US3427925A - Actuating device for automatic firearms - Google Patents

Description

F eb. i8, 1969 K. HORN 3,42 7,925

ACTUATING DEVICE FOR AUTOMATIC FIREARMS Filed July 7, 1966 Sl'leeI of 5 mmf Hofe/V ATTORNEYS Feb. 18, i969 K11-:ORN

ACTUATING DEVICE FOR AUTOMATIC FIREARMS Sheet Filed July 7' 1966 INVENIOR KLf/zr HORN BY @if f @MM- ATEY;

Feb. 18, 1969 K. HQRN 3,427,925

ACTUATING DEVICE FOR AUTOMATIC FIREARMS Filed July v, 196e sheet 3 of s BY MW w- ATTORNEIS l Feb. 18, 1969 K. HORN ACTUATING DEVICE FOR AUTOMATIC FIREARMS Sheet Filed July 7, 1966 T mv w @n K 7 .i M :L w m@ S I o l NJ i mv O.. 1"., f S l..

ATTORNEYS Feb.. 18, 1969 K. HORN ACTUATING DEVICE FOR AUTOMATIC FIREARMS sheet 5 of@ Filed July 7, 1966 ATTORNEYS United States Patent O 3,427,925 ACTUATING DEVICE FOR AUTOMATIC FIREARMS U.S. Cl. 89-136 23 Claims Int. Cl. F41d 9/02, 1]/02 ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Apparatus for actuating automatic firearms, especially machine guns, comprising an actuating member including `a nut mounted on a threaded spindle with ball bearings interposed therebetween, said actuating member being non-rotatably constrained with respect to a housing wherein said spindle is supported, but being axially-displaceable with respect thereto, a single electric motor adapted by means of a suitable gear drive, to reversibly drive said spindle, thereby effecting displacement of said nut with respect to said housing, and an intermediate member activated by said nut to move the breech block of an automatic wea-pon in one direction to cock said weapon and to activate the trigger of said weapon when said electric motor drive is reversed. According to an alternative embodiment of the present invention, the actuating member is connected with one end of the `core of a cable, thus enabling the actuation of the weapon to be effected from a place remote from the Weapon.

This invention relates to apparatus Ifor remote actuation of automatic firearms, in particular machine guns, having an actuating member which is displaced by yan electric motor in a straight line, the actuating member being in operative connection with the breech mechanism of the weapon for the purpose of cocking the latter, and means for actuating the trigger ofthe weapon.

Known devices for remotely actuating automatic firearms, such as used for example in airplanes and armored vehicles, have separate devices for cocking yand triggering a Weapon. Accordingly the known devices are not only fairly bulky, but also fairly expensive because, on the one hand, two motors must be used for driving the two devices, and on the other hand, safety measures must be taken in order to prevent, for example, the trigger from being actuated before the actuating member serving for cocking the weapon has been moved out of the path of the breech block.

The invention has as an object to avoid these disadvantages of the known devices and to provide a device which has a particularly simple construction, requires little space requirement and is highly reliable in operation. This problem is solved in accordance with the invention in that the actuating member is displaceable froma rest position in a first direction for the purpose of cocking the weapon and for triggering the weapon in a second, opposite direction and that the actuating member can be brought into engagement with a lever system for actuating the trigger of the weapon during the movement in this second direction.

Thus the device requires only a single driving motor which is used both for cocking and for triggering the weapon. By this measure ralone the size of the device according to the invention can be decreased considerably and the cost thereof can be reduced substantially. Also the weight of the device is obviously decreased, this being of greatest importance, in particular, when the device is built into airplanes. Furthermore, without special measures the weapon can be reliably triggered only when the breech block is no longer obstructed by the actuating member, but can travel freely into its closing position.

Provision is made in a further development of the invention that the `act-uating member is constituted by a travelling nut which is located on a threaded spindle, preferably mounted thereon by means of balls, and which is non-rotatably but displaceably mounted in a housing. In the devices known heretofore the actuating member which is displaceable in a straight line was driven by means of a chain, unless very expensive and in particular very heavy magnetic devices were utilised. The provision of chain drives has the disadvantage that the chain drives require the insertion of bulky step-down gear drives and moreover have a large mass, thus leading also not only to very bulky and expensive arrangements, but limiting also the driving speed. In contrast thereto, a considerable step-down is obtained by the threaded spindle itself, so that only a small step-down must be provided |between the driving lmotor and the threaded spindle. Moreover, such a threaded spindle requires a much smaller space in comparison with a chain drive and furthermore the moved masses are also very much smaller, so that the higher accelerations and thus, higher operating speeds are possible. In particular when, according to the invention, a travelling nut mounted on balls is used, the friction forces present are so small that the obtainable driving speeds are very high in relation to the known devices.

In devices for remotely actuating automatic iirearms it is desirable that the breach block can be moved so quickly during cocking of the weapon that a cartridge casing withdrawn by the breech block is ejected with certainty -when it encounters an ejector member. In the known devices with a chain drive such a speed was not nearly obtained so that special measures had to be taken in order to ensure the ejection of a casing. When according to the invention a threaded spindle with a travelling nut mounted on balls is used, the speed with which the breech block s moved during cocking can be increased considerably compared -with chain drives and this increased s-peed will be suliicient in many cases for ensuring the ejection of a withdrawn casing; however, particularly in the case of heavy weapons, it -will be a problem in many cases, even when a threaded spindle is used, to obtain the necessary breech speed. In order to ensure in such cases as well, the safe ejection of a cartridge casing, a further development of the invention provides that the actuating member drives, by means of a coupling spring, an intermediate member which is displaceable co-axially or parallel therewithand which can be brought indirectly or directly into engagement with the breech block of the weapon, and that near the end of the cocking stroke, a resilient catch member is provided which projects into the path of the intermediate member and the actuating member and has a stop for the intermediate member and surface portions cooperating with the actuating member with which the actuating member cornes into engagement during its further lmovement after engagement of the intermediate member, -whereby the coupling spring is cocked and which are constructed so that the catch member is displaced out of the path of the intermediate member and thereafter the intermediate -member is moved further with high acceleration by the released spring. In this manner it is possible to increase the breech block speed, without particular expense, to a multiple of the mean breech block speed in the region in which a withdrawn shell encounters the ejector member and thereby to produce for a short period the necessary kinetic energy which is necessary for ejecting the casting with certainty. It is obvious that in the application of the invention expensive voluminous and heavy means are unnecessary in order to achieve the desired purpose but that the necessary means can be produced easily and cheaply and can be built into the device without particular additional space requirement. Nevertheless they possess a high operational reliability.

In a further development of the invention provision is made that the actuating member is connected by means of a buffer spring to a stop member which is adapted to be displaced co-axially or parallel thereto and which runs near the end of the trigger stroke against a support so that the butfer spring is cocked and the actuating member comes to rest under the counter force of this spring which cancels the driving force. This measure has the advantage that complicated circuits are unnecessary for moving the actuating member into the position in which the trigger of the weapon is actuated. In contrast it is sufficient to energise the driving motor in the manner that the actuating member is displaced in the triggering direction of the weapon and the excitation is maintained until the shot sequence is to be terminated. Near the end of the trigger stroke the stop member may advantageously come into engagement with the lever system serving for triggering the weapon, whereby it is ensured that the lever system is always actuated in a defined manner by the stop 'member which assumes a defined end position.

In accordance with further features of the invention the actuating member may carry contacts for the purpose of controlling the device which contacts are supported by stationary counter contacts in the rest position of the actuating member and at least at the end of the cocking stroke and which, together with these counter contacts, form switches which are disposed in the current circuit of the motor.

Such an arrangement is much simpler and operatively more reliable than determination by means of counting devices or blocking drives of the position of the driving members and controlling the driving ymember by such means.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention which is intended to be attached directly to the side of the weapon and therefore must have a particularly compact construction a slider member is non-rotatably guided in a housing -parallel to the actuation member and consists of a rod which is provided at its ends with flanges and a sleeve which is `displaceably mounted on the rod, the sleeve also being provided with a flange at the end thereof pointing in the direction of the cocking movement. A spring is disposed on the rod and the sleeve and is supported under tension, on the one hand, on the flange attached to the rod at the trigger end thereof, and on the other hand, on the flange of the sleeve, and the actuating member has a projection which engages between the adjacent flanges of rod and sleeve so that the rod constitutes the stop member, the sleeve the intermediate member and the spring simultaneously, the driving spring and the buffer spring of the device. It is obvious that in this arrangement a minimum of parts is required, and in particular when a spindle with a travelling nut serves for driving the slider member, these parts can be housed in a very narrow box, which at one end has a motor attached thereto.

However, the invention provides also embodiments in which the actuating apparatus can be installed at a location remote from the weapon. 'Such embodiments are constructed according to further features of the invention in such a manner that one end of `the actuating member is in driving connection with one end of the core of a cable which core is suitable for the transmission of tension and compression forces and which is displaceably guided in its longitudinal direction in a sleeve and the other end of which is in engagement with actuating means for breech block and trigger which are attached directly to the weapon. lIn this case the cable is preferably connected so that its core is subjected to tension when the weapon is being cocked and is subjected to compression when the weapon is being triggered because greater forces must be used during cocking than during triggering and the core of such a cable can be subjected to substantially higher tension forces than compression forces. 1n order to keep the friction in the cable as small as possible a cable is preferably used the core of which is mounted in the sleeve on balls. It is obvious that it is possible in this manner to dispose the actuating device at a considerable distance from each other just as the space available permits without the device being complicated thereby to a considerable extent.

Further details and modifications of the invention may be seen from the following description in which the invention is described and explained in more detail with reference to the examples illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. l is a longitudinal section through an actuating device according to the invention intended for direct attachment to a weapon,

FIG. 2 is a view from below in the direction of the arrow of the device according to FIG. 1,

`FIG. 3 is a detail of `the device according to PIG. l, with the slider member in a cocking position,

FIIG. 4 is a cross section through the arrangement according to FIG. l along the line .IV-IV in FIG. 3,

FIG. 5 is a circuit diagram of the device for controlling the motor of the device according to FIG. 1,

FIG. 6 is a longitudinal section through a further device according to the invention for actuating weapons by way of a cable connected thereto and transmitting tension and compression forces,

FIG. 7 is a cross section along the line VIII-VII through the device according to lFIG. 6,

FIG. 8 is a longitudinal section through the arrangement connected to the cable for actuating the weapon, and

FIG. 9 is a view of the arrangement according to FIG. S in the direction of the arrow IX.

In the embodiment according to FIGS. 1 to 4 a threaded spindle 3 is rotatably mounted in ball bearings 4 and 5 in end walls 1 and 2 of a housing having a rectangular cross section, and a travelling nut 6 is disposed thereon. This travelling nut has a rectangular cross section and its lateral surfaces lie against side walls 7 and 8 of the housing of the apparatus so that the nut is non-rotatably guided in the housing. In order to make the nut as easily displaceable as possible, balls are inserted in a known manner between the screw threads of the nut 6 and the spindle 3 so that therefore the nut 6 is mounted on the spindle 3 with the intervention of balls. The spindle 3 is driven by an electro-motor 9 which is connected to the rear end of the housing of the apparatus with the intervention of a gear box 10. Since the spindle 3 itself in co-operation with the nut 6 effects already a very high gear reduction, only asingle pair of gear wheels 12, 13 must be disposed between the motor shaft 11 and the threaded spindle 3, so that therefore an expensive reduction gear drive is omitted. Furthermore, a cable gland 14 is provided on the underside of the gear box 10, and a cable necessary for supplying current to the electro-motor 9 can be inserted therethrough.

The travelling nut 6 disposed 0n the threaded spindle 3 is in engagement with a slider member which is guided below the travelling nut between the walls 7 and 8 of the housing and is supported on the bottom 15 of the housing. As may be also seen from FIG. 3 the slider member comprises a rod 21 one end of which is provided with a ange 22 and onto the other end of which is screwed a nut 24 provided with a further ange 23. A sleeve 25 is disposed displaceably on the rod 21 and is also provided with a flange 26. The `flanges 22, 23 and 26 have rectangular shapes so that their edges are supported substantially by the side walls 7 and 8 and the bottom 15 of the housing. A helical compression spring 27 of considerable strength is disposed on the rod 21 and the sleeve 25 between the flange 23 of the rod and the flange 26 of the sleeve. Furthermore, the travelling nut 6 has a projection 28 on its underside adjacent to the slider member which engages between the flange 22 of the rod and the adjacent flange 26 of the sleeve. yIn the one direction of movement the nut 6 drives therefore the rod 21 by means of the flange 22 and the sleeve 25 by means of the flange 26 in cooperation with the spring 27. |In the opposite direction of movement the projection 28 of the nut 6 affects the flange 26 of the sleeve and drives the sleeve directly, whereas the rod 21 is driven by means of the spring 27 which this time affects the flange 23 of this rod.

The device according to the invention serves simultaneously as weapon carrier and is provided for this purpose with a holder member 31 which has two arms 32 attached preferably by welding to the underside of the housing. In this holder member a weapon carrier 35 is displaceably mounted on bars 34 which are disposed in the longitudinal direction of the weapon 33 which is indicated by a chain dotted line. Helical springs by means of which the carrier 35 is supported on the holder member 31 in the one direction are disposed on the bars 34 in a manner not illustrated in more detail on parts lying within the holder member 31 whereas :for support in the opposite direction springs '36 are disposed on the outwardly projecting ends of the bars. Brake rings are in serted into the windings of the helical springs referred to which damp the movements of the weapon carrier 35 relatively to the holder member 31. 'In the embodiment illustrated the weapon carrier 35 has bearing eyes for a holder pin attached to the weapon 33 but not illustrated in more detail, the eye 37 being separable from the carrier 35 for inserting the pin. In this manner the actuating device according to the invention can be united with the weapon 33 to form a single unit which can be built as a unit into an aeroplane, a vehicle or any other weapon carrier, in which case for example threaded holes 38 may be provided in the holder member 31 to serve for fixing this unit. In this case, the actuating device is disposed at the side of the weapon housing in such manner that the motor 9 is located in the vicinity of the barrel of the weapon and the opposite end of the housing is located in the vicinity of the trigger of the weapon.

The device according to the invention serves for cocking the weapon as well as triggering thereof. When cocking the weapon the travelling nut 6 is displaced out of the rest position indicated by a dotted line in FIG. 1 in the direction towards the motor 9, that is towards the back referred to the direction of shooting, and displaces thereby the slider member by means of the flange 22 and therefore the sleeve with the flange 26 by means of the spring 27. In this case, the sleeve 25 with the flange 26 serves as intermediate member which comes into engagement with the breech block of the weapon. For this purpose the housing wall 7 adjacent to the weapon 33 has a slot 41 through which a member 42 connected to the breech block of the weapon can extend into the path of this intermediate member. A pin 43 is attached to the member 42 and extends into the region of a recess 44 in the flange 22 of the rod 21, so that during the cocking movement of the slider member the flange 22 of the rod slides past the pin 43 and the flange 26 of the intermediate member comes into engegaement with the pin. During the further rearward movement the breech block of the weapon is therefore driven in the cocking direction by means of the members 42 and 43 and moved into the cocked position and is caught provided it is an appropriately constructed weapon as is usual for machine guns.

Although the device according to the invention utilises small masses and low friction resistances and therefore makes operating at very high speeds possible, the speed imparted during the cocking of the weapon to the breech block of the weapon by means of the travelling nut 6 is not suicient in all practical cases in order to ensure also that a cartridge casing withdrawn by the breech block is ejected with certainty. For this purpose breech block speeds are necessary for many weapons which cannot be obtained by normal a mechanical actuating device. The device according to the invention, however, makes a perfect ejection of a cartridge casing possible also in these cases.

For this purpose a pivotal lever 45 is mounted in the embodiment illustrated in the drawing in the rear end wall 2 of the housing of the device and a stepped side surface thereof extends through a slot in the housing wall 7 disposed below the slot 41.

A lip 46 of the lever 45 engages a recess in the end wall 2 of the housing and a projection 47 attached to the opposite end engages the outside of the edge of the housing 7 and is held in this position by a spring 48 one end of which engages in a projection of the holder member 31 and the other end of which engages in an appropriate depression in the lever 45. The free end of the lever 45 has a stop face 49 for the flange 26 on the sleeve 25, whereas approximately in the centre of the lever the surface projects into the housing and is provided with a step-like projection 50 which constitutes a control member co-operating with the flange 22 of the slide member of rod 21.

The recess 44 in the flange 22 constitutes also a passage for the stop face 49 of the lever 45, whereas an oblique surface 51 disposed on the edge of said flange is arranged to run against the projection 50 of the lever 45 and serves for deflecting the lever 45 against the force of the spring 48 loading it.

The stop surface 49 on the lever 45 is disposed so that the flange 26 runs against this stop shortly before the breech block reaches the position in which the ejector of the weapon comes into engagement with the cartridge casing. The intermediate member 25, 26 and the breech block therefore come initially to a standstill. Since however the travelling nut 6 continues its movement it displaces the rod 21 by means of the flange 22 and thereby cocks the spring 27 which is disposed between the stationary flange 26 and the continuously moving flange 23. The standstill of the intermediate member 25, 26 and of the breech block lasts, while the spring 27 is being cocked, until the oblique surface 51 on the flange 22 comes into engagement with the projection 50 on the lever 45 and thereby pivots the lever. The projection 50 and the surface 51 are matched to each other in such manner that when a defined cooking force is attained the lever 45 releases the flange 26 and therefore, the intermediate member 25, 26 is highly accelerated and driven at a high speed by means of the suddenly released spring 27 which may be very powerful. In this manner, the breech block is also driven at such a high speed that an injection of the withdrawn casing is ensured under all circumstances. After the spring has been released the breech block is then moved normally into its rearward end position where, as mentioned already, it is caught in general by the triggering device of the weapon. The travelling nut returns then by itself again from its rearward position into the above mentioned rest position, the flange 26 being lifted off the pin 43 and the recess 44 of the flange 22 passing the pin 43. However for the purpose `of providing a safe position of the weapon it is alternatively possible to leave the travelling nut with the slider member in the rearward position so that the flange 26 of the intermediate member in co-operation with the pin 43 prevents the breech block from moving forwardly and thereby causing a shot to be fired.

For triggering the weapon the travelling ntut 6 is moved forwardly out of the mentioned rest position. Thereby the forward flange 23 of the rod 21 comes into engagement with the one `arm of a pivotal lever 61 which extends through a slot 62 in the bottom 15 of the housing of the weapon and which is disposed substantially perpendicular to the direction of movement of the slider member. The lever 61 is pivoted thereby referred to FIG. 1 in an anti-clockwise direction until the flange 23 comes to rest against a stop which is constituted in the embodiment illustrated by the housing 60 of the ball bearing 4. The shock caused thereby is damped by the spring 27 which serves in this case as a buffer spring because the travelling nut 6 does not engage the rod 22 provided with the flange 23 directly during this direction of movement but engages the flange 26 of the sleeve 25 so that the driving force of the travelling nut 6 is transmitted to the ange 23 by means of the spring 27. The instant at which the iiange 23 stops against the housing 60 is illustrated in FIG. l. The nut 6 travels a little bit further forward from the position illustrated until the counter force of the spring 27 balances the driving force of the nut 6. The nut then cornes to restV wherrasrthe motor 9 remains under current as long as the trigger isV4 to be'actuated. The trigger 63 of the weapon 33 which is illustrated by a chain-dotted line in FIG. 2 is in engagement with a lever system which comprises two levers 64 and 65 which are disposed substantially parallel to each other and both of which are disposed below the housing of the actuating device, and which are connected to each other approximately at their centres by a link 66.

As may -be seen in particular from FIG. 2 the lever 64 is pivotally mounted on the underside of the housing by means of a pin 67, and its other end rests against the trigger 63 of the weapon. Its pivot axis extends substantially parallel to the trigger so that its end resting against the trigger 63 performs during displacement of the lever a similar movement as the iinger of a rifleman. r1`he other lever 65 rests with its free end against the inside of the forward section 68 of the trigger guard which serves as rigid support for the lever system. The other end of the lever 65 is connected to the lever 61 which can be actuated by the ange 23 of the slider member, by means of a joint 69 constituted by a stud-like projection of the lever 65 which engages in an appropriate opening in the end of lever 61. As indicated by small arrows the lever has been deected in FIG. 1 in the anti-clockwise direction by a ange 23 of the slider `member so that its lower end has performed a movementiagainst the direction of shooting. Since the forward edge of the lever 65 rests against the inside of the trigger guard 68 the lever 65 referred to the point of contact between the free arm of this lever and the trigger guard 68 has also been pivoted in FIG. 2 in anti-clockwise direction owing to this movement. This has caused a movement of the link 66 towards the back, that is in FIG. 2 towards the right. Accordingly the lever 64 has been pivoted in the clockwise direction about the stud 67 and the trigger 63 moved rearwardly, that is actuated, by the free arm of the lever 64. During a return movement of the travelling nut 6 into its rest position the flange 23 of the slider member releases the member 61 so that under the pressure of the trigger 63 the lever 64 is rotated in FIG. 2 in the anti-clockwise direction and can thereby drive the levers 65 and 61 by means of the link 66 both of which perform a rotation in the clockwise direction in FIG. 2 and FIG. 1. The trigger is thus released by withdrawal of the nut 6 into the rest position and the succession of shots is interrupted thereby. The lever system has the advantage that the triggering of the weapon is effected by an increase of the spacing between the free ends of the levers 64 and 65 which spacing is determined substantially only by the distance between the joints 67 and 69. This spacing is largely independent of the position of the weapon 63 in relation to the trigger device. The weapon can consequently perform in relation to the triggering device the recoil movements which are unavoidable during shooting without any diiculty and without thereby the engagement of the device with the trigger of the weapon being adversely affected in any way.

For controlling the motor 9 of the actuating device illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 4 there serves the circuit according to FIG. 5. This circuit contains the switches S1 and S2, S2 and the push buttons T1 and T2 disposed on a switchboard within manual range of the weapons controller. Furthermore, the circuit includes three switches 8 B1, B2, and B3 which are actuated by the travelling nut 6. The travelling nut 6 has for this purpose contacts 71 on its upper side which co-operate with stationary contacts 72 and 73 which are attached to a rail 74 of an insulating material. This rail is disposed parallel to the threaded spindle 3 in the housing of the device, in the embodiment illustrated it is attached to the wall 8 of the housing by means of angle members 75. The rail 74 is disposed at the side of the spindle 3 opposite the slider member. The housing is closed on this side by means of a cover 76. The contacts 71 attached to the travelling nut 6 constitute in the various operative positions of the travelling nut 6 the connection with the negative pole 77 of the voltage supply forethecircuit arrangement. VIn the rest position of the nut 6 the switches B2 and B3 are closed, Whereas in the rearward position of the nut, that is in the secured position, the switch B1 is closed, and in the forward position, that is in the firing position, the switch B2 is closed.

The manner of operation of the device according to the invention is as follows:

The device is ready for operation by closing the switch S1 by which the whole device is connected to the voltage supply. When the nut is located in its rest position the switches B2 and B3 are closed, that is relays D2 and D3 are energised. Contacts d21, d22, d31 and d32 assume then the operative positions illustrated in FIG. 5. Thereby the lamp H1 is connected by voltage by way of contacts d22, d62, d31 and the closed contact of the switch S2 and indicates by lighting up readiness of the device for operation.

For loading the weapon ready for tiring there serves the push button switch T1 which can be actuated by finger pressure. By closing the contacts of the switch T1 the relays D4 and D5 are connected to voltage. The relay D4 holds on subsequently .by way of its contact d41 and closes its operative contact d42. In contrast thereto, the relay D5 is separated from the voltage source by the opening of its normally closed contact d51, connected in series with the relay winding when this relay is energised. However, the relay D5 is connected in parallel with a capacitor 81 which has the effect that the relay D5 does not drop out at once but remains during a period which is sufficient for cocking the weapon. Consequently the contact d52 of the relay D5 changes over and the relay C1 is energized through the contacts d42 and d52. The excitation of the relay C1 has the effect that the changeover contact C11 lying in the current circuit of the motor 9 is switched over and the motor 9 is connected to voltage in the manner that a return run is performed. In normal operating conditions the travelling nut attains its rearmost position before the relay D5 drops out, and the switch B1 is then closed, whereas the switches B2 and B3 were opened when the travelling nut left its rest position. The closing of the switch B1 has the consequence that relay D1 is energised and change-over contact d11 changes its position. Thereby the changeover contact d11 is changed over for a short period so that the branch including the hold-on contact d41 of the relay D4 is cut oif the current supply. At the same time the normally open contact d12 of the relay D1 closes and energizes thereby relay D7 which holds on by way of hold-on contact d71 and changeover contact d22, of the non-excited relay D2. This furthermore, has the consequence that the change-over contact d72 of the relay D7 is switched over and the relay C2 is connected to voltage, whereas the relay C1 is cut off the current supply by the opening of the contact d42. This process occurs also when the button T1 is still closed because the change-over contact d72 cuts off the current supply from the contact of this button which lies in series with the relay D4. Owing to the de-energization of the relay C1 and the energization of the relay C2 the motor 9 is then connected to the positive pole of the voltage supply by way of contact C21 and to the negative pole of the voltage supply by way of the deenergized contact c11 and runs in the reverse direction so that the travelling nut s displaced again forwardly. The forward movement terminates when the switches B2 and B3 are closed again in the rest position of the nut, whereas the switch B1 was opened already after the rearmost position had been left. Stopping occurs substantially by the return of the contacts d22 into the illustrated position, whereby the hold-on current circuit of relay D7 is interrupted and the change-over contact d72 separates the relay C2 again from the current supply.

If the weapon is not to be made fully operative but is to be made safe the change-over switch S2, S-2 is actuated instead of the button T1. Since the contacts of the switch S2 are in parallel with the contacts of the button T1, the return run is switched on in the same manner as if the weapon is made operative. In contrast to making the weapon fully operative, however, the breech block remains at standstill in the rearmost position because the contacts of the switch S-2 are open and interrupt therefore the branch leading to the relay C2 causing the forward movement. Moreover the current path of the lamp H1 is interrupted so that this lamp is extinguished. In its place the lamp H2 is switched on by way of the contact dll which indicates that the weapon is in the secured state. For opening the safety catch the switch S2, S2 is moved into its rest position again, whereby the contacts of the switch S2 are opened and the contacts of the switch S-2 are closed. Thereby the relay C2 is connected to voltage and the return run is initiated in the manner described.

If due to jamming while the weapon is made operative the breech block and thus also the travelling nut do not attain their rearmost postion so that all switches D1, D2 and D3 remain open, the return run is initiated kby the delayed de-energisation of the relay D5 the change-over contact d52 of which connects by way of the further changeover contact d21, the relay C2 to voltage which now initiates the forward movement of the actuating device.

For triggering the weapon the press button switch T2 is actuated which connects the relay D8 to voltage. Thereby the relay C2 which initiates the forward movement is connected to voltage by way of the contact chain d22, d62, d81. The relay C2 remains switched on through this chain as long as the button T2 is pressed. During the forward movement of the nut 6 the switch B2 remains closed, whereas the switch B3 is opened. This has the consequence that the relay B3 is de-energised and its (normally open) contact d31 is opened, whereas its (normally closed) contact d32 is closed. The opening of the contact d31 has the consequence that the lamp H1 extinguishes. The closing of the contact d32 remains at first without consequences because the (normally closed) contact d82 lying in series with the relay D8 is open. When the button T2 is released again the relay D8 drops out and the (normally open) contact d81 is opened so that the relay C2 is cut olf from the current supply. At the same time, however, the (normally closed) contact d82 closes and connects now the relay C1 to voltage by way of the chain d22, d62, 182 and d32, which relay effects the return run of the motor 9. If in the rest position of the nut the switch B3 is closed again, the relay D3 is energised and the (normally closed) contact d32 opens so that the relay C1 is cut off the current supply again and the motor is stopped. At the same time the (normally open) contact d31 is closed again so that the lamp H1 is re-connected to the voltage source and lights up in order to indicate that the weapon is ready for operation again.

The above description makes it clear that by the invention there is provided a very simple device by means of which a weapon can be actuated with high reliability from a remote location. Not only is it possible with this very simple device which moreover does not require any large circuit expense, to make the weapon fully operative and to trigger it, but also that the weapon can Ibe made safe and that by means of the delayed action relay D5 the breech block can be shaken when the breech block should have jammed for any reason. Thereby .it is possible in many cases to make a jammed weapon ready for shooting again.

FIGS. 6 to 9 illustrate a further embodiment of the invention which enables the weapon to be remotely actuated even when the space conditions do not permit the actuating device to be attached directly adjacent to the weapon such in the case of the embodiment described above. For such circumstances the embodiment according; to FIGS. 6 to 9 provides that the intermediate member driven by the travelling nut is not brought directly into engagement with the breech block of the weapon, but is connected to the core of a cable which core is displaceable in its longitudinal direction in the sleeve of the cable and which serves for actuating further members attached to the weapon which are in engagement with the breech block and the trigger of the weapon, but which have only small dimensions.

The apparatus according to FIGS. 6 to 9 has a housing which consists of a cover 101 having a substantially U- shaped cross section and two end plates 102 and 103 which are welded or otherwise securely attached to the ends of the cover. A threaded spindle 104 with a travelling nut 105 mounted on balls is disposed inside the cover 101, the spindle being supported at one end in a support block 106 attached to the end plate 102, and at the other end directly in the end plate 103. For supporting the spindle 104 there serve in this case also ball bearings 107 and 108. For driving the spindle 104 there serves an electro-motor 109 which is also constructed as a reversible drive motor and which in this case is disposed below a cross member of the housing 101 and is attached to the end plate 103 of the housing. The motor shaft extends similarly as the shaft 104 through the end plate 103 and carries a pinion 110 which is shown in FIG. 7 and which is in engagement with a gear wheel 112 which is disposed on the end of the threaded spindle 104. These gears are disposed on the outside of the plate 103 and are enclosed by a cap 113. Furthermore the housing 101 which is open one side and the motor 109 are enclosed by a tube-like housing member 114 which extends from the end wall 102 to the end wall 103. At the open side of the jacket 101 there is disposed by means of cross ybars 115 a rail 116 of an insulating work material on which, in the same manner as on the rail 74 according to FIG. l, contacts are disposed which together with contacts 117 serve for controlling the driving motor 109 of the device.

In this embodiment of the invention the travelling nut 10S is rigidly connected to a sleeve 121 which is guided on a tube 122 disposed parallel to the threaded spindle 104 in the housing of the device. The connection between the travelling nut 105 and the sleeve 121 is produced by means of a spring disc 123 which engages with a flattened edge 124 in a corresponding groove 125 in the adjacent side of the nut 105 and engages with similar ats 126 at the inside in corresponding grooves on the periphery of the sleeve 121. The tube 122 and the sleeve 121 have mutually corresponding longitudinal slots 127 and 128 which are disposed approximately in the plane in which the axles of the spindle 104 and of the tube 122 lie. In the spring disc 123 there are provided recesses 129 and 130 which are in line with the slots 127 and 128, the recess 130 being in the form of radial slot on the side of the spring disc 123 remote from the nut 105. In the guide tube 122 there is disposed an intermediate member 131 which has projections 132 which engage in the longitudinal slots 127 and 128 of the tube and the sleeve as well as into the recesses 129 and 130 of the spring disc 123. These projections 132 of the intermediate member 131 are held in the region of the spring disc 123 which is located approximately in the center of the sleeve 121 by means of two helical compression springs 133 and 134 which are disposed on the parts of the sleeve 121 disposed on both sides of the spring disc 123. The spring 133 is supported on the one hand `by a tube-like buffer member 135 which is placed onto the end of the sleeve 121 pointing into the triggering direction and has at its end located on the sleeve an inwardly projecting collar which serves for securing the sleeve by means of a split ring 136.

The other end of the spring 133 rests against a disc 137 which is supported by the spring disc 123 or by the projections 132 of the intermediate member 131. Correspondingly the helical compression spring 134 is supported on the one hand by a ring 138 which is disposed on the end of the sleeve 121 pointing into the cocking direction and by a further ring 139 which in turn rests against the spring disc 123 or however, against the projections 132 of the intermediate member 131. It is thus clear that the projections 132 are normally always held by the springs 133 and 134 in the recesses 129 and 130 of the spring disc 123 connecting the travelling nut to the sleeve and that displacement relative to this spring disc and thus relative to the travelling nut 105 is possible only with tensioning one of these springs.

The intermediate member 131 serves simultaneously as end member for the core 142 displaceably guided in a sleeve 141 of a cable, the core 142 being suitable for transmitting tension and compression. In order to reduce friction the core 142 is guided in the sleeve 141 by means of balls in a known manner not illustrated in detail. The cable consisting of sleeve 141 and core 142 terminates as illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 9 in a means which for actuating the Weapon and which can be attached directly to the weapon. This means comprises a tube 143 which extends in the continuation of the sleeve 141 of the cable and which can be attached, in particular screwed, to the outside of the weapon 145 indicated in FIG. 8 with a chain dotted line by means of a welded-on metal plate 144. Furthermore, there is attached to the tube 143 a bearing bush 146 on which a two armed lever 147 is lpivotally mounted, one of the arms thereof engaging behind the trigger 149 by means of a suitably cranked portion 148.

A slide member 150 attached to the end of the cable core 142 is displaceable in the tube 143 which extends parallel to the shooting direction of the weapon, and an arm 151 of the slide member 150 extends through a longitudinal slot 152 of the guide tube 143. A sleeve 153 extending approximately parallel to the tube 143 is attached to the arm 151 and has near its rear end a projection 154 which projects in the direction towards the weapon. This projection is constituted in the embodiment illustrated by a wedge inserted into the sleeve, but it may alternatively be pressed out of same or attached thereto in Some other manner. This projection 154 is disposed so that it engages behind the upper arm of the lever 147 serving for triggering the weapon and it displaces the lever 147 in the sense of triggering the weapon when the projection 154 is moved forwardly out of its rest position, as illustrated in FIG. 8 in which the slide member 150 with the sleeve 153 is located in its foremost position.

In order to move the slide member 150 into this foremost position the cable core 142 must be pressed by the intermediate member 131 into the sleeve 141, that is to say it must be subjected to pressure. For this purpose the travelling nut 105 is caused to run forward in the manner described with reference to the preceding example until the buffer member 135 rests against the end wall 102 of the housing. The further movement of the sleeve 121 is then effected with the butter member 135 at standstill, whereby the helical spring 133 which serves in this case as butter spring is tensioned until the counter force developed by this spring cancels the driving force of the device. This driving force is very much greater than the force which the cable core can transmit without danger of damage.

The cable would thus be overloaded when the slide member 151 as illustrated in FIG. 8 cornes to rest in its foremost position at the end of the slot 151, the sleeve 121 however, has not yet attained its foremost position. In order to avoid damage caused thereby to the cable 141, 142 the spring 134 is provided which is disposed on the sleeve 121. This spring transmits to the intermediate member 131 which is attached to the end of the cable core 142 a pressure in the compression direction which is not greater than the cable is capable of transmitting without diticulty. In the position illustrated in FIG. 6 the arm 151 of the slide member 150 has come to rest according to FIG. 8 at the end of the slot 152 in the tube 143 before the travelling nut 105 has come to standstill in consequence of the counter force of the buffer spring 133. Consequently, the intermediate member 131 has remained slightly behind relatively to the nut and the sleeve 121, compressing thereby the spring 134, whereby the core 142 of the cable is subjected only to the force of the spring 134 which is pre-adjusted to the permissible loading of the cable.

The projection 154 provided on the sleeve 153 co-oper- -ates not only with the lever 147 serving for actuating the trigger, but also with `a driver member which is disposed in the sleeve 153 on the side of the projection 154 remote from the lever 147. This driver member 155 has an arm 157 which projects from a slot 156 in the sleeve and which is in engagement with the breech block of the weapon in a manner not illustrated in more detail. The driver ymember 155 is displaceably disposed in the sleeve 153 and is in rigid connection with an insert 159 by way of a bow member 158, the insert 159 being disposed in the sleeve 153 on the other side 4of the projection 154 and supported by the projection 154 by way of a helical spring 160 disposed in the sleeve. The bow member 158 engages on the one hand in the open end of the sleeve 153 and the end of the driver member 155, whereas it extends behind the insert 159 through a further slot 161 in the sleeve 153 and engages in the end of the insert 159 remote from the spring 160. The arrangement constituted by the driver member 155, the bow member 158 and the insert 159 is displaceable relatively to the projection 154 within certain limits which are set by the length of the slot 161.

When the weapon is being cocked the travelling nut 105 together with the sleeve 121 is moved in FIG. 6 towards the right, similarly as in the preceding embodiment, whereby the intermediate member 131 is driven by means of the spring 133 and a pull is exerted on the cable core 142. Consequently in FIG. 8 the slide member 150 with the sleeve 153 is moved to the left. Thereby the projection 154 comes to rest against the driver member 155 with the arm 157 which in turn drives the breech block, until the breech block has attained its rearward end position and the device is Amoved back again into its rest position. Thereby the cable core 142 with the slide member 150 `and the sleeve 153 is pressed to the right in FIG. 8. The projection 154 displaces during this movement the ar rangement consisting of driver member 155, bow member 158 and insert 159 by means of the spring 160 until the arm 157 which engages into the weapon housing is stopped in a forward position. During the further movement of the projection 154 Ifor triggering the weapon in FIG. 8 towards the right, the spring 160I permits relative displacement between the sleeve 153 and the arrangement consisting of the parts 155, 158 and 159.

The embodiment according to FIGS. 6 to 9 also provides a device which makes it possible to accelerate the cocking movement of the breech block for the purpose of ejecting a cartridge casing. Similarly as in the preceding embodiment, a lever 171 serves for this purpose also in this case, the lever being inserted in a corresponding recess in a wall of the housing 101 land loaded by a leaf spring 172 which presses the lever into the interior of the housing. The lever 171 has at its end towards the rest position of the sleeve 121 an inclined stop surface 173 which '.tits in the radial slot 130 of the spring disc 123 and against which the projection 132 of the intermediate member 133 comes to rest. Consequently, the intermediate member 132 comes to standstill during the return movement of the nut 105 and the sleeve 121, cocking thereby the spring 133 as soon as the projection 132 comes to rest against the stop surface 173. The lever 171 however has lateral surfaces 174, offset rearwardly relatively t-o the stopping surface 173, on which the portions of the spring disc 123 limiting the radial slot 130 are supported when the spring disc is moved back further by the nut 105. The co-operation of these portions of the spring disc 123 with the oblique surfaces 174 on the lever 171 has the effect that the lever 171 is pivoted out of the path of the projection 132 of the intermediate member 131 when the spring 133 has :attained the necessary tension in order to accelerate the breech block so that the ejection of a cartridge casing is ensured.

The preceding description shows that the second embodiment of the invention utilises also the same principles as the first embodiment, and that merely certain parts of this device have been modified by a special construction that is to say in respect of the transmission of the movements by means of a cable with a displaceable core. It is understood that further special purposes of use may require other special modifications also and therefore the invention is not limited to the embodiments illustrated by way of example. Thus modifications thereof lare possible without the scope of the invention being exceeded in which ease such modified embodiments may have only some of the inventive features by themselves or a plurality thereof in any combination.

What I claim is:

1. A remote control device for automatic firearms, comprising a housing, an actuating member rectilinearly displaceable in said housing, a single motor means for displacing said actuating member in two opposite directions from a rest position, and intermediate means operatively connecting said actuating member with the breech mechanism and the trigger of a rearm to be controlled by the device, displacement of the actuating member and the intermediate means in one direction from said rest position causing the breech mechanism to be cocked and `displacement in the other direction from said rest position causing the t-rigger to be actuated.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the actuating member comprises a threaded spindle rotatably mounted in said housing and a nut member disposed on' said spindle and non-rotatably but displaceably supported by said housing, said nut member being operatively connected to said intermediate means, the housing being provided with means for receiving a rearm and the intermediate means being adapted for direct engagement with the breech mechanism of the said firearm. 3. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the actuatmg member comprises a threaded spindle rotatably mounted in said housing and a nut member disposed on said spindle and non-rotatably but displaceably supported by said housing, said nut member being operatively connected to said intermediate means, holder means for receiving a lirearm to be controlled by the device, displaceable means disposed in said holder means and adapted to engage the breech mechanism and the trigger of said firearm, said displaceable means being operatively connected to said intermediate means in such manner that displacement of the actuating member and the intermediate means in the one direction causes the breech mechanism to be cocked and displacement of the actuating member and the intermediate member in the other direction causes the trigger to be actuated.

4. A device for remotely actuating automatic rearms, in particular machine guns, as claimed in claim 1, comprising an actuating member which -is driven by an electro-motor in a straight line and which is in operative connection with the breech mechanism of the weapon for cocking the latter, and lever system means for actuating the trigger of the weapon, wherein the actuating member -is displaceable in a first direction opposite to the first direction from a rest position for cocking the weapon and in a second direction forl triggering the weapon and wherein the actuating member can be brought into engagement with the lever system for actuating the trigger of the weapon during the movement in said second d-irection.

5. A device as claimed in claim 4, characterised in that the actuating member is constituted by a travelling nut disposed on a threaded spindle, said nut being mounted on the threaded spindle by means of balls, and is nonrotatably but displaceably supported by the housing.

6. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the actuating member drives by means of a coupling spring an intermediate member which is arranged to be displaceable on the same axis or parallel thereto and which can be brought into direct or indirect engagement with the breech block Vof the weapon, and wherein near the end -of the cocking stroke a spring-load catch lever is provided which projects into the path of the intermediate member and the actuating member, and which has a stop surface for the intermediate member and surface portions which co-operate with the actuating member and with which the actuating member comes into engagement during its further movement after the intermediate member has been stopped, thereby cocking the coupling spring, and which are constructed so that the catch lever is pivoted out of the path of the intermediate member, whereafter the intermediate member is moved further with high acceleration by the relaxing coupling spring.

7. A device according to claim 4, wherein said actuating member is connected by way of a buffer spring to a stop member arranged to be displaced co-aXially or parallel therewith, said stop member abutting against a support near the end of the trigger stroke, whereby the buffer spring is cocked and the actuating member Comes to a standstill when the counter force of said spring balances the driving force.

8. A dev-ice according to claim 7, wherein said stop member comes into engagement with said lever system serving for triggering the weapon neal the end of the trigger stroke.

9. A device according to claim 4, wherein said actuating member carries contacts which in the rest position of said actuating member and at least at the end of the cocking stroke come to rest on stationary counter contacts, said contacts, together with said counter contacts, constituting switches which are disposed in the current circuit lof said electro-motor.

10. A device according to claim 9, wherein the current circuit yof said electro-motor further includes relay means and manually-operated switch means which, together with said switches actuated by said actuating member, control said electro-motor for operation as a reversible drive motor such that after a cocking signal of short duration has been released, said actuating member is moved out of its rest position for cocking the weapon and returns again automatically to its rest position after the cocking stroke has terminated and is stopped in this position, whereas after a triggering signal has been -released, said actuating member is moved into the trigger position and is held in the trigger position bythe energized electro-motor for so long as the triggering signal remains active.

11. A device according to claim 9, wherein said actuating member is adapted to be immobilized at the end of the cocking stroke, thereby providing a safety catch for the breech block of the weapon.

12. A device according to claim 10, further comprising a relay having a change-over contact for reversing the polarity of said electromotor, said contact having an opening delay longer than the time required for cocking the weapon, said relay being connected in series with a nor- 15 mally-closed contact thereof, whereby, upon jamming of the breech block, indicated by failure of said actuating member to move to its rearward operating position, the electro-motor reverses its direction of rotation in short time intervals while a switch actuating the cocking stroke remains continuously actuated.

13. A device according to claim 1, wherein said intermediate means includes a slider member non-rotatably guided within said housing parallel to said actuating member, said slider member including a rod having flanges at each end thereof and a sleeve displaceably mounted upon said rod, said sleeve having a flange at the end Y thereof extending in the direction of the cocking movement of saidY actuating member, and' aV helical compression spring disposed about said sleeve, said spring being supported at one end by the ange on said rod at the end thereof in the direction of the triggering movement of said actuating member and, at the other end thereof by the flange of said sleeve, said actuating member including a projection engaging a portion of said rod between said flange of said sleeve and said flange at said end of said rod extending in the direction of the cooking movement of said actuating member.

14. A device according to claim 13, wherein said housing is provided with a slot extending parallel to the movement of said slider member, and the weapon to be actuated is positioned closely adjacent said actuating device, a member operatively connected with the breech block thereof extending through said slot and positively engaging said flange of said sleeve during the cocking stroke.

15. A device according to claim 13, further comprising lever system means for actuating the trigger of the weapon, including two levers positioned substantially parallel to each other and affixed pivotably about axes substantially parallel to the trigger of the weapon, said two levers being interconnected, near the centers thereof, by a linking member, the free ends of said two levers being positioned between the trigger of the weapon and a member aixed with respect thereto, one of said levers being pivotably mounted, at the opposite end thereof, to said housing, the other of said levers, at the opposite end thereof, operatively engaging with said actuating member when said actuating member is in a triggering position, whereby movement of said actuating member to a triggering position effects a pivoting of said levers, thus actuating the trigger of the weapon.

16. A device according to claim 1, further comprising weapon holding means aflixed to said housing, and carrying means, adapted to be afxed to the housing of the weapon to be actuated, and spring-biased connecting means for joining said holding means to said carrying means, said holding means being displaceable, with respect to said carrying means, in the longitudinal direction of the weapon.

17. A device according to claim 1, further comprising a cable having a core longitudinally displaceable relative to a surrounding jacket, said cable being suitable for transmitting tensile and compressive forces, one end of said core of said cable being operatively connected with said actuating member, the opposite end of said core being operatively connected with means for cooking and triggering the fire arm.

18. A device according to claim 17, wherein said cable is connected such that the core thereof is subjected to tension when the firearm is cocked and to compression when the rearm is triggered.

19. A device according to claim 18, wherein said core is mounted within said surrounding jacket by means of balls.

20. A device according to claim 19, further comprising a guide tube disposed within said housing parallel to said actuating member, said guide tube being connected to said surrounding jacket and receiving therein one end of said core of said cable, said guide tube having two longitudinal slots therein which are disposed diametri- Y cally opposite one another and have a length greater than Y Y z Y the extent of travel of said means for cocking and triggering the rearrn, and an end member operatively connected to the end of said core of said cable, said end member having projections which extend through said longitudinal slots of said guide tube, a sleeve having longitudinal slots corresponding to said slots in said guide tube, mounted upon said guide tube and rigidly connected to said actuating member, and a helical spring disposed about said sleeve supported at one end thereof by the end of said sleeve extending in the direction of the triggering movement and, at the opposite end thereof, by a disc member in contact with said projections of said end member, said spring thus transmitting cooking movement of said sleeve to said end member of said core of said cable.

21. A device according to claim 20, further comprising a buffer member which projects beyond the end of said sleeve and is relatively displaceable with respect thereto, said buffer member supporting said helical spring at the end of said sleeve, whereby said helical spring is rendered effective as a buffer spring as Iwell as a coupling spring.

22. A device according to claim 20, further comprising a connecting tube having a longitudinal slot therein, said connecting tube being connected to the end of said surrounding jacket of said cable which is operatively connected to the weapon, a slide member, attached to the corresponding end of said core of said cable, disposed within said connecting tube and having an arm projecting from the longitudinal slot thereof, and a holder member operatively engaging said connecting tube and connected to the weapon such that said arm of said slide member is adapted to activate the breech block and the trigger of the weapon.

23. A device according to claim 22, further comprising a two-armed lever pivotably mounted on said connecting tube, one arm of said lever engaging the trigger of the weapon, the other arm of said lever being operatively connected with said arm of said slide member.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,413,416 12/1946 Ostlund et al. 89-1 2,773,425 12/1956 Weeks 89-1 SAMUEL FEINBERG, Primary Examiner.

STEPHEN C. BENTLEY, Assistant Examiner.

U.S. Cl. X.R. 89-1

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