US2791943A

US2791943A - Actuator switch for revolver-type automatic gun

Info

Publication number: US2791943A
Application number: US414522A
Authority: US
Inventors: Lossnitzer Otto H Von
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1954-03-05
Filing date: 1954-03-05
Publication date: 1957-05-14
Anticipated expiration: 1974-05-14

Description

y 14, 1957 o. H. VON LOSSNITZER 2,791,943

ACTUATOR SWITCH FOR REVOLVER-TYPE AUTOMATIC GUN Filed March 5, 1954 INV EN TOR.

.4 TTOENEYS l mm m+ L. W U a un n5 fl. H

00 mm mm Om 0N ACTUATOR SWITCH FOR REVOLVER-TYPE AUTOMATIC GUN Otto H. van Lossnitzer, Agawam, Mass, assignor to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army Application March 5, 1954, Serial No. 414,522

4 Claims. (Cl. 89-156) (Granted under Title 35 U. S. Code (1952), see. 266) The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalty thereon.

My invention relates to an electrically-fired revolvertype automatic weapon and more particularly to the mechanism for rotating the cartridge drum of such a weapon.

A weapon of this type ordinarily comprises a receiver with a recoi-l unit slidable therein including a barrel and a cartridge drum having index rollers corresponding to the chambers thereof. The drum is rotatable on the recoil unit to convey the chambers to a firing station. An actuator slidably disposed on the receiver is biased to a battery position and the actuator is provided with an axial groove for battery position engagement with one of the rollers to retain the chamber correspondingthereto in the firing station.

The actuator is disposed for operation in an index cycle from the battery position responsive to discharge of a cartridge chambered inthe firing station. A pair of grooves oppositely curving from the axial groove are consecutively connected to the axial groove during the index cycle by means of a switch tongue for engagement of the curved grooves with the rollers to rotate a drum chamber to the firing station. Q 7

The switch tongue is pivoted in the junction of the grooves for rotation during the index cycle by means of a cam pin and a cam mounted on the recoil unit or on the receiver. The strain of accelerating and decelerating the rotation of the drum is necessarily sustained by the camand the tongue pivot and campins. Many gun failures have resulted fromthis-construction:

It is an object of my invention therefore to provide a simple, substantial, and efiicient device for rotating the drum of such a weapon.

Another object of my invention is to provide a device for indexing the drum of the weapon including a switching member that is directly supported by the receiver of the weapon.

An additional object of my invention is to provide an indexing device for directly transmitting drum rotational forces to the receiver of the weapon.

Other aims and objects of my invention will be apparent from the following description thereof.

In carrying out by invention an actuator having a groove with sides disposed axially for a portion thereof and curved outwardly at their forward ends is provided with a tongue disposed for transverse reciprocation responsive to a receiver cam and the tongue includes oppositely curved surfaces for projection between the curving sides of the axial groove. The curved surfaces guide the rollers into and out of the straight groove during the cyclic operation of the actuator and form outletand inlet grooves with the forward ends for passage of the rollers through the actuator.

For a better understanding of my invention reference is made to the following description and accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. l is a partly cutaway elevational view of a revolvertype automatic weapon incorporating my invention;

Fig. 2 is a view along line 2--2 of Fig. 1 with the tongue in the normal position thereof for exit of a roller from the actuator; and

Fig. 3 is a partial perspective view of the weapon with tongue in the position thereof for entrance of a roller into the actuator.

According to the drawing, a weapon 12 is provided with a receiver 14 having

sides

16 and 18 and an end 20 substantially perpendicular to a base 22. A recoil unit 24 slidable on receiver 14 supports a barrel 26, and a drum 28 having spaced cartridge chambers 30 is rotatable on a shaft 32 journaled in recoil unit 24. Drum 28.is provided with tangential rollers 34 rotatable about axes in respective radial alignment with the chamber axes.

An actuator 36 includes channels 38 in engagement with rails 39 of receiver 14 for slidable engagement therewith and springs 40 engage end 20 to bias actuator 36 to a battery position. An axial groove 42 of actuator 36 engages a roller 34 in the battery position to retain the chamber corresponding thereto in a firing station in axial alignment with barrel 26.

The sides of groove 42 terminate forwardly in outwardly extending

curves

44 and 46 and a tongue 48having opposing

curved surfaces

50 and 52 is transversely slidable on actuator 36 by means of a tongue slot 54 and a T-section key 56 of actuator 36.

Recoil unit 24 includes a cylinder 58 having a piston 60 therein with a plunger 62 secured to the piston for engagement with actuator 36. Cylinder 58 is connected to barrel' 26 through a passage 64. Actuator 36 operates in a cycle in which gases from the discharge of a cartridge 68, chambered in the firing position, force piston 60, plunger 62 and actuator 36 rearwardly against springs 40. As the projectileof'the cartridge leaves barrel 26, the gas pressure drops and actuator 36 returns to the battery position. j v

Receiver 14 is provided with a cam having

opposing surfaces

72 and 74 on sides 16 and 18'respectively .for engagement with

opposite surfaces

76 and 78 of tongue48 respectively to retain the tongue in, the normal position thereof shown in Fig. 2 when actuator 36 is in battery position. In the normal position of tongue 48,curves'50 and 44are spaced to form an exit groove for, engagement with rollers 34. As actuator 36 slides rearwardly, tongue 48 remains in the normal position and curved surface 50 forces battery position roller 34 out of the actuator to rotate drum 28. As drum 28 rotates, inertia forces of drum 28 are transversely transmitted through tongue 48 directly to receiver 14.

As actuator 36 arrives at the end of the rearward stroke thereof, the firing station roller 34 has cleared the exit groove and the succeeding roller 34 is being rotated towards actuator 36 due to rotational inertia of drum 28. At the end of the rearward stroke, tongue 48 is displaced from surface 74 by engagement of

curves

80 and 82 of tongue 48 and cam 78 respectively. Wedge-

shaped portions

84 and 86 imposed on tongue 48 and actuator 36 extend

curved surfaces

52 and 46 respectively and an inlet groove is formed therebetween for the entry therein of the roller succeeding the battery position roller as actuator 36 is urged forwardly by springs 40. The succeeding roller engages curved surface 52 to further displace tongue 48 for engagement of surface 76 with a surface 72 of cam 70.

As the succeeding roller traverses the inlet groove rotative energy of drum 28 is transmitted through curved surface 52 to aid in returning actuator 36 to battery position. Transverse thrust of the adjacent roller 34 is transmitted through tongue 48 to receiver 14 to stop rotation of drum 28 by the time the roller is engaged by axial I groove 42.

As groove 40 engages the succeeding roller, ramp surface 90 of cam 70 engages curved edge 92 of tongue 48 to-return tongue 48 to the battery position thereof.

It is evident from the above explanation that the disadvantages in previous weapons described above are overcome by app'licants device since transverse thrust due to rotation of drum 28 is directly transmitted to receiver 14 of the'we'apon. Also, the actuator may be of lighter cons'truc'tion since the principal objects of the actuator of applicants invention are to guide the tongue and to maintain the chambers in the firing station.

While the foregoing is a description of the preferred embodiment, the following claims are intended to include those modifications and variations of my invention that are within the spirit and scope thereof.

Iclaim: V

1 In a re-volver-type automatic weapon including a receiver, a recoil unit slidably disposed on the receiver, a drum "having corresponding cartridge chambers and index rollers journale'd on the recoil unit to convey the chambers to a firing station, and an actuator slidably disposed for cyclic operation on the receiver responsive to discharge of cartridges chambered in the firing station, a device comprising a receiver cam and a follower disposed for slidable reciprocation on the actuator and for engagement between said cam and the index rollers to control rotation of the drumresponsive to the cyclic operation.

2. A revolver-type automatic weapon comprising a barrel, a receiver, a recoil unit for supporting said barrel slidably disposed on said receiver, a drum with corresponding cartridge chambers and index rollers journaled on said recoil unit for conveying said chambers to a firing station in axial alignment with said barrel, an actuator disposed for cyclic operation on said receiver responsive to discharge of cartridges chambered in said firing station, means for rotating said drum including a receiver cam and a tongue member 'en'gageable therewith disposed for transverse reciprocation on said actuator and provided with surfaces for engagement with said rollers to rotate said drum responsive to said slidable operation.

3. A revolver-type automatic weapon comprising a barrel, '6! receiver, a recoil =unit supporting said barrel slidably disposed on said receiver, a drum with corre sponding cartridge chambers and index rollers journaled on said recoil unit for successively conveying said chambers to a firing station in axial alignment with said barrel, an actuator biased toa battery position and disposed for cyclic operation on said receiver responsive to discharge of a cartridge chambered in the firing station, said actuator having an axial groove therein with sides having portions constructed for battery position engagement with one of said rollers to retain "the chamber corresponding thereto in said firing station and outwardly curving forward portions, and means for rotating said drum including a cam on said receiver and a tongue member engageable with said cam disposed for transverse reciprocation on said actuator and provided with curving surfaces for roller engagement to control rotation of said drum responsive to said cyclic operation, said tongue member being disposed to alternately form inlet and outlet grooves between said forward portions and said roller engagement surfaces respectively to allow said rollers to traverse said actuator.

4. A revolver-type automatic weapon comprising a barrel, a receiver, a recoil unit supporting said barrel slidably disposed on said receiver, a drum with corresponding cartridge 'chambersand index rollers journaled on said recoil unit for successively conveying said chambers to a firing station in axial alignment with said barrel, an actuator'biased to a battery position and disposed for cyclic operation on said receiver responsive to discharge of cartridges chambered in said firing station, said actuator having pairs of axial and outwardly curved surfaces thereon for battery position engagement of said axial surfaces with one of said rollers to retain the chamber corresponding thereto in said firing station, and means for rotating said drum including a cam on said receiver and a tongue for engagement therewith disposed for transverse reciprocation on said actuator and provided with curving surfaces for engagement with said rollers to control rotation of said drum responsive to said cyclic operation, said outward ly curved surfaces being disposed to form inlet and outlet grooves with said forward portions to direct said index rollers into engagement with said curving surfaces to allow said rollers to traverse said actuator, said curved and curving surfaces being vertically extended adjacent the points of initial engagement with said rollers.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 749,214 McClean Ian. 12, 1904 794,852 Clarke July 18, 1905 FOREIGN PATENTS 285,180 Switzerland Dec. 16, 1952