Breech drive for a weapon

• US 8,616,112 B2
• Filed: 06/06/2011
• Issued: 12/31/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rheinmetall Waffe Munition GmbH (Rheinmetall AG)
• Original Assignee: Rheinmetall Waffe Munition GmbH (Rheinmetall AG)
• Inventors: Herrmann, Ralf-Joachim, Schmees, Heiner, Baumann, Berthold
• Primary Examiner(s): Weber, Jonathan C
• Application Number:
  US13/154,235
• Publication Number:
  US 20120132062A1
• Time in Patent Office: 939 Days
• Field of Search: 89/17, 89/19, 89/202, 89/204, 89/45, 89/47, 89/11
• US Class Current: 89/20.4
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 17/18 Hang-fire prevention
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 7/08 Drives for externally-powered guns, i.e. drives for moving the breech-block or bolt by an external force during automatic firing
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 9/50 External power or control systems
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 9/51 Boosters, i.e. externally-powered motors

Abstract

A drive for a weapon is provided, wherein rotational motion of a motor is converted to a forward or reverse motion of the breech in a simple manner using the Scotch yoke principle. In order to allow rest periods of the breech in the end positions, the crank radius is defined by a control cam, which changes when the crank is rotated. The hinge pin of the crank may be externally driven via a pinion shaft. A yoke pin is arranged in a groove of the crank so as to be radially displaceable and carries the breech carrier or the breech in a groove extending transversely to the direction of fire via a sliding block. Two rollers are arranged on the crank pin and run in control cams in the weapon or crank housing. The control cam is subdivided into different sectors/sections, thereby achieving the desired motion of the breech.

Claims

1. A drive operably connected to a breech carrier of a weapon, wherein a breech is moveable with the breech carrier in an axial direction with respect to a weapon barrel of the weapon, wherein the drive comprises

(a) a motor;

(b) a crank operably connected to be driven by the motor, wherein the crank is provided with a first groove formed in the crank;

(c) a crank pin having at least one roller and a guide block fitted to the crank pin, wherein the crank pin is disposed in the first groove of the crank; and

(d) a first control cam, wherein the crank pin is positively guided in the first control cam, wherein the crank is rotated about a rotation axis by the motor, and the guide block is disposed to engage in a second groove formed in the breech carrier, wherein the second groove is arranged transversely with respect to a firing direction of the weapon, so that movements of the breech in the firing direction are predetermined by the first control cam and are transmitted to the breech via the crank pin and the breech carrier, and movements of the crank pin transversely with respect to the firing direction result in relative movement of the guide block of the crank pin with respect to the second groove formed in the breech carrier.

2. The drive as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first control cam comprises four different sectors or areas, wherein these four different sectors or areas produce a desired movement of a feed for the breech.

3. The drive as claimed in claim 2, wherein the shape of the first control cam corresponds to an “

O”

shape that has been pulled sideways with two linear sides.

4. The drive as claimed in claim 3, wherein the “

O”

shape that has been pulled sideways with two linear sides corresponds to a composite shape consisting of a rectangle with semi-circular ends.

5. The drive as claimed in claim 1, wherein the crank is operably connected to be driven by the motor via a pinion shaft connected to the motor, and a pair of eccentric gear wheels are located between the pinion shaft and the motor, and rotate at twice the rotation speed of the crank.

6. The drive as claimed in claim 1, wherein the crank is continuously rotatable about the rotation axis by the motor.

7. The drive as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a second control cam integrated in a housing upper part of a weapon housing or of a crank housing of the weapon, wherein the second control cam is identical to the first control cam that is integrated in a housing lower part of the weapon housing or the crank housing, except that the second control cam is in mirror-image form with respect to the first control cam.

8. A drive operably connected to a breech carrier of a weapon, wherein a breech is moveable with the breech carrier in an axial direction with respect to a weapon barrel of the weapon, wherein the drive comprises

(a) a motor;

(b) a crank operably connected to be driven by the motor, wherein the crank is provided with a first groove formed in the crank;

(c) a crank pin having at least one roller and a guide block fitted to the crank pin, wherein the crank pin is disposed in the first groove of the crank; and

(d) a first control cam, wherein the crank pin is positively guided in the first control cam, wherein the crank is rotated about a rotation axis by the motor, and the guide block is disposed to engage in a second groove formed in the breech carrier, wherein the second groove is arranged transversely with respect to a firing direction of the weapon, so that movements of the breech in the firing direction are predetermined by the first control cam and are transmitted to the breech via the crank pin and the breech carrier, and movements of the crank pin transversely with respect to the firing direction result in relative movement of the guide block of the crank pin with respect to the second groove formed in the breech carrier, and wherein the first control cam is integrated in a housing lower part of a weapon housing or of a crank housing of the weapon.

9. The drive as claimed in claim 8, wherein the first control cam comprises an open groove facing upward integrated in the housing lower part.

10. The drive as claimed in claim 9, further comprising a second control cam integrated in a housing upper part of the weapon housing or of the crank housing, wherein the second control cam is identical to the first control cam in the housing lower part except that the second control cam is in mirror-image form with respect to the first control cam.

11. The drive as claimed in claim 10, wherein the second control cam integrated in the housing upper part comprises an open groove that faces in a direction of the housing lower part.

12. The drive as claimed in claim 10, wherein the first control cam and the second control cam each comprises four different sectors or areas, wherein these four different sectors or areas produce a desired movement of a feed for the breech.

13. The drive as claimed in claim 12, wherein the shape of the first control cam and the shape of the second control cam corresponds to an “

O”

shape that has been pulled sideways with two linear sides.

14. The drive as claimed in claim 9, wherein the first control cam comprises four different sectors or areas, wherein these four different sectors or areas produce a desired movement of a feed for the breech.

15. The drive as claimed in claim 14, wherein the shape of the first control cam corresponds to an “

O”

shape that has been pulled sideways with two linear sides.

16. The drive as claimed in claim 8, further comprising a second control cam integrated in a housing upper part of the weapon housing or of the crank housing, wherein the second control cam is identical to the first control cam in the housing lower part except that the second control cam is in mirror-image form with respect to the first control cam.

17. The drive as claimed in claim 8, wherein the first control cam comprises four different sectors or areas, wherein these four different sectors or areas produce a desired movement of a feed for the breech.

18. The drive as claimed in claim 17, wherein the shape of the first control cam corresponds to an “

O”

shape that has been pulled sideways with two linear sides.

19. A drive operably connected to a breech of a weapon, wherein the breech is moveable in an axial direction with respect to a weapon barrel of the weapon, wherein the drive comprises

(a) a motor;

(b) a crank operably connected to be driven by the motor, wherein the crank is provided with a first groove formed in the crank;

(c) a crank pin having at least one roller and a guide block fitted to the crank pin, wherein the crank pin is disposed in the first groove of the crank; and

(d) a first control cam, wherein the crank pin is positively guided in the first control cam, wherein the crank is rotated about a rotation axis by the motor, and the guide block is disposed to engage in a second groove formed in the breech, wherein the second groove is arranged transversely with respect to a firing direction of the weapon, so that movements of the breech in the firing direction are predetermined by the first control cam and are transmitted directly to the breech, and movements of the crank pin transversely with respect to the firing direction result in relative movement of the guide block of the crank pin with respect to the second groove formed in the breech.

20. A drive operably connected to a breech of a weapon, wherein the breech is moveable in an axial direction with respect to a weapon barrel of the weapon, wherein the drive comprises

(a) a motor;

(b) a crank operably connected to be driven by the motor, wherein the crank is provided with a first groove formed in the crank;

(c) a crank pin having at least one roller and a guide block fitted to the crank pin, wherein the crank pin is disposed in the first groove of the crank; and

(d) a first control cam, wherein the crank pin is positively guided in the first control cam, wherein the crank is rotated about a rotation axis by the motor, and the guide block is disposed to engage in a second groove formed in the breech, wherein the second groove is arranged transversely with respect to a firing direction of the weapon, so that movements of the breech in the firing direction are predetermined by the first control cam and are transmitted directly to the breech, and movements of the crank pin transversely with respect to the firing direction result in relative movement of the guide block of the crank pin with respect to the second groove formed in the breech, and wherein the first control cam is integrated in a housing lower part of a weapon housing or of a crank housing of the weapon.