Weapon barrel

Details Weapon barrel Weapon barrel

2000-02-04

2001-11-13

Jordan, Charles T. (Department: 3641)

Ordnance

Barrels

With heat exchanger

Reexamination Certificate

active

06314857

ABSTRACT:

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This application claims the priority of German Application No. 199 04 417.1 filed Feb. 4, 1999, which is incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a weapon barrel formed by an inner barrel (hereafter liner) and a protecting outer barrel (hereafter jacket) surrounding the liner.
Weapon barrels of the above-outlined type are known, for example, from German Offenlegungsschriften (applications published without examination) No. 19 18 422 and No. 30 46 639 as well as German Patent No. 30 05 117. The jacket which conventionally coaxially surrounds the liner is intended to protect the liner mostly from outer thermal stresses such as sun, rain or wind to thus prevent a deformation (bending) of the liner because of non-homogenous temperature conditions. A non-uniform heating of the liner and a bending deformation coupled therewith as a result of firing the weapon, however, is not prevented in a satisfactory manner by the conventional jackets.
According to German Patent No. 32 19 124 a non-uniform heating of the liner resulting from firing the weapon is reduced by providing heating elements at the outer wall of the liner. The heating elements are regulated by an evaluating and control device connected to temperature sensors.
The above-outlined conventional weapon barrel is disadvantageous, among others, in that additional components are required for measuring the barrel temperature and for regulating or heating the weapon barrel. Further, energy is needed for actuating the heating elements and the additional components which are arranged at the liner, have to be designed to withstand acceleration forces during recoil especially in case of large-caliber weapon barrels.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the invention to provide an improved weapon barrel of the above-outlined type in which a homogeneous temperature equilibrium is obtained in the liner wall upon firing the weapon.
This object and others to become apparent as the specification progresses, are accomplished by the invention, according to which, briefly stated, the weapon barrel includes a liner having first and second circumferential regions; a jacket surrounding the liner; and an arrangement for effecting a heat transfer outwardly from the liner at a greater rate from the first circumferential region than from the second circumferential region.
According to the basic principle of the invention, an asymmetrical heat transfer is effected from the liner outwardly by influencing the modes of heat transfer, such as heat radiation, convection and heat conduction, so that upon firing a shot the temperature of the liner is equalized.
Since when a shot is fired, the heat-up is usually more intense in the upper region of the liner than in its lower zone, according to the invention suitable measures are provided which ensure that from the upper liner region to the jacket which surrounds the liner a greater heat transfer takes place than from the lower liner region to the jacket. Such a result may be achieved by eccentrically arranging the liner with respect to the jacket and/or by introducing asymmetrical intermediate layers between the liner and the jacket and/or by providing other structural measures for obtaining an asymmetrical heat transfer.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the liner and the jacket are arranged in such a manner that between the two components an air-filled annular space remains.
Advantageously, for achieving an asymmetrical heat transfer from the liner, the outer wall of the liner and/or the inner wall of the jacket are coated with materials having unlike emission coefficients.


REFERENCES:
patent: 2337840 (1943-12-01), Scott-Paine et al.
patent: 4346643 (1982-08-01), Taylor et al.
patent: 4638713 (1987-01-01), Milne et al.
patent: 4762048 (1988-08-01), Higashi et al.
patent: 4841836 (1989-06-01), Bundy
patent: 4982648 (1991-01-01), Bol et al.
patent: 5400691 (1995-03-01), Suttie
patent: 5837921 (1998-11-01), Rinaldi et al.
patent: 19 18 422 (1970-10-01), None
patent: 30 46 639 (1982-07-01), None
patent: 32 19 124 (1984-04-01), None
patent: 3827740-A1 (1990-02-01), None
patent: 30 05 117 (1990-08-01), None
patent: 2683304-A1 (1993-05-01), None

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