TM 5-5420-280-10
GENERAL INFORMATION, EQUIPMENT
DESCRIPTION, AND THEORY OF OPERATION
RAPIDLY EMPLACED BRIDGE (REB)
NSN 5420-01-481-3959 P/N 12480471
THEORY OF OPERATION
GENERAL
This section explains how components of the REB and CBT work. Functional
descriptions of the CBT, pallet, and bridge components and their operation are
covered in the following paragraphs.
FUNCTION OF THE COMMON BRIDGE TRANSPORTER (CBT)
The transporter functions to load/unload and transport the pallet with or without
the bridge to and from launch sites, and can also provide emergency back-up
hydraulic and electric power to the pallet for bridge launch/retrieval operations. The
CBT is a HEMTT equipped with a Load Handling System (LHS). The LHS
hydraulic system is powered by way of a PTO-driven pump on the CBT
transmission. Control valves within the LHS hydraulic system direct the flow of
hydraulic oil to the LHS lift cylinders. A cab-mounted control box and a hand-held
Remote Control Unit (RCU) are used to operate the solenoid-actuated control valves
necessary for LHS operation. To power the pallet using CBT, the LHS hydraulic
hoses are disconnected from the CBT, and the pallet's hydraulic hoses are then
connected to the CBT hydraulic pump by way of quick-disconnects. The CBT's slave
power cable is connected to North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) slave
receptacles on the pallet and CBT.
FUNCTION OF THE CBT LOAD HANDLING SYSTEM (LHS)
The CBT's LHS is utilized to load and carry the REB pallet (with or without
bridge) in the same way it is used for the M1 Flat Rack, M15 Bridge Adapter Pallet
(BAP), and M14 Improved Boat Cradle (IBC). The LHS is permanently mounted on
the HEMTT frame and contains a lifting arm that is hydraulically raised and
lowered by way of the CBT hydraulic and electrical systems. Only the pallet can be
carried on the LHS; the bridge or bridge halves alone are not designed to interface
with the LHS.
FUNCTION OF THE PALLET
The Pallet is the launching mechanism and transport frame for the bridge. The
Pallet's launcher mechanism couples the two bridge halves together and emplaces
them to the ground. Launch and retrieval of the bridge is performed while the
pallet is on the CBT only. The pallet has two supporting cylinders that assist in
supporting the weight of the bridge on the CBT during launch and retrieval
operations. The bridge is intended to be transported on the pallet by the CBT,
although once coupled and emplaced, the bridge can be lifted, transported, and
emplaced by helicopter. The pallet is designed to be transported on the CBT or the
