Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
2 ~
An Automatic Hand Weapon
The invention is directed to an automatic hand weapon,
especially a rifle, a pistol or a submachine gun. The
weapon is particularly suited for firing uncased
ammunition.
i More in detail, the invention is directed to an automatic
hand ~eapon comprising a barrel which is held stationary
in a barrel portion in which an axially symmetrical bore is
formed perpendicularly to the barrel axis, a cylinder-
shaped cartridge chamber housing being disposed within said
bore and being adapted to be successively moved by positive
intermittent rotary movement in the same direction about
its axis of rotation into a firi~ng position in which a
cartridge, especially an uncased cartridge, can be inserted
from a magazine tunnel of a magazine mounted on the side of
the weapon housing into a cartridge chamber within the
cylinder-shaped cartridge chamber housing.
An automatic hand weapon of this type is known from DE-PS
2,813,633. The cartridge chamber housing of the known
weapon, after rotation about 180 following a firing
position, will again be in a firing position. To this end a
single cartridge chamber is provided which is designed to
be symmetrical to a transverse centre plane of the
cartridge chamber housing; the longitudinal axis of the
cartridge chamber is aIigned ~ith a diameter of the
cartridge chamber housing, and the rotary axis of the
cartridge chamber housing intersects the axis of the bore
of the barrel.
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Although the control operations and sequences of
movements are made uniform by the intermittent movement of the
cartridge chamber housing which is always in the same direction of
rotation, the known design also exhibits some drawbacks. Match-
ing of the cartridge chamber with the ammunition to be used is not
optimum because typically, a cartridge is not symmetrical with
respect to its transverse centre plane. In connection with uncased
ammunition the especially high firing cadence, which is basically
possible, is limited by rapid heating of the single cartridge
chamber. Adapted obturators are not possible.
It is the object of the present invention to improve
in an automatic hand weapon of the specified kind the positive
intermittent drive of the cartridge chamber housing in the same
direction after each rotation about 180 to a fresh firing posi-
tion, and to retain the advantages resulting therefrom, while
additionally improving the adaptation of the cartridge chamber to
the projectile guiding function and the gas-tightness towards the
striking pin. It is a further object of the invention to achieve
~ a higher cadence. It is a still further object of the invention
that the weapon is particularly adapted to the firing of uncased
ammunition the projectile of which is movable relative to the
propellant charge and is at least in part encompassed thereby.
The invention provldes an automatic hand weapon com-
prising a barrel held stationary in a WeapQn housing and having an
axially symmetrical bore located perpendicularly to the axis of
the barrel cylinder-shaped cartridge chambe~r housin~ being
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disposed within said bore and wherein said chamber housing is
successively moved by positive intermittent rotary movement in
the same direction about its axis of rotation into a firing posi-
tion and into a loading position; and for receiving a cartridge
from a magazine tunnel of a magazine mounted on the side of the
weapon housing; and including two cartridge chambers located with-
in said cylinder-shaped chamber housing wherein said two cartridge
chambers are mutually disposed centrosymmetrically relative to
the rotational axis of said cartridge chamber housing, wherein
the intermittent rotary movement of the cartridge chamber housing
is in 90 increments and wherein each of said cartridge chambers
includes a loading opening at one end and a ~iring opening at the
opposite end and is offset to the rotational axis of the cartridge
chamber housing. While a cartridge positioned in one cartridge
chamber is fired, the other cartridge chamber is allowed to cool.
If necessary, such cooling can be enhanced by forced supply of
cooling medium such as pressurized air. The cartridge feeder and
the cartrid~e ejector may be arranged adjacent each other on the
; same side of the weapon housing; however, it is also possible to
provide a spatially and functionally separate, relatively spaced
arrangement. The cartridge ejector may always have a cleaning
function for the currently aligned cartridge chamber while this
will not affect the cadence.
Each cartridge chamber may comprise a wider portion
for recei~lng the propellant charge of the uncased ammunition and
a narrower bore section or an obturator for receiving the
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projectile. The narrower bore section is aligned with the
barrel diameter. Wear-free sealing of the projectile-side end
of the cartridge chamber and optimum guiding of the projectile
are achieved. The configuration
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and movement of the breech block including the ignition
means to the wider portion of the cartridge chamber is
facilitated. In particular, excellent adaptation to uncased
ammunition of the type is achieved which is movably
arranged relative to the propellant charge and is at least
partially encompassed thereby.
Preferably, a cartridge feeder comprising a first plunger
and a second plunger is provided at the end of the magazine
tunnel. In the loading position of each cartridge chamber a
cartridge is inserted rom the magazine tunnel into the
--- cartridge chamber. The first plunger urges the propellant
charge into the wider portion. The second plunger separates
the projectile from the propellant charge and pushe3 the
projectile into the narrower bore section. The hollow space
formed within the propellant charge facilitates and
accelerates uniform burning of the charge.
O In accordance with a ~urther advantageous embodiment the
ca~tridge ejector is disposed adjacent to and at a slight
distance from the cartridge feeder. Both devices act in the
same direction. Little space is required on the weapon
housing. The magazine tunnel, the cartridge feeder and the
cartridge ejector may be disposed above the barrel portion.
Non-fired cartridges are ejected downwardly and will not
endanger the user.
~urthermore, the cartridge ejector may cooperate with a
pressure conduit containing cooling medium for forcibly
cooling the empty cartridge chamber which in a predeter-
mined position is in alignment with the cartridge ejector.
It is thereby possi~ble to reduce the risk of premature
j explosion of the propellant charge of uncased ammunition.
¦~ The weapon's cadence can be increased due to the fact that
¦ sufficient cooling of the cartridge chamber having a fresh
cartridge introd~ced therein is alweys ensured. An example
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of a cooling medium is pressurized air which is produced
either indirectly on the weapon by a gas pressure drive or
by an externally driven motor.
Moreover, the cartridge ejector may additionally be
equipped with cleaning means for the empty cartridge
chamber which in a predetermined position is in alignment
with the cartridge ejector. Such cleaning means can, for
example, be a scraping or wiping means for removing unburnt
residues from the cartridge chamber wall. It is exactly
such hot residues of carbonization that involve the risk of
spontaneous ignition of a fresh cartridge inserted into the
cartridge chamber.
From DE-AS 2,401,543 there is already known an automatic
hand weapon comprising a pivotable, cylinder-shaped
cartridge chamber housing disposed perpendicularly to the
axis of the bore, the rotational axis of said housing being
eccentric relative to the axis of the bore. The known
cartridge chamber housing not only performs an intermittent
rotational movement in the same direction but is pivoted
forwards and backwards in a 90-step. To the extent to
which three cartridge chambers can be formed in the known
; 25 cartridge chamber housing, each cartridge chamber is formed
in a different cylinder portion of the cylinder-shaped
cartridge chamber housing and is associated with a separate
barrel of a three-barrelled weapon. The special advantages
of the hand weapon according to the invention, such as
rotational movement of the cartridge chamber housing in the
same direction and possible cooling of the cartridge
chamber currently not in use cannot be achieved with the
known cartridge chamber housing.
Below, a preferred embodiment of the invention will be
described in detail with reference to the drawing, in
which:
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! Fig. 1 is a schematic sectional view of a cartridge
chamber housing as provided in accordance with the
present invention within a partially illustrated
weapon housing, adjacent the magazine tunnel
including cartridge feeder and cartridge ejector;
the cartridge chamber housing is in its loading
position; and
Fig. 2 is a schematic sectional view of the cartridge
chamber housing of Fig. 1 in its firing position
relative to the barrel of the weapon.
The fundamental design of an automatic hand weapon with
pivotable cartridge chamber housing of the presently con-
sidered type is known to those in the art. Within a weapon
housing a cylinder-shaped cartridge chamber housing is
disposed in an axially symmetrical recess. The cylinder-
shaped cartridge chamber housing can be driven in a con-
trolled way through a disk cam which in its turn is poweredby a gas pressure drive or an externaIly driven motor.
Furthermore, the weapon housing has mounted thereon a
barrel and a striking pin and cock remote from the barrel.
As regards further details, reference shall be madè, for
example, to the prepublished references DE-AS 2,401,543 and
l ~ DE-PS 2,813,633.
I
¦ A significant aspect of the present invention resides in
the configuration of the cylinder-shaped cartridge chamber
housing 10. In a common cylinder portion aligned with the
barrel, two cartridge chambers 12 and 14 are provided
centrosymmetrically to the rotational axis l1 of the
housing 10. Each cartridge chamber 12, 14 includes a wider
portion 15 for accommodating the propellant charge 1 of an
~ uncased cartridge 2 and a reduced-diameter or narrower bore
¦ section 16 for accommodatin~ the projectile 3 of said
cartridge 1. The narrower bore section 16 may be surrounded
by an obturator 17 which provides for guiding of the
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projectile 3 and sealing of the projectile tunnel 16
relative to the barrel. ~he wider section 15 of each
cartridge chamber 12, 1~ is followed by an enlarged portion
19 into which in the firing position a breech block 20 with
a movable striking pin 21 may enter. The clear interior
cross-section of the wider portion 15 is matched with the
external dimensions of the propellant charge 2 of the
employed uncased cartridge 1 and may, for instance, be
rectangular, especially sguare; it is especially preferred
to provide a circular internal cross-section.
Within the weapon housing 5 - preferably above the barrel
6 - there is formed a magazine tunnel 7 in which a multi-
plicity of cartridges 1 is disposed which are forcibly
advanced to a cartridge feeder 30. The cartridge feeder 30
includes two independently movable plungers 31 and 32. The
plungers 31, 32 are preferably powered by schematically
indicated springs/ and control of each plunger can prefer-
ably be effected in a manner known per se~through lobes
(not illustrated) on a disk cam (not illustrated). In the
illustrated embodiment the external plunger 31 concentric-
ally surrounds the internal plunger 32. The external
plunger 31 is used for introducing the entire cartridge 1
into the cartridge chamber 12 and especially ~rges the
propellant charge body 2 into the wider portion 15 of the
cartridge chamber 12. The internal plunger 32 is guided in
¦ a central bore 4 in the body of the propellant charge 2,
separates the projectile 3 from the body of the propellant
I charge 2 and moves the projectile right into the narrower
I bore sec'~ion 16 within the cartridge chamber 12. When the
body of the propellant charge 2 and the projectile 3 have
-been disposed in the described way within the cartridge
chamber 12, both plungers 31 and 32 are forcibly returned
and the cartridge chamber housing 10 can be rotated clock-
wise about 90 from the illustrated loading position and
will then assume the firing position illustrated in Fig. 2.
In s~id firin~ position the narro~er bore section ~6 ~s in
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alignment with the firing passage within the barrel 6. A
movable breech block 20 has been forcibly moved into the
enlarged portion 19 and hermetically seals the wider
portion 15 of the cartridge chamber 12. If necessary, known
sealing means or a further obturator for closing the rear
end of the cartridge chamber 12 may cooperate with the
breech block 20. Within the breech block 20 an ignition
means 21 is movably disposed which is indicated only
O schematically. After actuation of a trigger (not
illustrated) the ignition means 21 will ignite the
propellant charge 2, for example when a hammer impacts a
primlng cap whereby an electric spark is initiated, or by
producing a flash of light.
16
After a shot has been fired, the cylinder-shaped cartridge
chamber housing 10 is rotated clockwise by a further step
of 90 when the second cartridge chamber 14 will assume the
; loading position. The first cartridge chamber 12, from
which a shot has just been fired, is now aligned with a
cartridge ejector 40. The cartridge ejector 40 comprises
i - in a manner known per se - at least one movably disposed
plunger 41 which in this position can be moved into the
I empty cartridge chamber 12. As shown, the cartridge ejector
¦ 40 is disposed adjacent to and at a slight distance from
the cartridge feeder 30. All of the plungers 31, 32 and 41
act in the same direction and are readily controlled by a
disk cam (not illustrated). Opposite the cartridge ejector
40 an ejection opening 42 is formed through which the case
of a conventional cartridge or, in case of failure, the
non-fired cartridge 1 can be ejected by means of the
plunger 41. Although the cartridge chamber housing 10
including the two cartridge chambers 12 and 14, as provided
in accordance with the present invention, offers special
advantages in respect of shooting uncased ammunition and is
preferably intended for this purpose, it is also possible
with this cartridge chamber housing to fire conventional
cartridges including a permanent cartridge case. It would
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then be advantageous that the ejecting function can be
performed in the loading position of the cartridge chamber
housing 10 and does not require any additional ejecting
position.
~rovision may be made for the plunger 4l of the cartridge
ejector 40 to be actuated only in case of a ~ailure.
Alternatively, the plunger 41 can be forcibly actuated
after each firing operation. In that case the plunger 41
may additionally be provided with scraping or wiping tools
(not illustrated) for cleaning the cartridge chamber 14
after each shot. In particular, hot carbonization residues
resulting from burning the previously ignited propellant
charge can be removed whereby the risk of inadvertent
spontaneous ignition upon insertion of a fresh uncased
cartridge 1 into the cartridge chamber 14 is considerably
reduced. Additionally, the cartridge ejector 40 may have a
pressure conduit ~not illustrated) connected thereto so as
to blow cooling medium, especially pressurized air, through
the empty cartridge chamber 14 while a fresh cartridge 1 is
inserted into the adjacent cartridge chamber 12.
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In a practical embodiment of the hand weapon according to
the invention the cylinder-shaped cartridge chamber housing
1~ ~ has a diameter of about 40 to 60 mm, especially a diameter
¦ of 55 mm. Within this cartridge chamber housing two
cartridge chambers are formed centrosymmetrically to the
rotational axis of said housing, the narrower bore section
of said chambers having a diameter o~ about 5 mm. The wider
portion has circular cross-section with an inside diameter
of about 10 to 12 mm. The length of the wider portion is
about 20 to 30 mm.
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