US3007271A

US3007271A - Device for throwing grenades by means of firearms

Info

Publication number: US3007271A
Application number: US794563A
Authority: US
Inventors: Brandt Edgar William
Original assignee: Anstalt Fuer die Entwicklung von Erfindungen und Gewerblichen Anwendungen ENERGA
Current assignee: Anstalt Fuer die Entwicklung von Erfindungen und Gewerblichen Anwendungen ENERGA
Priority date: 1958-03-28
Filing date: 1959-02-20
Publication date: 1961-11-07
Anticipated expiration: 1978-11-07
Also published as: NL108359C; LU36873A1; DE1093264B; NL236369A; FR1216200A; CH344644A; GB855635A

Description

Nov. 7., 1961 E. w. BRANDT 3,007,271

DEVICE FOR THROWING GRENADES BY MEANS OFFIREARMS Filed Feb. 20. 1959 IN V EN TOR.

4 lm. M,

States ater DEVICE FOR THROWING GRENADES BY MEANS OF FIREARMS Edgar William Brandt, Geneva, Switzerland, assignor to I Anstalt fur die Entwieklung von Erfindungen und Gevverblichen Anwendungen Energa, Vaduz, Liechtenstem Filed Feb. 20, 1959, Ser. No. 794,563

I Claims priority, 5application Switzerland Mar. 28, 1958 Claims. (Cl. 42-1) This invention relates to a method of and means for throwing grenades by means of firearms.

Modern firearms, and more especially semi-automatic orautomaticrifles are generally provided with a muzzle tion of the pressure exerted on the end of the tail of the grenade owing to the lateral escape of a part of the gases through the said vents and, in consequence, a detrimental loss of velocity.

Attempts have been made to solve this problem by increasing the dimensions of the muzzle brake, for example, so as to adapt its outside diameter to the inside diameter of the tail of the grenade. This solution has the disadvantage already cited above, namely, a substantial loss of the pressure of the gases and, in consequence, of initial velocity, owing to the exposure of the vents as the grenade moves forward and, moreover, this modification entails an increase in weight at the end of the weapon, which may influence the firing conditions.

Furthermore, with the discharger cups of the usual type, which are fixed on the weapon permanently during grenade firing, only grenades adapted to the discharger cup in question can be used, and the discharger cup is fitted with a sight corresponding to these grenades. This arrangement renders it impossible to use other grenades adapted to produce difierent effects, for example incendiary grenades, smoke, anti-personnel and other grenades. In addition, it is found that the precision obtained when firing bullets with a weapon provided with such a sleeve is considerably less than when firing is canied out without a discharger cup.

There are also weapons containing no muzzle brake or like device and the barrel of which, at its end, has no member adapted to cooperate in the fixing of a discharger cup of the usual type, for example a front sight.

The sleeve of the present invention is equally well suited for throwing grenades by means of such weapons. It may be fitted to all the types of such weapons hereinbefore described, without entailing modification of their barrels, and it enables the aforementioned drawbacks to be obviated.

The sleeve according to the invention is characterised in that it comprises means which, on the one hand, enable it to be maintained on the barrel of the weapon in such manner that it can be detached therefrom when the shot has been fired so that when throwing occurs it is projected forward after the grenade, and, on the other hand, enable the displacement of the sleeve on its support to be effected at a very reduced speed in relation to that of the grenade.

When the sleeve of the present invention is intended for throwing grenades by means of firearms in which the barrel is provided with a muzzle brake or a similar device, it constitutes at one and the same time a diseharger cup on which the tail of the grenade is fitted and an obturator intended to mask at least partially the ice 2, ventsof the said muzzle brake, the velocity communicated to it, which is very low in relation to that of the grenade, enabling it to mask the said vents for at least the greater part of the propulsion path of the said grenade.

The invention also relates to a method of throwing grenades by means of the hereinbefore described sleeve, which is characterised in that a sleeve is disposed inside the tail of each grenade and the assembly formed by the latter and the said sleeve is fitted on the barrel of the weapon.

In order to enable the invention to be more readily understood, reference is made to the accompanying drawings which illustrate diagrammatically and by way of example, three embodiments thereof, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a longitudinal section of the sleeve supporting a grenade and fitted on the barrel of. a firearm ,provided with a muzzle brake;

FIGURE 2 is a similar view of the sleeve of FIGURE 1, but in a difierent position in relation to the barrel of the weapon;

FIGURE 3 shows a modification of the sleeve; and

FIGURE 4 shows another modification of the sleeve.

FIGURE 1 shows the end of the barrel 1 of an automatic rifle, which barrel is provided with a muzzle brake comprising a series of vents 2. The throwing of anti-tank, anti-personnel, smoke, and other rifle grenades by means of such a weapon is effected by means of a tubular sleeve 3 which is retained inside the tail of each grenade and which is intended to be fitted with slight friction on the barrel 1 so as to mask the said vents 2. The inner wall of the sleeve 3 has a collar 4 adapted to abut against the end of the barrel 1 for the purpose of locating the sleeve on its support. The sleeve 3 also has a retaining device constituted by an elastic metal ring 5 housed in a groove 6 in the inner wall of the sleeve, said ring being adapted to exert on the periphery of the barrel 1 a clamping force sufficient to ensure that the sleeve is held in all the circumstances imposed by firing in the field, especially firing when the nozzle of the barrel is pointed downwardly. A similar retaining device, constituted by an elastic metal ring 7 housed in a groove 8, is disposed at the periphery of the sleeve 3 for the purpose of holding it inside the tail 9 of the grenade.

At the time of firing, the assembly constituted by the grenade and the sleeve 3, which is already in place inside the tail 9, is fitted on the barrel 1 (FIGURE 1). When the shot leaves, the major part of the propulsion gases issuing from the cartridge, bearing on the end of the tail 9 of the grenade, causes the latter to be projected forwardly. A small part of the gases, however. bearing on the rear face of the collar 4 of the sleeve 3, tend to project the sleeve 3 forward as well, the speed driving the latter being however extremely reduced in relation to that imparted to the grenade. The low velocity imparted to the sleeve 3, which will fall a few yards from the rifieman, enables the vents 2 to be closed during the greater part at least of the path of the grenade on the said sleeve (FIGURE 2).

FIGURE 3 shows a modification of the sleeve of FIG- URES 1 and 2, in which a collar 4a, constituted by .a separate metallic ring, is secured to the sleeve 3 by crimping.

The modification illustrated in FIGURE 4 relates to the device retaining the sleeve on the barrel of the weapon. This device consists of a clamp 10 comprising on the one hand a series of elastic strips 10a held in a housing 11 provided in the inner wall of the sleeve for the purpose of securing said clamp to the latter, and on the other hand a series of elastic strips 10b adapted to exert a retaining force on the barrel of the weapon.

It is obvious that the sleeve of the present invention can be applied equally well to the throwing of grenades of the rifle, and means to move 'the sleeve forwardly ifr'oinftlieibafreli with the grenade, 'coni'pr ising an aper- .tlired r'n'emher projecting inwardly f r'c51'11"th'e sleeve 'in 7 front of the rifle barrel and in the path of 'the"gas'e"s from the barrel. r 2. In'com'bination with a rifle having a vented muzzle brake and a rifle grenade having a hollow tail section adapted to be mounted over the barrel of said rifle, a

readily slidable launching sleeve slidablymounted with in said tail 'sectionarid slidably surrounding the' muzzle of the rifle, and means to move the sleeve forwardly from the-barrel withthe grenade, comprisingari ai 'nular collar" projecting inwardly fro'm the sleeve'in frontof the r' the collar is integral with the sleeve. 7

4.;In combination yvith a riflehavinga vented muzzle brake and' a rifle grenade having a hollow seetion the rifle, an annular collar pro ect: g inwardly from an barrel and in*th pat-th ef the gases e harrel and in the path :of the gasesfrom the h'arrel." p flfAalaunching device as defined in claim 2 in adapted to be mounted over the barrel of said rifle, 'a readily slidable launching sleeve slidably mounted within the tail section and slidably: surrounding the muzzle of,

the rifle,*and means to move the sleeve forwardly from the barrel with the grenade, comprising an 'annular colprotec i g w r y from an int rmediate. parrot the sleeve in front oftheiriflharrelandiiri the path of the Vgases,fromthegbarrelQ' intermediate pair: of

gi k' v i g v i i. r\ m mid rli: V v References Citedin the of this patent V UNITE sures rais n-T3 V V 2,3.395285 t-Moore Jan. 13,4944 2,557,630 lBlacker Nov; '3; 1953 arid the V