1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an externally driven automatic weapon having at least one control cylinder driven by a motor and provided with a camming path on its outer circumference, so that rotation of the control cylinder causes reciprocating linear movement of the breechblock and cartridge supply slide.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
In prior art automatic weapons of a caliber of, for example 35 mm, external drives are preferentially employed to ensure continuity of energy flow in the operation of the machine. This is in contrast to self-loaders or gas pressure loaders where the contributed energy is available only for a very short period of time while the energy requirement continues over a longer period of time. The problem is thus the storage of the energy surge over the time required for the succession of machine functions.
Prior art externally driven automatic weapons have the drawback that their motor and the associated drive mechanism require a considerable amount of room as peripherally series connected arrangements and this sometimes considerably enlarges the external dimensions of the automatic weapon, thereby making mounting of such a weapon more difficult.
Although it is known from U.S. Pat. No. 3,648,561, issued Mar. 14, 1972, to place the motor and drive gears for the control cylinder within the control cylinder, the arrangement disclosed in this patent requires specialy formed and relatively complex mechanical parts for the mounting of both the cylinder and the motor and gears therein.