US2345747A - Gun mount - Google Patents

Description

Aprifi 4', 19446 A. c. HAKE GUN MOUNT Filed Feb. 13, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 S' Sheets-SheQt 2 c; HAKE GUN MOUNT Filed Feb April 4, 1944.

April 4, 1944. A, c, HAKE 2,345,747

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Patented Apr. 4, 1944 GUN MOUNT Albert C. Hake, Baltimore, Md., assignor to The Glenn L. Martin Company, Baltimore, Md.

Application February 13, 1941, Serial No. 378,696

4 Claims. (Cl. 89-375) This invention relates to a gun support which is particularly adapted for use on war aircraft. The gun support here described includes a swinging stowage arm which scissors to permit the gun to be drawn inwardly to facilitate storage when not in use. In particular, the invention relates to such an arrangement in which means are provided for locking the gun in firing position through means which lock the gun supporting structure in extended position against movement in all directions.

The principal object of the invention is to provide such an arrangement which is simple and effective in operation.

Other and more specific objects of the invention will become apparent from the following description and claims when read in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a gun support and stowage arm constructed in accordance with the invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same.

Fig. 3 is a front elevation.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail in perspective of a locking and releasing shaft forming a part of the invention.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail in perspective of a cam surface forming a part of the invention.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail, partly in cross section, of the locking and releasing mechanism.

Fig. 7 is a sectional view on the line 'l! of Fig. 6.

In Figs. 1 and 2, the gun support 2 which has a vertical gun support shaft 4 receives a machine gun or rapid firing small cannon or the like (not shown). This structure is rigid with the outer portion 6 of a pivoted stowage arm 8, the inner portion ll] of the stowage arm terminates in a, cylindrical part I2 provided with a vertical bore which receives a pin l4 rigidly secured to a bracket It so that the stowage arm 8, when free, may be. swung about pinl4. The bracket I6 is secured to structure I 8 which is rigid with the aircraft. The. bracket I6 also supports a bearing member through which the pin l4 passes, and the upper flat surface of this member 20 serves as the bearing surface for the reciprocating movement of the cylindrical part l2 about the pin l4 when the stowage arm 8 is moved to extended firing position as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, or retracted to inoperative position.

Also rigid with the aircraft, and extending outwardly from the structure I8, is a rectangular frame 22, the side arms 24 of which slant upwardly. The outer end 25 of this frame has solid metal portions provided with two cone shaped sockets 26 adapted to receive complementary lugs 28 which extend outwardly from a lower part of the portion 6 of the stowage arm 8, and which enter the sockets 26 when the stowage arm 8 is in extended position. The outer end 25 of the frame also has, in a solid portion, a socket 30 adapted to receive the lower end 32 of a vertical locking shaft 34, after the stowage arm has been placed in extended position.

It will be noted that in its extended position the forward edge 36 of the arm 6 abuts a rear surface 38 of the front wall 25 of the rectangular frame. This abutting relationship together with the engagement of the lugs 28 in the sockets 26, and the engagement of the lower end'32 in the socket 30, act to secure the gun support 2 against movement and rigidly with the aircraft, and to retain it in such position until released by means which will now be described.

With particular reference now to Figs. 1 and 6, the locking shaft 34 is shown as mounted in the arm 6 near its outer end. The mounting is such as to permit the locking shaft 34 to be moved vertically or rotated by means of the handle 4G. Normally, the shaft, however, is urged downwardly by a coil spring 42 which, at its lower end, bears against a shoulder 44 on the shaft, and at its upper end against a surface 46 rigid with the portion 6 of the stowage arm 8.

From Fig. 6 is will be seen that vertical movement of the shaft 34 is guided by a cylindrical housing 48 formed in the portion 6 of the stowage arm. The housing is just sufficient in diameter to receive the shoulder 44 of the shaft 34, The upper end of the cylindrical housing 48 is closed except for an opening sufficient in diameter to permit the shaft to pass therethrough. It is the under surface of the closure which forms the surface 46 already mentioned.

A bearing member 56 is formed on the upper surface of the portion 6 to receive the shaft 34. This bearing member, as shown'in Figs. 3 and 5, is formed with a cam surface 52. A pin 54, rigid with shaft 34 and extending laterally therefrom, rests on the cam surface at 56 when the shaft is in downward locking position. This is the position shown in Figs. 1 and 6.

Upward movement of the shaft to an unlocking position is effected by turning the handle 40 in a clockwise direction thus causing'the pin 54 to ride along the cam surface 52 and raise the shaft 34 vertically to a position where the lower portion 32 thereof-is free of the socket 30. It is then still impossible to effect a scissors or folding action'of the stowage arm 8 because of further locking means now to be described which must first be released.

The stowage arm, generally indicated as 8, is made up of two portions 6 and H], which are joined together by a vertical pivot pin 56. This pin 56 passes through the bifurcated end of the portion 6 and through the end of the portion I I) which enters the space formed by the bifurcation. The portion 6 is provided with an abutment surface 58 which is adapted to engage the end surface 50 of the portion I when the portions are in the position shown in Fig. 2.

Mounted in the portion Gof the stowage arm is a locking pin 62 which is movable longitudinally and is normally urged by the spring 64 toward the portion l0.

ID are in the position shown in Fig. 2, the end 66 of the locking pin 52 is engaged in a socket 68 in the end surface 60 of portion 10. The pin thus serves to lock the portions 6 and Ill in the position shown in Fig. 2 in which the stowage arm is in extended position and the gun can be fired, and from which position the parts cannot be released until the pin 62 is withdrawn from the socket 68.

When the pin 62 is withdrawn from the socket by means to be described, it will be manifest that the two portions 6 and I0 can be broken at 58, 6B and then folded or scissored with the pin 56 as a fulcrum, thus making it possible to retract the gun support 2 inwardly. This action is facilitated by the beveled surface 19. The surface also aids in restoring the stowage arm 8 again to extended position since it serves as a sliding surface for the end 66 of the pin 62 when the portions 6 and in are moved into a straight line as the gun mount is extended forwardly.

The arrangement described and shown is such that the pin 62 is not moved into unlocked position until the lower end 32 of the locking shaft 34 has been raised at least partly out of the sock et 30 (Fig. 6). Further clockwise movement of the handle 40 then causes a pawl 12, rigid with the locking shaft 34, to engage a catch M on the end of the locking pin 62 (see Figs. 2 and 7) and to draw the pin 62 longitudinally against the action of the spring 64 to release its other end 66 from the socket in the portion [0. Such an unlocking of the pin 62 is thus effected during the last part of the movement of the handle 40, for the pawl 12 has not prior to that time been brought into a position in which it can engage with the catch 14.

From the description given, it should be clear that the gun support, from a retracted folded inoperative position can be moved outwardly to a firing position, in which latter position the gun support and the stowage arm are rigidly held and locked against movement in any direction. The gun support can then only be retracted when the locking means are manually released. During the releasing, the stowage arm remains rigid until the locking shaft nears its raised unlocked locking position when further movement of the handle 40 simultaneously releases the locking pin 62 and raises the locking shaft 34 completely from the socket 313. The stowage arm can then be folded or scissored with the pin 56 as the fulcrum so as to permit the gun support to be retracted.

It is quite apparent that the mechanism illustrated and described can be used on various types of craft, vehicles or structures, aside from aircraft to which, however, it is particularly adapt- When the portions .6 and.

' in a horizontal plane, said stowage arm being comprised of at least two portions hinged together, means rigid with the craft for receiving the outer end of said stowage arm when the arm is extended and the portions are disposed in a straight line, and releasable means for locking the stowage arm in extended position in which the portions forming the arm are disposed in. a straight line, said means comprising a lockin pin adapted to extend from one portion of said arm into a socket in the other, and a vertical locking member carried by the end of said stowage arm and engageable by a socket in said receiving means.

2. A gun support comprising, a stowage arm, a gun mount carried by the outer end of said arm, the inner end of said arm being pivoted to a support rigid with the craft on which the gun is to be mounted, whereby the arm may be swung in a horizontal plane, said stowage arm being comprised of two portions hinged together. means rigid with the craft for receiving the outer end of said stowage arm when the arm is extended and the portions are disposed in a straight line, said means includin at least one socket adapted to receive a complementary shaped lug carried by the stowage arm, and releasabl means for locking the stowage arm in extended position in which the two portions forming the arm are disposed in a straight line, said means comprising a locking pin adapted to extend from one portion of said arm into a socket in the other, and a vertical locking member carried by the end of said stowage arm and engageable by a socket in said receiving means.

3. A gun support comprising, a stowage arm, a gun mount carried by the outer end of said arm. the inner end of said arm being. pivoted to a support rigid with the craft on which the gun is to be mounted, whereby the arm may be swung in a horizontal plane, said stowage arm bein comprised of two portions. hinged together, means rigid with the craft for receiving the outer end of said stowage arm when the arm is extended and the portions are disposed in a straight line, and releasable means for locking the stowage arm in extended position in which the two portions forming the arm are disposed in .a straight line, said means comprising a locking pin adapted to e t n fr m. one portion of said arm into a socket in the other, and a vertical locking member carried by the end of said stowage arm and engage able by a socket in said receiving means, and means for simultaneously actuating said locking member and said pin to withdraw them from look ing position, whereby the stowage arm may be folded at the hinge and swung into retracted position.

4. Retractable gun support means comprising a stowage arm pivoted at its inner end to a rigid support to swing in a horizontal plane, a vertical hinge intermediate the ends of said stowage arm whereby said arm may be folded and swung into retracted position or extended to straight position, a gun mount carried by the outer end of said stowage arm, rigid means for receiving the outer end of said arm when the same is in extended position, and manually releasable means for locking the arm in extended position securely with said rigid receiving means, said locking means comprising a locking shaft mounted for vertical movement in the outer end of said arm, said rigid receiving means having a socket to receive the lower end of said shaft, spring means for urging said shaft downwardly, a locking pin carried by an outer portion of said stowage arm and movable longitudinally into and out of engagement with a socket in an inner portion of said arm adjacent said hinge, spring means for urging one end of said pin into engagement with said socket, a catch member secured to the other end of said pin, a pawl secured to said shaft and adapted to engage said catch when said shaft is turned, a member extending laterally from said shaft, a cam surface carried by the outer portion of said arm and engaged by said lateral member, and a handle on said shaft, whereby when said handle is turned said shaft is raised to withdraw the end of said shaft from its corresponding socket and said pawl engages said catch to withdraw said locking pin from its corresponding socket to release said locking means and permit the stowage arm to be folded and swung to retracted position.

ALBERT C. HAKE.

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