Patent GB-481066-A (GB)
Title: Improvements relating to automatic machine gun carriers adapted to be dropped from aircraft
IPC: F41A27/04
Filed: 1937-05-18
Abstract: 481,066. Armed turrets and parachutes. PRAJZLER, J. May 18, 1937, No. 13893. [Classes 9 (ii), 92 (i), and 92 (ii)] Relates to an automatic machine-gun carrier combined with a parachute and adapted to be dropped from aircraft. According to the invention, the carrier consists of a rotatable upper housing or turret containing one or more machine guns and a supply of cartridge belts and a rigid lower housing containing mechanism for starting and actuating the rotatable turret and the firing of the guns. The device may be adapted to be actuated either prior to or on arrival on the ground. As shown, the carrier, which is adapted to be attached by a ring 45 aid cord 44 to a parachute, comprises a rigid lowei housing 1 formed with an upwardly extending cylindrical casing 2 and supported by springs 5 on a plate 3 provided with wheels 4 or with grappling irons. An impact rod 7 passing through the plate 3 is adapted to be moved upwardly when the carrier falls to the ground so as to rotate a crank 8 and open a distributing valve 9. A pressure chamber 10 containing compressed air &c. is arranged in the body of housing 1 and communicates by way of a reduction chamber 13 and one or more channels 14 with the valve 9 from apertures in which the power medium is led through pipes 15 into operating cylinders 16, the pistons 17 of which are adapted to revolve a crankshaft 18. Instead of the cylinders 16 and the compressed-air drive, an explosive gas mixture, ignited by any suitable means actuated by the rod 7, can be employed to drive a motor or, as a further alternative, an internal-combustion engine fed with fluid fuel from the chamber 10 can be put into operation through the medium of the rod 7. The shaft 18 carries a gear-wheel 19 which meshes with a further gear-wheel 20 on the shaft of which is keyed a bevel pinion 21 which meshes with a bevelled gear-wheel 22 located in a circular opening in a rotatable cylindrical housing 23 surrounding the casing 2 and carrying a plate 24<1> which constitutes a supporting base for a bell-shaped cover 24, the housing 23, plate 24<1> and cover 24 together constituting a turret which rotates on the housing 1 through the intermediary of rollers 30. The plate 24<1> also serves as a holder for a number of freely rotatable drums 25 carrying cartridge belts 50. The turret has mounted therein six machine guns arranged at an angle of 60‹ to one another and a cartridge belt 50 is drawn from the appropriate drum 25 by a pair of rollers 38, 39 and introduced in known manner into the breech of the corresponding gun, the guns being fired initially by any known automatic release gear actuated by the rod 7. The rollers 38, 39 are driven from a bevel pinion 34 on the shaft 18 through gearing 35, 36 and 37. The unrolled cartridge belt, together with the empty cartridge cases, leave the turret through an opening 42, a rotatable cutter 43 cutting up the belt into small lengths before it leaves the opening 42. If desired, the valve 9 may be connected by a rod 27 to a tune fuze 28 in a container 29 filled with an explosive charge, so that the whole carrier will be destroyed a predetermined time after landing. The rotation of the turret may be assisted by the recoil of the machine gun or guns. When the device is to come into operation before reaching the ground, the valve 9 is adapted to be opened either by means of pre-set timing mechanism or by means of a pull-cord actuated by the opening of the parachute.