US2403591A - Mount for machine guns - Google Patents

Description

July 9, 1946. J. M. EWART MOUNT FOR MACHINE GUNS 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 14

v NQ 3 Inventor John Ewart July 9, 1946. J. M. EwART 2,403,591

MOUNT FOR MACHINE GUNS Filed Feb. 14, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2' Inventor JohnME'w Y Patented July 9, 1946 MOUNT FOR MACHINE GUNS John M. Ewart, Beverly, Mass, assignor to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Flemington, N. a corporation of New Jersey Application February 14, 1944,.Serial No. 522,325

16 Claims. (o 89-37) This invention relates to ordnance mounts and more particularly to a mount for a plurality of machine guns. v I I tion is shown as embodied in a mount for two .50 caliber Browning machine guns, but it' :is' to be understood that the invention is of broader utility and may be used with other makes of guns or in mounts for more or less than two guns.

Machine guns of the type above mentioned are commonly provided near their back ends with a pair of apertured ears and near their front ends with a pair of oppositely disposed threaded attaching bosses which are used for securing the guns to an adaptor or equivalent supporting structure. Objects of this invention are to pro.- vide a novel and improved gun mount for accommodating machine guns of this type in which the guns can be readily installed and which are so arranged that adjustments for bore-sighting are facilitated and displacement of the guns for servicing made possible without disturbing previously made bore-sighting adjustments. With these ends in view, and in accordance with a feature of this invention, the adaptor is provided with separate mounting means for cooperating with the threaded attaching bosses at the front end of a machine gun and with the apertured ears at its back end to support it on the adaptor, each of the supporting means being adapted for ready attachment to the aforementioned parts of the gun and capable of imparting adjusting movements in different directions thereto. More particularly, the mounting means for cooperating with the threaded attaching bores comprises a yoke-like member rotatably mounted in the adaptor and having threaded members associated therewith for pivotally and adjustably securing the front end of the gun thereto. The mounting means for cooperating with the apertured ears, in accordance with a further feature of the invention, comprise carriage members adapted slidably and pivotally to support the back end of the gun and also arranged for adjustment laterally of the adaptor for bore sighting. These carriage members are furthermore provided with means for locking them in adjusted position, as Well as with threaded means for facilitating adjusting movements thereof; the threaded means also serving as a stop for relocating the gun after displacement for servicing or removal for repair. For slidably and pivotally mounting the back end of the guns these carriage members have formed in them guideways having oppositely facing walls, for receiving trunnion blocks on which the apertured ears of the guns are rotatably mounted and,

As herein illustrated the invenin accordancev with a further feature of this invention, means are provided for varying the dis tance between these oppositely facing walls to take up for wear and also to accommodate manuil facturingvariationsinthe distance betweenjthe outside-faces of these, ears. l l

. The above and other objects and features of 1e invention will appear inthe following detailed description of the preferred embodimentthereof shown in the accompanying drawings and will be ointed out in the claims.

Inthe drawings, Y z

Fig. l is apla view of a machine-gun mount embodying thisinventionf Fig. '2 isa sectional view of the mount taken on the lineII-JI of Fig. 1, looking. in the directicn of. the arrowsandshowing certain'of, the parts in elevation;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the mount the line III- --III.of Fig. 1.

Referrin to the drawings-in which the invention issliown. embodied in amount for two machine guns, the reference character I!) designates:

taken on v anladaptor comprising an elongated hollow boxlikejs t'ructure formed of welded sheet metal andhaving side walls I2, l2, top and bottom plates. l5, l5, and lateral members l8, l8. At the right-. hand end of the adaptor, as-viewed in Fig. 1, the

t? and bottom plates are, extended, as indicated at 2fi,'26, to provide supports for hand grips 22",- 22, a cross brace 24 being provided to strengthen thev assembly at this point. In, use the adaptor ispivotally mounted, for movement of the guns in'elevation, ,on the top of a suitable support 26,-

havinga bifurcated upper end, by means of a pivot pin 28; the support ZBbeing itself rotatable for swinging the adaptor, and the guns carried,

thereby, in azimuth.

Near the front end of the adaptor there is a bushing 30 having flanges 32, 32 against which the side walls l2, l2 bear, and a through-andthrough bore 34 in which are mounted two yoke members '36, 36. These yoke members are held in place in the bushing by means of a bolt 40 having a castellated lock nut 42 which draws thrust shoulders 44, 44 on the yoke members against the ends of the bushing 30. 'The' lock nut 42 is tightened just enough to take up all looseness while still permitting rotation 'of the yoke members within the bushing 0n cylindrical end portions 46, 46 on these members and a cotter pin 45 being provided to hold it in adjusted position. Secured to the bottom side of the adaptor, somewhat to therear of its middle portion, is a laterally extending crossbar 50, formed out of a channel-shaped piece of metal which projects outwardly beyond each side of the adaptor.

The guns, indicated by the reference characters 52, 52, which the adaptor i designed to support, are of a known type and are each provided adjacent to their front ends with a recoil sleeve 54 having oppositely positioned threaded supporting bosses 56-, 56. At its back end, each gun has two downwardly projecting ears 58 58, likewise intended for supporting purposes, and these ears are each provided with a bore 60.

Slidably mounted on each of the projecting ends of the crossbar 50 is a, carriage 62 having a fiatbottom face 64 and two downwardly turned,- guide flanges 66, 68, Figs. 1 and 2 For holding each carriage in any desired position of adjustment, on the crossbar 58, a clamping bolt [0,, having, a nut I2 and a lock nut I4, is provided, and these clamping bolts pass through elongated slots. 16,, 76, in the ends of the crossbar. Th nuts I2 bear against filler blocks I8, interposed between them and the bottom of the, crossbar 56. Eachcarriage is provided with, oppositely facing lengthwise guideways, or grooves, having side and, bottom faces 82 and.84, respectively.

The ears 58, 58 on each of, the guns are rotatabl mounted on a trunnion shaft 90, received in the bores 68, 60, and having ends 92 of reduced diameter that project into trunnion blocks 94, 94. Thes blocks, which are held loosely on the, ends. of the trunnion shafts by cotter-pins 95, are of such a size as to have a nice sliding, f t between the side faces 82, 82 of the grooves in the carriages 62 and are further provided with arcuately shaped end faces 35, for engaging the bottom, faces 84 of these grooves. 'Ilhe bottmnv fa e 84 of he outside groove on each of the, carriagesis formedby the side of a wedge-shaped block 98, having an inclined surface I08. which bears, against a similarly inclined face I02 on the carriage. Each of the wedge blocks 98 has secured to it a, threade stud I84 which projects, outwardly through an elongated slot I86 in the Carriage and. on this stud is a wedge lockingnut I03. A will be apparent, when the nut I08 i loosened thewedge blockmay be shifted laterally of the carriage in. such a way as to increase or decrease the distance between the bottom faces 84, 84 of the earriage grooves. ly he w e blocks are so adjus d. t t, the arcuate ends J6, 55 of the, trunnion blocks have a nice sliding fit between the bottom faces 84, 84 of the grooves, and, the blocks. themselves bear snugly against the outside surfaces. of the ears 58, 58. The distance between the shoulders 93, 93, formed by the reduced ends. 92 92, on the trunnion shafts 9I'l, is somewhat. less. than the, distance between opposite faces. of thesears 58 58 and enough less so that the blQQks; 94,, 84 will bear on the outside, surfaces. of these ears without striking the shoulders, The trunnion shafts 98 are short enough to clear the bottom, faces 84, 84 of the grooves. This. arrangement makes it possible to accommodate such, variations in the distance between the outside surfaces of the ears 58., 5.8 as may b encountered indifferent guns by suitable adjustment. of the wedge blocks 98.

The yokes 36 are each; provided with alined threaded bores I I0, H0 in which are mounted bored externally threaded gun-adjusting screws H2, H2 and fitted within these screws are gunclamping screws H4, H4, each having an inner end H6, threaded into a boss 56 of the recoil sleeve, and a head I H which bears against the outer endof a gun-adjusting screw H2. Lock nuts H8 are provided for locking the gun-adjusting screws H2 in adjusted position. Each of the carriages 62 has at its outer end a downwardly turned flange through which i threaded a stop screw I28 provided with a, lock nut I22.

Adjacent to one of the hand grips 22 there is mounted on the adaptor a trigger I38 which operates through a mechanical linkage, including rollers I32, I32 for engaging the gun sears I34, I34 to fire the guns. A safety lock, indicated generally by the reference character I38, is also provided.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 3, each recoil sleeve 54 is slidably mounted on an inner sleeve member I46 that is threaded onto a forwardly projecting cylindrical portion I42 of the gun. This cylindrical portion is bored to slidably receive the gun barrel I44 and its surrounding jacket I46. Springs, not shown, are arranged between the inner sleeve I48 and the recoil sleeve 54 to cushion the recoil when the gun is fired by permitting a slight rearward movement of the bodyof the gun with respect to the recoil sleeve 54. This rearward movement of the body of the gun is accommodated by the sliding of the trunnion blocks 84, 9,4 in their guideways.

In Fig. 1 the uppermost gun is shown in position for use, while the lowermost gun is illustrated in an intermediate position which it will assume either when being mounted on, or removed from, the adaptor. In removing either of the guns, the clamping screws H4, H4, on the corresponding yoke 36, and nuts 12 and I4 on bolt Ill are loosened. to permit the back end of the gun to bemoved out to the position in which the lowermost gunin Fig. l is shown, carriage 62 sliding out untilthe bolt 28 comes to the end of the slot I6 and the clamping screws H4 turning in the bores of the. gun-adjusting screws I I2, H2. The curvature of the arcuate ends 96 of the trunnion blocks 94 is suificient to permit this without binding in the carriage grooves. The clamping screws H4, H4. may now be unscrewed from the recoil sleeve 54 and the gun removed from the. adaptor by first swinging its front end out far enough to clear the yoke 36 and then sliding the gun forwardly until the blocks 84, 94 are free from their grooves in the carriag I52.

In placing a gun in the adaptor the above procedure is reversed, i. e.. the trunnion blocks 94 are inserted in the grooves in the carriage 62, and then the front end of the gun with its recoil sleeve is swung in so as to bring the threaded bosses. 56, 56 on the recoil sleeve 54 into alinement with the gun-adjusting screws H2. Now, after the clamping screws H4, H4 have been threaded into the recoil sleeves loosely, the back end of the gun is swung in to the position in which the uppermost gun in Fig. 1 is shown and until the. stop screw I26 bears against the outer end of the crossbar 5U. Nuts 72 and I4 may now be-tightened, the wedge block 98 adjusted, and the lock nut [08 tightened. The front end of the. gun is next made secure by turning the gunadjusting screws H2, H2 down against the faces of the bosses 56, 56, tightening the lock nuts H6,

H8, and finally tightening the gun-clamping screws H4, H4.

Bore-sighting adjustments of the guns are made in the following manner. To adjust a gun in elevation, the gun-clamping screws H4, H4 and lock nuts I I8, I I8 are first loosened and then, by suitable turning of the gun-adjusting screws H2, the front end of the gun may be raised or lowered until the desired sighting in elevation is obtained, whereupon the lock nuts H8 are again tightened. During this adjustment the gun pivots at its rearmost end on the trunnion shaft 90 and the yoke 36 turns slightly in the bushing 30 enough to accommodate itself to the higher or lower position of the front end of the gun and to avoid binding of the gun-adjusting and gunclamping screws. In adjusting a gun in azimuth, the gun-clamping screws H4, H4 and nuts 72 and I4 are loosened and the lateral position of the back end of the gun is changed by sliding the carriage 62 along on the crossbar 50 until the desired sighting in azimuth is obtained. To facilitate this adjustment the stop screw I 26 may be employed in the following manner. With the lock nut I22 loosened this stop screw is backed off away from the end of the crossbarfifi and a rough adjustment of the back end of the un in azimuth is made. The screw I20 is now turned until its end touches the end of the crossbar 56, after which the continued turning of the screw in one direction or another, while its end is held against the crossbar against the carriage 62, will give a fine adjustment of the gun in azimuth.

The stop screw I20 makes it possible to service either one of the guns without disturbing its boresighting adjustment, since the gun to be serviced may be moved to the position shown in the lower part of Fig. 1, merely by loosening the gun-clamping screws I I 4, H4, which does not disturb the setting of the gun-adjusting screws H2, H2, and the nuts 12 and 14. In this position, the back plate assembly of the gun, indicated in general by the reference character I553, may be removed. After servicing, the back end of the gun is moved back to its former adjusted position, as determined by the engagement of the stop screw I20 with the outer end of the crossbar 50, and the gun-clamping screws H4, H4 and nuts I2 and retightened. Although not usually necessary for servicing, the gun may be entirely removed from the adaptor, without altering the setting of the gun-adjusting screws I I2 or the stop screw I 29, and then replaced without disturbing its previous bore-sighting adjustments.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A mount for two machine guns comprising an adaptor, a pair of yoke members rotatably mounted on the adaptor, means for pivotally and adjustably mounting the front ends of a pair of machine guns on the yoke members, a pair of carriage members adjustably mounted on the adaptor, and means associated with the carriage members for slidably and pivotally supporting the back ends of said machine guns.

2. A mount for machine guns comprising an adaptor, a yoke member rotatably mounted on the adaptor, means for pivotally and adjustably mounting the front end of a machine gun on the yoke member, a carriage member adjustably mounted on the adaptor in spaced relation to the yoke member, and means associated with the carriage member for pivotally and slidably supporting the back end of said machine gun.

3. A mount for two machine guns of the type having oppositely positioned threaded attaching bosses adjacent its front end and apertured ears adjacent its back end comprising an adaptor, a pair of yoke members rotatably mountedon the adaptor, means adapted to engage the threaded attaching bosses of a pair of machine guns for adjustably and pivotally securing the front ends of the machine guns to said yoke members, and

I56 by inward pressuremeans on the adaptor for engaging the apertured ears of said machine guns-to slidably and adjustably secure the back ends of the guns to the adaptor.

4. A mount for a machine gun of the type having oppositely positioned threadedattaching bosses adjacent their front ends and apertured ears adjacent their back ends comprising "an adaptor, a yoke member rotatably mounted on the adaptor, means adapted to engage the threaded attaching bosses of a machine gun for adjustably and pivotally securing the front end of the'gun to the yoke member, and means on the adaptor for engaging the apertured ears of said machine gun to slidably and adjustably secure the back end of the gun to the adaptor.

5. A mount for two machine guns of the type having oppositely positioned threaded attaching bosses near its front end and apertured ears adjacent its back end-comprising an adaptor, a.

pair of'yoke members rotatably mounted on the adaptor, .a pair of alined threaded openings: in each yoke member, a bored adjusting'screw in each of the threaded openings, and. a gun-clamping screw received in each of the adjusting screws for engaging the threaded attaching bosses of a pair ofmachine guns pivotally to secure them to the yoke members, and means on the adaptor cooperating with the aperturedears of the guns for adjustably and slidablysupporting the back ends of the guns.

6. A mount for machine guns of the type having oppositely positioned threaded attaching bosses near their front ends and apertured ears adjacent their back ends comprising an adaptor, a yoke member rotatably'. mounted on the adaptor, a pair of alined threaded openings in the yoke member, a bored adjusting screwin each of the threaded openings, and a gun-. clamping screw received in each of the adjusting screws for engaging the threaded attaching bosses of a machine gun pivotally to secure it to the yoke member, and means on the adaptor cooperating with the apertured ears of the gun for adjustably and slidably supporting the back end of the gun.: w s

7. A mount for two machine guns of the type having oppositely positioned threaded attaching bosses near its front end and apertured ears adjacent its back end comprising an adaptor, a pair of yoke members rotatably mounted on the adaptor, means carried by the yoke members adapted to engage the threaded attaching bosses of apair of machine guns for adjustably and,

pivotally securing them to the adaptor, a sup porting member secured to the adaptor in spaced relation to the yoke members and having ends that project laterally beyond the opposite sides of the adaptor, carriage members mounted on each end of the supporting member for adjustment laterally of the adaptor, and means associated with the carriage members and adapted to cooperate'with the apertured ears of said machine guns for slidably and pivotally supporting their back ends on the adaptor;

8. A mount for machine guns ofthe .type having oppositely positioned threaded attaching bossesnear their front ends and apertured ears adjacent to their back ends comprising an adaptor, a yoke member rotatably mounted on the adaptor, means carried by the yokemember adapted to engage the threaded'attaching bosses of a machine gun for adjustably and-pivotally securing its front end to the adaptor, a supporting member secured to the adaptor in spaced relation to the yoke member and having an end that projects laterally beyond. one side of the adaptor, a carriage member mounted on the supporting member for adjustment laterally of the adaptor, and means associated with the carriage. member and adapted to cooperate with the apertured ears of said machine gun for slidably and pivotally supporting its back end on the adaptor.

9. A mount for two machine guns of the type having oppositely positioned threaded attaching bosses near their front ends and apertured ears near their back ends comprising an adaptor, a pair of yoke members rotatably mounted in the adaptor, means carried by the yoke members adapted to engage the threaded attaching bosses of a pair of machine guns for adjustably and pivotally securing them to the adaptor, a supporting member secured to the adaptor in spaced relation to the yoke members and having ends that project laterally beyond the opposite sides of the adaptor, carriage members mounted on each end of the supporting member for adjustment laterally of the adaptor, oppositely facing guideways' on the carriage members, and means associated with these guideways adapted to cooperate with the apertured ears of said machine guns for slidably and pivotally supporting their back ends onthe adaptor, said means including trunnion blocks slidable in the guideways.

10. A mount for machine guns of the type having oppositely positioned threaded attachin bosses near their front ends and apertured ears near their back ends comprising an adaptor, a yoke member rotatably mounted in the adaptor, means carried by the yoke member adapted to engage the threaded attaching bosses of a machine gun for adjustably and pivotally securing it to the adaptor, a supporting member secured to the adaptor in spaced relation to the yoke member and having an end that projects: laterally beyond one side of the adaptor, a carriage member mounted on the supporting member for adjustment laterally of the adaptor, oppositely facing guideways on the carriage member, and means associated with the guideways adapted to cooper-i ate with the apertured ears of said machine gun for slidably and pivotally supporting its back end on the adaptor, said means including trunnion blocks slidable in the guideways.

11. A mount for two machine guns of the type having oppositely positioned threaded attaching bosses near their front ends and apertured ears near their back ends comprising an adaptor, a pair of yoke members rotatably mounted on the adaptor and provided with means for engaging the threaded attaching bosses of a pair of machine guns to secure them thereto, a supporting member mounted on the adaptor in spaced relation to the yoke members and having ends that project laterally beyond the opposite sides of the adaptor, carriage members mounted on each end of the supporting member for adjustment lateral- 1y of the adaptor, trunnion blocks, guideways having oppositely facing walls formed on said carriagc members for slidably receiving the trunnion blocks, and means for rotatably mounting the apertured ears of said machine guns on said blocks, said carriage members being provided with means for varying the distance between the oppositely facing walls of its guideways.

12. A mount for machine guns of the type having oppositely positioned threaded attaching bosses near their front ends and apertured ears near their back ends comprising an adaptor, a

yoke member rotatably mounted on the adaptor and provided with means for engaging the threaded attaching bosses of a machine gun to secure it thereto, a supporting member mounted on the adaptor in spaced relation to the yoke member and having an end that projects laterally beyond one side of the adaptor, a carriage member mounted on the supporting member for adjustment laterally of the adaptor, trunnion blocks, guideways having oppositely facing walls formed on said carriage member for slidably receiving the trunnion blocks, and means for rotatably mounting the apertured ears of the machine gun on said blocks, said carriage member being pro vided with means for varying the distance between the oppositely facing walls of its guideways.

13. A mount for two machine guns of the typehaving oppositely positioned threaded attaching bosses near their front ends and apertured ears near their back ends comprising an adaptor, a pair of yoke members rotatably mounted on the adaptor and provided with means for engaging the threaded attaching bosses of a pair of machine guns to secureit thereto, a supporting member mounted on the adapter in spaced relation to the yoke members and having ends that project laterally beyond the opposite sides of the adaptor, carriage members mounted on each end of the supporting member for adjustment laterally of the adaptor, trunnion blocks, guideways having oppositely facing walls formed on said carriage members for slidably receiving the trunnion blocks, means for rotatably mounting the apertured ears of said machine guns on said blocks, and means comprising wedge blocks associated with each carriage member for varying the distance between the oppositely facing walls of its guideways.

14. A mount for machine guns of the type having oppositely positioned threaded attaching bosses near their front ends and apertured ears near their back ends comprising an adaptor, a yoke member rotatably mounted on the adaptor and provided with means for engaging the threaded attaching bosses of a machine gun to secure it thereto, a supporting member mounted on the adaptor in spaced relation to the yoke member and having an end that projects laterally beyond one side of the adaptor, a, carriage member mounted on the supporting member for adjustment laterally of the adaptor, trunnion blocks, guideways having oppositely facing walls formed on said carriage member for slidably receiving the trunnion blocks, means for rotatably mounting the apertured ears of said machine gun on said blocks, and means comprising wedge blocks associated with the carriage members for varying the distance between the oppositely facing walls of its guideways.

15. A mount for two machine guns of the type having oppositely positioned threaded attaching bosses near their front ends and apertured ears near their back ends comprising an adaptor, a pair of yoke members rotatably mounted on the adaptor and provided with means for engaging the threaded attaching bosses of a pair of machine guns to secure them thereto, a supporting member mounted on the adaptor in spaced relation to the yoke members and having ends that project laterally beyond the opposite sides of the adaptor, carriage members mounted on each end of the supporting member for movement laterally of the adaptor, means for securing the carriage members. in adjusted position on the supporting 10 1 adaptor in spaced'relation to the yoke member and having an end that projects beyond the side of the adaptor, a carriage member mounted on the supporting member for movement laterally of the adaptor, means for securing the carriage member in adjusted position on the supporting member, threaded means for moving the carriage member, and means associated with the carriage member for cooperating with the apertured ears of the machine gun for supporting it On the adaptor.

JOHN M. EWART.

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