US3641694A

US3641694A - Self-loading pistol with continuous firing device

Info

Publication number: US3641694A
Application number: US858642A
Authority: US
Inventors: Alex Seldel; Tllo Moller; Helmut Weldle
Original assignee: FLRMA HECKLER AND KOCH GmbH
Current assignee: FLRMA HECKLER AND KOCH GmbH
Priority date: 1968-09-18
Filing date: 1969-09-17
Publication date: 1972-02-15
Anticipated expiration: 1989-02-15
Also published as: AT298302B; DE1728249A1; CH494386A; FR2018332A1; GB1281041A; IL33018A0; BE739037A; ES371597A1

Abstract

A self-loading pistol incorporates a trigger assembly which can be selectively adjusted to a position for single shot firing and to a position for continuous firing, and comprises a shoulder support which is releasably attached to the hand grip of the pistol and which accommodates adjusting means for setting the trigger assembly to the one or other of the selectable positions, the trigger assembly being arranged to return to the single shot firing position when the shoulder support is disconnected from the hand grip. The shoulder support may be hollow and shaped to accommodate the pistol.

Description

United States Patent Seidel et al.

[4 1 Feb. 15, 1972 154] SELF-LOADING PISTOL WITH CONTINUOUS FIRING DEVICE [72] Inventors: Alex Seidel; Tilo Moller, both of Obemdorf/Neckar; Helmut Weldle, Beffendorf, all of Germany [73] Assignee: Firma Heckler & Koch GmhH, Oberndorf,

Germany [22] Filed: Sept. 17, 1969 211 Appl. No.: 858,642

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Sept. 18, 1968 Germany ..Pl7 28 249.4

[52] US. Cl ..42/72, 89/140 [51] Int. Cl. ..F41c 23/00, F410 5/00 [58] Field of Search ..42/69, 71 P, 72; 224/1 R, 2 B,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,266,632 5/1918 Sachs ..42/72 1,307,594 6/1919 Newman ..42/1 R X 2,324,125 7/1943 Van Horn et al. 2,455,635 12/ l 948 Witte 1,367,996 2/ 1921 Sussman ..42/72 Primary Examiner-Benjamin A. Borchelt Assistant Examiner-Jams M. Hanley AttorneyCraig, Antonelli & Hill [5 7] ABSTRACT A self-loading pistol incorporates a trigger assembly which can be selectively adjusted to a position for single shot firing and to a position for continuous firing, and comprises a shoulder support which is releasably attached to the hand grip of the pistol and which accommodates adjusting means for setting the trigger assembly to the one or other of the selectable positions, the trigger assembly being arranged to return to the single shot firing position'when the shoulder support is disconnected from the hand grip. The shoulder support may be hollow and shaped to accommodate the pistol.

13 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures SHEET 2 BF 2 IN V EN TOR5 Lo mb'LLE/i 1d HELMuT WELDLE BY W W 4W W SELF-LOADING PISTOL WITH CONTINUOUS FIRING DEVICE This invention relates to a self-loading pistol with a trigger assembly which is adjustable for continuous firing.

Self-loading pistols having a trigger assembly which can be adjusted for continuous firing are known; however, they have only little value because it is impossible to hold the pistol on target against the forces which occur during the discharge of continuous fire. This fact has led to the development of machine pistols which are provided with a shoulder support. However, it is not always possible or desirable that a machine pistol should be carried about, although on the other hand the firing power of a machine pistol would be of advantage.

The invention is based on the problem to provide a selfloading pistol which can be handled like a normal pistol, but which can be used also in the manner of a machine pistol and then permits the discharge of continuous fire.

This problem is solved according to the invention in that the pistol is provided with a shoulder support to which the back of the hand grip of the pistol is releasably fixed, and that selector members for changing the trigger assembly to continuous firing are disposed in the shoulder support and are in operative connection with the trigger assembly of the pistol in such manner that in the absence of the shoulder support the trigger assembly always assumes a single shot rest position.

A self-loading pistol according to the invention can thus be selectively used like a conventional pistol as also in conjunction with the shoulder support like a machine pistol. Owing to the fact that the selector members for changing the trigger device to continuous fire are disposed in the shoulder support and the trigger assembly is constructed in such manner that it can be changed to continuous firing only under the effect of these selector members, otherwise however assumes a single shot rest position, it is ensured that in normal use of the pistol continuous fire can never be discharged inadvertently. Thereby the possibility is excluded that during normal use of the pistol ammunition is wasted through unaimed continuous fire and the unaimed shots injure people which are not located in the intended direction of shooting. ln conjunction with the shoulder support, however, a desired high-firing efficiency can be attained by changeover to continuous firing and also aimed continuous fire can be delivered. Obviously, single shots can be fired also when the shoulder support is used.

The selective use of the pistol with or without shoulder support is easily possible in particular when, as in a preferred embodiment of the invention, the shoulder support is constructed as a hollow body which is adapted to serve also as a pistol holster and a cover of which forms a support surface intended to be placed against the shoulder of a user of the pistol. Such a shoulder support serving simultaneously as pistol holster is preferably produced from a synthetic resin material.

Connection between the trigger assembly of the pistol and the selector members disposed in the shoulder support can be established in a particularly simple manner by means of a selector pin which is mounted in the shoulder suppo'rt displaceable in its longitudinal direction and which projects from the front end of the shoulder support, the forward end of the pin being in operative connection with a selector member which is mounted in the hand grip of the pistol and which is accessible from the rear end of the hand grip. The selector member may always be pressed by a spring in the direction towards the rear end of the hand grip and in its rest position maintain the trigger assembly in its single shot setting. In this manner not only perfect coupling is obtained between the selector pin and the selector member without particular manipulations being necessary therefor, but it is also ensured in a simple manner that the trigger assembly always assumes the single shot rest position when the shoulder support is absent.

ln a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention the trigger assembly of the pistol has a special continuous firing device which is held in a rest position by the selector member which itself is located in its rest position. This continuous firing device may have a catch pawl which is adapted to cooperate with the striker pin of the pistol; the part of the pawl cooperating with the striker pin isheld against the force of a spring outside the path of a nose'attached to the striker pin. In this case it is particularly convenient to construct the selector member as a selector rod which is displaceable in its longitudinal direction and which is disposed in the continuation of the selector pin mounted in the shoulder support and the forward end of which projects into the hand grip of the pistol and has a collar by means of which it engages in its rest position behind a lug which projects laterally from an arm of the catch pawl.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention the selector pin disposed in the shoulder support is loaded by a spring which tends to press the pin out of the front end face of the shoulder support and a detained selecting lever is mounted in the shoulder support and forms an abutment'on which the selector pin rests under the force of the spring loading the latter. This construction of the selector pin provides the possibility of using the pin also for locking together the shoulder support and the pistol. For the purpose of connecting the shoulder support to the pistol mutually telescopable connecting members may be provided at the rear of the hand grip of the pistol and at the front face of the shoulder support, and the selector pin may resiliently engage in a recess provided at the rear of the hand grip. The resilient mounting of the selector pin ensures automatic engagement when the connection is effected so that the latter can be produced very quickly. In this case it .is preferable that the selector pin and the selecting lever are in engagement with each other by a pin and slot connection so that the selector pin can yield while it engages in the hand grip of the pistol, without the position of the selecting lever being changed. Furthermore, the selecting lever may be pivotal rearwardly to such extent that the selector pin is pulled out of the recess of the hand grip when the pistol and the shoulder support are to be separated from each other again.

Further details and constructional features of the invention will be clear from the following description in which the invention is described and explained in detail with reference to the embodiment illustrated in the accompanying drawings. The features which can be found in the description and the" drawings may be used in other embodiments of the invention individually by themselves or several together in any combination. In the drawings: I v

FIG. 1 illustrates a pistol with a shoulder support according to the invention in the assembled state, partly in side view and partly in longitudinal section,

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal section through the rear part of the pistol and the forward part of the shoulder support when adjusted to single shot firing,

FIG. 3 is a cross section similar to FIG. 2 but in which inessential parts have been omitted, illustrating the adjustment for continuous firing and with the trigger actuated, and

H0. 4 is a section along the line lV-lV through the arrangement according to FIG. 2.

In an embodiment of the invention illustrated by way of example in FIG. 1, a pistol 1 consists substantially of a handgrip 2 and a breech assembly 3 which is mounted for displacement in its longitudinal direction. The pistol is attached by the rear end of the handgrip 2 to the front end of a shoulder support 4. The shoulder support 4 is a hollow body which is produced from a synthetic resin and which is constructed to serve also as a pistol holster; it is provided at its rear end with a cover 5 which forms a support surface 6 intended to be placed against the shoulder of a user of the pistol. The position assumed by the pistol when located in the shoulder support is indicated by a chain link contour 7. In order to accommodate the pistol in the shoulder support 4 substantially without play, rails 8 are disposed in the interior of the shoulder support 4 and in the cover 5. For the purpose of connecting the shoulder support to the pistol, T-shaped slide members 9 are attached to the forward end face of the shoulder support 4 and are slidable into suitably undercut recesses 10 at the rear face of the handgrip 2 of the pistol 1. When a suitable synthetic resin is used and the cavity in the shoulder support is sufficiently large a watertight holder is formed which is capable of floating in water with the pistol contained therein.

A trigger assembly 11 disposed in the handgrip 2 of the pistol is provided with two trigger rods which are displaceable in their longitudinal direction; they are connected to a trigger 12 in a manner not illustrated in detail, and are guided on a pin 14 by means of a longitudinal slot 13; only one of these rods is visible in FIGS. 2 and 3. See my copending application Ser. No. 858,641, for a detailed description of the triggering mechanism. A driver member or sear 16 which is displaceable transversely to the trigger rods is mounted between the trigger rods 15 and is provided with an inclined surface 17 which projects into the region of the slots 13. A spring 18 which is supported on a lug l9 bent away from one of the trigger rods tends to hold the sear 16 in its uppermost position in which a shoulder 20 thereof is located in front of a nose 21 of a striker pin 22. When the trigger 12. is actuated, the trigger rods 15 are moved rearwardly together with the sear 16 which displaces the striker pin 22 by engagement with the nose 21 thereof. As may be seen from FIG. 3 the inclined surface 17 of the sear 16 comes thereby into engagement with the pin 14 so that the sear 16 is moved downwardly and the striker pin 22 is released. A striker pin spring 23 then drives the striker pin forwards for igniting a cartridge.

Furthermore the trigger assembly 11 is provided with a catch pawl 24 which is pivotally mounted on a pin 25 outside the space between the trigger rods 15 and makes possible the discharge of continuous fire. As long as the pistol is adjusted to single shot firing this catch pawl is held by a selector rod 26 in a rest position in which it is ineffective. As may be seen from FIGS. 2 and 3, the selector rod 26 is mounted for displacement in the longitudinal direction of the firearm in the rear part of the handgrip and is loaded by a coil compression spring 27 which tends to press the selector rod rearwardly, that is to say outwardly. At its forward end which projects into the grip 2, the selector rod 26 is provided with a collar 28 which engages behind a lug 29 projecting laterally from the catch pawl 24 in such manner that the latter is prevented from rotating in the clockwise direction (see FIG. 2). In this position a projection 30 attached to the upper end of the catch pawl is located outside the path of the nose 21 attached to the striker pin 22. Moreover, a further projector 31 on an arm of the catch pawl engages under a cranked portion 32 incorporated in the adjacent trigger rod 15, when the said trigger rod is located in its rest position, that is to say when the trigger is not actuated.

When, however, the selector rod 26 is displaced inwardly, that is to say forwardly towards the trigger, and the trigger is then actuated, whereby the trigger rods 15 are moved to their hindmost position, the rear 16 is pressed out of the region of the nose 21 on the striker pin 22, the cranked portion 32 moves beyond the projection 31 on the arm of the catch pawl 24, and the catch pawl is pivoted in the clockwise direction by a limb spring 33 to such extent that its other projection 30 travels into the region of the nose 21 of the striker pin 22. The

projection 30 on the catch pawl 24 detains the striker pin 22 by engagement with the nose 21 after the breech assembly 3 together with the striker pin 22 has moved into its rearmost position. When the breech assembly is moved forwardly again by the main spring in a known manner, a control cam attached to the breech assembly but not illustrated in detail moves the catch pawl 24 downwardly as the breech attains its forward position, so that then the striker pin 22 is released for triggering a further shot. This play is repeated until by releasing the trigger the projection 31 on the arm of the catch pawl 24 is depressed by the cranked portion 32 of the trigger rod 15 whereby the catch pawl 24 is returned to its rest position in which it is ineffective.

The above statements make it clear that the conversion of the pistol described by way of example from single shot firing to continuous firing may be effected in the manner that the selector rod 26 is pressed against the force of the spring 27 from its rest position which it assumes under the force of the spring 27 and which is illustrated in FIG. 2, into the operative position illustrated in FIG. 3. The members which permit such displacement of the selector rod 26 are, according to the invention, not disposed in the pistol itself, but in the shoulder support 4. These members consist of a selector pin 34 and a selecting lever 35. The selector pin 34 is mounted for displacement in its longitudinal direction in an opening 36 in the shoulder support 4 in the continuation of the selector rod 26 of the attached pistol 1, and its forward end projecting from the end face of the shoulder support 4 engages into the opening in which the selector rod 26 is mounted. In the opening 36 of the shoulder support 4 in which the selector pin 34 is mounted there is located a coil compression spring 37 which tends to press the selector pin 34 out of the shoulder support and into the opening for the selector rod 26 provided at the rear end of the handgrip.

The position of the pin 34 is determined by the selecting lever 35 which is disposed on the outside of the shoulder support 4 and is pivotal about an axis 38 directed transversely to the selector pin 34. On the inside of the selecting lever 35 there is located a pin 39 which engages through a recess of the shoulder support into an elongated recess 40 of the selector pin 34 so that the selecting lever 35 and the selector pin 34 are coupled together by means of a kind of pin and slot connection. By pivoting the selecting lever 35 which is provided with two detent positions the pin 39 is displaceable in the longitudinal direction of the opening 36 in which the selector pin 34 is mounted. The position of the pin 39 determines the position of the selector pin 34 because the rear end face of the recess 40 in the pin rests always on the pin 39 under the force of the spring 37. As may be seen from FIG. 2, the pistol 1 attached to the shoulder support 4 is adjusted to single shot firing when the pin 39 is located in its rear position because then the selector rod 26 assumes its rest position under the force of the spring 27 in which its collar 28 engages behind the lug 29 of the catch pawl 24. If, however, the pin 39, as may be seen from FIG. 3, is moved into its foremost position by pivoting the selecting lever 35, the selector pin 34 penetrates further into the opening for the selector rod 26 under the force of the spring 37 and displaces the selector rod against the force of the spring 27 to such extent that the collar 28 releases the lug 29 at the catch pawl 24 and the catch pawl can become operative. In this case the pistol is converted to continuous firing.

Independently of the fact whether the selector members disposed in the shoulder support 4 are adjusted to single shot firing or continuous firing, the forward end of the selector pin 34 engages into the opening of the handgrip accommodating the selector rod 26. It prevents thereby displacement of the pistol relatively to the shoulder support and thus constitutes a simple and effective locking means of the two parts. The slotlike recess 40 in the selector pin 34 permits selector pin 34 to be pressed back independently of the position of the selecting lever 35 so that when the pistol and the shoulder support are assembled together by means of suitable inclined surfaces, the selector pin 34 can be pressed back, while these parts are pushed together, until it engages in the rear end of the handgrip 2 of the pistol. The selecting lever 35 is pivotal rearwardly beyond the single shot firing position to such extent that the selector pin 34 can be withdrawn from the opening in the handgrip by means of the pin 39 when the pistol and the shoulder support are to be separated again from each other.

It is understood that the invention is not limited to the embodiment illustrated by way of example, but that modifications thereof are possible without the scope of the invention being exceeded. In particular, the invention is not limited to the trigger assembly illustrated, but is usable in connection with any other trigger assembly which has a continuous fire arrangement. It is also not necessary that the selector member disposed in the pistol is formed by a rod, but it may be formed for example by a resilient angle lever or the like. Also, the invention is independent of the kind of construction of the connecting members between the shoulder support and the pistol. However, it is clear that the embodiment illustrated byway of example is a particularly simple and particularly reliable realization of the invention.

We claim:

1. A self-loading pistol comprising a trigger assembly, a handgrip means having a rear end face, a shoulder support means, said trigger assembly being selectively adjustable to a first position for single shot firing and to a second position for continuous firing, said shoulder support means being releasably attachable to said rear end face, said shoulder support means including selector means for adjusting said trigger assembly to said first and second positions, said selector means being disposed in operative connection with said trigger assembly when said shoulder support means is attached to said handgrip means, and wherein said trigger assembly includes safety means to retain said trigger assembly in said first position at all times when said shoulder support means is disconnected from said hand grip member.

2. A self-loading pistol as claimed in claim 1, wherein said selector means for adjusting said trigger assembly includes a selector pin mounted for longitudinal displacement in said shoulder support means and having a forward end; wherein said shoulder support means includes a forward end face through which said forward end of said selector pin projects; wherein said trigger assembly comprises a selector member mounted in said hand grip means and accessible from said rear end face, and wherein said forward end of said selector pin means is in operative connection with said selector member when said shoulder support means is connected to said handgrip member.

3. A pistol according to claim 2, wherein said safety means includes spring means disposed to bias the selector member always in the direction towards the rear end of the hand grip for retaining the trigger assembly in the first position single shot firing adjustment until the selector means is actuated.

4. A pistol according to claim 2, wherein the trigger assembly is provided with a separate continuous firing device which is held in its rest position in which it is inefiective by the selector member when said selector member is located in its rest position.

5. A pistol according to claim 4, wherein the continuous firing device comprises a catch pawl having a member for cooperating with a nose attached to a firing pin provided in the pistol, and wherein spring means are provided to force said catch pawl member away from the path of the nose attached to the firing pin.

6. i A pistol according to claim 2, wherein the selector member includes a selector rod which is displaceable in its longitudinal direction and which is disposed axially in line with the selector pin mounted in the shoulder support means when the shoulder support means is connected to the handgrip member.

7. A pistol according to claim 6, wherein the forward end of the selector rod projects into the interior of the handgrip and is provided with a collar which engages behind a lug which projects laterally from the catch pawl when said trigger assembly is in said first position for single shot firing.

8. A pistol according to claim 7, wherein a spring is provided which tends to press the selector pin out of the end face of the shoulder support, and wherein a detained selecting lever is mounted in the shoulder support, said selecting lever forming an abutment against which the selector pin rests under the force of said last mentioned spring.

9. A pistol according to claim 2, wherein connecting members which can be telescoped into each other are provided at the rear end of the handgrip and at the end face of the shoulder support respectively, and wherein the selector pin engages resiliently into a recess disposed at the rear end of the handgrip and thereby locks together the shoulder support and the pistol.

10. A pistol according to claim 9, wherein the selector pin and the selecting lever are in engagement with each other b means of a pm and slot connection, and wherein the selecting lever is pivotable rearwardly to such an extent that the selector pin can be withdrawn from the recess in the handgrip.

l 1. A pistol according to claim 1, wherein the shoulder support is constructed as a hollow body for serving as a pistol holster and wherein a cover of said support forms a support face for resting against shoulder of a user of the pistol.

12. A pistol according to claim 1, wherein the shoulder support consists of a synthetic resin material.

13. A pistol according to claim 1, wherein the shoulder support is constructed watertight for floating in water together with the pistol contained therein.

Claims

4. A pistol according to claim 2, wherein the trigger assembly is provided with a separate continuous firing device which is held in its rest position in which it is ineffective by the selector member when said selector member is located in its rest position.

6. A pistol according to claim 2, wherein the selector member includes a selector rod which is displaceable in its longitudinal direction and which is disposed axially in line with the selector pin mounted in the shoulder support means when the shoulder support means is connected to the handgrip member.

10. A pistol according to claim 9, wherein the selector pin and the selecting lever are in engagement with each other by means of a pin and slot connection, and wherein the selecting lever is pivotable rearwardly to such an extent that the selector pin can be withdrawn from the recess in the handgrip.

11. A pistol according to claim 1, wherein the shoulder support is constructed as a hollow body for serving as a pistol holster and wherein a cover of said support forms a support face for resting against shoulder of a user of the pistol.