US20210293497A1

US20210293497A1 - Locking Mechanism of a Slide of a Weapon

Info

Publication number: US20210293497A1
Application number: US16/476,746
Authority: US
Inventors: Viktor Shamrai
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2017-01-10
Filing date: 2018-01-05
Publication date: 2021-09-23
Also published as: AR110825A1; CZ20177A3; CA3049243A1; WO2018130922A1; CZ307209B6; EP3568659A1

Abstract

A weapon includes a stationary barrel mounted fixedly in a frame, and a slide movably mounted to the frame for forward and backward displacement relative to the frame. A locking mechanism for the slide includes a retractable spring acting on the slide in a direction towards a forward-most position of the slide, and a pair of levers arranged under the barrel between the slide and the frame. The pair of have opposite end axes of rotation and are mutually rotatably connected by a common axis. The common axis lies under a line that extends between the end axes of rotation of the pair of levers.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention relates to a locking mechanism of a slide of a weapon, especially of a self-loading pistol, with a stationary barrel mounted fixedly in a frame, on which the slide is mounted displaceably for forward and backward movement.

BACKGROUND

GB 127642A discloses an automatic rifle, the automation of which is based on the use of the energy of the powder gases discharged from the barrel channel.
Under the barrel is arranged a piston which moves forward and actuates a mechanism consisting of a complex lever system, telescopic connecting rods, a sliding element, and a row of springs. After a pressure drop in the barrel, the springs stretched by the piston are activated by a locking mechanism to reload the rifle, whereby the locking mechanism first opens and then closes due to the force of the springs.
The locking mechanism consists of two parts: the body of the slide and the screw of the slide. The barrel is locked with a screw that rotates around its axis during the firing, and its catches fit into the protrusions of the barrel bushing in which the rifle barrel is mounted.
The device is too complicated and cannot be used for self-loading pistols.
Known is the pistol CZ-83 produced by Česká zbrojovka, Uherský Brod, Czech Republic (www.czub.cz), as well as the pistol SIG-Sauer P232 produced by J. P. Sauer & Sohn GmbH, Germany (www.sauer-waffen.de; www.sig-sauer.de).
These are self-loading-pistols, whose barrel is fixedly and non-movably mounted on a frame. During the firing process, the locking of a barrel channel till the moment of the ejection of a cartridge out of the channel and a pressure drop of powder gases, take place due to the force of inertia of a massive slide and due to the force of a recoil spring, maintaining the slide during shooting in the frontmost position.
The important features of the above-mentioned pistols include a high degree of accuracy of shooting, since the barrel is fixedly mounted in the frame of the pistol, as well as the simplicity of the construction.
The drawback of pistols with this system of locking the slide is the fact that it is not possible to use high-performance cartridges, since to be able to use such cartridges it would be necessary to increase considerably the weight of the slide, which would lead to an increase in the weight of the whole pistol and would result in a great slide impact force between the slide and the pistol frame on reaching its rearmost position after the shot.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An aim of the invention is to provide a locking mechanism of a slide during the shot of a self-loading pistol having a barrel that is fixedly and non-movably mounted in a frame, which allows to use high-performance cartridges for shooting without increasing the weight of the slide. Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the following description, or may be obvious from the description, or may be learned through practice of the invention.
The above-mentioned objects are achieved by a locking mechanism of a slide of a weapon according to the present invention, whose principle consists in that between the movable slide and the non-movable frame of the weapon under the barrel is arranged a pair of levers which are rotatably connected to each other by a common axis, whereby the common axis of the pair of levers is situated under a line interlaid by the outer axes of rotation of the pair of levers.
During the shot, the energy of the recoil movement strives to reduce the internal angle between the front lever and the rear lever and move their common axis downwards, with the resistive force in the initial phase of the shot resisting inertia force of the slide, the elastic force of the retractable spring, the elastic force of the material of the levers and their connection, the frictional force in the connection, as well as the mounting of the levers. It is only after overcoming these forces that the slide begins to move backwards. This ensures the possibility of shooting with high-performance cartridges, while maintaining low weight of the slide and of the entire weapon.
The exact value of the internal angle is determined according to the performance of the projectile and the construction of a specific embodiment of a pistol or another type of a weapon.
In a preferred embodiment, the pair of levers consists of a rear lever, which is rotatably mounted on the rear axis situated in the front part of the frame under the barrel, and a front lever, which is rotatably mounted on the front axis situated in the front part of the slide under the barrel, whereby the rear lever and the front lever are rotatably connected by a common axis. The internal angle between the rear lever and the front lever may be less than 180°.
In order to facilitate the handling of the weapon before the first shot, on either side of the common axis of the rear lever and the front lever are provided grippers to be gripped by the shooter's fingers when pulling the slide.
In a specific embodiment, the retractable spring is disposed between the rear lever and the front lever and is formed by two arms, whereby the rear arm leans against the top of the rear lever and the front arm leans against the top of the front lever.
Furthermore, it is advantageous if the retractable spring is arranged on the common axis of the rear lever and the front lever.
In another alternative embodiment, the retractable spring is mounted between the rear lever and the front part of the frame of the weapon.
In another alternative embodiment, the retractable spring is mounted on the barrel, which acts as a guide for the spring, and leans by one end against the frame and by the other end against the slide.
Also, the retractable spring may be mounted under the barrel on a separate guide, which is parallel to the barrel, and leans by one end against the frame and by the other end against the front part of the slide.

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The principle of the invention is schematically represented in the drawings of an exemplary embodiment of a self-loading pistol, wherein:

FIG. 1 shows an overall view of the pistol, wherein the position of the components of the locking mechanism of the slide of the pistol are in the starting state before the shot; and

FIG. 2 shows an overall view of the pistol, wherein with the position of the components of the locking mechanism of the slide of the pistol are shown after the shot and after moving the slide to the rearmost position.

EXAMPLES OF EMBODIMENT

Reference will now be made to embodiments of the invention, one or more examples of which are shown in the drawings. Each embodiment is provided by way of explanation of the invention, and not as a limitation of the invention. For example features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment can be combined with another embodiment to yield still another embodiment. It is intended that the present invention include these and other modifications and variations to the embodiments described herein.
The locking mechanism of a slide during shooting according to the invention will be described based on an exemplary embodiment of a pistol. The locking mechanism can be used on shotguns, such as automatic shotguns, automatic rifles, self-loading hunting guns, and machine guns. It is important to note that only the components which are directly connected with the invention and which are shown in the drawing will be described here.
The pistol in the exemplary embodiment comprises a frame 1 provided with a grip 2 for holding the pistol with the shooter's hand. In the frame 1 is fixedly mounted the barrel 3, in which a well-known unillustrated barrel channel is formed. On the frame 1 is provided a well-known unillustrated guide, on which is reversibly slidably mounted a slide 4, able to move between a front position and rear position.
In the front part of the frame 1 under the barrel 3 is arranged a rear axis 6, on which a rear lever 5 is, by its rear end, mounted displaceably for rotatable movement with respect to the frame 1. The rotation of the rear lever 5 with respect to the frame 1 can be realized either by the rotatable mounting of the rear axis 6 on the frame 1 and by the fixed mounting of the rear lever 5 on the rear axis 6, by the fixed mounting of the rear axis 6 on the frame 1 and by the rotatable mounting of the rear lever 5 on the rear axis 6, or by the rotatable mounting of the rear axis 6 on the frame 1 by the rotatable mounting of the rear lever 5 on the rear axis 6. In an unillustrated embodiment the rear axis 6 may be a part of the frame 1 or of the rear lever 5.
In the front part of the slide 4 under the barrel 3 is arranged a front axis 8, on which a front lever 7 is, by its front end, mounted displaceably for rotatable movement with respect to the slide 4. The rotation of the front lever 7 with respect to the slide 4 can be realized either by the rotatable mounting of the front axis 8 on the slide 4 and by the fixed mounting of the front lever 7 on the front axis 8, or by the fixed mounting of the front axis 8 on the slide 4 and by the rotatable mounting of the front lever 7 on the front axis 8, or by the rotatable mounting of the front axis 8 on the slide 4 and by the rotatable mounting of the front lever 7 on the front axis 8. In an unillustrated embodiment, the front axis 8 may be a part of the slide 4 or the front lever 7.
The free end of the front lever 7 is rotatably connected to the free end of the rear lever 5 by a common axis 9, which is movable in the space under the barrel 3 and the slide 4. On either side at the end of the common axis 9 are provided grippers 91 to be gripped by the shooter's fingers when pulling the slide 4. On the common axis 9 is also mounted a retractable spring 10 with two arms, whereby the front arm leans against the top of the front lever 7 and the rear arm leans against the top of the rear lever 5. The common axis 9 is arranged with respect to the barrel 3 under a conceived connecting line of the front axis 8 and the rear axis 6. The angle directed to the barrel 3 between the rear lever 5 and the front lever 7 will be hereinafter referred to as an internal angle between these two levers 5 and 7. The arms of the retractable spring 10 lean against the front lever 7 and the rear lever 5 in the direction of the levers 7, 5 moving away from each other, that is in the direction of the enlargement of the internal angle between the front lever 7 and the rear lever 5, whereby this internal angle is always less than 180°. The strength of the retractable spring 10 maintains the slide 4 in the front position, acting on the common axis 9 in the direction towards the barrel 3. In an unillustrated embodiment, the common axis 9 may be a part of the rear lever 5 or the front lever 7.
In an alternative unillustrated embodiment, the retractable spring 10 may be mounted on the rear axis 6 and may lean by one end against the frame 1 and by the other end on the rear arm 5, its strength acting clockwise, that is in the direction towards the barrel 3.
In another alternative unillustrated embodiment, the retractable spring 10 is arranged on the barrel 3, which acts as a guide for it, whereby the retractable spring leans by one end against the frame 1 and by the other end against the front part of the slide 4.
In yet another alternative unillustrated embodiment, the retractable spring is disposed under the barrel 3 on a separate guide, which is parallel to the barrel 3 and leans by one end against the frame 1 and by the other end against the front part of the slide 4.
Depending on the construction of the weapon, there are also other suitable places of mounting the retractable spring 10, whose strength always acts on the slide 4 in the direction towards its frontmost position.
To load a pistol, it is necessary to hold the pistol by the grip 2 with one hand, with two fingers grasping the grippers 91 arranged on the common axis 9, which are in the illustrated embodiment formed by knurled knobs, and pull them vigorously downwards and backwards towards the stop and then let go. Simultaneously, the rear lever 5 turns on the rear axis 6 anticlockwise and by means of the common axis 9 pulls the front lever 7 downwards and backwards, which, turning on the front axis 8 connected to the front lower part of the slide 4, pulls the slide 4 backwards. The slide 4 reaches its rearmost position. At the same time, the retractable spring 10, which leans against the two levers 5 and 7, is compressed. After releasing the grippers, the retractable spring 10 begins to move the levers 5 and 7 vigorously away from each other. The rear lever 5 rotates around the rear axis 6 mounted in the front part of the non-movable frame 1, whereby the common axis 9 returns to its initial position and moves towards the barrel 3. As a result, also the front lever 7 returns to its initial position and pushes the slide 4 forwards by the pressure through the front axis 8 to its front lower part. During the movement forwards the slide 4, in a known manner, pulls the upper projectile from the magazine and feeds it to a cartridge chamber of the barrel 3 of the pistol to perform a shot. Once the slide 4 has reached its frontmost position, it closes by the cartridge case of the projectile the channel of the barrel 3. The system of levers 5 and 7 expands from the rear axis 6 in the front part of the frame 1 forwards to the front axis 8 in the front lower part of the slide 4, and forms by its shape a broken line having an internal angle less than 180°. Thus, the slide 4 is blocked before the shot. In this position the pistol is loaded and ready to shoot.
During the firing process, the bullet moves under the pressure of the powder gases through the channel of the barrel 3. Simultaneously, the powder gases, through the ends of the cartridge casing, push on the slide 4 and pass the energy of the recoil movement to the slide and try to move the slide 4 backwards. The slide 4 by the front lower part passes the pressure of the powder gases to the front lever 7, through the common axis 9 to the rear lever 5 and through the rear lever 5 and the rear axis 6 to the front wall of the non-movable frame 1 of the pistol. The energy of the recoil movement being passed tries to reduce the internal angle between the front lever 7 and the rear lever 5, bring the front axis 8 and the rear axis 6 to each other, move down the common axis 9, and compress the retractable spring 10. Several forces resist the force of the recoil movement and do not allow the slide 4 to move backwards in the initial phase of the shot: the inertia force of the slide 4 itself, the elastic force of the retractable spring 10 of the slide 4, the elastic force of the material of the levers 5 and 7 and their axes 6, 8 and 9, and the frictional force in the axes 6, 8 and 9.
During the movement of the bullet through the channel of the barrel 3, the slide 4 obtains enough energy of the powder gases to overcome the resistance of the above-mentioned forces that maintain the slide 4 in the frontmost position. As a result, after the ejection of the bullet out of the channel of the barrel 3 the slide 4 pushes down the common axis 9 of the levers 5 and 7 and begins to move backwards, whereby it makes the levers 5 and 7 move towards each other by reducing the internal angle between them and compresses the retractable spring 10. During the movement backwards, the slide 4 pulls the used cartridge case in a known manner from the cartridge chamber of the barrel 3, the used cartridge being subsequently propelled out by an unillustrated ejector. Once the slide 4 has reached its rear position and strikes the stops on the non-movable frame 1, the slide 4 begins, due to the action of the retractable spring 10, to move forward and feeds the next projectile from the magazine to the cartridge chamber of the barrel 3 to perform the next shot. Once the slide 4 has reached its frontmost position, it closes by means of a cartridge case the channel of the barrel 3. The system of levers 5 and 7 expands from the rear axis 6 in the front part of the non-movable frame 1 forwards to the front axis 8 in the front lower part of the slide 4 and forms by its shape a broken line having an internal angle less than 180°, thereby the slide 4 is blocked before the shot. The pistol is now ready to fire again.
In this manner, the invention provides, as compared with the background art, the possibility of shooting from a pistol with a stationary barrel fixedly mounted on the frame, using high-performance cartridges, while maintaining low weight of the slide and of the whole pistol.
The same locking mechanism of a slide 4 during the firing process can be used on automatic shotguns, automatic rifles, self-loading hunting guns and machine guns. At the same time, the main principles of the locking mechanism must be maintained:

- the rear lever 5 and the front lever 7 must be rotatably connected to each other;
- the system of levers 5 and 7 must be located between the movable slide 4 and the non-movable frame 1 of the weapon;
- the common axis 9 of the rear lever 5 and the front lever 7 must not be situated in the line interlaid with the rear axis 6 and the front axis 8, and so the levers 5 and 7 must form a broken line having an internal angle opposite the barrel 3 less than 180° and having a corresponding external angle greater than 180°;

Exact values of the angles are determined according to the performance of the cartridge and the construction of a specific embodiment of the weapon.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

The invention is intended for weapons with a stationary barrel fixedly mounted in a frame for shooting with high-performance cartridges.

LIST OF REFERENCES

1 frame
2 grip
3 barrel
4 slide
5 rear lever
6 rear axis
7 front lever
8 front axis
9 common axis
91 grippers
10 retractable spring

Claims

1-8. (canceled)

9. A weapon, comprising:

a stationary barrel mounted fixedly in a frame;

a slide movably mounted to the frame for forward and backward displacement;

a locking mechanism for the slide, the locking mechanism further comprising:

a retractable spring acting on the slide in a direction towards a forwardmost position of the slide;

a pair of levers arranged under the barrel between the slide and the frame; and

the pair of levers having opposite end axes of rotation and mutually rotatably connected by a common axis, the common axis lying under a line that extends between the end axes of rotation of the pair of levers.

10. The weapon according to claim 9, wherein the pair of levers comprises a rear lever having the end axis thereof rotatably mounted at a front part of the frame under the barrel, and a front lever having the end axis thereof rotatably mounted on a front part of the slide under the barrel, the rear lever and the front lever mutually rotatably connected by the common axis, and wherein an internal angle between the rear lever and the front lever is less than 180°.

11. The weapon according to claim 9, further comprising a gripper disposed at each side of the common axis, the grippers configured to be gripped by a shooter's fingers when pulling the slide.

12. The weapon according to claim 10, wherein the retractable spring is mounted between the rear lever and the front lever, the retractable spring comprising a rear arm engaged against the rear lever and a front arm engaged against the front lever.

13. The weapon according to claim 12, wherein the retractable spring is mounted on the common axis of the rear lever and the front lever.

14. The weapon according to claim 10, wherein the retractable spring is mounted between the rear lever and the front part of the frame.

15. The weapon according to claim 10, wherein the retractable spring is arranged on the barrel and engages against the frame at one end thereof and against the front part of the slide at an opposite end thereof.

16. The weapon according to claim 10, wherein the retractable spring is mounted under the barrel on a separate guide that is parallel to the barrel and engages against the frame at one end thereof and against the front part of the slide at an opposite end thereof.