Single barrel externally powered gun

An externally powered gun mechanism capable of high rate of fire up to about 1000 rounds per minute through a cycle of feeding and ejecting, ramming, firing and extracting, comprising

• a supporting receiver structure carrying at least one gun barrel in fixed relation to the supporting receiver structure,
• at least one bolt assembly movable relative to the associated gun barrel,
• at least one bolt control assembly means cooperating with said bolt assembly to effect movement thereof towards and away from the associated barrel and to maintain said bolt assembly stationary during firing,
• means continuously driving said bolt control assembly in a planar predetermined path of travel,
• said bolt control assembly including a plurality of elements supported in spaced relation and supporting a member movable along said planar predetermined path of travel in one direction to control the timing and sequence of said cycle,
• said elements being rotatable elements arranged in a generally rectangular orientation,
• continuously driven and intermittently operable means for feeding ammunition to said bolt assembly,
• means to actuate said ammunition feed means in synchronism with the position of said bolt assembly;
• drive means operatively associated with at least one of said plurality of elements and said continuously driven means to drive the same;
• and
• means carried by said member and connected directly to said bolt assembly and in engagement therewith as said bolt assembly is moved.

In a rapid fire, externally powered gun having at least one fixed barrel mounted in fixed relation to a supporting receiver structure and feed means to present a round sequentially to a cooperating bolt assembly reciprocally movable relative to the associated barrel, the improvement comprising

• a control assembly including spaced rotatable support means and means carried by said support means continuously advanceable in one direction along a predetermined rectangular path of travel, the path of travel of said control assembly being operative to define the sequence and timing of loading, ramming, firing and ejecting,
• means continuously driving said continuously advanceable means along said path of travel,
• feed means including a driven feeder assembly and intermittently operable rotor means,
• indexing means cooperating with said control assembly for synchronized intermittent operation of said rotor means;
• and
• said means carried by said support means including a member carried thereby and directly connected to said bolt assembly to effect movement of said cooperating bolt assembly.

The method of controlling the sequence and timing of an externally powered weapon wherein said sequence includes the operations of ramming, firing, extracting and loading, and wherein said weapon includes a barrel, a bolt assembly and a feed assembly, the method comprising the steps of

• providing a control assembly including a driven member,
• continuously advancing said driven member along a predetermined generally rectangular path of travel in one direction,
• said path of travel including portions defining the sequence and time of the operations of ramming, firing, extracting and loading,
• maintaining said bolt assembly in direct and continuous contact with said continuously advancing driven member throughout said sequence,
• said bolt assembly in driving contact with said driven member being stationary during loading and firing operations while said driven member is continuously advanced along said predetermined path of travel,
• sequentially indexing a round to said bolt assembly during the loading operation as controlled by the relative position of said driven member along the path of travel, and
• the rate of travel and the length of the path of travel of said driven member determining the time interval of each of said operations.

A powered gun mechanism capable of rapid fire comprising:

• means forming a supporting structure,
• at least one gun barrel cooperating with said supporting structure and supported thereby,
• said gun barrel having a chamber cooperating therewith to receive a round to be fired,
• means forming at least one bolt assembly cooperating with said gun barrel,
• at least one chain drive assembly mounted on said supporting structure to effect relative motion between said bolt assembly and said gun barrel,
• said chain drive assembly cooperating with said bolt assembly and said gun barrel to control the sequence of a firing cycle including at least positioning a round in said chamber for firing the round,
• said chain drive assembly including means carried thereby and moveable therewith and directly coupled to said bolt assembly to effect movement thereof relative to said gun barrel,
• means forming a feeder assembly to provide a round to be positioned in said chamber, and
• means forming a power drive system for driving said chain drive assembly and for driving said feeder assembly in synchronism with said chain drive assembly.

A powered gun mechanism comprising

• a supporting structure,
• at least one gun barrel mounted on said supporting structure and including a chamber receiving a round to be fired,
• at least one bolt assembly mounted on said supporting structure,
• means to effect relative movement between said bolt assembly and said gun barrel,
• said means effecting relative movement including a plurality of spaced rotatable support elements disposed in planar orientation and means carried by said support elements and advanceable along a predetermined planar path of travel which defines a firing sequence including introducing a round in said chamber, and a dwell for firing the round during which said bolt assembly and gun barrel are stationary with respect to each other,
• said means carried by said support elements including a member moveable along said path of travel and directly and continuously connected to said bolt assembly,
• means for driving said advanceable means along said path of travel, and
• feed means operative in synchronism with said advanceable means to present a round for insertion into said chamber.

A powered gun mechanism comprising

• at least one gun barrel,
• means to support said gun barrel,
• a bolt assembly cooperating with said gun barrel,
• means forming a chain driving assembly cooperating with said gun barrel and bolt assembly to effect relative movement therebetween,
• said chain drive assembly including support elements and a member carried by support elements and movable relative thereto along a predetermined path in one direction which defines a firing sequence including at least positioning a round to be fired, a dwell period during firing, and extracting the spent casing after a round is fired,
• said member carried by said support elements including means carried thereby and directly connected to said bolt assembly to effect movement thereof,
• means to drive said chain drive assembly such that there is relative motion between said bolt assembly and gun barrel during positioning a round to be fired and extracting a spent casing after a round is fired, and
• means to drive said feeder means in synchronism with said chain drive assembly.

A rapid fire gun comprising

• at least one gun barrel and a chamber associated therewith to receive a round to be fired,
• at least one bolt assembly cooperating with said gun barrel,
• at least one chain drive assembly cooperating with said bolt assembly and said gun barrel for effecting relative movement between said bolt assembly and said gun barrel,
• said chain drive assembly including a plurality of supporting elements arranged in a predetermined orientation and a member driven by said supporting elements through a predetermined path of travel defining and controlling the sequence of a firing cycle including feeding, ramming, firing, extracting, and ejecting a spent casing,
• said member driven by said supporting elements including means carried thereby and directly and continuously connected to said bolt assembly to effect movement thereof and to maintain said bolt assembly stationary during firing and feeding,
• feed means cooperating to present a round for a firing cycle, and
• power means for driving at least said chain drive in one direction.

A gun comprising:

• at least one gun barrel;
• a gun bolt;
• a chain drive operating mechanism effecting relative reciprocal motion between said gun bolt and said barrel;
• means for feeding rounds of ammunition to said gun bolt;
• means carried by said operating mechanism for movement therewith and directly and continuously connected to said gun bolt;
• said feeding means including a first and second rotatable transfer means,
• said first rotatable transfer means being operative to feed a series of rounds sequentially to said second rotatable transfer means,
• said second rotatable transfer means being operative to receive a round of ammunition from said first rotatable transfer means and for translating said round transversely to the face of said gun bolt, and
• said operating mechanism and said means carried thereby cooperating with said gun bolt to maintain said gun bolt stationary as said gun bolt receives a round of ammunition from said second rotatable transfer means and to maintain said gun bolt stationary as a round is fired.

A bolt control assembly for a gun in which a bolt assembly is movable in a reciprocating manner between a rear position and a forward position, comprising:

• a driven chain drive assembly continuously movable during a firing cycle to advance the bolt assembly through a cycle of feeding, ramming, firing, extracting and ejecting;
• said chain drive assembly including means driven along a predetermined path of travel which includes portions defining the timing and sequence of the cycle of feeding, ramming, firing, extracting and ejecting;
• and
• means connected to and carried by said chain drive assembly and driven along said predetermined path of travel and connected directly to said bolt assembly to effect reciprocating movement thereof.