Werkzeugmaschinenfabrik Oerlikon-buhrle Ag

Oerlikon Contraves Ag

Rieter Machine Works, Ltd.

Kurt Muller

Erwin Bohler

Ernst Hurlemann

Bruno Ruppen

Jurg Dunki

Armin Wirz

Peter Mannhart

Hanspeter Novet

Roland Streit

Robert Gerber

Pirmin Steiner

Paul Kalt

Apparatuses for the infeed of cartridges predominantly of two different types of ammunition from conveying devices to a Gatling-type gun or weapon system, can be constructed such that first and second transport devices, a third device and the Gatling-type gun can be simultaneously driven if there are provided storage devices for the intermediate storage of the empty cases during reverse clearing following a firing burst. These storage devices are operatively associated with conveying devices from which the Gatling-type gun has delivered ammunition thereto by the first and second transport devices. The conveying devices, which deliver cartridges from ammunition magazines, can be selectively driven. There is prevented transport of empty cases during reverse clearing by the Gatling-type gun and there is attained the result that the Gatling-type gun is free of empty cases prior to accomplishing a new firing burst. Additionally, it is possible to fire cartridges or ammunition rounds of one type of ammunition from two ammunition magazines without the need to exchange one of the ammunition magazines.

Apparatus for infeeding cartridges of two different types of ammunition

Apparatuses for the infeed of cartridges predominantly of two different types of ammunition to a Gatling-type gun or weapon system, can be stationarily installed if there are employed, apart from two transport devices, storage devices for the intermediate storage of the empty cases or spent cartridges during the reverse clearing operation following a firing burst. There is prevented transport of empty cases or spent cartridges during reverse clearing by the Gatling-type gun and there is attained the result that the Gatling-type gun is free of empty cases prior to accomplishing a new firing burst. Additionally, it is possible to fire cartridges or ammunition rounds of one type of ammunition without interruption from two ammunition magazines.

When using a multi-barrel firing weapon, such as a Gatling-type gun or canon, it is desired during a firing burst, to first fire the initial or lead cartridge or ammunition round when the rotating array of weapon barrels, during running up to speed, has attained its full rotational speed, that is, when the firing weapon is capable of firing at the full or maximum firing rate. In this way there is realized the desired high precision and low round scattering of the weapon system. The cartridge infeed apparatus requires a certain amount of time until it has reached its full cartridge infeed velocity. The initial or lead cartridge therefore should only then be delivered to the multi-barrel firing weapon after completion of the running up to speed of the array of weapon barrels and after the cartridge infeed apparatus has reached its full or maximum cartridge infeed velocity. To that end, there are provided two cartridge transfer wheels which are interconnected by a clutch, these cartridge transfer wheels being arranged between two endless chains. There are also provided a separate cartridge return channel and a sensor for determining the starting position of the initial or lead cartridge.

Apparatus for infeeding cartridges

During the infeed of cartridges from an ammunition container or magazine to a firing weapon, problems arise in the event there are not simultaneously fulfilled the following three requirements: (a) the first cartridge of a firing burst or series firing should be first delivered to the firing weapon following completion of the run-up-to-speed of the firing weapon; (b) the last cartridge of a firing burst or series firing should be delivered to the firing weapon before the firing weapon has been braked; and (c) the spent cartridge cases should be returned by the cartridge infeed apparatus to the ammunition container. To fulfill these objectives, there is provided an arrangement composed of an endless storage chain, a transfer location, and a switchable gate, in order to allow the temporary storage of spent cartridge cases during reverse movement of the cartridge transport apparatus.

Apparatus for the infeed of cartridges to a firing weapon

When cartridges are delivered from a stationary cartridge magazine to an elevatable firing weapon, it is customary to use a deflection or guidance unit, by which the cartridges can be reliably delivered to the elevatable firing weapon in every position of the latter. The cartridges are delivered to the elevatable firing weapon in a telescopic guide or infeed channel. With large elevation of the elevatable firing weapon, this telescopic guide channel is substantially contracted. On the other hand, this telescopic guide channel is substantially extended when the elevation of the elevatable firing weapon is relatively small. In the telescopic guide channel there is provided a bucket chain for conveying cartridges. The individual buckets of this bucket chain are interconnected by knee joints, so that the bucket chain can likewise be extended and contracted. One end of the telescopic guide channel is mounted at the stationary cartridge magazine and the other end is mounted at the elevatable firing weapon. The drive of the bucket chain is effected at both ends of the telescopic guide or infeed channel. Since the bucket chain is variable in length, this drive of the bucket chain need not be synchronously effected.

Apparatus for infeeding cartridges to an elevatable firing weapon

In the case of a twin-barrelled firing weapon, the apparatus for delivering ammunition from a container structure to the firing weapon is located between the two weapon barrels of the firing weapon. In order to accommodate or store as much ammunition as possible in the space between the two weapon barrels, the cartridges are arranged not only side by side but also one behind the other. There is provided as the container structure a first front container from which cartridges are delivered to one weapon barrel and a second rear container from which cartridges are delivered to the other weapon barrel. The cartridges from one of the two containers are delivered to the related weapon barrel by a device for axially displacing the cartridges.

Apparatus for delivering ammunition from a container structure to 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

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

The circumferential wall of the godet drum is heated via air which is heated by a heating device within the chamber of the drum. Air circulation through a closed path is aided by means of fan blades which are mounted on an interior face of the drum.

Growing community of inventors

Zurich, Switzerland

Kurt Muller