U.S. patent application number 15/783167 was filed with the patent office on 2018-02-22 for minigun with improved barrel clamp.
The applicant listed for this patent is Arthur O'Donnell, Thomas Rowe. Invention is credited to Arthur O'Donnell, Thomas Rowe.
Application Number | 20180051952 15/783167 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 52432536 |
Filed Date | 2018-02-22 |
United States Patent
Application |
20180051952 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Rowe; Thomas ; et
al. |
February 22, 2018 |
Minigun with Improved Barrel Clamp
Abstract
An improved barrel clamp assembly for a multi-barreled minigun
includes a barrel clamp tube having a front end, a rear end, and a
plurality of longitudinal openings extending along a portion the
length of the tube between the front end and the rear end. An
impeller is mounted in the barrel clamp tube between the tube front
end and the tube rear end. The impeller includes a plurality of
impeller blades that are spaced around a periphery of the impeller
and that project forward from a rear flange portion of the impeller
and the impeller blades define a plurality of air channels. A
barrel assembly includes the barrel clamp tube, a flash suppressor
mounted to the front end of the barrel clamp tube, and a barrel
clamp collar mounted to the rear end of the barrel clamp tube. The
impeller is mounted to the barrel clamp tube between the flash
suppressor and the barrel clamp collar.
Inventors: |
Rowe; Thomas; (Phoenix,
AZ) ; O'Donnell; Arthur; (Gilbert, AZ) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Rowe; Thomas
O'Donnell; Arthur |
Phoenix
Gilbert |
AZ
AZ |
US
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
52432536 |
Appl. No.: |
15/783167 |
Filed: |
October 13, 2017 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
14893158 |
Nov 23, 2015 |
9791241 |
|
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PCT/US14/40626 |
Jun 3, 2014 |
|
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15783167 |
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61830553 |
Jun 3, 2013 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F41F 1/10 20130101; F41A
21/34 20130101; F41A 13/10 20130101; F41A 21/487 20130101; F41A
21/08 20130101 |
International
Class: |
F41A 21/48 20060101
F41A021/48; F41F 1/10 20060101 F41F001/10; F41A 21/34 20060101
F41A021/34 |
Claims
1. An improved barrel clamp assembly for holding barrels of a
multi-barrel, rotating firearm in a circumferential spaced
relationship and generally parallel to a longitudinal axis of
rotation, the barrel clamp assembly comprising: a tubular member
having a peripheral wall defining an interior space aligned along
the longitudinal axis, wherein the tubular member cross-section is
sized for receiving a plurality of barrels and the peripheral wall
includes a plurality of openings to the interior space; and a
plurality of curved impeller blades positioned near and spaced
around the periphery of the interior space and curved inwardly
toward the longitudinal axis; wherein the impeller blades are
positioned in relation to the peripheral wall openings so that,
when the barrels are installed and the barrel clamp assembly is
rotated about the longitudinal axis, the impeller blades will move
air through the peripheral wall openings to cool the barrels.
2. The improved barrel clamp assembly of claim 1 wherein the
impeller blades project longitudinally from a flange that projects
inwardly from the tubular member peripheral wall.
3. The improved barrel clamp assembly of claim 1 further comprising
an impeller body comprising: a peripheral attachment portion
adapted for attaching to the peripheral wall; and a flange
projecting inwardly from the peripheral attachment portion; and
wherein each of the plurality of impeller blades projects
longitudinally from the flange.
4. The improved barrel clamp assembly of claim 1, wherein the
plurality of impeller blades includes a pair of impeller blades
comprising a first impeller blade disposed in a partial overlapping
relationship with a second impeller blade so that a channel is
defined between the pair of impeller blades.
5. The improved barrel clamp assembly of claim 4 wherein the
channel has an end positioned near to one of the peripheral wall
openings and an opposing end positioned so that, when the barrels
are installed in the barrel clamp assembly, the opposing end is
near one of the barrels.
6. The improved barrel clamp assembly of claim 1 wherein each of
the peripheral wall openings comprises an elongated vent.
7. The improved barrel clamp assembly of claim 1 wherein the number
of impeller blades equals the number of barrels that can be
installed in the barrel clamp assembly.
8. An impeller for use with an improved barrel clamp assembly that
holds barrels of a multi-barrel, rotating firearm in a
circumferential spaced relationship and generally parallel to a
longitudinal axis of rotation, the impeller comprising: a
peripheral rim configured for attaching the impeller to a tubular
member of a barrel clamp; a base plate that projects inwardly from
the peripheral rim and that defines one or more openings configured
to receive barrels installed within the barrel clamp assembly so
that each of the barrels will extend longitudinally through the
impeller body; and a plurality of impeller blades disposed near and
spaced about the peripheral rim; wherein the impeller blades are
configured so that when the impeller is rotated with the barrels
about the longitudinal axis, the impeller blades will move air over
the barrels.
9. The impeller of claim 8 wherein each of the impeller blades is
curved inwardly away from the peripheral rim.
10. The impeller of claim 8 wherein each of the impeller blades
projects longitudinally from the base plate.
11. The impeller of claim 8, wherein the plurality of impeller
blades includes a pair of impeller blades comprising a first
impeller blade disposed in a partial overlapping relationship with
a second impeller blade so that a channel is defined between the
pair of impeller blades.
12. The impeller body of claim 8 wherein the one or more base plate
openings comprise a center hole having a periphery with a plurality
of cutouts wherein each of the cutouts is configured to receive a
barrel.
13. A multi-barrel, rotating firearm comprising: a rotatable tube
having a peripheral wall defining an interior space aligned along a
longitudinal axis of rotation, wherein the peripheral wall has a
plurality of openings to the interior space; a plurality of gun
barrels mounted within the tube interior space in a circumferential
spaced relationship and parallel to the rotational axis so that the
gun barrels will rotate when the tube rotates, wherein at least a
portion of the length of each of the barrels is disposed within the
tube interior space; and an impeller comprising a plurality of
impeller blades disposed near and spaced about the periphery of the
interior space and directed inwardly; wherein the impeller blades
are positioned in relation to the peripheral wall openings so that,
when the tube and gun barrels rotate about the longitudinal axis,
the impeller blades will move air through the peripheral wall
openings to cool the barrels.
14. The firearm of claim 13 wherein one or more of the impeller
blades is curved inwardly toward the longitudinal axis.
15. The firearm of claim 13 wherein the impeller blades project
longitudinally from a flange that projects inwardly from the tube
peripheral wall.
16. The firearm of claim 13 further comprising an impeller body
having a peripheral attachment portion adapted for attaching to the
tube peripheral wall, and a flange projecting inwardly from the
peripheral attachment portion; wherein each of the plurality of
impeller blades projects longitudinally from the flange.
17. The firearm of claim 13 wherein the plurality of impeller
blades includes a pair of impeller blades comprising a first
impeller blade disposed in a partial overlapping relationship with
a second impeller blade so that a channel is defined between the
pair of impeller blades.
18. The firearm of claim 17 wherein the channel has an end adjacent
to one of the peripheral wall openings and an opposing end
positioned adjacent one of the barrels.
19. The firearm of claim 13 wherein each of the peripheral wall
openings comprises an elongated vent.
20. The firearm of claim 13 wherein each of the impeller blades has
a longitudinal dimension that is less than the portion of the
length of the barrels disposed within the tube interior space.
Description
RELATED APPLICATION AND PRIORITY CLAIM
[0001] This application is a continuation of and claims the
priority of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14893158, entitled "
Minigun with Improved Barrel Clamp," which is incorporated herein
by reference. This application claims priority to, and incorporates
by reference the following: Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) patent
application serial number PCT/US14/40626, filed Jun. 3, 2014, which
claims priority to U.S. provisional patent application No.
61830553, filed Jun. 3, 2013, entitled: Minigun with Improved
Barrel Clamp, which is incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND
[0002] This invention relates generally to Gatling-type miniguns.
More specifically, it relates to an improved barrel clamp assembly
for an electrically powered minigun.
[0003] Gatling-type miniguns have been known for many years. The
Gatling-type minigun is a multi-barreled machine gun with a high
rate of fire (2,000 to 6,000 rounds per minute). It features
Gatling-style rotating barrels with an external power source, such
as an electric motor. One previous example of such a gun is
described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,971,515 B2, entitled "Access Door for
Feeder and Delinker of a Gatling Gun," which is incorporated herein
by this reference. Long existing motivations in the design of
Gatling-type miniguns have been to minimize jams, extend the
operational life and improve ease of use of such guns.
[0004] Gatling-type miniguns include a barrel assembly for holding
and rotating barrels. It is a principal object of the present
invention to provide an improved barrel clamp assembly for a barrel
assembly of such a minigun.
[0005] Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be
set forth in the description that follows, and in part will be
apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the
invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be
realized and obtained by means of the instrumentalities and
combinations pointed out in the appended claims.
SUMMARY
[0006] To achieve the foregoing objects, and in accordance with the
purposes of the invention as embodied and broadly described in this
document, there is provided an improved barrel clamp assembly for a
multi-barreled minigun. In some embodiments, the barrel clamp
assembly includes a barrel clamp tube having a front end, a rear
end, and a plurality of longitudinal openings extending along a
portion the length of the tube between the front end and the rear
end. An impeller is mounted in the barrel clamp tube between the
tube front end and the tube rear end. In one advantageous
embodiment, the impeller includes a plurality of impeller blades
that are spaced around a periphery of the impeller, that project
forward from a rear flange portion of the impeller and that define
a plurality of air channels.
[0007] In some embodiments of a barrel assembly that utilize a
barrel clamp tube according to the present invention, the barrel
assembly includes a barrel clamp tube having plurality of
longitudinal openings, a flash suppressor mounted to the front end
of the barrel clamp tube, and a barrel clamp collar mounted to the
rear end of the barrel clamp tube. An impeller is mounted to the
barrel clamp tube between the flash suppressor and the barrel clamp
collar.
[0008] In this configuration, the improved barrel clamp assembly
provides a lightweight barrel clamp with improved performance and
cooling characteristics.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] The accompanying drawings and appendices, which are
incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification,
illustrate the presently preferred embodiments of the invention
and, together with the general description given above and the
detailed description of the preferred methods and embodiments given
below, serve to explain the principles of the invention.
[0010] FIG. 1A is a top perspective view showing one side of an
electrically-powered minigun that includes one embodiment of an
improved barrel clamp assembly according to the present
invention.
[0011] FIG. 1B is a top perspective view showing the other side of
the minigun of FIG. 1A.
[0012] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an ammunition belt of
the prior art.
[0013] FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the interior of a prior
art delinking feeder.
[0014] FIG. 4 is a rear perspective view of the improved barrel
clamp assembly of the minigun of FIGS. 1A and 1B.
[0015] FIG. 5 is a side elevation view of the barrel clamp assembly
of FIG. 4.
[0016] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional side elevation view of the
barrel clamp assembly of FIG. 4, illustrating the barrel clamp
collar, impeller and flash suppressor mounted to the barrel clamp
tube.
[0017] FIG. 7 is a rear end elevation view of the barrel clamp
assembly of FIG. 4.
[0018] FIG. 8 is a front perspective view of the impeller of the
barrel clamp assembly of FIG. 4, which is one embodiment of an
impeller according to the present invention.
[0019] FIG. 9 is a front elevation view of the impeller of FIG.
8.
[0020] FIG. 10 is front perspective view of another embodiment of
an improved barrel clamp assembly according to the present
invention.
DESCRIPTION
[0021] A preferred embodiment of a barrel clamp assembly according
to the present invention is shown and generally designated by the
reference numeral 25. In the context of the specification, the
terms "rear" or "rearward" mean in the direction towards the
chamber end of the barrels 24, while the terms "front" or "forward"
mean in the direction towards the muzzle end of the barrels 24.
[0022] FIGS. 1A and 1B illustrate a 7.62.times.51 mm minigun 10
suitable for use with the present invention. The minigun 110
includes a barrel assembly 12, an electric drive motor 14 to rotate
the barrel assembly 12, a delinking feeder 16, a clutch assembly
18, a gun housing assembly 20, a gun control unit 22, and a spade
grip 23. The barrel assembly 12 includes a barrel clamp assembly
25, a plurality of barrels 24 circumferentially mounted to the
barrel clamp assembly 25, and a flash suppressor 26. Ammunition is
fired sequentially through the barrels 24 in a known fashion, i.e.,
first one barrel is used, then the next, then the next, etc. An
electric cable 28 supplies power from the gun control unit 22 to
the drive motor 14. The delinking feeder 16, which is an ammunition
feed device, is engaged and disengaged via the electric cable 28.
To provide access to the interior of the delinking feeder 16, an
access door assembly 30 is mounted on the delinking feeder 16. The
access door assembly 30 includes an access door 32 that is movable
between a first closed operative position and a second open
position to facilitate the loading of an ammunition belt 101 of
linked cartridges 80. A portion of such an ammunition belt is
depicted in FIG. 2.
[0023] As is well known to those of skill in the art, in the
operation of the minigun 10, the drive motor 14 causes the barrel
assembly 12 to rotate, and each barrel 24 fires sequentially in
rapid succession. During such operation, the delinking feeder 16
receives the ammunition belt 101 of linked cartridges 80 (see FIG.
2), sequentially separates or "delinks" the cartridges 80 from the
ammunition belt 101 and feeds the cartridges 80 to the minigun
firing mechanism (not shown).
[0024] Still referring to FIGS. 1A and 1B, when an arming switch on
the gun control unit 22 is activated, and one or both firing
buttons are then depressed, the gun will fire. When the firing
buttons are released, the delinking feeder 16 is disengaged so the
ammunition supply is discontinued. The electric drive motor 14
continues to rotate for about 200 to 400 milliseconds so that the
weapon is cleared of remaining ammunition before stopping. A
booster motor override control button on the gun control unit 22,
when depressed, activates an ammunition booster motor on the
ammunition magazine (not shown) to facilitate the loading of the
weapon. The booster motor pushes the ammunition belt 101 from the
ammunition magazine, through the feed chute, and to the weapon
where it is inserted in the delinking feeder 16, readying the
weapon for firing.
[0025] Referring to FIG. 2, each of the cartridges 80 in the
ammunition belt 101 includes a cylindrical hollow casing 84
comprising the rear portion of cartridge 80. A primary conical
tapered shoulder 81 extends from casing 84 to a conical tapered
neck 82. Neck 82 extends from the shoulder 81 to a projectile or
bullet 83.
[0026] FIG. 3 illustrates internal components of a prior art
delinking feeder 16. As shown in FIG. 3, a guide assembly 53
includes feeder shaft 90 that rotates (in a direction indicated by
arrows R) on an axis that is parallel to the axis about which the
barrel assembly 12 rotates. During operation, the guide assembly 53
continuously rotates to receive the ammunition belt 101, to remove
cartridges 80 from the belt, and to feed the cartridges 80 for
firing. Securely mounted to the feeder shaft 90 is a series of
components, including a push rod guide 49, a toothed drive gear 51,
sprockets 55, 56, a stripper sleeve 52 (including sprockets 54, 57
and 58), and a feeder sprocket 59. The drive motor 14 is
rotationally coupled, via the drive gear 51, to the feeder shaft 90
and the push rod guide 49, sprockets 55, 56, stripper sleeve 52,
and feeder sprocket 59. Each of the sprockets 54-58 has seven
equally spaced grooves, with each groove having a generally
semi-cylindrical shape for receiving a cartridge 80. Sprockets 55
and 56 comprise a cartridge holding construct for holding
cartridges 80 that are linked to an ammunition belt 101 that has
been inserted into the delinking feeder 16.
[0027] Still referring to FIG. 3, the guide assembly 53 includes a
plurality of push rods 85, with one push rod 85 corresponding to
each barrel 24 of the minigun 10. For example, in a minigun with a
barrel assembly having six barrels 24, the guide assembly 53 has
six push rods 85. The push rod guide 49 has a generally cylindrical
body with longitudinal slots 50A uniformly distributed about its
surface. Each of the push rods 85 can move longitudinally inside
its associated longitudinal slot 50A. An arcuate outer surface 50B
extends between each adjacent pair of slots 50A. Each groove in a
sprocket 54 to 59 is aligned with one of the slots 50A. Each slot
50A slidably receives a push rod 85. Each push rod 85 has a wheel
86 rotatably secured to its rearward end by an axle 87 that extends
outwardly from the outer face of the push rod 85. Each wheel 86 is
confined within a spiral grooved channel, represented in FIG. 3 by
the broken lines 88, which is incorporated into a feeder cam
housing 36, as shown in FIG. 1B. As the push rod guide 49 is
rotated about its axis by means of the drive motor 14, each of the
push rods 85 is constrained by its respective drive wheel 86 to
follow the path of the spiral channel 88, thereby slidably moving
forward and backward in its associated longitudinal slot 50A with
each rotation of the push rod guide 49. As a push rod 85 moves
forward toward the drive gear 51, the push rod distal end 91
engages the rear of a cartridge 80 and pushes the cartridge 80
forward. As the cartridge 80 is driven forward, it is freed, or
delinked, from the link 100 holding it (see FIG. 2) and is pushed
toward and into the feeder sprocket 59 to be handed off to the
minigun firing mechanism (not shown).
[0028] Still referring to FIG. 3, the stripper sleeve 52 (which
includes sprockets 54, 57 and 58) is designed to receive and
prevent longitudinal movement of a cartridge link 100 in the
ammunition belt 101 so that a cartridge 80 can be pushed free of
its associated link 100 by one of the push rods 85, i.e., the
stripper sleeve 52 "holds" the cartridge link 100 while the
cartridge 80 is pushed free by one of the push rods 85. The feeder
sprocket 59 receives each cartridge 80 that is separated from the
ammunition belt 101, and then hands off the cartridge 80 for
firing.
[0029] Referring now to FIGS. 4-10, a preferred embodiment of the
barrel clamp assembly 25 includes a barrel clamp tube 502 for
holding the barrels 24 in a circumferential, spaced relationship.
The barrel clamp tube 502 has a plurality of longitudinal openings
503, each of which extends along a substantial portion of the
length of the barrel tube clamp 502. A flash suppressor 26 is
mounted to the front end 520 of the barrel clamp tube 502 and a
barrel clamp collar 505 is attached to the rear end 522 the barrel
clamp tube 502. According to one novel aspect of the barrel clamp
assembly 25, an impeller 504 is mounted in the barrel clamp tube
502 between the barrel clamp collar 505 and the flash suppressor 26
for providing improved cooling of the barrels 24.
[0030] As can be seen in FIGS. 4-7, the barrel clamp collar 505 is
a ring-like body of one-piece construction that includes an
attachment portion 524 that is adapted for attaching to the tube
rear end 522, such as by rivets or other suitable attachment means.
An inwardly projecting flange portion 526 has six barrel cutouts
506 for receiving the barrels 24 and holding them parallel to the
longitudinal main axis D of the barrel clamp assembly 25 and the
barrel clamp tube 502.
[0031] The flash suppressor 26 has a can-like body of one-piece
construction with an open forward portion 512 and a rear panel 513
that has six barrel apertures 516 for receiving the barrels 24 and
holding them parallel to the longitudinal main axis D. The flash
suppressor barrel apertures 516 are axially registered with the
collar barrel cutouts 506 to receive the barrels 24. The suppressor
rear panel 513 also includes a center hole 518 for reducing weight.
The flash suppressor 26 includes an attachment portion 528 that is
adapted for attaching to the tube front end 520, such as by rivets
or other suitable attachment means. Unlike some prior art barrel
clamp designs, the barrel clamp assembly of 25 does not require a
central support shaft because the barrel clamp tube 502 provides
the required strength and stiffness without using such a central
support shaft.
[0032] As can be seen in FIG. 1A, when the barrels 24 are held
within the barrel clamp tube 502, the flash suppressor forward
portion 512 extends forward of the barrel muzzle ends to suppress
flashes emitted from the muzzle ends resulting from firing of the
minigun. Referring to FIGS. 4-6 and 10, the flash suppressor
forward portion 512 includes longitudinal slots 514 for reducing
the flash associated with a muzzle blast. In operation, when the
minigun 10 is fired, a bullet 83 exiting the muzzle travels along
the longitudinal axis of the barrel 24 through the interior of the
flash suppressor forward portion 512. Following the bullet, the
hot, high pressure gases of the muzzle blast enter the suppressor
forward portion 512. As they do so, they begin to expand outwardly
through the slots 514 into the surrounding ambient air and are
cooled, which reduces the flash associated with muzzle blast. In
some embodiments, such as the embodiment of FIG. 10, the slots 514
have diverging sidewalls 530, which can permit the muzzle blast
gases to expand more fully before reaching the surrounding ambient
air, and can further reduce the flash from the muzzle blast.
[0033] Referring to FIGS. 4-9, the impeller 504 is an open impeller
(i.e., the impeller blades 508 are not covered) and is mounted
within the barrel clamp tube 502 midway between the barrel clamp
collar 505 and the flash suppressor 26. The impeller 504 has a
ring-like body of one-piece construction and includes a peripheral
rim portion 507 and attachment portion 505 that is adapted for
attaching to the barrel clamp tube 502, such as by rivets or other
suitable attachment means. A rear flange portion 511 projects
inwardly and perpendicular to the longitudinal main axis D. The
rear flange portion 511 defines six barrel cutouts 510 for
receiving the barrels 24 and holding them parallel to the
longitudinal main axis D. A plurality of curved impeller blades 508
are equally spaced around the periphery of the impeller 504 and
project forward from the rear flange portion 511. The blades 508
are curved inwardly toward the longitudinal main axis D and define
a plurality of channels 532, each of which is between two of the
blades 508. In the embodiment of the impeller 504 shown in FIGS.
4-10, for example, the impeller 504 has six impeller blades 508
which define six channels 532.
[0034] As shown in FIG. 7, when the barrel assembly 12 is
assembled, the collar barrel cutouts 506, impeller barrel cutouts
510 and flash suppressor barrel apertures 516 are axially
registered with each other to receive the barrels 24.
[0035] In operation, the impeller 504 rotates with the barrel clamp
tube 502 as the barrel assembly 12 and the barrel clamp assembly 25
rotate. Thus, when the minigun 10 is firing and the drive motor 14
is causing the barrel assembly 12 to rotate, the impeller 504 is
also rotating. During this rotation, the impeller 504 moves
surrounding ambient air through the tube longitudinal openings 503
and over the portion of the barrels 24 within the barrel clamp tube
502, thereby cooling the barrels 24. In addition to allowing for
air flow, the longitudinal openings 503 advantageously reduce the
weight of the barrel clamp tube 502.
[0036] Upon reading this disclosure, those skilled in the art will
appreciate that various changes and modifications may be made to
the preferred embodiments of the invention and that such changes
and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of
the invention. Therefore, the invention in its broader aspects is
not limited to the specific details, representative devices, and
illustrative examples shown and described. Accordingly, departures
may be made from such details without departing from the spirit or
scope of the general inventive concept.
* * * * *