CA1235322A

CA1235322A - Muzzle brake

Info

Publication number: CA1235322A
Application number: CA000479871A
Authority: CA
Inventors: Jacob Van Ravenzwaiij
Original assignee: DIEMASTER TOOL Inc
Current assignee: DIEMASTER TOOL Inc
Priority date: 1985-04-23
Filing date: 1985-04-23
Publication date: 1988-04-19

Abstract

MUZZLE BRAKE

ABSTRACT
The muzzle brake disclosed is aimed at being more effective in reducing the recoil of a gun. The end of the barrel is provided with a long, narrow chamber (30) which has the effect of containing the muzzle gases against radial expansion, and causing them to emerge forwardly as a jet. The jet intensifies the concentration of the gases against the back (23) of the reaction plate (20). The brake is open backed, so that the jet draws in atmospheric air. This promotes a vigorous explosion of the remaining unburnt propellant.
The gases that travel rearwardly after the explosion exert only a small rearward (recoil worsening) force on the gun. A deflector (52) deflects the gases away from the gun operator.

Description

so MUZZLE ROY

This invention is in the field owe message brakes, weakly are used on garlic. to reduce recoil.
Generally, a muzzle brake comprises an end plate which is disposed in the path of the gases that emerge from the muzzle of the gun. It is the impact of the gases against the end plate which causes the recoin]. reducing effect. The end plate, or reaction plate, of course has a hole in its centre to allow the projectile to pass through.

PRIOR ART
___ _ In its simplest form, the muzzle brake comprises the reaction plate -and a means for transmitting forces on the reaction plate back to the gun. Such a simple muzzle brake is shown, for example, in U.S. Patent No. 3,603,202 (MORAINE, 07 September 1971).
There are other more elaborate muzzle brakes, in weakly some means is provided for containing the muzzle gases against radial expansion. The idea of this containment is that the gases will retain Ill ore of their forward velocity if radial expansion is denied, and thus the impact of the gases against the reaction plate will be enhanced. Such muzzle brakes are shown in U.S.
Patent No. 4,436,017 (MULLEN, 13 March 1984) and 3,714,864 (THOR, 06 February 1973) for exarrlple, where diverging nozzles are used to contain the gases, and direct the gases forward.
The presence of such nozzles does have some effect in intensifying the anti-recoil effect, beyond the level achieved by an end plate alone.
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It is an object of tile invention to provide a m~lzz:LI3 brake in which the anti-recol:L effect is intensified still further .

GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF 'rye INVENTION
There are unburnt particles of propellant present in the emerging muzzle gases. These particles tend to explode (with the characteristic flash) upon contact with the air just outside the muzzle. In this invention, the muzzle brake is constructed so as to harness the forces of this muzzle explosion ton anti-recoil purposes.
Thus, the muzzle brake of the invention is designed with the following aspects in mind:-a) to prolnote and intensify the explosion;
b) to cause the explosion to take place close to thinned plate;
c) to cause the energy of the explosion to be dissipated forwardly against the end plate rather than rearwardly against the muzzle.
In the invention, the barrel -- or at least the bore of the barrel -- of the gun opens into a long, narrow chamber. The effect of the presence of this chamber may be described as follows.
As -the bullet (or other projectile) emerges from the bore of the barrel, the vases behind the bullet expand out of the gap between the end of the bore and the bullet. The gases emerge from the bore at high speed, so that the gases have a large forwards component of velocity. Their sudden release through the gap also causes the gases to acquire a large radial component of "

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assay velocl try .
The ernergincJ gases are Capella owe travelliny rrluch faster -than the bullet. The priceless of the bullet ion the area just beyond the end of the bore -therefore actually interferes with the free forward motiorl of the gases. The gases consequently gain a radial, or expansive, component of velocity at the experlse of the loss of some of the forward component.
Only the forward component of velocity is of use in producing the anti-recoil effect.
When the long narrow chamber of the invention is present, the gases emerge into the chamber from the gap between the back of the bullet and the forward end of the bore. The gases then travel forward along the chamber, at a faster speed than the bullet. The presence of the bullet means that the chamber is annular in shape, so far as the gases are concerned.
When the gases reach the forward end of the chamber, they are still under considerable pressure, and inevitably the gases acquire a large -- useless -- radial velocity. but because of the presence of the chamber, the gases emerge actually ahead of the bullet. Therefore, the forward component of velocity is not reduced as it would be by the presence of the back of the bullet. The effect is that the gases are concentrated against the backward facing reaction surface of the end plate.
Thus, the long narrow chamber of the invention means that the gases are at a higher pressure as they strike the end plate.
The chamber has the effect of inducing in the gases a marked tendency to emerge forwardly as a jet. The presence of the jet leads to a further benefit besides the concentration of ' momentum it produces. us -the gases emerge into the open air, -they acquire atmospheric oxygerl, and -the remaining unburnt particles owe propellant lend now to ignite The jet, lo proc1uce(:l by thy chamber of -the invention induces a Forward flow of atmospheric air, i.e. the jet draws in the nearby air and carries 1-t, too, forwardly; especially, the jet draws in the air that lies in the area outside and behind the front end of the chamber.
Thus, because of the long narrow chamber of -the invention, the gases have a higher concentration of air as they strike the end plate.
In order to produce the most vigorous jet, it is necessary that the chamber be narrow, i.e. that the diameter of the chamber should be not very much greater than the diameter of the bullet (the bullet being present in the chamber while -the jet is being produced.) An advantage accrues from the fact that the chamber is narrow, which is that the cross-sectional area of the chamber, and of its enclosing walls, is small. The important area is the forward axially projected area of the walls of the chamber. This area is important because this is the area that, if exposed to gas pressures, will determine the magnitude of the rearward reaction forces on the gun. Thus, if the forward facing area of the walls of the chamber were to be large, then a pressure against that area would seriously detract from the anti-recoil effect. Thus, the reaction surface on the end plate should be large, but the chamber should be small. The long narrow chamber of the invention means that the forward projected area of -the chamber, and of its surrounding walls, is small. (This may be contrasted with the large nozzle of THOR, for example, where i 4 '' 'I `' ' ' ' `' , ' ':

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the forward assign aureole of tile nozzle is hardly less thrill the baclcward racing area of the end plate.) Thus, tulle narrow chairlber of the inverltion ha these particular at-tributes:
1) The gases are at a high pressure as they s-trike the end plate.

2) The gases have acquired a high concentration of atmospheric oxygen as they strike the end plate.
[These two factors mean that the explosion of the unburnt propellant, when it takes place, will take place with great vigor, and will take place hard against the end plate.]

3) The chamber has only a small forward facing area, whereas the end plate is given a large rearward facing area.
When the explosion takes place, its effect against the reaction surface of the end plate will therefore be much more marked than its effect against the forward facing end of -the gun barrel.
Thus the chamber of the invention assists in harnessing the power of the explosion to produce a strong antl-recoil effect.
In addition, the concentrated forward jet which the chamber produces also means that the gases have a larger forward momentum when they strike the end plate than has been the case with the previously known muzzle brakes.
The gases acquire higher velocities after they leave the bore. In previous muzzle brakes, the shape of the muzzle brake in the critical area, i.e. just where the bore ends, has been such that the gases could acquire a high radii velocity, with little restriction, but the gases could not readily acquire a high -. ., :

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forward velocity. rrhl.s situatiorl its reversed in the resent invention ~RIEI!'_DESCRIPI`:[ON O].~_'l'l-li.~._l)RAWI_~S:
Figure 1 is a diagramlrla-t:Lc cross section of a muzzle brake which embodies the invention;
Figure 2 is a cross-section of a muzzle brake, showing a practical construction Thor.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS:
As shown in Figure 1, the muzzle brake includes an end plate or reaction plate 20. Formed on the end plate 20 is a backward. facing reaction surface 23~ The end plate 20 has a central hole 24 to permit the passage of a projectile there through. The end plate 20 is secured firmly to the rest of the gun by a means not shown in Figure 1.
The end 25 of the bore 26 of the gun barrel 27 opens into a long, narrow chamber 30. A back portion 32 Owe the chamber 30 is in the form of a diverging cone and a front portion 34 of the chamber 30 is in the furl of a right circular cylinder.
A bullet 40 is shown, which has just emerged from the end 25 of the bore 26 and is still in the chamber 30.
Gases from behind the bullet 40 enter the chamber 30, which at this point is annular in shape due to the presence of the bullet 40. The length 35 of the chamber is such that the gases emerge from the forward end 36 of the chamber with allergy forward velocity; the chamber 30 need not actually be longer than the bullet 40 to achieve this, but the chamber 30 should be long enough that the gases are traveling faster then the bullet 40 :. , . ,, I,.

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before leaving -tile front end 3~j of the charnb~r 30.
The chat of 30 is deE:Lnecl by the wells 37 of -the cilalnber. it tile front end I of the chamber 30, the walls art -thin so as to present only a minimum forward facing area.
Atmospheric air in the zone 42 behind the front end 36 of the clamber 30 and outside the walls 37 of the chamber 30 can, it will be seen, easily move into the zotle 43 between the forward end I of the chamber 30 and the end plate 20.
Thus, atmospheric air may be easily drawn in-to the zone 43 by the forwardly traveling jet of gases that emerges from the chamber 30.
Equally, after the gases in the zone 43 have spent much of their energy against the end plate 20, the gases can dissipate rearwardly into the zone 42. The gases may still have considerable pressure, but this is of little consequence since the forward facing area against which this pressure can act is relatively small.
However, it is uncomfortable and dangerous for the person operating the gun to have the gases blow back into his face. As shown in Figure 2, in a practical version of the muzzle brake, a deflector 50 is incorporated. Now, the gases traveling rearwardly in the zone 42 encounter the forward facing conical surface 52 of the deflector 50, and are deflected harmlessly sideways.
The rearwardly traveling gases thus do tend to knock the gun backwards, which increases the recoil, but the effect is small because by the time the gases reach the surface 52, much of their energy has been spent. The outer diameter 53 of the deflector 50 may therefore be as large as the outer diameter 54 , , ., ..
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of -the end Elate I since the impact of the spryly gales against tile cle:Elecl:or has Inch louses momentum.
The outer diameter of -the conical surface 52 is set a considerable distance back from the front 36 of -the chamber 30, to lessen the recoil. worsening impact of the spent gases. Also, the end plate 20 is set a considerable distance forward from the front 36 of the chamber 30; this is so that the zone 43 may be large, and may contain plenty of atmospheric elf to promote a vigorous explosion.
Good results have been obtained when the following proportions and dimensions have been embodied in the muzzle brake:-a) the open front end 36 of the chamber 30 has an area of roughly four times the area of cross-section of the bore 26;
b) the open front end 36 of the chamber 30 has an area that is roughly one tenth that of the backward facing area of the reaction surface 23 of the end plate 20.
In this specification, it is the axially projected areas of the various surfaces that are important some of the actual areas of the surfaces may be much layer, as is the case when the surface is conical.
The end plate 20 in Figure 2 is attached to the deflector 50 by means of ribs 56, only one of which is shown.
The muzzle brake is screwed onto the threaded end of the gun barrel. It will be noted that a short extension 57 of the bore 26 is incorporated in the muzzle brace. The diameter of this extension must be slightly larger than the diameter of -the bore,`
so that there is no chance of the bullet touching it. (The same applies to the hole 24.) The end 25 of the extended bore 26 is therefore the forward end of the extension 57.

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supprlE~M~NTARy DISCLOSURE
A flll^ther practi.l:l. el~lbod:il[lent to the Mazola brake disclosed in tile l?r:Lncil?cll. Declare us now descrLbe~l, will reference to accompanying Figures 3 and 4, in which:
Figure 3 is a cross-section of a further practical embodiment of the invention; and Figure 4 is an end view from the right end of Figure 3.

CONTINUED TOLEDO DESCRIPTION OF A FURTHER PREFERRED EMBODIMENT:
The embodiment of Figures 3 and 4 represents a further practical extension of -the teaching of Figures 1 and 2. That is, there is shown the jet producing chamber 30, the zone 43, the zone 42, and a deflector surface 72. In this case, however, the reaction surface 74 is formed with a series of concentric ridges as indicated at 76.
The reaction plate 74 is shown to be secured in place forwardly of the jet producing chamber 30, by legs or braces 78, of which the usual number is three as indicated in Figure 4. The forwardly projected area of the braces 78 is quite small compared to -that of the reaction surface 74.
Obviously, as the gases move forwardly from the chamber 30, a certain portion of them will strike a sideways diverting surface 80, from which they will be radially directed into the zone 43. However, because of the presence of the ridges 76, any radial component of the momentum of the gases, at least as to their radial expansion, will be retarded so as to release more of the forward momentum of the gases against the reaction plate 74.
The rearwardly directed, spent gases from the region 42 will be deflected rearwardly and sideways by the deflector ~,~. 9 : , - ` ' ' : ' , 1~353~
Sirius I which serves the sane purpose as the deflector surface owe -the elllbodilllent owe Figure 2 -- that is, -to protect the operator owe the gun on which eye mllz~le brace hats beer IIIOU noted.
The means by which the muzzle brake of Figures 3 and 4 may be mounted to the barrel of a gun may, once again, comprise conventional grub screws or other fastening means.

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Claims

1. Muzzle brake, for reducing recoil in a gun, comprising:-a single reaction plate upon which is formed a rearwardly facing reaction surface which lies in the path of gases emerging forwardly and expanding outwardly from the muzzle;
said muzzle terminating in a chamber extending co-axially with the muzzle for producing a forward jet, which acts to intensify the impact of the gases on the reaction surface;
where the chamber has a conical back wall portion diverging directly from the bore of the gun and a front wall portion comprising the interior surface of a right cylinder and so arranged that, over the full axial length of the chamber, the walls substantially prevent muzzle gases from expanding sideways from the chamber;
where the chamber is open at the front, in that the front end of the chamber is the forward axial extremity of the said walls beyond which the gases are able to expand sideways, unconstrained by the walls of the chamber;
where the chamber is closed at the back, in that the bore of the gun opens directly into the chamber, the back end of the chamber being the forward axial extremity of the bore of the gun;
where the axially projected area of the open front end of the chamber is relatively much smaller than the axially projected area of the reaction surface;
and where the axial length of the chamber is at least three times greater than the diameter of said bore of the gun.

2. Muzzle brake of claim 1, where the walls of said chamber at the front end of the chamber are radially thin, and present only a relatively small axially projected forward facing area.

3. Muzzle brake of claim 1, where the zone of the muzzle brake located radially outside and behind the front end of said chamber is open both to the atmosphere and to the zone located between the front end of the chamber and the end plate.

4. Muzzle brake of claim 1, where a deflector surface extends rearwardly from the front end of the chamber, outside the chamber, in a diverging cone.

5. Muzzle brake of claim 4, where the outer diameter of the deflector surface is roughly the same as the outer diameter of the reaction surface.

6. Muzzle brake of claim 4, where the axial location of the outer diameter of the deflector surface is a substantial distance rearwardly from the front end of the chamber.

7. Muzzle brake of claim 1, where the axially projected area of the open front end of the chamber is sensibly four times the cross-sectional area of the bore.

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8. Muzzle brake of claim 1, where the axially project area of the open front end of the chamber is sensibly one tenth the axially projected area of said reaction surface.

9. The muzzle brake of claim 1, where the rearwardly facing reaction surface is formed with a series of concentric grooves and ridges to convert radial outward flow to axial, rearward flow.