US3921499A - Ammunition cook-off sensing and prevention system - Google Patents

Ammunition cook-off sensing and prevention system Download PDF

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Publication number
US3921499A
US3921499A US439669A US43966974A US3921499A US 3921499 A US3921499 A US 3921499A US 439669 A US439669 A US 439669A US 43966974 A US43966974 A US 43966974A US 3921499 A US3921499 A US 3921499A
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United States
Prior art keywords
ammunition
sensing
cook
rotor assembly
prevention system
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Expired - Lifetime
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US439669A
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English (en)
Inventor
Willard R Ginsky
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United States Department of the Air Force
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United States Department of the Air Force
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Priority to US439669A priority Critical patent/US3921499A/en
Publication of USB439669I5 publication Critical patent/USB439669I5/en
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    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F41—WEAPONS
    • F41A—FUNCTIONAL FEATURES OR DETAILS COMMON TO BOTH SMALLARMS AND ORDNANCE, e.g. CANNONS; MOUNTINGS FOR SMALLARMS OR ORDNANCE
    • F41A17/00—Safety arrangements, e.g. safeties
    • F41A17/16—Cook-off prevention, i.e. prevention of spontaneous firing of a cartridge by chamber wall heat

Definitions

  • the gun is cycled at low speed until the heated ammunition rounds are removed from the high heat transfer area behind the gun barrels and replaced with cool rounds from the ammunition chute. if then necessary the cycle can be repeated. In this manner an extremely dangerous aspect of the Gatlingtype gun is removed.
  • the typical Gatling-gun type of weapon now in use comprises a housing enclosing and supporting a rotor assembly.
  • the rotor assembly supports a plurality of bolt assemblies having individual firing mechanisms for igniting cartridges, electrically or by percus sion.
  • interaction between the housing and the rotor by means of cams and/or gearing causes the various weapon actions.
  • the ammunition is fed to the gun, the cartridges chambered, the bolts locked for firing, the cartridges fired, and the empty cartridge cases extracted and ejected.
  • the increasing need for improved multi-barrel, automatic weapons of the Gatling-gun type, having higher and higher rateof-tire. has raised certain problems in the design of the guns.
  • the ammunition cook-off sensing and prevention system of this invention not only overcomes the problems set forth hereinabove but also introduces no additional hazards to the gun system.
  • the ammunition cook-off sensing and prevention system of the instant invention is made of an infra-red sensor which is focused upon the shoulder of an amino nition round in the retracted position at the breech of a Gatling-type gun.
  • the gun barrels are indexed after a firing cycle by an indexing switch which continues to 2 keep a solenoid activated and a low flow of hydraulic fluid through the gun drive motor. This operation continues until a detent in the driven gear face allows the indexing switch to open.
  • Heat stored in the gun barrels as the result of the fir ing is transferred to ram air flowing through the barrels and this heat is, in turn, transferred to the ammunition round.
  • a control box initiates a timer switch which activates the solenoid and the gun is rotated at low speed by the hydraulic motor until the heated rounds ⁇ at least six rounds) are removed from the breech area.
  • the number of unfired rounds which are cycled through the gun will beat function of the set time of the timer switch and the flow area of the limiting orifice which controls gun rotation speed.
  • the barrel indexing switch will maintain gun rotation until the switch settles in a detent position. Thus, an unheated round will again be targeted under the sensor and. if sufficient heat remains in the barrel to heat this round to the critical temperature, the cycle will be repeated.
  • the hydraulic feed line which provides low speed operation is equipped with a check valve which prevents interference with the normal firing of the gun at any time in the cycle.
  • FIGURE of the drawing illustrates in pictorial and schematic fashion the ammunition cook-off sensing and prevention system of this invention incorporated within a Gatling-type gun.
  • FIGURE of the drawing shows in pictorial fashion the ammunition cook-off sensing and prevention system 10 of this invention utilized in cooperation with a conventional rapid tire automatic weapon 12 of the Gatlinggun type such as shown in Air Force Technical Manual TO llWI-l2 4-32 and US. Pat. Nos. 3,380,341 and 3,380,342.
  • Gun 12 is typically an air-cooled, six barrel weapon capable of firing between 2,500 7,200 shots per minute. It utilizes a rotor assembly 14 which is rotatably mounted within a fixed rear housing assembly 16. Rotor assembly 14 supports a plurality of barrels.
  • rotor assembly 14 rotates and bolt assembly 18 follows the elliptical main cam path 20 formed in the inner surface of housing 16. This action cams bolt 18 forward along the rotor tracks (not shown) and each bolt 18 in turn picks up a round 22 of ammunition for firing. After round 22 has been fired bolt 18 remains locked during the locking cam period until the projectile leaves the barrels l7 and gas pressure in the barrels 17 is reduced. As the bolt 18 nears the end of the front dwell of the cam path, front and rear unlocking cams (not shown) lift bolt 18 upward. The upward movement of bolt 18 disengages the bolt from the front locking dwell of the rotor assembly 14.
  • the clearing cycle of automatic weapon l2 begins when a clearing signal is supplied and bolt 18 continues along the clearing cam path 24. In this manner the unfired rounds 22 are cammed out of an extracter lip and ejected from the gun.
  • the ammunition cook-off sensing and prevention system of this invention is made up of a conventional infrared sensor 26 mounted in any suitable fashion so as to focus upon the shoulder of an ammunition round 22 in the retracted position as shown in the drawing.
  • the same drive motor 28, which may be hydraulic, for example, and which operates gun 12 under normal conditions is also utilized with the instant invention.
  • Motor 28 is operatively connected to drive gear 19 in any suitable manner such as by gear and pinion arrangement 30.
  • An aircraft power source 32 for example, may provide the hydraulic fluid necessary for driving motor 28 in a manner to be described hereinbelow.
  • gear 19 has formed therein a plurality of detents 34 equal in number to the number of barrel chambers 17 contained within gun 12. In most cases there are six such detents 34.
  • Any conventional on-off switch" hereinafter referred to as indexing switch 36 is located adjacent gear 19 and has a spring biased element 38 thereon capable of engaging detents 34.
  • indexing switch 36 is in the off position and signals a solenoid 37 thereby stopping the flow of fluid to drive motor 28.
  • the stop signal from switch 36 to solenoid 37 can be overridden by a signal from sensor 26 in a manner to be described hereinbelow.
  • Detents 34 are so positioned around gear 19 so that when element 38 engages a detent 34, a round of ammunition 22 has its shoulder adjacent sensor 26.
  • Sensor 26 is operatively connected by any conventional electrical wiring 39 to a conventional power supply and controller 40, a conventional timer switch 42, indexing switch 36 and a solenoid 37. If desired a check valve 46 may be associated with the sensing and prevention system in order to prevent interference with the normal firing of gun 12 at any time during the cycle.
  • gun 12 is driven by motor 28 under the flow of hydraulic fluid from source 32 through lines 48 and S0 with the cook-off sensing and prevention system of this invention being inoperative.
  • a signal to indexing switch 36 from gun 12 keeps solenoid 37 activated.
  • gun 12 If the heat emanating from round 22 is insufficient to constitute a hazard, gun 12 returns to the firing cycle in a conventional manner. If, however, the heat reaches a critical temperature infrared sensor 26 sends a signal to control box 40 which initiates a timer 42 which in turn activates solenoid 37 so that the gun rotor assembly 14 is rotated in the clearing cycle at low speed by the hydraulic motor 28 until the heated rounds 22 are removed from weapon 12.
  • the number of unfired rounds 22 which are cycled through the gun are determined by the set time of timer 42 and the flow area of the limiting orifice of line 52 which controls the gun rotation speed.
  • the indexing switch 36 will maintain the gun rotor assembly rotation until element 38 of switch 36 settles within a detent 34. In this manner a presumably unheated round 22 will again be targeted under sensor 26. If, however, sufficient heat remains in the gun barrel to beat this round to the critical temperature the above cycle will be repeated.
  • the hydraulic feed line 52 which provides this low speed operation is equipped with a check value 46 which prevents interference with normal firing of the gun at any time during the cycle.
  • An ammunition cook-off sensing and prevention system adapted for use with an automatic weapon having a plurality of barrels circumferentially arranged about a common axis, a rotor assembly supporting said barrels and a housing circumferentially spaced about and rotatably supporting said rotor assembly, said system comprising drive means for rotating said rotor assembly, means for supplying power to said drive means operably connected thereto, means mounted in a predetermined position adjacent said rotor assembly for sensing the heat emanating from an ammunition round carried by said rotor assembly, said sensing means being operably connected to said power supplying means and regulating means operably connected between said sensing means and said power supplying means for controlling the amount of power supplied to said drive means whereby said rotor assembly is rotated by said drive means when the heat emanating from an ammunition round is deemed to be above a predetermined temperature by said sensing means.
  • said regulating means comprises a solenoid operably connected to said power supplying means causing the activation or deactivation thereof, a timer switch operably connecting said senser to said solenoid and an indexing switch operably connecting said rotor assembly to said solenoid.
  • An ammunition cook-off sensing and prevention system as defined in claim 2 wherein said drive means comprises a gear operably connected to said rotor as- 6 gages a detent said ammunition round is positioned adjacent said sensor.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Fluid-Pressure Circuits (AREA)
US439669A 1974-02-04 1974-02-04 Ammunition cook-off sensing and prevention system Expired - Lifetime US3921499A (en)

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US439669A US3921499A (en) 1974-02-04 1974-02-04 Ammunition cook-off sensing and prevention system

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US3921499A true US3921499A (en) 1975-11-25

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Cited By (14)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
USD265335S (en) 1980-04-07 1982-07-06 General Electric Company Rotor
US4481859A (en) * 1983-03-09 1984-11-13 General Electric Company Gatling gun control system
US4550641A (en) * 1982-12-08 1985-11-05 Werkzeugmaschinenfabrik Oerlikon-Buhrle Ag Safety apparatus in externally powered firing weapon
US4748891A (en) * 1985-10-04 1988-06-07 Contraves Ag Hydraulic system
US4841835A (en) * 1987-01-16 1989-06-27 Werkzeugmaschinenfabrik Oerlikon-Buhrle Ag Safety apparatus for an externally powered firing weapon
DE3925544A1 (de) * 1989-08-02 1991-02-07 Rheinmetall Gmbh Waffenrohrladungsraum mit einer automatischen temperaturkontrollvorrichtung
US6339983B1 (en) * 1998-12-04 2002-01-22 Oerlikon Contraves Ag Ammunition-feeding device for a cannon
US20050257676A1 (en) * 2003-10-23 2005-11-24 Ealovega George D Weapon with electro-mechanical firing mechanism for use with combination percussive and electrically responsive cartridge primer
US20060027086A1 (en) * 2004-07-16 2006-02-09 Boyer Charles T Jr Determining cook-off time of weapon
US20060075817A1 (en) * 2004-02-12 2006-04-13 Yuhas Donald E Methods and system for monitoring a condition of a material
US20100111133A1 (en) * 2008-10-31 2010-05-06 Yuhas Donald E Methods and apparatus for measuring temperature and heat flux in a material using ultrasound
US10267582B2 (en) 2014-04-01 2019-04-23 The United States Of America, As Represented By The Secretary Of The Navy Apparatus for measuring the temperature of chambered projectile
US20190257604A1 (en) * 2018-02-21 2019-08-22 Norman Binz DeWalch Feeder/delinker for a gatling gun
US20250207882A1 (en) * 2023-12-20 2025-06-26 TMP Weapons, LLC Multiple-barrel firearm and method of use

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE4433627C2 (de) * 1994-09-21 1999-01-14 Rheinmetall Ind Ag Rohrwaffe mit einem Temperatursensor zur Überwachung der Ladungsraumtemperatur

Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2471806A (en) * 1947-05-23 1949-05-31 Benjamin J Wilson Thermostatic electric switch
GB710250A (en) * 1951-11-21 1954-06-09 Oerlikon Buehrle Ag Fire interrupter for automatic guns
US3618455A (en) * 1969-07-25 1971-11-09 Gen Motors Corp Manual open- and closed-bolt weapon fire control with automatic heat responsive override

Patent Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2471806A (en) * 1947-05-23 1949-05-31 Benjamin J Wilson Thermostatic electric switch
GB710250A (en) * 1951-11-21 1954-06-09 Oerlikon Buehrle Ag Fire interrupter for automatic guns
US3618455A (en) * 1969-07-25 1971-11-09 Gen Motors Corp Manual open- and closed-bolt weapon fire control with automatic heat responsive override

Cited By (20)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
USD265335S (en) 1980-04-07 1982-07-06 General Electric Company Rotor
US4550641A (en) * 1982-12-08 1985-11-05 Werkzeugmaschinenfabrik Oerlikon-Buhrle Ag Safety apparatus in externally powered firing weapon
US4481859A (en) * 1983-03-09 1984-11-13 General Electric Company Gatling gun control system
US4748891A (en) * 1985-10-04 1988-06-07 Contraves Ag Hydraulic system
US4841835A (en) * 1987-01-16 1989-06-27 Werkzeugmaschinenfabrik Oerlikon-Buhrle Ag Safety apparatus for an externally powered firing weapon
DE3925544A1 (de) * 1989-08-02 1991-02-07 Rheinmetall Gmbh Waffenrohrladungsraum mit einer automatischen temperaturkontrollvorrichtung
US6339983B1 (en) * 1998-12-04 2002-01-22 Oerlikon Contraves Ag Ammunition-feeding device for a cannon
US20050257676A1 (en) * 2003-10-23 2005-11-24 Ealovega George D Weapon with electro-mechanical firing mechanism for use with combination percussive and electrically responsive cartridge primer
US7470056B2 (en) 2004-02-12 2008-12-30 Industrial Measurement Systems, Inc. Methods and apparatus for monitoring a condition of a material
US7726875B2 (en) 2004-02-12 2010-06-01 Industrial Measurement Systems, Inc. Methods and apparatus for monitoring a condition of a material
US20060075817A1 (en) * 2004-02-12 2006-04-13 Yuhas Donald E Methods and system for monitoring a condition of a material
US7066072B2 (en) 2004-07-16 2006-06-27 Boyer Jr Charles T Determining cook-off time of weapon
US7207252B1 (en) 2004-07-16 2007-04-24 The United States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of The Navy Determining cook-off time of weapon
US20060027086A1 (en) * 2004-07-16 2006-02-09 Boyer Charles T Jr Determining cook-off time of weapon
US20100111133A1 (en) * 2008-10-31 2010-05-06 Yuhas Donald E Methods and apparatus for measuring temperature and heat flux in a material using ultrasound
US8256953B2 (en) 2008-10-31 2012-09-04 Yuhas Donald E Methods and apparatus for measuring temperature and heat flux in a material using ultrasound
US10267582B2 (en) 2014-04-01 2019-04-23 The United States Of America, As Represented By The Secretary Of The Navy Apparatus for measuring the temperature of chambered projectile
US20190257604A1 (en) * 2018-02-21 2019-08-22 Norman Binz DeWalch Feeder/delinker for a gatling gun
US10718580B2 (en) * 2018-02-21 2020-07-21 Norman Binz DeWalch Feeder/delinker for a gatling gun
US20250207882A1 (en) * 2023-12-20 2025-06-26 TMP Weapons, LLC Multiple-barrel firearm and method of use

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Publication number Publication date
USB439669I5 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1975-01-28

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