Abstract:
A loading apparatus for telescoped round ammunition for a rapid fire gun in which the loading occurs during the recoil and counter-recoil movements of the gun with the recoil and counter-recoil movements of the gun being employed to position a new round into the chamber, discharge the old round from the chamber and reposition the chamber in the breech. One or two magazines of new rounds can be selectively used. The chamber can be moved along tracks out of the breech and back into the breech or can be swung out of and into the breech.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention pertains to rapid fire telescoped round weapons and, more particularly, to loading rapid fire telescoped round weapons. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     Telescoped round ammunition has been recently developed and employs a loaded round which is cylindrical and of a constant diameter. The projectile can either be fully or partially encased in the cartridge case of the round. 
     Large caliber telescoped round weapons have heretofore been limited in firing rate due to the loading mechanisms available. In one known device the loading generally operated at the trunion axis to feed a new round into the chamber and discharge the spent casing. Generally the round in the trunion axis feed system had to be rotated 90 degrees to bring it into alignment with the barrel opening. This type of system requires a considerable amount of time for loading and discharging the spent casing. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of this invention to provide a rapid loading system which uses the recoil and counter-recoil movement of the weapon for loading a telescoped round and discharging the spend case from the chamber. 
     It is another object of this invention to provide a reliable telescoped round delivery apparatus to position the round within the chamber. 
     It is still another object of this invention to provide an improved delivery mechanism for bringing the telescoped rounds out of one or more magazines and positioning them relative to the chamber for insertion into the chamber. 
     Basically these objects are obtained by moving the chamber between a loading position outside of the breech into a firing position within the breech, delivering a new telescoped round from one or more magazines to the chamber when in said loading position, discharging the spent case from the chamber while in said loading position and then moving the chamber over the round and back into the breech using the recoil and counter-recoil movements of the weapon as the motive force for operating the loading apparatus. 
     In the preferred embodiment, a selector pawl carried by the moving gun barrel carries a round from a stationary magazine into position between a pair of opposed transversely spaced gripping jaws also moved with the gun barrel. The jaws position the round directly in front of a chamber which is either swung down into alignment with the jaws or is carried by tracks down into alignment with the jaws with the spent case being carried by the chamber. On counter-recoil, the chamber is moved forward with the gun barrel but the new round is held stationary by a one-way stop so that the chamber slides over the new round with the new round pushing the spent case rearwardly out of the chamber. The spent case is temporarily held suspended against the new round by a hook spring. Finally, as the chamber continues to move forwardly during counter-recoil, it is sumultaneously drawn up into the breech, off the stop and strips the spent case from the rear of the chamber to discharge the spent case. The weapon is then again ready for firing. 
     Advantageously, all of the motive force necessary for the loading operation is internally generated by the movement during recoil and counter-recoil of the weapon itself. Also, the round does not have to be rotated 90 degrees for alignment with the gun barrel, but is always in parallel alignment. The speed of loading is essentially dependent only upon the speed of recoil and counter-recoil so that the loading operation does not limit the speed of firing such that rapid burst firing can be easily accomplished. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES OF THE DRAWING 
     FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a weapon employing the improved loading apparatus of this invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a side elevation of a portion of the weapon shown in FIG. 1. 
     FIG. 3 is a fragmentary vertical section taken along the line 3--3 of FIG. 2. 
     FIG. 4 is a schematic side elevation of a portion of the weapon shown in FIG. 1 illustrating a typical chamber movement during recoil and counter-recoil of the weapon. 
     FIG. 5 is a fragmentary isometric with parts broken away for clarity illustrating the principles of operation of the rapid loading system of the weapon shown in FIG. 1 with the chamber within the breech and a new round positioned ready to be carried to the chamber as the gun begins to recoil. 
     FIG. 6 is a schematic isometric view with the gun in recoil. 
     FIG. 7 is an isometric view with the gun in recoil and the chamber about to begin its downward movement out of the breech. 
     FIG. 8 is an isometric view with the chamber positioned out of the breech in coaxial alignment with a new round. 
     FIG. 9 is an isometric view with a new round being enveloped by the chamber and the spent case being pushed out the rear of the chamber during counter-recoil. 
     FIG. 10 is a fragmentary transverse section looking toward the forward end of the weapon. 
     FIG. 11 is a fragmentary schematic transverse section of a second embodiment of the invention. 
     FIG. 12 is a fragmentary bottom plan of the breech area of the second embodiment. 
     FIG. 13 is a transverse fragmentary section of the second embodiment looking generally along the lines 13--13 of FIG. 14A. 
     FIG. 13a is a schematic of a guide track for swinging the chamber. 
     FIGS. 14A and 14B are fragmentary operational views of the second embodiment of the invention at beginning of recoil. 
     FIGS. 15A and 15B are operational views of the second embodiment during recoil as a new round is being removed from the magazine. 
     FIGS. 16A and 16B are operational views of the second embodiment during recoil with the round being carried rearwardly next to the chamber. 
     FIGS. 17A and 17B are operational views of the second embodiment approaching the end of recoil as the chamber is being swung down to coaxial alignment with the new round. 
     FIGS. 18A and 18B are operational views of the second embodiment at the beginning of counter-recoil with the new round now being held against forward movement and the chamber being moved coaxially of the new round to envelop the new round. 
     FIGS. 19A and 19B are operational views of the second embodiment with the new round enveloped by the chamber and pushing the spent casing to the rear. 
     FIGS. 20A and 20B are operational views of the second embodiment at the beginning of counter-recoil. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     As best shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, the weapon includes a barrel 10 mounted on trunions 12 and adapted to move forward and rearward in a stationary frame 14. The weapon is provided with a breech 16, a movable chamber 18, positioned within the breech in coaxial alignment with the barrel 10. As is understood, the type of weapon thus far described is for use with telescoped rounds NR of conventional design which are carried in one or preferably two magazines positioned below and slightly laterally of the barrel 10. 
     In general, the rearwardmost round of one of the magazines is engaged by a selector pawl 22 which is manually operated by the gun operator and pushes the rearwardmost round NR rearwardly with the barrel during recoil. The new round is pushed between a set of opposed gripper jaws 26 which axially slidably hold the new round in parallel alignment with the barrel. A track mechanism 28 guides the chamber downwardly into alignment with the new round NR and during counter-recoil the chamber moves forwardly to slide over the new round with the new round being held against forward movement by a stop 30 (FIGS. 4 and 9). As the chamber is moved forward, the spent case SC (FIG. 9) is discharged from the chamber. Finally, the chamber moves back up into the breech firing position and the cycle repeats itself. 
     The track mechanism 28 includes a forward ramp 31, an intermediate ramp 32 and a rearward ramp 34. These ramps all interconnect with an upper horizontal run 36 and a lower horizontal run 38. At the upper extremities of the forward and intermediate ramps are a pair of gates 40 and 41. At the lower extremities of the intermediate and rearward ramps are a pair of gates 42 and 43. At the upper extremity of the rearward ramp is an upper gate opener 44 connected by a link 46 to the gate 41. The gate 41 is spring biased closed. At the lower extremity of the forward ramp 31 is a lower gate opener 48 which is joined by a link 50 to the gate 42. The gate 42 is spring biased closed. 
     The chamber is provided with forward and rearward sets of transversely spaced rollers 52 and 54. The rollers and track on each side of the frame 14 are identical so only one side will be described. The chamber when moving rearwardly relative to the track 28 rolls over the closed gates 41 and 40 until the rear rollers 54 engage the upper gate opener 44. This opens the gate 41 giving access to the intermediate ramp 32 such that continued rearward movement of the chamber simultaneously guides both the forward and rearward rollers down the intermediate and rearward ramp onto the lower horizontal run 38. Counter-recoil movement brings the chamber forwardly in the track 28 with the rollers 52 and 54 passing beneath the spring biased closed gates 42 and 43 until the forward rollers 52 engage the lower gate opener 48. Continued forward movement of the chamber 18 then simultaneously moves the rollers 52 and 54 up the ramps 30 and 32 until the chamber returns to the upper horizontal run 36 in coaxial alignment with the barrel 10. During this sequence of movements of the chamber the spent case is discharged and the new round is inserted in the chamber. 
     In the alternative embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 11-20B. The chamber is again lowered but by a swinging action rather than being guided by a track. As best shown in FIGS. 11-13, the chamber 18 is pivotally carried on a horizontal pivot 60 which is connected by a rigid link 62 to a cam roller 64. The cam roller 64 rides in a cam slot 66 in the stationary frame 14. Thus, during recoil, the chamber 18 is swung downwardly into alignment with the jaws 26 and receives a new round and discharges the spent case much as in the track embodiment. 
     In both embodiments a new round is fed by a suitable conventional pneumatic, hydraulic or pulley and cable magazine feed 70 (FIG. 14A) driven by a motor 71. The feed continuously presents a new round into the ready position shown by the new round NR. Advancing of the rounds in the magazine can also be accomplished by using the recoil force but the need to drive the system backwards for unloading the weapon and to activate it while loading makes an externally powered system more effective. The magazines can be loaded from the front or rear. As the rounds in the magazines are moved into position, they move up a ramp 72 placing the round beneath and laterally of the gun barrel 10. 
     The jaws 26 are carried with the gun barrel and include a pair of jaw arms 76 and 77 joined by a spring 78. The arms are thus pivoted toward one another by the spring but are restrained by cam tracks 82a in the stationary gun frame 14. In each of the cam tracks is a cam roller 79 which is connected to a bell crank 80 that forms a part of the gripping arm 76. Both gripping arms function in an identical manner. As the weapon recoils, the gripping arms are moved rearwardly with the spring 78 and rollers 79 causing the arms to move simultaneously toward one another. Depending on which new round NR had been carried out of a magazine the gripper on that side will engage the new round and begin to move it toward the center line of the weapon. As the round becomes parallel to the axis of the gun barrel 10, both gripper arms engage and suspend the new round. In the track embodiment shown in FIG. 5 the cam track 78 is substituted by a cam plate 82 having opposite uniformly rearwardly converging cam surfaces 82. The rollers 79 follow these cam surfaces much as they are following the track 82a in the swing down embodiment of FIG. 13. 
     As the new round is carried rearwardly by the gripping jaws 26, the round passes over an upwardly biased stop 30. As the gun begins its counter-recoil, the new round is carried forward and engages the end of the stop 30. Further forward movement draws the chamber 18 over the new round which slides through the jaws 26. The old round or spent case SC is engaged by a hook 86 which is spring biased forwardly. The spent case is then suspended between the new round and the hook as shown in FIG. 19A. As the chamber begins to move further forwardly and up back into the breech, the new round slides upwardly off the stop 30 but at this time is fully inserted within the chamber. The chamber pulls into the breech stripping the spent case from between the new round and the hook 86 and the spent case falls clear. The gun is now ending its counter recoil and ready for firing. 
     While the preferred embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described, it should be understood that variations will be apparent to one skilled in the art without departing from the principles herein. Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited to the specific embodiment illustrated in the drawing.