US1803523A - Recoil and counter-recoil mechanism for guns - Google Patents

Description

May 5, l931. T. A. coNLcN RECOIL AND COUNTER RECOIL MECHNISM FOR GUNS Filed Nov. 7, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet tow Si l :mitm

Thames M @wf Guanta.,

May 5, l93l. T. A. coNLoN RECOIL AND COUNTER RECOIL MECHANISM FOR GUNS 2 Sheets-Shea# 2 Filed Nov. 7,y 192.8

5 f L f 4 Patented May 5, 1931 rrroMAs A. conron, orsrLvEn sparire, MARYLAND RECOIL ANB COUNTER-REGGIL J'IvEGI-IANSM FOR GUNS Application led November 7, 192%. Serial No. 317,813.

(GRANTED 'UNDER THE ACT F 1.1153011 3, 1333, AS AMENDED APRIL 30, 1928; 370 0. Gr. 757) The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes, without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

r1`his invention relates to recoil and counterrecoil mechanism for guns.

r1`he principal object of the present invention is to utilize a portion of the powder gases of discharge for retarding the recoil movement of a gun and to make the resulting com- CSD pressed gases available for restoring the gun to battery. `The invention includes a provision for holding the gun in a variable position of battery at all angles of elevation and vthe, holding means is designed to release the gun for its movement in recoil only when the propellantcharge has been set o.

The system of controlling the movement of the gun by means of powder gases,.as proposed `by McGlean in Patent No. 749,215, contemplated the least possible movement of the gun in recoil but in the present invention the normal recoil appropriate to the maintenance of stability of the amount is preserved.

W ith the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention resides in the novel arrangement and combination of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed may be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

practical embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings,

wherein:

Fig. 1 is a view partly in side elevation and partly in longitudinal section of a gun constructed in accordance with the invention and showing the parts in position of battery;

2 is a similar view with the parts in position of full recoil;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view through the forward end of the recoil mechanism; Y

Fig. l is an enlarged longitudinal, sectional view of the holding means;

Fig. 5 is a detail sectional View on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3;

longitudinal, sectional Fig. v6 Vis a sectional view of amodified form of holding means.

Referring to the drawings by numerals of reference Y There is shown a gun 5 mounted to slide through normal distances in a cradle 6 which is provided with the usual trunnions 7. A cylinder 8, arranged parallel to the gun and secured thereto by means of a bracket 9 so that it will move with the gun7 is open at its rear end to receive a piston 10 fixed to the cradle 6. The cylinder head at the forward end of the cylinder is formed by a plug 11 which is threadedly secured to the bracket 9 and retains an apertured disk 12 against the end faceof the cylinder. The disk and plug are fo 1med to establish a chamber' 13 Vwhich is in communication with the bore lll of the gun through a passage 15 which` may `be entirely or only partially lined with a-bush.

ing 16. The apertures 17 in the dis 13 are normally closed by a check valve 18 disposed within the cylinderand preferably having its stem 19 extending through the disk 13 and plug 12 'to externally carry a spring 20.v`

1n operation when the gun is fired a portion of the rapidly expanding gases of discharge will pass into the chamber 13, cause the opening of the valve and be delivered into rthe cylinder 8 which by reason of its attachment to the gun, is partaking of the recoil movement. n During the initial stage of recoil, the pressures in the chamber 13 and in the cylinder will have been equalized and the 4valve closed by its spring. Thereafter' the gases which are confined in the cylinder will be compressed as the cylinder head approaches the pistonlO and will act to' yieldingly check the recoil of the gun and then restore the gun to its normal battery position. `W ith the gun in battery a vent 21 in the cylinder 8 will be aligned with a vent 21o; in the cradle 6 so that the cylinder may be cleared between shots.

Because the structure of the cylinder and piston are not such as to retain the gases indefinitely, it becomes necessary to Vprovide some means for holding the gun in the position of battery, irrespective of the inclination oft-he gun. A provision for accomplishing` this purpose is illustrated in FiO. 4rand consists essentially of a friction coupling of the movable disk type `conveniently inclosed in a cylinder 22, fixed to the cradle. lVithin the cylinder is a rod 23 secured to a lug 24e at the breech end vof the gun and, consequently, reciprocal therewith. The forward end of the rod carries a series of disks 25, which are disposed .alternately with respectto a series of disks 26 attached to the inner periphery ofa drum 2'? which is rotatably mounted on the rod. rlhe disks are forced into engagement` in the usual manner by meansof springs 28 acting on a pressure plate 29.

'The drum 2i' is provided'on its external periphery with a number of keys 80 which move in cam slots 8l foi-n ed in a sleeve 32 fixed in the forward end of the cylinder 22. The cam slots are extended for a sufficient distance to enable the friction coupling to perform its function in holding the gun in variable positions which are only a slight distance out of battery and from which the gun may be fired. rllhe resista-nce exerted by the friction couplingl in preventing rotary morement of the drum and consequent longitudinal displacement of the gun is calculated to safely hold the weight of the gun at all angles of elevation. llhis resistance is overcome when the gun is red and the force of the explosion moves the gun in recoil. During such movement the drum is constrained to rotate and its friction disks caused to slip. When the gun, after having completed its running-out movement is restored to batt-ery,

the friction coupling acts as a buffer to check A the momentum of the counterfrecoiling parts, brings them to rest and holds them in the'arrested position.

In the modification illustrated in Fig. 6, the keys 33 are mounted Yon pintles so that they may follow a rectilinear slot 35 in con-V tinuation of the helical slot 36. ln this arrangement the cam slot 3G may be of nonuniform pitch which will be of advantage in more gradually arresting the counter-recoilmg gun.

i claim:

l. In a gun, a barrel mounted to recoil and counter-recoil through normal distances, bracket lined to the barrel, a recoil vc,'flinder lixed to and terminating within the bracket, an apertured disk at the forward end of the cylinder, a head secured to the bracket in position to retain the disk and form therewith a chamber, a Valve disposed in the recoil cylinder and normally isolating it from the chamber in the cylinder head, a passage establishing communication between the cylinder head chamber andthe bore of the rel, al piston fixed to the cradle and working in the cylinder and means for holding the barrel in battery through all angles of elevation.

2. In a gun, a barrel mounted to recoil and counter-recoil through normal distances, a recoil cylinder fixed to the barrel and having a piston chamber and a gas inlet chamber, a valve within the piston chamber normally isolating it from the inlet chamber, a passage establishing communication between the inlet chamber andthe bore of the barrel, a fixed piston working in the recoil cylinder and means for holding the barrel in battery through all angles of elevation.

3. ln a gun, a barrel mounted to recoil and counter-recoil through normal distances, a recoil cylinder movable with the barrel and having' communication with the bore of the barrel to permit flow of gasesY from the barrel into the cylinder, a valve in the cylinder for preventing return of the gases, a fixed piston working in the recoil cylinder and means for holding the barrel in battery.

d. A cradle, a gun, reciprocal moimt'e'd thereon, recoil. mechanism utilizing Ithe gases vof discharge to check recoil and restore the gun to battery and means for releasably i lding the gun in variable positions of battery.

5. rlhe combination Vith a cradle and gun recipiocally mounted thereon for recoil'and counter-recoil movement, of means for holding the gun in battery, including a cylinder fixed to the cradle, a rod working in said cylinder and iiXed to the gun, a drum on the free end of the rod constrained to rotate thereon during initial longitudinal displacement of the rod and a friction coupling between the rod andv drum. I

6. A cradle, a gun mounted thereon for recoil and counter-recoil movement, means for holding the gun in battery including a rod secured to the gun, a drum rotatably mounted on the free end of the r'o'd, means on the cradle for imparting rotation to the drum on longitudinal displacement of the rod and a friction coupling between the rod and drum.

7. The combination with a. gun provided with a recoil and counter-recoil mechanism, of means for admitting propellant gases from the gun barrel'to the mechanism to opposev recoil and tio counter-recoil the gun and means for locking the gun in any position within the limits of its iii-battery position.

8. The combination with a gun provided with a counter-recoil mechanism wherein the force producing counter-recoil is Xpended when the gun is returned to iii-battery position, of means for locking the gun in position within the limits of its in-battery position.

THOMAS A. CONLO`\T.

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