Lightweight gun systems
AssigneeLockheed Missiles & Space Company, Inc.
InventorsAlbert A. Gegaregian, Vincenzo F. Costa, William L. Hendricks, Milan G. Maximovich, Jacob Savitt, Hsiang-Sheng Shen, Michael R. Webber
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A mortar design according to the present invention has been described. The mortar of the present invention weighs substantially less than the presently available mortars. Furthermore, the mortar of the present invention provides a dampening mechanism which substantially dampens the movement of the entire mortar assembly during firing of rounds.
Claims43
A gun system comprising:
- a barrel having a cylindrical liner enclosed within an outer sleeve, and damper means for substantially reducing recoil force and absorbing recoil energy of said barrel and being axially aligned with said barrel, said outer sleeve comprising layers of wound carbon fiber impregnated with thermally stable organic polymer, wherein the damper means includes a housing filled with a liquid medium;
- a metering block that divides the housing into a first space and a second space;
- and a piston supported in the second space, the metering block defining at least one first passageway extending between the first and second spaces for flow of the liquid medium at least in a direction from the second space to the first space, and including first resilient spring means, at least partially covering the at least one first passageway for regulating flow of the liquid medium from the second space to the first space.
A gun system comprising a barrel having a cylindrical liner enclosed within an outer sleeve, said outer sleeve comprising layers of wound carbon fiber impregnated with thermally stable organic polymer, the gun system further comprising a breech having a first breech side attached to said barrel and a second breech side, wherein said breech comprises an outer surface, said outer surface tapering toward said second breech side, and said outer sleeve covering said tapering outer surface of said breech.
A gun system comprising damper means for substantially reducing recoil force and absorbing recoil energy of said system, said damper including:
- a housing having a first and a second end, said housing being filled with a liquid medium;
- a first cap coupled to said first end of said housing;
- a metering block having first and second metering block sides and being positioned in said housing to define a first space between said metering block and said first cap, said metering block further having at least one first passageway extending from said first metering block end to said second metering block end;
- a piston having first and second piston sides and being positioned in said second space for movement relative to said housing between a firing position and a full recoil position;
- the at least one first passageway permitting the liquid medium to flow at least in a direction from the second space to the first space;
- a first spring means at least partially covering the at least one first passageway for regulating flow of the liquid medium from the second space to the first space;
- a piston shaft attached to said piston;
- resilient means positioned in said first space for urging said housing from said full recoil position to said firing position;
- and a second cap attached to said second end of said housing, said second cap having a central opening, and said piston shaft passing through said central opening.
A gun system comprising:
- a barrel having a cylindrical sleeve, said sleeve comprising layers of wound carbon fiber impregnated with thermally stable organic polymer, and damper means for substantially reducing recoil force and absorbing recoil energy of said barrel and being engaged and axially aligned with said barrel, wherein the damper means includes a housing filled with a liquid medium and having a metering block that divides the housing into a first space and a second space, and wherein a piston is housed in the second space for movement relative to the metering block, the metering block defining at least one first passageway extending between the first and second spaces for flow of the liquid medium at least in a direction from the second space to the first space, and including first resilient spring means, at least partially covering the at least one passageway for regulating flow of the liquid medium from the second space to the first space.
A gun system comprising:
- a barrel having a cylindrical liner enclosed within an outer sleeve, and damper means for substantially reducing recoil force and absorbing recoil energy of said barrel and being axially aligned with said barrel, said outer sleeve comprising layers of wound carbon fiber impregnated with thermally stable organic polymer, wherein the damper means includes a housing filled with a liquid medium;
- a metering block that divides the housing into a first space and a second space;
- and
- a piston movably supported in the second space, the metering block defining at least one passageway extending between the first and second spaces, wherein the at least one passageway permits the liquid medium to flow at least in a direction from the second space to the first space, the damper means further including resilient spring means at least partially covering the at least one passageway for regulating flow of the liquid medium from the second space to the first space, the damper means further including a bladder housed in the first space.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.