GB2251293A - Automatic weapon with a cylindrical breechblock - Google Patents

Description

Automatic weapon with a cylindrical breechblock The invention relates to an automatic weapon for caseless cartridges, particularly rifle, with an opening provided in a part rigid with the barrel, said opening being perpendicular to the barrel axis and housing a coaxial basically cylindrical breechblock which can be turned about its longitudinal axis for loading and which contains a cartridge chamber which aligns with the barrel axis when the breechblock is in a firing position, with an arrangement for turning the breechblock out of the firing position into a loading position whereby the shape of the cartridge chamber is such that a cartridge can be inserted from either end of the cartridge chamber into the latter, with a manually actuated cocking device which ejects a cartridge, which is in the cartridge chamber when cocking, toward the side of the weapon facing away from a cartridge which is to be newly introduced.

Such a weapon is known from DE-A 28 13 633. In the known weapon the cartridge chamber comprises stops which limit the insertion motion of the cartridge and which come up against stop faces of the propellant body of the cartridge as the cartridge is inserted. These stops bring the very rapid insertion motion of the cartridge during loading to a sudden stop, whereby the linear momentum of the projectile, which projects forward out of the propellant body, is absorbed solely by the adhesion forces with which the projectile is held in the propellant body. Consequently, the maximum insertion speed of the cartridge is limited. It also appears possible, particularly in conjunction with exceptional climatic influences, such as, in particular, sharp changes in temperature, for the projectile of a cartridge, in rare cases, to be somewhat loosened by the above-described process of retardation.If such a cartridge is not fired, but is removed from the weapon by means of an unloading operation and is subsequently re-loaded, there is the possibility that the projectile may be loosened considerably, as a result of which weapon malfunctions are conceivable.

The object of the invention is to develop a weapon of the initially depicted kind such that the possibility of a weapon malfunction is diminished.

The object of the invention is achieved in that connected to the cocking device is a movable stop which, when the cocking device is not actuated and when the breechblock is in the loading position, is in front of the end of the cartridge chamber facing away from the cartridge, which is to be newly introduced, and is in the region of the front end of the cartridge which is fully introduced into the cartridge chamber, said stop being able to be moved out of the region of the aforementioned end of the cartridge chamber by the cocking device.

Depending on the design of the cartridges intended for the weapon, this opens up the following advantages: If the tip of the projectile, which projects forward out of the propellant body, extends approximately to the lateral surface of the breechblock in the region of the cartridge chamber, the stops disposed inside the cartridge chamber can, depending on the dimensions of the cartridge, be so disposed that the insertion motion of the cartridge is normally limited by the movable stop which, in this case, as is provided for in an embodiment of the invention, is disposed and designed such that said stop is at least in the legion of the projectile tip of the fully introduced cartridge. This completely prevents the risk of the loosening of the projectile, because the mass of the propellant body, which in this case is retarded merely by means of the projectile, is relatively small.In this case, the stops provided inside the cartridge chamber serve merely to limit the displaceability of the cartridge when the weapon is in the ready-to-fire position, so that said cartridge can be reliably fired by a firing pin.

If, on the other hand, the cartridge is so designed and/or if the stops in the cartridge chamber are so disposed that, when inserted, the tip of the cartridge is not able to come into contact with the movable stop, with the result, therefore, as also in the known weapon, the insertion motion of the cartridge is limited only by the stops disposed in the cartridge chamber, then the movable stop has a safeguarding function, because it prevents a projectile, which is loosely seated in the propellant body, from sliding forward out of the propellant body and causing serious weapon malfunctions. If such a loose projectile is present, normally the cartridge can, after insertion and after the breechblock has swivelled into the firing position, still be fired.

However, the invention also makes it possible, as is provided for in an embodiment of the invention, for the cartridge chamber to be made completely free of stops disposed in it. According to this embodiment of the invention, the cartridge chamber is designed such that a cartridge can be pushed completely through the cartridge chamber. Since there are no longer any stops inside the cartridge chamber for limiting the insertion motion, the limiting of the insertion motion is performed in this case always by the movable stop according to the invention.

Once again, it may be practical for the movable stop to be in the region of the projectile tip.

Therefore, in the weapon according to the invention, the position of the cartridge or at least the position of a part of the cartridge, namely of the projectile, is secured, with the result that weapon malfunctions are thus prevented.

Another advantage of this embodiment is that a cartridge can be ejected from the cartridge chamber in the same direction in which the cartridge was inserted into the cartridge chamber. In the later described specimen embodiment, although in general a cartridge is ejected in a direction opposite to its insertion motion whereby, namely, a cartridge, which is newly introduced during cocking, or the ejector strikes the tip of the cartridge which is to be ejected, it is conceivable for ejection not to be performed by means of the cocking device because, with the magazine empty, the ejector is unable, as a result of a malfunction, to move into a position aligning with the cartridge chamber.

In this case, after completion of the cocking operation (with empty magazine), the cartridge chamber in the specimen embodiment will be in a position aligning with the barrel axis whereby, however, the tip of the cartridge is pointing to the rear. If the firer now introduces a new magazine and repeats the cocking operation, in the specimen embodiment the breechblock is turned again through 900, with the result that the cartridge, which has so far not been ejected, assumes precisely the same position as if it had just been loaded. The cartridge, which, during the cocking operation, is now newly inserted into the cartridge chamber, ejects the old cartridge whereby, because the new cartridge is inserted by means of the cocking device, the movable stop opens the end of the cartridge chamber opposite the cartridge which is to be inserted.

A further advantage of this embodiment is that, because there are no stops inside the cartridge chamber for positioning the cartridge, the risk of a cook-off of the cartridge is reduced in particularly simple manner. This is because such stops which project into the interior of the cartridge chamber tend to heat up with particular intensity.

In this embodiment it is advantageous and practical to use a cartridge in which the propellant body - at least in individual areas of a cross-sectional plane through the front end of the cartridge - extends at least almost to the projectile tip. These front end regions of the propellant body permit simple limitation of the displaceability of the cartridge when the weapon is in the ready-to-fire position and thus permit simple firing by the firing pin.

If using such a cartridge in which the projectile is seated in the propellant body basically over its entire length (telescopic cartridge) and is therefore connected over a large area to the propellant body, it is also possible to dispose the movable stop such that, when a cartridge is introduced, said movable stop comes into contact not with the projectile, but merely with the propellant body. Here too, the stop is outside the cartridge chamber.

In order by simple means to create a front positional limitation of a telescopic cartridge when the weapon is in the ready-to-fire position, an embodiment of the invention provides that at least one diameter of the cross section of the opening of the barrel-rigid part accommodating the weapon-side end of the barrel is smaller than the corresponding diameter of the cartridge. Hence, the surround of the opening forms a stop for the cartridge.

This feature is already known from the initially mentioned publication. However, in that publication, this feature does not have a function which determines the position of the cartridge and thus prevents weapon malfunctions. The opening preferably has a round cross section, and, in the specimen embodiment, the cartridge has a rectangular, preferably square cross section which may be varied in the front end region by recesses or corner chamfers.

The movable arrangement of the movable stop is particularly easy to implement in an embodiment of the invention in which the movable stop is swivel-mounted.

In an embodiment of the invention in which the weapon comprisesan ejection duct (hereinafter also referred to as duct for short) through which the cartridge is moved on ejection, it is provided that the ejection duct is movably guided and, when the cocking device is not actuated, forms the movable stop and, when the cocking device is actuated, is moved into a position aligning with the cartridge chamber which its positioned to eject.

The advantage of this is that numerous design possibilities are opened up for the drive of the movable stop, because a drive mechanism for moving the stop may, for example, also act at the end of the duct facing away from the breechblock.

The duct may, in one embodiment of the invention, be displaceable, while, in another embodiment of the invention, it is rotatable, preferably swivel-mounted. In the specimen embodiment, the swivel axis extends parallel to the swivel axis of the breechblock. This is, however, not mandatory; it would, on the contrary, be possible, if so allowed by the width of the weapon, for the swivel axis of the duct to extend, for example, parallel to the bore axis of the barrel.

In an embodiment of the invention, provided is a rotatable control disc which has a drive connection to the cocking device and which comprises regions of different outside radius whereby, as the control disc rotates, an inclined face of said control disc comes up against a side arm of a spring-loaded slider and displaces the latter whereby a spring lever is in engagement with a part connected to the movable stop and can be pivoted by the slider during the sliding motion of the latter, such that the movable stop can thus be moved. This creates a simple, reliable drive for the movable stop. The slider may advantageously be used as the closing element for the closing device described below.

In an embodiment of the invention, an ejection opening of the weapon is closable by a closing device connected to the cocking device and is open only when the cocking device is actuated. This extensively prevents the fouling of the weapon through the ingress of dirt into the ejection opening because said ejection opening is opened merely for the cocking operation. Once again, this prevents the occurrence of weapon malfunctions. In a particularly simple design, the closing device may be a slider.

In an embodiment of the invention, provided is a rotatable disc which has a drive connection to the cocking device and which has a positive drive connection to a further rotatably mounted disc whereby the further disc is disposed in front of an ejection opening of the weapon and comprises a cutout which, in predetermined rotational positions of the further disc, releases the ejection opening whereby the further disc comprises a control cam which, as the further disc rotates, comes up against a movably mounted element comprising the movable stop and moves said element. The positive connection is of advantage, e.g. with regard to low-noise actuation.

In an embodiment of the invention, a gap is provided between the barrel end and the side, facing the barrel end, of a cartridge which is in the firing position. This reduces the risk of a cook-off.

In an embodiment of the invention, for the purpose of adaptation to the weapon, a caseless cartridge, which is in the form of a telescopic cartridge, comprises at the rear and front ends of the propellant body a convex curvature which is adapted to the radius of the breechblock. If the cartridge has a rectangular cross section (not square), it is sufficient if this curvature extends merely in one plane. If the cartridge has a square cross section, with the result that it can be introduced into the cartridge chamber in positions turned through 900 about its longitudinal axis, then the curvature is in at least two planes which are each parallel to a longitudinal surface of the cartridge. However, the curvature might also form a part of a spherical surface.

Further features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of specimen embodiments of the invention with reference to the drawings which show essential details of the invention, as well as from the claims. The individual features may be implemented either individually or in any desired combination in an embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 1 shows a vertical longitudinal section through a weapon, said section extending through the bore axis of the barrel, with the cartridge chamber loaded and ready to fire; Fig. 2 shows a section in the same plane as Fig. 1, whereby the cartridge chamber is turned through 900 in a clockwise direction and the cartridge previously in the cartridge chamber is being ejected by a following cartridge from the magazine; Fig. 3 shows a section in the same plane as Fig. 2 with the feeding and ejecting operations completed; Fig. 4 shows a section on line IV-IV in Fig. 2; Fig. 5 shows a partial section on line V-V in Fig. 2; Fig. 6 shows a partial view on line VI-VI in Fig. 5; Fig. 7 shows a view on line VII-VII in Fig. 5; Fig. 8 shows a view of the duct in the direction of arrow VIII in Fig. 2 without details of its mounting;; Fig. 9 shows a top view in the direction of arrow IX in Fig. 8 of the duct with details of its mounting, partly in section; Fig. 10 shows the duct partly in longitudinal section, partly in a side view; Fig. 11 shows a section corresponding to Fig. 2 through a weapon according to a second specimen embodiment; Fig. 12 shows a section in the same plane as Fig. 11 with feeding and ejecting operations completed; Fig. 13 shows a view in the direction of arrow XIII in Fig. 12 without ejection duct; Fig. 14 shows a section on line XIV-XIV in Fig. 13 whereby only the parts also visible in Fig. 13 are shown.

The drawings show only those parts which are necessary for understanding the invention; the driving devices for turning the breechblock and for the cartridge feeder 94 have been omitted. These aforementioned driving devices are the same as in the weapon described in DE-A-28 13 633 and in the corresponding US-A-4 348 941. Through this reference the entire contents of the aforementioned publications are made the contents of the present application.

In Fig. 1 to 3, a part 2 which is rigidly connected to a barrel 1 of the weapon- contains a basically cylindrical bore 3 whose axis is perpendicular to the barrel axis and intersects the barrel axis. Mounted in this bore 3 is a basically cylindrical breechblock 4 which is swivellable about the axis of the bore 3. In Fig. 1 this breechblock is shown in the firing position. In this firing position a cartridge chamber 9 in the breechblock 4 aligns with the bore 5 of the barrel 1. A caseless cartridge 6 in the cartridge chamber gcomprises a projectile 7 and a propellant body 8. The projectile 7 is completely sunk into the propellant body 8; this is, therefore, a telescopic cartridge. In the region of the tip 10 there is a radial space 11 between the propellant body 8 and the projectile.

The cartridge 6 has a square cross section over its entire length. At its rear end 13 it exhibits a spherical-domeshaped curvature, and the propellant body 8 is also curved at the front end 15, whereby, in this case, because of the space 11, the curvature is present only at an annular surface. The tip 10 does not project beyond the aforementioned spherical surface which rounds off the front end 15.

On the side of the bore 3 opposite the bore 5 of the barrel 1 there is a bore 21 in which a firing pin 22 is mounted in the manner suggested. This firing pin 22 is thrown by a hammer (not shown) onto a detonating compound 23 disposed at the rear end of the cartridge and thus fires the cartridge 6 which'is in the cartridge chamber 9.The firing pin 22 is normally in the position shown in Fig. 1 in which its front end does not penetrate the cylindrical surface of the bore 3 When the cartridge in the cartridge chamber 9 in Fig. 1 is fired, the automatic weapon, which, in the example, is a rifle, but which may also, for example, be a machine gun, performs an automatic loading operation in which, first of all, the breechblock 4 as shown in Fig. 1 is turned through 900 in a clockwise direction, and then the outermost cartridge in a magazine 25 held by a magazine catch 26, said outermost cartridge being the furthest on the right in Fig.

1, is inserted into the cartridge chamber 9 by a feeder 94.

This magazine 25 is a bar magazine in which the cartridges 6 are disposed such that they are at right angles to =he firing direction and the tips 10 of the projectiles 7 point toward the barrel axis. The cartridge 6 which is in first place in the magazine (last place when viewed in the firing direction) aligns with the cartridge chamber 9 in the breechblock 4 when the latter is in the loading position.

As will be described, and as is also provided for in the weapon according to DE-A-28 13 633, to unload the weapon, a cartridge in the cartridge chamber can be ejected out of the cartridge chamber 9 and out of the weapon toward the side opposite the magazine 25.

The cartridge chamber 9 is designed such that it does not contain any kind of stops which might limit the displacement of a cartridge which is to be inserted. In particular, the cartridge chamber 9 does not contain any kind of parts which might limit the cross section of the cartridge chamber at any point to a value which is smaller than the largest cross section of the cartridge. In the specimen embodiment, the cartridge does not have cross sections of different size, but has an outer cross section of uniform size in all places with the exception of the outermost ends in their curved regions.

In the above-depicted position of the cartridge chamber 9 swivelled through 90 , the cartridge chamber thus extends at right angles to the axis of the barrel 1 and one of its open ends points upward and faces the magazine 25 which is disposed above the barrel 1 of the weapon and which extends parallel to the barrel 1.

Since the cartridge chamber 9 of the weapon described here does not contain any stops to limit the longitudinal motion of the cartridges 6, the insertIon motion of the cartridge, which is inserted into the cartridge chamber 9 during the loading operation, is stopped by a movable stop 30. This stop 30 is a part of a wall 32 of a duct or shaft or tube section 34 whose free inside cross section is adapted to the cross section of the cartridges. This tube section 34 can be swivelled to a limited extent by means of two pivot pins 36 about an axis extending parallel to the asis of the breechblock 4.In the position of the tube section 34 shown in Fig. 1, the tube section 34 is in contact in its upper end region by means of a stop face 37 with a stop 38 which is disposed on the barrel-rigid part 2 and which prevents the tube section 34 from swivelling in a counterclockwise direction in Fig. 1. The stop 30 is just outside the cylindrical surface which limits the bore 3. With the tube section 34 in the position shown, the stop 30 is so positioned that a cartridge, which is newly inserted into the cartridge chamber 9, comes up against said stop 30 with the tip 10 of the projectile, as is shown in Fig. 3.

After this cartridge has been completely inserted into the cartridge chamber 9, the automatic weapon performs a further rotational motion of the breechblock 4 in a clockwise direction, with the result that the newly loaded cartridge once again has the position shown in Fig. 1 in relation to the barrel 1.

In the event that, with the breechblock 4 in the position shown in Fig. 3, the newly introduced cartridge projects somewhat beyond the lower end of the cartridge chamber 9, the barrel-rigid part 2 comprises a contact bevel 40 which is formed by a slight widening of the bore 3, so that, as the breechblock 4 is turned further out of the position shown in Fig. 3 into the position shown in Fig. 1, the cartridge 6 is pushed back by its front end into the cartridge chamber 9 by means of the aforementioned contact bevel 40.

In its rearmost end region, the barrel 1 comprises a circular-tube-shaped nozzle 42 which is seated in a bore 44 of the barrel-rigid part 2. This bore 44 continues toward the rear, i.e. to the right in Fig. 1, as far as the bore 3.

The diameter of the bore 44 is smaller than the diagonal dimension of the cartridge 6, so that, in the position shown in Fig. 1, the cartridge 6 with its front end 15 is prevented by the barrel-rigid part 2 from sliding out of the cartridge chamber 9 in the direction of the barrel 1. This permits reliable firing of the cartridge by the firing pin 22. Furthermore, if the weapon is to be unloaded, trouble-free further rotation of the breechblock 4 through 900 in a clockwise rotation out of the position shown in Fig. 1 is possible.

The diameter of the bore 21 is also smaller than the diagonal dimension of the cartridge 6, so that, in the position shown in Fig. 1, the cartridge 6 is also unable to slide out of the cartridge chamber 9 toward the rear.

The rear end of the nozzle 42 is at a distance from the propellant body 8 and the projectile 7 of the cartridge 6 when in the ready-to-fire position. This reduces the risk of a cook-off. The surface area of the bore 3 supporting the front end 15 of the cartridge in the direct vicinity of the bore 44 is in a relatively thick metal part, namely the barrel-rigid part 2, with the result that, thanks to the rapid dissipation of heat from this supporting part of the bore 3, the risk of cook-offs is likewise kept low.

As long as the weapon performs the loading operations automatically, the tube section 34 and thus also the stop 30 remain in the positions shown in Fig. 1.

With reference to Fiy. 1 to 3, the following describes how the weapon operates when the cartridge 6, which is shown in the ready-to-fire position in Fig. 1, is to be ejected because it has failed to fire. For this purpose, the weapon comprises a cocking device which is to be actuated bv the firer by turning a cocking knob 122 (Fig.5). When the cocking device is actuated, a control disc 50, which is in front of the drawing plane in Fig. 1 to 3 and is therefore indicated only by a dash-dot line, is turned in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 1 to 3. At the same time, the breechblock 4 is turned through 90" in a clockwise direction out of the position shown in Fig. 1 into the position shown in Fig. 2.The control disc 50 is formed by a cam plate with two circular- arc-shaped parts of different radius, namely a part 52 of larger radius and a smaller part 54 of smaller radius. In the upper region in Fig. 1, there is a short transition between these two parts 52 and 54 at a slope 55 which forms an edge with the part 52, whereas, in the lower region of Fig. 1, the transition comprises a slope 57 and a straight part 56 which makes the transition at an edge 59 into the part 54 of smaller radius. This control disc 50 serves to swivel the tube section 34 and to open and close an ejection opening 58 of the weapon.

Held on a pin 60, which is mounted in the barrel-rigid part 2, is a torsion spring, one leg 61 of which is supported on a stop 62 of the barrel-rigid part 2, and the other leg 64 of which extends to the rear, to the right in Fig. 1, almost parallel to the axis of the barrel 5 whereby, as shown in Fig. 1, its end 66 contacts a stop 68 on the left-hand wall 70 of the tube section 34 which is shown in section in Fig.

1. Disposed above the stop 68 is a stop 72 which can be engaged by the end 66 of the leg 64 if the leg 64 is moved upward. In the position shown in Fig. 1, the leg 64 exerts, through the intermediary of the stop 68, a torque in a counterclockwise direction on the tube section 34, said torque holding the tube section 34 in the position shown in Fig. 1.

In Fig. 1, the viewing direction is onto the narrow edge of the leg 64. In the region of its end 66, a tab 75 is molded onto the leg 64 and bent such that it extends parallel to the drawing plane of Fig. 1. With its rearward-pointing edge or end face 77, this tab 75 forms a stop which is also contacted by a stop 78 which is connected to the stop 68. When the tube section 34 is subjected to mass inertia forces which endeavor to turn it in a clockwise direction, such a motion is opposed not only by the spring force of the leg 64 acting on the projection 68, but such a motion is also prevented by the fact that the edge 77 and the stop 78 are supported on the pin 60 through the intermediary of the leg 64.Thanks to this support, if such mass forces occult, the leg 64 is subjected to a compressive load basically in its longitudinal direction and can, therefore, absorb relatively high forces without noticeable deformation.

In the lower part of Fig. 1, a slider 80, see also Fig. 4, is displaceably guided parallel to the axial direction of the bore 5 of the barrel 1. This slider 80 is to a large extent in front of the drawing plane of Fig. 1 and is, to that extent, indicated by dash-dotted lines. However, the slider 80 comprises an offset 82 which extends into the drawing plane and is therefore shown in section. The slider 80 also comprises a side arm 84 which extends into the plane of the control disc 50. When, through actuation of the cocking device, the control disc 50 is turned in a counterclockwise direction out of the position shown in Fig. 1, the slope 57 of the control disc comes up against the side arm 84 of the slider 80 and moves the slider 80 to the right in Fig. 1 against the force of a spring 85.

Consequently, a sliding cover 86, which is rigidly connected to the slider and which closes the ejection opening 58 in Fig. 1, is likewise moved to the right and opens the ejection opening 58. During the sliding motion of the slider 80, the offset 82 comes up against a bend 88 provided on the leg 64 and thus pivots the end 66 of the leg 64 upward, as a result of which said end 66 comes up against the stop 72 and pivots the tube section 34 in a clockwise direction until a stop face 90 of the tube section 34 comes up against a stop 92 of the barrel-rigid part 2. In this position, the tube section 34 extends precisely vertically, and the ejection shaft formed by it aligns with the cartridge chamber 9 of the breechblock 4 which, in the meantime, has assumed the position shown in Fig. 2, which is turned through 900 in a clockwise direction as compared to the position shown in Fig. 1.In the course of the continued actuation of the cocking device, the feeder 94 pushes a new cartridge 6 out of the magazine 25 into the cartridge chamber 9. The projectile tip 10 of this newly inserted cartridge strikes the projectile tip of the cartridge still in the cartridge chamber and pushes the latter cartridge downward out of the cartridge chamber and through the ejection shaft and through the open ejection opening 58 out of the weapon. In the course of this continued actuation of the cocking device, the control disc 50 also continues to turn.

With the individual parts of the weapon in the positions shown in Fig. 2, the edge 59 of the control disc 50 still just keeps the side arm 84 in the position shown. When the control disc 50 is turned just slightly further, the edge 59 releases the side arm 84, and, under the force of the spring 85 acting on the slider 80, the side arm 84 moves to the left until it contacts the part 54 of the control disc 50 in the immediate vicinity of the slope 55. Consequently, the sliding cover 86 also moves slightly without, however, restricting the ejection opening 58. At this point in time, the cartridge which is to be ejected is still partially in the cartridge chamber 9 and partially in the tube section 34.However, due to the above-depicted sliding motion of the slider 80, the offset 82 leaves the region of the bend 88, and, consequently, the leg 64 of the torsion spring which again comes up against the stop 68 endeavors to pivot the tube section 34 back into the position shown in Fig. 1.

This, however, is not possible because such a pivoting motion is prevented by the cartridge which is partially in the tube section 34 and partially in the cartridge chamber 9. As soon as the cartridge 6, which has been newly fed into the cartridge chamber 9, has ejected the old cartridge out of. the cartridge chamber, the tube section 34 begins to pivot under the force of the leg 64 of the torsion spring.

The ejected cartridge leaves the lower end of the tube section 34 and is ejected through the opening 58 while the tube section 34 is still turning in a counterclockwise direction. However, the arrangement may also be such that the ejected cartridge does not leave the tube section 34 until the latter has reached its end position which is shown in Fig. 3 and which is the same as the end position in Fig.

1.

In the course of the continued actuation of the cocking device, during which the control disc 50 continues to turn, the breechblock 4, starting from the position shown in Fig.

3, is again turned through 90" in a clockwise direction, and, consequently, the newly introduced cartridge 6 comes into the firing position. As soon as the edge 56 releases the side arm 84 during this rotation of the control disc 50, the slider 80 springs out of the position shown in Fig. 3 back into the position shown in Fig. 1 in which the ejection opening 58 is closed by the sliding cover 86.

Fig. 4 once again employs dash-dotted lines for the control disc 50 which, also in this representation, is outside the drawing plane. Fig. 4 clearly shows that the side arm 84 projects into the region of the control disc 50, whereas the offset 82 is situated near the section plane of Fig. 2. The ejection opening 58 and the sliding cover 86 are in the section plane of Fig. 2. This section plane is identified by the reference character 100 in Fig. 4.

The stops 68 and 72, which interact with the end 66 of the leg 64, are situated, with respect to the bearing pin 36, more or less on the side of the tube section 34 diametrically opposite the movable stop 30. With respect to the longitudinal extent of the tube section 34, the bearing pin 36 is off-center, whereby that part of the tube section 34 above the bearing pin is longer than the part below the bearing pin 36.

When the magazine 25 is empty or has been removed from the weapon, an ejector 96 swings into the region occupied by the last cartridge 6 in Fig. 1, and, when the cocking device is actuated, said ejector ejects the cartridge which is still in the cartridge chamber. The individual parts of the weapon (with the exception of the ejector 96) are now in the positions shown in Fig. 2. In the course of said ejecting, t;e ejector 96 penetrates so far into the cartridge chamber 9 that its lower end reaches as far as the lower end of the cartridge chamber 9 in Fig. 2. Since the inside cf the cartridge chamber 9 does not contain any kind of projections, there is no possibility in this respect of the ejector 96 becoming stuck in the cartridge chamber.

A shaft 112 is held in a bore 110 of the part 2, see Fig. 5.

On the side of the shaft 112 facing away from the observer, said shaft bears a disc with pins which interact with slits in a Geneva wheel provided on the breechblock 4 on the aforementioned side. The drive of said disc, bearing the pins, by the gas pressure of the weapon and the drive of the breechblock 4 are identical to those of the weapon described in DE-A 28 13 633 and in the corresponding US-A 4 348 941.

This applies also to the drive of the feeder 94. In contrast to the known weapon, these aforementioned different drives are provided on one side of the weapon only.

On the side facing the observer, a disc 116 is fastened on the shaft 112 such that said disc cannot turn independently.

Coaxial with the shaft 116, the disc 50 is rotatably mounted in a housing 120 of the weapon and can be driven, in a counterclockwise direction only (Fig. 1), by means of a cocking knob 122 which is manually turned by the firer. For this purpose, on its side facing the disc 116, the disc 50 bears a leaf spring 124, one end of which is attached to the disc 50 and the free end 125 of which is slightly bent toward the disc 116. When the firer turns the cocking knob 122 in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 1 and 7, the end 125 of the leaf spring 124 engages a projection 126 (Fig. 7) of the disc 116 and turns said disc. If the firer turns the cocking knob 122 in the opposite direction, the end 125 of the leaf spring 124 slides over the projection 126 without turning the disc 116.

As can be seen from Fig. 7, a short single-arm lever 152 is mounted on a shaft 150 parallel to the shaft 112. This lever projects upward and a link 154 is swivel-mounted on it on a pivot shaft 155. Pivot-mounted at a joint 156 at its other end, the link 154 bears the ejector 96 which, if the magazine 25 still contains at least one cartridge, is held by the latter in a position which, viewed in the direction of fire, is behind the cartridge which is to be introduced next into the breechblock 4.While the lever 152 is mounted such that it cannot turn relative to the shaft 150 at the end region of said shaft facing away from the observer in Fig.7, a single-arm lever 160 is mounted such that it cannot turn relative to the shaft 150 in the end region of the shaft 150 facing the observer, said lever 160 comprising at its end a slot 164 which is engaged by a pin 162 of a double-arm lever 166.

One lever arm of this double-arm lever 166 extends between the pin 162 and the hinge pin 168. The other lever arm 170 formosan angle of approximately 1350 with the first-mentioned lever arm. The free end of the lever arm 170comprises a groove pin 172 on the side facing away from the observer. If there is a cartridge in the magazine 25, the lever drive chain 96, 154, 152, 160, 166 assumes the position shown in Fig. 7, whereby the groove pin 172 on the lever arm 170 assumes a position near the peripheral edge of the disc 116 without touching the edge of the disc 116. If, on the other hand, there is no cartridge in the magazine 25, the lever drive chain 96, 154, 152, 160, 166 whose drive elements 152 and 160 are rigidly connected to each other is supported on the peripheral edge of the disc 116 via the groove pin 172 under the influence of the force of a tension spring 171.Only when the disc 116 is moved slowly, as is the case during manual actuation of the cocking knob 122, does the groove pin 172 drop into a groove 173 in the disc 116 due to the force of the tension spring 171.

Through the intermediary of the groove pin 172 and the lever drive chain the curved guiding of the groove 173 finally causes the movement of the ejector 96 which initially moves into the place of the cartridge 6 shown in Fig. 7. The thereby required pivoting motion of the ejector 96 in a clockwise direction (Fig. 7) is produced by an extension 158 of the ejector 96 which projects into a guide shaft 159" which is limited by two blocks 159 and 159'.

As long as the groove pin 172 is guided in the first half of the groove 173, the further rotational movement of the disc 116 causes the movement of the ejector 96 through the cartridge chamber 9 which is in the loading position. If there is a cartridge in the cartridge chamber, it is ejected. The second half of the groove 173 causes the retracting of the ejector 96 and, with the exit of the groove pin 172 from the groove 173, the lever drive chain again moves back into the initial position and the force of the spring 171 is, as described above, again supported on the edge of the disc 116.

The automatic rotation of the disc 116, which is initiated when firing, takes place at a high angular velocity so that, due to the inertia of the double-arm lever 166, the groove pin 172 cannot drop into the groove 173, which yuarantees that after the last cartridge in the magazine has been fired the ejector 96 does not go into the action position.

The groove 173 effects a positive and thus reliable drive of the ejector 96 in both directions of movement of the ejector. The groove 173 has the shape shown in Fig. 7 with two adjacent curved sections. The groove 173 is at its shortest distance from the axis of the disc 116 at the point where these two sections come together to form an obtuse angle, Fig. 8 shows the shaft or tube section 34 in a side view in which the stops 72, 68 and 78 of the tube section 34 are also visible.

Fig. 9 shows the mounting of the tube section 34 by means of the hinge pins 36 which are inserted from outside through two plates 180, integral with the barrel-rigid part 2, into shaft stubs 184 and 186 which are disposed on the outside of the tube section 34 and which are provided with bores 182 to match the hinge pins.

Fig. 10 is a partial view of the shaft or tube section 34, for the most part in a longitudinal section, in a viewing direction turned through 1800 as compared to Fig. 1.

The diameter of the breechblock 4 is 49 mm. The other dimensions can be taken from the scale drawing.

The weapon shown in Fig. 11 to 14 differs from the previously described specimen embodiment merely in the following features: the control disc 50 in the form of a cam plate is replaced by a toothed wheel 250 which occupies the same place as the control disc 50. The toothed wheel 250 is in engagement not with the slider 80 but with a toothed wheel 252 whose plane forms an angle of 900 with the plane of the toothed wheel 250. Depending on its rotational position, the toothed wheel 252 opens or closes the ejection opening 258 which has the same function as the ejection opening 58 in the first specimen embodiment. The tube section 34 is replaced by an element 234 which forms the ejection duct and which is pivot-mounted like the tube section 34 and whose position is determined by a control cam 282 provided on the toothed wheel 252.The rotation axis of the toothed wheel 250 is in the same place as the rotation axis of the control disc 50, and the toothed wheel 250 is also in the same place as the control disc 50 in the view shown in Fig. 4. On one side, the toothed wheel 250 also exhibits a spring projection 225 which interacts with the projection 126 (Fig. 7).

The toothed wheel 252 is rotatably mounted on a hinge pin 260 which is anchored in a base 262 of the plastic housing of the weapon. The toothed wheel 252comprises a curved slot 262 which extends over an angle of slightly less than 1800 at a uniform distance from the rotation axis of the toothed wheel 252. When the slot 262 is in a position in which it aligns with the ejection opening 258, this opens the way for a cartridge to be ejected to the outside. Fig. 13 shows the toothed wheel 252 with the cocking device in the rest position in which the slot 262 is slightly closer to the ejection opening 258 with its end nearer the toothed wheel 250 than the other end of the slot 262.In the region near the axis, the toothed wheel 252 bears the control cam 282 which is disposed concentrically and which has a convexly curved, rising wedge area 283 and which, at its upper end, i.e. the end facing furthest away from the toothed wheel 252, changes into a horizontally extending surface 284. The horizontal surface 284 ends with a vertical step 285 which also limits the entire projection forming the control cam 282. The control cam 282 is essentially disposed on the side of the axis of the toothed wheel 252 facing away from the slot 262. The precise position can be seen in Fig. 13.

A projection 288 of the element 234 is situated in the path described by the control cam 282 when, due to the turning of the cocking knob 122 (Fig.l4), the wheel 252 is turned in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 11, as a result of which the toothed wheel 252 likewise turns in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 13. When the toothed wheel 252 assumes the position shown in Fig. 13, the projection 288 is not in engagement with the control cam 282. In this case, the element 234 assumes the position shown in Fig. 12.

When, starting with the parts in the positions shown in Fig.

13, the cocking knob 122 is turned, the wedge area 283 comes into contact with the underside 294 of the projection 288 (shown by a dash-dotted line in Fig.13), raises the projection 288 and consequently pivots the element 234 in a clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 11. At the same time, when the cocking knob 122 is turned, the cocking device described with reference to the first specimen embodiment is driven.

With the cocking device in the rest position, the stop 290 provided on the element 234 and formed by an obtuse-angled arm is situated precisely in the path of a cartridge inserted from the magazine into the cartridge chamber 9, but immediately outside the cylindrical surface of the breechblock 4. This stop 290 moves out of the extension of the cartridge chamber 9 when the element 234 is pivoted in a clockwise direction. As soon as this has happened and the element 234 has assumed the position shown in Fig. 11, the cocking device begins to move down the feeder 94, which in the meantime has moved into a position above the next cartridge which is to be loaded from the magazine, and to insert the cartridge, with the projectile tip first, into the cartridge chamber 9. The inserted cartridge 6 thereby strikes the projectile tip of the cartridge 6 which is to be ejected.

The instant the feeder 94 begins to insert the next cartridge into the cartridge chamber 9, the toothed wheel 252 has assumed such a position that the slot 262 completely opens the ejection opening 258. As the cocking knob is turned further, the feeder 94 pushes the new cartridge further into the cartridge chamber 9, and the toothed wheel 252 also rotates further The ejection opening 258 is still open. As soon as the element 234 has assumed the position shown in Fig. 11, the underside of the projection 288 comes into contact with the horizontal surface 284 of the control cam 282, and the pivoting position of the element 234 no longer changes.

Immediately before the cartridge, which is just being inserted, has been fully introduced into the cartridge chamber, the vertical surface 285 of the projection 288 comes into contact with the obliquely forward and upward rising region 296 of the underside of the projection 288, and a torsion spring 297 acting on the element 234 now endeavors to turn the element 234 in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 11. This rotational movement is initially limited as soon as the edge 298 of the projection 290 comes up against the (in Fig. 11) right-hand side surface of the cartridge 6 which is being ejected. Since the control cam 282 rotates further with the toothed wheel 252, the projection 288 is now no longer supported.

As soon as the slightly rounded, upward-pointing end face of the cartridge 6, which is being ejected, comes into the region of the edge 298, the projection 290 penetrates with its edge 298 into the space between the just ejected cartridge and the newly inserted cartridge as a result of the force of the torsion spring 297 and makes it impossible for the newly loaded cartridge to drop downward out of the cartridge chamber 9. The cartridge to be ejected has completely left the cartridge chamber 9 and drops through the still open ejection opening 258 downward out of the weapon.The ejecting motion is supported b the fact that a face 300 of the arm 290, said face extending diagonally with respect to the longitudinal direction of the cartridge chamber 9, is in contact with the cartridge which is to be ejected and which is supported on a face 302 of the barrel-rigid part 2. At this point in time, the control cam 282 has completely left the region of the projection 288, with the result that, under the force of the torsion spring 297, the element 234 is able to pivot back into the position shown in Fig. 12. The slot 262 begins to move out of the region of the ejection opening 258 shortly after the control cam 282 has completely left the region of the projection 288. When the cocking knob 122 has performed one full revolution, the toothed wheel 252 again has its position shown in Fig. 13 in which the ejection opening 258 is closed.In the meantime, starting from the rotational position shown in Fig. 11, the breechblock 4 has also turned through 900 in a clockwise direction with the result that the newly loaded cartridge is ready to fire.

As long as the weapon described with reference to Fig. 11 to 14 performs the loading operations automatically, the element 234 is in the position shown in Fig. 12, and a stop face 308 is situated precisely in the path of the tip of the projectile 7 of the cartridge 6 which has been inserted by the feeder 94 into the cartridge chamber 9 which is in the loading position. Consequently, the insertion motion of this cartridge which takes place at high speed (the weapon is to have a firing rate of at least 2000 rounds per minute) is retarded abruptly, but still very gently. In this connection, the fact that the arm 290 is bent at an obtuse angle may mean that said arm gives way elastically to a very slight extent, with the result that the retardation process is thus made even more gentle.

In the position shown in Fig. 12, the element 234 is supported by an upward-pointing face 312 on a downward-pointing, horizontally-extending face 314 of the barrel-rigid part 2.

When the ejection opening 258 is closed, the underside 320 of the toothed wheel 252 is in contact with a seal 322 formed by a basically tubular soft-plastic part. This prevents the ingress of dirt and moisture. During manual cocking, to eliminate the friction caused by the seal 322, the underside 320 projects further downward in the region which is above the seal 322 when the cocking device is not actuated. In the other regions, the underside of the toothed wheel 252 does not project so far down, with the result that in these regions there is no contact with the seal 322.

The teeth of the toothed wheels 250 and 252 basically have the shape of annular sections. The individual teeth are limited on their outsides by a cylindrical surface which is coaxial with the axis of the gear wheels 250 and 252. The width of the teeth is a multiple of their height. Since the toothed wheels 250 and 252 create a positive connection between the cocking knob 222 and the toothed wheel 252 which at the same time serves as a closing element for the ejection opening 258, the arrangement is very low in noise.

In the specimen embodiments described, if a cartridge fails to fire and the magazine is at least partially full, said cartridge is ejected by using the feeder 94. If the magazine is empty, ejection is by means of the ejector 96.

In the specimen embodiments, whenever a cartridge is ejected, the ejection opening if automatically opened by turning the cocking knob 122. This also happens if the unloaded weapon is to be loaded for the first time although, in this case, there is no cartridge which has to be ejected.

The references in the claims are not a restriction, but they shall facilitate comprehension.

Claims (11)

What is claimed is:

1. Automatic weapon for caseless cartridges, particularly rifle, with an opening (3) provided in a part (2) rigid with the barrel, said opening being perpendicular to the barrel axis and housing a coaxial basically cylindrical breechblock (4) which can be turned about its longitudinal axis for loading and which contains a cartridge chamber (9) which aligns with the barrel axis when the breechblock is in a firing position, with an arrangement for turning the breechblock out of the firing position into a loading position whereby the shape of the cartridge chamber (9) is such that a cartridge can be inserted from either end of the cartridge chamber into the latter, with a manually actuated cocking device which ejects a cartridge, which is in the cartridge chamber when cocking, toward the side of the weapon facing away from a cartridge which is to be newly introduced, wherein connected to the cocking device is a movable stop (30, 308) which, when the cocking device is not actuated and when the breechblock (4) is in the loading position, is in front of the end of the cartridge chamber (9) facing away from the cartridge (6), which is to be newly introduced, and is in the region of the front end (15) of the cartridge (6) which is fully introduced into the cartridge chamber (9), said stop (30, 308) being able to be moved out of the region of the aforementioned end of tlie cartridge chamber by the cocking device.

2. Weapon as defined in claim 1, wherein the movable stop (30, 308) is disposed and designed such that it is at least in the region of the projectile tip (10) of the fully introduced cartridge (6).

3. Weapon as defined in claim 1 or 2, wherein the cartridge chamber (9) is designed such that a cartridge (6) can be pushed completely through the cartridge chamber.

4. Weapon as defined in any one of the preceding claims, wherein at least one diameter of the cross section of the opening (44) of the barrel-rigid part (2) accommodating the weapon-side end of the barrel (1) is smaller than the corresponding diameter of the cartridge (6).

5. Weapon as defined in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the movable stop (30, 308) is swivel-mounted.

6. Weapon as defined in any one of the preceding claims, with an ejection duct through which the cartridge which is to be ejected is moved, wherein the ejection duct (34, 234) is movably guided and, when the cocking device is not actuated, forms the movable stop (30, 308) and, when the cocking device is actuated, is moved into a position aligning with the cartridge chamber which is positioned to eject.

7. Weapon as defined in any one of the preceding claims, wherein provided is a rotatable control disc (50) which has a drive connection to the cocking device and which comprises regions of different outside radius whereby, as the control disc (50) rotates, an inclined face (57) of said control disc (50) comes up against a side arm (84) of a spring-loaded slider (80) and displaces the latter whereby a spring lever (leg b4) is in engagement with a part (68, 72) connected to the movable stop (30) and can be pivoted by the slider (80) during the sliding motion of the latter, such that the movable stop (30) can thus be moved.

8. Weapon as defined in any one of the preceding claims, wherein an ejection opening (58, 258) of the weapon is closable by a closing device (50, 80, 86; 250, 252) coupled with the cocking device and is open when the cocking device is actuated.

9. Weapon as defined in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein provided is a rotatable disc (toothed wheel 250) which has a drive connection to the cocking device and which has a positive drive connection to a further rotatably mounted disc (toothed wheel 252) whereby the further disc is disposed in front of an ejection opening (258) of the weapon and comprises a cutout (slot 262) which, in predetermined rotational positions of the further disc (252), releases the ejection opening (258) whereby the further disc (252) comprises a control cam (282) which, as the further disc rotates, comes up against a movably mounted element (234) comprising the movable stop t308) and moves said element (234).

10. Weapon as defined in any one of the preceding claims, wherein a gap is provided between the barrel end (42) and the side, facing the barrel end, of a cartridge (6) which is in the firing position.

11. Weapon substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.