GB2379260A

GB2379260A - Firing device

Info

Publication number: GB2379260A
Application number: GB0120891A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Ronald Quentin Dickerson
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2001-08-29
Filing date: 2001-08-29
Publication date: 2003-03-05
Anticipated expiration: 2021-08-29
Also published as: GB0120891D0; GB2379260B

Abstract

A firing device in an air weapon comprises a first passageway for directing air to expel a projectile 18, a second passageway 5 from which the first passageway opens via a port 7 and which slidably houses a hammer 8, a reservoir for compressed air and a valve located between the reservoir and the second passageway 5 whereby upon firing, the hammer impacts the valve stem to open the valve and admit compressed air into the second passageway, the compressed air acts on the hammer to move it towards its cocked position, and after the hammer has moved a predetermined and adjustable distance, further movement of the hammer opens the port 7 to allow the compressed air to enter the first passageway and expel the projectile. The projectile may be housed in an oscillating rotor 13 which is linked to the hammer mechanism to automatically load a pellet from a tubular magazine during the firing sequence. Alternatively, the rotor 13 may take the form of a rotary magazine. Upon firing, the thimble 12 moves forwardly to seal against housing 13.

Description

Firing Device The present invention relates to firing devices and particularly, although not exclusively, to automatic loading and firing devices.

This invention relates to an automatic loading and firing device comprising a number of parts assembled about a self contained primary valve and which in total provides specific operational efficiency. The unit is for application within an appropriately designed air weapon whereby its inclusion allows the weapon to operate in cyclic fashion at the will of the user. Thus the sequential and repeatable function of the loading, firing and re-cocking of an air weapon of the particular type employing the mass storage of a compressed propellant will be provided. The claimed invention, is not relevant to the types of air weapons which function by the provision of separated amounts of propellant being stored with each individual round within a special'cartridge'assembly sufficient only to propel one round, Air weapons are generally well known and recently have increasingly featured the means of projectile expulsion provided by the employment of a pulse of gaseous propellant being momentarily provided from a larger onboard store. Commonly referred to as Pre-Charged Pneumatics (PCP's) such air weapons typically employ a poppet valve both to restrain and on demand release a small portion of the compressed propellant source of air or gas stored within the weapon in a replaceable or refillable cylinder or bottle. The propellants preferred are compressed air or C02 in the form of a liquid, both

being typically available in small cylinders or respectively decantable from a SCUBA tank or the appropriate class of fire extinguisher. In use a hammer is manually forced back against a spring and releasably secured in a cocked position by a trigger mechanism. The trigger is subsequently operated at the will of the user allowing the force of the spring to rapidly propel the hammer towards the poppet valve which, when struck allows the escape of a small pulse of propellant from the store.

Typically by means of a port within a shuttle or bolt the pulse of propellant is directed thereafter to the rear of a previously loaded projectile thereby applying the required energy to force it through and from the barrel of the weapon. A common characteristic of such weapons is that as the hammer rebounds from the valve pin against the force of the hammer spring it tends to'bounce'once or several times more against the valve pin which wastefully releases additional propellant. The invention later claimed employs this'bounce'energy to useful purpose.

Commonly in'automatic'firearms but also in some types of lower powered PCP's a proportion of the propellant gas is employed or diverted to impart motion to re-cock the weapon and position a new round of ammunition from a plurality stored within an on-board magazine or rotary cylinder for subsequent expulsion during the following firing cycle. The two terms most commonly applied to a weapon featuring these arrangements are'self-loading' whereby the cycle must be re-initiated after each shot by further application of the trigger or, fully automatic' whereby the cycle will operate continuously for a controlled period to expel a consecutive stream of projectiles.

Contrary to the case found with explosively driven firearms, in the lower powered air weapon industry such self-loading or fully automatic mechanisms are known to present operational efficiency challenges. Particularly both a smaller source and a lesser energy being available to power the automation creates a tendency that the rate of propellant consumption is disproportionate to the perceived benefits such automation provides. Failure to address this challenge will typically result in an unsatisfactory muzzle velocity and/or the number of shots achievable'per fill'of stored propellant.

A basic object of the present invention is to provide an efficient loading and firing device which after initial manual cocking employs compressed air, or non explosive compressed or liquefied gas as the energy source applied to sequentially load, fire and re-cock an air weapon. The operating sequence is repeatable on demand until either the store of on board propellant or projectiles needs replenishment. The design, assembly and inter-related function of the component parts is believed to introduce a new, simplified and improved means of operation of the critical components of self-loading semi and fullyautomatic PCP's and thereby provides that the viability of their manufacture, operation and performance is improved.

The claimed invention is primarily relevant to those types of pre-charged air weapons in which is featured a loading process which acts inclusively within the duration of an automatic operating cycle whereby a non spherical round is automatically transferred from a plurality stored about the weapon to a position of alignment with the breech of

the barrel before the subsequent employment of a pulse of propellant to expel the projectile and re-cock the weapon.

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided an automatic loading and firing device comprising :- - a first propellant passageway originating from within a second propellant passageway and operable to accommodate a projectile to be ejected therefrom; - the second passageway operable to slideably receive a resiliently biased firing hammer between a first, cocked, position and a second, uncocked, position therein; - the first and second passageways communicating with a reservoir of propellant by a third propellant passageway; - at least one valve located in the third passageway operable to move from a closed position in which the propellant is maintained within the reservoir to an open position in which propellant is released from the reservoir; - the firing hammer is operable to move from the first position to the second position thereby causing the valve to move from the closed position to the open position, thereby releasing a flow of propellant from the reservoir through the third passageway into the second, wherein movement of the flow of the propellant is operable to commence movement of the firing hammer from the second to the first position, with the arrangement of the first and second

passageways being such that the propellant is then diverted along the first passageway to eject the projectile.

Preferably, the flow of propellant into the first passageway occurs as the firing hammer moves from the second position to the first position. Preferably, the flow of propellant comprises a pulse of propellant.

Preferably, the valve is resiliently biased to move between the open and closed position by resilient means.

Preferably, the resilient means comprises a spring. The valve may comprise a poppet valve.

Preferably, the arrangement of the first and second passageways is such that the flow of propellant is operable to give sufficient momentum to the firing hammer preferably to thereby cause it to move to the first position. The firing hammer may acquire at least the minimum amount of momentum required to return it to the first position. Preferably, the firing hammer acquires no more than the minimum amount of momentum required to return it to the first position.

Preferably, the firing hammer acquires sufficient momentum to reach the first position substantially before the propellant reaches the first passageway.

Advantageously, and preferably, movement of the firing hammer from the second position to the first position is achieved by the firing hammer deriving benefit from the combination of a servo effect of the valve at the junction of the second and third passageways acting upon the firing

hammer as the valve moves to the closed position, and pneumatic assistance provided by the co-incidentally generated pulse of propellant.

Preferably, the device comprises adjustment means operable to adjust the relative arrangement of the first and third passageways. Preferably, the adjustment means comprises means to provide adjustability to the second passageway which is preferably operable to adjust the moment when propellant may exhaust from the second passageway. Preferably, the means of securing the second passageway comprises a grub screw. Preferably, adjustment of the position of the adjustment means allows an operator to vary the flow of propellant into the first passageway.

Preferably, the device comprises means to extend the functional length of the first passageway as the pulse of propellant flows therein. Preferably, the said means comprises a ported thimble. Preferably, the thimble is slideably mounted in the first passageway. Preferably, the thimble is substantially sealed around its circumference.

Preferably, the first passageway extends further to include housing means in which the projectile may be accommodated prior to it being ejected therefrom and out of the first passageway. Preferably, the position of the projectile is adjustable within the housing means.

Preferably, the device further comprises projectile plural projectile housing means in conjunction with plural storage means as a loading means.

Preferably, the device further comprises projectile storage means in communication with the housing means. The projectile storage means may accommodate a plurality of projectiles. Preferably, the projectile storage means comprises a magazine. The projectile storage means may comprise a tubular magazine.

Preferably, the device further comprises projectile loading means operable to deliver at least one projectile from the projectile storage means to the housing means. The projectile loading means may be actuated automatically preferably by actuation means.

Preferably, the second passageway comprises an external surface about which the projectile housing and/or rotary means of plural housing and storage are positioned.

Importantly, the firing hammer is provided means of its return stroke by deriving benefit from the sum of the servo effect of the primary valve pin acting upon the firing hammer face as the valve closes and a determinable amount of pneumatic assistance provided in the second passageway by the co-incident provision of a pulse of propellant. By means of the head of the firing hammer assembly acting as a reciprocating piston within the second passageway thereby alternately revealing and concealing the origin of the first passageway leading to the projectile there is provided means of secondary valving within which may be so timed as to be operable and effective at the precise moment the firing hammer has acquired no more than the momentum required to complete its return stroke. Means to adjust the timing is achieved by the second passageway being adjustably inserted into

the primary valve body and being provided an exhaust port situated adjacent to the origin of the first passageway will by means of this adjustment allow the effective distance between the source of the propellant pulse and the exhaust port to be adjusted and set. Thus the firing hammer operating within can be provided with more or less pneumatic re-setting assistance as required. Such means of adjustability will allow the efficiency of the unit to be maintained should the power of the weapon be changed by changing the weight of the firing hammer assembly or the power of its spring.

Rotatable about the ported cylindrical bore is optionally a sole rotary magazine or a projectile loading rotor provisioned by further means of plural projectile storage with either being inclusively actuated within the operating cycle by an adjacently provided mechanism. The entire assembly, when featured in an appropriately designed pre-charged air weapon and after manual cocking, is capable of cyclic operation initiated by the manual actuation of a supplementary trigger which enables the assembly to create thereafter the release of a pulse of gaseous propellant from a larger store within the weapon which is subsequently employed both to expel a projectile from the weapon and complete one full cycle of the assembly. Two different modes of operation are made possible dependant on the characteristics of the necessary and additional provision of one of a variety of trigger mechanisms each with a need to commonly serve both to initiate and allow termination of the cyclic operation of the unit. A choice of single shot operation (semiautomatic) or continuous operation (fully-automatic) is

thereby optionally or, if the trigger characteristics so allow, selectably provided.

Preferably, there is a primary valve body which if cylindrical may serve as an end cap to a propellant store and provide means of locating this and itself within the assembly of a weapon. It preferably acts further to accommodate or assist in the positioning of other principal components, particularly a primary valve assembly, ported thimble, a cylindrical firing hammer bore being a second passageway or a housing for same, and indirectly therein an operable firing hammer. Third passageway porting is provided between the primary valve and second passageway and first passageway porting thereafter as a means of providing diversion of the propellant to a loaded projectile. If a rotor is employed as the combined means of projectile housing, storage and loading, means of providing filling access to at least one rotor pocket and means such as a ball detent of temporarily securing such a rotor in its radial displacement are introduced.

Preferably there is provided a thimble within the first passageway which is suitably ported and may be cylindrical in section to more readily facilitate means of assisting sealing between itself and its pocket. Seals may be provided to assist in this requirement. It is slideably located in order that it may extend the first passageway by responding to the pulse of propellant directed therein being caused thereby to contact and apply force to an adjacent projectile loading rotor in order that such rotor is squeezed against the face of the barrel breech thereby

assisting in the viability of an airtight seal about these three components and the efficiency of propellant utilisation.

Preferably, a primary valve assembly comprises a poppet valve and means of its concentric alignment within the third passageway in the primary valve body, the second passageway and the firing hammer. It will typically comprise a hardened valve pin, means of effecting a durable percussion resistant seal between a sealing surface with the primary valve body and means of accommodating and adjusting the pre-load of a valve return spring.

Preferably the firing hammer may take the form of an assembly, provide means of its engagement and releasability by a trigger mechanism, and be preferably cylindrical in at least part of its section so that it may be located and slideably function within the second passageway thereby acting as a piston and thus as the first of two secondary valve components. Seals may be provided about its relevant circumference to assist in creating a sliding airtight seal within the hammer cylinder bore.

Essentially the hammer cylinder bore provides a second passageway of propellant porting and also acts as the second of two secondary valve components. Preferably cylindrically tubular in section it thereby facilitates effective guidance and an airtight seal between the appropriate external surfaces of the firing hammer operable within and its own interior surface and further provides an exterior surface which may serve as a bush

bearing around which a projectile loading or storage device may revolve. There is featured at least one exhaust port within its length as means of the propellant gaining access to the first passageway and which thereby provides the effective origin of the first passageway. Such porting means is preferably provided with adjustability of position by means of the hammer cylinder bore itself being adjustably secured within a housing within the primary valve body and/or by being an interchangeable component; each option thereby providing the means to critically adjust the moment of re-direction of the propellant from its first and brief purpose of assisting the firing hammer in its return stroke to its ultimate purpose of entering the first passageway to expel the projectile from the weapon.

Any projectile rotor or part thereof is a further extension to the first passageway and as an entity is supplementary to the field of invention.

In the first example a'partial cylinder'shuttle rotor is illustrated which, typically will house and transfer one projectile at any given time from an adjacent tubular magazine and function by being caused to rotationally 'shuttle'back and forth so that its housing may alternately collect a projectile from the magazine and subsequently position it in concentric alignment with the barrel breech. When so employed, such a rotor is provided any necessary adjustability of its static positioning, housing depth and, means to control the amount of rotational displacement required so as to facilitate proper alternating radial alignments. It is preferably mounted concentrically about the firing hammer cylinder

bore which additionally functions as a bush bearing for this purpose about which it may partially rotate and pause to any extent allowed by the methods employed to actuate and control such requirements.

A simple'full cylinder'rotor is optionally illustrated and may function as the combined projectile housing and sole on board magazine whereby when so employed will both store and locate a plurality of ammunition within a multiple of housings radially, equally and concentrically displaced about its axis and being rotatable will enable the sequential alignment of successive projectiles concentric with the barrel breech. Such a rotor is provided necessary means to be securable, releasable and controllable in its rotary displacements. It is preferably concentrically mounted about the external surface of the firing hammer cylinder bore which additionally functions as a bush bearing for this purpose and about which it may rotate and pause to any extent allowed by the methods necessarily employed to actuate and control such requirements.

Particularly in the case of part rotor but additionally where a full rotor is not acting as the sole magazine the provision of one or more refillable or replaceable magazines in which to store a plurality of projectile ammunition is required being as an entity supplementary to the field of invention. In the example shown one tubular magazine is provided in which the projectiles are stored 'nose to tail'to facilitate transfer to a suitably aligned housing within a rotor or part thereof by the employment within the tube of a captive wire compression spring so arranged as to bear on and apply light pressure

to the projectiles. In order to provide effective projectile transfer from the magazine tube to a housing and subsequent alignment of the projectile with the barrel, any tubular magazine is positioned adjacent to and parallel to the barrel with its centreline radially situated about a pitch circle diameter common to any projectile rotor housing and barrel centreline and proscribed about the centreline axis common to the primary valve assembly, hammer cylinder bore, firing hammer and projectile rotor.

A suitable rotor actuation mechanism being supplementary to the field of invention is required. Probably comprising an assembly of parts, functioning may be by means of the diversion of energy from any suitable moving part featured elsewhere in the assembly. In the first example such a mechanism operates a partial rotor and is shown operably secured to the chassis of the weapon juxtaposed to the firing hammer thereby being operable by the motion of firing hammer collar and being assisted in its resetting by means of bespoke springs.

In the second example a simpler arrangement actuates a full rotor by means of a pawl shown as rotatably attached at one of its two ends by means of a pin or dowel to an upper extension of the trigger blade and is assisted in operation by an extension spring.

A suitable trigger mechanism, which will typically comprise an assembly of parts is required and is supplementary to the field of invention.

In order to function exclusively as self-loading, the provision of an'automatically re-setting'trigger is necessary. The various means of operation of this trigger type are widely known, particularly in the firearms industry and another may be substituted for the one shown in the example.

Similarly, in order that the invention may allow the weapon to function exclusively as fully automatic, the provision of an interrupter'type of trigger mechanism is necessary. The various means of construction and operation of this trigger type are widely known, particularly in the firearms industry such details may differ only marginally to those of a self-loading type.

Examples are therefore not illustrated or described in detail.

In order that the weapon may selectably offer the options of self-loading or fully automatic modes, a trigger mechanism featuring such selectability of operation is required. Similarly the various means of construction and operation of this trigger type are also well known and such details may differ only marginally to those of a self-loading or fully automatic type. Examples are therefore not illustrated or described in detail.

A unique and principal feature of the invention is that apart from the possibility of a minor escape of propellant due to operating tolerances and wear, the device is specifically designed so as to minimise the consumption of propellant energy per shot in automatic air weapons. Importantly, the amount of propellant expansion employed

for the purpose of assisting in the re-cocking of the firing hammer may be set at no more than the minimum required and its use for this purpose is lessened by the co-incident and similarly employed'bounce'energy provided by the percussion face of the closing primary valve. Propellant energy is not specifically separated or exclusively diverted from its ultimate purpose of recocking the firing hammer or energising other parts of the automatic mechanism. Importantly in respect of energy optimisation, the face of the firing hammer serves additionally as a sliding plug valve head which at the appropriate stage of its re-cocking allows the routing of propellant through the exhaust porting within the second passageway and into the first passageway porting. Opportunity for adjustment provides means to discover and critically set the moment of exhaust into the first passageway when the firing hammer has acquired little or no more than a sufficiency of momentum to complete its return stroke.

These operational aspects and benefits differ from other designs known to the applicant and which operate in a manner not conducive to ensuring the maximum number of projectiles may be expelled from the weapon'per fill'of the on board reservoir.

A specific embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of two examples with reference to accompanying drawings ; figures 1 to 9.

Figure 1 illustrates the key components of an example of the device outlined in sectional side elevation and views A/a and A/b with the hammer'cocked'and the cycle ready to be initiated.

Figure 2 illustrates an example of a loading mechanism provided with an adjacent tubular magazine and means of cyclic operation.

Figure 3 illustrates a typical trigger mechanism providing semi-automatic operation.

Figure 4 serves to clarify the means of valve and hammer operation in the condition evident immediately after the weapon is'fired'.

Figure 5 illustrates further development of the'cycle'at the critical moment whereat the firing hammer has acquired no more than sufficient momentum to enable the completion of its return stroke.

Figure 6 illustrates the stage of the cycle when the secondary valve exhaust is fully open.

Figure 7 illustrates the ending of the cycle.

Figure 8 illustrates a further example differing in the means of plural projectile storage, loading and means of rotor actuation.

Figure 9 illustrates the outline of an example weapon specifically designed to utilise the firing unit provided with the particular options described in figure 8.

Referring to figure 1: Shown in sectional side elevation, the unit comprises a primary valve body 1 ported with a first passageway at 6, means of being attached within or about the weapon at 16 and, which houses a typical primary poppet valve assembly comprising valve pin 2 housing a circular seal, return spring 3 and positionably adjustable combined valve pin and spring pre-load retainer 4. Adjustably secured within the body at 17 is the second passageway being the firing hammer cylinder bore 5 featuring an exhaust port within at 7 providing access to and thereby the effective origin of the first passageway.

Slideably accommodated and with an airtight fit within the firing hammer cylinder bore is the firing hammer assembly comprising a round piston bar 8 about which is located a collar 9 and a hammer spring 11 bearing additionally against a fixed barrel and tubular magazine guide 10.

Slideably accommodated but with an airtight fit within the first passageway of the primary valve body is a ported thimble 12 featuring a circular seal. In this example a partial rotor 13 (front elevation shown also in view A) featuring a pocket or housing containing a ported and threaded adjustable projectile stop 14 is located about the firing hammer cylinder bore which additionally serves thereby as a bush bearing. In this example the part rotor is adjustable in its minimum distance from the primary valve body by means of a grub screw 20 accommodated therein and bearing upon a flat rotationally generated surface of the primary valve body so as to effect a

suitable clearance on its opposite side between itself and the face of the barrel breech 18 and magazine tube 19 thereby allowing a distance to be set both at this point and at 14 which throughout the loading and firing process operably suits the interaction of head and tail forms of the chosen projectiles and, also the part rotor being slideable from this setting towards the barrel breech at the moment of firing there is provided means of a momentarily airtight seal throughout the entire length of the first passageway. Clarified in partial end view A conditions'la & lob', there is provided means of limiting the extent by which the part rotor may be alternatively rotationally displaceable between condition'la'and condition'lb'by the provision of adjustable screw stops about the chassis of the weapon 15 on which a flat surface of the rotor will alternatively bear as it radially cycles back and forth.

Figure 2 shows in sectional side elevation, a sample means of rotor actuation by the insertion within of one end of a shaped pull/push rod 21 featuring a half loop to provide 'spring'and which is adjustable for its effective length by means of being threaded where further located at its lower end to a bobbin 22. Located by means of an'eye'to the bobbin is a further connecting rod 23, which assists in the control of the lower end of rod 21 by being rotatably secured at its opposite end to the weapon chassis at a point 24. Acting directly on the upper surface of the bobbin is the lower surface of a slotted cam plate 25 itself being similarly secured and rotatable from condition'2a'to condition'2b'through its slotted hole at a dowel pin 26. The cam plate has a shaped upper surface so as to cause it to partially rotate about its

location at 26 by means of sliding contact along this surface with the lower surface of a notch 31 in firing hammer collar 9 as it travels towards the valve assembly.

A projectile is thereby positioned against the barrel breech marginally before the generation of a pulse of propellant. Condition'b'shows that a latchplate 27, adjustably secured to the weapon chassis both limits the rotation and momentarily captures the free end of the cam plate thereby introducing a pause in the cyclic movement of the rotor to ensure efficient propellant flow through the first passageway porting, thimble and thus efficient projectile expulsion. The cam plate is subsequently returned by means of return springs 28 and 29 which act after the plate is released from the latch by the return action of the firing hammer collar punching the plate releasing ear 21 (best seen in figure 7) and imparting a rearward movement allowed by the slotted hole about pin 26. Its release allows the projectile loading rotor to reset to the condition shown in figure 1 condition'la'in order to collect the next projectile by means of a suitable return spring 30 bearing on rod 23 and subsequently acting via the bobbin onto rotor rod 21. Any rotor actuation mechanism employed is beyond the field of invention and no inventive claims are made which may be relevant save that the invention requires that a suitable mechanism be employed to facilitate the functioning of the rotor. Figure 2 and any further illustration of rotor actuation parts and their means of operation or attachment serve therefore only to validate example means whereby the rotor may be actuated.

Figure 3 shows in sectional side elevation the main weapon tube 32 into which the firing unit, barrel, and tubular

magazine are housed and secured. Omitted for clarification is any detail of the rotor actuation mechanism. Further illustrated are the simplified working parts, springs and adjustment features of a typical, single cycle selfloading trigger mechanism shown in both a cocked and fired position by the respective use of solid and dashed lines.

In this example the mechanism is shown operating within a combined trigger guard and chassis member, jointly sandwiched between two side plates (plates not shown) in order that the dowels of the trigger blade and sears are thereby located. Any trigger mechanism employed is beyond the field of invention and no inventive claims are made which may be relevant save that the invention requires that a suitable trigger mechanism must be employed to facilitate the functioning of the claimed invention.

Figure 3 and any further illustration of trigger parts or their means of operation and attachment serve therefore only to validate example means whereby the mechanism may be'cocked'and subsequently'fired'.

Figure 4 shows a situation whereby the firing hammer has been released by the trigger and by means of the force applied from the firing hammer spring has accelerated in the direction of the primary valve pin which it has subsequently struck with some force and which has responded by opening momentarily thereby initiating the release of a pulse of propellant. (Note that depending upon the nature of the propellant the stored pressure is normally within the range 900 to 3500 psi and may be made uniform if so desired by the provision of a pressure regulator introduced between the propellant store and the primary valve assembly. ) At this point due to the exhaust port to the first passageway being covered and sealed by

the position of the firing hammer surface both the propellant and the servo energy of the'bounce'effect of the primary valve pin combine to act exclusively on the face of the firing hammer and are thereby able to initiate its return stroke.

Note: The rotor actuation mechanism will now be in the state shown in figure 2, condition'2b'and the rotor position will be in the state shown in figure 1 condition 'lob'.

Referring to figure 5: In the condition shown the cycle has progressed to a further stage by means of the forces described. The firing hammer has completed approximately 15% to 20% of its return stroke. Importantly by means of the exhaust port to the first passageway gas port featured within the second passageway hammer cylinder bore being adjustable in position and shown here as partly open at 7 the condition will be capable of optimisation at the state which provides the firing hammer assembly with little or no more than a sufficiency of momentum required to be made capable of completing its return stroke. Co-incidentally propellant is now able to enter the first passageway porting and force the thimble 12 against the rotor 13 thereby squeezing the latter against the breech seal of the barrel at 18 in order to minimise propellant leakage at this point and cause the projectile to transfer into the barrel.

Referring to figure 6: In the condition shown the primary poppet valve is now closed; the propellant has full access to the first passageway which is also now sealed

throughout its length and the projectile is expelling from the barrel.

Referring to figure 7: The momentum of the firing hammer assembly has been absorbed by the hammer spring with the hammer now having completed the maximum extent of its recocking stroke. The hammer collar has made contact with the releasing ear of the cam plate thus releasing it from the latch plate which will allow the plate and the entire loading mechanism to subsequently re-set by means of the return springs detailed in figure 2. Simultaneously the firing hammer collar has also struck and rotated the principal trigger sear thereby allowing the secondary trigger sear to'flick'and thus provide both sears the facility to re-set at rest and thereby the principal sear to re-capture the front surface of the firing hammer collar and thus cause the entire mechanism to come to rest in the cocked state shown in figure 3 whereafter the subsequent cycle may be re-initiated by means of the trigger.

Note: The rotor actuation mechanism will now be in the state shown in figure 2, condition'2a'and the rotor position will be in the state shown in figure 1 condition 'la'.

Referring to figure 8: Whilst the first passageway is shown here at a vertical angle, specifically relevant is the illustration of an optional means of projectile housing and storage in the form of a full rotor 33 shown in side and end elevations whereby the rotor may be the combined housing and sole plural projectile store and is

operably indexed by means of a pawl 34 given access by partial entry into the front of each successively presented projectile housing or pocket at one of its ends and which is rotatably secured by means of a pin or dowel at 35 to an upper extension of the trigger blade at its other end. The trigger blade and thus indirectly the pawl may be controlled in each extent of their ability to operate by grub screws at 36. For simplicity further details of the trigger assembly, the firing hammer and other parts irrelevant to this means of projectile storage and loading option are not shown.

In operation the rotor will be radially indexed after each individual shot by means of the users finger pressure on the trigger being fully released whereafter the trigger and pawl being provided co-incident return-spring assistance sufficient to overcome a spring loaded ball detent housed within the primary valve body at 37 and acting on the rear of one of the projectile pockets thereby providing proper sequential alignment of each successively presented projectile with the barrel breech will thus re-set. Particularly, if the rotor is not supplemented by an additional optional tubular magazine projectile replenishment will be manual by means of semicircular loading and finger channels being additionally featured in the primary valve body at 38 providing guided means of entry to the rear of each successively presented rotor projectile housings.

It should be noted that the means of projectile storage and loading detailed in figure 8 will:

- restrict the unit to semi-automatic operation and not allow the weapon to be converted to fully-automatic operation merely by the simple means of a change of/or adjustment to the trigger mechanism; - unless supplemented by a tubular magazine, reduce the number of projectiles able to be stored within and fired from the weapon before their replenishment; - by the rotor actuation means being separated from the automated re-cocking process provide opportunity to further reduce the consumption of propellant per shot.

Figure 9 is provided as a an aid to visualising the outline of an example weapon specifically designed to utilise the firing device described in figures 1 to 9 whilst particularly featuring the options outlined in figure 8.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. An automatic loading and firing device comprising :- - a first propellant passageway originating from within a second propellant passageway and operable to accommodate a projectile to be ejected therefrom; - the second passageway operable to slideably receive a resiliently biased firing hammer between a first, cocked, position and a second, uncocked, position therein; - the first and second passageways communicating with a reservoir of propellant by a third propellant passageway; - at least one valve located in the third passageway operable to move from a closed position in which the propellant is maintained within the reservoir to an open position in which propellant is released from the reservoir; whereby - the firing hammer is operable to move from the first position to the second position thereby causing the valve to move from the closed position to the open position, thereby releasing a flow of propellant from the reservoir through the third passageway into the second passageway, wherein movement of the flow of the propellant is operable to commence movement of the firing hammer from the second to the first position, with the arrangement of the first and

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second passageways being such that the propellant is then diverted along the first passageway to eject the projectile.
2. An automatic loading and firing device according to claim 1, wherein the flow of propellant into the first passageway occurs as the firing hammer moves from the second position to the first position.
3. An automatic loading and firing device according to either claim 1 or 2, wherein the flow of propellant comprises a pulse of propellant.
4. An automatic loading and firing device according to any preceding claim, wherein the valve is resiliently biased to move between the open and closed position by resilient means.
5. An automatic loading and firing device according to claim 4, wherein the resilient means comprises a spring.
6. An automatic loading and firing device according to any preceding claim, wherein the valve comprise a poppet valve.
7. An automatic loading and firing device according to any preceding claim, wherein the arrangement of the first and second passageways is such that the flow of propellant is operable to give sufficient momentum to the firing hammer to thereby cause it to move to the first position.
8. An automatic loading and firing device according to any preceding claim, wherein the firing hammer acquires at

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least the minimum amount of momentum required to return it to the first position.
9. An automatic loading and firing device according to any preceding claim, wherein the firing hammer acquires no more than the minimum amount of momentum required to return it to the first position.
10. An automatic loading and firing device according to any preceding claim wherein, the firing hammer acquires sufficient momentum to reach the first position substantially before the propellant reaches the first passageway.
11. An automatic loading and firing device according to any preceding claim, wherein movement of the firing hammer from the second position to the first position is achieved by the hammer deriving benefit from the combination of a servo effect of the valve at the junction of the second and third passageways acting upon the hammer as the valve moves to the closed position, and pneumatic assistance provided by the co-incidentally generated pulse of propellant.
12. An automatic loading and firing device according to any preceding claim, wherein the device comprises adjustment means operable to adjust the relative arrangement of the first and third passageways.
13. An automatic loading and firing device according to claim 12, wherein the adjustment means comprises means to provide adjustability to the second passageway and is preferably operable to adjust the amount of pneumatic

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assistance applied to the hammer by adjusting the moment when propellant may exhaust from the second passageway.
14. An automatic loading and firing device according to claim 13, wherein the means of securing the second passageway comprises a grub screw.
15. An automatic loading and firing device according to any of claims 12 to 14, wherein adjustment of the position of the adjustment means allows an operator to vary the flow of propellant into the first passageway.
16. An automatic loading and firing device according to any preceding claim, wherein the device comprises means to extend the functional length of the first passageway as the pulse of propellant flows therein.
17. An automatic loading and firing device according to claim 16, wherein the said means comprises a ported thimble.
18. An automatic loading and firing device according to claim 17, wherein the thimble is slideably mounted in the first passageway.
19. An automatic loading and firing device according to any preceding claim, wherein the first passageway extends further to include housing means in which the projectile may be accommodated prior to it being ejected therefrom and out of the first passageway.

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20. An automatic loading and firing device according to claim 19, wherein the position of the projectile is adjustable within the housing means.
21. An automatic loading and firing device according to any previous claim, wherein the device further comprises plural projectile housing means in conjunction with plural storage means as a loading means.
22. An automatic loading and firing device according to any preceding claim, wherein the device further comprises projectile storage means in communication with the housing means.
23. An automatic loading and firing device according to claim 22, wherein the projectile storage means may accommodate a plurality of projectiles.
24. An automatic loading and firing device according to either claim 22 or claim 23, wherein the projectile storage means comprises a magazine.
25. An automatic loading and firing device according to any preceding claim, wherein the device further comprises projectile loading means operable to deliver at least one projectile from the projectile storage means to the housing means.
26. An automatic loading and firing device according to claims 19 and 21, or claim 25 wherein the projectile loading means may be mechanically separated from the action of the device and actuated by manual means.

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27. An automatic loading and firing device according to claims 19 and 21 or claim 25, wherein the projectile loading means may be actuated automatically preferably by actuation means.
28. An automatic loading and firing device according to claims 19 and 21 or claims 26 and 27, wherein the second passageway comprises an external surface about which the projectile storage means and the projectile loading means are positioned.
29. An automatic loading and firing device as described herein with reference to, and as illustrated by, the accompanying drawings.