Ordnance – Machine guns – Revolving barrels
Patent
1997-05-01
1998-10-06
Johnson, Stephen M.
Ordnance
Machine guns
Revolving barrels
89 1305, F41A 936
Patent
active
058179674
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The invention relates to a small or medium-caliber multi-barrel automatic weapon of the GATLING type, notably designed for firing telescoped ammunition, comprising at least an ammunition feed system and a loading and firing system having several chambers, a weapon in which the loading and firing system is housed inside a body or bodies of the weapon and comprises a loading unit mounted mobile in rotation around a fixed central shaft and integral in rotation with the weapon barrels, and in which each chamber, during a full rotation of the loading unit, moves from a loading position where the chamber is open and laterally offset with respect to the barrels of the weapon in order to be able to load a munition, to a firing position where the chamber is closed and is axially aligned with one of the weapon barrels so as to allow the munition to be fired, said chamber being guided in its movement by guiding means.
The scope of the invention is generally that of small or medium-caliber automatic weapons having a high rate of fire, in the region of 1000 rounds per minute and per barrel, which are notably used for close-range anti-missile defence.
Generally, the loading and firing system in a multi-barrel weapon using conventional ammunition comprises a sliding breech which closes off the rear end of a loading chamber upon firing. After firing, the breech is opened in order to extract, from the rear of the chamber, the case of the munition fired.
Given that a telescoped munition has an elongated body with a regular, generally cylindrical, outer profile, advantage can be taken of this shape in weapons having only one barrel and a pivoting chamber to automatically eject, from the front of the chamber, the case of a munition previously fired which is pushed through by the loading of a new munition in the chamber. Such an advantage can also be exploited in a multi-barrel automatic weapon of the GATLING type in order to simplify the structure of the loading and firing system. In fact, in this case, it would be possible to eliminate the sliding breech, as is envisaged moreover is document U.S. Pat. No. 3,688,637.
In this anterior document, the loading and firing system notably comprises several chambers interconnected so as to form a closed, hinged chain. This chain, at one end, winds round a star-shaped revolving unit which also carries the weapon barrels, whereas the chain, at its other end, is guided by a cam groove.
In considering the direction of rotation of the star-shaped revolving unit, a chamber which is approaching this revolving unit contains a munition to be fired, a chamber which is moving away from the unit contains the case of the munition having just been fired, and a chamber which is travelling along the cam groove located beyond the revolving unit receives a new munition which, during loading, pushes through and ejects the afore-mentioned case.
However, such a loading and firing system is designed with a number of chambers greater than the number of weapon barrels. As a result the loading and firing unit is relatively cumbersome and heavy which requires a suitable motor element to overcome the inertia of the loading unit.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The aim of the invention is to overcome the afore-mentioned drawbacks and proposes to this end a small or medium-caliber multi-barrel automatic weapon of the afore-mentioned type which is characterised in that each chamber of the weapon is mounted pivoting around a stay integral with the loading unit of the loading and firing system, and which is functionally connected to a barrel of the weapon, and in that the guiding means of the chambers are formed of a fixed inner cam, carried by the said central shaft, and a fixed outer cam provided on the inner surface of the weapon body and which encompasses the inner cam whilst remaining separated from the latter by a distance roughly corresponding to the outer diametre of the chambers.
The number of loading chambers is equal to the number of barrels of the weapon, this number being between 2 and 8 (normal maximum num
REFERENCES:
patent: 2959106 (1960-11-01), O'Brien
patent: 3101027 (1963-08-01), Brogan
patent: 3222989 (1965-12-01), Kamp
patent: 3668637 (1972-06-01), Tan
patent: 4216698 (1980-08-01), Chiabrandy
patent: 4278008 (1981-07-01), Smith et al.
patent: 4342253 (1982-08-01), Kirkpatrick et al.
CTA International
Johnson Stephen M.
LandOfFree
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