Ordnance – Charging mechanisms for guns
Patent
1995-09-05
1997-11-25
Carone, Michael J.
Ordnance
Charging mechanisms for guns
89137, 89 332, F41A 938
Patent
active
056914970
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a self-loading grenade launcher with a cartridge belt feed which conveys a cartridge by means of pawls engaging in the cartridge belt preferably horizontally to the from of a cartridge belt, in which the pawls are borne by two counteracting slides movable transversely to the direction of fire and arranged in a hinged cover and project downwards. An inertia bolt runs forward along a path from a release position against the cartridge chamber under the force of one or preferably two return springs and is fitted so as to slide the cartridge conveyed from the cartridge belt by the pawls into the cartridge chamber during this forward movement and, owing to the recoil force due to the firing of the cartridge, to run back along the path and thereby retensioning the return spring or springs. A control system coupled to the inertia bolt and the slides converts the forward and recoil movement of the bolt into the transverse alternating movement of the slides. A firing device comprises a firing pin which is tensioned by a percussion spring and held by a detent in the tensioned state, whereby the detent is released and the cartridge fired before the inertia bolt has completed its forward travel but only after the cartridge has penetrated far enough into the cartridge into the cartridge chamber to hold the gas pressure resulting from firing. A housing secured to the cartridge chamber extends along the bolt path and partially surrounds it, the longitudinal axis of which continues the central axis of the cartridge chamber.
2. Description of the Related Art
A prior art grenade launcher is described in the journal "International Defense Review," Volume 22, No. 12/1989. It has a cartridge belt feed device which conveys the frontmost cartridge directly behind the cartridge chamber. An inertia bolt, which is similar in its manner of action to that of a machine gun, is moved by a closure-spring arrangement against this frontmost cartridge, pushing it into the cartridge chamber and firing it.
In the following, expressions such as "front," "rear," "side," etc. are used without further definition. They refer in all cases to the weapon in horizontal firing position, "front" indicating the muzzle and therefore the front end of the weapon in the firing direction.
In order to make the grenade launcher ready for firing, it is sufficient to move the inertia bolt, against the action of the closure-spring arrangement, into its rearmost position, in which it is held by a trigger device, and to insert the cartridge belt into the feed device.
The particular advantage of this type of grenade launcher as compared with the previously best-known self-loading grenade launcher, the US Mark 19, lies in this simple course of movements; in the case of the US Mark 19, it is necessary, after the insertion of the belt, for the bolt to be struck empty and then cocked again since the frontmost cartridge of the belt is not fed directly into the cartridge chamber upon the first striking of the bolt but rather is first brought into a transfer position from which it is conveyed by the second striking of the bolt into the cartridge chamber and fired there.
This complicated loading process leads to errors in operation as a result of which the weapon is either not ready to fire after loading or fires at the wrong time.
The prior art grenade launcher which does not have this disadvantage and is of very simple construction is, of unsatisfactory reliability in operation and function.
The object of the present invention is to provide a self-loading grenade launcher which, using the above-described advantages of the prior art grenade launcher, has better reliability in operation, better reliability in function, better operability, simpler construction and/or a less expensive construction.
The inertia bolt included in the invention like the prior art grenade launcher, fires the cartridge which is just being introduced into the cartridge chamber during the final phase of its forward
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Gablowski Jurgen
Gielke Gerhard
Weichert Berthold
Wossner Ernst
Carone Michael J.
Heckler & Koch
Montgomery Christopher K.
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