US3598016A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Automatic burst firing gun having revolving chambers
Assignee: General Electric Co
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Filing: 1969-03-18
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Granted: 1971-08-10
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Expires: 1989-03-18
Abstract
Abstract An automatic, burst-firing howitzer is provided having a single tube or gun barrel, and two alternatively and sequentially utilized firing chambers which reciprocate with the tube in recoil and counterrecoil. A loading system is provided to load rounds of ammunition sequentially into the next respective firing chamber during recoil, and to extract the previously fired case from the preceding firing chamber during counterrecoil. The loading system includes a floating, double-ended, spring- and gas-loaded, hydraulic piston system for continuously monitoring the recoil velocity of the recoiling mass and for traversing the round at the appropriate velocity and for the appropriate distance to fully chamber the round by the end of the recoil travel. Depending on the recoil travel the gun can fire out of battery, or in battery.
Inventors
- 👤 Robert Ernest Chiabrandy
- 👤 John Leonard Amidon
- 👤 James Dexter Scanlon
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 18:11
CPC Classifications
F; F41; F41A; F41A9/00; F41A9/49; F41A25/00; F41A25/16; F41A25/20; F41A9/01; F41A9/24; F41A9/26; F41A9/27; F41A9/38; F41A9/39; F41A9/42
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim
267 words
An automatic, rapid firing, artillery piece adapted to fire rounds of variable energy providing variable recoil travel, comprising: support means having a first longitudinal axis; a single tube, having a second longitudinal axis parallel to said first longitudinal axis, and mounted to said support means for reciprocation along said second longitudinal axis in recoil and counterrecoil; a breech assembly, having a plurality of chambers disposed in an annular row about a third longitudinal axis which is parallel to said first longitudinal axis, and mounted to said support means aft of said tube for reciprocation along said third longitudinal axis in recoil and counterrecoil and for rotation about said third longitudinal axis whereby to sequentially align each of said plurality of chambers with the aft end of said tube on said first longitudinal axis; and loading means, mounted to said support means, including transport means for transporting a round of ammunition forwardly along a path parallel to said third longitudinal axis from an aft, fixed supply station, sensing means coupled to said breech assembly for providing a signal responsive to the recoil velocity of said breech assembly, and first actuating means coupled to said transport means and said sensing means for moving said transport means forward at an appropriate variable velocity to a variable station at a variable distance forward along said path which will be functionally adjacent the aft end of one of said chambers at the nadir of recoil travel of said breech assembly, whereby the round will be chambered in said one chamber at relatively low velocity between said transport means and said breech assembly.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
267 words
An automatic, rapid firing, artillery piece adapted to fire rounds of variable energy providing variable recoil travel, comprising: support means having a first longitudinal axis; a single tube, having a second longitudinal axis parallel to said first longitudinal axis, and mounted to said support means for reciprocation along said second longitudinal axis in recoil and counterrecoil; a breech assembly, having a plurality of chambers disposed in an annular row about a third longitudinal axis which is parallel to said first longitudinal axis, and mounted to said support means aft of said tube for reciprocation along said third longitudinal axis in recoil and counterrecoil and for rotation about said third longitudinal axis whereby to sequentially align each of said plurality of chambers with the aft end of said tube on said first longitudinal axis; and loading means, mounted to said support means, including transport means for transporting a round of ammunition forwardly along a path parallel to said third longitudinal axis from an aft, fixed supply station, sensing means coupled to said breech assembly for providing a signal responsive to the recoil velocity of said breech assembly, and first actuating means coupled to said transport means and said sensing means for moving said transport means forward at an appropriate variable velocity to a variable station at a variable distance forward along said path which will be functionally adjacent the aft end of one of said chambers at the nadir of recoil travel of said breech assembly, whereby the round will be chambered in said one chamber at relatively low velocity between said transport means and said breech assembly.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
44 words
An artillery piece according to claim 1 wherein: said breech assembly includes: a breech containing said plurality of chambers; and second actuating means for indexing said breech about said third longitudinal axis to shift the next chamber in sequence into alignment with said tube.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
82 words
An artillery piece according to claim 1 wherein: said breech assembly includes: a breech containing said plurality of chambers which are two in number and disposed diametrically about said third longitudinal axis; second actuating means for rotating said breech for shifting the last-fired chamber out of alignment with said tube and the loaded chamber into alignment with said tube; and extraction means, operable during the counterrecoil travel of said breech, for extracting the case of the last-fired round from the last-fired chamber.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
134 words
An artillery piece according to claim 1 wherein: said sensing means includes: a first rack which is stationary with respect to said support means, a second rack which is reciprocable with respect to said support means, and a first gear train which is journaled to said tube for reciprocation therewith along said second longitudinal axis and is meshed with said first and second racks; said transport means includes: a third rack which is reciprocable with respect to said support means; and said first actuating means includes: a fourth rack which is resiliently coupled to said second rack and is reciprocable with respect to said support means, and a second gear train which is journaled to said tube for reciprocating therewith along said second longitudinal axis and is meshed with said third and fourth racks.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
66 words
An artillery piece according to claim 4 wherein: said second rack is fixed to a first cylinder which is reciprocable along said second longitudinal axis, and said fourth rack is fixed to a first piston disposed in said first cylinder and is fixed to a second piston disposed in a second cylinder which is secured to said tube for reciprocation therewith along said second longitudinal axis.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
43 words
An artillery piece according to claim 5 wherein: said first piston is biased forwardly along said second longitudinal axis by a compressed gas in said first cylinder, and said second piston is biased rearwardly along said second longitudinal axis by a compressed spring.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
26 words
An artillery piece according to claim 6 wherein: said second piston on moving forwardly compresses oil through a unidirectional constriction having free flow on rearward movement.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
92 words
An artillery piece according to claim 4 wherein: said breech assembly includes: a breech containing said plurality of chambers which are two in number and disposed diametrally about said third longitudinal axis; a cam coupled to said breech for rotation therewith, a cam follower-driver interengaged with said cam, said third rack being coupled to said cam follower-driver to reciprocate said cam follower-driver to index said cam whereby to index said breech for shifting the last fired chamber out of alignment with said tube and the loaded chamber into alignment with said tUbe.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
82 words
An artillery piece according to claim 8 wherein said transport means further includes: extraction means, coupled to said third rack, for extracting the case of the last fired round from the last fired chamber, and tray and ram means, coupled to said third rack for chambering a new round in the next-to-be-fired chamber, the new round being chambered during recoil, said breech being indexed at the end of recoil and the beginning of counterrecoil and the last-fired round being extracted during counterrecoil.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
21 words
An artillery piece according to claim 6, wherein: said first gear train includes a unidirectional clutch adapted to disengage during counterrecoil.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
143 words
An artillery piece according to claim 5 further including: a recoil brake housing fixed to said breech assembly for reciprocation therewith; a recoil piston fixed to said support means and disposed in said recoil brake housing; a recuperator cylinder fixed to said breach assembly for reciprocation therewith, and coupled to said recoil brake housing by a unidirectional constriction; an aft floating elevation piston disposed in said recuperator cylinder between a reservoir of elevation stiffener oil and a reservoir of recoil damping gas; a forward floating recuperator piston disposed in said recuperator cylinder between said reservoir of recoil damping gas and a reservoir of recoil brake oil which is disposed in part in said brake housing and in part in said recuperator cylinder; and means for varying the pressure on the reservoir of elevation stiffener oil in response to the elevation of said tube.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US964419A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1974-08-09 | 1975-02-08 | 1975-08-10 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1978-08-09 | 1979-02-08 | 1979-08-10 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1982-08-09 | 1983-02-08 | 1983-08-10 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |