US2482808A

US2482808A - Adapter for guns

Info

Publication number: US2482808A
Application number: US690649A
Authority: US
Inventors: Summerbell Edith May
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1946-08-15
Filing date: 1946-08-15
Publication date: 1949-09-27
Anticipated expiration: 1966-09-27

Description

Sept.' 27, 1949.

W. SUMMERBELL.

' ADAPTER FOR GUNS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. l5, 1946 KL ZlwutZ/Yvfb "William E LLmTnErl: Ell

Sept 27, 1949. w. SUMMERBELI. y 2,482,808 f ADAPTER FOR GUNS File'aAug. 15, 194e v 2 sheets-sheetV 2 William Eummerh E11 Patented Sept. 27, 1949 .ADAPTER FOR GUNS `William -SummerbelL Washington, D. C.; Edith Y. May Summerbell executrix of said William Summerbell, deceased Application August 15, 1946, Serial No. 690,649

(Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, Yas

Vamended April 30, 1928; 370 O. G. 757) 10 Claims.

The invention described herein may be .manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes, Withoutthe payment to me of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to a `new and useful improvement in adapters for guns whereby a gun can be changed to an in bore subcaliber gun, and is designed more particularly for mounting a 37 mm. gun coaxially on and within a 75 gun. The particularly novel `and useful features of my device are the lmeans for coupling the breech ringand tube -of the subcaliber gun in a threadless joint and the .means for coupling the tube of the subcaliber gun to the yrear `apron of the breech ring of `the larger gun, the tube of the subcaliber gun being supported co-aXially in the tube of the larger gun.

While I have illustrated in the 4drawings ied herewith and have hereinafter `fully described-one specic embodiment of my invention, it is to be distinctly understood that I -do not consider my invention to be limited to said specic embodiment, but refer for its scope 1to .the .claims appended hereto.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a horizontal longitudinal section, i

partly in plan, `on the line :I--I .of Figure `5, in the direction of the arrows, show-ing my improved adapter, mounting a -37 subcaliber gun in a 75 mm. gun.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the device mounted on the tube of the 37 mm. gun.

Figure 3 isI a vertical section on the line 3--3 of Figure 1, in the vdirection of the arrows.

Figure 4 is a vertical section on the .line 5 5. ,2

of Figure 1, in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 5 is a vertical section on the line 5 5 of Figure 1, in the direction ofthe arrows.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary vertical section on the line 6 6 of Figure 1, in the direction of the arrows.

Figure '7 is a vertical section on the line l-l of Figure 1, in the directionof the arrows. Y Figure 8 is Aa side elevation of the coupling sleeve for connecting Vthe .tube and breech ring of the subcaliber gun.

Figure 9 is a `rear elevation -of -the said sleeve. Figure 10 isa front elevation of said sleeve. Figure 11 is a side elevation, partly in section,

of the locking sleeve serving to lock the coupling w' Figure 13 is a perspective View of the lock-ing yoke, a portion being broken away to disclose .a feature thereof.

As illustrated in the drawings, my improved adapter is utilized to convert a '75 mm. gun to a s-ubcaliber gun by using a 37 mm. gun of improved design having its tube .and :breech ring united in a threadless joint. The breech ring l is provided at its forward end with an axial bore 2 having a reduced portion 3 at its rear end, forming inner peripheral shoulders l and 5 on ring I. The tube 6 has la peripheral flange .I in its rear end which is received in bore portion 3, its rear face 8 seated against shoulder and its forward face 9 Iregistering with shoulder 5. A coupling sleeve II) (Figs. 8, 9, and 10), received about the rear portion of tube 5, has a peripheral flange II on its rear end seated against shoulder 5 of breech ring I .and face 9 of flange 'I of tube S. Flange II has a radial key .I2 seated in a key way I3 in breech ring I, and an Vaxially extended tenon I4 in a mortise i5 in face 9 of ange 'II of tube 5. The above-described details vof structure of sleeve Il! effect coupling of :breech ring I and tube 6 against relatieve rotation. A .locking sleeve IB received about coupling sleeve I' is provided on its rear portion with external threads I1 inter-engaging internal threads I3 in -bore Z of breech ring I, and at its forward end with suitable Spanner sockets I9 for setting up the end 2D of sleeve l5 against flange Il of sleeve It, to prevent relative axial movement of breech ring I and tube 6. Sleeve I6 has a peripheral collar 2| immediately forward of threads l1. Breech ring I ,has a bore A22 registering radially with portion 23 of sleeve I5 immediately forward vof collar 2|. A plug 2t .is threaded in bore 22 and has heads 25 and 2B connected .by stem 27. A wedge 28 has a forked portion 29 received about stem 21 to retain wedge 28 on plug 24. When sleeve I6 is seated, plug 2f?. is set up in bore l22, causing wedge 28. to bear against collar 2l to preventrelative axial movement of sleeve I5 and breech ring I. Sleeve I6 is provided, forwardly of portion v23, with a .peripheral collar 30 tting snugly in bore 2 Vof ring I at the forward end of ring I. VSleeve I8 is provided forwardly of flange Si) with exterior threads 3| on which is threaded a locking ring or nut 3Q including a threaded sleeve 32 and having Spanner sockets 33 in its periphery which bears against the rear face 35 of the rear apron 36 of the breech ring 3l of the 'l5 mm. gun on which the subcaliber gun is mounted. vSleeve I@ is provided, immediately .rearwardly of Spanner sockets I9, with a periphera1 groove 38 forming a shoulder 39 on the periphery of sleeve I6 forward of groove 38. A generally U-shaped locking yoke or plate 40 has its legs lll received in groove 33, their forward faces 42 bearing against shoulder 39 of locking sleeve I6 and their rear faces 43 bearing against the forward faces 44 on rear apron 35 of breech ring 31. It will be noted (Fig. 2) that the faces 43 of legs 4l are inclined to correspondV precisely with the inclination of faces @d on which faces 43 bear. The yoke or plate di! has a rearwardly extending saddleY i5 Vhaving a concave portion 46 embracing the upper portion of sleeve I6 and vertical end walls lil fitting between vertical walls 48 of the throat of rear apron 'c to retain legs 4l in proper position between shoulder 39 of sleeve I6 and apron 36 of ring 31. The yoke 40 has an arm 49 extending forwardly from the middle of the bight portion of yoke Y40 over the forward portionof sleeve l5, and provided with a depending key 50 received in a key-way 5l in the forward end of sleeve it. A second key-way 52 isprovided in the end of sleeve Iii, disposed at an angle of 90 relative to key-way 5 I to receive key 5l! when the subcaliber gun is rotated through an arc of 90 to convert from a drop-block to a side-open type.

The tube 6 is supported at its muzzle in the tube 53 of the 75 mm. gun by a bushing threaded on tube 6 and having suitable wrench bearing faces 55 and a suitable deflector tube 55 for protecting the bore of tube 53.

Having described my invention, what I claim 1s:

1. In an adapter for mounting the barrel of a first gun of smaller caliber within theV breech ring and barrel of a second gun of largercaliber, the breech ring of the second gun having an apron defining front and rear faces, a locking sleeve secured to and extending about Ythe breech portion of the barrel of said iirst gun, means rigidly securing said locking sleeve to said second gun, said means including an external flange secured to said sleeve and axially adjustable there-along, said sleeve having a peripheral external groove at its forward end, said groove being positioned within the breech ring of said second gun when said first gun is inserted thereinto with said flange abutting the rear face of the apron of said second gun, and a locking yoke insertable in said groove to engage the front face of said apron andthereby hold said flange in abutting relation with the rear face of said apron to secure said guns in assembled relation.

2. In an adapter for mounting a first gun barrel of relatively small caliber within the bore of a second gun barrel of larger caliber, said second gun having a breech-ring provided with an apron affording opposed front and rear surfaces, a locking sleeve mounted about said rst gun barrel, means rigidly securing said sleeve about the breech portion of said first barrel, said sleeve having a peripheral groove adjacent its forward end, a locking yoke insertable into said groove in a direction transversely of the bore axis of said rst barrel, and a locking nut threaded on and about said sleeve rearwardly of said groove, said yoke and nut being adapted to engage the front and rear surfaces, respectively, of the rear apron of the breech-ring of said second barrel in response to turning of said nut, whereby to rigidly secure said first barrel within the bore of said second barrel.

3. In an adapter for mounting a first. gun barrel of relatively small caliber within the bore ,4 of a second gun barrel of larger caliber, the second gun having a breech-ring, a locking sleeve fixed to and about the breech portion of said first gun barrel coaxially thereof, said sleeve having an external peripheral groove adjacent its forward end, a U-shaped locking yoke having legs fitting said groove and insertable into said groove in a direction transversely of the bore axis of said first gun barrel, and a locking nut threaded on said sleeve rearwardly of said groove,

said nut being rotatable to clamp a portion of the breech ring of said second gun barrel between said yoke and nut.

4. In anV adapter for mounting a rst gun barrel of relatively small caliber within the bore of asecond gun barrel of larger caliber, said second gun barrel being provided with a breechring having a throat and an apron affording front and rear opposed surfaces, the combination of a locking sleeve `having a peripheralgroove in the forward portion thereof, means including a, coupling sleeve fixing said locking sleeve to and about the breech portion of said first gun barrel, said coupling sleeve having a key-way, a locking nut fixed to and about said locking sleeve for axial adjustment therealong, a U-shaped yoke having legs adapted, to straddle said locking sleeve within said groove, said yoke having a s-addle integral with its bight portion, said saddle fitting into the throat of the breech-ring of said second gun when said rst gun barrel is within the second gun barrel with said yoke abutting against the front surface of the 'apron'of said second gun and with said nut against the Yrear surface of the apron of said second gun, said locking nut and yoke acting to secure said first gun against axial movement Within the second gun, said yoke having key means coactingA with said key-way in said coupling sleeve whereby, to prevent relative axial rotation of said guns.

5. Means for mounting thebarrel of a first gun within the bore of the tube cfa second gun barrel having a breech-ring with an apron` pro viding forward and rear surfaces, comprising, a breech ring for saidrst gun and having a bore and a threadedrcounterbore to provide a forwardly facing peripheral shoulder, the breech end of the barrel of saidiirst gun having a flange fitting the barrel of said bore, sleeve means rotatably fitting said iirst gun and threaded into said counterbore to`force said flange into contact with said shoulder, and means carried by said sleeve means and adapted to engage the forward and rear faces ofthe apron of the breech ring of said second gun to secure said first barrel within the bore of said second barrel against longitudinal movement and axial rotation relatively thereto.

6. In a sub-caliber gun adapted to be mounted within the bore of a gun of larger caliber comprising, a breech-ring havin-g a bore and counterbore through the forward end thereof, to provide first and second forwardly-facing circular shoulders, said counterbore being threaded, a barrel having a flange at its rear end, which flange has its forward face coplanar with said second shoulder when seated on said first shoulder, a coupling sleeve fitting around said barrel and having a rear external flange seating on both said coplanar face and second shoulder, and va locking sleeve threaded into said counterbore and engaging the fiange of said coupling sleeve to thereby secure said breech-ring4 and barrel in assembled relation.

7. A gun as recited in claim 6, rst key means between said coupling sleeve and breech-ring, and second key means between said coupling sleeve and said barrel flange to thereby prevent relative rotation of s-aid breech-ringV and barrel.

8. In a gun, the combination of a breech ring having a bore; a tube having its rear portion disposed in said bore; a coupling sleeve on said tube and provided with means for connecting said sleeve to said ring and said tube to prevent relative rotation of said ring and said tube; and a locking sleeve on said coupling sleeve and threaded in said bore, to prevent relative axial movement of said ring and said tube.

9. In a gun, the combination of a breech ring having an axial bore providing two peripheral shoulders spaced axially in the ring, and a keyway extending longitudinally of the ring and disposed radially of said bore, from the forward of the two shoulders to the front of the ring; a tube having a, peripheral flange on its rear end, the rear face of said flange seating on the rear of the two shoulders and the forward face of the flange registering with the forward shoulder, said flange having a mortise in its forward face; a sleeve mounted on said tube, extending into said bore, and having a, peripheral flange on its rear end, seated against the registering forward shoulder and front face of the tube flange, and having a radial key seated in said key-way and a tenon seated in said mortise; and a second sleeve mounted on said rst sleeve and threaded in said bore, its rear end bearing against the said sleeve ange.

10. In an adapter for mounting Vthe barrel of a first gun within the bore of the barrel of a second gun having a breech-ring with an apron providing forward and rear surfaces, a, breech ring for said rst gun barrel, sleeve means threadedly engaging said breech ring of the first gun barre1 for rigidly uniting the same and rst gun barrel, in coaxial relation, and means carried by said sleeve means for engaging the forward and rear surfaces of the apron of the breech ring of said second gun barrel to thereby clamp said first gun barrel in position in the bore of said second gun barrel.

WILLIAM SUMMERBELL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 440,625 Emmens Nov. 18, 1890 '745,464 Tasker Dec. 1, 1903 2,423,471 Summerbell July 8, 1947 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 3,024 Great Britain 1904 8,286 Great Britain 1905