US2408110A - Gun-charging mechanism - Google Patents

Description

sepa. 24,v 1946.

F. R, THRr-:sH

GUN-CHARGING MECHANISM Filed July l0, v1944 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Sept. 24, i946. F. R. THRESH GUN-CHARGING MECHANISM Filed July 1o, 1944 sv sheets-sheet -3 [n/enfar Patented Sept. 24, 1946 Agai- GUN- CHARGING MECHANISM Frank R. Thresh, Beverly, Mass., assignor to United Shoe Machinery Corporatiom' Flemington, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application July 10, 1944, Serial No. 544,207

15 Claims.

This invention relates to mechanism by which a machine-gun may be charged or cocked by the operator, if vthe normal discharge fails to load the counter-recoil-spring ready for the firing of the succeeding round. It is especially applicable to the charging of guns demanding an al)- plication of a relatively large force. Y The invention has as an object the minimizing the effort which the operator must exert in charging the gun, and the simplifying the manipulation of the mechanism. In the attainment of this object, I combine with a gun and the counter-recoil-spring ci its breech mechanism, means for applying to the spring a lo-ading force, and means for increasing the applied force as the loading of the spring progresses. This force, exerted by the operator of the gun, is transmitted to the spring-through a lever-arm, which decreases in its effective length as the spring is loaded, and thus increases the leverage in favor of the operator as the spring-resistance increases. This decrease in the length of-the lever-arm is preferably obtained by providing it with a portion of decreasing radius, and connecting the gun to a portion of the arm of greater radius by a exible member which contacts With the decreasing portion during movement of the arm. To make it possible for the operator to charge the gun by successive actuations of the lever, ratchet mechanism is interposed between the operator-actuated means and the force-increasing means. To facilitate connection of the charging mechanism to the gun, there may be means for rendering the ratchet mechanism effective or ineffective. When it is desired to advance the normally retracted connecting member for attachment to the gun, a controlling member movable by the operator renders the ratchet mechanism ineffective. so the advance is permitted. This controlling member may be moved in the advance of the connecting member for attachment to the gun, to again make the ratchet mechanism effective. The member which is connected to the gun, as to the breech-bolt, for transmittinor thereto the charging force, must be disconnected before the discharge of the gun. This I accomplish by means made active during the loading of the counter-recoil-spring, said means acting upon the connecting member after the spring has been loaded. The breech-bolt over-travels in its charging movement, and during the return from over-travel the disconnection and positioning of the member is produced Without special attention on the part of the operator.

Considering the charging mechanism itself, it has an arm movable by the operator, and a second arm to which is joinedy aV flexible connecting member, as a chain, it contacting during the charging operation with an arm-portion of gradually decreasing radius. The first arm may be oscillated about a shaft and carries a pawl for engagement with a ratchet-wheel -fast upon the shaft. The second arm, tol whicnthe iiexible member is joined, isv iixedtothe shaft, and"V is thus moved in successive steps by the oscillation of the rst arm. The engagement of the pawl with the ratchet-wheel, and also that of a retaining detent for said Wheel, is controlled by an oscillatory member or plate provided with projections for engagement with the pawl and detent. This member may be shifted between positions in which its -projections are inactive or active, this being accomplished by the operator and bythe ratchet-wheel, it being releasably latched in each position. The flexible member has a connecting terminal, and means acting upon the arm to which it is joined draws thel terminal against a stop member, so it is ready to be advanced by the operator for connection to the gun and again retracted to its initial position after such use. There is means engaging this terminal for disconnecting it from the gun, which means may be in the form of a movable member lor lever, also furnishing the stop.- which is urged toward the terminal by a spring while another spring, as that by which the flexible member is retracted, urges the terminal into engagement with the lever in a predetermined angular position. During the final stage of the charging action, the lever-spring is energized and, being stronger than the terminal-spring, overcomes this to apply to the terminal the disconnecting movement. In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 shows my improved charging mechanism in side elevation, with itsV operating treadle and connected to a gun;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the charging mechanism broken away and portions displaced laterally;

Fig. 3, a front elevation of the mechanism viewed from the right in Fig. 1; Y

Fig. 4, an enlarged partial side elevation, of the charging mechanism; r Fig. 5, a transverse sectional detail, showing the controlling cam-plate for the pawl and detent ofthe ratchet mechanism; l

Fig. 6, a similar view of the chain-retracting spring; and l 1 Figs. 7 and 8, details in perspective of the means for retracting, respectively, the detent and pawl of the ratchet mechanism.

f There appears at T a portion of the side of a turret, from which projects a hood I-I in which a gun G is housed. This gun may be of the Oerliken type, upon the breech-casing i of which may be seen portions of the breech-bars i2, i2 and of the counter-recoil-spring I4 by which the breech-bolt is urged forward for the ring of a cartridge after the discharge of the preceding round. If this discharge, for any reason, does not occur, it is necessary to apply to a catchplate or stud I6 upon one of the breech-bars an external force to compress the counter-recoilspring, until it is latched by the breech-pawls ready for firing. In the gun under consideration, the spring I4 holds the breech-boltV closed and is necessarily very strong, requiring a heavy force to compress it. The mechanism by which the spring is loaded and the gun charged ready for firing appears at C.

Secured to the top of the hood I-I is a bracket 20, provided with spaced depending arms 22 and 24. In bushings 26 and 23 in said arms a shaft 30 is rotatable, it having secured to it a ratchetwheel 32. Mounted to oscillate upon the inner end of the shaft, retained in place by a screw and Washer 34 (Fig. 3), is'an arm 35 having at its outer side a projection 31, upon which is pivoted a pawl 38 engaging the teeth of the ratchet- Wheel. A tension-spring 40, extending between projections from the arm and pawl, yieldably maintains such engagement. From the end of the arm, a link 42 extends within the turret to an arm of a bell-crank-lever 44 fulcrumed on a spindle 45 extending between the turret-walls. The long arm 46 of the lever carries arest 48, convenient to receive contact of the foot of the man `within the turret servicing the guns. This treadle mechanism may act upon the charging mechanisms of guns at opposite sides of the turret, there being one of the bell-crank-levers fulcrumed upon each end of the spindle 45. The lever-arm 46 is held yieldably toward the rear by a tension-spring 50, joining the lever to the turret-wall. Repeated actuation of the lever against the force of the spring will cause the pawl 38 to turn the ratchet-wheel in successive steps, where it is retained, until released, by a detent 52 pivoted upon the wall of the turret and urged into engagement with the ratchetteeth by a tension-spring 54 connecting it to said wall. The pawl 38 and the detent 52, in their engagement with the teeth of the ratchet-wheel, may be controlled simultaneously by a cam-plate 56, rotatable upon the end of the bushing 26 at the inner side of the bracket-arm 22. Projections 58 and 60 upon the plate engage pins S2 and 64 set in the pawl and detent, respectively. The cam-plate may be turned by a finger-piece 56 to position the projections in their ineiective relation, with the paWl and detent free to act upon the ratchet-wheel. In the opposite direction, the plate is shifted automatically, as will hereinafter appear. In its two positions, the plate may be latched by a spring-plunger 88 mounted in the bracket-arm 22 and engaging either a depression or 'I2 in the edge of the plate. Oscillation of the plate in both directions is limited, and registration of the depressions iii and 12 with the plunger 63 established, by a stoppin 14 projecting from the bracket-arm 22 through an arcuate slot 76 in the plate.

On the other end of the shaft 30 from the ratchet mechanism is fixed an arm 18, having a curved edge 80 of gradually increasing radius. To the arm, at or near the point of maximum radius, is attached a chain 82, which is led rearwardly over a guide-roll 84 rotatable upon the outer extremity of a bracket 86, projecting horizontally from the wall of the turret T beneath the bracket 20. The free end of the chain carries a terminal loop 88, the opening of which is adapted to receive the breech-bar-stud I6 when the gun G is to be charged by the mechanism C. A constant force is exerted upon the chain, tending to retract the loop, by a spiral spring 90 surrounding the shaft 30. The outerend of the spring is connected at 92 to the arm 13, while the inner end is angular and may be inserted in any one of a plurality of notches 94 (Fig. 6) in a boss upon the bracket-arm 24. The latter connection permits the tension of the spring to be varied. In advance of the roll 84, the chain 82 is supported by a laterally projecting shoulder 36 from a stationary arm 98 attached to the end of the bracket 86. To determine the normal location of the loop 88, shoulders |00, |00 upon the inner end are drawn by the spring 90 into engagement with the lower bifurcated extremity of a lever |04 fulcrumed upon the end of the bracket 85 and having hooked end-portions |02, |02. This engagement with the lever is just above the hooks, which are urged forward by a tension-spring |05, joining the upper extremity of the lever to the bracket 86 and holding it yieldably against a stop-pin |08 set in the bracket (Fig. 2). The spring |06 exerts upon the leverends |02 a greater force to advance them, than does the spring 90 through the chain |02 to retract them. As the spring 90 brings the loopshoulders |00 against the lever, the contact is first made by angular ends |01. Then the continuing pull of the spring causes the loop to pivot about itsr connection to the chain at |05, drawing inclined walls |09 upon the shoulders against the generally vertical edges of the lever. The loop is now in a predetermined angular position, inclined upwardly from the horizontal, out of the path of the fbreech-bolt-stud.

A gun G in the turret having jammed, the man servicing the guns first actuates the cam-plate of the charging mechanism C for that g-un by `the inger-piece to shift it counterclockwise (Fig. 5). This carries it from the inactive position, where it was left after the preceding operation with the plunger E0 en-gaging the plate-depression l2, to the active relation in which the plunger is in the depression l0. The projections 58 and 60 of the plate lift both the pawl 38 and the detent 52 from the ratchet-wheel 32, leaving this free to turn clockwise (Fig. 2). Then, the loop 88 of the charging mechanism is taken and drawn forward, until it can be placed over the breech-bolt-stud Hi, which is in the forward position appearing in full lines at a in Fig. l. The pull of the spring Si) upon the chain places this under sufficient tension to take up the Islack and maintain the lo-Op in secure engagement with the stud. J ust before the loop arrived at the forward point, a projection H0 from the hub of the ratchet-wheel struck a pin H2 projecting inwardly from the cam-plate 55. The movement of the plate thus produced is sufcient to turn it clockwise, until the plunger 63 occupies the depression 12 and the cam-projections free the pawl and detent, so these again engage the teeth of the ratchet-wheel. The bell-crank-lever 44 may now be oscillated successively by the combined effect of the foot of the operator and of the spring 5l), causing the pawl 38 to impart to the ratchetwheel a series of steps, at the end of each of which it is held against recession by the detent 52. This turns the arm l8 in the direction of the arrow, drawing-upon the chain 82 to retract gradually the breech-bolt of the gun. In addition to the constant advantage obtained by the operator through the leverage of the bell-crank-lever and of the mechanism C, there is an increase in leverage at lsaid mechanism as the compressing of the counter-recoil-spring I4 progresses and the resistance to such compression increases. This is obtained Without a corresponding increase in the extent of foot-movement, due to the gradual shortening of the work-arm Z8 of this lever system, as compared with the power-arm 35 as the radius of the curved edge Si! decreases at the leading point of contact with the chain. Thus, the effort required of the operator is more nearly uniform through the charging of the gun.

When the stud I6 has been drawn back to the position indicated in dotted lines at b (Fig. 1), the :full recoil-movement of the breech-bolt has been produced, and the breech-pawls have become eiective. However, the breech-bolt of the gun has not reached the limit of rearward movement, so there is an over-travel of the chain. During this over-travel, the shoulders move in engagement with the lever Hill, swinging this clockwise (Fig. 2) until completion of retraction of the breech-boltstops the chain with the stud I6 at c. The operator, Vfeeling this, allows the spring 50 to retract the treadle. During the movement of the breech-bolt-stud between positions c and b, the spring 99 draws back upon the chain-loop 88, but'the spring |86, being stronger than the spring Se, abruptly urge-S the` hooked ends |02 of the lever |94 counterclockwise. Just as the Istud arrives at position b, where the breechbolt is latchedand the chain is relieved of the pull of the counter-recoil-spring, inclined surfaces ||4 of the hooks, acting upon complementally inclined surfaces llt of the shoulders mi), cam up the loop sharply and disengage it from the stud I6. This leaves the breech-bolt latched by its pawls, freed from the chain ready for the discharge of the gun. The loop-shoulders are carried by the spring yil!! to their normal positions against the end of the lever, with the loop raised about the stud, as already described. During .this stud-freeing movement of the loop and chain, the detent 52 rests upon a peripheral portion |18 of the ratchet-Wheel, which is without teeth and does not interfere with the action of the lever |85 as the stud and loop travel from c to b.

The operator may wish to utilize the mechanism C for removing the load from the counterrecoil-spring i4 of the gun. For convenience in this connection, means may be provided for retracting both the pawl 38 and the detent 52 from the teeth of the ratchet-wheel 32. As shown in Fig. 8, there is rotatable in the arm-projection 3l a shaft |25, having in prom'mity to the inner side of the pawl a cam-portion |22; At the opposite extremity of the shaft, within the turret T, is a finger-piece |24. The normal position of the cam is such that it permits the pawl to engage the ratchet-teeth. It may, however, be rotated by the finger-piece to bring into contact with the pawl a portion of the cam of greater diameter, thus separating said pawl from the teeth. Similarly, as is best shown in Fig. 7, a shaft |26 with its cam |28 and finger-piece |30 turns in the turret-wall, so the cam may act upon the detent 52. These two devices may be used in the following manner. With the chain-terminal 88 applied to the breech-'bolt-stud I6, the operator actuates the finger-piece |24 to remove the pawl 38 from the ratchet-teeth, and then advances the foot-rest 48 to its extreme point. The spring 5B is thereupon allowed to retract the lever-arm 46 through ashort distance, and the finger-piece is freed sorthat the pawl re-engages the ratchet- Wheel, which is being held against the force of the counter-recoil-spring by the detent 52. From this position the foot-rest is again operated through its limited forward movement to relieve the detent from the pressure of the spring, and said detent is separated from the ratchet-Wheel by operating the finger-piece |30, The foot-rest may now lbe allowed to travel fully to the rear, the force of the spring thereby .being reduced. 'Ihe finger-piece |30 is released so the detent again engages the ratchet-Wheel, the finger-piece |24 is actuated as before, and the foot-rest returned idly to its forward position. There follows the alternate relief of pressure upon the detent a nd its separation from the ratchet-wheel, release of compression of the counter-recoilspring during rearward travel of the foot-rest, and rei-engagement of the detent, retraction of the pawl and forward travel of the foot-rest, untilV the spring is unloaded to the desired degree.

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

l. In combination, a gun including breech mechanism and afcounter-recoil-spring therefor, and means for actuation by an operator to apply to the spring a loading force, said means comprising means for increasing the appliedforce as the loading of the spring progresses and ratchet mechanism transmitting the applied force to the force-increasing means.

2. In combination, a gun including breech mechanism and a counter-recoil-spring therefor, and means for actuation by an operator to apply to the spring a loading force, said means comprising means for increasing the applied force as the loading of the spring progresses, ratchet mechanism transmitting the applied force to the forceincreasing means and means for rendering the ratchet :mechanism eiective or ineifective for the transmission of the charging force.

3. In combination, a gun including breech mechanism and a counter-recoil-spring therefor, and means for actuation by an operator to apply to the spring a loading force, said means comprising ratchet mechanism transmitting the applied force to the spring, a normally retracted connecting member which may be advanced by the ratchet mechanism for the application of the charging forceto the spring, a member movable by the operator to render the ratchet mechanism ineifective for the transmission of the charging force and means acting in the advance of the connecting member to render said ratchet mechanism effective for the transmission of the charging force.

4. Mechanism for charging a gun including breech mechanism, said charging mechanism comp-rising an arm movable by an operator, a second arm connected for movement by the rst and having a portion of decreasing radius, and a ilexible member arranged for connection to the breech mechanism and joined to a portion of the second arm of greater radius, said member contacting with the decreasing portion of the second arm during its gun-charging movement and receiving therefrom an increasing charging force.

5. Mechanism. for charging a gun including breech mechanism, said charging mechanism comprising a shaft, an arm for actuation by an operator to turn the shaft, an arm fixed to the shaft and having an edge decreasing in radius from a maximum, and a flexible member joined to the arm having an edge decreasing in radius at its maximum radius and contacting with its edge, said member lbeing arranged for connection to the breech mechanism and applying thereto an increasing charging force. I

6. Gun-charging mechanism comprising a shaft, an arm` arranged to oscillate Vabout the shaft, a ratchet-wheel fast upon the shaft, a pawl carried by the arm for engagement with the ratchet-wheel, a second arm xed to the shaft and having an edge decreasing in radius from a maximum, and a flexible member joined to Y the second arm at its maximum radius and contacting with its edge, said member, being arranged for connection to a gun.

"7. Gun-charging mechanism comprising a shaft, an arm arranged to oscillate about the shaft, a. ratchet-wheel fast upon the shaft, a pawl carried by the* arm for engagement with the ratchet-wheel, a detent for retaining the ratchetwheel in the positionV to which it has been advanced by the paWl, an oscillatory member provided with projections for engagement with the vpawl and detent, a second arm fixed to the shaft,

and a flexible member joined to the second arm and arranged for connection to a gun.

8. Gun-charging mechanism comprising a shaft, an arm arranged to oscillate about the shaft, a ratchet-wheel fast upon the shaft, a pawl carried by the arm for engagement with the ratchet-wheel, a detent for retaining the ratchetwheel in the position to which itihas been advanced by the pawl, an cscillatoryrmember provided with projections for engagement with the pawl and detent, means carried by the ratchetwheel for shifting the oscillatory member, a second arm fixed to the shaft, and a flexible member joined to the second arm and arranged for connection to a gun.

9. Gun-charging mechanism comprising a shaft, an arm arranged to oscillate about the shaft, a ratchet-wheel fast upon the shaft, a pawl carried by the arm for engagement with the ratchet-Wheel, a detent for retaining the ratchetwheel in the position to which it has been advanced by the pawl, a plate having a finger-piece mounted to turn about the shaft and provided with projections for engagement with the paWl and detent and with depressions corresponding to the projections, a latch for engagement with either of the depressions, means whereby the ratchet-wheel may turn the plate to a latched position in which the pawl and detent are freed from the plate-projections for engagement with the ratchet-wheel, movement of the plate by the finger-piece causing it to be latched with the plate-projections engaging the pawl and detent to lift them from the ratchet-wheel, a second arm fixed to the shaft, and a fiexible member joined to the second arm and arranged for connection to a gun.

10. Mechanism for charging a gun including breech mechanism, said charging mechanism comprising a shaft rotatable by an operator, an arm fixed to the shaft, a flexible member joined to the arm and provided with a terminal for connection to the breech mechanism, a stop member, and means acting upon the arm to draw the terminal into engagement with the stop member in a predetermined relation to the breech mechanism.

11. Mechanism for charging a gun including breech mechanism, said charging mechanism comprising a shaft rotatable by an operator, an arm fixed to the shaft, a flexible member joined to the arm and provided with a terminal for connection to the breech mechanism, and means engaging the terminal to disconnect it from the gun upon thev completion of the charging operation.

12. Mechanism for charging a gun-including breech mechanism, said charging mechanism comprising a shaft rotatable by an operator, an arm fixed. to the shaft, a flexible member joined to the arm and provided with a terminal for connection to the breech mechanism, a movable stop member with which the terminal contacts, and means for moving the stopY member to disconnect the terminal from the gun upon the completion of the charging operation.

13. Mechanism for charging a gun including breech mechanism, said charging mechanism comprising a shaft rotatable by an operator, an arm fixed to the shaft, a flexible member joined to the arm and provided with a terminal for connection to the breech mechanism, a lever having a portion with which the' terminal contacts, a spring urging said lever-portion toward the terminal and being tensioned during the charging of the gun, and a spring urging said terminal into engagement with said iever-portion, the leverspring being the stronger of the two springs and acting upon the lever to free the terminal from the breech mechanism.

14. Mechanism for charging a gun including breech mechanism, said charging mechanism comprising a shaft rotatable by an operator, an arm fixed to the shaft, a flexible member joined to the arm and provided with a terminal for connection to the breech mechanism, a lever having a hooked end, means for urging the hooked end forwardly and upwardly, and means including the arm and the flexible member for drawing the terminal against the lever for movement by the hooked end.

15. In combination, a gun including breech mechanism and a counter-recoil-spring therefor, means for applying to the spring a loading force, said means including a member mounted independently of the gun and arranged for actuation by an operator and a second member through which the force exerted by the operator on said first member is transmitted to the spring, said second member being arranged for manual transfer by the operator from an inactive position to active connection to the breech mechanism, and means made effective during the loading of the spring for acting upon the second member to disconnect it from the breech mechanism and return it to its inactive position.

FRANK R. THRESH.

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