US2453786A - Feed mechanism for rapid-fire guns - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 16,: 1948. PQH. DIXON A 2,453,786 n FEED MEcHANIsM FOR RAPID FIRE GUNS l I Filed Apr1`24, 194e 4 s Smets-sheet 1 NOV. 1%6, 1948. v Y P, H, D|X0N 2,453,786 y FEED MEICHANISM FOR RAPID FIRE GUNS Filed April 24, 1946 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor Pau? H Dixon VNOV. 16, 1948.V H, DIXON 2,453,786

FEED MECHANISM FOR RAPID FIRE GUNS Filed April 24, 1946 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 nvenor Paul H Bl'xon Patented Nov. 16,1948

. UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 4l casarse,"

1, rrEnpflvrncnArirsivrFon RAPID-FIRE GUNS Paul llllirron, HWenham, Mass., assignor to 'United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Flemington, N. J., a corporation of Nervv ersey Application April g4, 194:6,` Serial No. 664,609 i This invention relates to rapid fire guns andl ofa receiver casing which encloses the breechmechanism of the gun. An example of a gun'of this type is the 20 mm.IIispano-Suiza airplane For success in feeding'the" cartridges accurate?.

1 1 claim. (o1. sagas )j ciprocating breech bolt,

ly and reliably to the proper position in the path of the reciprocatingfbreech bolt of such a'gm at the requiredhigh rateof speed, often 700 or more rounds per minute, it is` essential not only that the cartridges be fed unfailingly atthe required rate tothe4 entranceof the receiver but thateach cartridge be kept under absolute control in the receiver until itis pickedup by the breech |bolt to yloe rammed into -thefring chamber in the gun barreh i The only practical form iniwhich ammunition can be supplied to a gun at such a highV rate is that of a belt composed of cartridges connected by links, which must be stripped from the cartridges, one at a time, as they reach the receiver of the gun, and the object of the`present inven-` tion is to provide an `improved cartridge feeding mechanism which is not` only `powerfulenoug'h to feed a heavy cartridgebelt intermittently at the required speed but which will also separate the rounds successively from the belt and keep each cartridge,`including thelastartridge from the belt, continuously under complete control while feeding it downward into the receiver until the cartridge is engaged and rammed forward by the breechbolt of the gun during counterrecoil.

With feeders heretofore used on guns of this type it has been impossible to fire the last round or rounds from the belt :because no provision otherY than the push exerted by following rounds was made for forcing a cartridge down into the receiver through the distance from the position where `the cartridgeenters `,the receiverwto the position where the cartridge is engaged by the breech bolt. This distance includes space sufficient to accommodate a loose cartridge, which will not descend accurately under the influence,v of gravity alone and is liable to cause jamming of the gun if it is not kept under complete control.

A feature of the present invention` consists 4in the combination with motor driven means for feeding an ammunition belt to the receiver of a and holding it down upon said ways untilit is removed therefrom by the brechbolt. The rounds are thus kept under complete control at all times, regardless of gun vibrationpr position, and the last round from the ebelt is positioned and fired with the same certainty as any other round.

The invention will be best understood `and ap-Y preciated vfrom reading the following detailed description of one practical embodiment thereof in connection with the accompanying draw` ings, in which @Fig. 1 is a perspective view, with parts brokenv away to reveal the cartridge feeding mechanism; Fig. 2 is a view partly in elevation and partly in section, on a larger scale, showing the feeding mechanism with a cartridge in position to be rammed;

" Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view on the line III- III of Fig. 2; and

` Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are views similar to Fig. 3 showing a cartridge in successive positions until it reaches ramming position.

gun, and means for separating successive rounds Referring now to Fig. l, M indicates an electric motor which provides power for operating mechanism for feeding an ammunition belt to the receiver of a gun. The motor M is connected, through gearing contained in a housing G and a friction clutch contained in a housing C, to a shaft I0 the outer end of which is supported in a bearing l2 mounted in a stationary supporting frame i4. Y

vA uixed to the shaft I0 are star wheels I6, I8 each of which has four radiating cartridge engagingngers 20 and 22 respectively. The advance faces 24 ofI these ngers are curved lto nt the perimeter ofa cartridge R at the location where thecartridge is to be engaged by the ngers. Inasmuch as the cartridge case` tapers somewhat, the radius of curvature of the faces 24 on the rear star wheel I6 is slightly greater than that of `the corresponding faces on the front star wheel I8 and the depth of the throat between adjacentflngers is greater than that ofthe throat between the corresponding fingers of the feed wheel |78, in order that the axis of a cartridge `in engagement with the fingers of the two feed Wheels I6, I8 shall be parallel with the axis offthe shaft l0 by whichfthe Wheels -are driven. Y' v Also aixed to the shaft ID are three stripper cams 26, 28, 30 which are designed to engage and strip from an on-coming cartridge one of the links 32 which connect a series of cartridges to form an ammunition belt. As shown in Fig. 3,

As will 4be apparent from an inspection of Figs;

3, 4 and 5, wherein the cartridgesv areto be considered as moving in the direction indicated by the arrow on Fig. 3, each cartridge will be under the positive control of the feed` wheels wg, I8-, and'. the retaining plates 33,4 40, until the cartridge-v reaches the position shown in, Fig.. 5. Prior to this stage, however, t-he cartridge will have reached and engaged a pair of loading fingers 44 and 4B which are loosely mounted upon the shaft L0. f .or pivotal movementabout thev axis of said shaft (see Fig. l). Each-of the'fingers44, 4B-is notched as shown at 48 and a pin 50-4 extending across the notch is engaged. inthe notched. end of an operating lever'52 pivotally supported upon a horizontal; rod 54. Each operating lever has a laterally projecting shelfy 55 upon whichv bears aV spring 58- tendingE constantly todepress the notched. inner end. of the operating lever and, consequently, tof move the` nger 44. or. 46. inward around the.l axis of the shaftY I0.. As soon as a cartridge engages the ngers 44, 46, which occurs at approximately the time'.` when. the vcartridge reaches. the position shown. in. Fig.. 4, the said lingers begin to-yeld toward. the left and eventually reach thepositionrshownin- Fig. 5 at which time the, cartridge canstart to move downward into the throat 42. By examining Fig. 5y it may be seen that the cartridge at this` stage in its progress is about to leave the controlfotthe. finger 2E. and, inasmuch; aspressurefisbeing exerted upon; the cart-ridge by thefiingerslu. and. 44lin a line well above a diameterof.. the cartridge, the cartridge will be moved forcibly downward. inthe throat. 4.2.unti1` theiinger 44 moves, tol the right, above the cartridge, to the position shown in. Fig. 6.. At thistirnethe cartridge rests upon. in.- clined supporting ways.6.,.formed inthe bottom portionY of' the throat. 42, in. the position shown. in. Fig. 2,. where it isz-ready to be. engaged byl the. f

breech, bolt 6.2. of the. gun. and. rammed. into the. firing chamber. The dash line 64 in Fig. 2 indi: cates the plane of the. top oi, thebreech bolt 62" and if. thecartridgain its passage from the posi,- tion illustrated in. Fig.Y 5. toward. that illustrated in Fig. 6 should encounter the, breech bolt'62` it` will merely be.. held down onjthe upper face thereof until the bolt" has recoiled sufficiently to permit the cartridge to be. forced; down upon the supportingways fill.y

In Y its descent from. the position shown in Fig.,5,. t'o that shown in Fig. 6 thev cartridgeis a1so.under the control of a. retainingnger 66 which.is pivoted upona stationary pin S8. (Figs. land 3) and;

is under the innuence of. a spring intending a1- ways to move the. finger in a counterclockwise. direction as viewed in Figs. 3 to 6. A lug'12, rUpon` whichzthe force of the; spring TD isLexerted.' is integral-.with the iinger'''- and limits the counterclockwise' movement of the latterl by engagement with a portion of the frame I4, as shown in Fig. 3. The retaining finger 66 cooperates with the finger 44 to keep the cartridge continuously under control while the cartridge is on its way down in the throat 42 and at the end of the descent of the cartridge moves in above the cartridge case (see Figs. 2 and 6) to aid in holding the cartridge down accurately upon: theways 60.

The supporting waysl upon whichY the car tridge is deposited are inclined downward from the rear toward the front of the gun in order that the cartridge shall be in the position shown in full lines in Fig. 2, which is the correct position to. ensure the proper entry of the cartridge into thefiring chamber'of the gun barrel. In this position 'the' retaining finger 66 engages the cartridge case about midway of its length and cooperates lwith the rear loading finger '44 to retain the cartridge accurately upon the supporting Ways. The broken lines in Fig. 2 show the position ot the cartridge as itsprojectile end is just leaving the lower end. of the front loadingnger 4-but is still under. the=inuence of t-he rear loading. 1nger44` and the` retaining.A finger 66, these.

will be fed and kept under complete control at.

any rate which the gun .may require.

Having described my invention, what I claim aanew anddesire tosecure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStatesist The combination,.with a.A gun having areciproeating` breech boltand. a. receiver into thetop of.r which. cartridges. are fed downward, of motor driven; means for `feeding an ammunitionbelt. to

'- the top ott-he. receiver, meansy for separating a uponsaid ways,. and. a retaining nger for holding said. cartridge down on the. ways until it is removed. therefrom. by the breech -bolt during, counterfrecoil.

. PAUL H. DIXON.

REFERENCES circo The. following references` are of record in the. ile' oil.v thisv patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name. Date 1,335,677" Foxetlal Mar. 301920'. L,52'5,06'6' Browning, Feb. 3, 1925 2,403,170; Chapmanv July 2, 1946- 2,407,461 Vesely Sept. 10, 1946 OTHER REFERENCES VWar Department Technical Manual 'IMQ-227 (published Junel, 1943)'.

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