EP1092936B1 - Firearm having at least two barrels with adjustable geometry and method for adjusting said geometry - Google Patents

Abstract

Firearm has two superposed barrels (1, 2) attached by central band (3). Band is brazed with silver along nearly whole length of upper barrel (1), and only along small part of lower barrel (2). At end of firearm, barrels are kept apart using ring (5) slid on lower barrel, and resting against shoulder (6). Ring is located between shoulder and muzzle (7). Muzzle is kept in place using screw. Screw goes through spacer between part (8) of muzzle, and band; width of spacer determines relative position of barrels in lateral direction. Independent claims are also included for (a) the method for adjusting geometry of front barrels, and for (b) the adjusting mechanism.

Description

The invention relates to a firearm with at least two superimposed or juxtaposed barrels with adjustable geometry, which are linked together by at least one strip.

With these weapons, the gap between the point of impact of a bullet fired by one of the cannons and the point of impact of a bullet fired by the other cannon must be limited. Acceptance standards are such that at a determined distance, for example 60 m, this difference must be practically nonexistent.

This therefore requires careful adjustment of the cannon geometry in the factory or on the test bench.

In known weapons a band (s) is / are brazed, to the barrels to the muzzle of the barrels and the adjustment is made by successive firing cycles, desoldering of the band (s), adjustment using a wedge and re-brazing of the strip (s).

Adjusting the convergence and precision of guns was therefore a manual operation continued in a shooting tunnel and it is obvious that such a operation is very laborious and expensive. In addition the successive unsoldering and soldering can influence cannon firing characteristics.

In other weapons, the band (s) stop (s) at a distance from the muzzle of the cannons and a device wedging, adjusted by screw, is mounted between the parts before cannons.

The guns are brazed to the band (s) of such so that at the front, where this / these strip (s) is / are absent, the guns converge too much if they are not dismissed under duress anymore particularly by the wedging device.

In some cases, the tape (s) is / are replaced by one or more spacers.

These wedging devices are quite complicated. Normally they only adjust the distance between guns and not their position relative transversely to the band, although some systems, generally complex, allow height and transverse adjustments: see this with regard to documents DE-U-8 801 988 and FR-A-2 545 918.

The object of the invention is to avoid the drawbacks above and to provide a weapon to at least two barrels which allows relatively easy adjustment and rapid cannon geometry without its construction is highly complicated.

This object is achieved according to the invention by a handgun. fire at least two cannons connected to each other by at minus one strip except over a length from the muzzle of the barrels, the front parts of the barrels being convergent if they are not discarded under constraint, this weapon being characterized in that the band is attached to one of the barrels practically to his mouth but is free from the second barrel a distance from this mouth, this second barrel being surrounded at the front by a ring spreading it out by elastic deformation of the strip and so from the first cannon, and a muzzle being mounted removably on the second barrel the front end of the gun, part of this muzzle being located along the strip and cooperating directly or through a spacer with this strip.

The convergence of the guns is not completely eliminated and the cradles, i.e. the areas of band contact with the barrels, make an angle of so as to give a convergence of the canons sufficient towards the mouth to give a cross respective impacts.

Preferably, the outer surface of the ring is concentric to its inner surface.

In this case the geometry of the barrels depends on the choice of the ring and the muzzle or the spacer excluding a perturbation of this geometry by the user. After possible disassembly of the device, just replace the ring and the muzzle and if necessary the spacer for again get the correct cannon geometry and adjustment is no longer necessary. With a wedge, the adjusting screw can be rotated which can disrupt the adjusting device and after disassembly adjustment device, the shim must be set again.

The above part of the muzzle can be attached to the strip, for example using a screw screwed into the latter through an opening in the muzzle, opening which is sized for allow the passage of the screw for different distances between the guns.

The ring is preferably located on the barrel between the muzzle and a shoulder formed by a part of the tape.

The invention also includes a method for adjusting the geometry of the barrels at the front of a weapon with two guns connected by at least one strip which, at the front is released from one of the cannons.

• successivement glisser sur le canon dégagé une bague différente d'une série de plusieurs bagues avec des diamètres extérieurs différents en fonction de l'écart en hauteur si les canons sont superposés ou en direction latérale si ces canons sont juxtaposés, des impacts de coups tirés avec les deux canons jusqu'à ce que l'écart soit acceptable; et
• soit glisser une muselière avec une partie le long de la bande sur l'extrémité avant du canon susdit, en intercalant entre cette partie et la bande successivement des entretoises différentes d'une série d'entretoises d'épaisseurs différentes, en fonction des écarts, en direction latérale si les canons sont superposés ou en hauteur si les canons sont juxtaposés, des impacts de coups tirés par les deux canons, jusqu'à ce que l'écart soit acceptable, soit glisser sur l'extrémité avant du canon susdit successivement des muselières différentes d'une série de muselières ayant leurs parties susdites décalées sur des distances différentes de leurs axes géométriques, en fonction des écarts susdits et jusqu'à ce que l'écart soit acceptable.

This process is characterized in that it comprises:

• successively slide on the cleared barrel a different ring of a series of several rings with different outside diameters depending on the difference in height if the guns are superimposed or in lateral direction if these guns are juxtaposed, impacts of shots fired with both guns until the deviation is acceptable; and
• either slide a muzzle with a part along the strip on the front end of the aforementioned barrel, by interposing between this part and the strip successively different spacers of a series of spacers of different thicknesses, depending on the differences, in lateral direction if the barrels are superimposed or in height if the barrels are juxtaposed, impacts of shots fired by the two barrels, until the deviation is acceptable, or slide on the front end of the aforementioned barrel successively different muzzles from a series of muzzles having their aforesaid parts offset by different distances from their geometric axes, as a function of the above-mentioned deviations and until the deviation is acceptable.

Preferably, the above-mentioned part is fixed in a Removable to the tape either directly or by inserting a spacer.

The invention also relates to the device for setting used in this process.

This adjustment device comprises according to the invention a series of rings with outside diameters different, and either a muzzle adaptable on the aforementioned barrel with a series of spacers to be sandwiched between this strip and the above part of this muzzle, a series of muzzles having their aforesaid parts shifted over distances different from their geometric axes.

la figure 1 est une vue latérale schématique d'une arme selon l'invention;

la figure 2 représente à échelle agrandie la partie indiquée par F2 à la figure 1;

la figure 3 est une coupe selon la ligne III-III de la figure 2, à plus grande échelle;

la figure 4 est une coupe selon la ligne IV-IV de la figure 2, à la même échelle que la figure 3;

la figure 5 est une coupe semblable à celle de la figure 3, mais avec une bague différente;

la figure 6 est une coupe semblable à celle de la figure 4, mais avec la bague de la figure 5;

la figure 7 est une coupe semblable à celle des figures 3 et 5, avec la bague des figures 5 et 6, mais avec une entretoise différente;

la figure 8 est une coupe selon la ligne VIII-VIII de la figure 2;

la figure 9 représente à une échelle agrandie la partie indiquée par F9 à la figure 2;

les figures 10, 11 et 12 représentent une coupe semblable à celle de la figure 3 mais se rapportant à une autre forme de réalisation de l'invention et avec respectivement trois muselières différentes.

For greater clarity, some embodiments of a firearm with at least two barrels with adjustable geometry and a method and a device for adjusting this geometry, according to the invention are described below by way of illustrative and not restrictive, reference being made to the appended drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a schematic side view of a weapon according to the invention;

Figure 2 shows on an enlarged scale the part indicated by F2 in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a section along line III-III of Figure 2, on a larger scale;

Figure 4 is a section along the line IV-IV of Figure 2, on the same scale as Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a section similar to that of Figure 3, but with a different ring;

Figure 6 is a section similar to that of Figure 4, but with the ring of Figure 5;

Figure 7 is a section similar to that of Figures 3 and 5, with the ring of Figures 5 and 6, but with a different spacer;

Figure 8 is a section along line VIII-VIII of Figure 2;

Figure 9 shows on an enlarged scale the part indicated by F9 in Figure 2;

Figures 10, 11 and 12 show a section similar to that of Figure 3 but relating to another embodiment of the invention and with respectively three different muzzles.

In Figure 1 is shown a rifle with two superimposed guns 1 and 2 which are connected by a central strip 3 and which are brazed in a hoop not shown in Figure 1.

The strip 3 is brazed, for example with silver, on its entire length at the upper barrel 1, practically up to the mouth of this canon 1, for example up about 8 millimeters from this mouth.

However, this strip is only brazed on a part of its length at the lower barrel 2, and is clear over a distance, for example about one third of its length, from the muzzle lower 2, by a clearance 4 as shown in Figure 2.

Cannons 1 and 2 are, where they are connected by the band 3, slightly converging and the cradles or zone of contact of strip 3 with guns 1 and 2 form a small angle A between them, for example of 0 ° 14 '.

At the front end of the weapon, i.e. near the mouths of cannons 1 and 2, these the latter are slightly separated by a ring 5 slid on the lower barrel 2 and bearing on a shoulder 6 formed by an abrupt enlargement of the release 4.

The outer and inner surfaces of the ring 5 are concentric and the inside diameter of the ring 5 corresponds to the outside diameter of the barrel lower 2. The outside of the ring 5 is in contact with the flat underside of the strip 3 to the location of the enlarged clearance 4, as shown in detail in Figure 4.

This ring 5 is part of a series of rings having different outside diameters. Ring 5 shown in Figures 1 to 4 is the most small in the series.

Figure 6 is a section similar to that of the Figure 4, but with the ring 5 having the diameter largest exterior.

The ring 5 is positioned on the barrel 2 between the shoulder 6 and a muzzle 7.

This muzzle 7, that is to say a piece of adjustment at least partially surrounding the lower barrel 2 and having a part 8 extending along strip 3, is fixed in a removably, in particular by a screw 9, to this strip 3.

In the example described, this part 8 is one of the two vertical wings 10 projecting over a portion 11 in the form of a ring surrounding the barrel 2. These wings 10 are connected to each other at the front of the weapon by a transverse wall 12 whose upper edge is cut along a curve with a radius larger than that of canon 2.

The ring-shaped part 11 is flattened between the wings 10 and has a thickness there such that it does does not go beyond ring 5 upwards and does not influence so no gap between guns 1 and 2.

The aforementioned screw 9 is screwed into the band 3 and freely crosses a buttonhole 13, i.e. a vertical oblong opening due to the fact that the height position of wing 10 is variable depending on the ring 5.

The screw 9 also passes through a spacer 14 sandwiched between part 8 of muzzle 7 and the strip 3, the thickness of this spacer 14 determining the relative position of the barrels in lateral direction.

The screw 9 prevents the muzzle 7 from sliding from the barrel lower 2, but also prevents the latter from turn around the barrel 2, the part 8 being rendered secured to the strip 3 in the lateral direction.

This spacer 14 is part of a series spacers of different thicknesses.

In Figures 1 to 4 and 8 and 9, a spacer 14 with an intermediate thickness is shown and the axis of the upper barrel 1 is located on the same plane vertical than the axis of the lower barrel 2.

In Figures 5 and 6, the spacer 14 with thickness minimum is shown. Therefore, the axis of the barrel lower 2 is offset laterally by a distance D1 relative to the vertical plane across the barrel axis higher 1.

FIG. 7 represents the same section as FIG. 5, but with the thickest spacer 14. The axis of lower barrel 2 is offset laterally in direction contrary to the above offset and by a distance D2 by relative to the vertical plane through the axis of the barrel higher 1.

The wings 10 and the transverse wall 12 have a height such that they do not touch the barrel upper 1 and do not prevent lateral movement relative of the lower barrel 2 with respect to the barrel higher 1.

The adjustment of the geometry of the above weapon is as follows:

At the shooting range, one of the rings 5, normally the smaller, is slid on the lower barrel 2 up to the shoulder 6, thus spreading the strip 3 and therefore also the upper barrel 1 of the lower barrel 2.

Shots are fired by the two guns 1 and 2 on a target at a determined distance. The gap between the impacts is measured and if it is not acceptable, the aforementioned ring 5 is replaced by a other, shots are fired again and the gap impacts is measured. This is repeated until the ideal mouth spacing between the barrels 1 in 2 is obtained.

For lateral adjustment, the muzzle 7 is set place with intercalation of one of the spacers 14, normally the thinnest first. Screw 9 is screwed into strip 3 by pushing part 8 against the spacer 14 and the latter against the strip 3.

Shots are fired by the two cannons 1 and 2 and the difference between impacts is measured.

If the difference is not acceptable, the above cycle is repeated with another spacer and so on until the ideal spacing is obtained.

The rifle user cannot disrupt the geometry of guns 1 and 2. The adjustment is not disrupted by dismantling the rifle. If the muzzle 7, spacer 14 and ring 5 are removed, replacing them automatically ensures the perfect setting. The height adjustment depends on effect only of the outer diameter of the ring 5 while the lateral adjustment depends only on the thickness of the spacer 14.

If for some reason another setting is desired, simply replace the ring 5 and / or the spacer 14 by another.

Instead of using a single muzzle 7 with a set of 14 different spacers, the direction adjustment lateral can in another form of realization be made with a set of 7 different muzzles without spacers 14.

Figures 10 to 12 relate to such a form of production.

These figures represent a section of a weapon with a adjuster similar to that described above but in each case with a muzzle 7 different, more specifically a muzzle 7 in which the wing 10 forming the part 8 is located at a different distance from the vertical plane across the geometric axis of the lower barrel 2, that is to say of the location plan of muzzle 7 on the lower barrel 1, the geometric axes of barrel 2 and the muzzle 7 coinciding.

In the examples shown in Figures 10 to 12, this is obtained by shifting or not the groove 15 which is formed between the two wings 10, this groove 15 for example having a width slightly greater than the thickness of the strip 3.

It is however not excluded that band 3 is mounted without play in groove 10, this variant also falling within the scope of the patent application.

It is clear that the position of this groove 15 determines the position of the part 8 face above directed to band 3, and therefore the position of the barrel 2 relative to the barrel 1 in lateral direction.

The muzzle 7 shown in FIG. 10 has a groove 15 symmetrical about its vertical plane of symmetry and therefore symmetrical about the plane vertical across the geometric axis of the barrel lower 2 when mounted on this barrel 2, if the game is not taken into account.

This last axis is therefore located on the same plane vertical than the geometrical axis of the upper barrel 1.

In the muzzles shown in Figures 11 and 12, the groove 15 is offset laterally in a one way or the other. With the muzzle 7 represented in Figure 11, the geometric axis of the lower barrel 2 is offset laterally by a distance D3 by relation to the geometric axis of the upper barrel 1, while with the muzzle 7 represented in the figure 12, the above-mentioned offset is in the opposite direction and on a distance of D4.

Adjusting the geometry of cannons 1 and 2 in this embodiment is carried out in the manner described above except that for the lateral adjustment, instead of using the same muzzle and replace a spacer, the muzzle 7 is replaced by another set having the part 8 at different positions.

The ring 5 and the muzzle 7 must not necessarily be mounted on the lower barrel 2. They can be mounted on the upper barrel 1, the strip 3 then being released from the latter barrel 1.

Likewise, guns 1 and 2 are superimposed. They can be juxtaposed. In the latter case, in the above description, the vertical direction should be replaced with the lateral direction and vice versa.

The invention is not limited to rifles, but is also applicable to other weapons with two or even more than two guns.

It is obvious that the invention is by no means limited to the examples described above but that many changes can be made to the weapon, the method and the device described above without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.

Claims (13)

1. Firearm having at least two barrels connected to each other by means of a strip, except over a length as of the mouth of the barrels, whereby the front parts of the barrels are convergent if they are not separated due to stress, characterised in that the strip (3) is fixed to one of the barrels (1) practically up to its mouth, -but is disengaged from the second barrel (2) over a distance as of said mouth, whereby said second barrel (2) is surrounded by a ring (5) at the front, separating it from the strip (3) and thus from the first barrel (2) by means of elastic deformation, and whereby a muzzle (7) is mounted on the second barrel (2) at the front far end of the firearm in a detachable manner, a part (8) of said muzzle (7) being situated along the strip (3) and co-operating directly with said strip (3) or by means of a brace (14) .
2. Firearm according to claim 1, characterised in that the cradles, in other words the contact zones of the strip (3) with the barrels (1,2) form an angle so as to make the barrels (1,2) sufficiently convergent towards the mouth, which has to result in an intersection of the respective impacts.
3. Firearm according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the outer surface of the ring (5) is concentric to its inner surface.
4. Firearm according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the above-mentioned part (8) of the muzzle (7) is fixed to the strip (3).
5. Firearm according to claim 4, characterised in that the above-mentioned part (8) of the muzzle (7) is fixed to the strip (3) by means of a screw (9) screwed in the strip (3) through an opening (13) in the above-mentioned part, an opening having such dimensions that it allows for the passage of the screw (9) for different distances between the barrels.
6. Firearm according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the muzzle (7) comprises a part (11) surrounding the barrel (2) at least partially, and at least one wing (10) which protrudes in relation to said part and forming the part (8) which extends along the strip (3).
7. Firearm according to claim 6, characterised in that the muzzle comprises two wings (10) forming a groove (15) between them, whereby this groove (15) receives the strip (3), whereby one of the wings (10) forms the above-mentioned part (8) which thus makes direct contact with the strip (3).
8. Firearm according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the ring (5) is situated on the barrel (2) between the muzzle (7) and a shoulder (6) formed by a part of the strip (3) .
9. Method for adjusting the geometry of the barrels at the front of a firearm with two barrels (1,2) connected by a strip (3) which is disengaged from one of the barrels (2) at the front of the firearm, characterised in that it consists of:

   successively sliding one of the rings (5) of a series of several rings over the disengaged barrel (2), which rings have outer diameters which differ as a function of the deviation, in height if the barrels (1,2) are placed on top of each another or in the lateral direction if the barrels (1,2) are placed next to each another, of the impacts of shots fired with the two barrels until the deviation is acceptable;

   sliding a muzzle (7) with a part (8) along the strip (3) at the front end of the above-mentioned barrel (2) by successively inserting different braces (14) of a series of braces (14) having different thicknesses as a function of the deviations, in the lateral direction if the barrels (1,2) are placed on top of each another, or in height if the barrels (1,2) are placed next to each other, of the impacts of shots fired with the two barrels (1,2) until the deviation is acceptable.
10. Method for adjusting the geometry of the barrels at the front of a firearm with two barrels (1,2) connected by a strip (3) which is disengaged from one of the barrels (2) at the front of the firearm, characterised in that it consists of:

    successively sliding one of the rings (5) of a series of several rings over the disengaged barrel (2), which rings have outer diameters which differ as a function of the deviation, in height if the barrels (1,2) are placed on top of each another or in the lateral direction if the barrels (1,2) are placed next to each another, of the impacts of shots fired with the two barrels until the deviation is acceptable; and

    successively sliding muzzles (7) of a series of muzzles over the front end of the barrel (2) which differ as a function of the deviations, in the lateral direction if the barrels are placed on top of each another, or in height if the barrels (1,2) are placed next to each other, of the impacts of shots fired with the two barrels (1,2) until the deviation is acceptable, whereby the above-mentioned parts (8) of said different muzzles (7) are shifted at different distances in relation to their geometric axes.
11. Method according to claim 9 or 10, characterised in that the above-mentioned part (8) of a muzzle (7) is fixed to the strip (3) in a detachable manner, either directly or by inserting a brace (14).
12. Device for adjusting the geometry of the barrels at the front of a firearm with two barrels (1,2) connected by means of a strip (3) which is disengaged from one of the barrels (2) at the front of the firearm, characterised in that it comprises a series of rings (5) with different outer diameters, and an adjustable muzzle (7) on said barrel (2) with a series of braces (14) to be inserted between said strip (3) and the above-mentioned part (8) of the muzzle (7).
13. Device for adjusting the geometry of the barrels at the front of a firearm with two barrels (1,2) connected by means of a strip (3) which is disengaged from one of the barrels (2) at the front of the firearm, characterised in that it comprises a series of rings (5) with different outer diameters, and a series of muzzles (7) whose aforesaid parts are shifted at different distances in relation to their geometric axes.

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