Patents by Inventor Heinz-Gunter Breuer

Heinz-Gunter Breuer has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 7159502
    Abstract: The invention concerns a sliding block breech mechanism for a cannon with a breech ring arranged at the rear end of a cannon barrel and with a sliding breech block that slides perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of the cannon barrel in a cavity of the breech ring. To achieve an improved distribution of force inside the breech ring when the cannon is fired compared to previously known sliding block breech mechanisms and thus to optimize the maximum stress load, the invention proposes to provide a sliding block breech mechanism whose sliding breech block has at least two lugs arranged axially one behind the other, wherein the pressure flanks of the first lugs, i.e., the lugs closer to the cannon barrel, have a positive direction of inclination, and the pressure flanks of the second lugs have a negative direction of inclination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2007
    Assignee: Rheinmetall Waffe Munition GmbH
    Inventors: Hans Hulsewis, Eckehard Bohnsack, Heinz-Gunter Breuer
  • Patent number: 6931776
    Abstract: An apparatus for the section-wise autofrettage of gun barrels (22) by a hydraulic pressure generated inside the barrel. The apparatus (1, 1?, 1?) comprises a mandrel-shaped insert (2, 2?, 2?) inserted into the barrel (22) from the breech opening. A first sealing device (3) is disposed at one end of the insert (2, 2?, 2?), and has a seal packet (5) disposed on a seal seat (4) of the insert (2, 2?, 2?). The seal seat (4) is limited at the front by a threaded sleeve (7) screwed onto the insert (2, 2?, 2?), and an annular intermediate part (8) adjoining the threaded sleeve (7) at the rear. The seal packet (5) includes at least one O-ring (10) held by a shoulder (9) of the mandrel-shaped insert (2, 2?, 2?), and a high-pressure seal (15) formed by two partial rings (13, 14) that are connected to one another by a conical contact surface (16).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2005
    Assignee: Rheinmetall W&M GmbH
    Inventors: Hartmut Wagner, Heinz Günter Breuer, Hans Hülsewis, Berthold Baumann
  • Patent number: 6899008
    Abstract: A gun barrel having a muzzle brake (2), especially for large-caliber guns, in which the muzzle brake (2) includes a tubular piece that has openings (16) around its circumference, and a jacket tube (4), which surrounds the tubular piece and has diametrically opposite gas-exit openings (17) that extend perpendicular to the bore longitudinal axis (15). To provide an arrangement comprising a barrel (1) and a muzzle brake (2) that minimizes the firing stresses on the parts of the muzzle brake (2) that are detachably connected to the barrel (1), the muzzle region (3) of the barrel (1) itself is used as a component of the muzzle brake (2. That is, the muzzle region of the barrel is provided with a plurality of openings (16) arranged in ring formation around the barrel (1), and the attached the jacket tube (4) is provided with slot-shaped gas-exit openings (17) over this muzzle region (3).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2005
    Assignee: Rheinmetall W&M GmbH
    Inventor: Heinz-Günter Breuer
  • Publication number: 20040103576
    Abstract: An apparatus for the section-wise autofrettage of gun barrels (22) by a hydraulic pressure generated inside the barrel. The apparatus (1, 1′, 1″) comprises a mandrel-shaped insert (2, 2′, 2″) inserted into the barrel (22) from the breech opening. A first sealing device (3) is disposed at one end of the insert (2, 2′, 2″), and has a seal packet (5) disposed on a seal seat (4) of the insert (2, 2′, 2″). The seal seat (4) is limited at the front by a threaded sleeve (7) screwed onto the insert (2, 2′, 2″), and an annular intermediate part (8) adjoining the threaded sleeve (7) at the rear. The seal packet (5) includes at least one O-ring (10) held by a shoulder (9) of the mandrel-shaped insert (2, 2′, 2″), and a high-pressure seal (15) formed by two partial rings (13, 14) that are connected to one another by a conical contact surface (16).
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 21, 2003
    Publication date: June 3, 2004
    Applicant: RHEINMETALL W&M GMBH
    Inventors: Hartmut Wagner, Heinz Gunter Breuer, Hans Hulsewis, Berthold Baumann
  • Publication number: 20030154849
    Abstract: A gun barrel having a muzzle brake (2), especially for large-caliber guns, in which the muzzle brake (2) includes a tubular piece that has openings (16) around its circumference, and a jacket tube (4), which surrounds the tubular piece and has diametrically opposite gas-exit openings (17) that extend perpendicular to the bore longitudinal axis (15). To provide an arrangement comprising a barrel (1) and a muzzle brake (2) that minimizes the firing stresses on the parts of the muzzle brake (2) that are detachably connected to the barrel (1), the muzzle region (3) of the barrel (1) itself is used as a component of the muzzle brake (2. That is, the muzzle region of the barrel is provided with a plurality of openings (16) arranged in ring formation around the barrel (1), and the attached the jacket tube (4) is provided with slot-shaped gas-exit openings (17) over this muzzle region (3).
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 21, 2003
    Publication date: August 21, 2003
    Inventor: Heinz-Gunter Breuer
  • Patent number: 6595100
    Abstract: A weapon having a barrel (3) supported in a cradle (2) for axial recoil movement, and having a breech block wedge (7) displaceable, transversely to the barrel axis (6) by a control unit (11) connected to the cradle and acting on a piston rod (8). The control unit (11) includes a spring-loaded shift rod (13) aligned with the piston rod (8), a spring-loaded control rod (15) aligned with a control cam (10) secured to the breech ring (4), and a detent pawl (17) that can be pivoted by a cam (16) from a blocking to a release position. The piston and shift rods (8, 13) are disposed such that during forward motion of the barrel (3), the breech block wedge (7) is already opened by axial displacement of the rods (8, 13) before the control cam (10) displaces the control rod (15).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2003
    Assignee: Rheinmetall W & M GmbH
    Inventors: Heinz Günter Breuer, Hans Hülsewis
  • Patent number: 6543330
    Abstract: A gun having a wedge-type breech block and a barrel seated in a cradle for firing electrically-ignitable cartridges containing electronic components, and an ignition contact (4) for connection to an external current source, and a signal contact (5) for connecting the electronic components to an external electronic control device are disposed on the cartridge base (3). To ensure reliable ignition of the cartridge, and transmission of data from the cartridge, an axially displaceable ignition and signal-transmission unit (8) is provided in the breech block, and includes a housing (11) having two parallel, axial guides (12, 13), and two spring-loaded, needle-shaped contact devices (16, 17) arranged to be displaced inside the respective guides such that, in the extended position of the unit (8), the first contact device (16) is pressed against the cartridge ignition contact (4) and the second contact device (17) is pressed against the cartridge signal contact (5).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2003
    Assignee: Rheinmetall W & M GmbH
    Inventors: Heinz Günter Breuer, Hans Hülsewis
  • Publication number: 20030051600
    Abstract: A weapon having a barrel (3) supported in a cradle (2) for axial recoil movement, and having a breech block wedge (7) displaceable, transversely to the barrel axis (6) by a control unit (11) connected to the cradle and acting on a piston rod (8). The control unit (11) includes a spring-loaded shift rod (13) aligned with the piston rod (8), a spring-loaded control rod (15) aligned with a control cam (10) secured to the breech ring (4), and a detent pawl (17) that can be pivoted by a cam (16) from a blocking to a release position. The piston and shift rods (8, 13) are disposed such that during forward motion of the barrel (3), the breech block wedge (7) is already opened by axial displacement of the rods (8, 13) before the control cam (10) displaces the control rod (15).
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 4, 2002
    Publication date: March 20, 2003
    Inventors: Heinz Gunter Breuer, Hans Hulsewis
  • Publication number: 20020046643
    Abstract: A gun having a wedge-type breech block and a barrel that is seated in a cradle for firing electrically-ignitable cartridges that contain electronic components, and in which an ignition contact (4) is disposed on the cartridge base or bottom (3) for producing a connection to an external current source, and a signal contact (5) is disposed on the cartridge base for connecting the electronic components to an external electronic control and evaluation device. To ensure the simple and reliable ignition of the cartridge, as well as the transmission of data from the cartridge to an external unit, an axially displaceable ignition and signal-transmission unit (8) is provided in the breech block.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 22, 2001
    Publication date: April 25, 2002
    Inventors: Heinz Gunter Breuer, Hans Hulsewis
  • Patent number: 6006645
    Abstract: A large-caliber weapon includes a barrel having a longitudinal barrel axis; a cradle supporting the barrel; a breech ring mounted on an end of the barrel; a breech wedge disposed in the breech ring for linear displacements transversely to the barrel axis; a control lug affixed to the breech wedge; and an opening lever pivotally mounted on the cradle for angular displacements about a lever axis oriented perpendicularly to the barrel axis. The opening lever is disposed externally of the breech ring and has an initial position and an actuated end position. The opening lever is engaged by the control lug of the breech wedge in a position of rest of the barrel such that upon motion of the opening lever from its initial position to its actuated end position, the breech wedge is moved from a closed position into an open position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 28, 1999
    Assignee: Rheinmetall W & M GmbH
    Inventors: Heinz-Gunter Breuer, Hans Hulsewis
  • Patent number: 5307724
    Abstract: An ejector system for the extraction of cartridge casings from a tubular weapon provided with two ejector levers that are pivotal about an axis. Prior art ejector systems of this type have the drawback in that the ejector claws which pull the cartridge casing out of the cartridge chamber after firing are fastened directly to the ejector levers so that, due to the circular arc movement of the ejector claws, the cartridge casings are ejected in an undefined direction of flight from round to round. However, large caliber weapons, particularly those equipped with automatic loading mechanism, require a defined ejection path of the cartridge casings. To avoid the above drawbacks, the disclosed ejector system fastens each ejector claw to an ejector that is linearly displaceable parallel to the longitudinal axis of the gun barrel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 1992
    Date of Patent: May 3, 1994
    Assignee: Rheinmetall GmbH
    Inventors: Heinz-Gunter Breuer, Karl-Egon Janssen
  • Patent number: 5042361
    Abstract: It is known to arrange a breech mechanism for a gun so as to be displaceable within a parallel guide arranged at a right angle to the bore axis of the gun barrel, and to bring a mushroom shaped head for obturation to the chamber in a partial circular arc. Due to the plurality of drive means for the mushroom head, complicated motion sequences result within the breechblock system which may lead to increased susceptibility to malfunction and do not permit high firing rates. Such a breech mechanism is not suitable or the use of a highly elastic obturator disposed in the gun barrel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 1989
    Date of Patent: August 27, 1991
    Assignee: Rheinmetall GmbH
    Inventors: Karl-Egon Janssen, Heinz-Gunter Breuer