Abstract: A hydrostatic transmission includes a mechanically driven hydraulic pump connected in hydraulic circuit with first and second hydraulic motors. The hydrostatic outputs of the first and second motors are respectively applied to the ring and sun gears of a planetary gear set whose carrier constitutes the transmission hydrostatic output. Acceleration under low speed, high torque conditions is achieved by varying the displacements of the pump and second motor, while the first motor is removed from the hydraulic circuit and the ring gear is braked. At an appropriate shift point, the first motor is inserted into the hydraulic circuit and the ring gear is released, such that further acceleration is achieved by varying the displacements of the pump and both motors in coordination.

Abstract: A linear linkless ammunition feeding system includes a magazine in which a major portion of an endless ammunition conveyor is supported in serpentine formation on upper and lower sets of opposed rails. Screw feeder elements convey this serpentine formation linearly to an exit end of the magazine where the serpentine conveyor loops thereof are successively unwrapped from the rails by a first shuttle mechanism and accelerated to conveyor gun firing velocity. A second, identical shuttle mechanism stationed at the entrance end of the magazine decelerates the conveyor coming from the gun and wraps it into serpentine loops on the rails.

Abstract: A decompression seal mechanism has a body containing a series of cavities formed by alternate grooves and lands and formed of a porous structure deposited by a plasma spray, and means for supplying said porous structure with a positive flow of liquid lubricant and method of making the same.

Abstract: A cylindrical casing accommodates an operator pistion and a power piston separated by a fixed barrier which serves to define with the former a reservoir and with the latter a power chamber. A piston rod affixed to the operator piston extends through the barrier into manual brake actuating relation with the power piston. Hydraulic fluid under pressure is introduced to the reservoir from which it flows through barrier passages, past a check valve, into the power chamber and out through venting ports formed in the piston rod. To apply vehicle brakes linked to the power piston, the operator piston is manually propelled toward the barrier, and the power piston is thus forced away from the barrier by the piston rod, resulting in rapid transfer of hydraulic fluid from the reservoir to the power chamber. The venting ports then close, such that the power chamber is pressurized to exert a brake power assisting hydrostatic force on the power piston.

Abstract: An infinitely variable steering transmission is constructed to utilize the unidirection, continuous outputs of a pair of traction drive units for accelerating and decelerating a track-laying vehicle through a first forward and reverse propulsion range and a plurality of higher forward propulsion ranges and for developing steering power in all ranges. The transmission includes a pair of interconnected output planetary gears sets and a single input planetary gear set for combining the traction drive unit outputs and the constant speed input from a suitable prime mover for first and third range propulsion and steering power. Second range propulsion and steering power is obtained exclusively from the traction drive units in a manner to also provide steer cancellation, a continuous drive unit stroking pattern, and synchronous range shifting.

Abstract: To prevent overheating of the power system in a vehicle, a control system operates to dynamically adjust the transmission ratio in response to operating temperature so as to establish the degree of engine speed schedule suppression for any given operator speed command requisite to providing maximum possible vehicle performance while maintaining the operating temperature below an unsafe level.

Abstract: A drive system for track-laying vehicles utilizes a pair of separate and independent motors to drive a multi-range, infinitely variable steering transmission pursuant to developing two track driving transmission outputs. The transmission includes a pair of interconnected output planetary gears sets which are separately driven by the two motors to develop first range forward and reverse propulsion and steering power at the transmission outputs as sun to carrier reductions. The transmission is shiftable into a second, higher speed range, wherein the two motor outputs are additional combined in one of the output planetary gear sets uniquely constructed to produce second range forward propulsion and steering power, as well as steer cancallation at the transmission outputs.

Abstract: A simplified range changing mechanism for an infinitely variable, split output, synchronously shifting hydromechanical steering transmission having integral steering and four forward ranges wherein the first, second and third forward ranges have progressively lower torque and higher speed propulsion ratios, while the fourth forward range is basically a repeat of the second range, by at a higher gear ratio. Positive steer with constant steering torque ratio is maintained in all four ranges.

Abstract: A plurality of circumferentially spaced, compliant, braided metal filament brushes are mounted by the stator of an acyclic generator for extension from the stator collector surface across the liquid metal collector gap into virtual contact with the rotor collector surface. These brushes are each of an axial length corresponding to the axially lengths of the stator and rotor conductive collector surfaces and serve to effectively block the magnetohydrodynamically induced, counter-rotational, circumferential flow of liquid metal in the collector gap, thus eliminating the component of viscous rotor drag otherwise occasioned thereby.

Abstract: This invention provides the provision of a motor, whose output shaft is fixed to a pinion gear, meshed with two mutually opposed driven pinion gears, each carrying a respective cam roller, which alternatively enter and exit a cam surface on a cam follower, which is fixed to a second shaft, to oscillate said follower and said second shaft, and a first sector gear which is fixed to said second shaft and meshed with a second gear, which is axially fixed to the rocking lever in the drive linkage of a machine gun. Alternatively, the first sector gear is meshed with a second sector gear formed on the rocking lever.

Abstract: This invention provides a liquid propellant gun embodying a first species of this invention wherein the inner differential area piston is controlled by a variable damping mechanism, and both pistons have respective cross-sectional areas coupled to the pumping chamber.

Abstract: This invention provides the provision of a motor, whose output shaft is fixed to a pinion gear, meshed with two mutually opposed driven pinion gears, each carrying a respective cam roller, which alternatively enter and exit a cam surface on a cam follower, which is fixed to a second shaft, to oscillate said follower and said second shaft, and a first sector gear which is fixed to said second shaft and meshed with a second sector gear, which is axially fixed to the rocking lever in the drive linkage of a machine gun. Alternatively, the first sector gear is meshed with a second sector gear formed on the rocking lever.

Abstract: A decompression seal mechanism has a body containing a series of cavities formed by alternate grooves and lands and formed of a porous structure deposited by a plasma spray, and means for supplying said porous structure with a positive flow of liquid lubricant.

Abstract: Active compensation in the form of a pair of trim coils and passive compensation in the form of a solenoidal-shaped magnetic shunt are disclosed for shaping the magnetic field existing in the liquid metal current collector region of an acyclic generator such as to minimize the field component normal to the stator and rotor collector surfaces and thereby substantially eliminate the generation of circulating currents in the liquid metal medium.

Abstract: This invention provides a seal mechanism between two mating surfaces by means of a progressively, but not necessarily uniformly, decreasing clearance gap between said two surfaces for the flow of leakage of liquid and which gap may change as a function of the pressure of the flow.

Abstract: To minimize the effects of magnetohydrodynamic surge forces acting on the liquid metal in the collector gap of an acyclic generator, fluid flow impedance members in the form of annular, axially spaced compliant brushes are disposed in the outboard liquid metal containment gap defined between closely spaced, stator and rotor stepped surface formations. These brushes impede the communication to the liquid metal in this containment gap of pressure fluctuations generated in the liquid metal in the collector gap resulting from variations in the generator current transiting the collector gap. A hydrostatic pressure head may thus be maintained consistently at a location intermediate the collector and containment gaps for pumping the liquid metal in a recirculating path.

Abstract: Current barriers are incorporated in the liquid metal collector region of an acyclic generator to increase the impedance of the lossy circulating current paths therein, thereby to reduce circulating current magnitude.

Abstract: This invention provides the provision of a machine gun having a pair of gun barrels fixed to the receiver with a pair of operating mechanism driven by a rocking lever and each operating mechanism including a reciprocating slider which drives a reciprocating gun bolt assembly and a forward stripper which also serves to lock the gun bolt assembly.

Abstract: This invention provides a liquid propellant gun embodying a first species of this invention wherein the inner differential area piston is controlled by a variable damping mechanism, and both pistons have respective cross-sectional areas coupled to the pumping chamber.

Abstract: An internally cooled rotor for an acyclic generator has a ferromagnetic steel core to which is diffusion bonded a cylindrical copper conductor in which is embedded a multiplicity of cooling tubes communicating with coolant passages formed in the core. The cooling tubes are implanted in a hot isostatic pressure process during which the copper cylinder is at least in part created by the densification of copper powder to a non-porous mass.