Patent Publication Number: US-11385005-B1

Title: Firearm rotor and method of use

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to rotors for firearms. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An aspect of the invention involves a cooling rotor for a firearm (e.g., M134 minigun) that is configured to actively pull gas and heat generated from firing the firearm thru passages in the rotor and out a front of the rotor. By removing gases and debris in this manner, the rotor creates a safer environment and minimizes the possibility of flashing unspent powder. The cooling rotor is a single-piece design, minimizing misalignment from separate pieces controlling the firing of the firearm. 
     Another aspect of the invention involves a cooling rotor for a minigun that actively pulls gases and heat generated from firing the minigun comprising a front end with an axial opening; a rear end; a bore extending from the rear end to the axial opening in the front end; a plurality of longitudinally spaced, peripherally extending rotor segments; and one or more openings disposed between two or more of the plurality of longitudinally spaced, peripherally extending rotor segments whereby upon rotation of the cooling rotor gases and heat generated from firing the minigun are actively pulled through the one or more openings, the bore, and out the axial opening in the front end. 
     One or more implementations of the aspect of the invention described immediately above includes one or more of the following: one or more angled support structures between at least two of the longitudinally spaced, peripherally extending rotor segments, the one or more angled support structures including the one or more openings; the plurality of longitudinally spaced, peripherally extending rotor segments include two or more of a rotation bolt guide, a forward track, a center track, a front removable track support, a center removable track support, a rear removable track support, a front drive sleeve, and a clutch assembly support; one or more angled support structures are disposed between two or more of the rotation bolt guide, the forward track, the center track, the front removable track support, the center removable track support, the rear removable track support, the front drive sleeve, and the clutch assembly support, the one or more angled support structures including the one or more openings; the one or more angled support structures are disposed between the front removable track support and the center removable track support; the one or more angled support structures are disposed between the center removable track support and the rear removable track support; the one or more angled support structures are disposed between the front drive sleeve and the clutch assembly support; the one or more angled support structures are disposed between the front removable track support and the center removable track support, the center removable track support and the rear removable track support, and the front drive sleeve and the clutch assembly support; the one or more angled support structures are disposed extend at one or more of the same or different angles α from 30 degrees to 80 degrees off of the front face; and/or the rotor has a single-piece construction made of 18% nickel, cobalt strengthened steel (C-type). 
     An additional aspect of the invention involves a method of using a cooling rotor for a minigun that actively pulls gases and heat generated from firing the minigun comprising a front end with an axial opening; a rear end; a bore extending from the rear end to the axial opening in the front end; a plurality of longitudinally spaced, peripherally extending rotor segments; and one or more openings disposed between two or more of the plurality of longitudinally spaced, peripherally extending rotor segments whereby upon rotation of the cooling rotor gases and heat generated from firing the minigun are actively pulled through the one or more openings, the bore, and out the axial opening in the front end cooling rotor of claim of claim  1 , comprising: rotating the cooling rotor; and actively pulling gases and heat generated from firing the minigun through the one or more openings, the bore, and out the axial opening in the front end, away from an operator of the minigun. 
     One or more implementations of the aspect of the invention described immediately above includes one or more of the following: the cooling rotor includes one or more angled support structures between at least two of the longitudinally spaced, peripherally extending rotor segments, the one or more angled support structures including the one or more openings, and actively pulling includes using the one or more angled support structures to facilitate pulling the gases and heat generated from firing the minigun through the one or more openings; the plurality of longitudinally spaced, peripherally extending rotor segments include two or more of a rotation bolt guide, a forward track, a center track, a front removable track support, a center removable track support, a rear removable track support, a front drive sleeve, and a clutch assembly support, and actively pulling includes pulling the gases and heat generated from firing the minigun through the one or more openings between two or more of the rotation bolt guide, the forward track, the center track, the front removable track support, the center removable track support, the rear removable track support, and the front drive sleeve; the cooling rotor includes one or more angled support structures disposed between two or more of the rotation bolt guide, the forward track, the center track, the front removable track support, the center removable track support, the rear removable track support, the front drive sleeve, and the clutch assembly support, the one or more angled support structures including the one or more openings, and actively pulling includes using the one or more angled support structures to facilitate pulling the gases and heat generated from firing the minigun through the one or more openings; the one or more angled support structures are disposed between the front removable track support and the center removable track support, and actively pulling includes using the one or more angled support structures to facilitate pulling the gases and heat generated from firing the minigun through the one or more openings between the front removable track support and the center removable track support; the one or more angled support structures are disposed between the center removable track support and the rear removable track support, and actively pulling includes using the one or more angled support structures to facilitate pulling the gases and heat generated from firing the minigun through the one or more openings between the center removable track support and the rear removable track support; the one or more angled support structures are disposed between the front drive sleeve and the clutch assembly support, and actively pulling includes using the one or more angled support structures to facilitate pulling the gases and heat generated from firing the minigun through the one or more openings between the front drive sleeve and the clutch assembly support; the one or more angled support structures are disposed between the front removable track support and the center removable track support, the center removable track support and the rear removable track support, and the front drive sleeve and the clutch assembly support, and actively pulling includes using the one or more angled support structures to facilitate pulling the gases and heat generated from firing the minigun through the one or more openings between the front removable track support and the center removable track support, the center removable track support and the rear removable track support, and the front drive sleeve and the clutch assembly support; the one or more angled support structures are disposed extend at one or more of the same or different angles α from 30 degrees to 80 degrees off of the front face; and/or the rotor has a single-piece construction made of 18% nickel, cobalt strengthened steel (C-type). 
     A further aspect of the invention involves a cooling rotor for a minigun that actively pulls gases and heat generated from firing the minigun, comprising a front end with an axial opening; a rear end; a bore extending from the rear end to the axial opening in the front end; and a plurality of longitudinally spaced, peripherally extending rotor segments 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
       The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form a part of this specification illustrate embodiments of the invention and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. 
         FIG. 1  is a front perspective view of a portion of a M134 machine gun including an embodiment of a cooling rotor. 
         FIG. 2  is a rear perspective view of the portion of the M134 machine gun of  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 3  is an enlarged rear perspective view of the cooling rotor of  FIGS. 1 and 2 . 
         FIG. 4  is another rear perspective view of the cooling rotor of  FIGS. 1-3 . 
         FIG. 5  is a front perspective view of the cooling rotor of  FIGS. 1-4 . 
         FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view of the cooling rotor of  FIGS. 1-5 . 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION 
     With reference to  FIGS. 1-6 , an embodiment of a cooling rotor  100  for a M134 minigun firearm  110  and method of using the same will be described. The cooling rotor  100  actively pulls gases and heat generated from firing the minigun  110  thru passages in the rotor  100  and out a front of the rotor  100 . By removing gases and debris in this manner, the rotor  100  creates a safer environment and minimizes the possibility of flashing unspent powder. The rotor  100  is made of Maraging 300/VASCOMAX® 300 (AMS 6514) steel, which is an 18% nickel, cobalt strengthened steel (C-type) with excellent properties, workability and heat treatment characteristics. The rotor  100  is a single-piece design, minimizing misalignment from separate pieces controlling the firing of the minigun  110 . 
     The minigun  110  fires a cartridge that includes a bullet, a cylindrical cartridge case, a primer, and powder. When the cartridge is fired by first detonating the primer, which ignites the powder, pressure within the cartridge case increases to the point that the bullet is forced out of the cartridge case and down one of six barrels  120  of the minigun  110 . The minigun  110  includes a main housing (not shown) that encloses and supports the rotor  100 . The cartridges are handled by six bolt assemblies  130 , each aligned with a respective one of the six barrels  120 . The six bolt assemblies  130  are attached to and positioned circumferentially around the rotor  100 . The rotor  100  comprises the core axis of the minigun  110 . The six barrels  120  are connected to a forward portion  140  of the rotor  100  and are arranged for rotation as a cluster around the core axis of the minigun  110 . As the rotor  100  rotates, the bolt assemblies  130  are driven forward and rearward by a helical cam incorporated within the main housing. The helical cam causes the cartridges to be delivered to the bolt assemblies  130 , chambered in a barrel  120 , and then fired. The empty cartridges are extracted from the chambers and ejected. The rotor  100  is rotated by means of a series of gears such as forward gear  150  driven by an electric motor. Removable track, which can also be considered an aft track,  155  is a continuation of forward track and center track. The removable track  155  is removable to allow the firing bolt to be installed and removed. The firing bolt rides between the sides of the forward, center, and removable tracks as the bolt moves forward and aft following the tracks. Gases, heat, and debris generated from firing the minigun  110  would normally be directed into the area between the rotor  100  and the main housing. The gases, heat, and debris would normally then be forced at high velocity through various openings in the housing, subjecting the operator to possible injury. 
     The cooling rotor  100  is configured to actively pull gases and heat generated from firing the minigun  110  thru passages in the rotor  100  and out a front of the rotor  100  to overcome the above problem that would normally occur. The rotor  100  includes a drive gear support  160  at a front end  165 , which includes a front face  170 , and a rear end  180  at an opposite end. A bore  190  extends through a center of the rotor  100  from the rear end  180  to an axial opening  200  of the front end  165 . A periphery  210  of the rotor  100  includes a plurality of longitudinally spaced, peripherally extending rotor segments  220  with respective angled support structures  230  between the longitudinally spaced rotor segments  220 . From front-to-rear, the longitudinally spaced rotor segments  220  include one or more of a rotation bolt guide  240 , a forward track  250 , a center track  260 , a front removable track support  270 , a center removable track support  280 , a rear removable track support  290 , a front drive sleeve  300 , and a clutch assembly support  310 . In a preferred embodiment, the angled support structures  230  extend between 1) the front removable track support  270  and the center removable track support  280 , 2) the center removable track support  280  and the rear removable track support  290 , and 3) the front drive sleeve  300  and the clutch assembly support  310 . In an alternative embodiment, the angled support structures  230  extend between one or more of the rotation bolt guide  240 , the forward track  250 , the center track  260 , the front removable track support  270 , the center removable track support  280 , the rear removable track support  290 , the front drive sleeve  300 , and/or the clutch assembly support  310 . Each of the angled support structures  230  include circumferentially spaced angled openings  320  therein. Each of the angled support structures  230  (with openings  320 ) extend at one or more of the same or different angles α from 30 degrees to 80 degrees off of the front face  170 . 
     With reference to  FIG. 6 , as the cooling rotor  100  rotates during operation of the minigun  110 , air flow AF is pulled through the rotor  100  as shown, between the longitudinally spaced rotor segments  220 , directed by the angled support structures  230  through the openings  320 , into the bore  190 , and forward, out through the axial opening  200  and away from the operator. The spaces between the longitudinally spaced rotor segments  220 , the openings  320 , the bore  190 , and the axial opening  200  form passages that the cooling rotor  100  actively pulls gases and heat generated from firing the minigun  110  thru. The air flow AF pulled through the rotor  100  and expelled out the front through the axial opening  200  includes the gases, heat, and shrapnel generated from firing the minigun  110 . By removing gases and debris in this manner, the rotor  100  creates a safer environment and minimizes the possibility of flashing unspent powder. Because the rotor  100  is a single-piece design, misalignment causes from separate pieces controlling the firing of the minigun  110  is minimized. 
     The figures may depict exemplary configurations for the invention, which is done to aid in understanding the features and functionality that can be included in the invention. The invention is not restricted to the illustrated architectures or configurations, but can be implemented using a variety of alternative architectures and configurations. Additionally, although the invention is described above in terms of various exemplary embodiments and implementations, it should be understood that the various features and functionality described in one or more of the individual embodiments with which they are described, but instead can be applied, alone or in some combination, to one or more of the other embodiments of the invention, whether or not such embodiments are described and whether or not such features are presented as being a part of a described embodiment. Thus the breadth and scope of the present invention, especially in the following claims, should not be limited by any of the above-described exemplary embodiments. 
     Terms and phrases used in this document, and variations thereof, unless otherwise expressly stated, should be construed as open ended as opposed to limiting. As examples of the foregoing: the term “including” should be read as mean “including, without limitation” or the like; the term “example” is used to provide exemplary instances of the item in discussion, not an exhaustive or limiting list thereof; and adjectives such as “conventional,” “traditional,” “standard,” “known” and terms of similar meaning should not be construed as limiting the item described to a given time period or to an item available as of a given time, but instead should be read to encompass conventional, traditional, normal, or standard technologies that may be available or known now or at any time in the future. Likewise, a group of items linked with the conjunction “and” should not be read as requiring that each and every one of those items be present in the grouping, but rather should be read as “and/or” unless expressly stated otherwise. Similarly, a group of items linked with the conjunction “or” should not be read as requiring mutual exclusivity among that group, but rather should also be read as “and/or” unless expressly stated otherwise. Furthermore, although item, elements or components of the disclosure may be described or claimed in the singular, the plural is contemplated to be within the scope thereof unless limitation to the singular is explicitly stated. The presence of broadening words and phrases such as “one or more,” “at least,” “but not limited to” or other like phrases in some instances shall not be read to mean that the narrower case is intended or required in instances where such broadening phrases may be absent.