Conversion kit with recoil delay action and method for transformation of c1 howitzer in a more performent c-3 model

Abstract

A device for delaying a recoil action of a recoil system of a weapon intended to fire projectiles out from a barrel. The device includes a housing removably mountable onto the recoil system, a rod being movable along opposite first and second directions in response to a corresponding movement of the piston end of the recoil system, and a damping assembly contained in the housing and cooperating with a distal extremity of the rod. When in use, the damping assembly provides a damping effect to the distal extremity when the rod is moved along the first direction, the damping effect being configured so that the recoil action of the recoil system is delayed by a time corresponding substantially to a time of travel of a projectile inside the barrel of the weapon before being fired out of said barrel, for improving firing accuracy and other parameters of the weapon.

1 . A device for delaying a recoil action of a recoil system of a weapon intended to fire projectiles out from a barrel, the device comprising:
 a housing removably mountable onto a mounting plate of the recoil system;   a rod having first and second extremities, the first extremity being removably connectable onto a piston end of the recoil system, and the second extremity being displaceable along the housing, the rod being movable along opposite first and second directions in response to a corresponding movement of the piston end of the recoil system; and   a damping assembly contained in the housing and cooperating with the second extremity of the rod for providing a damping effect to said second extremity when the rod is moved along the first direction, the damping effect being configured so that the recoil action of the recoil system is delayed by a time corresponding substantially to a time of travel of a projectile inside the barrel of the weapon before being fired out of said barrel.   
     
     
         2 . A device according to  claim 1 , wherein the device comprises a biasing assembly cooperating between the housing and the rod for biasing the rod back to a starting position after having moved due to a corresponding movement of the piston end of the recoil system. 
     
     
         3 . A device according to  claim 2 , wherein the biasing assembly comprises a spring mounted coaxially about the rod, the spring having a first extremity for abutting against a fixed front inner wall of the housing and a second extremity operatively connectable against the movable rod for forcing the rod away from the fixed front inner wall of the housing and back to its starting position after the projectile has been fired. 
     
     
         4 . A device according to  claim 1 , wherein the damping assembly comprises:
 a valve being mountable about the rod and cooperable with the housing so as to delimit first and second chambers within said housing, at least one first hydraulic path being defined between the first and second chambers through the valve, the valve being displaceable within the housing along the rod;   a piston being mountable adjacent the second extremity of the rod and cooperable with the housing so as to delimit a third chamber within the housing, at least one second hydraulic path being defined between the second and third chambers through the piston, the piston being securely mountable onto the rod for movement along the housing; and   a damping fluid inside the housing so that a displacement of the second extremity of the rod in response to a corresponding movement of the piston end of the recoil system forces fluid from a given chamber to be displaced to an adjacent chamber via a least one fluid path in order to provide a damping effect and corresponding time delay to the recoil action of the recoil system.   
     
     
         5 . A device according to  claim 4 , wherein a flow rate of damping fluid through the at least one first fluid path of the valve is smaller than a flow rate of damping fluid through the at least one second fluid path of the piston so that a damping effect on the second extremity when traveling along the second direction is smaller than the damping effect on the second extremity of the rod when traveling in the first direction, in order to facilitate a return of the rod to an original configuration via the biasing assembly after the projectile has been fired. 
     
     
         6 . A device according to  claim 5 , wherein the valve is provided with at least one protruding cone for meshing against a complementary recess provided on the piston when the valve and the piston are urged against one another during operation of the device. 
     
     
         7 . A device according to  claim 6 , wherein the valve and the piston are further configured so that each hydraulic path of the valve is connectable to a corresponding hydraulic path of the piston when the valve and piston are urged against one another, so as to each form a single hydraulic path between the first and third chambers. 
     
     
         8 . A device according to  claim 7 , wherein the piston is configured for positioning adjacent to the second extremity of the rod, and for abutting against a locking nut being removably mountable onto said second extremity. 
     
     
         9 . A device according to  claim 8 , wherein the device comprises a washer or a spacer provided between the piston and the locking nut. 
     
     
         10 . A device according to  claim 9 , wherein the device comprises a first spring having a first extremity for abutting against a fixed front inner wall of the housing and a second extremity for abutting against the displaceable valve in order to urge the valve away from the fixed front inner wall of the housing. 
     
     
         11 . A device according to  claim 10 , wherein the device comprises a second spring having a first extremity for abutting against the valve and a second extremity for abutting against the piston in order to urge the piston away from the valve. 
     
     
         12 . A device according to  claim 11 , wherein the device comprises at least one support leg projecting out from a front end of the housing, for mounting against the mounting plate of the recoil system. 
     
     
         13 . A device according to  claim 12 , wherein each support leg has a socket for receiving a corresponding fastener. 
     
     
         14 . A device according to  claim 12 , wherein each support leg has a bore for receiving a corresponding fastener extending through said bore and through a corresponding hole on a rear plate of the housing. 
     
     
         15 . A device according to  claim 12 , wherein each support leg is fixed and has a length protruding away from the housing which corresponds substantially to a sum of each distance traveled axially along the housing by each moving component of the damping assembly inside the housing. 
     
     
         16 . A device according to  claim 1 , wherein the housing comprises a through-hole through the rod is extendable, and wherein the inside of the housing is accessible via a rear end of the housing by means of a cover plate being removably mountable onto said rear end. 
     
     
         17 . A device according to  claim 16 , wherein the cover plate is removably securable onto the rear end of the housing by means of a least one fastener. 
     
     
         18 . A device according to  claim 17 , wherein the cover plate comprises a valve for supplying the housing with damping fluid. 
     
     
         19 . A device according to  claim 18 , wherein the cover plate comprises a valve for exhausting air out from the housing. 
     
     
         20 . A device according to  claim 1 , wherein the first extremity of the rod comprises a female component being threadedly engageable onto a corresponding male component protruding out from the piston end of the recoil system. 
     
     
         21 . A device according to  claim 1 , wherein each spring of the device is a compression spring. 
     
     
         22 . A device according to  claim 1 , wherein the device is provided with at least one seal for minimizing loss of damping fluid from the housing. 
     
     
         23 . A device according to  claim 1 , wherein the device is configured for use with a howitzer, and wherein the recoil action of the recoil system is delayed by a time of about 8 milliseconds. 
     
     
         24 . A weapon for firing projectiles from a barrel, the weapon having a recoil system being provided with a recoil delay device according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
         25 . A weapon according to  claim 24 , wherein the weapon is a howitzer.