US2791155A

US2791155A - Recoil reducing device for firearms

Info

Publication number: US2791155A
Application number: US315027A
Authority: US
Inventors: Thiel Ralph
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1952-10-16
Filing date: 1952-10-16
Publication date: 1957-05-07
Anticipated expiration: 1974-05-07

Description

May 7, 1957 R. THlEL RECOIL REDUCING DEVICE FOR FIREARMS ATTOR NE Y RALPH THIEL Filed Oct. 16, 1952.

United States Patent RECOIL REDUCING DEVICE FOR FIREARMS Ralph T-hiel, Seaside, Calif.

Application October 16, 1952, Serial No. 315,027

2 Claims. (CI. 89-14) This invention relates to a recoilless rifle, its object being to provide a rifle which does not bruise the shoulder of the user as each shot is fired and thereby makes it practical to fire a rifle on full automatic from the shoulder, if deired. The sound of the shot is also muffled to a certain extent and the muzzle flash reduced through the use of this invention, but recoil elimination is its primary objective.

A preferred form of my invention is shown in the at tached drawings in which:

Figure l is a vertical plan view showing a rifle modified in accordance with my invention;

Figure 2 is a bottom plan view showing the rifle stock and jacket only;

Figure 3 is a partial vertical cross-section taken along the line 33 of Figure 2, but on a larger scale;

Figure 4 is a vertical elevation showing the tip of the rifle barrel, with the jacket in section;

Figure 5 is a vertical cross-section taken along the line 55 of Figure 3; and

Figure 6 is a vertical cross-section taken along the line 66 of Figure 4.

Like reference numerals denote like parts throughout the several views.

The firing mechanism has not been shown in detail, since any conventional rifle such as the 30-06 M1 used by the United States Army may be modified in accordance with the invention. In order to so modify a conventional rifle, a series of spaced transverse oval holes 10 are bored in the sides and bottom of the barrel 11. Advantageously, these holes are in diameter, about twenty-one in number and bored in the six inches of the barrel nearest the muzzle. The rifling and a small amount of the barrel are reamed from this section. If necessary the barrel may be made six inches longer than usual to compensate for the reamed out section. It is important that the holes 10 be exactly aligned with the centers of each group of three holes lying in the same transverse plane in order to keep the barrel from flexing when the rifle is fired. The barrel is encased in a jacket 12 which fits snugly against the barrel at its forward end, leads backward past the firing mechanism 13 into a slotted pipe 15, and terminates in the hollow stock 14 as best seen in Figure 3. The slots 16 in the pipe extend about Va of the way through the pipe, and are sufliciently numerous and of such dimensions that their total crosssectional area is much greater than that of pipe 15, so as to permit all exhaust gases entering said pipe to pass out through said slots without material obstruction of their flow. The bottom of the stock 14 is perforated by a large number of holes 17, and again the number and dimensions of these holes are such as to present a minimum obstruction to the flow of exhaust gases therethrough. Purely by way of example, and not as a limitation, in one specific embodiment of applicants invention Patented May 7, 1957 a hollow stock of conventional size is provided with 168 holes having a diameter of A; of an inch each.

The stock 14 has an asbestos cover 18, surmounted by a leather covering 19 to protect the shoulder from excessive heat. The weapon supporting hand of the riflernan may be protected from excessive heat by use of a conventional forearm (not shown), lined with asbestos.

The operation of the invention is believed obvious. When a shot is fired, exhaust gases are generated which ordinarily pass out the muzzle of the rifle behind the bullet. It has been found that it is the impact of these gases upon the surrounding air, rather than that of the bullet which gives rise to the largest portion of the force of the recoil of the weapon. Once the initial explosion has taken place and the bullet has left the barrel, these gases have served their only useful purpose. It has heretofore been proposed to attach cumbersome extensions known as muzzle breaks to the muzzle end of the barrel through which the gases are vented laterally thereof to the atmosphere. These add materially to the length and unwieldiness of the weapon and, unless the openings are perfectly spaced about the barrel, tend to throw the muzzle out of line as the weapon is fired. They operate on the general principle of throwing the exhaust against a baflle so as to transfer effective direction of the force. Applicants invention, on the other hand, is designed to avoid so far as possible the interposition of any means for restricting the expansion of the gases. Instead, they are permitted to expand as freely as possible, and merely guided to a location from which they may be expelled from the gun without interfering with the accuracy of the weapon.

It will be understood that various changes in structure and modifications in design may be adopted within the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A rifle comprising a barrel, a hollow stock vented to the atmosphere at its lower side, and a jacket enclosing said barrel, said jacket being closed at its forward end and opening at its rear end into said hollow stock, and said barrel having a longitudinal bore vented into said jacket through a plurality of radially spaced rows of transverse holes; said jacket and holiow stock, together with the openings connecting them to each other and to the barrel bore and to the atmosphere, forming a continuous passageway from said barrel to the open air, the least effective cross-sectional area of which passageway is greater than that of said bore to permit the expansion within said passageway of the exhaust gases formed when said rifle is fired and their emission to the atmosphere with a minimum obstruction to their flow.

2. A rifle as claimed in claim 1 in which said lower side of said hollow stock is provided with holes having a total cross-sectional area in excess of two inches through which the exhaust gases received therein are vented to the atmosphere.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,380,171 Abbot May 31, 1921 1,901,138 Barnes Mar. 14, 1933 2,515,180 Barker July 18, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS 90,860 Germany Mar. 11, 1897 370,273 Germany Mar. 1, 192.3 420,006 Great Britain Nov. 19, 1934