Electric control weapon, operation and ammunition therefor

Claim 2

An electrically controlled weapon having at least one barrel comprising: a cartridge receivable in the barrel, said cartridge having a powder charge and a resistive element disposed proximate said powder charge; generator means for generating a high voltage DC current; at least one capacitor charged by said high voltage DC current; an electronic switch connected between said capacitor and the resistive element of said cartridge; and a mechanical switch for generating an electrical signal activating said electronic switch to discharge said at least one capacitor through said resistive element, volatilizing said resistive element and igniting said powder charge.

Claim 3

The weapon of claim 1 wherein said generator means comprises: at least one battery providing a low voltage DC current; oscillator circuit means for converting said low voltage DC current to a low voltage AC current; transformer means for amplifying said low voltage AC current to generate a high voltage AC current; and rectifier means for converting said high voltage AC current to generate said high voltage DC current.

Claim 4

The weapon of claim 2 wherein said electronic switch is a thyristor having a trigger electrode and wherein the signal generated by said mechanical switch is applied to said trigger electrode causing said thyristor to become conductive.

Claim 5

The weapon of claim 2 wherein said weapon has two barrels and a cartridge receivable in each of said barrels, said system includes a second capacitor, a second electronic switch and a second mechanical switch for said second barrels so that one of said capacitors may be charged while the other is being discharged.

Claim 6

The weapon of claim 1 or 4 further including a first circuit breaker in circuit relationship with said mechanical switch which remains closed as long as the weapon is not locked and a second circuit breaker in series with said battery which is closed to activate said generator means.

Claim 7

The weapon of claim 1 wherein said mechanical switch is activated by a traditional pull type trigger.

Claim 8

The weapon of claim 1 wherein said mechanical switch is a pressure actuated switch.

Claim 9

The weapon of claim 1 wherein said cartridge has an axially disposed electrical contact attached to one end of said resistive element, said weapon includes a metal key resiliently engaging said electrical contact, and wherein said capacitor is discharged through said electronic switch and said metal key and said resistive element.

Claim 10

The weapon of claim 8 wherein the volatilization of said resistive element by the discharge of said capacitance ignites said powder at the bottom of said cartridge.

Claim 11

The weapon of claim 8 wherein said cartridge includes a firing cap, axially disposed at one end of said cartridge, said resistive element is housed in said firing cap.

Claim 12

The weapon of claim 10 wherein said firing cap comprises: a cylindrical metal body; a center electrode; insulator material axially supporting said center electrode within said cylindrical body; and wherein said resistive element is disposed between said center electrode and cylindrical metal body adjacent to said cartridge's powder.

Claim 13

The weapon of claim 11 wherein said resistive element is a metal wire filament.

Claim 14

The weapon of claim 11 wherein said resistive element is a thin layer of metal disposed over the surface of said insulator material.

Claim 15

The weapon of claim 11 wherein said resistive element is a melting metal foam.

Claim 16

The weapon of claim 11 wherein said resistive element is a thin strip of steel contiguous with said metal cylinder.

Claim 17

The weapon of claim 11 further including a charge of exploding powder adjacent to said filament, and a thin layer of sealant sealing said exploding powder within said cap.

Claim 18

The weapon of claim 1 wherein said weapon has a fixed assembly consisting of at least a butt-end, a movable assembly including at least a breech and the barrel and means for providing relative sliding motion between said fixed and movable assemblies parallel to the axis of said barrel, said weapon further includes shock-absorbing means for absorbing the relative motion of said fixed and movable assemblies along the axis of said barrel.

Claim 19

The weapon of claim 17 wherein said means for providing relative sliding motion comprises: a guide formed in said fixed assembly parallel to the axis of said barrel; a guide follower attached to said breech and barrel adapted to slide along said guide in a direction parallel to the axis of said barrel.

Claim 20

The weapon of claim 17 wherein said shock-absorbing means comprises: a helical spring compressed between said fixed and movable assemblies; at least one cylinder attached to one of said fixed and movable assemblies; at least one piston disposed in said at least one cylinder and attached to the other of said fixed and movable assemblies; and a calibrated opening connecting the inside of said at least one cylinder to the outside air.

Claim 21

The weapon of claim 17 wherein said shock-absorber means comprises: at least one resilient member compressed between said fixed and movable assemblies; and means for frictionally retarding the movement between said fixed and movable assemblies in response to the firing of said cartridge.

Claim 22

The weapon of claim 20 wherein said means for frictionally retarding comprises: at least one member attached to said fixed assembly having a lateral surface parallel to the axis of barrel; piston means having a friction pad engaging said lateral surface in response to an increase in a received pressure; and a duct interconnecting said piston means with the inside of said barrel forward of said cartridge, said duct communicating to said piston means the pressure increase in said barrel due to the firing of said cartridge.

Claim 23

The weapon of claim 21 wherein said weapon has a second barrel, said means for retarding has a second piston means and a second duct interconnecting said second piston means with the inside of said second barrel forward of said cartridge.

Claim 24

The weapon of claim 20 wherein said weapon has two barrels, said means for frictionally retarding comprises: two parallel and facing friction surfaces fixedly attached to said fixed assembly; a cross bore in said movable assembly extending between said two friction surfaces; two shoes disposed in said cross bore, one at each end of said bore and frictionally engaging said two friction surfaces; a central piston slidably disposed in said cross bore between said two shoes, said central piston having a coaxial nipple on each side extending towards said two shoes; a pair of spring members resilienty biasing said central piston between said two shoes; a first duct connecting one end of said cross bore with the inside of one of said two barrels; and a second duct connecting the other end of said cross bore with the inside of the other of said two barrels.

Claim 25

The weapon of claim 1 wherein said weapon has a fixed assembly consisting of at least a butt-end and at least one barrel and a movable assembly consisting of at least one breech, said weapon further including: a breech case fixedly attached to said barrel, said breech case including means for guiding the movement of said breech in direction parallel to the axis of the barrel; and resilient means for generating a force urging said breech toward said barrrel.

Claim 26

The weapon of claim 1 further including: a free carriage slidably attached to the barrel; a rotor having an axial shaft rotatably attached to said free carriage; a gear fixedly attached to said axial shaft; and a longitudinal rack fixedly attached to said barrel and engaging said gear.

Claim 27

The weapon of claim 17 wherein said shock-absorber comprises: a cylinder attached to said fixed assembly; a large piston cooperating with said cylinder to define a closed fluid chamber, said large piston having an axial aperture; an incompressible fluid filling said fluid chamber; a small piston attached to said movable assembly received in said fluid chamber through the axial aperture in said large piston; and means for resiliently biasing said large piston in a direction tending to reduce the volume of said fluid chamber.

Claim 28

The weapon of claim 11 wherein said center electrode is longer than said cylindrical metal body and wherein said resistive element is two radially opposite filaments connected between said center electrode and said metal body and in direct contact with the cartridges powder charge.

Claim 29

The weapon of claim 11 wherein the resistive element is a filament located proximate the front end of cartridges powder charge causing the powder to burn within the cartridge from front to back.

Claim 30

The weapon of claim 8 wherein the case of said cartridge is made from a nonconductive material, and said resistive element is located close to the front end of the cartridge's powder charge, said cartridge further includes: a first collector ring flush with the external surface of said cartridge and connected to one end of said resistive element; a second collector ring flush with the external surface of said cartidge and displaced from said first collector ring, said second collector ring connected to the other end of said resistive element; and means connecting one of said collector rings to said electronic switch and connecting the other collector ring to a common ground.