US 6,637,310 B2Granted

Rotatable breech gun

AssigneeUnited Defense, L.P.

InventorDennis Borgwarth

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Abstract

A rotatable breech gun including a breech assembly, a breech housing, and a gun barrel. The breech assembly has a breech bore formed therein that receives ammunition loaded through an end thereof. The breech housing has at least one side member oriented parallel to the breech bore. The breech assembly is rotatably mounted in the breech housing. The gun barrel has a gun bore extending therethrough. The gun barrel is operably connected to the breech housing such that the gun bore is aligned with the breech bore when the breech assembly is rotated in position within the breech housing. The breech assembly and the breech housing further include corresponding mating structures proximate at least one end of the breech bore such that forces generated by ignition of ammunition in the breech bore are transmitted to both the breech assembly and the at least one side member of the breech housing.

Claims16

Dependent claims

The rotatable breech gun comprising:

a breech assembly having a breech bore formed therein that receives ammunition loaded through an end thereof, wherein the breech assembly has a first end and a second end, and wherein a rotational axis is located intermediate the first end and the second end,
a breech housing having at least one side member oriented parallel to the breech bore, wherein the breech assembly is rotatable mounted in the breech housing;
and
a gun barrel having a gun bore extending therethrough, wherein the gun barrel is operably connected to the breech housing such that the gun bore is aligned with the breech bore when the breech assembly is rotated in position within the breech housing, the gun barrel is aligned along a gun barrel axis and the breech assembly is rotatable about the rotational axis that is substantially perpendicular to the gun barrel axis;
wherein the breech assembly and the breech housing further include corresponding mating structures proximate at least one end of the breech bore such that forces generated by ignition of ammunition in the breech bore are transmitted to both the breech assembly the at least one side member of the breech housing, and wherein both the mating structures and the at least one side member operate to maintain a longitudinal position of the breech assembly relative to the breech housing;
and
wherein the that mating structures comprise at least one groove formed in the breech assembly proximate the first end and the second end and at least one land formed in the breech housing, wherein the at least one groove is adapted to at least partially receive the at least one land, and wherein the at least one groove and the at least one land are both curved to correspond to with a constant radius from the rotational axis.

4 more elements

A rotatable breech gun comprising:

a front block having a bore formed therein;
a rear block;
a first side member having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end is operably connected to the front block and the second end is operably connected to the rear block, wherein the front block and the rear block each have at least one land formed therein proximate the connection with the first side member;
a second side member having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end is operably connected to the front block and the second end is operably connected to the rear block, wherein the front block and the rear block each have at least one land formed therein proximate the connection with the second side member;
and
a breech assembly having a first end and a second end, wherein the breech assembly has a bore formed therein that extends from the first end to the second end and that is adapted to receive ammunition, wherein the breech assembly is mounted for rotation with respect to the first side member and the second side member, wherein the first side member and the second side member have a length that is approximately the same as a length of the breech assembly, wherein the breech assembly has at least one groove formed therein proximate the first end and the second end, wherein the at least one land on the front block proximate the first side member and the second side member are adapted to at least partially seat in the at least one groove proximate the first end of the breach assembly, wherein the at least one land on the rear block proximate the first side member and the second side member are adapted to at least partially seat in the at least one groove proximate the second end of the breach assembly.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.