US2960916A

US2960916A - Breech block with quadruple thread

Info

Publication number: US2960916A
Application number: US812567A
Authority: US
Inventors: Martin A Rex
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1959-05-11
Filing date: 1959-05-11
Publication date: 1960-11-22
Anticipated expiration: 1977-11-22

Description

Nov. 22, 1960 M. A. REX 2,960,916

BREECH BLOCK WITH QUADRUPLE THREAD Filed May 11, 1959 A-Rex IN VEN TOR.

United States Patent 2,9683% Patented Nov. 22, 1960 BREECH BLOCK WITH QUADRUPLE THREAD Martin A. Rex, Wilmette, IlL, assignor to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army Filed May 11, 1959, Ser. No. 812,567

1 Claim. (Cl. 89-20) This invention relates to breech loading ordnance and particularly to new and useful improvements in the breech mechanism of guns of the quick-fire, breech load type.

In the past the conventional interrupted thread type of breech blocks has been equipped with many rows of threads.

It is an object of this invention to provide a gun with a breech block having few threads and consequently a block of reduced axial thickness. Since on the breech block periphery only four single tooth sections of a quadruple thread are required, this desired reduction in axial thickness is accomplished.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a gun which may be rapidly loaded and reloaded. This is achieved because after loading only a quarter turn of the breech block is needed to tightly seal the breech end of the gun barrel.

In accordance with these and other objects which will become apparent hereinafter, the instant invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate an embodiment thereof.

Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation of the instant invention; and

Figures 2, 3, and 4 are sectional views illustrating optional methods of sealing the block to the barrel.

Referring now to Figure 1, there is shown the breech loading end of a gun barrel. The barrel 1 has therein an axial bore 2, which is internally threaded at the breech end thereof as at 3. The barrel bore 2 has a chamfered shoulder seat 4 for seating a breech block body 5. The cylindrically shaped breech block body 5 is adapted for engagement with the internal barrel threads 3. On the periphery of the breech block body 5, there is provided a series of quarter turn stub tooth Acme threads 9, 10, 11, and 12, for engagement with the aforesaid barrel threads. The four individual tooth sections on the breech block body 5 extend peripherally through consecutive arcs of approximately 90, and the tooth sections are equally spaced around this periphery. The breech block body 5 has on the forward end thereof a chamfered shoulder 8 for engagement with the aforementioned seat 4. Extending into the barrel bore 2, there is a forwardly extending projection of lesser diame ter 6. This projection 6 has a beveled pilot section 7 which guides the block 5 into barrel bore 2. The diameter at the rear of the breech block body 5 decreases uniformly along an oblique line 13 to a predetermined point 14 at which the diameter is reduced along a radial line 15 to a point of intersection 16 with the breech body shank 17. The shank 17 has a shank extension 18 integral therewith which has a reduced radius and is threaded at the end thereof as at 19. A carrier 20 is pivotably attached to a pintle on the barrel as at 23. The carrier is provided with a bore 21 and a counter bore 22 which are respectively of substantially the same diameter. as the breech block shank extension 18 and the shank 17 and which are for the purpose of receiving the shank 17. The shank extension 18 protrudes through the carrier bore 21 and a cap 24 is fastened onto the shank end 19 and thus the shank 17, block 5, and carrier 20 are held together so that they pivot as a unit about the pintle 23. The carrier 20 is provided with a flange as at 25 which abuts the barrel 18 and in the loading operation this acts as an aid in the prepositioning of the block 5 relative to the barrel 1 by virtue of the fact that it stops the forward movement of the breech block relative to the barrel. The cap 24 has integral therewith a handle 26 for turning the breech block 5 into the barrel 1.

In operation the barrel 1 is loaded from the opened breech end and then the carrier 20 is pivoted on the pintle 23 thereby prepositioning the breech block body 5 relative to the barrel 1 because their respective longitudinal axis are then lying along the same line. The handle 26 is then turned one quarter turn which draws the breech block 5 tightly into the barrel bore 2 seating the block on the shoulder therein provided.

The barrel bore 2 may have therein an annular groove 27 as in Figures 2, 3 and 4, for the purpose of receiving a sealing ring and thereby insuring a fluid tight, leak proof fit.

Referring specifically to Figure 2, the breech block 5 is provided with a cylindrical projection of reduced diameter 29, said projection having a pilot section 30 of slightly reduced diameter for guiding the projection into the barrel 31. The barrel 31 has an annular groove therein as at 27, which is located in the bore 2, shown. This groove 27, is adapted to receive a sealing ring 28 of the type having a rectangular cross section. When the teaching herein is utilized the figure illustrates how effective sealing is accomplished without the use of the chamfered shoulder 4 as shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 further illustrates the use of an 0 type sealing ring 32 having a circular cross sectional area, this ring 32 being adapted to fit an annular groove 27 Thus this arrangement functions in accordance with the remarks made in reference to Figure 2.

In general Figure 4 discloses an arrangement which combines the chamfered shoulder method as revealed in Figure 1 and the sealing ring method as illustrated in Figures 2 and 3. A charnfered shoulder 33 rests on the charnfered seat 34, and the breech block projection 35 has in fluid tight relation therewith a sealing ring 36" which encompasses the projection and which fits into an annular groove 27".

While the instant invention has been shown and described herein in a most practical embodiment, it is recognized that departures may be made therefrom within the scope of the invention, which is therefore not to be limited to the details disclosed herein but is to be awarded the full scope of the claim so as to embrace any and all equivalent apparatus and articles.

What is claimed is:

A gun comprising, in combination, a cylindrical breech i it 2,960,916

block, said shank being axially received in said carrier,

a handle fixed on the rearward end of said shank, and sealing means carried by the forward end of said breech block, said sealing means sealing between said breech block and said gun barrel when said breech block is 5 screwed into a locked position in said gun barrel.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,076,842 Schneider Oct. 28, 1913 2,115,743 Niblett May 3, 1938 2,483,421 Kroeger et a1 Oct. 4, 1949