Safing sector assembly for a rotary machine gun

A safing sector assembly for a machine gun having a main housing, a rotor assembly supported by the main housing and adapted for being electrically rotated, a plurality of bolt assemblies attached to the rotor assembly, an elliptical cam track extending longitudinally within the main housing for driving the bolt assemblies in forward and rearward directions in response to rotation of the rotor assembly, and a bolt assembly access port defined in the main housing, the safing sector assembly comprising:

• a safing sector frame configured to be secured to the main housing of the machine gun, the frame including an aft camming portion of the elliptical cam track on an underside thereof;
• a top cover hingedly attached to the frame, the top cover configured to be rotatable, while the frame is secured to the main housing, between a closed position in which the top cover covers the access port and an open position in which the bolt assemblies are accessible through the access port;
• and
• a safing gate hingedly attached to the top cover, the safing gate including a forward camming portion of the elliptical cam track on an underside thereof, the safing gate configured to be rotatable, while the frame is secured to the main housing, between an armed position in which the bolt assemblies follow the forward camming portion of the elliptical cam track to facilitate firing of the machine gun and a safe position in which the forward camming portion of the elliptical cam track is removed to thereby prevent firing of the machine gun;
• wherein the safing gate is only rotatable to the armed position while the top cover is in the closed position.

A safing sector assembly for a machine gun having a main housing, a rotor assembly supported by the main housing and adapted for being electrically rotated, a plurality of bolt assemblies attached to the rotor assembly, an elliptical cam track extending longitudinally within the main housing for driving the bolt assemblies in forward and rearward directions in response to rotation of the rotor assembly, and a bolt assembly access port defined in the main housing, the safing sector assembly comprising:

• a safing sector frame configured to be secured to the main housing of the machine gun, the frame including an aft camming portion of the elliptical cam track on an underside thereof;
• a top cover hingedly attached to the frame, the top cover configured to be rotatable, while the frame is secured to the main housing, between a closed position in which the top cover covers the access port and an open position in which the bolt assemblies are accessible through the access port;
• and
• a safing gate hingedly attached to the top cover, the safing gate including a forward camming portion of the elliptical cam track on an underside thereof, the safing gate configured to be rotatable, while the frame is secured to the main housing, between an armed position in which the bolt assemblies follow the forward camming portion of the elliptical cam track to facilitate firing of the machine gun and a safe position in which the forward camming portion of the elliptical cam track is removed to thereby prevent firing of the machine gun;
• wherein the top cover can only be rotated to the open position while the safing gate is in the safe position.

A safing sector assembly for a machine gun having a main housing, a rotor assembly supported by the main housing and adapted for being electrically rotated, a plurality of bolt assemblies attached to the rotor assembly, an elliptical cam track extending longitudinally within the main housing for driving the bolt assemblies in forward and rearward directions in response to rotation of the rotor assembly, and a bolt assembly access port defined in the main housing, the safing sector assembly comprising:

• a safing sector frame configured to be secured to the main housing of the machine gun, the frame including an aft camming portion of the elliptical cam track on an underside thereof;
• a top cover hingedly attached to the frame, the top cover configured to be rotatable, while the frame is secured to the main housing, between a closed position in which the top cover covers the access port and an open position in which the bolt assemblies are accessible through the access port;
• and
• a safing gate hingedly attached to the top cover, the safing gate including a forward camming portion of the elliptical cam track on an underside thereof, the safing gate configured to be rotatable, while the frame is secured to the main housing, between an armed position in which the bolt assemblies follow the forward camming portion of the elliptical cam track to facilitate firing of the machine gun and a safe position in which the forward camming portion of the elliptical cam track is removed to thereby prevent firing of the machine gun;
• wherein the frame is configured to permit removal of the bolt assemblies from the rotor assembly while the frame is secured to the main housing, the top cover is in the open position, and the safing gate is in the safe position.

A machine gun having a main housing, a rotor assembly supported by the main housing and adapted for being electrically rotated, a plurality of bolt assemblies attached to the rotor assembly, an elliptical cam track extending longitudinally within the main housing for driving the bolt assemblies in forward and rearward directions in response to rotation of the rotor assembly, and a bolt assembly access port defined in the main housing, comprising:

• a safing sector frame secured to the main housing of the machine gun, the frame including an aft camming portion of the elliptical cam track on an underside thereof;
• a top cover hingedly attached to the frame, the top cover configured to be rotatable between a closed position in which the top cover covers the access port and an open position in which the bolt assemblies are accessible through the access port;
• and
• a safing gate hingedly attached to the top cover, the safing gate including a forward camming portion of the elliptical cam track on an underside thereof, the safing gate configured to be rotatable between an armed position in which the bolt assemblies follow the forward camming portion of the elliptical cam track to facilitate firing of the machine gun and a safe position in which the forward camming portion of the elliptical cam track is removed to thereby prevent firing of the machine gun;
• wherein the main housing includes a pair of retainer pin housings configured to receive and capture a pair of spring-loaded retainer pins, each retainer pin receivable through a portion of the safing sector frame to secure the safing sector frame to the main housing.