US2365586A - Grenade magazine attachment for service rifles - Google Patents

Description

INVENTOR.

J. H. PEARSON 2,365,586

2 Sheets-Sheet l GRENADE MAGAZINE ATTACHMENT FOR SERVICE RIFLES Flled July 21 1942 E9, 1%; J PEARSON 2,365,586

GRENADE MAGAZINE ATTACHMENT FOR SERVICE RIFLES Filed July 21, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 a ..I 76 75 7o INVENTOR. 7% 5? Patented Dec. 19, 1944 GRENADE MAGAZINE ATTACHLIENT FOR SERVICE RIFLES John H. Pearson, Lowell, Mass.

Application July 21, 1942, Serial No. 451,784

Claims.

ing an operating rod or bolt handle, which re- 1 ciprocate g with each shot. The great need of the soldier, however, is an individual weapon, easily transported and decisive in eifect, which can be used in comparatively close-in defense against armored vehicles, particularly tanks. A large calibre weapon, firing armor-piercing ammunition, is effective against such vehicles, but is costly to manufacture, and the supply is necessarily limited. Among the expedients used to build up the morale of foot soldiers not equipped with such weapons has been the use of a quart bottle of gasoline and oil, fitted with a lighter wrapped in cotton waste, and thrown from the" hand against the sides or top of armor clad vehicles. The glass bottle breaks against the metal, the contents spread over the target, and the tank crew are madeinsufferably hot and must subject themselves to fire in dismounting from the vehicle.

It has been found by experiment that a man must usually expose himself to throw such a Molotov cocktail, as they have been termed, that at least a quart of liquid is needed to be effective, and that the limit of range is about thirty yards. The danger of premature explosion or conflagration is constantly present, one hit will rarely disable a tank, and cotton waste, glass bottles, and lighters are diflicult to find on a battlefield.

The object of this invention is to provide a frangible grenade, to be usable, either as a hand missile or as a projectile from an automatic weapon, capable of being aimed and propelled against an armored vehicle at greater than throwing range.

Another object of this invention is to provide a magazine fed weapon for projecting grenades, enabling a soldier to have more than one opportunity to hit his target, and when once successful, permitting him to build up a fire by diresting his aim at other parts of the vehicle.

A further object is to provide an attachment to the ordinary service weapon, which does not prevent its ordinary-use, but which act as a guide for a plurality of grenades propelled by th explosion of blank cartridges within the weapon, and reloaded by the movement of the bolt handle -or operating rod handle of the weapon after each shot.

One of the greatest advantages of this device is that a soldier who is in a fox hole or slit trench which protects his entire body up to the arms and head, the head being protected bya helmet, can fire not only one grenade but a number of them successively without shifting his left arm which carries the principal weight of the rifle and in fact without shifting either arm for reloading.

It includes a light grenade guide attached to a shoulder rifle with a magazine which, when attached thereto, can often rest on the ground so as to steady the piece and to keep it properly sighted. The soldier, without exposing much of himself, can get set with the magazine resting on the ground and the rifle stock supported against his right shoulder and resting on his right and left elbows so that he can continue firing without changing the sight of the rifle or reaching out to the muzzle to reload.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a bomb or grenade guide which is readily attached to common service weapons,-and which is easily transportable, because it eliminates the use of an additional barrel of large calibre to withstand explosion gas pressure.

Throughout the following description and in the claims, the words projectile and grenade are synonymous, and each, as used, is intended to convey the idea of a bomb, a pyrotechnic, missile, or a grenade projected from a weapon.

In the drawings Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a Garand rifle with my magazine attached and in normal operative or firing position.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation, partly in section, of the muzzle end of a service rifle of the Garand type with mylo'aded magazine in position before a projectile is loaded into the guide.

Fig. 4 is a section of Fig. 3 on the line 4-4 and Fig. 5 is a section of Fig. 3 on the line-5-5.

Fig. 6 is a diagram showing a soldier in a trench using my device with a service rifle.

Fig. '7 is a longitudinal section of a projectile with the rifle rod extended.

Fig. 8 is a section on line 8-8 of Fig. 'I looking in the direction of the arrow.

Fig. 8A is an enlargeddetail showing the ball and socket lock of the rifle rod.

Fig. 9 is an enlarged sectional elevation on line 9-9 and Fig. 10 is an enlarged sectional elevation on line Ill-40 of Fig. 7.

Fig. 11 is a side elevation of a modified form of projectile guide and its attachments showing also part of the magazine-and with the closure projecting from the guide.

Fig. 12 is a sectional elevation similar to Fig. 3 of the modification shown in Fig. 11.

Fig. 13 is an elevation as from the right of Fig. 11 butwith the closure retracted.

Fig. 14 is a view from the bottom of the device shown in Fig. 11, 12 and 13 with the closure retracted.-

Fig. 15 is a detail, partly in section, showing the double sheavepul-ley.

Fig. 16 is a detail showing the closureretracting spring assembly partly in section, and Figs. 1'7, 18, 19, are details of modifications.

Fig. 6 of the drawings showsashoulder rifle I such as A with my magazine C attachedheld-by the soldier S with the butt I against his right shoulder 2 and with the rifle supported mainly by his left arm 3 but with hisright arm, which is not shown also supporting the piece in such a way that the trigger finger of the right hand can pull-the trigger without moving the rifle. In the. drawings, A is a United. States rifle, calibre 30, M1, and'is the rifle with which the infantry soldier of the United States Army is now equipped. It isied from aclip of, eight cartridges and its loading isaccomplished' by gas, from. the discharge oi a, cartridge, passing from the. barrel 12., through agas port l.3,.andl striking a piston rod I4, which motivates the extracting, loading,

andv cocking mechanism... 15 isthe operating rod may be fastenedv and. I6 isthe front sight of'the weapon, which, asshown in Fig. 1, is notobstructed by my invention. 5

My-device; consists of a'tubular guide B, the upper half of which is semi-circularin cross section, as shown at2l,, and the lower half of which is'shaped, as showmat .22, to receive and guide a sliding closure 23, the. upper surface of which, at 24, is semi-circular, and forms a com.- plete. circle with, the inside face of 2|.

The end -of the guide B; is closed and is rigidly connected with a carrying and attaching handle H. Extending upward is a'neck z'fi through which is a hole 2! which fits snugly over the muzzle of the barrel l2 of rifle Ai Extending downward from handle H is an arm 30, from which at right, angles, extend thehands 31 and 32, each'ofwhich is bentninety degrees andextend'forward-at 33 and-34serving'asa guide. and to steady the, magazine C when that is in-place. At each 'forward endare the upwardlyextending fingers 35.and-36.

The metal 28 of handle H is formedwitha slot 4 of amwellknownrtype which fits over the: bayonet stud II and is locked in placeby catch 29 of a well known type, having'athumb button 5 at one end and tooth 6' atthe other end.

The closure 23, ha 'oppositely extending ears 31 and 38, which project through and travel along parallel slots 40 and, in the part 2| ofv guide B. Ear3l: also. extends into a slot 42 in the long arm4-3 of a bell crank lever E which is pivoted at 44 to finger 35 and hasgits-ishort arm 45:.connected at its endbypa flexible, connection F to operating rod handle l5. l

The lower portion of guide B, below-the shaped portion 22, extends downwardly to-form parallel side 46,; 46, the. rear portionzbeingformed. by arm 30 and thefomrardportion 41 being parallel thereto but: containing a button 4.8,,operating in a recess 49, iny4'l, wherebythezmagazine-c can be released or lockedinposition.

Guide B need be of only light construction,

against arm 30, is steadied by hands 33 and 34 and. has a projection 51, which enters a corresponding recess 58, in arm 30, as part of aremovable connection. End 55, at or near its top,

has an outwardly projecting spring catch 81, which enters a recess 49 in end portion 41 of guide B and which can be forced therefrom by pressure on button 48 to detach magazine C. A grenade follower plate 59, having two parallel and downwardly projecting guide pins, such as 60, is under constant pressure by springs such as 6|, guided by pins such as 62, attached to bottom 53. Sides 5! and 52 converge at 6 3 and 54 and form a neck 65, of sufllcient width to admit one projectile D, at a time; A spring catch 66, as shown in dotted linesin Fig. 5, holds projectiles D, in the magazine C before it is attached to or is inserted. in guide'B. Upon insertion, as shownin Fig; 5, the sides 46, 46, of B force catch 56 to bend out of the way and allow the topmost projectile to be, free to press against the bottom 61 of closure 23 which forms part, of guide B but is slidable therein and opens and closes the mouth oropen top56 ofmagazine C. I

Ear'38 of closure 23 is slidable. in slot .4! and spring :68, attached to it and to B at 69,.returns the closure. 23 to a closedposition after ithas' been opened by bell crank lever E to-admit anew projectileDby a. pull on flexible connection F.

The front of projectile D is a tubular container 10 with-its forwardend Tl rounded and its rear edge offset. and threadedly connected to a metal end cap 120i, fire. and chemical resistant material. Allof container 10. or only end l may be made of glass or other frangible material, such asa plastic composition, and it may beiopaquc, translucent, or transparent. As shown in Fig. '7, D is of transparent. glass and v is filled with an-inflammable liquid I, such as a combination of gasoline and oil. Air may be exhausted therefrom and the containeronly partially filled in order to assist in breaking of; thematerial and spreading of its contents. End cap 12 is formed with: an inwardly projecting circular thimble with arecess l3, and an inwardlyprojecting neck 14, to which a frangible tube. 15- is threadedly connected at 15. Slidable in tube 15 is a rifle barrel rod 11 of a diameter to make a close flt with the bore of the service rifle, and normally projecting from the interior 18 of tube 15' by reason of pressure from a spring 19. Figs. '7, 8, and 8A.

In its extended position, rod 11 is heldextended and prevented from revolving by balls M, 8.0, each ball being'seated' in one of aseries of radial socketst, 8, in the exteriorsurface of rod 11. Balls-80, 8B, are slidable and captive in tracks 82,82, in a disc filler 83, permanently fastened to endcap 12, a spring 84, maintaining constant pressure on each of said balls. When loaded into magazine C, the rod 11' of each projectile D, is

, and barrel l2'of the rifle A and considerably be yond gas port IS. in whichposition it is held by balls 80, 80, which serve as a catch or lock.

As shown in Fig. 10,v each rod 11 is 'tubularas at l8! throughout the greater part of itsl'ength and is pierced by a plurality of radial slots or passages shown at I82, I82, The hole of tube BI is filled with slow burning powder, shown at I83, which also fills the slots I82, I82. Only a small portion, at the extremity of rod 11, is empty or unfilled as shown at I84.

This device is removable from the rifle in as simple a movement as removing a bayonet andin the same way by pressing the button of catch 29 of handle H. The projectile guide B and flexible connection F may be carried on the rifle for long distances as they are comparatively light, do not interfere with firing or aiming, and have advantages as a flash hider and as an upward recoil compensator. The magazine C, being removable, and being the heavy portion of the device, can be carried in accompanying weapon carriers, slung from the issue cartridge belt, or hung from the shoulders by a carrying strap. It is also to be noted that upon removal of the magazine C, the hands 33, 34 form a convenient gun rest, similar to the bipod of the Browning automatic rifle, cal. .30, with the exception that they are not shown as adjustable for height.

Upon sighting the approach of an armor clad target, the soldier, who has been carrying projectile guide B attached to his rifle in place of his bayonet, inserts a loaded magazine C, into the opening formed by sides 46,- 46, and ends 30, 41. It is locked in place by means of projections 51 and 81, and the topmost projectile D is released, ready to be forced into guide B, since spring catch 66 is pushed out of contact with the topmost projectile D, by sides 46, 46.

Operating rod handle I5, with flexible connection F attached, is pulled to the rear and a clip of eight blank cartridges is inserted in the rifle magazine. By this same operation, through flexible connection F and bell crank lever E, the closure 23 is projected out of projectile guide 13. as shown in dotted lines in Figs. 1 and 2. As closure 23 travels outward, spring 6|, together with projectile follower plate '59, pushes a projectile D into projectile guide B. The return spring of the rifle then returns the Operating rod handle I5 of the rifle to its closed position, and this in turn releases F and E and allows spring 68 to return closure 23 to its closed position.

At the moment when projectile D is properly centered in projectile guide B, and end 89 passes in front of the muzzle of barrel l2, spring 19 projects rod 11 into the barrel of the rifle, past the gas port it, effectively blocking it. Balls 8%, as, are then pressed by springs 84, 84, into sockets 8, 3, to hold I! from returning or revolving separately from 10. If by mechanical fault, projectile D is not fed into guide B, a bullet fired by error is free to pass and a blank cartridge free to explode. If by mechanical fault, projectile D occupies projectile guide B but rod. 1! fails to enter the barrel, a bullet, fired by error, will have room to expand. in B and not damage the rifle, while in the firing of a blank cartridge the explosion will be dispersed through exhaust holes 5%. Rod "H is slightly tapered or chamfered at its end 89, so as to aid in entering the barrel of paratively heavy projectile D. A pull of the rifle trigger discharges the blank cartridge loaded into the rifle chamber by the return of the operating rod handle and the hot gases of explosion travel the length of the barrel. Upon reaching I1, they press against it with great force, and entering the unfilled central portion I84, tend to expand Ti sufficiently to make a tight fit, thereby aiding the lands and grooves of the barrel to give 11 and its projectile D a twisting movement. Point 89 pierces any wad of paper pushed ahead of the ignited gases, so that the heat of the explosion ignites the powder train I83.

Rod 11 and'projectile D are thus forced out of barrel l2 and guide B respectively, with a twisting motion to keep the projectile in its intended path and with powder train I83 burning. As projectile D travels through the air, balls 80, are forced outward radially, by centrifugal force, releasing 11 to slide forward by its inertia upon impact of the projectile with the target. Nearing the end of its trajectory, powder train I83, by prearranged timing, burns through to slots I82, 582, so that powder contained therein is exposed to the air and burns with intensity in a plurality of radial directions. Upon impact, frangible container I9 and frangible tube 15 are broken, the contents of in are spread over the target and rifle rod 11, with spring 1'9 no longer captive. is forced by inertia, through end cap 12 against the inflammable liquid I, igniting it Meantime, the passage of rod 11 has uncovered gas port l3, and the automatic mechanism of the rifle is permitted to reload it and the projectile guide B from magazine C by the process described above.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention, herewith shown and described, is to be taken as a preferred example, and that various changes inthe shape, size, and arrangement of parts may be resorted to, without departing from the spirit of my invention, or the scope of the subjoined claims.

It is also obvious that the device can be used with a recoil operated weapon having a moving bolt handle, such as a Browning machine gun,

cal. 30, by simple changes in means of attachment to such weapon, not affecting the operation and easily accomplished by one familiar with the trade.

Furthermore, it is obvious that the projectile D can be removed and an impact exploding, time exploding fragmentation or gas grenade can be substituted therefor by adding to each an interiorly sliding rod to be spring inserted in the barrel.

It may also be used, with no changes in construction, on the model 1903 bolt operated rifle, by attaching the flexible connection F to the bolt handle, but such use would be hand operated feed rather than the mechanical feed considered to be preferable.

In Figs. 11 to 16, I show a modification in which the tubular guide G has a horizontal slot 90 for an ear BI which projects from closure M, such closure being a complete tube or a cylinder instead of as shown at 23.

There is another slot 92, parallel with 90, which extends lengthwise on the other side of guide G and through this projects another ear 93.

The means for moving closure M in and out of guide G are shown as pulleys such as P, P, which are fixed to a shaft 94 which extends through the downwardly extending part I of guide G below closure M and in such a position that they will not-interfere'with. themagazine L when it is in place. Each pulley P has a. large sheave 95 around which passes a flexible connection 91 attached respectively to ears 9| and 93.

Each pulleyPalso has a small sheave 96, and

around one of these sheaves passes the flexible connection K which extends back to a bolt handle I5 or to one of any type. .This connection K is attached to the bolt handle of a Garand, a Springfield or a Krag rifle so that when the bolt handle is moved back, either, automatically or by.

hand, closure Mis carried forward as shown in Fig. 11.

For retracting closure M to the position shown in Figs. 12 and 13, a convenient arrangement is a spring drum or sheave such as N or preferably two such sheaves, one on each side, each carried by a spring of the watch type 99 fixed to the guide G at I! and having wound around it a flexible connection I00 attached to an ear 9| or 93. Prefdownwardly extending part I of closure G which preferably is somewhat deeper than where the arm construction such as 30, 3| is used. There may be a hook 9. to hook over a cross rod I8 at the front, and. at the back there can be a pull button. I9 whereby the magazine can be hooked over at the front and the button I9 pushed in to a hole 29 so as to hold the magazine at the back.

Instead of the construction of the projectile shown .in Figs. 7, 8, 8A, 9 and 10, in Figs. 17 and 18 I show a modification indicatedby U. This has 'a casing H0 substantially similar to 10 with a base I l I. There are no balls.

The tube H2 is substantially similar to and has passages such as II3 through which flame from the slow burning powder. I22 insidecan pass through to the inflammable mixture I I 5 or what might be) called the main filling. There is also at II6 a pocket or pockets of slow burning powder which may be of a type used in rockets. and preferably in one or more of these pockets there is a spring catch III which ordinarily is held. in the dotted line position. shown in Fig. 18 by the outside of the tube I20 which corresponds with rod '11 except that its end I 2| which enters the rifle barrel is not pointed but open. so that when the cartridge in the rifle is exploded the slow burning train of powder I22 in tube I20 is.ignited. A blank cartridge with aninflammable wad or with no Wad at all can. be used in place ,of the pointed end89 of the construction shown in Fig. '7.

Through the walls of this tube are shownpassages such as I23,- which register with passages I I3 when tube I20 is forced out by; a spring such When they register, the spring catch such as I I'I'drops through the passage II3 into passage I23 and locks the tube I20 in position. These passages also serve to allow the slow burning powder I22 to ignite the powder H6.

If any of the powder in tube I20 gets out of place or'if the catch II'I fails to Work, it simply means that tube I20 would compress spring I I9 and the powder I22. in the tube would ignite that in a pocket suchas 'I "or in another pocket adjoining another passage. such as. I I3.

The: catch I" may be omitted entirely as shownin Fig. 17 and through a hole such as I3I in a tube such as I30, the end of a spring such as I32 canbe passed, the other end I33 being locked in asimilar way through the inside of the tube I 34.

With these constructions thetube I I2 in which the ignition tube I20 slides need not be made of frangible material but may be made of metal.

As shown in Fig. 19, the spring II! can be cut out of the material of the outside tube H2 and the passages I I3 and I23 may be wider and somewhatlonger than the inwardly projecting tooth of spring I I! so that there will be plenty of room for the flame to pass from the inside of the tube I20 through the tube H2. into the body of the projectile U.

I claim:

1. In a rifle grenade, a' container; an axial tube extending centrally through the container; a rifle barrel rod slidable in said axial tube; spring means to project the rifle barrel rod from the end of the axial tube; and means for locking the rod from returning into, .or revolving apart from the container.

2. "In an automatic, small calibre weapon having a barrel with a muzzle; a grenade guide in extension of the muzzle of the barrel and a grenade magazine for automatically feeding grenades to said guide; a grenade comprising a container, an axial tube extending centrally through the container in axial alignment with the barrel,

a hollow rifle barrel rodslidable in the axial tube 0 of the container, said: rod being radially slotted and substantially filled with powder, a spring to' project the rifle rod from the rear of the axial tube through the muzzle and into the barrel, and means for locking the rod in its projected position and to prevent it from revolving apart from the container, said locking means being releasable by centrifugal force.

3. The combination of a small calibre weapon having a barrel; with a plurality of'projectiles, eachprojectile comprising a body portion, a. rifle rod housed within said. body portion, a spring which causesv said rifle rod to project axially from said body portion into the barrel and a catch which holds said riflerod in a projected position.

4. The combination of a small calibre weapon having a barrel; with a plurality of projectiles,

7 each projectile comprising a body-portion, a hollow rifle rod substantially filled with powder and housed within said'body portion, a spring which causes said rifle rod to project from said'body portion into the barrel and a catch which holds said rifle rodin a projected position.

5. The combination of asmall calibre weapon having a barrel; with a plurality of projectiles, each projectile comprising a body portion, a hollow rifle rod substantially filled with powder and housed within said body portion, a spring which causesxsaid rifle rodto project from said body portion into the barrel, acatch which holds said rifle rod in a projected'position and a release for said catch activated by centrifugal force.

JOHN H. PEARSON.

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