Detachable Gas Feed Apparatus for Automatic Firearms
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing gas feeds for automatic firearms lack precision and adjustability, often requiring welding and having high production tolerances, which complicates design and maintenance, and do not effectively manage propellant gases for optimal operation.
Innovation Solution
A detachable gas feed system with a closure element and short stroke gas piston, allowing for adjustable gas flow and easy maintenance, featuring a cylindrical recess for precise mounting on the firearm barrel, and a sealant to ensure repeatable accuracy and functionality under various conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a gas feed is mounted on the firearm barrel with a gas channel brought into fluid connection with a bore, then propellant gases are diverted for operation of the reloading mechanism, but the existing designs lack precision and have high production tolerances
Solution Approach 1:
The gas feed is divided into separate modular components including a gas feed body, closure element, and adjustment mechanism that can be manufactured independently with tight tolerances and assembled. This segmentation allows each component to be precision-manufactured separately rather than requiring complex high-precision machining of the entire assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces an adjustment mechanism that allows gas flow parameters to be modified after manufacturing. The adjustment mechanism includes an adjustment element that can change the gas channel geometry or opening size, enabling precision control of gas flow without requiring extremely tight manufacturing tolerances on all components.
2Ease of manufacture
If existing gas feeds are designed with high production tolerances, then assembly and maintenance become complicated, but reducing tolerances increases manufacturing difficulty
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the gas feed into standardized modular components with featureless external surfaces, the invention simplifies assembly procedures. Components can be manufactured with reasonable tolerances and assembled using simple alignment features, reducing both manufacturing difficulty and assembly complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The gas feed components are designed with universal features that allow them to be manufactured using standard processes and assembled in standardized ways. The closure element and adjustment mechanism use common fastening and alignment features that simplify manufacturing across multiple components.
3Ease of operation
If a detachable gas feed system with closure element and adjustment mechanism is implemented, then adjustability and ease of maintenance are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The gas feed incorporates an adjustment mechanism that allows dynamic modification of gas flow characteristics during operation. The adjustment element can be rotated or positioned to change the effective gas channel geometry, providing adaptability to different firing conditions without requiring multiple separate components.
Solution Approach 2:
The closure element is designed to be detachably coupled to the gas feed body, allowing the gas piston and related components to be easily removed for maintenance or replacement. This extraction capability enables simple maintenance procedures while the adjustment mechanism provides operational flexibility.
4Manufacturing precision
If welding is required for gas feed assembly, then manufacturing simplicity is maintained, but precision and repeatability are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The gas feed is designed as an assembly of detachable components joined by mechanical fastening methods such as threading or bayonet connections rather than welding. This segmentation enables precise alignment features to be incorporated at the interfaces between components, ensuring repeatable accuracy without the distortion and complexity associated with welding.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system provides greater precision and dimensioning accuracy with low production tolerances, enabling easy adjustment and maintenance, and ensures reliable operation even under adverse conditions by managing propellant gases effectively.
Implementation Method 1
the propellant gases propel the breech assembly at a high speed to the rear in the direction of the stock via the gas feed and gas rod coupled to it
Implementation Method 2
A sealant is provided between the gas piston and gas cylinder in order to seal them against one another
Data Source
AI summary
Example apparatus are disclosed for a gas feed for an automatic firearm, the gas feed comprising a mounting portion to fasten the gas feed on a firearm barrel, the gas feed comprising a gas cylinder connectable to a barrel bore inside the firearm barrel via a gas channel, a gas piston disposed inside the gas cylinder to drive a gas operated reloading mechanism, wherein the gas piston is displaceable in a longitudinal direction with respect to the firearm, and a closure element that can be detachably coupled to an end of the gas cylinder adjacent a stock of the firearm, wherein the closure element comprises a passage through which a gas piston can be disposed.