Abstract: A high intensity light table, for use with a stereomicroscope having movable rhomboid arms, has an illumination source and a reflector. The table also includes light diffusing members which are rotatably mounted thereto. The diffusing members have: (1) magnets affixed thereto which are responsive to movement of the rhomboid arms of the instrument; and (2) means therein for selectively passing a beam of high intensity illumination. An auxiliary reflector, which is rotatable about the source of illumination, may be employed to substantially increase the intensity of the beam of illumination.

Abstract: A rapid fire gun round is made with a composite chamber. The chamber is led by rotational motion rather than by reciprocating motion. The round will work in a recoilless gun configuration. An alternate arrangement permits multiple barrels to be arranged with an ammunition chain to form a Gatling gun configuration. A liner can be inserted in the gun barrel to be replaced with wear as appropriate.

Abstract: Dual shell feeding apparatus for a dual shell supply automatic gun and the like includes a shell rotor mounted in rotational shell transferring relationship between the two supplies and a shell pick up position of the gun. The rotor is stepped in one rotational direction to feed from one shell supply and the opposite direction to feed from the other supply, shells being fed into the rotor from the supplies according to rotor rotational direction. Selecting apparatus enables prefiring selection of rotor stepping direction and hence shell supply selection for a next firing. A shell accumulator is provided for temporarily holding shells left in the rotor when a firing sequence stops.

Abstract: A single action firearm having a hammer with a load and a full-cock position, a trigger and a frame with a reciprocating firing pin positioned in the frame above the trigger in which a trigger bar is nested in both side and front recesses in the hammer. The recesses are located in the exterior of the hammer to permit a larger hammer to be removed from a firearm and the recessed hammer and trigger bar of this invention substituted. The trigger bar as installed is positioned below the trigger in the load position and behind the firing pin in the full-cock position.

Abstract: A tank turret has a forward crew compartment separated by an armored partition from a rear munitions compartment. The rounds are stored in a nonrotatable sector and are turned toward a space at the centrum of the sector at which a loading device is rotatable to extract rounds from the magazine and feed them through a hole in the partition into the breach opening.

Abstract: A repeating or self-loading firearm has a discharge port between the firing chamber and the breech end of the barrel bore so that a piston inside the cartridge may discharge therethrough upon firing. Rapid, prolonged firing is possible due to a refrigeration principle employed to cool the barrel as an incident to recoil.

Abstract: An ammunition container, especially a drum magazine, is subdivided by side walls into a plurality of sector-shaped compartments. Within the ammunition container there is located a cartridge belt, and protruding into each compartment is a loop of such cartridge belt. Each loop of the cartridge belt consists of two loop portions which bear against the side walls of the drum magazine. By means of magnets, located between the side walls of the drum magazine and the loop portions of the cartridge belt, the cartridges are secured against unintentional shifting.

Abstract: A stabilizing and aiming drive for the turret (2) of a vehicle (1) comprises brake surfaces at revolving rings (6,7) which are supported for rotation at the vehicle superstructure or at the turret. The revolving rings (6,7) are driven in opposite directions by an electric motor (20) acting through driven pinions (23,24), and they carry brake surfaces (10,11). These brake surfaces face the friction linings (12,13) which are adapted to be acted upon by magnetic structural units (16,17) provided at the turret or vehicle superstructure for engagement with the brake surfaces, in order to thereby apply controlled stabilizing and aiming moments on the turret.

Abstract: An improved auto-fire assembly for an industrial gun of 8 gauge or larger which releases the trigger of the gun in response to the breech block of the gun being fully placed in closed breeching position.The mechanism presented provides a trip arm to be contacted by the industrial gun operating lever, with the trip arm on a shaft rotatably mounted on the stop bracket limiting breech opening. The resultant simplified structure enables easy modification of existing lanyard operated guns to include autofire capability.

Abstract: An improved lighted key assembly includes ridges located adjacent to the base and a ledge above the base. An LED, supported by the ledge, has leads which are mounted against the ridges so that an intermediate portion of the leads is bent around the bottom of the ridges. When mounted to the printed circuit board of a keyboard, the intermediate portions of the leads are in physical contact with contact pads on the printed circuit board to pass electrical current from the contact pads, through the leads, to the LED.

Abstract: A three rack and double pinion weapon elevation mechanism is disclosed and is useful for positioning and balancing a weapon, such as a cannon, on a combat vehicle. Two hydraulically-actuated gear racks are in facing relation with a main pinion in meshing engagement therebetween. The main pinion is integral with a shaft to which an output pinion is attached. Rotation of the main pinion produces an identical rotation of the output pinion. The output pinion is in mesh with a sector gear attached to the weapon. The two racks are slidable past the main pinion causing it and the output pinion to rotate in one direction or the other, producing a corresponding elevation or depression of the weapon. A third hydraulically-actuated rack is meshed with the main pinion to exert an elevating torque on the output pinion counter to a depressing torque exerted thereon by the weight of the weapon and which varies with changes in weapon elevation angle.

Abstract: Enclosures such as drawers and glove compartments are provided with a light that automatically turns on when the enclosure is opened and turns off when closed. This light has a lightbulb in circuit with batteries and a switching mechanism, including a spring and actuator for the spring which is mounted to rotate, move linearly outwardly and inwardly relative to the light's housing, or do both simultaneously. The actuator has a portion engaging the spring and an arcuate edge portion extending beyond the housing which engages a surface of the enclosure when the enclosure is opened or closed. During relative movement between the enclosure surface and the light, the actuator moves the spring between two positions, one of which opens the circuit to the lightbulb, the other of which closes this circuit.

Abstract: A reversible front bolt for converting a firearm of a first caliber to fire cartridges of a second caliber; or to provide a second front bolt of the same caliber as a spare part. The regular bolt assembly comprises a front bolt, a plurality of rails and a rear bolt, wherein the rails connect, and rigidly position the front bolt with respect to the rear bolt. The front bolt has two firing faces, and to change from one firing face to the other, the rails are disconnected from the front bolt, the front bolt reversed and the rails reconnected to the front bolt.

Abstract: A breech mechanism for automatic firearms having a high cadence; and, in particular, a rigidly closing breech mechanism which includes a gas piston effecting the opening thereof and which stands in communication with a sleeve, a coil spring concentrically positioned interiorly thereof which is stressed upon the opening of the breech mechanism and which will conduct a latching and unlatching component into its closing position upon release of the energy stored therein. The gas piston as well as the closure spring each have a shock absorber associated therewith. The shock absorbers essentially consist of loose, stacked discs, plates or the like of high rigidity and toughness, whose surfaces incorporate production-caused uneveness.

Abstract: An ammunition container has an ammunition supporting platform which is movable upwardly within the outer housing by springs which are loaded by the weight of the ammunition supported thereon. As the ammunition is used, the decrease in the weight of the ammunition thereon allows the springs to recover and elevate the platform to provide a relatively constant upper position for the upper plane of the ammunition supported on the platform.

Abstract: An armored vehicle with a rotatable turret, e.g. a tank, has its gun (cannon) supplied from a munitions bunker behind the turret in which the munitions rounds are stored in tubes inclined at angles less than 90.degree. to the axis of the gun when the breech thereof is aligned with an opening in the magazine through which the rounds are fed from a tunnel in the magazine aligned with the gun. The rounds lie in substantially horizontal planes and are withdrawn from storage tubes by a device movable axially along the tunnel and swingable into alignment with each tube to withdraw the round therefrom and feed it through the opening into the breech of the gun.

Abstract: A stick-on fog light lens, comprising a flexible sheet of amber colored transparent vinyl having a peripheral configuration cut to match that of the headlight of an automobile on which it is to be used, and a method of affixing to the headlight by moistening one side of the flexible vinyl sheet with water, placing the moistened side against the glass lens of the headlight, and pressing out excess moisture and air thereby leaving the flexible sheet fog light lens operably affixed to the headlight.

Abstract: A bomb disposal device comprises an outer protective housing of spheroidal configuration formed with upper and lower openings and pivotably mounted between a pair of wheels for transporting the device to the location of a suspected bomb. An open-top container and a cover overlying the container are disposed within the protective housing and are fixed to the mounting thereof such that the container and cover remain in their upright vertical positions during the pivoting of the housing. The device further includes a netting which may be used for drawing the suspected bomb into the container within the housing. The protective housing is pivoted to a horizontal position when drawing, or manually placing, the suspected bomb into the container within the housing, and then the housing is pivoted to its upright position when the device is to be towed to a location for disposing the suspected bomb.

Abstract: A muzzle brake for artillery guns having a sidewardly open body attached to the muzzle of the barrel of gun. The body includes in a forward direction a front wall having a central opening for gun projectiles. The diameter of the opening being open to include an exchangeable wear ring attached to the front wall. The exchangeable wear ring is held in place by a plurality of locking devices. The wear ring is easily replaced and less expensive than a complete muzzle brake change.

Abstract: Ammunition sorting system including a plurality of storage hoppers each adapted to releasably store a different type of ammunition, and a conveyor system including in sequence a plurality of rungs, each rung having two alternative dispositions, one wherein the rung provides a pocket in the conveyor adapted to receive therein a round of ammunition from a hopper, the other wherein said rung precludes entry of a round into such pocket, and cams and followers for controlling the disposition of each rung as it passes each of the storage hoppers.