US2389996A

US2389996A - Charger motor

Info

Publication number: US2389996A
Application number: US407142A
Authority: US
Inventors: George W Pontius
Original assignee: Bendix Aviation Corp
Current assignee: Bendix Aviation Corp
Priority date: 1941-08-16
Filing date: 1941-08-16
Publication date: 1945-11-27
Anticipated expiration: 1962-11-27
Also published as: GB564761A

Description

Patented Nov. 27, 1945 CHARGER Moron George W. Pontius, III, South Bend, Ind assignor to Bendix Aviation Gorporation, South Bend, Ind, a corporation of Delaware Application August 16, 1941, Serial No. 407,142

6 Claims.

This invention relates to gun chargers and more particularly to a fluid actuated motor for charging guns.

In the firing of guns such as machine guns and automatic cannon it is often necessary to reciprocate the breech bolt to eject a fired casing and to insert a fresh cartridge. In automatic guns the reciprocation of the bolt is performed by the firing of a cartridge, and when a dud cartridge is inserted in the gun there can be no reciprocation to eject the dud and insert a fresh cartridge. Charger motors are accordingly used to charge guns and thereby save the gunner the manual efifort of the operation. This invention relates to such a charging motor, particularly for small guns requiring a small effort to reciprocate the breech bolt.

It has been found that to successfully charge automatic guns such as machine guns, the breech bolt must be allowed to return unimpeded to the firing chamber to effectively close the firing chamber. If the return spring on the bolt of a machine gun must also return the charging motor to its starting position, the breech bolt, under some conditions, will fail to close tightly, and the reloading of the gun may be incomplete. It is therefore necessary to provide a mechanism to hold the bolt in retracted position until the starting motor has withdrawn out of the path of travel of the bolt.

I have found that on desirable manner of holding the breech bolt in a retracted position until the charging motor returns to its starting position, is by means of a latch mechanism secured to the charging motor. I accordingly provide a latch to hold the bolt in retracted position and an automatic trip mechanism to release the latch when the charging motor returns to the starting position. It is sometimes possible to place the latch actuating mechanism within the charging motor as in U. S. application Serial No. 371,742, filed December 26, 1940, on behalf of Pontius and Wilson. However, the motor must be made as small as possible to save weight and in the case of small guns, for example, .30 calibre machine guns, the motor is too small to conveniently place the latch mechanism inside. The

latch operating mechanism must accordingly be placed on the outside of the motor and this structure forms a part of the invention.

It is anobject of the present invention to provide a simple, rugged and inexpensive charger motor for guns.

It is another object to provide a charger motor with self-contained means to return the motor to the starting position.

It is an object to provide a charger motor having a latch mechanism to hold the breech bolt in the retracted position.

A further object is to provide a charger motor having an external trip mechanism for a breech bolt latch.

Still another object is to provide a charger motor which can be positioned on either side of a gun for the chargin operation.

In the drawing forming a part of this specification:

Figure 1 is a view in elevation and partly in section showing my hydraulic motor applied to a gun indicated in dotted outline;

Figure 2 is an elevational view of a part of the motor showing the latch mechanism in position to hold the breech bolt in a retracted position; and

Figure 3 is a section along the line 3--3 of Figure 2.

In Figure 1, a machine gun ID has a breech bolt pin l2 inserted in a breech bolt (not shown) which pin slides in a slot I4 upon reciprocation of the breech bolt. Secured to the gun l0 near either end of slot I4 is a forward bracket 16 and a rear bracket I8. Brackets I6 and I8 may be opened to place therein a cylinder 20 after which the brackets are closed and fastened, as more fully described in Pontius et al. application, Serial No. 371,742, referred to above.

The right end of cylinder 20, or the forward end with relation to the gun l I), has welded thereto an elbow fitting 22 having a stop bar 23 pinned therethrough and to which may be secured a hydraulic conduit 24. Cylinder 20 is slotted at 2| (Figure 3) on its upper side to the left of bracket I 6. Within cylinder 20 is a tubular piston 26 having a head 28 and seal 3'0 on the right end. On the left end of piston 26 is secured an ear 32 protruding through the slot 2| and having flanges 34 on the upper and right ends. When the piston 26 is moved to the left under the influence of fluid pressure admitted through the tube 24 and elbow 22, the flanges 34 on ear 32 engage breech pin l2 and move it rearwardly or to the left, causing the bolt to be retracted, ejecting the casing or cartridge in the firing chamber. When the breech bolt is released, a new shell is inserted and the gun is again ready for firing.

Fastened in the left end of cylinder 20 is a head 36 to which is secured a guide rod (not shown) which extends axially within the cylinder to guide the left end of a compression spring a spindle 50 on the rearward or left end on which is mounted a roller 52.

Rollers

42 and 52 both he in a vertical plane through the axis of cylinder h 26. A spring 54 secured to cylinder spindle M and contacting arm Spindle 56 tends to rotate the arm $5 clockwise so that the arm will not project into the path of bolt pin l2 as it reciprocates in slot 14 during automatic firing.

On the left end of cylinder 26 and freely slidable thereon is a collar 56 having a beveled rearward or left edge and having flattened sides, Secured to each side of collar 56 are forwardly projecting shanks 58 secured at theirright or forward ends by a curved member 58 resting on the top of cylinder 26. Shanks 58 are likewise flattened as shown in Figure 3, one flat being adjacent arm 46 which allows a more compact assembly of the arm 46 .on the cylinder. Ihe lower edges of shanks 58 contact spindle M and collar 56 is thuskept from rotating on cylinder 26. The ear 32, shank member 60 and the right edge of collar 56 form a lost motion connection between the piston 26 and collar 55 which will now be explained.

As shown in Figure 2 the collar 56 may be moved rearwardly by car 32 until it contacts arm roller 52. This causes arm 46 to rotate counterclockwise until the upper finger 48 is forward or to the right of bolt pin l2, preventing it from returning to close on the breech. Roller 42 acts as a low friction bearing for collar 56 when it is pressing against roller 52. At the end of the charging stroke the fluid pressure supply may be cut off and cylinder 26 connected to exhaust by any suitable means, and the return spring 38 will force the piston 26 back to its starting position discharging fluid from the cylinder 26. A the piston approaches its starting position the ear 32 will contact the member 66 on shanks 58 and will draw collar 56 to the right away from roller 52 allowing the arm 46 to rotate clockwise and release breech bolt pin 1 2.

It will be noted that the charger motor is readily adapted to either side .of the gun I6. For this purpose ear 32 and its flanges are constructed ymmetrically to engage the pin [2 on either side. Likewise the arm 46 is provided with two spreading fingers 48 so that when the arm 46 is placed on the other end of spindle M and turned over so that roller 52 will still be in a vertical plane through the axis of the cylinder, there will be a locking finger engageable with the breech bolt pin to hold the breech bolt in a retracted position. The brackets l8 and I8 can be used on either side of a gun to hold cylinder 26. I

In operation, the brackets 16 and i6 hold charger cylinder 20 to the gun It. During normal firing the breech bolt will automatically reciprocate causing breech pin l2 to reciprocate in slot I4. When it i desired to charge the gun, fluid under pressure is supplied through tube 24 andelbow 22 to act against piston seal 36 causing piston 26 to move toward the rear. Ear 32 which is fastened to piston 26 andprotrudes through slot 2| in cylinder 26, engages breech bolt pin l2 left a the piston moves under the influence of fluid pressure.

When the piston 26 reaches the end of its charging stroke, ear 32 engages collar 56 moving it rearwardly or to the left, until it contacts arm roller 52, rotating arm 46 counter-clockwise as shown in Figure 2. In this position a finger 48 of the arm 46 looks the breech bolt, through its pin l2, in a retracted position. The fluid pressure is now relieved and connected to exhaust by any suitable means. Compression spring 38 will now move the piston toward the right to its starting position, collar 56 remaining in the position shown in Figure 2.

' When the piston 26 approaches its starting position the ear 32 contacts member 60 of the shank 58, pulling collar 56 toward the right. This allows arm 46. to rotate clockwise, releasing breech bolt pin l2 and allowing the breech bolt to slam shut on 'the firing chamber. The latch mechanism described allows the breech bolt to return to the firing position without being impeded in its travel by the charging piston 26.

Although the invention has been described with reference to a particular embodiment thereof, it is not intended to limit it to that embodiment or otherwise, except by the terms of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a mechanism for retracting the breech bolt of a gun, a cylinder, a piston in said cylinder adaptedfor reciprocable movement, means connected to the piston for retracting the bolt upon movement of the piston in one direction, a latching member mounted on the cylinder for holding the bolt in retracted position, and a latch controlling member m-ountedon and movable with respect to said cylinder and having a two-way lost motion connection with said piston for moving the latching member to a position of latching said bolt during the bolt retracting movement of the gun operation, a fluid motor adapted to retract said bolt upon misfire of said gun and to free said bolt for unimpeded countermovement to the firing position, comprising in combination: a cylin-- der, a piston movable in said cylinder, means secured to said piston for engaging said bolt to retract the same upon movement of said piston,

latching means mounted. on said cylinder for holding the bolt in re'tracted'position, and means slidably mounted on said cylinder and movable 'by said' bolt engaging means, as the piston appreache the end of its stroke during bolt retracting movement, for operating said latching meansto latch the bolt in retracted position.

3. For use with an automatic gun of the type having a breech bolt reciprocable during normal gun operation, a fluid motor adapted to retract said bolt upon misfire of said gun 'and tofree said bolt for unimpeded countermovement to the firing position, comprising in combination: a cylinder, a piston movable in said cylinder, means, secured to said piston for engaging said bolt to. retract the same upon movement of said piston,. latching .means mounted on said cylinder for hold ing the bolt in retracted position, and means slidably mounted on said cylinder and movable inone direction by said bolt engaging means, as the piston approaches the end of its stroke during bolt retracting movement, for, operating'said' latching means to latch the bolt in retracted position, said slidable means movable in the opposite direction by said bolt engaging means, as the piston approaches the end of its return stroke, for releasing the latching means to unlatch the bolt.

4. A mechanism for retracting the breech bolt of a gun comprising a cylinder having a slot therein, a piston in said cylinder arranged for reciprocation and normally urged to one end of the cylinder, a member secured to the piston and having a portion extending through the slot in the cylinder to engage the breech bolt to retract the same when the piston is moved to the other end of the cylinder, means disposed exteriorly of said cylinder and slidably mounted thereon and constructed and arranged to be moved longitudinally thereof by said member when the piston is moved to the said other end of the cylinder, and an arm constructed and arranged to be moved by the movable means into engagement with the breech bolt to latch the bolt when it is moved into the retracted position.

5. For use with an automatic gun of the type having a breech bolt reciprocable during normal gun operation, a fluid motor adapted to retract said bolt upon misfire of said gun and to free said bolt for unimpeded countermovement to the firing position, comprising in combination: a cylinder, a piston movable in said cylinder, means secured to said piston for engaging said bolt to retract the same upon movement of said piston, latching means pivotally mounted upon said cylinder to be operated for latching the bolt in retracted position and then releasing the bolt at a predetermined time, and means slidably mounted on said cylinder for operating said latching means comprising a collar encircling the cylinder, 9; pair of shank members connected to the collar and disposed on opposite sides of the cylinder and parallel thereto and terminating in a curved element spaced axially from the collar, said bolt engaging means constructed and arranged to engage said collar to move said slidably mounted means in one direction to operate the latching means as the piston approaches the end of its stroke during bolt retracting movement to cause the bolt to be latched, and to engage the curved element to move the slidably mounted means in the other direction to allow the latching means to be operated as the piston returns from its bolt retracting position to cause the bolt to be released.

6. A mechanism for retracting the breech bolt of a gun comprising a cylinder having a slot extending longitudinally thereof, a piston in the cylinder arranged for reciprocation and normally positioned in one end of the cylinder, a member secured to the piston and having a portion eX- tending through the slot in the cylinder to engage the breech bolt to retract the same when the piston is moved to the other end of the cylinder, means mounted on the cylinder for longitudinal movement and including two elements axially spaced along the cylinder to be engaged alternately by the member during reciprocation of the piston, said member normally engaging one of said elements to urge said means to the said one end of the cylinder, an arm for releasably holding the breech bolt in a retracted posi-- tion and disposed in the path of movement of said other element, said member being constructed and arranged to engage the said other element to cause the arm to move to engage the breech bolt for holding the same in a retracted position when the piston is moved to the said other end of the cylinder and to engage the said one element to move said means to allow the arm to move to a position to disengage the breech bolt when the piston is returned to the said one end of the cylinder.

GEORGE W. PON'I'IUS, HI.