US3614723A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Aiming arrangement
Assignee: Licentia Patent Verwaltungs GmbH
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Filing: 1968-08-19
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Granted: 1971-10-19
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Expires: 1988-08-19
Abstract
Abstract A gun turret of a tank, equipped with acoustic and optical aiming devices. The acoustic device is used to bring the gun to bear in the general direction of a target from which a noise comes, whereafter the optical aiming device, which may include an infrared searchlight, is turned on. In this way, the initial target acquisition and the preliminary aiming are done by passive means, the active aiming means being used only after the preliminary aiming and being needed for only a very short time.
Inventors
- 👤 Heinz Hermes
- 👤 Helmut Hinterthur
- 👤 Arnold Otto
- 👤 Klaus Dietrich Thieme
- 👤 Heinz Westhoff
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-27 23:26
CPC Classifications
F; F41; F41G; F41G3/00; F41G3/22
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 8
Claim 1
Independent Claim
160 words
The combination which comprises: a. a support mounted on an armored vehicle for rotation about a vertical axis; b. active optical means for final sighting of an associated weapon, said means defining an optical axis and being fixedly arranGed on said support with the weapon for rotation therewith; c. passive acoustic ranging means for preliminary aiming and having at least two acoustic receivers also fixedly arranged on said support for rotation therewith and being spaced laterally apart from each other, the perpendicular bisector of the line joining said two receivers extending in the direction of said optical axis; and d. means connected to the output of said receivers for deriving therefrom a signal which is a function of the angle between the direction from which a noise comes and said perpendicular bisector, thereby to enable an operator to rotate said support about said vertical axis until said optical axis is generally aligned with the direction from which the noise comes.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
160 words
The combination which comprises: a. a support mounted on an armored vehicle for rotation about a vertical axis; b. active optical means for final sighting of an associated weapon, said means defining an optical axis and being fixedly arranGed on said support with the weapon for rotation therewith; c. passive acoustic ranging means for preliminary aiming and having at least two acoustic receivers also fixedly arranged on said support for rotation therewith and being spaced laterally apart from each other, the perpendicular bisector of the line joining said two receivers extending in the direction of said optical axis; and d. means connected to the output of said receivers for deriving therefrom a signal which is a function of the angle between the direction from which a noise comes and said perpendicular bisector, thereby to enable an operator to rotate said support about said vertical axis until said optical axis is generally aligned with the direction from which the noise comes.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
19 words
The combination defined in claim 1 wherein the vehicle is a tank and said support is a tank turret.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
27 words
The combination defined in claim 1 wherein the vehicle is a tank having a turret, and wherein said support is a rotary platform carried by said turret.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
16 words
The combination defined in claim 1 wherein each of the acoustic receivers is a directional receiver.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
46 words
The combination defined in claim 1, further comprising a third acoustic receiver arranged on said bisector and spaced from said line joining the first-mentioned two receivers; and means connected to said third receiver for enabling the operator to make a sense determination and thereby avoid 180*ambiguity.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
174 words
A method for target finding with a device mounted on an armored vehicle, comprising the steps of: a. preliminary aiming with a passive acoustic ranging device having at least two acoustic receivers arranged on a support mounted for rotation on the armored vehicle and being spaced laterally apart from each other, a perpendicular bisector of the line joining the two receivers being defined; the aiming step including the step of deriving a signal from the outputs of the receivers which is a function of the angle between the direction from which a noise comes and the perpendicular bisector, thereby to enable the operator to rotate the support about its vertical axis until the perpendicular bisector is generally aligned with the direction from which the noise comes; and b. final sighting with an active optical device mounted on the support along with an associated weapon for rotation therewith and defining an optical axis which is parallel to the perpendicular bisector, the preliminary aiming step permitting the final sighting to be of a minimum time duration.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
174 words
A method for target finding with a device mounted on an armored vehicle, comprising the steps of: a. preliminary aiming with a passive acoustic ranging device having at least two acoustic receivers arranged on a support mounted for rotation on the armored vehicle and being spaced laterally apart from each other, a perpendicular bisector of the line joining the two receivers being defined; the aiming step including the step of deriving a signal from the outputs of the receivers which is a function of the angle between the direction from which a noise comes and the perpendicular bisector, thereby to enable the operator to rotate the support about its vertical axis until the perpendicular bisector is generally aligned with the direction from which the noise comes; and b. final sighting with an active optical device mounted on the support along with an associated weapon for rotation therewith and defining an optical axis which is parallel to the perpendicular bisector, the preliminary aiming step permitting the final sighting to be of a minimum time duration.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1974-10-18 | 1975-04-19 | 1975-10-19 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1978-10-18 | 1979-04-19 | 1979-10-19 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1982-10-18 | 1983-04-19 | 1983-10-19 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |