FR2665947A1 - Cylinder-type rapid-fire weapon, especially gun - Google Patents

Abstract

The cylinder of a rapid-fire weapon is driven in rotation by a slide (34) actuated by a gas offtake (24). The slide (24) is centred on the axis of rotation of the cylinder (25) and cooperates, at the rear of the latter, with means for a stepping drive of the cylinder. This slide (24) is seated in a tubular piece (30) which is integral with the cylinder (25) in terms of rotation and is located behind the latter and the radius of which is no greater than the radius of the geometric circle tangent to the firing chambers at their point nearest to the said axis.

Description

 The present invention relates to a weapon, in particular a barrel, with rapid fire of the barrel type.

 Conventional barrel weapons, such as the 30 mm DEFA barrel, are mainly composed of a tube, a barrel with several chambers, a casing, a control drawer comprising introduction pushers and d 'a cradle supporting all of these parts. The drawer receives part of the gas from the barrel via a gas outlet to be violently pushed back and cause, by cooperation of a set of ramps carried by the drawer and a set of rollers carried by the side wall of the barrel, the rotation of the latter, this rotation also ensuring the traction of the strip of ammunition. When it reaches rear dead center, the drawer moves forward under the effect of the kinetic energy stored by the barrel and which is returned to the drawer. During the return movement, the drawer ensures in particular a first half-introduction of a cartridge and the second half-introduction of a second cartridge already half-introduced in the previous cycle.

 These weapons have the disadvantage of having an increased transverse size by the presence of the drawer.

 Weapons of this type are also already known, also comprising a drawer disposed laterally with respect to the barrel and actuating a mechanism disposed behind the barrel to cause its entrainment. This arrangement adds to the previous drawback that of occupying part of the space behind the circular path of the barrel chambers, preventing optimal use of this space which is nevertheless necessary for loading, firing and extraction.

 The present invention proposes to remedy this drawback and to provide a weapon, in particular a barrel, rapid-fire, of the barrel type having a reduced transverse bulk and a space posterior to the barrel chambers which is available for the functions specific to loading. , shooting and ejection.

 The invention further proposes to provide a weapon of this type whose construction is such that it allows an increase in the rate of fire which can become almost double the rate of known barrel weapons.

 The subject of the invention is therefore an automatic weapon, in particular a rapid-fire cannon having at least one tube, a rotary barrel comprising a plurality of shooting chambers separated from each other by angular spaces / and liable to come to be successively disposed in alignment with said tube, firing means, means for feeding cartridges, means for introducing cartridges into the barrel chambers, and a drawer driven back and forth by force driving gas caused by Z combtion, said slide cooperating on the one hand with said barrel to cause its rotation step by step of an angular space / each time and on the other hand with said means for introducing cartridges to cause setting in place of the cartridges, characterized by the fact that said drawer is centered on the axis of rotation of the barrel which therefore becomes concentric with it, and that said drawer cooperates, behind the barrel, with means of e ntraining step by step rotation of the barrel and is housed in a tubular piece integral in rotation with the barrel, disposed behind the latter and whose radius is not greater than the radius of the geometrical circle which tangents the firing chambers at their point closest to said axis.

 In a particularly advantageous manner, said tubular part cooperates with said drawer by means of fingers and ramps, the part preferably carrying the ramps and the drawer with fingers.

 Particularly preferably, said part has on its outer face radial extensions, for example in the form of fins, delimiting between them cartridge passage channels, said extensions cooperating with a fixed helical peripheral ring, also coaxial, capable of repelling forward towards the firing chambers the cartridges supported during the rotation of the barrel.

The cRrtouches, coming from a feeding organ-
preferably tion, propelled forward by a pusher integral with the drawer, preferably beyond a non-return pawl, the propulsion provided by this pusher being normally sufficient to fully engage the cartridge in the barrel chamber, the helical ramp used to ensure despite everything the introduction in the case where the propulsion effect was not sufficient or in the case where such a pusher was not provided.

 In this way, a particularly compact construction is obtained with a reduced transverse space requirement and the possibility of optimal use of the volume located behind the cartridge chambers.

 In a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, the drawer can be connected to said barrel so as to rotate it by an angular space i as well in its recoil stroke as in its return stroke, the means d introduction of cartridges then being provided so that two cartridges are inserted into the barrel during each continuation of a backward movement and return of the drawer, the firing means being actuated substantially at the end of each of said strokes back and forth. In this way, a particularly high rate of fire is obtained. In addition, this arrangement makes it easy to produce a twin-tube or monotube weapon using a single barrel.

 Advantageously, the movement of the slide, which is a motor movement both during the retreat and during the return, is obtained by a double-acting piston device.

 In a preferred embodiment for a monotube weapon, there is provided, parallel to the tube, a chamber communicating with said tube by at least one vent disposed substantially in the middle part of the chamber, said chamber being traversed by a control rod for drawer on which can slide a central piston capable of a small clearance on either side of the vent to divide the chamber into two half-chambers supplied with gas alternately according to the position of said central piston relative to the vent. In each half-chamber, a lateral piston can move freely sliding on the rod between a position near the central piston and a distant position of stop on the bottom of the chamber, the control rod cooperating with said lateral pistons to be driven by the one which receives the thrust of the gases and bring with it the other piston. The positioning of the movable central piston is advantageously obtained by a simple push exerted on it by the lateral piston at the end of the movement which brings it closer to the vent.

 In the case of a twin-barrel weapon, the central piston can advantageously be replaced by a stationary partition traversed by the control rod, the two vents coming from said tubes each emerging on a different face of this partition.

 In both cases, the barrel is actuated in rotation by the drawer by means of the part or drive ring concentric with the drawer which is provided with two sets of inclined ramps, one of the sets of ramps cooperating with a first set of corresponding fingers carried by the drawer to transform the sliding movement of the drawer into a movement of rotation of the drive ring during the recoil movement of the drawer and the other set of ramps cooperating with a second set of fingers of the drawer to rotate the ring, always in the same direction, during the return movement of the drawer, means being provided to render inoperative, for example by retraction, a set of fingers while the other is active.

 To this end, it is advantageous to provide, slidingly mounted in the drawer, an auxiliary drawer cooperating with the two sets of retractable fingers to erase one and present the others in a first position and vice versa in a second position, the change of position of the auxiliary drawer relative to the main drawer being preferably obtained by stop means acting on the auxiliary drawer towards each limit switch. Preferably, the locking means, also unlocked under a stop action towards the end of the stroke, keep the auxiliary drawer axially integral with the drawer itself during most of the movement of the latter.

 Of course, it would also be possible, as a variant, to have ramps carried by the drawer and fingers by the barrel or a part integral in rotation with the barrel such as the drive ring, as is clear to the mechanic.

 The firing means can be made in any way, preferably electric, the actuation of said means being caused for example by a piece integral with the drawer so as to fire a cartridge as well at the end of the recoil movement of the drawer only at the end of its return movement.

Other advantages and characteristics of the invention will appear on reading the following description, given by way of nonlimiting example and referring to the appended drawing in which:
FIG. 1 represents a weapon according to the invention in its twin-tube version, in longitudinal section passing through the axis of the barrel and the axis of a tube according to line II of FIG. 2.

 Figure 2 shows the weapon of Figure 1, viewed from the front without its power system.

 Figure 3 is a cross section along line III-III of Figure i.

Figure 4 shows a weapon according to the invention in its monotube version, in longitudinal section passing through the axis of the barrel and the axis of the tube along the line
IV-IV of figure 5.

 Figure 5 shows the weapon of Figure 4, viewed from the front without its power system.

 FIG. 6 is a cross section along the line VI-VL of FIG. 4.

 FIG. 7 is a graph explaining the differences existing in the stroke of the drawer as a function of time, between a conventional weapon and the weapon object of the invention.

 Figures 8 to 10 are schematic views of the barrel, explaining the different positions.

 Figure II is a longitudinal section of the barrel alone.

 Figure 12 shows the arrangement of the gas intake for the single-tube version, in a longitudinal section.

 Figure 13 is a cross section along the line XISI-XIII of Figure 12.

 FIG. 14 is a longitudinal section of the gas intake, in a position symmetrical to that of FIG. 12.

 Figures 15 and 16 are sections of longitudinal and transverse longitude of the gas intake, corresponding to the twin-tube version, Figure 16 being constituted by half-sections passing through the vents of each tube, that is to say approximately according to line XVI-XVI of figure 15.

 Figure 17 is a developed view of a drive ring.

 Figure t8 is a cross section along the line XVIII-XVIII of Figure 4.

 Figure 19 shows the development of the introduction ramp.

 FIG. 20 is a cross section of the insertion ramp along the line xX-XX of FIG. 19.

 FIG. 21 is a longitudinal section along the line XXI-XXI of FIG. 19.

 Figure 22 is a partial longitudinal section explaining the organization of the control slide, along a plane passing through the axis of the tube.

 Figure 23 is a detail view of one of the rockers.

 FIG. 24 is a partial longitudinal section along a plane perpendicular to the section plane of FIG. 22.

 Figure 25 is a section along the line XXV-XXV of Figure 4.

 Figure 26 is an axial sectional view of the rear part of the drawers.

 General organization of the weapon.

Figures 1 and following explain the general organization of the weapon. This weapon essentially consists of a) a locking piece 22 carrying a tube 23 (fi
gures 4 to 6) or two tubes 23 (Figures 1 to 3) as well
than a gas intake system 24 b) from a barrel 25 to 2.n rooms (n being equal to 5 in
the example of realization presented icg, this barrel being
carried by a hollow pin 26 c) with a drive ring 30 rigidly connected to the barrel
25 by dogs 29 d) of a main drawer 54 carrying rocker arms 54, 56
controlled by a secondary drawer 67 e) of a bistable recovery spring 154 f) of the casing 79 ensuring the maintenance of the efforts of
pressure and guiding of all parts of the mechanis
me g) dlune ejection system 159 and a feeding system
160 comprising a dismounting device 122 (see
Figures 3 and 6) h) of a multi-shot device (not shown here),
allowing the barrel to be cocked and rearmed in the event
accidental firing stop.

 It is specified above that the locking piece 22 carries the tube or tubes 23. In fact, one of the advantageous characteristics of the system is that, by design, the mechanism is capable of creating a single-barrel weapon and a twin tube weapon. Figures 1 to 3 relate to the case of a twin-barrel weapon; Figures 4 to 6 deal with the monotube weapon. Depending on the operational conditions of use, the weapon can be constructed with one or two tubes.

Using the twin-tube version makes it possible to considerably increase the life of the tubes and to obtain a better distribution of impacts in space, by adjusting the divergence of the tubes. On the other hand, the use of the single tube version makes it possible to considerably reduce the mass of the weapon and to facilitate its installation, on board aircraft for example. The choice between the two versions is therefore dictated only by specifications for use on such or such weapon system.

 The differences in implementation between the gods types of weapons are particularly reduced, the internal mechanisms being strictly identical; only the connecting parts, casing 79 and locking part 22, undergo a slightly different machining.

 General principle of operation of the weapon.

Unlike all the automatic weapon mechanisms known at present, a firing cycle no longer corresponds to a round trip from the drawer 34. At each estr8me position of the drawer, front or rear, a firing of a cartridge occurs
To explain this, we can say that the operation of a cartridge causes the displacement of the drawer 34 from front to rear and the complete realization of a firing cycle. The firing of the next cartridge occurs when the drawer arrives in the rear position and it causes the reverse movement, that is to say from the rear to the front. Figure 7 allows to compare the movements of the corresponding drawers respectively to a conventional barrel barrel and to the barrel object of the invention ("new weapon").

This FIG. 7 represents the displacement of the drawer (on the ordinate) as a function of time t, for a conventional weapon (curve in phantom) and for a weapon conforming to ltnnven tion (curve in solid line). The origin 0 corresponds to the start of the first shots for the two weapons. The duration of each cycle of the conventional weapon (back and forth of the drawer) is equal to T1 while the duration of each cycle of the weapon according to the invention (go or return of the drawer) is equal to T
Barrel rotation and firing.

 In the single-tube version which will be described in more detail with the aid in particular of FIG. 4, at each cycle the barrel 25 rotates by t / 10 of a turn and thus presents a cartridge facing the tube and the firing block, the socket of the previous cartridge having passed to the next station.

 In the twin-tube version (Figures I to 3), firing is carried out alternately by the right tube and by the left tube. A three-shot sequence is broken down as follows (see Figures 8-10).

 At a given instant, it is assumed that the barrel 25 is in the configuration of FIG. 8. The right tubes 23D and left 23G are aligned respectively with the chambers of the barrel 25 which are located at stations 10 and 2. The stations 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 are supplied with immuniton (the chambers furnished with ammunition being indicated by crosses).

 The first firing cycle is triggered by the firing of the cartridge located at station 2. This cycle causes a rotation of 1/10 of a turn and, at the end of the cycle, the configuration is that shown in Figure 9.

 The second cycle is triggered by the firing of the cartridge located at the station tO. This causes an additional rotation of i / Io of a turn; at the end of the cycle, we find ourselves in a configuration identical to the initial configuration, the stations 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 being supplied with cartridges (FIG. 10). The third cycle is then ensured by the firing of the cartridge located at station 2.

 To ensure operation, it is therefore sufficient to apply alternately the firing on the cartridges aligned either with the left tube 23G, or with the right tube 239.

 FIG. 11 shows the configuration of the cartridge chambers 27 of the barrel 25, the sealing rings 28 of these chambers, the drive dogs 29 carried by the barrel 25 and engaged with the drive ring 30, the diameter of which is low enough not to encroach on the volume disposed behind the cartridge chambers (Figures 1 and 4) and two pins 31 and 32 for positioning the barrel 25 in rotation, corresponding respectively to the positions occupied at the end of the front stroke and at the end of back stroke. This positioning is ensured by a movable index 33 (FIGS. 1 and 4) which, at the end of the race, covers one of the studs 31, 32 and thus ensures the rigorous positioning of the barrel 25.

 Double effect gas outlet.

 In order to ensure the operation of the main drawer 34 in both directions of movement (front to back and back to front), a double-acting gas intake system has been designed.

 In the single-tube version, this gas outlet 24 consists of a control rod 35 and three pistons 36, 37 and 38 movable on this rod (see Figures 12, 13 and 14). As shown in Figure 12, the system is at rest in one of the two symmetrical positions. During the operation of the cartridge, the combustion gases flow in two orifices 39 formed in the tube 23, vents 40 adapted to these orifices 39, and conduits 41 formed in the locking piece 22. The pressure of these gas is applied on the facing faces of the pistons 36 and 37. The piston 37 therefore remains pressed against a posterior support constituted by a shoulder 42. By means of a removable shoulder 43 generally constituted by a nut and carried by the rod 35, the piston 36 drives this rod 35 and therefore the main drawer 34 in a movement from back to front. An important point to note is the existence of leaves in an arc of a circle 44 on the piston 37, these leaves ensuring the deflection of the gases at the outlet of the conduits 41 and directing these gases in the direction of movement of the piston 36. Furthermore, the pistons 36, 37 and 38 are provided with segments 45 and 46 ensuring their tightness.

 When the slide 34 has acquired sufficient speed, the piston 36 is stopped in its movement by coming to bear on a front transverse face 47; at the same time it unmasks an orifice 48, thus allowing the escape of gases.

When the slide valve 34 is at a distance from the end of travel which is equivalent to the displacement effected by the piston 36, a shoulder 49 carried by the rod 35 comes to drive the piston 38 in a forward movement. At the end of the neck, the piston 38, in turn, displaces the central piston 37 by a length such that it comes to bear on a transverse face 50, this displacement being such that the conduits 41 are exposed on the opposite face of the central piston 37. At the end of the cycle, the gas-taking device 24 is then found in the configuration corresponding to FIG. 14.

 The operation of the next cartridge will cause the same movements, except that the movement will be from front to back instead of from back to front. Like the piston 36, the piston 38 cooperates with an orifice 48 and with a transverse abutment face 47.

 In the "twin-tube" version, the same device as that described above can be used, provided that a gas outlet is provided on each right tube 23D and left tube 23G instead of vents with two outlets. For the embodiment of FIGS. 15 and t6, the same reference numerals have been used as for the embodiment of FIGS. 12 to 14 to designate similar elements; in Figures 15 and 16, these reference numbers are optionally accompanied by the letters D and G to distinguish the elements associated with the right tube 23D from those associated with the left tube 23G.

It should be noted that the solution shown in Figures 15 and 16 and described below simplifies the device.

 The movable central piston is replaced by a fixed partition 51, according to the embodiment of FIGS. 15 and 16.

When fired from the straight tube 23D, the gases circulate through the orifices or conduits 39D and 410 and come to act on the piston 36. The same movements occur as above except that it has more displacement of the central piston. In addition, the leaves 44 are provided on the fixed partition 51. during the next cycle, the cartridge is drawn into the left tube 23G and the gases act on the piston 38 passing through the orifices or conduits 39G and 41G.

 The mechanisms described below are strictly identical for the two single-pipe and two-pipe versions.

 Rotation of the barrel.

 As has been said previously, the barrel 25 is integral in rotation with the drive ring 30, this connection being provided by the dogs 29. This drive ring 30 carries two series of n ramps (n being equal to half the number of barrel chambers 25, i.e. five in this case).

 FIG. 17 is a view of the planar development of the drive ring 30, this development allowing two series of five ramps 52 and 53 to appear. On the cylindrical drive ring 30 (see FIGS. 1 and 4), the development of FIG. 17 is wound up so as to make the upper and lower horizontal dashed lines of FIG. t7 coincide. Each of these ramps 52, 53 is defined in such a way that its length allows the longitudinal displacement of the drawer 34 and the tilting of the rocker arms 54 carrying rollers 55 or rocker arms 56 carrying rollers 57 (Figures 1, 4, 22 and 24) The corresponding rotation is 1/10 of a turn, that is 36. The arrangement of rocker arms 54 and 56, which cooperate with the ramps 52 and 53 respectively, will be described in detail below.

 The ramps 52 corresponding to the displacement of the slide 34 from the rear to the front, the rollers 55 will describe the longitudinal path PQ '(FIG. 17) so that at the end of the cycle the point Q of the ring 30 comes to Q 'after a rotation of 360.

Similarly, the ramps 55 corresponding to the movement of the drawer 34 from the front to the rear, the rollers
and 57, then being engaged with these ramps 53 / traversing the path RS ', thus cause a rotation of 1/10 of a turn and the displacement of the point S of the ring 30 to the point S'.

 A sequence of two strokes therefore takes place as follows: at the start, the rollers 55 are at point P, the rollers 57 being erased; the displacement of the slide 34 and the rollers 55 from P to Q ′ causes a rotation of 1/10 of a turn of the ring 30 by means of the ramps 52.

For the next cycle, the rollers 55 are erased and the rollers 57 are put in place at point R; the displacement of the drawer 34 from R to S causes an additional rotation of 1 / lo of a turn of the ring 30 via the ramps 53. The erasing of the rollers 57 and the installation of the rollers 55 put the system back into the initial setting.

 Introduction of cartridges into the barrel.

 As has been said previously, the stroke of the drawer 34 is not directly linked to the length of the cartridge, which is one of the factors enabling a very high rate to be obtained. The cartridges are no longer set up, as in conventional weapons, by a positive introduction in two half-times using pushers linked to the drawer 34.

 According to the invention, in fact, the stationing takes place in the form of an infinity of introductions, that is to say by a continuous ramp.

 On its periphery, the drive ring 30 is cut in the shape of a star 58 with ten branches corresponding to the ten chambers of the barrel (see FIGS. 18 to 21). It was seen previously that stations 1, 2 and 10 were firing or waiting stations depending on the version (single tube or two tube).

The ejection of the sleeve must take place at station 9. The cartridge is placed in the star 58 of the drive ring 30 at station 8. The remaining stations 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 are available for the introduction. This introduction is ensured in the following way - a cartridge pusher 59 (see also Figures 1, 4 and
25) linked to the drawer 34 comes, at the end of the front stroke, to strike the two munitions occupying stations 6 and 7. Under the effect of this impulse, these two munitions are propelled forward towards the barrel chambers 25, the cartridge pusher 59 no longer accompanying them - a helical ramp 60, rigidly linked to a cage 61,
positively ensures the end of introduction of the cartridges during the rotation corresponding to the passage of the cartridges from stations 6 and 7 to station 2. FIG. 19 shows the development of the cage 61 on which the ramp 60 is fixed.

Also appear in this figure 19 two non-return pawls 62 and 63. Figure 20 shows the detail of the shape of the ramp 60, ensuring correct support of the cartridge.

FIG. 21 is a longitudinal section specifying the shape of the non-return pawls 62, 65 which can be produced in the form of flexible tabs.

the introduction is therefore carried out as follows
The cartridge pusher 59, at the end of the front stroke, propels the two munitions in place at stations 6 and 7. These two munitions erase the non-return pawls 62, 63 which will subsequently prevent any retreat of the cartridges.

The ammunition is held radially by the cage 61. The helicoSdale ramp 60 ensures, if necessary, the positive positioning of the cartridges during the rotation which transfers the ammunition from stations 6 and 7 to station 2.

In normal operation, the impulse caused by the cartridge pusher 59 is sufficient to bring the munition to station. The ramp 60 does the job only in the event of a rebound of the cartridge or at the start of a burst, the cartridges running the risk of falling back out of the chamber under the effect of gravity or vibrations.

 The completely positive introduction is ensured because the cartridge pusher 59 brings the ammunition bases beyond the extreme front face 64 of the non-return pawls 62, 63, these pawls themselves being in front with respect to the rear end 65 of the helióSdale 60 ramp.

 The inclination of the propeller of the ramp 60 can take any value, less than an angle of 50 to 550, which is compatible with the length of the cartridge.

 It should be noted that the introduction of the ammunition can be carried out without using the pusher 59, under the unique action of the rnmpe-hél9cordale 60.

 Main drawer and rocker control device.

 As shown in Figures 22, 23 and 24, the drawer comprises the following parts: the main drawer 34, ten identical rockers 54 and 56 carrying ten rollers 55 and 57 and rotating around ten axes 66 integral with the drawer, the secondary drawer 67 capable of sliding with respect to the drawer 94, an immobilization pin 68 carried by the drawer 34 transversely to its direction of movement and carrying rollers 69 which guide it, by preventing the rotation of the drawer, in slots 69a of the casing 79, latches 70 and 71 controlled by slides 72 and 73, springs 74 held by plates 75 and the cartridge pusher 59. The secondary drawer 67 is produced in two parts 67a and 67b for mounting reasons and its rotation relative to the drawer 34 is prevented by lights 67c and 67d, cooperating with the immobilization axis 68.

 the slides 72, 73, which operate alternately, are housed in radial arms 72a, 73a, perpendicular to the axis 68, of the drawer 34. The latches 70 and 71 are housed in these same arms to slide radially while the slides 72, 73 slide axially. the slides 72, 79 have respective inclined ramps 80 capable of cooperating with complementary ramps 81 of the latches 70 and 71. The displacement of the slide 72 forwards moves the lock 70 radially outwardly against the spring 74 corresponding, while the sliding towards the rear of the slide 73 radially moves the latch 71 outwards.

 Supports 76, integral with a fixed rear bearing 77 on which the drive ring 90 is mounted, provide a front stop for the secondary drawer 67 provided for this purpose with complementary radial stops 76a, 76b (Figures 24 and 26). The mechanism of the weapon is housed in the Doric cylinder casing 79 which is closed at the rear by a cap 78.

Failover takes place as explained below
About twenty millimeters before the end of the race, in the rear position for example, the sliders 72 and 73 abut on the cap 78 and are pushed forward.

 This movement of the slide 72, by the corresponding ramps 80, 81, causes the latch 70 to translate towards the outside, the end closest to the axis 11 was engaged in a clearance 92a from the rear end of the secondary drawer 67, which was therefore axially integral with the drawer 34 in the position of Figure 24. This translation axially separates the two drawers. Once this operation has been carried out, the secondary drawer 67 comes, in turn, to abut on the cap 78 (see FIG. 22). Continuing its movement towards the rear, the main drawer 34 axially moves the clearance 92a of the lock 70 and brings a clearance 92b in front of the latch 71 now released by the prior translation of the slide 73 so (read, under the effect of ramps 90 and 91 as well as the spring 74, the latch 71 enters the clearance 92b and secures the drawer auxiliary 67 with the drawer 34 in a new relative axial position in which the drawer 67 is advanced relative to the drawer 34. The relative movement of the drawer 67, between its initial retracted position and its final advanced position, produces the locking of the rocker arms 54, 56 in new positions. The transition to these new positions is carried out as follows, as the relative advance, to the left of FIG. 24, in a secondary drawer 67 by compared to the drawer 34: the surfaces 82 of the rocker arms 56 and the surfaces 88 of the rocker arms 54 are first erased from their support on the flanges 85, & of the secondary drawer 67. Then the surfaces 83 of the rocker arms 54 and the surfaces 84 of the rocker arms 56 come into contact with the front edge of the flanges 85, 86 of the drawer 67, which causes the clockwise rotation of these rocker arms around the axes 66. Thanks to this rotation, the rollers 57 are eclipsed out of the ramps 53 and the rollers 55 penetrate in the ramps 52. During the last four millimeters of travel, the rocker arms are locked in these new positions, by the cylindrical surfaces 82 and 87 for the rocker arms 54 and by the cylindrical surfaces 88 and 89 for the rocker arms 56.

 At the same time, two millimeters before the end of the race, the ramps 90 and 91 (FIG. 24) come into mutual contact at the same time as the clearance 92b comes into alignment with the latch 71. These ramps 90, 91 cause the latch to positively lower 71 which will be terminated by the action of the springs 74.

 Once all these movements have been made, the system is again locked and ready to operate in reverse. At the end of the front stroke, the movements are repeated, the end of travel stops then being constituted by the supports 76 and the bearing 77.

 Bonctionement of the weapon.

 In order to clarify the association of the different functions, the operation of the weapon in the twin-tube version corresponding to two cycles will be described below, with reference to FIG. 1.

 The weapon is supposed to be supplied with ammunition in such a way that there is a cartridge at the reference points 1 to 7 in FIG. 18. The following munitions are swathed, the first of them being positioned in the branches of the supply star 123 of system 160.

 At rest in such a configuration, the drawer 34 is at the front. (It is obvious that there is the symmetrical configuration such that the drawer 54 is at the rear, a munition then being at station 10 aligned with the straight tube 2su).

The piston 36 is at this time in the front position while the piston 38 is resting on the one hand on the partition 51 and on the other hand on the shoulder 49. The rollers 57 are in position R at the start of the ramps 53 (Figure 17).

 A rod 153 is used to connect the rod 35 to the drawer 34 (Figures 1 and 4).

The firing of the cartridge located in the chamber of the station 2, that is to say facing the left tube 23G, causes the arrival of the gases, through the pipes 39 and 41 in the
and gas cylinder; by the intervention of the piston 38 / of the shoulder 49, it pushes the whole of the drawer, that is to say the rods 35 and t53, as well as the main drawer 34 and the secondary drawer 67. displacement of the rollers 57 causes, by means of the ramps 53, the rotation of the assembly of the drive ring 30 and of the barrel 25.

The rotation of the barrel 25 is made possible because this beginning of the movement has detached the index 33 of the stud 31 carried by the barrel 25. When the piston 38 has traveled the stroke necessary for speeding up, it is stopped, the drawer continuing its movement thanks to the kinetic energy acquired.

Arrived at mid-stroke, the recovery spring 154 is at the end of compression; there is locking of a socket 155 on the hollow shaft 26 and locking of a socket 157 on the rod 153. The spring 154 is then in the released position. When the rollers 57 arrive at the point of inflection of the ramps 53, the barrel 25 is driven by its maximum speed of rotation, it is at this stage that the stripping and transfer of the ammunition from the feed star 125 occurs. on the star of the drive ring 30. the second part of the ramp corresponds to the curve for decelerating the rotation of the barrel 25 in its rearward movement; the nut 43 linked to the rod 35 comes to drive the piston 36, initially located in the extreme front position, and will thus bring it into the working position, that is to say resting on the central partition 51.

During the entire rotation, the star of the drive ring 30 causes the cartridges located at stations 3, 4, 5, 6 to rotate; if these munitions are not sufficiently introduced into the barrel 25 under the effect of the propeller of the introduction ramp 60, they are moved forward. After rotation, the cartridge initially located at station 10 is placed at station 9 to be picked up and ejected by the ejection system 159 which is controlled by ramps 93 and 94 carried by a rod 95, integral with the main drawer 34 ( see figures t and 4). The cycle ends with the positioning of the barrel 25 by the india 33 which traps the stud 32. At the same time the rocking arms 54, 56 are tipped. Indeed, about fifteen millimeters before the end of the race, the cap 78 stops the movement of the secondary drawer 67, the main drawer 34 continuing its movement towards the rear. rocking arms rocking occurs, the rollers 57 fading from the ramps 53 and the rollers 55 coming to engage at the start of the ramps 52. The end of rocking corresponds substantially to the end of the stroke of the main drawer 34. At this at that time, a touch contact 113 came to close the electrical circuit and thus caused the firing of the cartridge located at station 10, facing the straight tube 29D. The weapon is then in the configuration shown in Figure 1.

 The gases from this cartridge act on the piston 36 and thereby cause the device to operate in the opposite direction. This operation is symmetrical with the previous one except that the cartridge pusher 59, at the end of the movement, will communicate a speed towards 11 forward to the ammunition located at stations 6 and 7.

 The functions of the weapon which are identical to the functions of the weapons currently known have not been described above. In particular this weapon is endowed with a boot of control allowing the shooting in limited bursts, blow by blow.

Claims (18)

 1. An automatic weapon, in particular a cannon, with rapid fire having at least one tube, with rotary barrel comprising a plurality of fire chambers separated from each other by angular spaces and capable of coming to be successively aligned with said tube, means for ignition, means for supplying cartridges, means for introducing cartridges into the barrel chambers, and a drawer driven back and forth from the driving force of the gases caused by the combustion, said drawer cooperating on the one hand with said barrel to cause its rotation step by step of an angular space each time and on the other hand with said means for introducing cartridges to cause the installation of cartridges, characterized by the fact that said drawer is centered on the axis of rotation of the barrel which therefore becomes concentric with it and that said drawer cooperates, behind the barrel, with means for driving in rotation not with a pitch of the barrel and is housed in a tubular piece integral in rotation with the barrel, disposed behind the latter and whose radius is not greater than the radius of the geometric circle which tangents the firing chambers at their point closest to said axis .  2. Weapon according to claim 1, characterized in that said tubular part cooperates with said drawer by means of a set of fingers and ramps.  3. Weapon according to any one of claims 1 and 2, characterized in that said tubular part has on its outer face radial extensions delimiting between them cartridge passage channels, said extensions cooperating with a fixed helical ramp also coaxial peripheral, capable of pushing forward towards the shooting chambers the cartridges supported during the rotation of the barrel.  4. Weapon according to claim 3, characterized in that the cartridges, coming from a supply member, are propelled forward by a pusher secured to a drawer.  5. A weapon according to claim 4, characterized in that the pusher propels the cartridges beyond a retaining pawl disposed at the initial end of the helical ramp.  6. Weapon according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the drawer is connected to said barrel so as to rotate it a space an gulair, both in its recoil travel as in its travel return, the cartridge insertion means being provided so that two cartridges are inserted into the barrel during each continuation of a backward movement and return of the drawer, the firing means being actuated substantially at the end of each of said reversing and returning strokes.  7. Weapon according to claim 6, characterized in that it comprises, for entralner the drawer, a double-acting piston device subjected to the action of gases.  8. Weapon according to claim 7, characterized in that it comprises, parallel to the tube, a chamber communicating with said tube by at least one vent disposed substantially in the middle part of the chamber, means for dividing said chamber in two half-chambers supplied alternately with gas, said chamber being traversed by a drawer control rod on which slides freely, -in each half-chamber, a lateral piston between a position close to the middle part of the chamber and a position away from abutment on the bottom of the chamber, said control rod cooperating with said lateral pistons to be driven by the one receiving the gas thrust and driving with it the other piston.  9. Single-barrel weapon according to claim 8, characterized in that there is provided a single vent disposed substantially in the middle part of the chamber, which contains a central piston capable of sliding on the control rod with a small deflection of on either side of the vent to divide the chamber into two half-chambers supplied with gas alternately according to the position of the central piston relative to the vent.  10. twin-barrel weapon according to claim 8, characterized in that the chamber is divided into two half-chambers by a stationary partition traversed by the control rod, two vents coming respectively from said tubes each opening on a different face of this partition.  11. A weapon according to any one of claims 1 to lQcaractérisée in that the driving in rotation of the barrel by the drawer is effected by means of two sets of inclined ramps, one of the sets of ramps cooperating with a first set of fingers to transform the sliding movement of the drawer into a movement of rotation of the drive ring during the backward movement and the other set cooperating with a second set of fingers to transform the sliding movement of the drawer into movement of rotation in the same direction during the return movement of the drawer, means being provided to render inoperative one set of fingers while the other is active.  12. Weapon according to claim 11, characterized in that it comprises, slidingly mounted in the drawer, an auxiliary drawer cooperating with the two sets of retractable fingers to erase one and present the others in a first position and vice versa in a second position, means for changing the position of the auxiliary drawer relative to the main drawer being provided.  13. Weapon according to claim 12, characterized in that, to change the position of the auxiliary drawer relative to the drawer itself, there are provided stop means acting on the auxiliary drawer at each limit switch, locking, also unlocked under a stop action towards the end of travel, being provided on the drawer itself to keep the auxiliary drawer axially integral with the drawer itself in most of the movement of the latter.  14. Weapon according to claim 13, characterized in that the drawer has two latches capable of sliding radially towards the auxiliary drawer and penetrating into corresponding recesses of the auxiliary drawer to block it in such a way that, when one of the locks penetrates into its recess, the recess of the other lock is located away from the latter, thus defining two axially spaced-apart locking positions, each of said locks cooperating with a slide capable, during its movement, of lifting the lock for unlocking, one of said sliders being actuated by a stop towards the end of the recoil movement and the other towards the end of the return movement.  15. Weapon according to any one of claims 12 to 14, characterized in that the auxiliary drawer has, for each set of fingers, a drivetrain collar and that each finger of said set has a bearing surface on the collar to keep the finger in an active position in which it cooperates with a ramp of the corresponding set of ramps, another bearing surface on the flange to keep the finger in the retracted position and transition surfaces to move from the active position to the retracted position and vice versa.  16. Weapon according to any one of claims il àl5, characterized in that each of said fingers has a roller cooperating with the edges of the corresponding ramp.  17. Weapon according to any one of claims 12 to 16, characterized in that the drawer has a sliding rear part in said rear ring, the auxiliary drawer being housed in said rear part of the drawer, which has radial extensions provided rollers rolling in slots of a fixed part of the weapon to block the drawer in rotation, fixed abutment surfaces being provided, one, anterior, located behind the rear end of said ring and the other , posterior, located at the end of the weapon, said abutment surface having means acting on said auxiliary drawer to alternately present the fingers of one game and simultaneously retract the fingers of the other game  18. Weapon according to any one of claims 6 to 17, characterized in that the firing means are actuated by the drawer, towards the end of each recoil and return stroke.  li. Weapon according to any one of claims 1 to 18, characterized in that the said tubular part is integral in rotation with the barrel by means of a dog clutch.