US3434383A - Energy discharge device - Google Patents

Description

March 25, 1969 J, G. ROHA' 3,434,383

ENERGY DI S CHARGE DEVICE Filed April 17, 1968 sheet of 4 t -H 99 "si Fl W \\g INVENTOR Juhu G Rom-hn.

BY I my ATTORNEYS March 25, 1969 J. G. ROCHA 3,434,383

ENERGY EISCHARGE DEVICE Filed April 17, 1968 sheet el g E: @j QF v il? 3"- N Sk N v f. if',

Eig- 21- x (9) j @Z113 .l L L0 %/r\ ce s 5 m @m J. G. ROCHA ENERGY DISCHARGE DEVICE March 25, 1969 Filed April 17. 1968 Sheet Ill! ' @l f HIIIIIIIIIIF www@ INVENTOR .In-hn E Rnhtl.

BY I pw March 25, 1969 J. G. ROCHA 3,434,383

ENERGY D I S CHARGE DEVICE Filed April' 17, 196s Y sheet 4 of 4 36 fr-I4 Eigpaj-E- 2e 1 NVENTOR @MW Juhu E Runm ATTORNEYS States Patent Ofce 3,434,383 ENERGY DISCHARGE DEVICE John G. Rocha, Westfield, Mass., assignor to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army Filed Apr. 17, 1968, Ser. No. 722,045 Int. Cl. F41f 5/02, 19/00 U.S. Cl. 89-42 9 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The invention described herein may be manufactured, used, and licensed by or for the Government for governmental purposes without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

With the use of helicopters as -weapon carriers, the recoil forces produced by cartridge discharge have become a major problem because helicopters are sensitive to outside forces, as to holding their positions in space, and therefore provide an unstable platform for mounting guns which produce adverse forces of any sizable magnitude when red.

It is, therefore, a principal object of this invention to provide for automatic guns having a mount and a recoil assembly slidingly mounted thereon for reciprocation responsive to recoil forces an energy discharge device operationally disposed between the mount and the recoil assembly for absorbing the energy transferred thereto with the discharge of a cartridge in the barrel component thereof and then discharging the absorbed energy at the end of the recoil displacement so that it is not transferred back to the recoil assembly.

It is a further object of this invention to provide such an energy discharge device which includes a torsion spring arranged to be wound during recoil displacement of the recoil assembly so as to absorb the energy transferred thereto by cartridge discharge and then freeing the torsion spring at the end of the recoil stroke to release the stored energy therein. Y

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following specification and accompanying drawings which are for the purpose of illustration only and in which:

FIG. 1 is a top view of an automatic gun -with the recoil assembly disposed adjacent battery position on the mount thereof;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged View taken along line 2 2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view taken along line 3 3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a vieW taken along line 4 4 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a View similar to FIG. 2 but showing the relationship of the parts of one of the two energy discharge devices in the gun when the recoil assembly is adjacent the recoil position;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary view similar to FIG. 5 but showing the relationships of the parts of the illustrated energy discharge device when the recoil assembly is adjacent recoil position, the piston is clear of the rail device and the torsion bar is deenergized;

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 6 but showing the re- 3,434,383 Patented Mar. 25, 1969 lationship of the piston relative to the rail device as the recoil assembly is spring pressed towards battery position;

FIG. 8 is a view taken along line 8 8 of FIG. 6;

FIG. 9 is a view taken along line 9 9 of FIG. 7; and

FIG. 10 is a view taken along line 10 10` of FIG. 5.

Shown in the figures is an automatic gun 12 comprising a mount 14 and a recoil assembly 16 mounted thereon for sliding displacement between a rearward recoil position and a forward battery position. Recoil assembly 16 is driven to the recoil position responsive to discharge energy produced when a cartridge is tired in barrel 18 which is a component of the recoil assembly. The greater portion of the discharge energy imparted to recoil assembly 16 is absorbed and then discharged without transfer back thereto by a pair of energy discharge devices 20 operationally disposed between the mount and the recoil assembly. Suflicient energy is retained by energy discharge devices 20 as hereinafter described, to return recoil assembly 16 to its battery position.

Energy discharge devices 20 are mounted on opposite sides of gun 12 and each includes a torsion bar 22 housed within a channel member 23 formed on one side of mount 14. Torsion bars 22 are fixed at their front ends to the front ends of the respective channel members 23 so as to be parallel to the axis of movement of recoil assembly 16. Each torsion bar 22 is rectangular in cross section and is permanently twisted at the rear portion to form a helical section 24 in which the rear end is disposed at an angle respective to forward straight section 26 of the torsion bar.

An arm 28, terminated by a cylindrical driver 30, extends laterally from each side of recoil assembly 16 into the respective channel member 23. Each of the drivers 30 is provided with a bore 32 that receives the related one of the torsion bars 22, so that the drivers travel therealong during reciprocation of recoil assembly 16. Slidingly mounted on each of the torsion bars 22 rearwardly of drivers 30 is la piston 34 which is displaceable thereby along helical sections 24 during recoil travel of recoil assembly 16. Each of the pistons 34 is of elliptical configuration with a pair of acute tips 36 and each is provided with a concentric bore 38 having a diameter somewhat smaller than the widest side of torsion bar 22. Diametrically opposed slots 39 are formed in bore 38 to receive the opposite edges of the associated torsion bar 22, as shown in FIG. 4. Each slot 39 forms a driving surface 40 and a Iworking surface 41. Each driving surface 40 is slidingly contactable with one side of torsion bar 22 when piston 34 is moved rearwardly along helical section 24 and working surface 41 of the same slot 39 is contactable with the opposite side of the torsion bar when the piston is moved forwardly along the helical section. Driving surfaces 40 contact the associated torsion bar 22 on opposite sides thereof, as shown in FIG. 4, and working surfaces 41 are similarly contactable with the torsion bar, as shown in FIG. 9. Driving surfaces 50 and working surface 41 are spaced according to the helix of helical sections 24 and the thickness of pistons 34 to prevent interference therewith during relative displacement.

Thus, when pistons 34 are held against rotation, as hereinafter described, torsion bars 22 are twisted when the pistons are moved rearwardly along helical sections 24 by sliding contact of driving surfaces 40 therewith. Pistons 34 are each held against rotation as helical sections 24 pass therethrough through the cooperation of tips 36 on each of the pistons with an associated rail device 42 formed in each of the channel members 23. Each of the rail devices 42 includes an upper rail 44 and a lower rail 46. Upper rails 44 are each provided with a sliding surface 47 formed on the underside thereof and lower rails 96 are each provided with a sliding surface 49 formed on the top thereof and such sliding surfaces are each slidingly contactable by one of the tips 36.

Tips 36 and sliding surfaces 47 and 49 are so related that the pressure applied Iby the tips thereto when pistons 34 are moved rearwardly along helical sections 24 are along vertical axes of gun 12. Upper rails 44 and lower rails 46 each include a fixed section 48 and a displaceable section 50 located forwardly thereof and contiguous thereto, Displaceable sections 50 are slidingly mounted in channel members 23 by T-slot means 51 for lateral displacement between normal positions in alignment with the related fixed sections 48 and retracted positions clear of interference with tips 36 during rotation of pistons 34 by helical sections 24 when moved forwardly therealong. Displaceable sections 50 are spring biased to their normal positions.

Fixed sections 48 are each provided with a rear end 52 which is located so that when recoil assembly 16 is adjacent its recoil position tips 36 are clear of rail devices 42 whereby, pistons 34 are free to be rotated by torsion bars 2 for discharge of the energy stored therein during recoil travel of recoil assembly 16. A coiled compression spring 54 encircles each torsion bar 22 between a head 56 fixed to the rear end thereof and the related piston 34 which is pressed thereby against the related driver 30 for biasing recoil assembly 16 to its battery position. Springs 54 are designed to store only sufficient energy to positively return recoil assembly 16 to battery position so that a minimum of excess energy is transferred by impact from recoil assembly 16 to mount 14 when stopped at the battery position.

OPERATION In gun 12, as illustrated in the figures, helical section 24 of the right one of the energy discharge devices 20 (looking forwardly from the rear end of the gun), which is the bottom one in FIG. 1, twists forwardly in a clockwise direction. The left one of the helical sections 24 twists oppositely in the counterclockwise direction. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, when recoil assembly 16 is adjacent battery position, pistons 34 are located slightly forward of the related helical sections 24 with one of the tips 36 of each of the pistons in contact with sliding surface 47 0f the related upper rail 44 and the other tip in contact with sliding surface 49 of the related lower rail 46, so that the pistons are held against rotation when moved rearwardly along the associated helical section.

When a cartridge is fired in barrel 18, the discharge force drives recoil assembly 16 rearwardly on mount 14 with drivers 30 moving pistons 34 along the related helical sections 24. As pistons 34 are held against rotation through the sliding contacts of tips 36 thereon with the associated upper rails 44 and lower rails 46, the rearward travel of the pistons along helical sections 24 causes torsion bars 22 to be twisted and thereby absorb energy irnparted to recoil assembly 16 by cartridge discharge. Some of the energy is transformed to heat through the friction created Iby the displacement of driving surfaces 40 along helical sections 24 and of tips 36 along rail devices 42 and suicient energy is absorbed by springs 54 to return recoil assembly 16 to battery position. The remaining greater proportion of the discharge energy is absorbed by torsion bars 22 and this is discharged when recoil assembly 16 is adjacent recoil position and tips 36 are clear of rail device 42 so that torsion bars 22 are free to spin back to normal positions and thereby release the stored energy therein. Helical sections 24 are twisted in opposite directions so that the adverse forces created by torsion bars 22 and pistons 34 thereon spinning back to normal positions will be balanced out.

When torsion bars 22 are relaxed, pistons 34 are rotated so that tips 36 thereon 4are inwardly of upper rails 44 and lower rails 46, as shown for the left one of the energy discharge devices 20 in FIG. 8. With the energy in torsion bars 22 discharged, the stored energy in springs 54 drive recoil assembly 16, through pistons 34, forwardly to battery position. The forward movement of pistons 34 along helical sections 24 cause the pistons to be rotated against the inner sides of upper rails 44 and lower rails 46 through the sliding contacts of working surfaces 41 with helical sections 24, as shown for the left one of the energy discharge devices 20 in FIG. 9, to cammingly ap ply lateral pressure against displaceable sections 50 of the ra-ils for actuation thereof to the retracted positions. Thus, tips 36 are free to be swung past the associated rail devices 42 to their normal positions, one on each piston 34 being under the associated upper rail 44 and the other being over the associated lower rail 46. When tips 36 are in their normal positions, displaceable sections 50 are free to spring back to their normal positions, whereby energy discharge devices 20 are in operating condition ready for the next discharge of a cartridge in barrel 18.

I claim:

1. In a gun having a mount and a recoil assembly slidingly mounted thereon for displacement from a lbattery to a recoil position responsive to energy produced by discharge of a cartridge in the recoil assembly, an energy discharge device including a torsion spring, a rail device on the mount, and a piston disposed on said torsion spring for displacement by the recoil assembly when traveling to the recoil position and for cooperation with said rail device and said torsion spring to translate recoil displacement of the recoil assembly to twisting displacement of said torsion spring for absorbing the energy imparted to the recoil assembly by cartridge discharge and discharging the energy when the recoil assembly reaches recoil position so that none remains in said torsion spring to be returned to the recoil assembly.

2. The energy discharge device as defined in claim 1 and including in combination with said torsion spring a compression spring operationally disposed between the mount and recoil assembly for absorbing sufiicient energy from the cartridge discharge during travel of the recoil assembly to recoil position to return the recoil assembly to battery position.

3. The energy discharge device as defined in claim 1 wherein said torsion spring is of bar type with a rectangular cross-.section and includes a helical section formed thereon, and said piston includes a bore with diametrically opposed slots therein for receiving said torsion spring so as to be displaceable along said helical section and a driving surface formed by each of said slots, said driving surfaces arranged to `be slidingly contactable with opposite sides of said torsion spring at said helical section for converting non-rotating displacement of said piston by the recoil assembly to a twisting displacement of said torsion spring for absorbing the energy imparted by cartridge discharge to the recoil assembly.

4. The energy discharge device as defined in claim 3 wherein said rail device includes an upper rail and a lower rail, and said piston is of elliptical configuration with a pair of acute tips, said tips being arranged for sliding contact with sliding surfaces of said upper and lower rails to prevent rotation of said piston when displaced along said helical section.

5. The energy discharge device as defined in claim 4 wherein said upper and lower rails and said torsion spring are each disposed parallel to the travel of the recoil assembly, and wherein said upper and lower rails are each terminated by an end located so that said tips are clear of said rail device when the recoil assembly is in recoil position to permit free rotation of said torsion spring in one direction for discharge of the energy absorbed thereby.

6. The energy discharge device as defined in claim 5 wherein each of said slots also forms a working surface contactable with said helical section along a side opposite that contacted by said driving surface of said slot for rotating said piston in a direction opposite said one direction when free of said rail device and said recoil assembly moves to battery position.

7. The energy discharge device as defined in claim 5 wherein each of said upper and lower rails is provided with a displaceable section arranged to Ibe actuated from its normal position by the associated one of said tips to permit rotational passage thereof past the associated one of said rails when said piston is rotated by sliding contact of said working surfaces with said helical section during displacement of the recoil assembly to battery position, and said displaceable sections are spring pressed back to normal positions after said tips are past thereby.

8. The energy discharge device as defined in claim 7 wherein said tips and said upper and lower rails are so disposed in cooperation that the pressure applied by said tips thereto when said torsion spring is twisted by said piston is along Vertical axes of the gun, and wherein said References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,491,539 12/1949 Windham.

BENJAMIN A. BORCHELT, Primary Examiner. STEPHEN C. BENTLEY, Assistant Examiner.

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