US1094854A - Practice apparatus for small-arms. - Google Patents

Description

H. B. HOLLIPIELD.

PRACTICE APPARATUS POR SMALL ARMS.

APPLIUATION FILED JAN. 9

Patented A101128, 1914.

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S PATENT FFIC.

PRACTICE APPARATUS FOR SMALL-ARMS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 28, 1914.

Application filed January 9, 1914. Serial No. 811,215.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, I-Ionnrio B. HOLLI- rinLn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Vfashington, in the District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Practice Apparat-us for Small-Arms, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This application relates to practice apparatus for small arms and its general object is to eliminate certain objections developed in extensive practical use of such apparatus.

It is importa-nt to reduce cost while securing devices usable with regular service arms, which differ in construction, and equally adapted for convenient use in various kinds of practice, such, for example, as

testing rapidity of manipulation alone, orA

accuracy alone, or both together. Vith repeating pistols now being substituted in the United States service for arms of the revolver type, the devices heretofore furnished are not entirely satisfactory in the speed of the marking point, especially when the target is at or near the limit of distance to which the marker can be projected from the muzzle. The target heretofore used also falls short of perfect convenience and adaptability for various kinds of practice. My devices while especially valuable for use with such pistols, is also adapted for use with other small arms.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a partial, sectional, elevation of a pistol provided with my improved devices, the target being shown in edge view in front of the weapon. Fig. 2 is an axial horizontal section of a tube seen also in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3 8, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2, showing a modified construction of the same devices. Fig. 5 is a front view of a strip target and its holder. Fig. 6 is a section on the line 6-6, Fig. 5.

In these views, A represents a repeating pistol having a barrel A and a ring pin B which, except at the instant of impact in firing, is never in contact with the cartridge. The latter is held in the usual chamber in the barrel, with its rear end in contact with any suitable block C. The firing pin is normally held retracted by a light spring D which yields under the momentum imparted to the heavy pin by the impact of the usual hammer E. The pistol itself, necessarily here shown in part, has no novelty whatever, but is a weapon now in common use.

My apparatus includes a tube F inserted in the barrel of the pistol from the muzzle end thereof and preferably projecting to some distance from the muzzle while extending oppositely to the rear end of the cartridge chamber. In the axis of this tube a rod F is slidingly mounted in bearings Gr, H fixed to the tube and itself fixed at its rear end to a sliding bearing block I which fits the interior of the tube and keeps this portion of the rod in the tubes axis. A milled block Jl provided with a marking point J is screwed upon the forward end of the rod in position to abut at its rear end the bearing block G. Between the blocks I-I and I is a light helical spring K normally urging the block J toward vthe block Gr. At its rear end the rod, or the block I fixed thereto, bears a projection L which extends rearwardly into the iiring pin channel in the block B to meet the end of the firing pin with which it is yieldingly held in contact by the spring K, when the parts are properly adjusted. From this arrangement, normally maintaining actual contact of the firing pin and rod, it follows that when the hammer strikes the firing pin, practically its entire force is exerted in compressing the spring- K and throwing the marking point forward with high velocity, nothing being lost by impact with the rod or its projection L. The gain is large, since the rod and parts which move therewith are, and must necessarily be, heavy in order to give the momentum necessary for carrying the marker far beyond the point to which it is positively pushed by the advancing firing pin. Obviously, inertia increases rapidly with the weight, and is in this case sucient to neutralize a large part of the blow, were a blow given by the firing pin. In addition to this highly important gain, there being no impact of the firing pin, there is no necessity for providing and renewing trom time to time a hardened steel member to receive such impact, as set forth in existing patents pertaining to this art. Moreover, this construction obviates unequal wear ot the meeting surfaces et the tiring pin and rod and insures perfect alinement and an impulse that is always exactly axial.

The bearings G, il are provided with conical recesses about the rod so that while they have a long rigid bearing in the tube, the area oit contact with the rod is very small, and while the rod is held in perfect alinement the friction is slight, even when the rod has been laterally bent so as to give it, permanently, normal detlection. fr `further gain trom thisv construction is found in the tact that when the rod is removed tor any purpose it may be instantly reinserted, the cones guiding its end and thus eliminating a very serious annoyance.

lt is `tound that tubes exactly litting the bore of one service pistol cannot be inserted in a second supposed to be ot the same bore and will not be :trictionally held in a third because too small therefor. lo obviate this ditliculty, the tube is slotted or slit for a short distance on each side, as shown at N, between small apertures h". lt' the tube be small enough tor use in the bore et least diameter, the slots may be wedged open to give the tube permanent set and increased diameter at this point, so that the yielding enlargement adapts the tube to lit properly in the larger bore. rlhe apertures at the ends ot the slot prevent splitting` the tube in expanding it. The rear end portion ot the tube is preferably provided with a slight angular or circumferential groove at O to be yieldingly engaged by the usual shellextracting noch O with which all these arms are provided and under which the tube is forced in putting it in place. rthis gives, independent ot thought or care, a turther security against accidental slipping of the tube after it is in place in the bore.

Instead et the lined block H, l sometimes use a bearing ll, Fig. Zl, tree trom both tube and rod and so placed as to support the rod laterally at its middle or elsewhere. ln this case, springs P, P are used in both front and rear ot the bloclr, and the bearing is diminished centrally, as shown, so that it touches the tube only along annular surfaces at its ends and thus has slight trictional resistance to movement. Evidently the combined length or' the springs may be substantially equal to the entire distance betu'fecn the terminal bearings, thus increasing the excursion or projecting distance ot the marker. lt is obvious that l am not necessarily limited to one movable central bloclr and two springs.

neonata l use a strip target Q which bears in succession targ ts Q', Q32, etc., successively increasing in size to correspond with the apparent size oi" actual service targets placed at the diil'erent distances usually selected for practice, so that in accordance with the custom in the field, the marlr'sman may tire a given number oit times at a distant target in miniatiiire and may then slide the target strip to bring a larger target into place. in using strip targets, it is :found that grooves or lingers which have commonly been used to hold and guide the strip soon tail to hold it with proper security, and l therefore )rovide a rubber blocll; 3; havin@ b strip receiving passage R2 extending through it from edge to edge, the block being cut away centrally as shown at lt t0 expose so much et the strip as must neces sarily be visible, leaving` the parts above and below the exposed portion concealed by portions S et the block. This gives all desirable security, allows the strip to be pulled along in either direction, and adds nothing which can injure the marking point. By way ot example, my devices have been shown and described as used with a repeating pistol, but obviously they are not restricted to use with that particular term ot small arms, but are adapted tor use with various classes et weapons having greatly ditl'ering length of barrel as well as other marked ditlerences.

wWhat l claim is:

l. ln apparatus of the class described, the combination with a firearm having a tiring pin movable rearwardly to some distance troni the cartridge chamber, et a marking rod located in the bore ot the arm, bearing a marking point at its forward end and extending rearwardly into contact with the forward end ot the tiring pin, and a spring normally maintaining such contact.

2. rthe combination with a firearm having in the rear ot its cartridge chamber a block provided with a tiring pin passage alining with the bore ot the arm, ot' a tiring pin normally held in said passage at some distance from said chamber, a marking rod located in said bore and normally extending rearwardly into said passage and into contact with said tiring pin, and a spring normally maintaining such contact and yieldingly resisting the Ytorward movement et the rod.

3. lhc combination with a iirearm having alongside the rear portion et its bore a cartriuge-extraeting spring hoolr, et a marie ing rod tube, adapted to be inserted in said bore and pressed rearward alongside said hook, and provided near its 1ear end with an external circumferential groove in position to be engaged by said hook.

Ll. The combination with a marking rod tube adapted to be inserted in the bore of a ing from the block last mentioned to the firearm, of a centrally perforated block other blocks, respectively. l0 fixed in the tube near its forward end, a In testimon whereof I affix my signature marking rod sliding in the perforation in in presence o two Witnesses.

" said block, a guiding block sliding in the HORATIO B. HOLLIFIELD.

tube near its rear end and iiXed to the rod, Witnesses: a similarly perforated central block free J AMES L. CRAWFORD, from both rod and tube, and springs eXtend- ROBERT CRAIG GREENE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

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