US2919630A

US2919630A - Firearm with breech block retarding means

Info

Publication number: US2919630A
Application number: US665789A
Authority: US
Inventors: Willard J Hoyt
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1957-06-14
Filing date: 1957-06-14
Publication date: 1960-01-05
Anticipated expiration: 1977-01-05

Description

Jan. 5, 1960 w. J. HOYT FIREARM WITH BREECH BLOCK RETARDING MEANS Filed June 14. 1957 1N VENT OR 55512912 .1 15(01 ATTORNEY variety of firearms.

United States Patent FIREARM WITH lSREECH BLOCK 'RETARDING MEANS Willard J. Hoyt, Castleton-on-Hudson, N.Y.

Application June 14, 1957, Serial No. 665,789

Claims. (Cl. 89-183) construction; and to minimize wear of critical parts in the blowback mechanism. Other purposes are to minimize recoil; to increase ruggedness of the locking means; and to extend adaptability of the locking means to a A more particular purpose is to improve distribution of the recoil between breechblock and frame. An important object also is to improve dissipation of recoil in unlocking the breechblock, but minimize momentum of the breechblock. These and other purposes of this invention will become evident in the following description of a preferred embodiment, taken with the attached drawing and the appended claims.

The following illustrative description refers to a semiautomatic service or target pistol, though principles of this invention apply also to various other guns, including heavier calibre Weapons.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a partial side view of an automatic pistol,

partly broken away to reveal in central section relationships -'of breechblock and its locking and retarding means;

Fig. 2 is a cross-section back of the lock, along the line 2--2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a skeletonized plan view through a central section of the pistol shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view through a central part of the breechblock, along the line 44 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal vertical section along one side of the breechblock in unlock position, taken along the line 55 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a locking and retarding element;

Fig. 7 is a partial diagram to illustrate action of engaging surfaces between breechblock, locking and retarding means, and frame.

Applying principles of this invention, the lock comprises an arcuate wedge that is relatively thick and blocky to fit between breechblock and frame. Both arcuate contact surfaces, or sides, of the wedge center forward of the wedge, but with respectively different radii. Preferably the arcuate contact between wedge and breechblock is of shorter radius than is the arcuate contact between wedge and frame. This shorter radius locates a center about which the wedge as a whole rotates by rearward thrust of the breechblock.

More particular reference to the drawings will explain this invention in greater detail.

The pistol comprises a stock, having a hollow grip 1 comprising magazine well 17 to receive a supply of cartridges, and comprises also a barrel 2. A cartridge is fed automatically into the barrel, by suitable known mechanism. A breechblock or bolt 3 fits up against the cartridge, as illustrated in the cut-away portion of Fig. 1. Longitudinally through the bolt is a small bore to house a firing pin 4 which may or may not be sp-ring-biased. Bolt 3 itself is spring-biased forward, as illustrated in Fig. 1. Bolt 3 is slidably connected lengthwise with the frame along inter-fitted slots or grooves and side lugs 5, as shown in Fig. 2. Back pressure from firing a cartridge forces bolt 3 to slide to the rear against its spring bias. Suflicient clear space is provided back of the bolt to accommodate this blowback, as those skilled in the art will understand. In normal automatic operation, this affords opportunity for supplemental means to eject the spent cartridge case and to load a new cartridge, by various known means not necessary to this invention.

The breechblock 3 is locked behind the cartridge until after the cartridge is fired. A particular problem, to which this invention is directed, is to keep the bolt 3 locked for an instant after firing and then to unlock the bolt with minimum recoil and with minimum distortion and wear. Recoil tends to throw the barrel off target. This invention dissipates much of the initial recoil to overcome inertia of the lock and also diverts much of the rearward thrust from the cartridge through the lock to the frame. This invention resides in the novel form and arrangement of cooperating parts of the breechblock, lock and frame.

As the drawings show, the locking means comprises a short, blocky wedge 6 fitted between bolt 3 and frame 7. The forward face 8 of wedge 6 is arcuate and concave forward and the rear face 8 of breechblock 3 is arcuate to fit into face 8. The front faces 8 and 8 have the same radius as each other and thus are similar. Also at the rear of wedge 6, face 9 is arcuate and con cave forward. This rear face 9 seats down into a socket or well 6 in frame 7, back of the breechblock. This socket has an arcuate forward face 9' to fit against face 9. The

rear faces

9 and 9 have the same radius as each other and thus are similar, but a longer radius than faces 8, 8 and centered at a vertical level different and in this case somewhat above the center of faces 8, 8', or

' above the pivot of link 10.

A connecting link 10 ties wedge 6 to breechblock 3. Preferably two such arms 10 link with a cross-bar 11 inserted through cross aperture 11 near the front of breechblock 3. To receive bar 11, arms 10 contain openings 12 somewhat larger or longer than the diameter of bar 11, so as to permit slight movement of bar 11, or bolt 3, without pushing against arms 10. This is so that thrust against wedge 6 is by bolt 3 at its face 8.

Arms 10 on the contrary serve to restrain wedge 6 from rearward movement away from bolt 3 and to pull wedge 6 forward for relocking. Thus arms 10 are tension arms. In order that arms 10 may rise and fall with wedge 6, these arms are mounted in vertical slots 13 in the sides of breechblock 3, as illustrated in Fig. 4. These slots not only receive arms 10 but determine the height to which arms 10 can rise. The relationship of parts is such that wedge 6 in unlocked or upper position can move back with block 3 above the frame floor. In this position arms 10 ride upon boss 15 extending from the bottom of arms 10.

Positive bias of wedge 6 downward is provided by coil springs 14 compressed between wedge 6 and breechblock 3, as shown in Fig. 2. This assures relocking of wedge 6.

When the breechblock is forward, it may be unlocked by upward pressure on boss 15 to raise wedge 6 above down with arms 10 to make this contact with latch memher 16. This permits manual unlocking of the breechblock. In automatic operation, boss 15 simply rises up to ride upon the frame floor when breechblock 3 moves to the rear.

More detailed description now is given of the locking wedge 6 and its associated parts in a preferred form. The forward arcuate faces 8 and 8' on the wedge and breechblock respectively have a common center at one or another forward location, as chosen but preferably in the cross-bar 11, which is the pivot for the link 10. Thus wedge 6 and arms move about a common center under rearward thrust through the breechblock. This facilitates the tangential or lifting action of recoil thrust as rear face 8 of the breechblock pushes back directly against mating face 8 of wedge 6. A major part of the recoil thrust is absorbed in this lifting action, particularly at the outset of recoil. Arms 10 at this time rest relatively loosely in their connection with cross-arm 11.

Some part of the force of recoil travels in turn as a thrust through wedge 6 to the rear faces 9, 9 at the frame. A portion of this thrust simply becomes absorbed by the frame. This is highly desirable. But there is also a tangential or lifting action at this 9, 9 interface. This lifting action is aided by a somewhat longer radius at faces 9, 9' and by the somewhat more reclining arc of these rear faces, caused by centering the radius of these faces somewhat above cross-arm 11. The effect is to minimize wear or frictional drag at the rear of wedge 6. Thus the recoil at

faces

9, 9 is dissipated chiefly to the frame or in lifting wedge 6.

When finally wedge 6 is lifted free of frame 7, Wedge and breechblock simply move back into clear space at the rear until stopped by spring-bias and by exhaustion of the recoil. Then the breechblock is moved forward and re-locked.

-In this application, the term automatic is used in a general sense, applying to automatic arms in the technical sense and applying to semi-automatic arms.

It will be observed that in this invention the boss serving to aid in unlatching the lock element also serves to hold the locking element free from engagement while the breechblock is away from firing position. Also an advantage is that the locking element engages to the rear of the magazine wall 17.

It is a further adaptation of this invention that this retarding mechanism for bolt or breechblock may be mounted on the frame or receiver to engage a socket or well in the bolt or breechblock, the reverse of the embodiment herein described.

It will be evident that variation and equivalent structure fall within the novel features of this invention set forth in the accompanying claims. However, to enable those skilled in the art to make and use this invention, the principles and best mode of application have been described, in accordance with the patent statutes.

What is claimed is:

1. In a firearm having a breechblock and a lock therefor, the improvement comprising a locking wedge having front and rear arcuate surfaces, both concave toward the front, a breechblock slidably mounted and having a rear face similar to and fitting into the concave front surface of the wedge, and a frame containing a socket back of the breechblock to receive the wedge, the socket having a concave face similar to and fitting against the arcuate rear surface of the wedge, whereby the locking wedge is removed from the socket and frame along the similar arcuate surfaces under recoil thrust of the breechblock.

2. In a firearm having a breechblock and a lock therefor as claimed in claim 1, an arm in tension pivotally connecting the locking wedge with the breechblock.

3. In a firearm having a breechblock and a lock therefor as claimed in claim 1, the firearm having a magazine well, the locking wedge back of the breechblock being also back of the magazine well, and an arm in tension pivotally connecting the locking wedge with the breechblock.

4. In a retarded blowback firearm, a longitudinally slidable breechblock, a locking wedge therefor having front and rear arcuate surfaces both centered toward the front, the rear side being of longer radius than the front, the breechblock having an arcuate rear face fitting into the front surface of the'wedge and of the same radius, and a frame containing a socket back of the breechblock to receive the wedge, the socket having a concave face fitting against the rear surface of the wedge and of the same radius, whereby the locking wedge is removed from the socket and frame along similar arcuate surfaces under recoil thrust of the breechblock.

5. In' a retarded blowback pistol, a longitudinally slidable breechblock, a locking Wedge therefor having front and rear arcuate surfaces both centered toward the front, a linking arm connecting the wedge to a pivot in the front of the breechblock, the breechblock having an arcuate rear face similar to and fitting into the front surface of the wedge and both being centered in the pivot, and a frame containing a socket back of the breechblock to receive the locking wedge, wedge and socket fitting together in arcuate surfaces both of the same radius and facing front.

6. In a pistol as claimed in claim 5, the mutual locking wedge and socket surfaces both being of greater radius than the front concave side of the wedge.

7. In a pistol as claimed in claim 5, the mutual locking wedge and socket arcuate surfaces both being centered above the pivot connection of the link between wedge and breechblock.

8. In a pistol as claimed in claim 5, the linking arm pivotally connected between wedge and breechblock comprising a boss on the arm to raise the wedge above the locking socket.

9. In a retarded blowback firearm, a longitudinally slidable breechblock, a locking wedge therefor having opposite sides arcuate, both centered in one direction, one side being of longer radius than the other and centered at a different vertical level from the other, the breechblock having an arcuate face fitting one side of the wedge and of the same radius, and a frame containing an arcuate face fitting the other side of the wedge and of the same radius, whereby the locking wedge is removed from between breechblock and frame along similar arcuate surfaces under recoil thrust of the breechblock.

10. In a retarded blowback firearm, a longitudinally slidable breechblock, a locking wedge therefor having opposite sides arcuate, both centered in one direction, one side being of longer radius than the other and centered at a difierent vertical level from the other, a frame containing a socket to receive the wedge, the socket having a face in fitting engagement with one arcuate face of the wedge and of the same radius and center as the wedge face in engagement therewith, the breechblock having a face fitting the other arcuate side of the wedge and of the same radius and center, whereby the locking wedge is removed from between the breechblock and frame along similar arcuate surfaces under recoil of the breechblock.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,577,026 Maillard Dec. 4, 1951 2,600,007 Lippert June 10, 1952 2,765,710 Bradley Oct. 9, 1956