaced pistol receiving openings 100 and barrel openings 102. Pistols, not shown, are inserted into the receiving openings 100 with butts toward the front of enclosure 14 and barrels inserted into barrel openings 102.

Mobile armory 10 is loaded by sliding each of enclosures 14 outwardly from quadcon 12. Panels 60 of enclosure 14 are then opened. Butts of rifles or other shoulder fired firearms are placed into butt receivers 78 and the barrels are placed in cutouts 94. After all of the firearms are inserted into rack 74, locking plate 96 is moved to the closed position to secure the firearms. Pistols are inserted into pistol rack 72. Panels 60 are then closed and locked with latch plate 64. Enclosure 14 is then slid into quadcon 12. This procedure is repeated for all enclosures. Doors 104 of quadcon 12 are then closed and locked for transportation of armory 10.

Certain modifications and improvements will occur to those skilled in the art upon a reading of the foregoing description. It should be understood that all such modifications and improvements have been deleted herein for the sake of conciseness and readability but are properly within the scope of the following claims.

Claims

1. A mobile armory comprising:

a) an EDSS having a top wall, a bottom wall, side walls, a rear wall, a front opening, and doors closable over the front opening;

b) a plurality of spaced telescoping rails mounted beneath the top of said EDSS parallel to said side walls;

c) a plurality of weapons enclosures, each enclosure having a top wall attached to one of said telescoping rails, a bottom wall, a rear wall parallel to said container side walls, a rear end wall, a front end wall, a front opening, panels closable over said opening, said enclosures being slidable between fully inserted positions and fully extended positions; and

d) weapons racks mounted within said enclosures, said racks being accessible when said enclosure panels are in their open positions.

2. The mobile armory of claim 1, wherein said EDSS is a quadcon.

3. The mobile armory of claim 1, including four enclosures.

4. The mobile armory of claim 1, wherein at least one of said enclosures includes a pistol rack and a rifle rack.

5. The mobile armory of claim 1, wherein each of said telescoping rails includes an outer rail section mounted beneath said EDSS top wall, an intermediate rail section, and an inner rail section attached to the top wall of an enclosure, outer rollers between said outer and intermediate sections, and inner rollers between said intermediate and inner sections, said intermediate rail section being slidable relative to said outer rail, and said inner rail section being slidable relative to said intermediate rail section.

6. The mobile armory of claim 1, wherein each of said enclosures include an upper pair of panels and a lower pair of panels.

7. The mobile armory of claim 1, wherein at least one of said enclosures includes a horizontal shelf dividing the interior of the enclosure into upper and lower compartments, each of said compartments including a weapons rack.

8. A mobile armory comprising:

a) an EDSS having a top wall, a bottom wall, side walls, a rear wall, a front opening, and doors closable over the front opening;

b) an interior frame with a top member, a bottom member, and standoffs holding said frame in said EDSS;

c) a plurality of spaced telescoping rails attached to said frame top member;

d) a plurality of weapons enclosures, each enclosure having a top wall attached to one of said telescoping rails, a bottom wall, a rear wall parallel to said container side walls, a rear end wall, a front end wall, a front opening, and panels covering said front opening, said enclosures being slidable between fully inserted positions and fully extended positions; and

e) weapons racks mounted within said enclosures.

9. The mobile armory of claim 8, including four enclosures.

10. The mobile armory of claim 8, wherein at least one of said enclosures includes a pistol rack and a rifle rack.

11. The mobile armory of claim 8, wherein each of said telescoping rails includes an outer rail section attached to the top member of said frame, an intermediate rail section, and an inner rail section attached to the top wall of an enclosure, outer rollers between said outer and intermediate sections, and inner rollers between said intermediate and inner sections, said intermediate rail section being slidable relative to said outer rail, and said inner rail section being slidable relative to said intermediate rail section.

12. The mobile armory of claim 8, wherein each of said EDSS is a quadcon.

13. The mobile armory of claim 8, wherein at least one of said enclosures includes a horizontal shelf dividing the interior of the enclosure into upper and lower compartments, each of said compartments including a weapons rack.

14. A mobile armory comprising:

a) an EDSS having a top wall with a bottom surface, a bottom wall, side walls, a rear wall, a front opening, and doors closable over the front opening;

b) rail attachment beams welded to the bottom surface of said quadcon top wall;

c) a plurality of spaced telescoping rails attached to beams;

d) a plurality of weapons enclosures, each enclosure having a top wall attached to one of said telescoping rails, a bottom wall, a rear wall parallel to said container side walls, a rear end wall, a front end wall, a front opening, and slidable panels having open and closed positions covering said front opening; and

e) weapons racks mounted within said enclosures, said racks being accessible when said panels are in their open positions.

15. The mobile armory of claim 14, including four enclosures.

16. The mobile armory of claim 14, wherein at least one of said enclosures includes a pistol rack and a rifle rack.

17. The mobile armory of claim 14, wherein each of said telescoping rails includes an outer rail section attached to said rail attachment member, an intermediate rail section, and an inner rail section attached to the top wall of an enclosure, outer rollers between said outer and intermediate sections, and inner rollers between said intermediate and inner sections, said intermediate rail section being slidable relative to said outer rail, and said inner rail section being slidable relative to said intermediate rail section.

18. The mobile armory of claim 14, wherein said EDSS is a quadcon.

19. The mobile armory of claim 14, wherein at least one of said enclosures includes a horizontal shelf dividing the interior of the enclosure into upper and lower compartments, each of said compartments including a weapons rack.

20. The mobile armory of claim 14, wherein each of said enclosures includes a guide attached to the enclosure bottom wall, and said EDSS includes guide rails attached to the EDSS bottom wall, said guides being slidable along said guide rails.