US3392470A

US3392470A - Slidable barrel firearm with safety preventing opening of the firearm while cocked

Info

Publication number: US3392470A
Application number: US597028A
Authority: US
Inventors: Kevin Patrick Vincent Co James
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1965-11-26
Filing date: 1966-11-25
Publication date: 1968-07-16
Anticipated expiration: 1985-07-16
Also published as: GB1157462A

Description

July 16, 1968 K. P. v. c KAVANAGH 3,

SLIDABLE BARREL FIREARM WITH SAFETY PREVENTING OPENING OF THE FIREARM WHILE COCKED Filed Nov. 25, 1966 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Inventor JAMES K. P- V- C KAVANAGH By M A llorngys J. K. P. v. c. KAVANAGH 3,392,470

3 Sheets-Shut 2 OPENING OF THE FIREARM WHILE COCKED SLIDABLE BARREL FIREARM WITH SAFETY PREVENTING July 16, 1968 Filed Nov. 25, 1966 a In. M Q 6& m g m a o A L Ax y a w 4 P h K v w a 1 O M 4 *v t Q r /gaua Y A Home July 16, 1968 .J. K. P. v. c. KAVANAGH 3,

SLIDABLE BARREL FIREARM WITH SAFETY PREVENTING OPENING OF THE FIREARM WHILE COCKED 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Nov. 25, 1966 lnvenlor w H m m N M mm .B C

United States Patent ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A gun barrel slidable with respect to the breech block to an open position to eject the cartridges and cock the firing mechanism. A locking device and associated safety catch prevent opening the gun while cocked.

This invention relates to firearms of the type in which the breech is broken to expose the breech chamber by relative movement between the barrel assembly and the stock on which a butt is mounted. The invention is applicable to non-automatic firearms such as shot-guns, rifles or combination Weapons, whether they are single or double barrelled, and to similar firearms such as pistols.

The main object of the present invention is to provide such a firearm which is simple to manufacture, operate and keep in working condition.

According to the present invention a firearm comprises a stock, a standing breech block on the stock, a firing mechanism carried by the stock, a firing pin extending through the breech block and actuatable by the firing mechanism to cause it to be projected forwardly to fire the firearm, a barrel support secured to the stock and extending forwardly of the breech block, a barrel assembly mounted on the barrel support to move with respect to the breech block to open and close the breech chamber in the barrel assembly, an extractor device adjacent the standing block and co-operating with the firing pin to eject a spent cartridge from the breech chamber, a cocking device operatively connected to the firing mechanism and actuated by movement of the barrel assembly with respect to the stock, and a butt on the stock, the Whole being constructed so that, when the locking device is released, relative movement between the barrel assembly and the stock causes a spent cartridge case to be ejected by the extractor and causes the firing mechanism to be cocked.

In order that the invention may be more fully understood an embodiment in accordance therewith, in the form of the double barrelled shot-gun, will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side view of a firearm stock having a barrel assembly support,

FIG. 2 is a side view of the firing mechanism of the firearm of FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is a side view partly in cross section of the barrel assembly and cocking device of the firearm,

FIG. 4 is a cross section on the line IV-IV of FIG. 3,

FIG. 5 is a cross section on the line V-V of FIG. 3,

FIG. 6 is a view of the stock looking from the left in FIG. 1; and,

FIG. 7 is an elevation of the locking device of FIGS. 1 and 2.

In the figures the same references are used to designate the same parts.

Referring to the drawings, these show a firearm com- 3,392,470 Patented July 16, 1968 prising a stock 1, a standing breech block 2 on the stock, a firing mechanism carried by the stock, a firing pin 4 extending through the breech block, a barrel support 5 secured to the stock, a barrel assembly 6, an extractor device 7, a cocking device 8, a locking device 9 and a butt 10 on the stock.

Referring to the drawings, the stock 1 is formed of an open frame 12 to the front end of which is secured the standing breech block 2 and from which extends forwardly the barrel support 5 having parallel compressor spring slots 14, one for each barrel, extending upwardly into a cocking bar slot 15. The upper portion of the support 5 has longitudinal guide slots 13 one on each side of the support to guide the barrel assembly therealong as will be described.

The standing breech block 2 has two firing pins 4 one above the other, the firearm shown being of the over-andunder type of double barrelled shot-gun. Each pin 4 is slidably retained in a hollow plug 16 and urged by a compressed light spring 17 to extend out of the head 18 of the plug, the other end of the pin, when the spring 17 is compressed extending out of the rear face 19 of the block 2. The plug with the assembled pin and spring is screwed into a threaded bore 20 in the block 2 and secured against rotation by suitable means such as a grub screw through the side wall of the block into the bore 20. The front face 21 of the plug head 18 is recessed within an upstanding rim 22, the height of the rim being substantially equal to the thickness of the rim of a cartridge case to be used in the firearm for the purpose to be described. The plug is normally secured in the block 2 so that when the barrels are assembled thereon and the firearm is loaded and made ready for firing, the base of the cartridge case rests snugly against the face 21 of the plug; if during use the face 21 tends to wear, the plug can be released and screwed along the bore 20 until the cartridge case again rests snugly against the face 21, and then the plug is refixed. The spring 17 is described as a light spring to indicate that in the loaded and firing position of the firearm, the percussion cap of the cartridge case will engage the pin 4 and displace it axially in the plug for the purpose to be further explained.

The barrel assembly 6 comprises two barrels 23 suitably secured together over their length, and having their rear ends secured in a barrel block 24, provided with parallel guides 25 slidably engaged in the guide slots 15. The breech chamber of the barrels is shaped to receive the cartridge cases so that their base rims project beyond the barrel bore when the cartridges are fully engaged in the chamber and thus, when the block 24 is moved into engagement with the standing block 2, the cartridge rims enter the plug recesses 21a to engage the plug faces 21.

At one point on each recess, shown in the drawings as at the top and bottom of the upper and lower barrels respectively, is an extractor device 7; this device comprises a hook pivoted at 26 to the block 2 and urged by a spring 27 into the position where its hooked edge 28 (FIG. 1) engages over the cartridge rim, and as the loaded barrels are moved rearwardly to the block 2, the cartridge rim engages the tapered front face of the extractor pushing in radially outwards of the cartridge so that the cartridge rim is engaged behind the hook which is then housed in the cavity 29 in the barrel block 24.

The block 24 has a portion 30 of reduced height at its rear end and this portion at each side of the firearm has a vertical slot 31 to receive the locking slide 32, in the form of an inverted U sliding vertically in slots in the sides and top of the block 2. The base of the U has an aperture 33 in which is engaged a toe on a locking lever 35 pivoted at 36 on the stock frame 12. The rear end of the lever 35 extends upwardly out of the frame 12 and is urged upwardly by a spring 37, thus urging the slide 32 to lock the barrel in position. In this position, the firing pin is pressed rearwardly by the cartridge case percussion cap; if the firearm is broken by lifting the slide 32 and sliding the barrels forward on the support 5, the hooked edge 28 will hold the cartridge rim so that the cartridge is withdrawn from the breech chamber; as soon as the front of the cartridge is clear of the chamber, the pin 4 will be pushed forward by the light spring 17 and pivot the cartridge rim about the edge 28 thereby ejecting the cartridge. This happens if the cartridge is spent, but if the cartridge has not been fired, it will not be ejected since the firing mechanism is cocked as will be explained; if however the mechanism has been uncocked so that the pin is compressed by the cartridge case, then on breaking the firearm, the cartridge will be ejected.

The firing mechanism 3 comprises a hammer 133 for each barrel, i.e. each pin 4, with its trigger and associated cocking device 8. One hammer 133 is shown for the upper barrel and is pivoted at 134 to the frame 12, and has a toe 135, which is in the path of rearward movement of the cocking device, and a nose 36; a scar 37a, forming one arm of a lever 38 pivoted at 39 to the frame 12, lies in the path of movement of the hammer to engage the nose 36 and hold the hammer in the position in FIG. 2. The trigger 39 pivoted at 40 to the frame 12 is urged by a spring 41 into the last named position; thus pulling the trigger rearwardly lifts the rear of the lever 38 releasing the hammer which is then projected rapidly towards and hits the rear end of the pin 4 thus forcing the pin to strike the cartridge percussion cap and fire the firearm. The sear 37a and the trigger for one or both barrels may be a unitary element.

A spring urged lever 42, which may be a leaf-spring fixed or pivoted at 43 can be held against the lever 38, and prevent movement of the trigger 39, by the safety catch in the form of a lever 44 pivoted at 45 to the frame 12. The lever 44 has a notch 46 which when the lever is in the inoperative position will block the downward movement of the locking lever 35 by engaging the part 47 thereof so that the firearm cannot be unlocked, i.e. broken. while it is cocked.

Referring to FIG. 3 this shows the cocking device; sliding within each slot 14 is a cocking rod 48 with which the toe of the trigger is operatively engaged; this rod has a rod 49 of smaller diameter secured to it at the front end of which is secured a compression element 50 which is common to both barrels; the compression element has its rear end 51 sliding on the element 50- the head 52 of which retains the element 50 thereon. The element 50 is hollow permitting the head 52 to slide therein and a compression spring 53 is disposed round the rod 49 between the rod 48 and element 50 so that when element 50 is telescoped over the rod 49 the spring is compressed.

The element 50 has an upstanding lug 54 engaging in a slot 55 in a cocking bar 56 slidably disposed in a lug 57 fast with the barrel assembly. The cocking bar 56 has a forward lug 58 and rear lug 59 on opposite sides of the lug 57 and spaced apart by a distance equal to the full opening movement of the barrel assembly along its sup- While the mechanism for one barrel has been described it will be understood that the mechanism for the other barrel is identical, there being one locking bar for the two barrels and the one lug 57 is on the element 50 which actuates the cooking of both barrel firing mechanisms; the hammer 133 for the other barrel only differs from that described by being shaped to strike the pin 4 of the other barrel. The scar of the second barrel is alongside the one shown in FIG. 2 and is similarly shaped thereto, the safety catch acting on both sears. If one barrel has been fired, the safety catch will still put both sears to safety, but the sear of the fired tumbler 133 will move idly clear of its hammer.

The operation of the firearm is as follows:

Assuming that the gun has been broken, both breech chambers are empty and the firing mechanism is uncocked, both barrels are then loaded with live cartridges by pushing the cartridges fully into their chambers. In this position the springs 53 are fully extended and the barrel assembly is not fully to the left in the drawings but the lug 57 abuts the lug 58. By pulling the assembly fully to the left in FIGS. 1 to 3, the head 52 being at the right hand end of the element 50, the element 50, rod 49, rod 48 all move to the left pivoting the hammer 133 clockwise so that the sears 37a, under the downward pressure of the spring 42, engages the hammer and holds it in this cocked position. The barrel assembly is then pressed to the right in FIGS. 1-3 towards the closed breech position and the lug 57 engages the rear lug 59 forcing the bar 56 to the right and thus the elements 50 slide along the rods 49 compressing the springs 53. This continues until the portion 30 of the block 24 rides past the locking slide 32 and the toes of the slide 32 come into register with the slots 31 and by operation of the locking lever 35 under action of the spring 37 the slide toes enter the slots 31 locking the block 24 in firm contact with the upstanding breech block 2. During this final movement the rims of the cartridge cases pass under the extractors and engage the recessed faces 21 of the block 2 while the cartridge case percussion caps force the pins 4 to the right in FIGS. 1-3 against the action of the light springs 17, so that they project into the path of the tumblers 133. The firearm is now loaded and cocked: the safety catch can be applied to fix the mechanism in this position. To fire a barrel the safety catch is released so that the sears are free to pivot: when a trigger 39 is pressed rearwardly, its toe frees the hammer 133, and the spring 53 snaps the hammer 133 in an anti-clockwise movement to strike the pin 4 which slides through its plug to strike the percussion cap. If the locking lever is then freed, the barrels can be slid forwardly manually assisted by the still partly compressed spring 53, during which time both cartridges are held by the extractors and are thereby drawn out of the barrels. When clear of the barrels, a fired cartridge is ejected by the co-operation of the pin 4 and the extractor, while the fired cartridge remains held by the extractor since its pin 4 is still in the cocked position and the spring 17 cannot operate. The second cartridge case will be elected if it too has been fired.

Thus the firearm cannot be broken until the safety catch is in the Safe position, an unfired cartridge cannot be ejected, and the cartridges are always withdrawn when the firearm is broken. The length of the springs 53 is such that when the firearm is closed and the barrels have been fired, the movement of the hammer allows the rod 48 to move sufliciently far to the right in FIGS. 1-3 to allow the springs 53 to become fully decompressed thereby giving them a long working life, the cocking bar 56 being urged to the left in FIG. 3 by the spring 53.

It will be understood that the cocking mechanism may be varied by correctly positioning the springs 53 with respect to the rods 48, 49 and element 50, that on breaking the firearm the firing mechanism is first cocked and then the spent cartridges ejected. Moreover the locking lever may be mounted on the barrel assembly with the slide 32 which then engages slots 31 on the standing breech block 2: in any case the locking device can only be released when the safety catch is at Safe. Further the firing mechanism may be electrically operated by a solenoid energised by an electric battery stored in the frame 12 or in the butt, the armature then causing the hammer 133 to actuate the pins 4. The springs 53 may be used only to facilitate breaking the firearm and separate cocking springs are then provided. The barrels of the barrel assembly are preferably wholly or partly encased in wooden elements in a conventional manner.

What I claim is:

1. A firearm comprising a stock, a standing breech block on the stock, a spring actuated firing mechanism carried by the stock, a firing pin extending through the breech block and actuatable by the firing mechanism to cause it to be projected forwardly to fire the firearm, a barrel support secured to the stock and extending forwardly of the breech block, a barrel assembly mounted on the barrel support to slide axially with respect to the breech block to open and close the breech chamber in the barrel assembly, an extractor device adjacent the standing block and co-operating with the firing pin to extract a spent cartridge from the breech chamber, a cocking device operatively connected to the firing mechanism and actuated by movement of the barrel assembly with respect to the stock, a butt on the stock, a locking device for securing the barrel assembly against the breech block and a safety catch movably mounted on the stock and movable from an inoperable position to a safe position in which a portion thereof locks the sear against movement and locks the locking device preventing the firearm being broken at least when the firearm is cocked.

2. A firearm according to claim 1 wherein the extractor comprises a spring loaded catch pivoted to one side of the standing breech block and disposed in the path of the rim of a cartridge case in the breech chamber as the firearm is closed, and the firing pin is urged by a light spring, independent of the firing mechanism spring, into engagement with the cartridge percussion cap whereby when the firearm is broken the extractor holds the case until it is clear of the barrel and then the light spring thrusts the pin towards the case pivoting the case about the extractor to eject it.

3. A firearm according to claim 1 wherein the firing pin is slidably disposed in a central bore in a plug adjustably secured in the standard breech block so as to be adjusted for wear.

4. A firearm according to claim 1, wherein a breech assembly is provided which includes a breech block in which the barrel assembly terminates with a breech chamber, a barrel block having a rearward locking extension and being movable longitudinally of the barrel support, and said locking device is provided on the standing breech block whereby as the breech and barrel blocks are brought into engagement to close the firearm the locking extension and the locking device co-operate to lock the blocks together.

5. A firearm according to claim 4 wherein the locking means comprises a locking lever pivoted to the stock and operatively connected to a locking slide sliding on the standing block to engage slots in the locking extension of the barrel block.

6. A firearm according to claim 5 wherein the barrel support houses a cocking device, a firing hammer is pivoted to the stock and articulated to a rod of the cocking device disposed in a longitudinal bore in the barrel support, said rod has its forward end slidably disposed in a compressing element in said longitudinal bore, a cocking spring is disposed on said rod for compression by said element, said element is articulated to a cocking bar slidable with respect to said support and relative to the barrel assembly between spaced abutments thereon, whereby on closing the firearm the barrel assembly moves the bar to compress the spring, and on breaking the firearm the spring assists movement of the barrel assembly along the support during the cartridge ejection and in the final forward movement of the barrel assembly on the support, moves said element and rod forwards to move the hammer into the cocked position.

7. A a firearm according to claim 1 wherein a sear is pivoted to the stock with a toe in the path of hammer movement and is urged by a resilient member to hold the hammer in the cocked position, a trigger is pivoted to the stock so that when moved by the operator it trips the sear to release the hammer and permit it to move under power to strike the rear end of the firing pin.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 442,453 12/ 1890 Parry 42-41 650,829 6/1900 Evans 42-10 808,107 12/1905 McKeen 42--11 1,054,069 2/ 1913 Wilson 4241 1,223,411 4/1917 Marble 4210 1,226,478 5/1917 Diehm 42-25 1,302,909 5/1919 Giddings 42-41 1,792,732 2/1931 Crawford 42-41 2,353,885 7/1944 Fanger et a1 42-51 FOREIGN PATENTS 595,188 7/1925 France.

BENJAMIN A. BORCHELT, Primary Examiner.