US2762267A

US2762267A - Safety device for automatic weapons

Info

Publication number: US2762267A
Application number: US270676A
Authority: US
Inventors: Persson Janne Olof; Palmqvist Knut Roland
Original assignee: Bofors AB
Current assignee: Saab Bofors AB
Priority date: 1951-03-05
Filing date: 1952-02-08
Publication date: 1956-09-11
Anticipated expiration: 1973-09-11
Also published as: GB697076A; DE915909C; CH300055A; ES202349A1; FR1052010A; NL86427C; BE509666A

Description

p 11, 1956 J- o. PERSSON EI'AL 2362,26?

SAFETY DEVICE FOR AUTOMATIC WEAPONS Filed Feb. 8, I952 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 [NVEf/VTORS JkA/M: 01. 0F PsRsso/v K/vur Romy/v0 PHLMIiV/Jr Br A 1. M0

p 1956 J. o. PERSSON ETAL 2,?62,267

SAFETY DEVICE FOR AUTOMATIC WEAPONS Filed Feb. 8, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I INVENTO/PS Tn/v: 040: PERS'SOIV M/ur Pour/v0 Pnu/awrr k Br Hel SAFETY DEVICE FOR AUTOMATIC WEAPONS Janne Olof Persson, Karlskoga, and Knut Roland Palmqvist, Bofors, Sweden, assignors to Aktiebolaget Bofors, Bofors, Sweden Application February 8, 1952, Serial No. 270,676 Claims priority, application Sweden March 5, 1951 '8 Claims. (Cl. 89-135) striker bolt device and also moves backwardly the said bolt device.

Automatic guns of the aforementioned type are more fully described in United States Patent 2,609,731.

Practical tests with guns of the general type, herein referred to, have shown that the accidental discharges of shots may occur when the firing is interrupted and the gun is subjected to severe jolts. Such jolts may occur for instance when the guns are mounted in an aircraft and the same experiences a rough landing. Obviously, an accidental discharge of shots presents a grave danger to the ground personnel.

Accordingly, the principal object of the present invention is to provide safety means preventing accidental discharges of the guns due to jolts.

Another object of the invention is to provide safety means which block a pivotal movement of the aforesaid control member which would accidentally actuate the firing mechanism of the gun.

Another more specific object of the invention is to provide safety means blocking the pivotal control member in a position in which the components of the firing mechanism associated therewith prevent the striker of the bolt device from connecting with a round of ammunition that may be rammed in when the striker bolt is in its run-out position.

Another object of the invention is to provide convenient and reliable means for rendering the safety means operative for the purpose aforesaid and for releasing the control member for its pivotal movement in response to a recoil of the gun barrel.

As will appear from the previous explanations, a detailed description of the gun proper and of the firing mechanism thereof are not essential for the understanding of the invention. It suffices to say that the position and movement of the pivotal control member control the firing mechanism and that retaining of the control member in a predetermined position will prevent the discharge of shots.

Other and further objects, features and advantages of the invention will be pointed out hereinafter and set forth in the appended claims forming part of the application.

In the accompanying drawing a now preferred embodiment of the invention is shown by way of illustration and not by way of limitation.

In the drawing:

Fig. l is a fragmentary sectional-view of a gun the fir nited States Patent ing mechanism of which is equipped with safety means according to the invention, the pivotal control member being released, and

Fig. 2 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 1, the pivotal control member being retained by the safety means in its safety position.

Referring now to the figures in detail, the barrel of the gun is designated by 1 and a bolt device 19 is disposed juxtaposed to the barrel in alignment herewith. The bolt device comprises a striker 35 formed with a striker point 15 and a striker plate 37. The striker plate is actuated in a manner not described here in detail and not essential for the understanding of the invention by means of a pivotal control member 8 shown in form of a forked bell crank the arms 8' of which are operatively coupled with the striker plate. Control member 8 is pivotal about a pivot 9 and its short arm coacts with an impact head 53 when the barrel recoils thereby eifecting a pivotal or rocking movement of control member 8 which actuates the firing mechanism.

The component parts hereinbefore referred to are fully described in aforesaid Patent 2,609,731 and do not constitute part of the invention which will now be described in detail.

The safety means according to the invention comprise .a tubular member 61 which is mounted axially-slidable in a corresponding bore or recess provided in the body of impact head 53 or an extension thereof. This tubular member may have any desired cross-section and is shown as a hollow cylinder closed on one end by an end wall 62. The outside wall of tube member 61 forms a cam or abutment surface which in the member position of Fig. 1 is concealed within the bore and in the member position of Fig. 2 is in engagement with the short arm of control member 3 thereby retaining the same in a predetermined safety position. A loaded spring 63 abutting with one end against wall 62 and with the other end against the bottom 64 of the bore in the impact head 53 biases tube member 61 toward the position of Fig. 2 which, as mentioned, is the safety position as is clearly shown on the figure.

For the purpose of retaining tube member 61 in the release position of Fig. 1 until it is desired to set the firing mechanism on safety, an electromagnetic control device is provided. This device comprises a magnet body 65 disposed below the recoil jacket 4 of the gun, an exciting coil 67, a stationary core 66 and an axially movable armature 68. The coil can be connected with a suitable source of current 'by means of a plug 77. A two-arm lever 71 is pivotally supported by means of a pivot 74 on magnet body 65. One end of lever 71 is pivoted to armature 68 by a pivot 72 and the other arm is pivoted by a pivot 75 to a bar 76. This bar is slidable transversely to the axis of the gun in a guiding slot formed between magnet body 65 and recoil jacket 4. The free end of bar 76 which is preferably enlarged in a hammerlike fashion, abuts against the outer face of end Wall 62 when the bar is in the position of Fig. 1, thereby retaining tube member 61 in its release position. A loaded spring fitted in a recess 69 formed between the adjacent faces of core 66 and armature 68 biases the armature into the position of Fig. 1 in which the armature is spaced from the core and bar 76 is in its lower or retaining position. A shoulder 65 formed at the rim of magnet body 65 serves to limit the outward movement of tube member 61 by the action of spring 63, as can best be seen on Fig. 2.

The operation of the safety means, as hereinbefore described, is as follows:

Let it be assumed that all the component parts are in the position shown on Fig. 1. Then, tube member 61 is retained in its retracted position by bar 76, abutment surface 60 is disengaged from the short arm of control 3 member 8 and the striker plate 37 is in its forward position so that the striker point can connect with a round of ammunition that may be rammed. If it now be desired to set the firing mechanism on safety, an energizing circuit for coil 67 is closed. As a result, armature .68 is attracted against the action of spring 70 thereby lifting bar 76 out of engagement with the end Wall 62. Tube member 61 is now moved by the action of spring 63 into the position of Fig. 2. The energizing circuit of the electromagnet can then be interrupted since bar 76 cannot return into its lower position by reason of the lower end of bar 76 resting against the outer wall of tube member 61. The striker plate 37 and with it the striker point 15 are now held at such a distance from the firing position that the striker point cannot connect with a round of ammunition that may be rammed.

While the invention has been described in detail with respect to a certain now preferred example and embodiment of the invention it will be understood by those skilled in the art after understanding the invention, that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, and it is intended, therefore, to cover all such changes and modifications in the appended claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. An automatic recoilin g firearm having a firing mechanism including a striker and a recoiling system comprising a member pivotal by the recoiling movement of the recoiling system for actuating the striker to move into the position for striking a projectile rammed into the firearm, in

combination with safety means coacting with said pivotal member and comprising a safety member movable between a safety position and a release position, and control means operable independently of the recoil movement of the recoiling system and coacting with said safety member for causing movement of the same from its release position into its safety position upon actuation of the control means, the said movable safety member and the said pivotal member being disposed in a spatial relationship in which the safety member in its safety position engages the pivotal member so as to block the said pivotal actuating movement of the latter and in which the safety member in its release position is disengaged from the pivotal member thereby freeing the latter for a pivotal movement.

2. -An automatic recoiling firearm as defined in claim 1, wherein the safety member is in form of a tubular member axially slidable between the said safety position and the said release position, and wherein a spring is disposed within the tubular member abutting with one end against the said member and with the other end against a portion of the firearm stationary relative to the tubular member for biasing the latter toward its safety position.

3. An automatic recoiling firearm as defined in claim 1, wherein the said movable safety member is in form of an elongated member axially slidable between the said safety position and the said release position, the said elongated member being formed with an outer abutment surface engaging the said pivotal member so as to block a pivotal movement of the latter.

4. An automatic recoiling firearm as defined in claim 3, in combination with loaded spring means coacting with the elongated member for biasing the same from its release position into its safety position.

5. An automatic recoiling firearm as defined in claim 4 wherein the said control means comprise a movable locking member movable between a position engaging the safety member for axially retaining the latter in its release position against the action of the spring means and a position disengaged from the safety member for releasing the latter for movement into its release position. by the action of the spring means, and actuating means coupled with the locking member for moving the same from its engaged position into its disengaged position.

6. An automatic recoiling firearm as defined in claim 5, wherein the said actuating means comprise electromagnetic means including a stationarycore and a movable armature, and linkage means operatively coupling the armature with the locking member and actuated by the position of the armature so as to hold the locking member in its disengaged position upon energization of the electromagnetic means.

7. An automatic recoiling firearm as defined in claim 6, wherein loaded spring means bias the armature into a position in which the linkage means coupled therewith hold the locking member in its engaged position.

8. An automatic recoiling firearm as defined in claim 7, wherein the said locking member in its disengaged position is seated upon the wall of said tubular safety member in the safety position of the latter for holding the locking member in its disengaged position independently of deenergization of the electromagnetic means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,331,942 Turnbull Oct. 18, 1943 2,600,007 Lippert June 10, 1952 2,609,731 Sahlin et al. Sept. 9, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 326,015 Germany Sept. 22, 1920 362,866 Great Britain May 31, 1932 823,229 France Oct. 11, 1937 861,160 France Oct. 22, 1940