US2920530A - Automatic gun charger - Google Patents

Description

2 Sheets-Sheet l B. STEVENS ETAL AUTOMATIC GUN CHARGER Jan. 12, 1960 Filed Oct. 11, 1956 6%!76 J. Wasjez a. N Qt Jan. 12, 1960 B. STEVENS ETAL 2,920,530

AUTOMATIC GUN CHARGER Filed Oct. 11, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Yvd Q J! J 6 66 Jzveni'args 58 Barnard Jieue/u zyene J. Weasel BY Wm HFTOENEYS AUTOMATIC GUN CHARGER Bernard Stevens, Skokie, and Eugene S. Wassel, La Grange, Ill., assignors to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force Application October 11, 1956, SerialNo. 615,440

6 Claims. (Cl. 89-1) This invention relates to a gun charger, and more particularly, to an automatic charging deviceof the pneumatic type employed for charging an automatic gun during gun fire when a failure to tire occurs.

The main purpose of the present invention is to pro vide a new and improved gun charging device of the type employing a simple and effective electro-pneunratic system for charging an automatic gun during gun fire when the gun fails to fire usually rendering the gun inactive or even causing damage to the gun.

The gun charging device of the present inventionis further characterized by its light weight and relatively small size, and by requiring only a small amount of fluid pressure for its operation, which fluid pressure may be supplied from the fluid pressure system of the aircraft.

It is further the purpose of the present invention to provide a gun charging device of this character which is of single action, i. e., the charger piston or plunger may be returned to its initial forward position by the action of the gun operating slide rather than by fluid pressure acting on the opposite side of the charger piston as in the gun chargers of the prior art.

The gun charging device constructed in accordance with the present invention is further provided with a system consisting: of a fluid pressure motor or fluid pressure operated actuator and a valve assembly for controlling operation of the fluid pressure motor. The valve assembly is arranged to be moved to its open position by the action of a solenoid and to its closed position by the action of the charger piston or plunger in the fluid pressure motor at the end of its rearward stroke, after which the plunger is returned to its initial forward position in the fluid pressure motor by the action of the gun operating slide. The solenoid may be actuated by manually closing the solenoid circuit, or it may be actuated automatically by the action. of an automatic control upon failure of the gun to fire when the firing circuit of the gun is closed.

These and other features of the. present invention are described in detail below in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like numerals designate like parts, and in which:

Figure I is a side elevation, partly in section, of a gun charging device embodying the present invention and mounted on the receiver of an automatic gun;

Figure 2 is an end view, partly in section, of the device of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary view of the device of Figure 1 showing the valve assembly in its forward position;

Figure 4 is a longitudinal section of the valve member employed in the device of Figure 1; and

Figure 5 is an end view of the valve member of Figure 4.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, the gun charging device illustrated in the drawings as an embodiment of the present invention is indicated generally by the reference numeral and, asshown, comprises a fluid pressure motor or fluid pressure operated actuator 11 which consists of a cylinder assembly 12 and a valve assembly 14 2,920,530 Patented Jan. 12, 1960 2. housed in the forward section. 16 of the cylinder assembly 12. The fluid pressure motor 11 is mounted on a gun receiver 18 by a mounting bracket 20, provided on either side of the receiver 18 for mounting the fluid pressure motor 11 either on the right or left side of the gun receiver 18, as shown in Figure 1.

The mounting bracket 20 is formed with an opening 22 through which is inserted the fluid pressure motor 11. A groove 24 across the top of the charger cylinder assembly 12 is arranged to. be aligned with a mating in ternally threaded hole 26 in the receiver mounting bracket 20, and a pin 28 is screwed in tight. A locked nut 30 is tightened against bracket 20. The pin 28 properly positions the fluid pressure motor 11 in a longitudinal direction with respect to the gun receiver 18' and also properly orients the fluid pressure motor 11 to clear the gun slide rail, not shown. in this manner, the fluid pressure motor 11 of the charging device 10may have a free travel of a fraction of an inch before contacting a gun operating slide as indicated at 32. This free travel permits the gun to counterrecoil a, fraction of an inch before striking the fluid pressure motor as hereinafter described.

The cylinder assembly 12 of the fluid pressure motor 11 consists of a cylinder 34 and a hollow cylindrical piston or plunger 36 having a head 38, and a skirt 40 arranged for reciproca-tory movement in the cylinder 34. The hollow cylindrical piston 36 isalso formed with a cutaway portion 41 at the skirt 40 for avoiding interference with the slide rail, not shown, when extended rearwardly, and is further arranged to be slidably supported by a guide ring 42 and a transversely extending pin 44 in the rear end of the cylinder 34. The pin 44 prevents the piston 36 from rotating in the cylinder 34-. The piston head 38 is further provided with a bore 46 through which extends a valve stem control rod 48, which also extends through the skirt 44), as shown in Figure 1 The control rod 48 is provided with a head- 50 at the rearward end thereof slidably'engaging the inner wall of the piston skirt 40. A coil spring 52 inserted over the control rod 48 and abutting the control rod head 50 is acting as a buffer when an outer shoulder 54 of the control rod 48, which shoulder 54 is formed by the control rod head 50, is engaged by an inner shoulder 56 of the piston 36 just before the end of the rearward stroke of the piston- 36. The piston head 38 isalso provided with suitable packing rings 57- for forming a fluid tight joint with the inner wall of the cylinder 34 and with the outer wall of the valve stem control rod 43.

Fluid pressure control for actuating the piston 36 is obtained by the valve assembly 14 housed in the forward section 16 of the cylinder assembly 12, as described above, and provided with a valve stem member 58 arranged in the valve housing section 16 for reciprocatory movement. The valve member 58 consists of a rear stem section 60 having a stud 62 supporting a valve seat washer 64. and threadedly engaged by a forward valve stem section 66. A pin 67 prevents relative rotation of the valve section 66 on the stud 62, as shown in Figure 4. The rear valve stem section 60 is further formed with fluid passages 68, as shown in Figure 4, and with a T -slot" 70 at the rearward end thereof, in which T-slot 70 fits a T-shaped end 72 extending from the front end of the valve control rod 48. The front valve stem section 66 is also provided with an outer shoulder 74, located substantially at the middle section of the valve member 58,v and with a forward shoulder 76 against which abuts a coil spring 78 fitted over the valve section 66 and extending between the shoulder 76 and a spacer collar 80. At its front end, the spring 78 abuts against the front end' of the collar.80. The spacer collar 80 also retains in place a plurality of O seals 82 and. a spacer ring 84. The spacer collar 80 is further held in place by a valve cap 86 threadedly and a longitudinal bore 94 in fluid communication therewith.

' Extending through the longitudinal bore 94 in the valve cap 86 is an extension 96 of the valve member 58, which extension 96 has a T-shaped end 98 arranged to fit in a T-slot 100 in solenoid plunger 102 of a solenoid 104 threadedly secured in the forward end of the valve cap 86. A stop nut 106 is provided for adjusting the solenoid 104 in the valve cap 86 as seen in Figure 1. The solenoid 104 is also provided with a socket 107 at the forward end thereof for connection with an electrical control system, not shown.

In operation, fluid under pressure enters the valve housing 16 through an inlet 108 therein from a source, not shown, and exerts a force upon the surface area of the shoulder 74 of the valve stem member 58. In addition, a force is exerted on the valve member 58 by the valve spring 78 at the forward end thereof thereby holding the valve in its rearward position against its seat 64 and sealing the cylinder 34 against fluid pressure by preventing admission of fluid pressure through a port 110 in fluid communication with the cylinder 34. When the solenoid 104 is energized, the valve member 58 and the valve stem rod 48 are pulled forward a fraction of an inch, opening the port 110 to the cylinder 34. Simultaneously, fluid pressure enters an annular space 112 at the rear of the valve housing 16, and through longitudinal passages 114, only one of which is shown, enters the space between the front end of the valve member 58 and the valve cap 86 and exerts a force on the surface area of the shoulder 76. Also, the fluid pressure exerts a force on the surface area of a curved rear valve shoulder 116. Thus, fluid pressure is applied to both ends of the valve, but, because of the larger area of the curved shoulder 116 at the rear portion of the valve member 58, a differential resulting force holds the valve member 58 against its forward seat at 118, as shown in Figure 3, and thereby prevents escape of fluid pressure through the forward exhaust ports 93 formed by the passageways 92 in the valve cap 86. Fluid pressure entered in the cylinder '34 through the port 110 then acts upon the piston or plunger 36 moving it rearwardly in contact with the gun operating slide 32. When the piston 36 is within a fraction of an inch of the end of its stroke, it contacts the buflfer spring 52 on the valve stem rod 48 and pulls the valve stem rod 48 and the valve member 58 by a force applied through the bulfer spring 52. This action moves the valve member 58 to its rearward position and the valve seat 64 prevents fluid pressure through the valve port 110 thereby sealing the cylinder 34 against fluid pressure. The spring 52 must also be further compressed an additional fraction of an inch after the valve member 58 is in the closed position before the piston 36 can contact the retaining bushing or guide ring 42 in the end of the cylinder 34. At the same time, air pressure exhausts through the bore 94 and the fluid passageways 92 in the valve cap 86, which are now open, and again the fluid pressure acts on the surface area of the valve member shoulder 74 and holds the valve member 58 against its rearward seat 64. The piston 36 in the meantime is returned to its forward position, as shown in Figure l, by the forward movement of the gun operating slide 32. The fluid pressure in the cylinder during the forward movement of the piston is exhausted through the fluid passages 68, annular space 112, longitudinal passageways 114, and through valve cap bore 94, fluid passageways 92 and exhaust ports 93 to atmosphere.

' The present invention has been described in detail above for purposes of illustration only and is not intended to 4 v be limited by this description or otherwise except as defined in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A charging device for an automatic gun comprising a fluid pressure operated actuator arranged to engage and move a gun operating slide for charging the gun, said actuator provided with a valve assembly having a member for controlling fluid pressure to said actuator, said valve assembly having a first fluid inlet passageway to deliver fluid under pressure therein and said valve member having an intermediate shoulder in communication with said first'inlet passageway and exposed to fluid pressure delivered into said first fluid inlet passageway normally holding said valve member in a closed position thereby preventing fluid pressure to said actuator, valve opening means for moving said valve member to .an open position, said valve assembly having a second a forward abutting shoulder of relatively large surface area and a rear curved shoulder of relatively small surface area spaced therefrom in respective opposed communication with fluid pressure delivered into said second fluid inlet passageway and said interconnecting fluid passages while in the open position to effect a resultant force which tends to retain said valve member in the open position thereby admitting fluid under pressure to said actuator to move said actuator to contact and move the gun slide to a retracted position.

2. A charging device for an automatic gun as defined in claim 1, and elongated valve closing means attached to said valve'member at one end thereof and adapted to be engaged at a predetermined interval by said actuator at the other end thereof to actuate said valve-closing means for'returning said valve member to the closed position at the end of the stroke of said actuator.

3. A charging device for an automatic gun comprising a fluid pressure motor adapted to be mounted on a gun and arranged to contact and move a gun operating slide to a retracted position for charging the gun, said motor having 'a valve housing defining a first inlet passageway, a port in communication with said fluid pressure motor, and an outlet, a valve member in said valve housing for controlling fluid motor pressure to said motor, said valve member having a first outer abutment in communication with said first inlet passageway and thereby exposed to, fluid motor pressure for normally retaining said valve member in its seated position to close said port, biasing means tending to urge said valve member to its closed-port position, said valve housing having a second fluid inletpassageway and intercommunicating longitudinally disposed fluid passages in communication with said second fluid inlet passageway and said valve member having a second outer abutment spaced from said first-named abutment and a gradually diverging'shoulder spaced from said second abutment in respective communication with said second fluid inlet passageway and said intercommunicating longitudinally pressure through said port to said motor for contacting and moving the gun slide to a retracted position.

4. A charging device for an automatic gun as defined in claim 3, and means in said fluid motor for moving said valve member in opposition to the resultant force on said second abutment and said gradually diverging shoulder for closing said valve port and opening said valve outlet at the end of the fluid motor stroke.

5. A charging device for an automatic gun comprising a cylinder adapted to be mounted on a gun and provided with a plunger arranged to contact and move a gun operating slide to a retracted position for charging the gun, a valve housing defining a port in communication with said cylinder, a valve member in said housing for controlling fluid pressure to said cylinder through said port, said valve member having a first abrupt, peripheral projection exposed to fluid pressure for normally holding said member against said port to seal said cylinder against fluid pressure, said valve member having a second abrupt, peripheral projection and a gradually sloping projection spaced longitudinally on opposite sides of said first projection and adapted to be exposed to fluid under pressure, said valve housing being provided with fluid passageways between said projections on opposite sides of said first projection, and actuating means for moving said valve member in opposition to the fluid pressure exerted on said first projection of said valve member for exposing said projections on opposite sides of said first projection to fluid pressure the resultant force of which tends to hold said valve member in a forward open position thereby admitting fluid under pressure into said cylinder for actuating said plunger to move the gun slide to a retracted position.

6. A charging device for an automatic gun as defined in claim 5 and in which said plunger is of hollow substantially cylindrical shape, and said valve member is provided with an extension extending through said hollow plunger, said valve member extension having an outer shoulder, and said plunger having an inner shoulder arranged to engage said valve member extension outer shoulder for moving said valve member in opposition to the resultant force of the fluid pressure exerted on said projections on opposite sides of said first projection against said port thereby sealing said cylinder against fluid pressure at the end of the stroke of said plunger, said plunger arranged to return to its initial position in said cylinder by the forward movement of the gun operating slide.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,384,834 Grant et al. Sept. 18, 1945 2,409,623 Grant Oct. 22, 1946 2,411,877 Heizer Dec. 3, 1946 2,423,446 Grant July 8, 1947 2,575,368 Thomsen Nov. 20, 1951

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