Weapon system retention device
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army
InventorsStephen M Van Dyke-Restifo, George D. Vitetta, Jr., Alex Wakulenko
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus for retaining an object in a gun tube of a weapon system, the gun tube having a longitudinal axis, a chamber and a breech ring with an opening therein, the apparatus including a plunger that reciprocates in the opening in the breech ring and the chamber; a housing fixed in the opening in the breech ring, the housing holding the plunger; and means for reciprocating the plunger in the opening in the breech ring and the chamber. The object to be retained is propellant. The reciprocating means is automatically operated via electrical and/or mechanical connections to the weapon system.
Claims11
An apparatus for retaining a propellant in the firing chamber, within an elevated gun tube of a weapon system, the propellant having a back side disposed closest to and facing the breech of the gun, the gun tube having a longitudinal axis, and a breech ring with an opening therein, the apparatus comprising;
- a plunger that reciprocates in the opening in the breech ring and the chamber;
- a housing fixed in the opening in the breech ring, the housing holding the plunger;
- a non-recoil surface;
- and means for reciprocating the plunger in the opening in the breech ring and the chamber, the means includes a compression spring disposed around the plunger and a solenoid fixed to the non-recoiling surface such that, when activated, the solenoid is operable to move the plunger into the chamber and, when deactivated, the compression spring moves the plunger out of the chamber;
- whereby, said plunger reciprocates into said chamber and contacts therein the back side of said propellant, thereby holding said propellant in place until prior to firing, at which time the plunger is withdrawn from said chamber and said weapon system is fired.
An apparatus for retaining a propellant in the firing chamber, within an elevated gun tube of a weapon system, the propellant having a back side disposed closest to and facing the breech of the gun, the gun tube having a longitudinal axis, and a breech ring with an opening therein, the apparatus comprising:
- a plunger that reciprocates in the opening in the breech ring and the chamber;
- a housing fixed in the opening in the breech ring, the housing holding the plunger;
- a breech crankshaft;
- and means for reciprocating the plunger in the opening in the breech ring and the chamber, the means includes a drive gear attached to the breech crankshaft;
- a fixed shaft having a driven gear mounted thereon that meshes with the drive gear;
- a cam mounted on the fixed shaft and including a cam path;
- and a cam follower fixed to the plunger and operable to follow the cam path of the cam;
- whereby, said plunger reciprocates into said chamber and contacts therein the back side of said propellant, thereby holding said propellant in place until prior to firing, at which time the plunger is withdrawn from said chamber and said weapon system is fired.
An apparatus for retaining a propellant in the firing chamber, within an elevated gun tube of a weapon system, the propellant having a back side disposed closest to and facing the breech of the gun, the gun tube having a longitudinal axis, and a breech ring with an opening therein, the apparatus comprising:
- a plunger that reciprocates in the opening in the breech ring and the chamber;
- a housing fixed in the opening in the breech ring, the housing holding the plunger;
- a breech crankshaft;
- and means for reciprocating the plunger in the opening in the breech ring and the chamber, the means includes a cam mounted on the breech crankshaft and including a cam path;
- a cam lever having one end rotatably attached to the housing and another end with an opening formed therein;
- a first cam follower fixed to the plunger and disposed in the opening in the cam lever;
- and a second cam follower mounted on the cam lever and operable to follow the cam path on the cam;
- whereby, said plunger reciprocates into said chamber and contacts therein the back side of said propellant, thereby holding said propellant in place until prior to firing, at which time the plunger is withdrawn from said chamber and said weapon system is fired.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.