US3380345A

US3380345A - Engine weapons

Info

Publication number: US3380345A
Application number: US587757A
Authority: US
Inventors: Nelson Daniel Emmet
Original assignee: General Kinetics Corp
Current assignee: General Kinetics Corp
Priority date: 1966-10-19
Filing date: 1966-10-19
Publication date: 1968-04-30
Anticipated expiration: 1985-04-30

Description

April 30, 1968 D. E. NELscN ENGINE WEAPONS Filed Oct. 19. 1966 INVENTOR. @gw

mm w l L 1| MM N w N h* -.|H S t Q 3 u -ww ,.IIWW w.. Q mm NIW "nml l fm mw Om nw l u o NN wv mv \o1 ma: m, fm2/t snow @i United States Patent O 3,380,345 ENGINE WEAPONS Daniel Emmet Nelson, Aptos, Calif., assignor to General Kinetics Corporation, Monterey, Calif., a corporation of California Filed Oct. 19, 1966, Ser. No. 587,757 4 Claims. (Cl. 89-7) This invention relates to a new and useful engine weapon and in particular to an engine weapon in which cornbustion pressure for tiring projectiles is achieved through a multiple staged compression cylinder activated by a spring, combustion is achieved in a rotatable air cell and projectiles are loaded with a clam-type breech.

The objectives of this engine Weapon are to reduce the weight and cost of ammunition, decrease friction in automatic tiring, provide a more reliable combustion for airhreathing liquidfuel engine weapons and decrease the weight of guns.

The novel features that are characteristic of the invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its organization and method of operation, together with additional objectives and advantages thereof, is explained in the following specifications.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. l is a cross-sectional side view of the operational features.

FIG. 2 is an isometric cut-away side view of three-inch bore weapon embodying the principles of this invention for firing at 2,000 rounds per minute.

FIG. 3 is a side view of a hand-held weapon embodying the principles of this invention for automatic firing at the rate of 3,000 rounds a minute using standard smallbore, .223 caliber projectiles. A disposable projectile case loaded with 500 projectiles and sufficient liquid fuel at the center for firing would weigh one pound. The gun could be made to weigh as little as three pounds. One man could therefore carry 5,000 rounds in place of the present standard of 100 or high of 200 rounds of the same projectile.

FIG. 4 is a side view cut-away of a spring-fed, drum type magazine. It can also be used as a brace for holding the hand gun against the body for tiring from the hip when the gun is being carried by a telescope-handle cornbination.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary view of the breech and connector rod cam.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary view of the connector rod cam from the top and the bottom of the compression piston sleeve.

The operation of these improvements in `an engine weapon is accomplished in the following manner.

A rotatable air cell 1 is provided With an intake port 2, an exhaust port 3 and a gear tooth 4. Air is compressed into the air cell when it is rotated to a position in which the exhaust port is closed by contact with the air cell seat S. After combustion, the air cell is rotated to a position in which the exhaust port is open and combustion pressure is directed against a projectile 6 in a breech 7.

Air is compressed into the air cell by the reciprocating travel of compression piston 8. When the piston away from the air cell, air in a first stage cylinder 9 is compressed into a second stage cylinder 10 through ports 1l with one-way valves 12. When the piston travels towards the air cell, air in the second stage cylinder 10 is cornpressed into a third stage cylinder 13 through third stage ports 14 and third stage valves 15; a new charge of air is drawn into the rst stage cylinder 9 through initial intake ports 16, first stage ports 17 and rst stage valves 18; and air in the third stage cylinder 13 is compressed into the air cell through intake channel I9.

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Thorough scavenging of exhaust gas and an air ow overrun for cooling are caused when the piston is at the end of hte stroke away from the air cell. The air cell is caused to rotate to a position in which the intake port 2 is in line with scavenging channel 20 and exhaust gas in the third stage cylinder will escape through the air cell. A suflicient portion of air for complete scavenging and cooling then passes from the second stage cylinder, into the third stage cylinder where the exhaust gas is replaced and through the air cell, the breech and the bore 21 for cooling the device.

Cooling will require approximately 50 to 60 percent airow overrun for an average tube or bore heat of 1.200 degrees F. in sustained automatic firing.

A compression spring 22 causes forward movement of the compressor piston and causes a recoilicss etfect. The piston is linked to the compressor' spring by piston connector rods 23 that are extended between the piston sleeve 24 and the spring.

The gun is held in a cocked position when the conipressor spring tension is prevented from moving the piston forward by a trigger 25 in a trigger slot 26. When the trigger is disengaged, it allows the piston to travel forward for initiation of a combustion cycle. When the trigger is released, it again engages the trigger slot and operation is stopped.

Ignition is achieved by a combination of electrical spark, compression heat, spray injection of fuel, air ccll swirl, venturi-induced atomization of fuel, regenerative heating of intake air and fuel, and fuel vaporization on the combustion cylinder walls. A spark plug 27 is provided with electrical current by passage of a coil 28 on generator shaft 29 between permanent magnets 30. Current is stored in capacitor 31 until the top of the stroke is reached. A capacitor spring 51 is then compressed to allow the capacitor to engage the spark line 52.

Fuel is injected through nozzle 32 by action of pump plunger 33 just prior to spark ignition at the top of the stroke. It is injected both into the third stage cylinder and into the air cell. This provides combustion for rearward actuation of the piston and a separate charge of fuel in the air cell for propelling the projectile.

Rearward motion of the fuel plunger 33 is caused by fuel pump spring 34 to draw fuel into pump chamber 35 through inlet channel or fuel line 36 past fuel pump inlet valve 37. Forward movement of the plunger is caused by contact and pressure on the plunger from the capacitor and the coil when the stroke is near the forward end.

Loading of projectiles is accomplished with a clamtype breech 7. The breech is opened to receive projectiles by the outward pressure of breech spring 38 and is closed to contain them for ejection by the action of the piston connector rod cams 39.

The engine weapon is contained in a housing 40. The inside housing wall provides the first stage cylinder wall 41 and the second stage cylinder wall 42. A capacitor for a cylindrical air cleaner and the generator is provided by the space between the outside of the magnet and the inside of the housing wall.

Lubrication is provided by the kerosene or other fuel with lubrication qualities. It is conveyed from the fuel injector through ring lubricating channel 43 to compressor rings 44. It is further transferred through cell lubrication channel 45 to inner sleeve rings 46 and outer sleeve rings 47; to the air cell scat and to the cam breech hinge 48.

Projectiles in the hand-held weapon are fed from a drum 49. The hand-held gun can be carried by a handletelescope combination 50 and fired from the hip or in conventional position. A drum housing 51 can -be used for bracing the gun when fired from the hip position. The shells would be fed into the gun by loader spring 52 in :lock-type spring action. Kerosene or other fuel for the 500 to 300 rounds in the drum could be contained in a lrum fuel container 53 and piped to the gun through a 'nel supply tube 54. Using the gun in this manner would give one soldier in the eld the tire power of a squad of nachine gunners. Equally important, he and his amnunition would weight one-tenth the weight and require netenth the carrying capacity of vehicles of his present :quad counterpart. Ammunition carried would be equal o an entire company.

This gun used in automatic large-bore operation vould provide the rate of projectile ow of the combined trtillery of more than a complete military division as now fonstituted. The rate of projectile ilow referenced is in erms the weight of explosive projectiles per minute. The gun would Weight approximately ten percent as much is a present gun capable of firing the same sized round f ammunition. Ammunition carrying capacity would be :qually advantageous owing to the 60 to 70 percent derrease in shell weight and the decrease in container and 'chicle carrying requirements for equal quantities. These .dvantages apply similarly to aircraft and helicopter guns.

As will be apparent to one skilled in the art, various `hanges and numerous modifications of the disclosed tructures may be made without departing from the spirit if the invention, and all of such changes are contemplated .s may come within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. An engine weapon comprising:

an air cell with intake port, exhaust port and gear tooth;

an air cell seat in pivotable contact with the outside periphery of said air cell;

an intake channel, scavenging channel and exhaust channel in Said air cell seat;

a clam type breech positioned at the outlet of the exhaust channel;

a bore at the opposite side of the `breech from the air cell;

a cylinder with a large diameter and a small diameter connected to said bore;

a piston in slidable contact with the inside periphery of the large-diameter portion of said cylinder;

a piston sleeve in slidable contact with the small-diameter portion of the inside periphery of said cylinder and with the outside periphery of the air cell seat;

a compressor-recoil spring attached to an extension of said cylinder;

connector rods connecting said spring and said piston sleeve;

a gear tooth groove in one of said connector rods;

`cams in said connector rods in slidable contact with said breech in spring-opposing relationship to said breech;

a breech spring in opening-pressure relationship to the breech;

a cylinder base;

ports with one-way inlet valves at the base of the cylinder;

prising:

a member attached to the base of the piston and extended in slidable contact through the cylinder base;

a shoulder on said member;

a plunger between said shoulder and the cylinder base in slidable contact around the outside periphery of said member;

a plunger spring between said plunger and said cylinder base;

a pump housing;

an inlet port provided with one-way valve and extended from the outside to the inside of said housing; and

an injection tube provided with a one-way valve and extended from the inside of the cylinder to a position at the base of the member at which the entrance to said tube is in communication with a portion of the tube between the cylinder hase and the plunger when the piston is near the end of the stroke in the direction of the air cell and fuel drawn between the plunger and the cylinder base can be pumped into the cylinder.

3. An engine weapon substantially as described in claim 1 above and having an ignition means comprising:

a member attached to the base of the piston and extended in slidable contact with and through the cylinder base;

a coil and shoulder on said member;

a slidable capacitor on said member between the cylinder base and the coil shoulder;

a spark plug at the inside of said piston;

a conductor between said capacitor and said spark plug;

a capacitor spring between said capacitor and coil shoulder;

magnets in slidable electrical generating relationship around the outside periphery of said coil; and

a conductor between said coil and said capacitor.

4. An engine weapon substantially as described in claim 1 above and having a loading mechanism cornprising:

a projectile magazine drum;

a projectile divider coil spring member;

a fuel container in said drum; and

a fuel line from said fuel container to the fuel injector pump inlet.

No references cited.

SAMUEL W. ENGLE, Primary Examiner.

Claims

1. AN ENGINE WEAPON COMPRISING: AN AIR CELL WITH INTAKE PORT, EXHAUST PORT AND GEAR TOOTH; AN AIR CELL SEAT IN PIVOTABLE CONTACT WITH THE OUTSIDE PERIPHERY OF SAID AIR CELL; AN INTAKE CHANNEL, SCAVENGING CHANNEL AND EXHAUST CHANNEL IN SAID AIR CELL SEAT; A CLAMP TYPE BREECH POSITIONED AT THE OUTLET OF THE EXHAUST CHANNEL; A BORE AT THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE BREECH FROM THE AIR CELL; A CYLINDER WITH A LARGE DIAMETER AND A SMALL DIAMETER CONNECTED TO SAID BORE; A PISTON IN SLIDABLE CONTACT WITH THE INSIDE PERIPHERY OF THE LARGE-DIAMETER PORTION OF SAID CYLINDER; A PISTON SLEEVE IN SLIDABLE CONTACT WITH THE SMALL-DIAMETER PORTION OF THE INSIDE PERIPHERY OF SAID CYLINDER AND WITH THE OUTSIDE PERIPHERY OF THE AIR CELL SEAT; A COMPRESSOR-RECOIL SPRING ATTACHED TO AN EXTENSION OF SAID CYLINDER; CONNECTOR RODS CONNECTING SAID SPRING AND SAID PISTON SLEEVE; A GEAR TOOTH GROOVE IN ONE OF SAID CONNECTOR RODS; CAMS IN SAID CONNECTOR RODS IN SLIDABLE CONTACT WITH SAID BREECH IN SPRING-OPPOSING RELATIONSHIP TO SAID BREECH; A BREECH SPRING IN OPENING-PRESSURE RELATIONSHIP TO THE BREECH; A CYLINDER BASE; PORTS WITH ONE-WAY INLET VALVES AT THE BASE OF THE CYLINDER; PORTS WITH ONE-WAY INLET VALVES AT THE PORTION OF THE PISTON THAT IS EXTENDED BEYOND THE OUTSIDE PERIPHERY OF THE SLEEVES; PORTS PROVIDED WITH ONE-WAY INLET VALVES AND EXTENDED FROM THE OUTSIDE TO THE INSIDE OF SAID SLEEVES A COMPRESSOR SPRING RELEASE MEANS; A FUEL INJECTION MEANS; AND AN IGNITION MEANS.