US12281874 - Safing sector assembly for a rotary machine gun

The patent describes a safing sector assembly for a rotary machine gun that includes a frame, a top cover, and a safing gate, designed to enhance safety by allowing the gun to be armed only when the cover is closed. The assembly features an elliptical cam track that controls the movement of bolt assemblies, ensuring that the firing mechanism is securely locked when the top cover is open.

Claim 1

1. A machine gun having a main housing, a rotor assembly supported by the main housing and adapted for being electrically rotated, a plurality of bolt assemblies attached to the rotor assembly, an elliptical cam track extending longitudinally within the main housing for driving the bolt assemblies in forward and rearward directions in response to rotation of the rotor assembly, and a bolt assembly access port defined in the main housing, comprising: a safing sector frame secured to the main housing of the machine gun, the frame including an aft camming portion of the elliptical cam track on an underside thereof; a top cover hingedly attached to the frame, the top cover configured to be rotatable between a closed position in which the top cover covers the access port and an open position in which the bolt assemblies are accessible through the access port; and a safing gate hingedly attached to the top cover, the safing gate including a forward camming portion of the elliptical cam track on an underside thereof, the safing gate configured to be rotatable between an armed position in which the bolt assemblies follow the forward camming portion of the elliptical cam track to facilitate firing of the machine gun and a safe position in which the forward camming portion of the elliptical cam track is removed to thereby prevent firing of the machine gun; wherein the safing gate can only be placed in the armed position while the top cover is in the closed position. a safing sector frame secured to the main housing of the machine gun, the frame including an aft camming portion of the elliptical cam track on an underside thereof; a top cover hingedly attached to the frame, the top cover configured to be rotatable between a closed position in which the top cover covers the access port and an open position in which the bolt assemblies are accessible through the access port; and a safing gate hingedly attached to the top cover, the safing gate including a forward camming portion of the elliptical cam track on an underside thereof, the safing gate configured to be rotatable between an armed position in which the bolt assemblies follow the forward camming portion of the elliptical cam track to facilitate firing of the machine gun and a safe position in which the forward camming portion of the elliptical cam track is removed to thereby prevent firing of the machine gun; wherein the safing gate can only be placed in the armed position while the top cover is in the closed position.

Google Patents

https://patents.google.com/patent/US12281874

USPTO PDF

https://image-ppubs.uspto.gov/dirsearch-public/print/downloadPdf/12281874