1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to apparatus for the reorientation of a plurality of serially supplied items. More particularly, the presently disclosed apparatus is directed to the reorientation of ammunition rounds being fed from a stationary magazine to a gun which is variable in the azimuth axis, the apparatus also functioning as a round accumulator during gun start-up and shut-down.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Rapid-fire weapon systems available in the prior art have problems inherent in their operation. In general, the firing weapon is in a gun mount or turret located at one part of the weapons system and the magazine supply for ammunition rounds is located separately. One problem in this arrangement is that mere separation of the weapon and magazine is troublesome. Forneeded to bring the magazine first to a high feed rate and then to bring it to rest after the gun shuts down.
While prior art solutions to the problem of feeding a rapid-fire gun are acceptable in certain application installations, their use with a rapid-fire weapon movable in elevation and azimuth planes, for example, has presented additional unresolved difficulties. In typical weapon applications, individual rounds from the magazine are transported to the gun mount by some type of conveyor or other rounds carrier, usually contained within a flexible chute. These flexible chutes commonly are capable of motion in both elevation and azimuth planes. The chute contortions dictated by required elevation and azimuth angles for proper gun mount flexibility result in ever changing dynamic conditions in the ammunition, chutes