Hand-operated lever for opening and closing a wedge-like breechblock

Abstract

A hand-operated opening lever in a gun is pivotal about an opener shaft to move a wedge-type breechblock between an open position and a closed position, and includes: a lever body which is movable between a first, rest position and a second position for respective manual opening and closing operations; the lever body including a manually displaceable locking bolt and an energy storing device which includes a receiving chamber; a transfer device in form-locking connection with the opener shaft for transferring stored energy between the opener shaft and the lever body for actuating the opener shaft to move the wedge-type breechblock between the open position and the closed position; the transfer device, during automatic opening of the breechblock, causing energy to be stored in the energy storing device in the lever body, and transferring stored energy from the energy storing device to the breechblock during automatic closing of the breechblock; the transfer device including a follower member selectively engaged with the lever body during the manual opening and closing operations; the energy storing device including a gas pressure spring; the energy storing device being compressed by the transfer device during automatic opening of the wedge-type breechblock and, during the movement of the breechblock to the closed position, the energy storing device drives the toothed rod to cause the breechblock to move to the closed position; the energy storing device being inoperable during manual opening and closing of the wedge-type breechblock by the lever body.