Propellant Charge Loader Retainer for Weapon Barrel
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Solution Overview
Problem
In large-calibre weapons, propellant charges can slip out of the gun barrel due to lack of contact with the feed slide, especially at elevated angles, leading to unintended ejection.
Innovation Solution
A retainer is movably arranged on the feed slide, which can be pivoted from a folded-in delivery position to an erected retaining position, protruding into the charge chamber to secure propellant charges, preventing slippage by forming part of the pushing surface and being prestressed by a spring for automatic activation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the feed slide is used to rapidly insert propellant charges into the weapon barrel, then the loading speed is improved, but the propellant charges can slip back out due to lack of contact with the feed slide
Solution Approach 1:
The retainer is designed as a movable component that can pivot between a retracted position during loading and an extended retaining position during firing. This dynamic adjustment allows the system to maintain propellant charges securely without interfering with the rapid loading process, resolving the contradiction between loading speed and retention reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The retainer acts as an intermediary element between the feed slide and the propellant charges. It provides the necessary contact and retention force to prevent slippage, while being independently controllable to not interfere with the feed slide's rapid loading operation, thus resolving the reliability issue without compromising productivity
2Reliability
If a retainer is added to secure propellant charges, then the retention reliability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The retainer is integrated with the feed slide assembly, sharing common mounting structures and control mechanisms. This merging approach allows the retainer function to be added without creating a completely separate subsystem, thereby improving retention reliability while minimizing the increase in device complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The retainer is designed to be automatically actuated by the loading process itself, using the movement of the feed slide to trigger the retainer's extension and retraction. This self-service mechanism eliminates the need for additional independent drive systems, improving reliability without proportionally increasing complexity
3Ease of operation
If the retainer is articulated pivotably on the feed slide, then the ease of operation is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The articulated retainer is designed to be automatically actuated by the loading process itself, using the movement of the feed slide to trigger the retainer's extension and retraction. This self-service mechanism eliminates the need for additional independent drive systems, improving reliability without proportionally increasing complexity
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 retainer effectively secures propellant charges in the charge chamber, preventing unintentional ejection even at large elevation angles, ensuring reliable operation without the need for additional drive mechanisms.
Implementation Method 1
The retainer is prestressed in the direction of the folded-in delivery position, in particular by means of a spring
Implementation Method 2
the propellant charges accelerated via the feed slide move into their attached position inside the charge chamber solely due to the inertia of their mass
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a propellant charge loader comprising a feed slide (6) which can be moved linearly along a loading direction (A) in order to feed propellant charges (8) into a loaded position in the loading compartment (103) of a weapon barrel (101), and comprising a retaining element (601) that is movably mounted on the feed slide (6) and that secures the position of the propellant charges (8) in their loaded position. The invention further relates to a weapon comprising a weapon barrel (101) and a propellant charge loader (2) with a feed slide (6) which can be moved linearly in order to feed propellant charges (8) into a loaded position in the loading compartment (103) of a weapon barrel (101), said loader comprising a retaining element (601) that is movably mounted on the feed slide (6) and that secures the position of the propellant charges (8) in their loaded position. A further object of the invention is a method for loading propellant charges (8) into the loading compartment (103) of a weapon barrel (101), in which method the propellant charges (8) are fed by means of a linearly movable feed slide (6) into a loaded position in the loading compartment (103) and a retaining element (601) located on the feed slide (6) is moved, in order to secure the position of the propellant charges (8) in their loaded position.