Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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Weapon with Recoil Damper
The present invention relates to a small arm, in particular a grenade or a so-
called
attachment, with a barrel assembly mounted in a housing assembly and a recoil
damper
arrangement which acts between the housing assembly and the barrel assembly.
Directional indications such as to the front, rear, above, below, to the right
and left are
considered from the view of a marksman holding the weapon in firing position.
In particular for large caliber small arms it is known to provide mounted
barrel
assemblies in order to reduce the occurring recoil effects on the marksman.
For example
it is known from EP 0 911 599 B 1 to provide a mounted barrel in which case a
recoil
damper arrangement acts between the housing assembly and the barrel assembly,
said
recoil damper arrangement being constructed as an elastomer ring spring
assembly, and
surrounding the barrel assembly, being arranged within one of the guide tube
assigned to
the housing assembly.
From US 4,689,912 a hand high-speed grenade launcher is known in which case
the
barrel is likewise mounted with respect to the housing. The recoil damping
takes place
here via disk spring assemblies surrounding the barrel and acting between said
barrel and
the housing.
In the case of the known mountings the problem exists that the recoil damper
or buffer
arrangements arranged around the barrel assembly must either be constructed
rather long
(see EP 0 911 599 Bl) or, in the case of short compact design
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the space requirements around the already large caliber barrel must be
additionally
enlarged (see US 4,689,912). Both of these problems are undesirable.
From DE 717 000 a rifle grenade launcher with a recoil brake or recoil damper
arrangement is known, in which case the launcher tube is longitudinally
displaceably
arranged. The recoil brake can be a rubber buffer, a spring or also a fluid
brake and is
axially arranged between a breech block region of the launcher tube and a
support region
of a frame unit.
In particular in the case of such small arms, in which case grenade ammunition
or also
smart grenade ammunition is fired, and which under circumstances exhibit a
barrel
arrangement which swings out transversely to the bore of the axis, such known
mountings cannot at all be realized or can only be realized with considerable
design or
production engineering expenditure. For this reason such small arms (for
example see DE
2005 019 594 Al), have been realized up to now only without mounting and
without
recoil damping.
For modern small arms systems however there is increasing demand to fire
grenade
ammunition with higher projectile impulses of 25 N/s or above instead of
firing grenade
ammunition conventional up to now with a projectile impulse of about 13 N/s,
and this in
a caliber range of 25 mm to 40 mm. Such projectile impulses are however can
only be
tolerated by the marksman with difficulty for the marksman without effective
mounting.
Proceeding from this thus the object exists of specifying an improved mounting
in
conjunction with an effective recoil damper arrangement. An additional object
can be
seen in providing a compact small arm with a recoil damper arrangement, which
is
suitable for high
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projectile impulses (25 N/s and more) and/or large caliber (25 mm and more) as
well as
being simple to operate (swing-out barrel) and easy to maintain or can be re-
equipped
(interchangeable barrel assemblies).
The small arm in accordance with Claim 1 fulfills this object, said small arm
in particular
being able to be designed as a so-called attachment, and which can be used by
itself or
with another weapon (e.g. automatic pistol).
The invention is characterized by the fact that the recoil damper arrangement
is arranged
axially between the breech block region of the barrel assembly and a support
region of
the housing assembly or frame unit, wherein the recoil damper arrangement is
pushed
through by a firing pin guide. This measure makes it possible to separate the
mounting -
the linear bore guide/barrel vice - spatially and functionally from the recoil
damper. With
this the barely assembly can be designed simpler and additional function
features of the
barrel assembly can be realized with low design expenditure (operability,
maintainability,
interchangeability of function elements). The recoil damper arrangement or the
buffer
arrangement is hence extensively independent from the most important barrel
functions
(cartridge receptacle, seating of projectile). The installation space around
the barrel thus
gained is thus available for data transmission devices (programming coils)
which are
required in connection with so-called smart ammunition. Thus small arms can
also be
suitable for extraordinarily large caliber (40 mm and more) and high
projectile impulses
without the space requirements transverse to the bore of the axis growing
unduly. The
invention facilitates a compact, slim, versatile and utilizable small arm
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with effective recoil damping which can be provided with additional
advantageous
features.
In accordance with Claim 2 the barrel assembly is arranged in a receptacle
which fulfills
two functions: It assumes the responsibility for the bore guide or mounting,
without
which these would have to absorb great forces, since the recoil damper
arrangement is
realized separately from this mounting. Simultaneously this receptacle - and
with it the
barrel itself - is can be pivoted around a swivel pin running perpendicular to
the axis of
the bore between a reloading position and a firing position. This swiveling
arrangement
has proven itself in particular in the reloading of grenade weapons. In the
case of the
barrel being swung out the cartridge chamber region for reloading is thus
easily
accessible. Depending on the design of the weapon the barrel can be swung out
laterally
to the right or to the left or laterally upward or downward for reloading or
for removal of
cartridge cases. This flexibility is advantageous in particular in the case of
so-called
attachments which can be attached to another weapon. The small arm in
accordance with
the invention can namely be arranged in this way beneath or laterally on any
other
weapon. The pivotability of the barrel can be adjusted in such a way that the
necessary
hand grips for reloading the weapon can also be carried out in the case of a
weapon being
held in firing position, without the marksman having to change his body
position or the
position of the weapon for this purpose.
In accordance with Claim 3 the recoil damper arrangement comprises an
elastomer spring
arrangement. Such elastomer springs are particularly well adjustable with
regard to their
spring and damper properties and are also to a large extent insensitive to
external
environmental influences. Tried and tested materials are for example
polyurethane foam
or other elastomer materials.
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Claims 4 through 6 relate to advantageous developments of the firing pin guide
and
cartridge ejection mechanism in connection with the recoil damper arrangement.
The
firing pin guide pushing through the elastomer spring arrangement
simultaneously
assumes a guide function of the spring arrangement and forms if necessary a
pair of
friction surfaces with spring arrangement additionally advantageously
influencing the
damping effect.
A cushion element in accordance with Claim 4 acting between the firing pin
guide and
the housing assembly dampens the impact of the advancing barrel assembly or of
the
recoil damper arrangement when said barrel assembly or recoil damper
arrangement
returns to its original position. With this measure both the recoil itself as
well as also the
subsequent forward motion are effectively dampened. The easy operation of the
weapon
is significantly improved and the mechanical stresses of the movable weapon
parts are
reduced.
In accordance with Claim 5 the firing pin guide in the case of the recoil
effect acts in such
a way on a trigger device (hammer or cock) that said trigger device is brought
to its
cocked position. The hammer does not need to be manually cocked, but rather
the
weapon is already immediately ready for use again directly after reloading.
Claims 6 through 9 relate to advantageous designs of the breech block or of a
breech
block element which according to Claim 6 is designed as a cartridge chamber
cover,
which is pivotable around a swivel pin running parallel to the axis of the
bore between its
open and closed positions. The breech block element is thus pivoted on the
breech block
plane and can as a result securely and tightly seal the cartridge chamber in
connection
with easy to design support flanges. The pivot hinge itself does not have to
absorb any
firing stress. The development according to Claim 7 guarantees that the breech
block in
the case of properly inserted ammunition always
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occupies its closed position when the barrel assembly is swiveled in to its
closed position.
The axial firing pin head elastically arranged in the breech block element
permits the
complete decoupling of the barrel assembly from the recoil damper arrangement.
The
interface leveldeveloped in accordance with Claim 9 improves this decoupling
and
ensures a largely backlash free load transfer between barrel assembly with
breech block
element and recoil damper arrangement and with it with the housing assembly.
The improvements in accordance with Claims 10 and 11 ensure the secure locking
of the
barrel assembly in the firing position, wherein in the design in accordance
with Claim 11
the locking is also to be securely guaranteed when the spring action in the
catch
arrangement is reduced by damages or accumulation of dirt or completely broken
down.
According to Claim 12 barrel assemblies of variable caliber can be
accommodated. With
this an inventive small arm can cover a very large spectrum of ammunition.
In accordance with Claim 13 a coupling or an interface for coupling to other
weapons is
provided. With this a weapon arrangement in accordance with Claim 14 is to be
realized,
in which case the inventive small arm is constructed as a so-called attachment
and in
particular as a grenade weapon.
An exemplary embodiment of the present invention will now be explained with
the help
of the drawings. The figures show the following:
Figure 1 shows a perspective lateral view of an inventive small arm,
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Figure 2 shows a longitudinal section through the weapon represented in
Figure 1,
Figure 3 shows a perspective view from the side rear of the weapons
represented in Figures l and 2 with swing out barrel arrangement
and opened cartridge chamber,
Figure 4 shows the view from Figure 3 with closed cartridge chamber,
Figure 5 shows an exploded view of important barrel components of the
inventive weapon,
Figure 6 shows a view from the rear of the weapon shown in Figure 1,
Figure 7 shows locking and catching elements of an inventive weapon and,
Figure 8 shows a frame component of the inventive weapon.
The structure and base functions of an inventive weapon 1 will be described in
the
following with the help of Figures 1 and 2.
The weapon 1 exhibits a main frame 2 as essential housing assembly, said main
frame
exhibiting several interfaces 4a through d, which serve the purpose of
fastening the
weapon 1 to a further weapon (not shown). The weapon I can for example be
hooked to
the interface 4d and then connected via a cotter pin to a corresponding
receptacle on the
carrier weapon (for example on the gas port). On the main frame additionally a
housing
element
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6 with grip 8, trigger region 10 and the cartridge ejection mechanism is
arranged. The
connection of the housing assembly 6 takes place likewise via corresponding
cotter pins
14. A Picatinny rail 16 is constructed at the underside of the main frame.
The main frame 2 forms the backbone of the weapon and accommodates the barrel
assembly 20 and the recoil damper arrangement 50 in its interior (Figure 2).
On the right
side the frame is closed by a wall 18 (see Figure 7) and on its front end it
exhibits a
swivel mount 19, in which the mounting sleeve 22 is pivotably accommodated via
hinge
pins 24. On the left side on the barrel assembly 20 an electronic unit 26 is
provided as a
cover, said electronic unit being able to be swiveled in and out together with
the barrel
assembly 20 (compare also Figures 3 and 4). On its rear abutting surface this
electronic
unit exhibits display and control elements 26a, said elements serving the
purpose of
providing programmable ammunition 5 located in the barrel 21 with
corresponding
function and/or target data.
The barrel 21 is guided into the mounting sleeve 22 mounting sleeve via its
muzzle end.
A guide sleeve 23 screwed on the muzzle guides the barrel, said guide sleeve
attaching on
the one recoil spring 25, which is supported on a shoulder 27 and thus presses
the barrel
21 to the front into the mounting sleeve 22 and against a buffer ring 28
provided there. A
pivot spring 30 acts engages on the barrel 21, said pivot spring supporting
itself on the
main frame 2 and laterally pivoting swiveling out the barrel assembly 20
around the
hinge pin 24 (see Figures 3 and 4) when the lock of the barrel assembly 20 to
the main
frame 2 is released. On its rear end the barrel 21 is screwed to a breech
assembly 40 (see
also Figure 5) in the cartridge chamber region 32. The breech assembly 40
comprises a
breech block 42, in which a hinged floor plate 44 is arranged, said hinged
floor plate
being pivotable around a swivel pin/axis 45 running parallel to
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the axis of the bore 3 from the breech block 42 when the barrel assembly 20 is
in swivel
out position (Figure 3 and Figure 4). In swivel out position the hinged floor
plate 44
uncovers the cartridge chamber, so that ammunition can be introduced into the
barrel.
This position is represented in Figure 3. In its closed position, the hinged
floor plate 44
with its inner surface serves as a breech block, which is fixed in the
direction of the axis
of the bore in the peripheral region 46 by a corresponding retaining flange 47
in the
breech block. In the hinged floor plate 44 the firing pin head 49 is axially
held via a leaf
spring 48.
The breech block 42, hinged floor plate 44 and firing pin head 49 each adjoin
with their
rear free abutting surfaces on a plane 50 the recoil damper arrangement 60,
which is
coupled in swiveled in position of the barrel assembly to the breech block 42,
and with it
to the mounted barrel 21.
The recoil damper arrangement 60 comprises a butt plate 62, from which a guide
sleeve
64 extends to the rear. The guide sleeve 64 in its interior accommodates the
firing pin
guide 65, which is sealed at the rear end with an adjusting head 66, which is
screwed into
the guide sleeve 64. The firing pin 68 is fixed in spring-loaded manner
between firing pin
guide 65 and adjusting head 66, so that its front end on the plane 50 adjoins
an opening in
the butt plate 62 pushing on the firing pin head 49. The rear end of the
firing pin 68
protrudes from a corresponding bore hole in the adjusting head 66.
Between the rear side area of the butt plate 62 and a support region 5
likewise constructed
on the main frame 2 the recoil spring 70 runs, said recoil spring surrounding
the guide
sleeve 64. The recoil spring 70 is constructed as an elastomer spring which
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exhibits alternately arranged, annular guide 71 and dampening elements 72. The
guide
elements 71 are made of metal or plastic and the dampening elements 72 are
made of an
elastomer material, in particular of a PU foam material.
The cartridge ejection mechanism 12 acts in known manner with its spring-
loaded
hammer 13 on the rear end of the firing pin 68, said hammer being actuated by
the trigger
11. The actuated hammer 13 drives the firing pin 68 to the front, which with
its front end
meets/hits the firing pin head 49 through the butt plate 62, said firing pin
head thus with
its ignition tip through the hinged floor plate 44 igniting the ammunition
located in the
barrel 21. The propellant charge catapults the projectile out of the barrel 21
- hopefully in
the direction of the target.
The recoil effect pushes the cartridge base to the rear against the inner
surface of the
hinged floor plate 44, said hinged floor plate acting on the breech block 42
through the
side safety 46, 47. The breech assembly 40 moves/pushes the recoil damper
arrangement
60 on the plane 50 over the butt plate 62 to the rear against the support
region 5 on the
main frame 2. In the process the dampening elements 72 of the recoil spring 70
are
compressed and the annular guide elements 71 glide along the outer surface of
the guide
sleeve 64 through the hysteresis effect of the dampening elements 72. The
deformation of
the recoil spring 70 dampens the recoil elastically. An additional dampening
effect takes
place if necessary through the friction of the dampening elements 72 on the
outer surface
of the guide sleeve 64.
In the case of the recoil movement the barrel 21, the breech assembly 40 and
the recoil
damper arrangement 60 move to the rear in the main frame 2. In the process the
rear end
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of the guide sleeve 64 moves through the opening in the support region 5 to
the rear and
presses via the adjusting head 66 against the hammer 13, which is thus brought
back to its
cocked position. In this position a safety shaft 15 can be twisted via a
safety catch in such
a way that the if necessary unlocked hammer 13 can no longer hit the rear end
of the
firing pin 68.
After the adjusting head 66 has reached its rear returning point, the recoil
spring 70
pushes on the butt plate 62, moving the breech assembly 40 and the barrel 21
back to the
front in the original position. In the process the annular spring element 74
dampens the
impact of the adjusting head 66 against the support region 5 and the buffer
ring 28
dampens the impact of the guide sleeve 23 on the front end of the attachment
sleeve 22 in
the muzzle region.
For reloading the barrel assembly 20 is unlocked and swiveled out laterally
(Figures 3
and 4). In the process the spring 25 holds the barrel 21 in the original
position and the
pivot spring 30 holds the barrel 21 in the swivel out position.
For reloading the hinged floor plate 44 is swiveled out downward from the
retaining
flange 47 of the breech block 42, so that the cartridge chamber region 32 is
accessible.
The empty cartridge case is removed and a new cartridge is reloaded. Prior to
the
swiveling in the hinged floor plate 44 can either be manually closed and the
barrel
assembly 20 can then be swiveled in again. However, it is also sufficient to
swivel in only
the barrel assembly 20. In the process, the bottom rim 44a of the hinged floor
plate 44
borders on an edge 2a of the main frame 2. In the case of the swiveling in of
the barrel
assembly 20 the edge 2a simultaneously brings about the swiveling in of the
hinged floor
plate 44 to its closed position. Thus it is ensured in simple manner that the
hinged floor
plate 44 in the case of swiveled in
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barrel assembly 20 always occupies its properly closed position, subject to
the condition
that the ammunition is properly inserted into the cartridge chamber 32 or the
cartridge
chamber 32 is empty (see Figure 4).
The locking of the barrel assembly 20 takes place via a spring-loaded catch 80
accommodated in the breech block, said catch locking in a corresponding detent
recess in
the main frame 2 in the case of the swiveling in of the barrel assembly. In
case the spring
action of the detent spring 82 is not sufficient for a proper locking, the
catch can be
moved to its locked position from the outside via the slide lock 84 (see
Figures 5, 6, 7 and
8) via the bolt 86 (Figure 5). In the process a locking nose 88 protrudes
inward from the
side wall 18 of the main frame 2 and presses on the bolt 86 (see Figures 3, 4
and 5)
protruding upward from the breech block 42. The position of the slide lock 84
also
indicates to the marksman whether the weapon is properly locked (Figure 6).
The pivot lever 90 (Figure 7) serves the purpose of unlocking, said pivot
lever acting on
the catch 80 from below and being arranged pivotable around the pin 92
perpendicular to
the axis of the bore 3 in the main frame 2. The button 94 serves the purpose
of actuation,
said button protruding downward into the trigger region 10 and being able to
be actuated
there with the trigger finger for unlocking. In the case of unlocking the
release latch 96
on the release lever 90 acts on the catch 80 and moves it upward out of its
catch.
The stop 100 serves the purpose of limiting the swivel path of the unlocked
barrel
assembly 20, said stop likewise being accommodated rotatable in the main frame
2
perpendicular to the axis of the bore 3. In its first rotating position the
projecting rim 101
of the head 102 protrudes into the swivel path of the barrel assembly 20. On
the opposing
end the stop 100 holds a spring catch 104
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in this position. For complete disassembly of the barrel the stop 100 can be
twisted by
180 so that the flat side 106 then releases the swivel path of the barrel
assembly 20.
The main frame 2 is dimensioned in such a way that it can accommodate
different barrel
assemblies. For example barrel assemblies for 25 mm or 40 mm caliber can be
used
alternately. The interfaces of the different breech assemblies to the recoil
damper
arrangement are in the process likewise identically designed. If necessary the
recoil
spring 70 can be exchanged according to the momentum of the ammunition used.
The weapon 1 can be used separately. The attachment interfaces 4a-d can for
example
serve the purpose of mounting an additional shoulder support and if necessary
also an
additional sighting device on the weapon 1. It 1 can however also be used
together with a
conventional (not shown) rapid fire weapon to which it is then coupled via
interfaces 4a-
d. The inventive weapon is also part of a very flexible weapons system and is
versatile in
use.
The person skilled in the art infers gathers additional advantages and designs
from the
following claims.
