Method and apparatus for handling beltless ammunition in a twin-barreled gun
First Claim
1. An improvement in an automatic gun including a double-barrel each with a barrel bore having a longitudinal axis for alternately firing beltless cased ammunition from each barrel comprising:
- an oscillating breech having two chambers defined therein, said oscillating breech having a longitudinal axis generally parallel to said longitudinal axes of said double barrels, said oscillating breech rotating in an oscillating cycle about said longitudinal axis of said breech to alternately position each one of said two chambers defined in said oscillating breech in alignment with a corresponding barrel bore defined in a respective one of said double barrels, said chambers defined in said oscillating breech being opened at each opposing end of each chamber to permit said beltless cased ammunition to be slidingly disposed therethrough;
means for rotating said oscillating breech in said oscillating cycle about said longitudinal axis of said oscillating breech, said means for rotating coupled to said oscillating breech;
a first ammunition chute generally disposed transversely with respect to said longitudinal axis of said oscillating breech;
a second ammunition chute transversely disposed with respect to said longitudinal axis of said oscillating breech and disposed opposite said first ammunition chute, said first and second ammunition chutes disposed on opposing sides of said oscillating breech and aligned generally in the same plane, said double barrels aligned below said plane of said first and second ammunition chutes, said oscillating breech alternately rotating each chamber of said oscillating breech in alignment with said first and second ammunition chutes and subsequently in alignment with a corresponding one of said barrel bores;
means for loading each said chamber when said corresponding chamber is rotated in an upward position in alignment with said first and second ammunition chutes, same means for loading including a cocked rammer arranged and configured to force said beltless cased ammunition from said first and second ammunition chutes into said oscillating breech, said beltless cased ammunition being loaded in each of said chambers from one of said first and second ammunition chutes thereby forcing said beltless cased ammunition previously loaded in said corresponding chamber therefrom into an opposing one of said first and second ammunition chutes; and
buffer means opposing each means for loading to buffer the shock of said beltless cased ammunition being forced through said corresponding chamber into said opposing ammunition chute by said means for loading, whereby said automatic gun is fired at a rapid rate using beltless cased ammunition in such a manner that delivery of unfired beltless cased ammunition to and spent beltless cased ammunition from said automatic gun is facilitated.
6 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The loading, firing and ejection of beltless, cased ammunition is facilitated by the use of an oscillating breech having two breech chambers defined therethrough, which breech is disposed between two parallel ammunition chutes. Unfired rounds are provided to a load position in a first ammunition chute and the oscillating breech rotated to align one chamber with the load position. The unfired round is rammed into the aligned chamber, thereby forcing the spent cartridge just fired from the opposing end of the chamber into an eject position in a second opposing ammunition chute. Meanwhile, a second chamber within the oscillating breech is simultaneously aligned with a corresponding one of two barrel bores and fired. After firing, the oscillating breech rotates in the opposite direction to position the breech holding the just fired round in a position in alignment with the ammunition chutes while the breech having the unfired round just loaded therein is then positioned in alignment with a second one of the corresponding barrel bores. An unfired round is then loaded from the second ammunition chute, forcing the fired spent cartridge from the aligned chamber into an eject position in the opposing first ammunition chute. Therefore, unfired rounds enter through a first ammunition chute, are fed through a bore in an oscillating breech and then exit in the reverse direction in a second opposing ammunition chute. Similarly, a second group of unfired rounds are delivered through the second ammunition chute, loaded through a corresponding chamber in the oscillating breech and exit in the reverse direction through the opposing first ammunition chute.
16 Citations
16 Claims
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1. An improvement in an automatic gun including a double-barrel each with a barrel bore having a longitudinal axis for alternately firing beltless cased ammunition from each barrel comprising:
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an oscillating breech having two chambers defined therein, said oscillating breech having a longitudinal axis generally parallel to said longitudinal axes of said double barrels, said oscillating breech rotating in an oscillating cycle about said longitudinal axis of said breech to alternately position each one of said two chambers defined in said oscillating breech in alignment with a corresponding barrel bore defined in a respective one of said double barrels, said chambers defined in said oscillating breech being opened at each opposing end of each chamber to permit said beltless cased ammunition to be slidingly disposed therethrough; means for rotating said oscillating breech in said oscillating cycle about said longitudinal axis of said oscillating breech, said means for rotating coupled to said oscillating breech; a first ammunition chute generally disposed transversely with respect to said longitudinal axis of said oscillating breech; a second ammunition chute transversely disposed with respect to said longitudinal axis of said oscillating breech and disposed opposite said first ammunition chute, said first and second ammunition chutes disposed on opposing sides of said oscillating breech and aligned generally in the same plane, said double barrels aligned below said plane of said first and second ammunition chutes, said oscillating breech alternately rotating each chamber of said oscillating breech in alignment with said first and second ammunition chutes and subsequently in alignment with a corresponding one of said barrel bores; means for loading each said chamber when said corresponding chamber is rotated in an upward position in alignment with said first and second ammunition chutes, same means for loading including a cocked rammer arranged and configured to force said beltless cased ammunition from said first and second ammunition chutes into said oscillating breech, said beltless cased ammunition being loaded in each of said chambers from one of said first and second ammunition chutes thereby forcing said beltless cased ammunition previously loaded in said corresponding chamber therefrom into an opposing one of said first and second ammunition chutes; and buffer means opposing each means for loading to buffer the shock of said beltless cased ammunition being forced through said corresponding chamber into said opposing ammunition chute by said means for loading, whereby said automatic gun is fired at a rapid rate using beltless cased ammunition in such a manner that delivery of unfired beltless cased ammunition to and spent beltless cased ammunition from said automatic gun is facilitated. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. An improvement in an automatic gun system icluding multiple barrels comprising:
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an oscillating breech having a corresponding multiple number of chamber defined therein, said oscillating breech having a longitudinal axis generally parallel to said longitudinal axes of said multiple barrels, said oscillating breech rotating in an oscillating cycle above said longitudinal axis of said breech to position each one of said plurality of chambers defined in said oscillating breech in alignment with a corresponding barrel bore defined in respective ones of said multiple barrels, said chambers defined in said oscillating breech being opened at each opposing end of each chamber to permit said ammunition to be slidingly disposed therethrough; a first ammunition chute generally disposed transversely with respect to said longitudinal axis of said oscillating breech; and a second ammunition chute transversely disposed with respect to said longitudinal axis of said breech and disposed opposite said first ammunition chute, said first and second ammunition chute disposed on opposing sides of said oscillating breech and generally aligned in the same plane with each other, said multiple barrels being offset from said plane in which said first and second ammunition chutes lie, said oscillating breech cyclically rotating each first and second ammunition chutes and subsequently in alignment with a corresponding one of said multiple barrel bores, whereby unfired ammunition is taken from one of said first and second ammunition chutes, fired by said automatic gun system, and returned to an opposing one of said first and second ammunition chutes. - View Dependent Claims (9)
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10. A method for feeding beltless ammunition cartridges to an automatic gun including double barrels, wherein each barrel has a barrel bore defined therein and characterized by a longitudinal axis of said barrel bore, said method comprising the steps of:
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delivering said beltless ammunition cartridges at a load position in a first and second ammunition chute, said ammunition chutes generally disposed transversely with respect to said longitudinal axis of said barrel bores of said double barrels; forcing an unfired ammunition cartridge delivered to said load position within said first ammunition chute into a breech chamber defined in an oscillating breech disposed between said first and second ammunition chutes, said oscillating breech having a longitudinal axis generally parallel to said longitudinal axis of said double barrels and arranged and configured to oscillate about said longitudinal axis of said breech to alternately position each one of said two breech chambers defined in said oscillating breech alignment with said corresponding load position in said ammunition chutes; and simultaneously forcing a spent ammunition cartridge from each corresponding breech chamber into an opposite one of said first and second ammunition chutes when said unfired ammunition cartridge is forced into said corresponding breech chamber during said preceding step of loading, whereby beltless ammunition cartridges may be delivered to an automatic gun having double barrels with quick and smooth action. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12)
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13. An improvement in a method for feeding beltless ammunition cartridges to an automatic gun including a rotating breech and multiple barrels, wherein each barrel has a barrel bore defined therein characterized by a longitudinal axis of said corresponding barrel bore, said improvement comprising the steps of:
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forcing an ammunition cartridge from a first one of two opposing ammunition chutes into said rotating breech, said rotating breech having a corresponding multiplicity of chambers defined therethrough, each chamber corresponding to at least one of said multiple barrels; and simultaneously forcing a spent ammunition cartridge disposed in one of said chambers by a force exerted thereon by said ammunition cartridge delivered to a load position and disposed into said rotating breech by said step of forcing said unfired ammunition cartridge therein, said spent ammunition cartridge being disposed in an eject position in said opposing ammunition chute, movement of said spend cartridge being limited within said opposing ammunition chute so that said unfired ammunition cartridge being forced from said load position in said first opposing ammunition chute is retained in said rotating breech. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16)
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Specification