US1801179A - Automatic firearm - Google Patents

Description

April 14, 1931. l., s'rANGE AUTOMATIC FIREARM Filed June 18, 1929 LLL,

Patented Apr. 14, 1931 LOUIS STANGE, OF SOMMERDA, GERMANY,

ASSIGNOR TO RHEINISCHE METALL- WAAREN- 'UND MASGHINENFABRIK, OF DUSSELDORF-DERENDORF, GERMANY AUTOMATIC FIREARM Application filed un i8, 1922, Serial No. 371,880, and in Germany November 12, 1928.

The invention relates to apparatus in automatic firearms in which the breech mechanism moves axially with the barrel and in which a rearward acceleration is imparted to ,5 the breech piece after it has been unlocked from the barrel. The new arrangement is characterized by the efficient impulse imparted to the breech mechanism and by a simple construction adapted to the external form of the breech mechanism, in which manufacture thereof is facilitated by the casing of the weapon forming a cylindrical surface of revolution.

According to the invention, the acceleration relative to the barrel is imparted to the unlocked breech piece by one or more members rotatable about the bore of the barrel, by the parts of the weapon which are moved on firing, so that their wedge-shaped operating surfaces surrounding the axis of the cylinder are inserted between co-operating members of the barrel or of the breech sleeve connected thereto, on the one hand, and the breech piece, on the other hand, and separate the latter forcibly from the barrel.

The accompanying drawing represents an example of a breech apparatus according to the invention applied to an automatic firearm with sliding barrel. The three construc- 30 tions show in perspective the apparatus partly in section respectively with the breech locked and in two intermediate positions during the recoil of the barrel after firing.

a is the casing of the weapon formed as a hollow cylinder. The breech sleeve Z) coupled with the barrel, which is not shown, is mounted in the casing a so as to be displaceable but not rotatable. On the rear end of the breech sleeve b, which is provided, with a screw-thread b1, a ring c is screwed which is rotated in the wall of the casing by a lug 01 secured to and engaging in guides a2, a3, when the two parts are relatively displaced in the longitudinal direction. The breech piece Z is longitudinally displaceable in the breech sleeve b and projects out of the ring c. The breech piece is guided rectilinearly in the casing slot al and cannot, therefore, rotate in the casing. It is driven forward in known manner by a mainspring which at the same time acts as the means for moving the barrel forward. The breech piece al has segmental collars d1 which engage between similar collars 02 on the ring c and lock` these members together. The ring c terminates at the rear in two oppositely disposed lobes c3, 04, a similarly. directed wedge shaped surface c5 or c6 of which co-operate with surfaces cl2, cl3 on the breech piece d. The surfaces 05, 06, the collars c2 of the ring 0, the co-operating surfaces cl2, d3 and the collars d, of the breech piece Z are so relatively arranged, that the surfaces 05, c6 of the ring o only come into engagement with the co-operating surfaces d2, da of the breech piece when the collars c2 are out of engagement with the collars all.

A. spring loaded locking lever e is pivoted in a longitudinal groove of the breech sleeve b and at its rear end projects over an annular extension @terminating the ring c. The member c7 has at one part a recess 0S in which the locking lever e .can engage. r)The object of the locking lever e is, at certain positions of the breech piece, to lock the ring c against rotation relatively to the breecn sleeve b and consequently against the breech piece cl. The lever e is lifted from the recess 08, in order to allow the ring c to rotate, by a nose el of the lever e cooperating with the breech piece (Z.

ln the description of the method of operation of the breech apparatus, it is assumed that the parts are originally in the position shown in Fig. l. The breech piece el and the breech sleeve are in their forward end position in the casing a and are locked together by means of the ring c. v After firing, these parts return at first together through a certain distance in the locked condition. The ring c is at nrst guided ina straight line, the lugs cl sliding in the groove a2, a3, which, for a short distance a2, is parallel to the bore of the barrel. At the moment in which the lugs have reached the end of the straight guide a2 the shot has left the barrel and the pressure of the gas in the barrel is reduced to atmospheric pressure. On the continued recoil of the ring c its lugs traverse the helical portion a3 of the groove and the ring 0 is rotated relatively to the breech sleeve b which is further guided in a straight line and the breech piece d; Aits locking collars C2 consequently come out of engagement with the collars Z1 of the breech piece Z.

At the end of the unlocking movement, as shown in Fig. 2, the locking lever e engaging over the outer surface of the annular eXtension c7 lies over but `does not lenter the recess 0S, because its nose el rests on the surface Aof the breech piece d. Y

Simultaneously with .the .complete unlocking of the breech piece Z from the ring c, -the Wedge shaped surfaces c5, 0G of the latter'corne into contact with the surfaces Z2, Z3 of the Ybreech piece, while, up to this time, during the unlocking rotation, the distance between these surfaces gradually decreasing. @n ithe continued Irecoil of the system consisting of the 'breech sleeve-Z), ringo and'breech piece Z, the ring c is further rotated bythe `inclined guides t3 and thereby Veffects the separation 'of the tbreech piece from the 'breech sleeve and its accelera-tedrecoil, the angular rotation of the-surfaces @5,06 ofthe ring c afterengagling with t'he'inclined parts of the surfaces Z2, Z3 limpe-ls "the rectilinearly guided breech piece Z rearward.

During therelative movement of thebreech piece and sleeve Z), a longitudinal groove CZ4 of the breech piece, lying radially 'under the lever e', passes below the nose el of the lever and 'the lever is moved by spring pressure radially inwards, so that its rear end enters linto the recess 08.

ln the vposition shown in `Fig. 3,'the `breech sleeve of the barrel and the ring c have at- Atainedtheir end rear position in Ythe casing a I.of the weapon. The breech piece (Z has, as above-mentioned, been separated therefrom and continues, vits accelerated recoil. lts 'kinetic energy is, as usual, utilized for eject- Aing the `fired cartridge shell. The -breech ypiece is brought to vrest by a stop :provided in the casing of the weapon and is 'now again driven for-ward'by themainspring and elfects 'the lfeeding :of the next cartridge intothc barrel.

After reachingtheir rear end positioniu'the casing ofthe weaponaud the v previously described separation from V'the breech piece, the breech sleeve lathe barrel and the ring c could lbe-again displaced 'forward independently of the breechpiece Z, for example7 on liring'with considerable angular depression. During Vthis forward movement, the ringe is rotatedV backwards by .the 'inclined guides a3 Lin the casing inthe direction to vagain lock theibreech piece. The locking lever which hasentered the recess G8 o'flthe ring limitsrthe backward rotation of the vvring c and consequently the 'further forward lmovement of the barrel and `'breech sleeve, so vthat 'the collars 'c2 ofthe ring @cannot "engage withlthe collars Z1 of .the breech piece or that the breech piece Z, which is still -in the rear position,` runs back into its 'front end position in the ring c andthe casi-nga into its front end position. Ring c is thereby further rotated and the breech sleeve vb and the breech piece Z are again locked together.

Since vthe locking and unlocking and also the accelerated movementv of the breech -piece simply depend on a relative rotation of the locking and unlocking members Z1, d2, Zsand the co-operati-ng members 02,105,06, iin -a Amodi-V fied construction the locking-collars c2 and the unlocking 'members c5, c6 might'be 'rig-ifdly connected with the barrel and this could be rotationally controlled `relatively -to ithe breech piece -Z.V Or ythe rectilii-i'eafrly guided breech piece could itself carry lthe lock-ing a nd unlocking yring rotatable relatively Ito fthe also rectilin-early guided barrel, in the same manner -as the above described ring c. The new breech unlocking devices can vobviomsily be employed with` firearms vhaving "fixed barrel.

l claim: n :1. Anautomatic firearm, comprisinga'casing having 'guides therein; :a ring'i'nthe casing having lobes thereon -andlug's which project into :the guides in the casing, said ring also having collars therein Vand Ya screwthreaded portion; 'a breech sleeve `displaceably mounted in 'the casing and having a screwthreaded screwthreaded portion of `the ring; and :a breech piece longitudinally displaceable in the breech sleeve and .having surfaces 'cooperating withthe lobes of the ring, said Abreech piece having collars thereonY cooperating with Lthe collars Vin the ring. i,

2. An automatic'firearm, comprising acasing having guides therein; a Iringin Vthe casing having lobes thereon and lugs which 'project into the guides in the casing, 'said *ri-ng also having 4collars therein and Va screwthreaded portion; a breech sleeve .displaceably mounted `in the casingland havin'gf'a screwthreaded portion cooperating .withthe screwthreaded k,portion of the ring; ia breech piece longitudinally disrplace'able :in 'fthe breech sleeve and having surfaces cooperat+ ing with vthe lobes of :the ring, `said breech piece having collars thereon cooperating with the .collars in the ring; a locking lever pivotally mounted in the breech piece; Aand an annular Vextension at the end of the ring into which the locking lever projects. i

3. An automatic 'rearnn'comprising'a'cas# portion cooperating 'with Ethe ioo Civ

.- Wedge-shaped in g having guides and a slot therein; a ring in the casing having lobes thereon and lugs which project into the guides in the casing, said ring also having collars therein and a screvvthreaded portion and unlocking surfaces on the lobes; a breech sleeve displaceably mounted in the casing and having a screwthreaded portion cooperating with the screvvthreaded portion of the ring; and a breech piece longitudinally displaceable in the breech sleeve and having surfaces cooperating with the unlocking surfaces of the lobes ofthe ring, said breech piece having a bolt projecting Vthrough the slot in the casing and collars thereon cooperating With the collars in the ring.

4. A n automatic firearm, comprising a casing having guides and a slot therein; a ring in the casing having lobes thereon and lugs which project into the guides in the casing, said ring also having collars therein and a screwthreaded portion and unlocking surfaces on the lobes; a breech sleeve displaceably mounted in the casing and having a screwthreaded portion cooperating With the screwthreaded portion of the ring; a breech piece longitudinally displaceable in the breech sleeve and having surfaces cooperating with the unlocking surfaces of the lobes of the ring, said breech piece having a bolt projecting through the slot in the casing and collars thereon cooperating with the collars in the ring; a locking lever pivotally mounted in the breech piece; and an annular extension at the end of the ring into which the locking lever projects.

5. An automatic firearm, comprising a barrel; a breech mechanism adapted to move axially with the barrel and when unlocked from the barrel moves relatively rearward; and releasing member having Wedge-shaped surfaces rotatable about the bore of the barrel, the acceleration relatively to the barrel being imparted to the breech piece by said surfaces.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature.

LOUIS STANGE.

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