US1919242A - Cooling system for firearms - Google Patents

Description

July25, 1933. F. T. MOORE COOLING SYSTEM FOR FIREARMS Filed May 14, 1931 [Hz 5272202". F275 darzaf: TMU are.

.5 1/. TM J I 2 14131502757:

' FREDERICK T. MOORE, or EAST HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, AssIeNoR To COLTS PAT NT 00., or HARTFORD,

Patented July 25, 1933 TATE PATENT- FF CE f.

- FIRE RMS MANUFACTURING "TION or CONNECTICUT CONNECTICUT, A CORPORA- COOLING sYsrEM ro 'rrRnARms pplicatio filed m 14, 1931. SerialNo. 537,283.

The' preent invention particularly ap plicabletoautomatic firearms of the type dis closed in patents'to John M. Browning No.

7 1,293,021 dated February 4, 1919 and No.

1,628,226 dated-May lO, 1927 ;.but theinvention is not necessarily so limited.

When' an automatic firearm of the'type shown in the aforesaidpatents is intended I jacket for .ground or field use, it is commonly pro-- vided with'a water tube or jacket which surrounds the barrel, water being circulated throughthe jacket to co'ol'the barrel. The

has the further function .of supporting and guiding the barrel near the forward end thereof. For aeroplane use and also for purposes including some'class'es of ground service,'the water jacket may be omitted and there may be provided in lieu thereof a smaller jacket which surrounds the .barrel and serves to support and guidethe barrel near .the forward end thereof. This smaller jacket is providedwith' openings therein which permit free circulation of air so that air cooling of the barrel will be efiected.

' The mechanisms of the water cdoled and of'theair cooled firearms may be identical or at least similar in construction, and one oftheiobjects 'of the'present invention is to provide means at'the' forward end of the main casing which makes it'possiblefor the interchangeable ttachment either of the parts required for water cooling or of the parts-requiredfor aircooling. As theresult of the invention, it is possible to construct the yarious' parts of the firearm proper without regard to the cooling systemto be used, thus-making itpossibl'e for the parts to be made'in largerquantities, and therefore more-economically; The inventionhas the furtheradvantage that firearmsori'ginal- .ly constructed forone system of cooling can be, easily transformed so as to 'be, adapted for the other system. The completeequip- .ment of a firearmflmay includeparts for both water cooling and fair cooling,'thu s making it possiblefor either system to be used'that conditions may make necessary. I

,,.In theaccompanying drawing I have shown the embodiment of he invention which 'I now deem preferable, but it will be underb supportetl.

stood thatthe drawing is intended for illustrative purposes only and is not to be construed as limiting, or defining the scope of Figs. 3 and 4 are plan and side views respectively of the latch, of which an end view appears in Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 1,but showing the jacket for air cooling substituted for V the jacket-for water cooling.

An automatic firearm or gun of the type'to which the invention is particularly applicable, has a breech or main casing which carries and contains all of the working parts except the barrel which projectsfromthe casing at the front thereof. In the drawingonly the front portion of the casing is shown, this being indicated at 1." The'barrel 2 projects forward from the breech or main casing and is mounted to-reciprocate longitudinally during firing'as fully explained in the'two patents referred to. The main casing 1 includes a front 7 end member 3' which is commonly known as a trunnion block. The trunnion block 3 is mounted between two side plates 45, e'which areriveted to the trunnion block as indicated at 5, 5. A. transverse hole 6 through the trunnion block and through the side plates is adapted for the reception ofa'transverse trunnionipin which formsa part of or is carried This trunnion pm, by reason ofits engagement with'the trunnion block and side plates, serves portions of the gun;

Carried by the main casing at the forward end thereof isa means so constructed as to be adapted either for the attac mentof a'relatively, large acketffol "water-V cooling or for the attachment cooling. As concerns the broader aspects of of a smaller jacket for an:

the mount on which the gun is a;

to support the forward'end the invention, I do not limit myself as to the particular form of this attachment means, but preferably the said means is in the form of a forward projecting flange 7 surrounding the barrel 2 and secured to or formed as a part of the trunnion block 3. The flange 7 is exteriorly threaded at 8 forthe attachment of a jacket for water cooling, and it is interiorly threaded at 9 for the attachment of a jacket for air cooling. I Y

In Fig. 1 I have shown in place a'jacket for water cooling, this jacket being indicated as an entirety by 10. The jacket 10 is provided at its forward ends with the usual means for supporting and guidingthe barrel 2. The details of the water jacket 10 and the parts used'therewith constitute no part ofthe present invention and description of them can be omitted. At the rear end of the water jacket 10 there is provided an adapter member or cap 11 having a flange into which the rear end of the water jacket proper is threaded. The adapter member 11 has a cylindricaLportion 11 which surrounds and engages the flange-7 andis provided with internal threads which engage the external threads 8 on the said flange. The threads 8 are concentric with the barrel, and it will therefore be obvious that the adapter 11 with thejacket 10 can be put in place or removed by being rotated I about thebarrel axis so as to engage or disengage the threads at 8. a In order to locate the adapter 11 and the waterjacket 10 in proper relationship to the other parts of the gun, the cylindrical portion 11 of the adapter is provided at its rear end with a notch 12 into whichenters a mov able latch 13. The details of the latch 13 may be varied without departing from the inven- 4 tion, but as shown the latch is mounted between the two depending portions3, 3 of the trunnionvblock, being supported by a transverse-pivot pin at 14., A spring pressed plungor 15 isadapted to enter a transverse horizontal hole 16 in one of the said depending-por- 'tions 3, this plunger serving to hold the latch in its upper operative position. The plunger 15 can be withdrawn from the hole 16 by inserting a suitable-tool intoa. hole 15 in the plunger and by thus moving theplunger endwiseagainst the pressure of its spring. When the plunger 15 is free from the hole 16, the latch may be swung downward to release the adapter 11. i I v It will be apparent that when the water jacket 10 is in place as shown in Fig. 1 the threads 9 for the other jacket intended for air cooling are not used, but the said threads 9 are nevertheless provided in order that the C0 gun may be adapted to be very quickly and conveniently transformed from a water cooled gun to an air cooled gun.

In Fig. 5 I have shown thegun equipped for air cooling, and it will be understood that the trunnion block with the flange 7 thereon is exactly the same as already described in connection with Fig. 1. The water jacket 10 and the adapter member 11 therefor are omitted, and there is provided asmaller jacket 17 which surrounds the barrel and which at its rear end enters and engages the interior of the flange 7. The jacket 17 has exterior threads which engage the interior threads 9 on the said flange. The jacket 17 is provided with a number of relatively large openings 18, 18 which facilitate the circulation of air into contact with the barrel, and the said jacket is further provided with means near its forward end for supporting and guiding the barrel 2.

Preferably when the jacket 17 is in place there is provided an auxiliary member 19 which is connected to and surrounds the flange 7, this member preferably having two functions. One of these functions is to cover and protect the external threads 8 on the flange 7, and the other of these functions is toserve as means for connecting the gun with the mount or other means on which it is supported. As already pointed out, the horizontal hole 6 through the trunnion block and the side plates of the breech casing may be used for receiving a trunnion pin which supports the forward portion of the gun; but for an air cooled gun it is sometimes preferred to provide a. means of support at a position forward from the hole 6. Accordingly the connection member or ring 19 is provided with two depending lugs 20 spaced apart transversely. In these lugs are aligned transverse holes 21 which may be used to receive a horizontaltrunnion pin or other means .for connecting the gun with the mount or other structure upon which it may be supported. The connection member 19 is provided with a notch 22, similar to the notch 12 in the adapter 11, and this notch maybe entered by the latch 13 in the manner already described to hold the member 19 in its properpredetermined relationship to the other partsof the gun.

What I claim is: I

1. In an automatic firearm, a main casing having at the forward end thereof means comprising two separate portions adapted respectively for the attachment of two different interchangeable barrel jackets.

2. In an automatic firearm, a main casing having at its forward end a flange exteriorly threaded for the attachment of a barrel jacket and interiorly threaded for the attachmentof a. different barrel jacket.

3. For an automatic firearm, a trunnion block having at the front thereof an integral flange exteriorly threaded for the attachment ofa barrel jacket and interio rly threaded for the attachment of a different barrel jacket.

' 4. In an automatic firearm, the combination of a main casing having at its forward end a flange surrounding the barrel and adapt-ed at its interior to receive and engage a barrel jacket for air cooling, anadapter member engaging the flange at the exterior thereof, and a water jacket for the barrel connectedwith the said adapter member.

5. In an automatic firearm, the combina-' tion of a main casing havin at its forward 6. In an automatic firearm,

end; an exteriorly threaded flange surrounding the barrel,' the said flange being interiorly threaded for the attachment of a barrel jacket for air cooling, an adapter member engaging the exterior threads of the flange, a water jacket for the barrel connected with the said, adapter member, and a'manually operable ,latch on the casing adapted to engagethe adapter to lock it inapredeterm ined 'posi- 4 tion..

for a water jacket,zand a barrel jacket for 7. In an automatic firearm, the combinat1on of a main casing having atits'forward end-a flange surrounding the barrel" and adaptedat its exterior to receive and engage" an adapter for a water jacket, and a jacket I for air cooling engaging the vflange ,at the interior thereof. j V v 8. In anautomatic firearm, thecomb ination of a maincasing' havin at its forward end an interiorly threaded ange surrounding the barrel, the said flange being exteriorly threaded for the attachment ofan adapter air cooling engaging the interior threads of the flange; j 1 j 9. In an automatic -firearm, the combination of a main casing having at its forward end a flange surrounding the barrel, a member engaging the exterior of the flange and adapted for connection with a gun mount,

and a barrel jacket for air cooling engaging the flange at the interior thereof. I

the combine? t10n of a main casing having at its forward 10. In an automatic firearm, the combination of a main casing having at its forward end a flange surrounding the barrel and threaded extcriorly and interiorly, a ring engaging the exterior threads of the flange and adapted for connection with a gun mount,

and a barrel jacket for air cooling engagingthe, interior threadsof the flange.

11. In an automatic firearm, the combination of a main casing having at its forward end a flange surrounding the barrel and threaded exteriorly and inter iorly, a ring en gaging the exterior threads of the flange and adapted for connection with a gun mount, a manually operable latch on the casing adapted to engage the connection ring to lock it in a predetermined position, and a barrel jacket for air cooling engaging the interior threads of the flange.

12. In an automatic firearm, the combination of a main casing having at its forward end a flange surrounding the barrel and threaded exteriorly and interiorly, a barrel interior threads of the flange, an adapter for a barrel jacket for water cooling adapted to engage the exterior threads of the flange, and aconnection member adapted to engage the said exterior threads interchangeably with the said water jacket.

13. In an automatic firearm, the combina tion of a main casing having at its forward end a flange surrounding the barrel and threaded exteriorl-y and interiorly, a barrel jacket for air cooling adapted to engage the interior threads of the flange, an adapter for barrel jacket forwater cooling adapted to jacket for air cooling adapted to engage ther engage the exterior threads of the flange,

a connection member adapted to engage the said exterior threads interchangeably with the said water jacket, and a manually operable latch on the casing adapted to engage. either the water jacket adapter or the connection member. 1

FREDERICK 'r. MOORE.

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