US20040111945A1

US20040111945A1 - Locking device for a pistol

Info

Publication number: US20040111945A1
Application number: US10/471,224
Authority: US
Inventors: Gaston Glock
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2001-03-07
Filing date: 2002-03-04
Publication date: 2004-06-17
Also published as: EP1368609A1; WO2002070978A1; AT412823B; ATA3552001A

Abstract

The invention concerns a blocking device for a pistol with a trigger, a trigger mechanism and a firing pin, hammer or the like operated by these.

The invention is characterized by the fact that a cylindrical lock (3) is arranged in the grip of the weapon behind the magazine shaft, whose closing cylinder can be rotated with a key (7), that a transmission mechanism (6,4), which includes rods, levers, threading and the like, brings a blocking element (9) from a position in which it is situated outside the movement path of a part of the trigger mechanism of the weapon to a position in which it extends into the movement path of this part.

Description

The invention concerns a blocking device for a pistol.

For various reasons, there is a strong requirement to ensure the capability that each pistol can only be used by the person authorized for it.

To ensure this, weapons are kept in stable, lockable containers that can only be opened by the person who has the key. However, this is essentially only theft prevention and is just marginally connected to the problems underlying the invention. These problems concern, in particular, but not exclusively, persons who carry firearms because of their occupation, but only seldom find themselves during their duties in situations in which they must have the weapon ready to fire. These include policemen, criminal investigators, security guards and similar such employees.

Another situation obtains when the weapon cannot be stored in a locked cabinet, for example, during transport to an exercise, or if, for some reason, it is supposed to be readily available, but no situation is present in which its use is to be possible at any time. In such situations, the weapon, for example, can be worn in a holster and brought in a very short time from a condition in which no shot can be fired to a condition in which firing is possible, in which case this change is only to be executed by those authorized to do so.

Devices that achieve this objective are known in weapons and revolvers.

Thus, U.S. Pat. No. 3,553,877 A demonstrates a weapon, in which a type of locking tab extends into the motion path of the trigger slide, which tab can be brought by means of a key from this position into a position in which movement of the trigger slide is not adversely affected. This mechanism is as bulky as the entire trigger mechanism, which plays no role in weapons with a big shaft, but prevents application in pistols and revolvers.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,136,475 A demonstrates a similar device adapted for revolvers, in which the lock and locking mechanism are accommodated in the grip of the revolver. Since the revolver grip with its entire volume is available for this purpose, it is possible with this device to accommodate such a blocking device, but accommodating it in the grip of a pistol in which the magazine is situated is ruled out. To this we must add that the slide is situated directly above the grip in pistols and no space is therefore available there for a blocking device.

For these reasons, no blocking device for pistols is thus far known and it is the objective of the invention to devise one. It should be pointed out that the title of the description and the introductory part of

claim

1 represent a fictitious prior art to the extent that they assert that blocking devices for pistols are already available in the prior art. This wording was chosen merely for reasons of clarity and better readability.

For this purpose, according to the invention, a miniaturized cylindrical lock is arranged in the grip of the weapon behind the magazine and whose closing cylinder can be rotated with a key, and, by a rotary movement by means of a transmission mechanism that can include rods, levers, threading, etc., a blocking element can be brought from a position in which it is situated outside the movement path of part of the trigger mechanism of the weapon into a position in which it extends into the movement path of this part during the trigger movement.

Cylindrical locks are known per se and are excellently suited for the present purpose because they are quite stable mechanically even in miniaturized form and permit the use of keys, also in miniaturized form, which have a large number of key-lock combinations, so that it is possible to use several thousand different keys even in such small locks and thus reduce the hazard of inadvertent fitting of a key.

The rotational movement of the closing cylinder can be converted into a translatory movement by means of a torsion bar and a type of reversed nut-spindle design, through which translatory movement ultimately a protrusion, a tab, a slide or the like is pushed far enough so that it extends into the path of the firing pin tab and prevents release of the shot.

Naturally, it is possible to act on a different part of the trigger mechanism, for example, the blade, but acting on part of the trigger mechanism as close as possible to the firing pin (or, in hammer pistols, in the region of the hammer) is advantageous, since the safety of the weapon and blocking is increased in the best possible manner.

In one embodiment, it is also proposed to incorporate the device so that it can only be disassembled free of disturbance with cooperation of the corresponding key, in order to prevent a stolen weapon from being broken down (removal of the slide) and the safety mechanism then disassembled.

It is proposed in another embodiment that, depending on the position of rotation of the closure cylinder, an indicator pin or indicator plate should extend through a slit in the housing of the weapon, preferably in the rear region of the grip, and indicate both optically and by touch whether the weapon is blocked or released.

The invention is further explained below with reference to the drawing. In the drawing, [0015]
FIG. 1 shows a weapon equipped with a blocking device according to the invention without the slit, in cross section along the center plane of the weapon, [0016]
FIGS. 2 and 3 show details II and III of FIG. 1, [0017]
FIG. 4 shows a part of the known trigger mechanism of a pistol, provided with a blocking device according to the invention in the open position, [0018]
FIG. 5 shows the depiction of FIG. 4 in the blocked position, [0019]
FIG. 6 shows the mechanism of FIGS. 4 and 5 in a perspective view and [0020]
FIG. 7 shows a hammer pistol equipped according to the invention. [0021]
A blocking device according to the invention is apparent from FIG. 1, showing that the invention makes it possible to incorporate a reliable blocking device even in pistols, with very limited space requirements. A [0022] blocking device 14 according to the invention is accommodated in the housing 1 of a pistol with a grip 2, which has a shaft 26 for a magazine, in the rear region of grip 2.
The [0023] blocking device 14 consists essentially of a cylindrical lock 3 arranged in the lower region of grip 2, which lock can be operated with a corresponding key 7, i.e., the closing cylinder can only be rotated when a key 7 is inserted. The rotational movement of the closing cylinder is transmitted to a rotating rod 6 and a converter 4 arranged in the upper region of grip 2, which is further described below with reference to FIG. 2, and converted to a translatory movement that causes a blocking plate 9 (FIGS. 4 and 5) to be situated either, as shown in FIG. 4, in a lower position that releases the weapon, or into a blocking position pushed upward. Before going into the additional effect of displacement of the blocking plate 9, the region between lock 3 and rotating rod 6, on the one hand, and the region of converter 4, on the other, will be further explained.
FIG. 3 shows the region of the [0024] lock 3 of the blocking device 14 according to the invention in an axial section with the key 7 inserted. In the fully inserted state of key 7 in lock 3, the closing cylinder can be rotated around its rotational axis and thereby entrains the lower end of the rotating rod 6 that runs normal to the axis of rotation in a longitudinal slit. In order to arrive at defined stops for the rotating cylinder during the opening or rotational movement, a moving stop is provided in the depicted example, which permits rotation of the key by 360°, so that it poses no problem for the user to find the correct rotational position for removal of the key.
The design of this rotatable stop is the object of an Austrian patent application filed on the same day as this application with the file number A 354/2001, whose contents are included in the contents of the present application by reference. Other designs that can also be used, at least with restrictions, are known from U.S. Pat. No. 1,487,900 A and U.S. Pat. No. 2,276,655 A. The contents of these two documents are also made contents of the present application by reference. [0025]
An [0026] indicator 8, which in the blocked position of blocking device 14 emerges outward through a slit-like recess in the rear region of grip 2 and therefore indicates to the user both optically and by touch during handling of the weapon that the weapon is in the blocked state and that no shot can be fired, is connected to the movable stop.
FIG. 2 shows the upper region of the [0027] rotating rod 6, the converter 4, which is called this because the rotational movement of the rotating rod 6 is converted in converter 4 to a translatory movement of the blocking plate 9. This conversion occurs through a threaded piece 16 positioned rotationally fixed, but axially movable on the lance-like, flattened tip 17 of rotating rod 6 and cooperates with its threaded section 18 arranged on the outer surface with a not shown protrusion of the hole 19 of a connector mount 22, in which the threaded piece 16 sits. The connector mount 22 carries a driver pin 28 that moves an operating device 29 for the blocking plate 9. Through these components, the converter 4 operates in similar fashion to a spindle-nut device, in which the rotational movement of the spindle is also converted to a translatory movement of the nut.
The rotary movement of the threaded [0028] piece 16 thus causes translatory movement of the operating device 29, so that its direction of motion need not fully coincide with the direction of rotating rod 6 or with the direction of the rotational axis of threaded piece 16 and significant deviations are quite possible.
The [0029] operating device 29 carries the actual blocking plate 9 on its side facing away from converter 4, which plate is forced into a blocking position by a spring (not shown) and brought into the release position against the force of this spring by the operating device 29. Because of this, even with extensive destruction of the blocking mechanism, this is held in the blocking position and the weapon remains inoperable.
In the blocked position of [0030] blocking plate 9, a stepped holding surface (FIGS. 4 and 5) formed on it prevents a trigger tab 10 of the trigger mechanism, designated 13 in its entirety, from moving downward during operation of the trigger 27 (FIG. 7). This downward movement of the trigger tab 10 and the clamping edge 12 connected to it (FIG. 1) permits the firing pin tab 11, extending downward from the slit (not shown), to be released and accelerated toward the cartridge (to the right in FIG. 1) under the influence of the firing pin spring (not shown), thus releasing the shot.
It is apparent from the aforementioned that there are many appropriate sites, including always a best possible one, at which the blocking device according to the invention can engage for each of the numerous trigger mechanisms of different pistols, revolvers and other firearms, so that, on the one hand, space is saved and, on the other hand, unduly large forces do not occur at this site during pulling, which, under some circumstances, could overcome the blocking device or make it unusable. [0031]
The [0032] trigger device 13 depicted in FIGS. 1 to 6 corresponds to the trigger devices disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,539,889 A, U.S. Pat. No. 4,825,744 A and U.S. Pat. No. 4,893,546 A, the disclosure of these documents being included in the disclosure of the present application by reference.
The depicted [0033] blocking device 14 is also characterized by the fact that, even when the weapon is broken down, i.e., with the slide removed, as shown in FIG. 1, it is not possible to disassemble it, regardless of its momentary blocking or open position, as long as the matching key is not available. This is achieved by the following features: the upper region of blocking device 17, together with the threaded piece 16, is held by a retaining pin 20 in the direction of rotating rod 6, specifically by a recess 21 in the connector mount 22. The recess 21 has an essentially circular shape and opens downward (toward rotating rod 6) with a radially running slit 25. Only when the retaining pin 20 lies in the direction of slit 25 is it possible to separate the rotating rod 6 from the threaded piece 16.
The direction of [0034] slit 25 is chosen according to the invention so that it does not coincide with either the open position or the blocked position, but with an intermediate position. This intermediate position can only be reached with the inserted key 7, since the key can only be withdrawn in the open position or blocked position.
As is apparent from FIG. 7, it is possible without problem to apply the invention to a hammer pistol as well. For example, a [0035] blocking tab 9′ can extend into a notch, recess 24, etc. of a part that is rotated with hammer 23, in order to block the weapon. Naturally, a type of kinematic reversal is also possible, in which a protrusion on hammer 23 cooperates with a corresponding surface of the blocking tab 9′. In this variant, the blocking tab 9′ can be forced under the influence of a spring into the movement path of recess 24, when this is desired.
In similar fashion, it is possible to design a blocking device according to the invention for weapons of all types without it being necessary to use a special trigger mechanism. For revolvers this is directly apparent for one skilled in the art, especially with respect to FIG. 7; for other firearms, for example, rifles, it is quite possible and sometimes desirable to arrange the lock in the shaft or bolt and to allow a blocking part to extend into the movement path of a component connected to the hammer by rotating the closing cylinder. In double-barreled shotguns, a common blocking can be implemented by a correspondingly shaped blocking part that can lie between the two barrels (but not necessarily in their plane). Blocking based on rotation is not necessary in this case to convert the rotary movement of the closing cylinder to a translatory movement, but it is naturally possible to also choose the blocking movement to be translatory in these areas of application. [0036]
Both metal, for example, steel, especially for rotating [0037] rod 6, and plastic can be used for the blocking device material according to the invention and, in particular, the connector mount 22, the threaded piece 16 and other parts can consist of plastic and the lock 3 and its cylinder, as well as key, can be purchased in a shop in the form of a precision part.

Claims

1. Blocking device for a pistol with a trigger (27), a trigger mechanism (13) and a firing pin, hammer (23) or the like operated by them, characterized by the fact that the blocking mechanism consists of a cylindrical lock (3) arranged in the grip of the weapon, whose closing cylinder (15) can be rotated with a key (7), in which a transmission mechanism (6, 4), which includes rods, levers, threading and the like, brings a blocking element (9) from a position in which it is situated outside the movement path of a part (10) of the trigger mechanism (13) of the weapon into a position in which it extends into the movement path of this part (13), and that the cylindrical lock (3) and at least part of the transmission mechanism are arranged behind the magazine shaft (26).

2. Blocking device according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the rotational axis of the cylindrical lock (3) runs at least essentially parallel to the axis of the magazine shaft (26).

3. Blocking device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by the fact that the transmission mechanism includes a threaded piece (16) and a connector mount (22) that cooperates with it, through which the rotational movement of the closing cylinder (15) is converted to a translatory movement of the blocking element (9).

4. Blocking device according to claim 3, characterized by the fact that the rotational movement of the closing cylinder is transferred to the threaded piece (16) by means of a rotating rod (6).

5. Blocking device according to claim 4, characterized by the fact that the rotating rod (6) carries an essentially radially running pin (20) that rotates in a recess (21) of the connector mount (22), and that the recess (21) is connected to its surroundings by means of an essentially radially running slit (25).

6. Blocking device according to one of claims 2-5 for a hammer pistol, characterized by the fact that a blocking tab (9′) extends into a notch, recess (24), etc. of a part that rotates together with hammer (23).

7. Blocking device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact that an indicator (8) that extends outward through a slit in housing (1) of the weapon in the blocked position of the blocking device (14) is provided on lock (3).