US2970519A - Recoilless rifle - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 7, 1961 c wALjoN lvlussxalf ETAL I RECOILLESS RIFLE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed NOV. 26, 1958 onsJ C WALTDN MUSSER v Y Sm,

INVENT BY KENNETH R. WADLEIGH /L HM, @.gmf

.le ,5L ATTORNEYS lil Feb. 7, 1961 Filed Nov. 26, 1958 c wALToN MUssER ETAL REcoILLEss RIFLE INVENTORSl C WALTON MUSSER KENNETH R. WADLEIGH ATTORNEYS.

REcorLLEss RIFLE C Walton Musset, Beverly, and Kenneth R. Wadleigh, Belmont, Mass., assignors to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Armyl Filed Nov. 26, 1958, Ser. No. 776,653

4 Claims. (Cl. 89-1.7)

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to recoilless rifles such as are,A

between a perforated casing and a perforated boom containing a powder for igniting the propellent.

In guns of this type, lightness of weight and simplicity of operation are prime considerations. The rifle of the present invention is given these advantages by a unique and radical departure from the recoilless rifles in use at the present time. In it, the conventional breech mechanism, with its diicult-to-machine kidney-shaped nozzle, is altogether eliminated, and in its place there is substituted a circular nozzle which is an integral part of the cartridge.

Another unique feature is the provision of a relatively simple firing mechanism including a sear which functions to (l) hold the tiring pin away from the primer prior to the cocking of the hammer, (2) lock ythe hammer in its uncooked position when the gun has been tired, and (3) lock the circular nozzle to the chamber.

The invention will be better understood from the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings and its scope is indicated by the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings: f

Figs. 1 and 2 illustrate the general assembly of the rie, and

Fig. 3 illustrates the various parts of the firing mechanism and cartridge.

The gun of Figs. l and 2 includes abarrel 10, a charnber 11, a circular nozzle 12, and a ring mechanism 13. The hammer (not shown in Fig. l) of the mechanism 13 is cocked by a cocking lever 14. The mechanism 13 is operated to fire the gun by `means of a hand trigger 15 and a cable 16. The barrel 10 supports a telescope 17 and is arranged to be supported either upon the shoulder or upon a retractable monopod 18 and the shoulder rests 19 and 20 which are adapted to be swung downwardly in the form of a bipod.

Fig. 3 illustrates, among other things, a cartridge including a perforated casing 21 and a boom 22 which bears tins 23 and is made hollow and perforated to receive a powder for igniting a propellent interposed between the boom and the casing.

At its rear end,' the cartridge has a closure which inf cludes a metal pressure plug 24, a plastic plug 25 and the nozzle 12. For tiring the propellent igniting powder of the cartridge a primary 26, mounted on the nozzle 12, is connected with the interior of the boom 22 through an outlet 27 extending through the nozzle 12, therplastic plug 25 and the pressure plug 24. A

The nozzle 12 is provided with three threads 28 which are adapted to engage similar threads 29 of the. chamber spaced primers and outlets similar to the primer 26 land outlet 27. These are provided so that, no matter how the round is inserted into the chamber, a primer is always in line with the firing pin 30. Plastic plug 25 and pressure plug 24 are similarly provided with a plurality of passageways or outlets which provide communication between the primer and the igniting powder of the cartridge.

In assembling the cartridge of Fig. 3, the projectile (not shown) is placed in the case 21 to its proper depth. The correct quantity of powder is then placed in the case .and the pressure plug 24 is screwed into the boom 22.

The nozzle 12 isthen placed upon the plastic plug 25q until an index hole 31 therein engages a protrusion on the plug 25. This aligns the gas passages or primer outlets of the mating parts. A gland nut-32 is then screwed into the nozzle 12 thereby locking all parts of the cartridge together so that it is ready for insertion into the gun. Once in the gun, the projectile is rotated to tighten the threads 28 and 29 and is locked in its final positiony by a rear extension of a sear 33 of the firing mechanism.

The firing mechanism includes, in addition to the tiring pin 30, the sear 33 and the cocking lever 14, a hammer 34, a tiring rack 35, a pin 36 for supporting the rear end of this rack, a cam 37 fixed to the housing of the firing mechanism, a spring 38 connected between the front ends of the rack 35 and the sear 33, a sear actuator 39, a ring cable 16, a cable housing adapter 40 and a cable housing 41.

Y It will be noted that the sear 33 has on one of its sides anV extension 42 which functions to lock the nozzle tol the chamber.' lOn the other side of the sear are cams 43 and 44 and a notchl 45.

The hammer 34 is shown by Fig. 3 as in the position which it assumes upon the introduction of the cartridge into the gun. In this position, the nozzle 12 is locked to the chamber 11 by the extension 42 of the sear, the ring pin 30 is locked away from the primer 26 by the cam 43, and the spring 38 is-partially contracted.

Cocking of the hammer 34 by the exterior cocking 4lever 14 moves the firing rack 35 rearwardly over the cam 37 into the position indicated by broken lines where itis held by the stop 45. This also tensions the spring 38.

Firing of the gun iseffected by operating the trigger 15 (see Fig. l) to pull the ring cable forward. This produces three different results. AIt moves the cam 43 out of the way of the firing pin 30. It brings the cam 44 into engagement with the forward part of the firing rack 35 so that this part is raised above the catch 37 and the `gun is fired. It permits the extension 42 to drop to a lower level in which the sear is prevented from returning to the position illustrated in Fig. 3. In this position, the forward part of the rack 35 is in engagement with the notch 45 and the hammer 34 is locked in its uncooked position.

As the extension 42 of the sear 33 is drawn forward it disengages from a slot in the nozzle 12. This permits the nozzle 12 to be rotated and withdrawn from the rifle. When it is withdrawn the sear 33 is returned rearwardly to the position shown in Fig. 3 by the action of spring 38. This locks the tiring pin 30 in the up position and releases the rack 35 to permit cocking the rifle by cocking lever 14.

The spring 38 has a multiple function. In the tired position, the addition to repositioning the sear 33, it serves to return the cable 16 to its prelired position, thereby making certain that the ball-end of the cable in the trigger mechanism is rmly engaged with the trigger.

Patented Feb. 7, 1961,

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