Patent GB-578477-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to ordnance
IPC: F41A9/42
Filed: 1942-04-13
Abstract: 578,477. Automatic ordnance. MOLINS, D. W., RUAU, F. F., and MOLINS MACHINE CO., Ltd. April 13, 1942, Nos. 4864,7039,15838 and 16685. [Class 92 (i)] Relates to automatic loading appliances for guns using fixed ammunition in which the breech is automatically closed on the insertion of a round and automatically opened to eject the cartridge case. According to the invention, a spring- pressed rammer moves the base of a round forwards, from a feeding station or magazine situated clear of the breech and behind the chamber face, to the breech-aligned position along a cam-controlled path, the nose of the cartridge being presented to the gun breech prior to or during ramming. The rammer is mounted on a lever pivoted to a recoiling carrier, and control means is provided to swing the lever at the end of recoil so that the rammer is positioned behind a round at the feeding station, a further control means acting to move the rammer towards the gun axis and into alignment with the gun breech during the feeding stroke. To permit of hand loading and clearing jambs, a spring latch device is provided to disconnect the rammer from its driving springs. The breechblock 5, Fig. 1, closed automatically in usual manner on the engagement of the loaded cartridge with the extractors, is opened automatically during run-out of the barrel by a cam 203. Hand gear 204 is provided for opening the breech to load the first round. The gun cradle supports the loading apparatus on members 7, 8, the member 8 serving to guide a recoiling carrier 9 which supports the rammer 12 by links 10, 11 swinging on pins 22, 23. The link 11 has a lever 17 engaging a cam 18, Fig. 2, and cooperates with a cam 19 on the breech. The carrier is urged forwards by springs carried in tubes 13 and a catch 28 on the carrier engages the abutment 30 of the springs by a hook 29, the catch being releasable by a lever to disconnect the springs for manual loading. On firing, a catch lever 35, Fig. 2, on the gun engages during recoil a projection 39 on the carrier 9 until this is engaged by a catch 27, Fig. 1, to hold the rammer springs in cocked position a roller 37 on the lever 35 engaging a cam 41 to disengage the lever from the notch as the recoil proceeds. Towards the end of recoil, the rammer swings upwardly by momentum and by the action of the cam 19 and engages a rubber buffer 49 being retained by a catch 52. The cartridges are fed between bars 102, 103, Fig. 6, by a roller 119 on a spring-pressed lever 21 pivoted at 107 and having a short arm 109 linked to a spring arm 112. The roller is spring mounted for tripping over rounds in the full magazine. A member 136, Fig. 5, acts as an end wall to the magazine and depresses the nose of the round to feeding position then rises one step to hold up the succeeding round. A cross-shaft 68, Fig. 6, carries two levers 125 with rollers 126 engaging cam 127 on plate 128 on top of the breech to rock a crank 67 to and fro during recoil and run-out. This crank acts to move the depresser 136 in two stages and also operates a block 63. This block has a pin to discharge catch 27 to release the rammer near the end of run-out, and a plate 134 to operate a catch 129 on the magazine which separates the rims of two adjacent rounds. The rounds are supported prior to ramming by a pawl 137, Fig. 7, and by a yielding stop 141 struck by the rammer head to release the round on to pins on the head. 'For dealing with projectiles of different lengths, a breech extension piece 151, Fig. 5, is provided, a support 150 on top of the breech receiving the nose of the round on its first fall. On release, the rammer head moves the base of the cartridge downwardly and forwardly up to the chamber face. To load the first cartridge, the breech is opened by handle 204, the coupling 29, 30 is broken and the carrier and rammer drawn back. The round is placed with its nose on extension piece 151 and its base on the rammer head pins. The rammer is pushed forwards to feed the round and the extractors release the breech-block and the coupling 29, 30 re-engages. On firing, the cam 19, carrier 9 and rammer 12 move back until the carrier is held by catch 27. The gun and rammer continue to recoil until the rammer is caught by catch 52 out of the path of the breech. The rammer is held during the major part of the recoil by a stud 42, Fig. 2, running on hinged cam 43 which prevent the links swinging upwardly on pins 22, 23. At the start of recoil, depresser 136 is lifted to allow a round to feed with its nose against a guide 146, Fig. 6. The barrel then runs out, the breech is opened by cam 203, the depresser 136 is moved downward in two stages by cam tracks 226, 227, Fig. 5, and the nose of the round passes on to plate 150 and extension 151 by way of a cushioning lever. The final movement of the depresser releases catch 27 holding the rammer which moves the base of the cartridge forwards and downwards in a path determined by the fixed cam 18, the stud 42 engaging the cam surface 243, Fig. 2. A retainer shoe for the round on the breech-block 5 prevents rebound. During the feed, the round successively occupies the positions marked X, Y, Z in Fig. 2.