EP0973003B1 - Method and device for the cooling of gun barrels - Google Patents

Abstract

A method for cooling the barrel in a rapid fire gun, e.g. a revolving barrel canon, has coolant pumped from a reservoir (7) and sprayed into the barrel prior to each discharge via a spray jet (16). The coolant is drawn from the reservoir and is compressed by a reciprocating piston (11). A non return valve (9) connects to the reservoir and a solenoid valve (15) controls the coolant spray into the barrel. The spray jet has a labyrinth duct to protect the system against back pressure during firing.

Description

The invention relates to a method and a device for cooling gun barrels for Firearms, with a gun barrel over at least one supply line and at least one A coolant is supplied to the nozzle.

With the German patent DE-PS 31 45 764 a cooling device for gun barrels of firearms according to the preamble has become known, which is particularly suitable for automatic firearms and high-performance machine guns. With such high-performance firearms that fire highly-developed ammunition, the high weapon barrel wear is due to the fact that the surface heat is not dissipated quickly enough. The rapid succession of heat during the burst of fire causes surface tensions and material conversions. In addition, due to the escaping powder gases and the friction between the projectile and the barrel, the material in the barrel is removed.
In order to increase the service life of the gun barrels, the patent cited above proposes to provide cooling channels in the area of the end part of the gun barrel axially adjacent to a barrel in the barrel, radially outward between the individual cartridges, which have a main channel for the coolant supply running in the barrel axis are connected. The cooling channels are connected to nozzles running parallel to the longitudinal axis of the drum, which open into the end of the drum facing the weapon barrel and are arranged at the same distance from the longitudinal axis of the drum as the central longitudinal axes of the cartridge chamber. Shut-off devices for the nozzles are provided in the cooling channels, which in the event of bombardment briefly release the nozzle in the area of the pipe opening. The shut-off devices are, for example, slides which can be moved by means of control pieces sliding along a control cam when the drum rotates. The coolant passes through the nozzles directly onto the inner wall of the barrel in the rear part. The nozzles are only open for the period when the nozzles slide past in the rear of the gun barrel and the coolant is only supplied when shooting. For barrel weapon systems with higher cadence or more intense fire rhythms, however, the period of gliding past may be too short, so that too little coolant gets into the barrel and possibly insufficient cooling is achieved.

The invention has for its object a method and an apparatus of the beginning to propose the type mentioned, by means of which sufficient cooling of the gun barrels can be achieved with high-level weapon systems.

This object is achieved by the invention specified in claims 1 and 3 solved. Here, a hydraulic piston coolant from a reservoir conveyed into a pressure cylinder, the feed line to the weapon barrel being closed. After that, the hydraulic piston is reversed in pressure in the opposite direction moved and the coolant in the pressure cylinder under a certain operating pressure. Before a burst of fire is triggered, the supply line is opened so that the coolant can flow to the gun barrel via the feed line and the nozzle. The coolant is each pushed back by the gas pressure generated during the firing and after the Falling gas pressure to the operating pressure again injected into the gun barrel.

The advantages that can be achieved with the invention are in particular in the automatic Relubricate the gun barrel and in the longer barrel life with more intensive Feuerrythmen. The use of one or more nozzles ensures that a sufficient amount of coolant is injected into the gun barrel, with each Shot only a little coolant can flow back.

Another advantage is that during the use of the proposed Cooling device - with the exception of the piston - no mechanically moving parts required with which a high degree of reliability is achieved.

Fig. 1

einen Teillängsschnitt einer Kanone mit der erfindungsgemässen Vorrichtung in schematischer Darstellung, und

Fig. 2

eine Düse der Vorrichtung gemäss Fig. 1 in grösserem Massstab.

The invention is explained below using an exemplary embodiment in conjunction with the drawing. Show it:

Fig. 1

a partial longitudinal section of a cannon with the inventive device in a schematic representation, and

Fig. 2

a nozzle of the device of FIG. 1 on a larger scale.

1 and 2 , 1 designates a weapon barrel of a revolver cannon, known for example from Oerlikon-Contraves, Zurich, with the publication OC 2059 e 94, a muzzle brake 3 on its front part 2 and a revolver housing 5 on its rear part 4 a turret drum, not shown and described, is arranged. A reservoir 6 , which also contains a coolant 7 which also serves as a lubricant for the weapon barrel 1 , is connected to a pressure cylinder 10 via a line 8 and a check valve 9 . A piston 11 is guided in the pressure cylinder 10 and is firmly connected to a hydraulic piston 13 guided in a hydraulic cylinder 12 . The pressure cylinder 10 is connected to the weapon barrel 1 via a feed line 14 and an electrically controllable valve 15, for example. At the mouth of the feed line 14 located in the rear part 4 of the gun barrel 1 , a nozzle 16 is provided which has a sleeve 17 connected to the feed line 14 and fastened to the gun barrel 1 . Arranged in the sleeve 17 is a labyrinth 18 in the form of one or more insert pieces, in which, for example, a labyrinth or serpentine channel 19 or 19 'is provided which, as described in more detail below, brings about a pressure reduction. 20 denotes a nozzle bore in the gun barrel 1 , which in the present exemplary embodiment is arranged concentrically with the sleeve 17 and whose diameter is smaller than the feed bores 21 , 22 provided in the gun barrel 1 or in the sleeve 17 .

The device described above works as follows:
By pulling the hydraulic piston 13 , the coolant 7 is conveyed from the reservoir 6 via the line 8 and the check valve 9 into the pressure cylinder 10 , the electrically actuable valve 15 in the feed line 14 being closed. Thereafter, by reversing the pressure on the hydraulic cylinder 12, the hydraulic piston 13 and thus also the piston 11 are moved in the opposite direction and the coolant 7 in the pressure cylinder 10 is set to a specific operating pressure of, for example, approximately 500 bar, making the device ready for use.
Before triggering a burst of fire, the valve 15 is opened so that the coolant 7 can flow to the weapon barrel 1 via the feed line 14 and the nozzle (s) 16 . The high gas pressure of, for example, approximately 5000 bar that arises in the subsequent firing of the shot pushes the coolant back, whereby the gas pressure is reduced to the operating pressure of approximately 500 bar by friction in the nozzle 16 and only a small amount of coolant 7 flows back. As soon as the gas pressure in the gun barrel 1 has dropped, the coolant 7 is continuously injected into the gun barrel 1 by the operating pressure until another shot is fired. At the end of a series, valve 15 is closed again.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1

barrel

2

front

3

muzzle brake

4

rump

5

turret housing

6

reservoir

7

Coolant / lubricant

8th

management

9

check valve

10

pressure cylinder

11

piston

12

hydraulic cylinders

13

hydraulic pistons

14

supply

15

Valve

16

jet

17

shell

18

(first) labyrinth

18 '

(second) labyrinth

19

(first) channel

19 '

(second) channel

20

nozzle bore

21

feed hole

22

feed hole

Claims (5)

1. Method of cooling gun barrels of fire arms in which a cooling medium (7) is delivered to a gun barrel (1) via at least one feed pipe (14) and at least one nozzle (16),
   characterised in that
   pulling up a hydraulic piston (13) conveys the cooling medium (7) from a reservoir (6) into a pressure cylinder (10), and the feed pipe (14) is closed towards the gun barrel (1);
   thereafter, the hydraulic piston (13) is by way of pressure reversal moved into the opposite direction, and the cooling medium (7) is in pressure cylinder (10) set at a predetermined operating pressure;
   prior to triggering a burst of fire, the feed pipe (14) is opened so that the cooling medium (7) can flow via the feed pipe (14) and the nozzle (16) to the gun barrel (1); and
   that respectively the cooling medium (7) can be pushed back by way of the gas pressure which develops when firing a shot, and after reduction of the gas pressure back to operating pressure it can be re-injected into the gun barrel (1).
2. Method according to Claim 1,
   characterised in that
   the predetermined operating pressure lies between the environmental pressure and the gas pressure during firing.
3. Device for carrying out the method according to Claim 1, and at least one nozzle (16) is provided which is connected to the feed pipe (14) for a cooling medium (7),
   characterised in that
   the feed pipe (14) is at one end connected via the nozzle (16) to the gun barrel (1), and at the other end connected via a valve (15) to a pressure cylinder (10);
   the pressure cylinder (10) is connected via a pipe (8) and a non-return valve (9) to a reservoir (6); and
   in the pressure cylinder (10) is guided a piston (11) which is firmly connected to a hydraulic piston (13) which is guided in a hydraulic cylinder (12).
4. Device according to Claim 3,
   characterised in that
   the nozzle (16) comprises a sleeve (17) in which is arranged a first labyrinth (18) and, if appropriate, a second labyrinth (18') in the form of one or more inserts wherein is provided a first channel (19) and, if appropriate, a second channel (19').
5. Device according to Claim 4,
   characterised in that
   the first channel (19) or the second channel (19') is designed in the shape of a labyrinth.

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