US2339777A

US2339777A - Flash hider

Info

Publication number: US2339777A
Application number: US450183A
Authority: US
Inventors: Samuel G Green
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1942-07-08
Filing date: 1942-07-08
Publication date: 1944-01-25
Anticipated expiration: 1961-01-25

Description

Jan. 25, 1944. s.. G. GREEN FLASH HIDER Filed July 8, 1942 'ju/www1; 5 amuel [3- GPE En Patented Jan. 25, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE (Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as amended April 30, 1928; 370 O. G. 757) 1 Claim.

The invention described herein may be manufactured and usedv by or for the Government for governmental purposes, without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to automatic weapons, and in particular to those utilizing propulsive gases as recoil checks, boosters and other uses, and which carry relief ports to eject gases rapidly at the end of a ring cycle in preparation for a succeeding round.

In such devices the high speeds of operation often result in the ejection of gases which are not entirely spent and therefore which will be accompanied by a flash betraying the location of the gun. Furthermore, such a ash, in night firing would have a tendency to blind a gunner who may have spent considerable time accustoming his eyes to the obscure light conditions. Muzzle ashes represent a problem mainly in respect of betraying the gun position and various proposals have been made and devices employed to remedy the defect. This invention is concerned mainly with hiding the flashes which emanate from lateral ports in the gun.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide means for effectively hiding from the gunner the lateral flash from gun barrels, and it is a further object of the invention to provide means for improving the hiding from the enemy of the lateral ash from gun barrels,

The specific nature of the invention as well as other objects and advantages thereof will clearly appear from a description of a preferred embodiment as shown in the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is an axial sectional View of the muzzle end of a gun barrel embodying the invention, and

Figure 2 is a section taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1,

Referring to the drawing by characters of reference, there is shown a gun barrel I designed to recoil within a jacket 2, an annular member 3 being attached to the jacket 2 as by threads and furnishing a bearing surface for sliding of the barrel I. A further cylindrical piece 4 is threaded into the member 3 and serves as an expansion chamber to utilize gases to aid recoiling of the barrel by impinging against the forward rim thereof. To aid in this reaction a constriction is provided in the forward part of the expansion chamber, which, in the form shown, comprises a tubular member 5 held by pins 6 and having a rear beveled face 'I.

Integral with the expansion chamber housing 4 is a flared mouth 8 for cooling gases by expansion and thus reducing muzzle ash.

A ring member 9 is provided between the barrel l and member 3 to seal the gases in the expansion chamber until the barrel I has attained the desired recoil. The ring 9 is retained between members 3 and 4.

After the barrel clears the ring 9 in recoil, the gases are free to escape through a series of ports I0 spaced peripherally about the member 3.

A disk member I I received on the member 4 or in any convenient location serves as a screen to prevent the flash from ports I0 being seen by the enemy.

Attached to the jacket 2 and member 3 by screws I2 is a sleeve I3 having a stepped portion I4 of increased diameter overlying the ports Ill. This sleeve serves both as a screen and as a baffle, since it eifetively screens the flash at ports Ill from the eyes of the gunner and also deiiects the gases so as to lessen the danger of their extending beyond the effective screening zone of disk screen Il. Obviously the covering portion I4 of sleeve I3 may have forms other than parallel and concentric with the gun barrel, and in particular may have a conical form with diameter increasing in a direction forward of the gun barrel so as to carom the gases into effective screening range of the disk II and yet Oier a minimum of resistance to eiilux from the ports I0.

I claim:

In combination with a recoiling gun barrel, a tubular member surrounding the muzzle portion of the gun barrel and extending beyond the muzzle, the said portion of the tubular member extending beyond the muzzle when the barrel is in battery position constituting a combustion chamber, a portion of the said tubular member being spaced from the gun barrel to form an, annular scavenger chamber, gas-tight partition means cooperating With the gun barrel to separate the said combustion and scavenger chambers, the said scavenger chamber portion of the tubular mem--4 ber being provided with ports for the efflux of the burnt gases passing from the combustion chamber into the scavenger chamber upon recoil of the gun barrel, a shield for the said burnt gases in the form of a short sleeve surrounding the said scavenger ports secured at one end to the said tubular member and presenting an annular opening at its muzzle end, and a disc secured to the tubular member in advance of the said sleeve adapted to shield the said annular opening of the said sleeve and to deflect the burnt gases issuing from the said mouth of the sleeve shield.

SAMUEL G. GREEN.