US1471348A - Charging device for machine guns - Google Patents

Description

Filed March 2l. 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Oct. 23, 1923.

UNITED STATES 1,471,348 PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES L. PAULUS, OF DAYTON, OHIO.

UHABGING DEVICE FOR MACHINE GUNS.

Application tiled March 21, 1923. Serial No. 626,532.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, CHARLES LEIGH PAULUs, a citizen of the United States, residing' at Dayton, in the county of Montgomery and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements 1n Charging Devices for Machine Guns, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the charging mechanism of machine guns and especially for aerial machine guns which are flexibly mounted.

The main object of the present invention is to produce a mechanism especially adapted for 'use in connection with the thirty caliber Browning machine gun adapting such gun to be charged by the use of the left hand of the gunner. A mechanism of this type is found toV be necessarywhen using the gun flexibly mounted as 1n an airplane for example, due to the fact that the right hand of the operator is used to control the butt of the gun, and the left hand is used to control the flexible type of ring mount on which the gun is supported, it being convenient to also employ the left hand to operate the charging mechanism. l

A further object of the invention is to provide mechanism of the character above referred to, which is uick detachable and at the same time capa le of being mounted upon the gun with absolutely no change in the gun parts. V

A further object in view is to provide char 'ng mechanism of such character that the c arging stud of the bolt of the gun is free to move backward and forward and is entirely unhampered.

A further object of the invention is to so construct, arrange and combine the several parts of the charging mechanism that they may be disassembled without the use of any tools whatsoever.

Another object of the invention is to provide means whereby the bolt of the gun may be locked inV its most rearward position to facilitate disassembling.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention .consists'in the novel construction, combination and arrangement herein fully described, shown and clalmed.

In the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is a rear elevation of a Brownin machine gun, showing in section the parts o the improved charging mechanism.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary side elevation which it is attached.

In the drawings 5 designates a portion of the frame of a flexibly mounted machine gun. .Said frame is providedin one side with the usual longitudinal slot 6, in which the charging stud 7 which projects laterally from the bolt of the gun is movable freely back and forth. The un is formed in the opposite side thereof with the usual recesses 8 and 9 and the bolt 10 to provide for the attachment thereto of the Nelson gun control trigger motor. WVhen the gun is flexibly mounted for aerial use the trigger motor is not used and such trigger motor is therefore detached before mounting the chargingmechanism of this invention on the gun.

In order to mount the improved charging mechanism on the un, I provide a specially formed mounting ase or plate 11 shown in elevation in Figure 3 and in section in Figures 1 and 4. Said plate is given a suitable configuration as shown in Figure 3 and formed with projections which rest in the recesses 8 and 9 and also formed Withaholeto receive the bolt 10, the plate or base 11 being thus 'fa-d against movement in relation tothe frame of the gun and being secured in such position by a nut 12 threaded on bolt 10. The mounting plate or base 11 thus bears a fixed relation to the frame of the gun but may be readily detached therefrom when necessary. Extending through the lower portion of the mounting base 11 and transversely of the gun is a shaft 13, which is rotatable by means of a hand operated charging lever 14, arranged at the left hand side of the gun or in other words, that side of the gun which is opposite the slot 6 along which the charging stud 7 moves. The lever 14 is connected to the shaft 13 in the following manner: The end of the shaft 13 adjacent to the lever 14 is formed with a transversely extendinglmuckle 15 through which passes a pivot bolt 16, said bolt also passing through flanges 17 and 18 of the lever 14, whereby the lever 14 is ivotally connected to the shaft 13. A loc g disk 19 is secured in fixed relation to the mounting plate or base 11 and formed with locking notches 20, any one of which is adapted to receive a locking lip or projection 21 on the heel end of the lever 14 as best illustrated in Figures 3 and 4. 1t will be understood by reference to the last named figures .that by pressing the handle 22 of the lever 14 toward the gun, the locking lip 21 will be moved out of engagement With the locking disk 19. By thus unlocking the lever 14 and turning the level' through a. partial revolution, the bolt of the gun may be thrown to its rearmost position to facilitate disassembling as will-hereinafter appear.

The shaft. 13 is formed with a hexagonal portion 22 (see Figure l) and a correspondingly shaped hub 23V of a crank arm 24 fits over such hexagonal portion of the shaft so that when the shft is turned, movement is imparted to the crank arm 24. The crank arm has its free endoutwardly offset as shown at 24 and the rear end of a slotted link 25 is attached to the free end of the lever 24 by means of pivot 26. The arrangement is such as to bring the inner surfaces of the crank arm 24 and link 25 to bear snugly against the side of the gun frame, against which they are frictionally held by means of a spring 27 which encircles a 'reduced end portion 28 of the shaft `13 and is interposed between an internal shoulder 29 of the hub or bushing 23 and a cup-shaped cap 30 which is fitted upon the end of the hub 23. The end of the reduced portion 28 of the shaft is formed with an annular keyway or groove 31 into which is fitted al C- shaped key or lock washer 32, the escape of' which is prevented by the outward pressure of the spring 27 which presses the cap 30 Ioutwardly, the cap being formed with a retaining fiange 33 which prevents lateral movement of the key or washer 82 and consequently the disengagement thereof from the keyway 31 in the shaft 13.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings it will nowbe seen that the improved charging mechanism may he readily applied to I the machine gun without the use of tools and when inV place on the gun the charging operation may be effected by the left hand .of the gunner. leaving his right hand on th'e butt of the gun. By reason of the same .constructionvthe entire charging mechanism may he disassembled without the use of any tools whatever. No alteration whatever is necessary in ,the gun itself in order to enable the ,charging mechanism to be mounted and unhampered.

thereon. The charging slide or link 25 is maintained in its normally horizontal position as shown in Figure 2 by the action of the spring 27 so that the back and forth movements of the charging stud 7 are free By reason of the linking connection between the charging lever 14 and the disk 19, the charging slide or link 25 may be drawn rearwardly so as to hold the 'charging stud 7 in its rearmost position,

Where it may be held by the locking means referred to.

I claim:

l. A manually operable, quick detachable charging mechanism for flexibly mounted machine guns comprising a shaft extending transversely of the gun frame, a crank arm on said shaft at one side of gun having means to retract the bolt of the gun, and a hand operated lever on said shaft at the opposite side of the gun.

2. A manually operable, quick detachable charging mechanism for flexibly mounted machine guns tornprising a shaft extending transversely of the gun frame, a crank arm on said shaft at one side of gun having means to retract the bolt of the gun, a hand lever on said shaft at the opposite side of the gun, a mounting base having a fixed relation to the gun frame, and a locking disk having a fixed relation to said hase for engagement with a projection on said lever.

3. A manually operable, quick detachable charging mechanism for flexibly mounted machine guns comprising a shaft extending transversely of the gun frame, a crank arm on said shaft at one-side of gun having vmeans to retract the bolt of the gun, said shaft and crank arm being separably coupled by a non-circular telescopic joint, and a hand operated lever on said shaft at the opposite side of the gun.

4. A manually operable, quick detachable charging mechanism for flexibly mounted machine guns comprising a shaft extending transversely of the gun frame, a crank arm on. said shaft at one side of gun having means: to retract the bolt of the gun. said shaft and crank arm being separably coupled together by a non-circular telescopic joint, va sealing cap fitted to the `end of the shaft, meansfor holding said cap in place on the shaft. and a spring'enclosed by said cap and 'serving to hold all parts of the, charging mechanism in assembled relation on the gun.

ln testimony whereof I affix my signature.

CHARLES L. PAULUS.

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