Werkzeugmaschinenfabrik Oerlikon-buhrle Ag

Ernst Hurlemann

Kurt Muller

Werner Bosshard

Jurg Zellweger

Werner Bruderer

Bruno Ruppen

Werner Stauffacher

Fredy Tschui

Hans Brieger

Pirmin Steiner

Paul Kalt

In order to cool the barrel inner wall of a weapon barrel of a firing weapon at a predetermined location, typically at the rear end region of the weapon barrel, one or more cooling fluid channels are arranged at the barrel wall of the weapon barrel. The cooling fluid channels open at the barrel inner wall. By means of an apparatus which can be actuated by the gas pressure of the propellant gases, there is injected into the interior of the weapon barrel a dosed quantity of cooling fluid after the firing of each cartridge or ammunition round. This apparatus preferably comprises a piston arrangement having a first piston of larger diameter and which is subjected to the gas pressure of the propellant gases and a second piston of smaller diameter at which impinges the cooling fluid.

Apparatus for cooling the barrel inner wall of a weapon barrel of a

The ammunition infeed apparatus for an automatic firing weapon is constructed as simple and operationally reliable as possible. This ammunition infeed apparatus comprises an ammunition container filled with a plurality of ammunition loading or cartridge clips. The ammunition container rotates with the firing weapon about the azimuth axis. There is also provided a device for the ejection of the full ammunition loading clips from the ammunition container, a device for the extraction or stripping of the cartridges or ammunition from the ammunition loading clips. This extraction or stripping device comprises an endless conveyor band. Also provided is a flexible endless chain for the transport of the ammunition or cartridges stripped from the ammunition loading clips to the firing weapon.

Apparatus for the infeed of ammunition from an ammunition container to

A gas removal apparatus for an automatic firing weapon controlled by gas pressure contains a gas removal channel structure extending from a gas removal location to a gas receiving location and exhibiting one or two gas deflection locations as well as a gas throughflow element, such as a gas nozzle or gas throttle. Both the gas deflection locations and the gas nozzle or gas throttle are in danger of being eroded by the throughflowing gas. Therefore, these elements are constructed such that the gas erosion is as small as possible. According to the invention, this is attained by guiding a gas removal channel section or portion of the gas removal channel structure through a shrunk-fitted ring which is shrunk fitted onto the weapon barrel to a gas rail, by inserting the gas nozzle or gas throttle in the shrunk-fitted ring between the shrunk-fitted ring and the gas rail and by positioning a gas deflection insert in the gas rail.

Gas removal apparatus for an automatic firing weapon controlled by the

Before the empty cartridge case is ejected it is extracted from the cartridge chamber of the weapon barrel by an extractor and subsequently tilted by an ejector. During this operation large forces are exerted on the pivotably mounted extractor. It has been found that when high cadence firing takes place the spring forces are too small to hold the extractor reliably. Therefore, the extractor is secured by a support lever or by a locking pawl against inadvertent pivoting during the removal of the cartridge case. Preferably a support lever or support slide is arranged in the breechblock to prevent premature tilting of the cartridge case.

Apparatus for ejection of empty cartridge cases from an automatic firing

To feed cartridges from a drum-type or drum magazine to a firing weapon a first conveyor is required to push the cartridges out from the drum-type magazine in which the cartridges are arranged in a number of rows. A second conveyor feeds the cartridges which have been ejected from the drum-type magazine to the firing weapon. At high firing rates as required in multi-barrel guns or weapon systems difficulties can occur in the transfer of the cartridges from the first conveyor to the second conveyor and during the acceleration of the rows of cartridges in the drum-type magazine. According to the invention return or reverse movement blocking devices are arranged between the two conveyors and the first conveyor comprises a screw or worm conveyor having a first turn of the thread which is of smaller pitch than the remaining turns of the thread to facilitate the acceleration of the rows of the cartridges which are initially at standstill in the drum-type magazine.

Cartridge conveyor, especially for conveying cartridges from a drum-type

In weapons in the nature of a Gatling gun the danger exists with an ignition delay or hangfire that the cartridge still is ignited after the positively reciprocated breechblock has been unlocked. However, cartridge ignition is undesired after unlocking of the breechblock. Therefore, an apparatus is present with the invention preventing unlocking of the breechblock in case of an ignition delay. Such safety apparatus may respond to (a) the gas pressure, (b) the weapon recoil, (c) the forward advance of the weapon or (d) to an expansion or bulge formed in a cartridge case, and acts to separate a breechblock head from a breechblock carrier, the breechblock head remaining in its locked position. The apparatus comprises either an inertia mass displaced relative to the breechblock due to the recoil action or a cam plate mounted at the weapon cradle and responding to the forward advance of the weapon, or a feeler pin responsive to an expansion or bulge formed in the cartridge case. The apparatus may cause a deflection of a cam follower roll from a first control cam into a second control cam, whereby the breechblock remains in its locked position.

Safety apparatus in externally powered firing weapon

A cartridge feed apparatus for two cartridge belts is structured such that the cartridges are infed relatively closely to the lengthwise axis of the weapon barrel, and there can be employed a spring sleeve which is shorter than the stroke of the breechblock head. There are provided respective slides for feeding or forwardly advancing both of the cartridge belts. One of these slides for feeding a cartridge belt and defining a first slide and a further slide defining a second slide during return motion of the spring sleeve, successively engage with the same groove of the spring sleeve. A first transmission element transmits the movement of the first slide to the second slide and a second transmission element transmits the movement of the second slide to the remaining slide defining a third slide.

Cartridge feed apparatus for an automatic firing weapon

A breechblock for an automatic firing weapon wherein at the breechblock having a control element and a breechblock head which can be locked at the breechblock housing the locking elements are specially designed. At a front part of each locking element containing the pivot axis of such locking element there is provided a locking surface and at a rear shoulder or projection of each locking element there is provided a support surface beneath which there can engage the control element. Since the locking surface is disposed forwardly with respect to the end of the support surface the path of movement of the breechblock is shortened, and thus, the firing cadence or speed is increased. Furthermore, at the locking elements there are present more favorable force conditions.

Breechblock for an automatic firing weapon

A breechblock for an automatic firing weapon comprising a breechblock housing having a bore in which there is connected a weapon barrel,a breechblock body is displaceably arranged in the breechblock housing. The breechblock body is equipped with at least one blocking body by means of which the breechblock body can be locked with the breechblock housing. The blocking body bears against a rest or arresting surface of a locking body inserted into the breechblock housing. The locking body is of substantially sleeve-shaped configuration and is equipped at its rear end with a cut-out or notch extending transversely with respect to the lengthwise axis of the weapon, the side walls of which form the arresting surfaces. The locking body is arranged coaxially to the weapon barrel in the aforementioned bore of the breechblock housing, and it bears with its rear end surface at a shoulder of the breechblock housing and at a rear end surface of the weapon barrel.

A breechblock for an automatic firing weapon comprising a breechblock housing containing a breechblock head displaceable in the breechblock housing. There is also provided at least one movable blocking body by means of which the breechblock head can be locked in a firing position with the breechblock housing. A spring-loaded control element is arranged to be displaceable in the breechblock housing, this control element containing a control surface by means of which there can be positionally adjusted the blocking or locking body. In the breechblock head there is arranged a locking bolt which can be shifted into a recess of the control element. By means of the locking bolt the breechblock head, which is unlocked from the breechblock housing, can be coupled with the control element, and play is present between the control surface and the blocking body and by means of which, prior to reaching the firing position of the breechblock head, there is uncoupled the control element.

An ammunition conveyor channel for use with an automatic firing weapon and through which channel there can be conveyed belted ammunition to the weapon, comprising an inlet opening through which there can be introduced the ammunition into the ammunition conveyor channel, a first outlet opening through which there can be ejected the ammunition and inserted into the weapon barrel, and a second outlet opening through which there can be ejected the belt elements of the ammunition belt out of the ammunition conveyor channel. The second outlet opening is arranged in a cover member extending transversely with respect to the conveying direction of the ammunition, this cover member being mounted to be pivotable about a pivot shaft arranged externally of the cross-sectional area of the channel so as to be pivoted into an open position enabling removal of the ammunition introduced through the inlet opening and not ejected through the first outlet opening.

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Zurich, Switzerland

Ernst Hurlemann