US 4,391,180 AGranted

Method and means for controlling the firing rate from a machine gun

AssigneeRheinmetall GmbH

InventorRichard Koine

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Abstract

A method for controlling the rate of firing from a machine gun having means for imparting energy to an ammunition feed system, a rigidly locking breech block and a firing device, and having a recoil and counter-recoil device which is movably coupled by means of a differential recoil system to the gun mount wherein the control order necessary for detonation is derived from the simultaneous transmittal of a signal from a predetermined position of the breech block and a predetermined position of the recoil counter-recoil device during its oscillating movement. Means are provided for adjusting the delay of the counter-recoil movement of the recoil counter-recoil device by limiting the travel of a control piston within the recoil counter-recoil device.

Claims5

Dependent claims

An improved arrangement for controlling the rate of firing of fire bursts in a machine gun having a breech block, an ammunition feed device and a recoil and counter-recoil device for elastically coupling the gun to gun mount by means of a differential recoil system so as to enable the gun to oscillate with preselected oscillation characteristics during firing said gun emitting energy impulses during firing of a shell which are operatively conducted by conduit means to produce ignition of the following shell fed into the gun by the ammunition feed device, the improvement comprising:

receiving means and storing means operatively mounted in said recoil and counter-recoil device said storing means being adapted to store the recoil energy of the gun during recoil thereof, control means operatively connected to said storing and receiving means, said control means having a timing element and being adapted to selectively release a predetermined amount of energy for the counter-recoil motion;
adjusting means operatively connected to said control means for adjusting said timing element;
a primary transmitter operatively associated with said breech block to emit a first signal at a preselected position of said breech block;
a secondary transmitter operatively associated with said recoil and counter-recoil device for emitting a second signal at a preselected position of said recoil and counter-recoil device;
and
a relay in said conduit means adapted to conduct an energy pulse emitted from the gun during firing of a shell to initiate ignition of the following shell in the breech block when said first and second signals have placed said relay in a conductive state;
said primary and secondary energy transmitters being operatively coupled to said conduit means.

4 more elements

An improved arrangement for controlling the cadence of firing bursts in a machine cannon having a loading chamber, a differential recoil gun mount including a reciprocally movable breech block and a dampening system which include biasing means which include mechanical as well as hydraulic means for receiving and storing recoil energy which forms during firing of a projectile from said machine cannon and adjustable means operatively connected to said dampening system for selectively releasing predetermined amounts of said energy for the counter-recoil movement of the machine cannon, and means operatively mounted in said machine cannon for controlling the movement of the breech block independently from the recoil and counter-recoil movement of the gun barrel, the improvement comprising in combination,

(a) said dampening system is formed by a recoil-counter-recoil system which operatively couples the machine cannon to the gun mount;
(b) said recoil-counter-recoil system includes means for adjusting the counter-recoil movement of the machine cannon;
(c) said adjusting means includes an adjustable timing element which is adapted to release the stored recoil energy at a predetermined point in time of the firing cycle;
(d) ignition means are operatively connected to the loading chamber of the machine cannon via an electrical ignition energy conduit in which there are disposed two circuit breakers in series;
(e) a first circuit breaker of said two circuit breakers being operatively connected to said breech block so as to close when said breech block is in a locked position and a second circuit breaker of said two circuit breakers being controlled by the recoil-counter-recoil system so as to close at a predetermined point in time of the counter-recoil movement thereof;
and
(f) said two circuit breakers forming jointly an AND-gate for conducting adequate ignition energy from said ignition means via said electrical ignition energy conduit and said AND-gate to said loading chamber to ignite the propellant charge of a projectile disposed therein.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 06/168,331Filed 14 Jul 1980 · continuation in part
Priority: DE 265877024 Dec 1976
Granted: 5 Jul 1983
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification3 codes

F41A 19/03
Firing or trigger mechanisms; Cocking mechanisms: shot-velocity control
F41A 25/16
Gun mountings permitting recoil or return to battery, e.g. gun cradles; Barrel buffers or brakes: hybrid systems
F41A
Functional features or details common to both smallarms and ordnance

Family

Serial864,237Parent of this continuation · filed 27 Dec 1977
Serial147,291Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 6 May 1980
US 4,391,180 AThis patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

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