US2981158A

US2981158A - Power system for firearms

Info

Publication number: US2981158A
Application number: US627081A
Authority: US
Inventors: David C Fletcher
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1956-12-07
Filing date: 1956-12-07
Publication date: 1961-04-25
Anticipated expiration: 1978-04-25

Description

April 25, 1961 D. c, FLETCHER 2,981,158

POWER SYSTEM FOR FIREARMS Filed Deo. 7, 1956 Unitd States Patem invention ydescribed herein may he manufactured and'u'sedby or rfor the Government for governmental purposes without the payment of anyroyalty thereon. v

ice

v smaller in diameter than bore 22 so that a compressible coil spring 28 may be received over such portion and within such bore. Spring 28'is adapted to store suicient energy to operate operating rod 16 and the attached operating mechanism. An annular collar 30 is mounted on'V portion 24 for rearward contact with shoulder 26 to provide a seat for the rear end of spring 28. Slidingly mounted on portion 24 forwardly of spring 28 is a sleeve 32 having a bore 34 with a diameter similar to that of such portion so that the sliding contact therebetween is substantially gas tight and the outside of such sleeve has 'This'invention relates to firearms and more particularly y to power systems for actuating the operating mechanisms thereof. s Y -V It is an object of this invention to provide a power p system which is especially `well-adapted for those rearms which require a long power stroke for the actuation of the operating mechanisms.

It is another object of this invention to provide a tirearm power system whereby force is evenly applied to the operating mechanism of the firearm during the entire power stroke. g

' It is still another object of this invention to provide a firearm power system whereby the clirearm operating mechanism is energized by gas pressure from `an exploded cartridge indirectly so as to eliminate the impact of such gas pressure against the operating` mechanism. v

' VvIt another and still furtherr object of this invention to provide fornfirearms a power system bywhich the operating mechanism is powered by a spring which is energized by gases bled from the firearm barrel.

The specific nature of the invention aswell as other objects and advantages thereof lwill clearly appear from a description of a preferred embodiment as shown in theaccompanying drawings in which:

tracted to energize the. spring and latched to the cylinder l, slot 54whichfis introduced into such bracket laterally' from'thelright side thereof. Such slot 54 is terminated by forftransferring thefenergy in the spring to the operating gas` vcylinder; e

r- Fig. 4 is a .view Itaken along line 4-4 Fig.A t Fig.v 5 is a view taken along lineS-,S of Fig., ,2`;-jandf,

f ;Fig. ,6 isa perspective view of the latch member. i v jj-(Showmin the figures ;isga flfearm barrel 12, a gas', cylinderl 1344 ,and an operatingrod' 16. Gas, cylindery 14 is rprovided withA integralvbrackets 18 and 20at `thefrojjit substantially gas-tight sliding contact with bore 22. VAnnular grooves 36 and 38 are provided in theoutside andlthe inside surfaces of sleeve 30, respectively, .tov

assist in preventing the escape of gases by such sleeve.

The rear end of sleeve 32 is in contact with the front end of spring 28 so that such spring is energized whenv suchl sleeve moves rearwardly along portion 24.` vThe front end of sleeve 32 isfreduced in diameter,v as noted at 40, -to form an annular shoulder 42.

A plug 44 is threadably mounted inthe front end of bore 22 and provided 'through such plug is a relatively small passageway 46 by which the inside of cylinder 14 is vented to the atmosphere. .The rear end of plug 44 is contactable by the front end of operating rod 16 to establish the forward position thereof. Fixedly mounted V-tothe front end of operating rod 16 isa cylindrical head- -member 48 having a diameter similar to that of boref 22 so` that the sliding contact therebetween is substantially gas tight. Thekfront end of sleeve 3-2 contacts the rearend of head member'48 and such rear end is arranged to vslope forwardly and outwardly from the areaof contact with reduced diameter portion 40 of the sleeve tofform a cam portion 50. s with head member 48, there is formed with reduced diameter portion 40' an annular 'chamber 52 which,fwhen`y operatingrod 16 is in contactwith plu`g44, receives gases fromy port 21 to initiatefthe rearward movement'of such sleeve against spring 28.#` L.

rProvided in rear'br'acket' 2li is a vertically-disposed a semicylindrical portion 56 whchihas a diameter ,subl-V stantiallyV similar to theoutside diameterl of cylinder 14 and is alignedaxially therewith.'` `Mounted in slot 54 for lateral movement thereinis a latch member 58 which' consists of acylindrical portion 6.0v havingY a diameterv similar'to that of 'semicylindrical portion 56 and a radially extendinglugljportio'ny 62 which 'is slidingly received byI anlppeninggf64 through rear bracket 20 central of portionj56ly 'Lug por-tion 62 extends outwardly from open ing'64.. and is-acted onby arleaf spring`66 to-biascylin-l, j 1 n 'dricalfportionll'out of' axial alignment withfcylinde'ij 14. 1 Provided axially through cylindrical portion y 60-is` and `'rear .ends thereof, respectively, kby which the gascylinder is secured to barrel. 12 anda gas port 21 through the, cylinder and the .barrel provides passage for gases show Y:for the actuation thereof,l and thevfrontk end/is 60 Afromthe bore of the barrel tojfa longitudinal bore 22H u throughthe cylinder. 4vThe rear end of operating'rod 16 s vcoopera'tes with the flrearmioperating mechanismsy (not t '1 f vfl'hefront portion ofoper lat1ng rod'16 1s reduced 1n Y i {diameter-, as noted at 24, and such reduced diameter por-, -A vtion isv terminated by ,an annular v,shoulder 26 whichis arrangedvtobe'disposed outside o f cylinder14whenthe'l l 'peratingrod is in: the. forward position. ,T Prortion 24is a"cylindrical hole'68 which is alignable withibore 22 when lsuchc`ylindrical portion isxin engagement' with' semicylindrical portion 56-and such hole hasv a'diameter similar .to b oreg22so thatv spring 2.8 and-sleeven32 are v receivable thereby. l. v f p lCylindrical.portion, 60 is suicientlyflong so-that atleast one coil,o f,spr ing 28 is in engagement therewith asl such springmovesrthrough hole 68 and therebyl such cylindri-.Y

cal portior'fis restrained in alignmentwith bore22. VPro-` Yltfo. s where-'shoulder isA rearward ,of llatch irremb, erj 58;.;- The rez'ri-w'ardk travelv` of sleeve 32 kis. limitedV bythe solid` l height.Y of spring 28 andthereduction-@pressure 1in gas'v Grnder 14,.' due t0 vent. Per# 6.1 being unser edera; duceS the'` forces v against lsuch springbeforesreachi Patented Apr. 25, 1961.

With sleeve32 in contact ng solid:v

"geantes latch member-58 so` that such latch member is biasable by spring 66 out of alignment with bore 22 into engagement with reduced kdiameter portion 40 and so into position to beengaged by shoulder 42 duringsubsequent forward movement of such sleeve. i

--When operating rod 16 is in therearward position thereoffhead member 48 is received by hole`68. Provided on the front end of cylindrical portion 60 is an `annular beveled portion 70 which extends outwardly and forwardly from hole 68 and is cammingly cooperable with cam portion 50 on head member 48 to move latch member 58 into -alignmentwith bore 22 for the release of position.

ofthe` firearm (notshown)` with the front end seated against collar 30. Spring 72 is thereby compressed during rearward movement of operating rod 16 so that such operating-rod is returnablethereby to forward position whensleeve 32 is releasedfrom latch member 58.

Operation When acartridge is tired in barrel 12, the gases developed from: the... explosion pass through gas port 21 as the bullet passes thereby. The. gases pass from gas `port 21into ,chamber 52 to press with equal force on therear endlof head member 48` vand the front `endof sleeve 32. Thereby, jheademember 48 is held in engagement with plug441and jsleeve 32 is moved rearwardly against spring 28 which is compressed and energized thereby as the rear end thereof is `held against movement by the engagement with the immovably held operating rod 16 through collar 30 and shoulder26.

When..sleeve 32 has been moved lby the rearward position thereof, vent port 61 is uncovered, permitting the gases in gas cylinder 14 to escape, and shoulder V42 is moved'past latchv memberwhich is therebyunblocked, so as to bebiased by spring 66 againstre'duced diameter .portion 40. With the venting of the gas pressure in gas cylinder 14, the force holding operating rod 16 forwardlyqis-` released and the bias of the energy impressed infspring 28 moves -sleeve 32 `forwardly into contact with'latch member` 58 to immovably anchor the front Y-end ofthe spring to gas cylinder 14. "Thereby,

thereof and the following claims are intended to include 4such variations.`

1. claim:

1. A power system for a firearm having a barrel with a bore, said power system including a cylinder, an operating rod slidingly mounted in said cylinder and being biased from a retracted to a normal position, a spring and a sleeve carried by said operating rod withsaid sleeve being slidably actuatable against said spring for the energizing said operating rod isin theretracted position for the re` turn thereof to the normal position.

` 2. A lpov'versystem 'for a iirearm having a barrel with" a borefsaid power system including a cylinder, an oper-y ating rod slidinglyireceived by said cylinder and being biased'from a retracted to a normal position, a spring attached at one end to said operating froda sleeve slidingly mounted on said operating `rod for substantially' gas-tight contact with said cylinder and said operating rod andifor actuation against said :spring for the energizf ingthereof; ahead member mounted to said operating rod for engagement by said sleeve, a reduced diameter portion on Asaidsleeve to form with said head portion an annular chamber, 4a gas portfor passing gases fromy the bore of the barrel to said chamber to simultaneou'slyhold said opreating rd in the normal position and move said sleeve against sa-id `spring yfor the energizing thereof, latch meansfor releasably engaging said sleeve to said cylinder when said spring is energized, vent means for" releasing the gas pressure in said cylinder `when saidlsleeve is latched to `said cylinder to permit movementof said operating rod` tothe retracted position by the energy in said spring, and cooperating `cai-n means on said head `the energy` inspring 28 is transferred to operating rod16 t When operating.. rod `1`6 approaches rearward position,

earn `portion on head member' `48cammi1`1gly-engages bevel portion70 on latch member 58:to'alignholelSswithg sleeve 321forthe-`release` thereof whereby operatingvrod member and said latch means for actuating said latch means to releasey saidslee've from said cylinder Where: by vsaid operating rod is `permitted 1to return tonormal position`.` i e Y,

t `3. A` power system for a firearm having a barrel with a bore, saidpower system including a cylinder, operating rodJ slidirigly received by said' cylinderA for reciprocation between a retracted and a normal position, means Vfor biasing said operating rod Ito the forward position,

e a compressiblecoil sp1-ing mnted on `saidV operating 16=sino1onger movablybiased by spring28 and vspring lzgispermitted tocreturn the` operatingrod-andf'sleeve 32, arried `\the1feby, `to vtheir forward ,positions..i

LIn the" event gases leak by head member 48 such gases ai'ewvented` to the `atmosphere through passageway 46 so .as `not tojpressiaforwardlyagainst such headmember.

" rod, means for'anchoringtherrear end of saidfspring to said operating rod, a sleeve slidingly mountedonfsaid operatingfrod" for actuation Vagainst r said spring for', the

,energizing thereof,` `s aid sleeve having Vsubstantially gas- `tight slidi'ngi Contact with said `operaltiiig rodand said v cylinder, a reduced,fdinaieter`f portion on the front endi of From the foregoing it is clearly apparentthatthei-e is l. herein provided for iirearms a novel power system vyheref` by the powerstroke maybe ofgreter leng'tl'ithan that ne if the;

provided byconventional power systems'lb spring-'powering means andriwheieby'lnev e applied fto i the t firearm` operating "mechanism during the y'coi actuated systems" whichjareienergzed .It isfalsofapparent that the'upow' tii lnvetion'ispositiveinoperation ndsimpl an rug' ru ion saidsle'eve',2 a'headfirie'mbr' mounted `to*` the frontend of. `said operatingfrod for` substantially gas-tight sliding con? tact with lsaidj cylinder and beingengageable by said sleeve through-the biais aidfspring, a plug mounted" the frontend said;cylinciler1 for engagement-by 'said head r'nemuberwhen` saidoperating Arod ris'. in normal p oower stroke as ctmtrastedA toconventionalugas jf x VV'particularenilfaodirneHt'ofthe'inveniidn ,v. bejendescribed inffdetail4 herein; it Vis evident thatjrnany v variations rriayube devised within the spirviyand scope` M venting the gas pressure therefrom to release said operating rod for movement to the retracted position by the energy in said spring when said sleeve is latched to said cylinder, and cooperating cam means on said head member and said latch means for disengaging said sleeve from said cylinder when said operating rod is in the retracted position.

4. The device of claim 3 wherein said latch means includes an annular shoulder provided on said sleeve, a cylindrical latch member provided with an axial hole therethrough for slidably receiving said operating rod and said sleeve, slot means in said gas cylinder y for mounting said latch member for transverse movement relative to said sleeve toreleasablyengage said annular shoulder when said spring is energized, and spring means for biasing said latch member into position to-be engaged by said annular shoulder and wherein said cam means engageably cooperates with said latch member to disengage said latch member from said annular shoulder when said operating rod is in the retracted position.

5. A power system for a rearm having a barrel with a bore, said power system including a gas cylinder having communication with the bore, an operating rod mounted for slidable reciprocation in Vsaid gas cylinder, a compressible coil spring carried by Asaid operating rod and anchored at one end thereto, means actuatable by gases bled from the bore to said gas cylinder for compressibly energizing said spring, a head member disposed on said operating rod for cooperation with the gases bled to said cylinder to hold said operating rod against displacement during the compression of said spring, and means for connecting the opposite endof said spring to the gas cylinder l'after said spring is compressed and the gas pressure is relieved in said gas cylinder for transferring the energy of said compressed spring to said operating rod for actuation thereof.

References Cited in the le of this patent