WO2005015113A1

WO2005015113A1 - Additional magazine for smooth-bore shotguns

Info

Publication number: WO2005015113A1
Application number: PCT/IT2004/000408
Authority: WO
Inventors: Lauro Rossi; Paolo Corvatta
Original assignee: Lauro Rossi; Paolo Corvatta
Priority date: 2003-08-07
Filing date: 2004-07-23
Publication date: 2005-02-17
Also published as: ITPS20030034A1

Abstract

The present invention refers to an additional magazine for smooth-bore shotguns, of cylinder type, which comprises a series of three parallel cartridge-holding pipes (2) eccentrically supported by a rotary disk (5) coupled to a fixed counter-disk (6) provided with means used to fix it to the shotgun magazine or frame.

Description

Additional magazine for smooth-bore shotguns

The present patent application refers to an additional magazine for smoothbore shotguns, of the type comprising a cartridge magazine under the barrel with linear development under the barrel axis. More precisely, the magazine has an internal cylindrical channel that contains a small series of cartridges that can be inserted through a rear loading mouth located slightly after the trigger.

The magazine contains a helicoidal spring that is gradually compressed when cartridges are loaded, one after the other, and gives the action that is necessary to eject the cartridges from the magazine. As mentioned earlier, the magazine is located under the barrel in a short section before the trigger. For this reason, the number of cartridges is very small, in view of the fact that this type of shotguns uses cartridges obtained from a cylindrical tubular case with approximately 7-cm length. It must be said that this type of shotguns is often used for a special sport that puts to test the user's quickness of reflex and shooting accuracy.

This sport is practised in paramilitary training camps, and not in traditional shooting ranges, where a fight between soldiers is simulated with the aid of semi-hidden, camouflaged or retractable targets that are operated from remote by actuators managed by an electronic control unit where the sequence, location and number of targets can be programmed, according to the difficulty level of the course.

Sports fans complain for the small number of shots available in smooth-bore shotguns, whose cartridge magazine must be loaded more than once during the warlike course, forcing the user to stop repeatedly and lacking a suitable reserve of shots when high immediate fire capacity is needed.

To satisfy this need, an additional magazine for smooth-bore shotguns has been devised, characterised by simple, inexpensive construction, high reliability, easy assembly and disassembly; most of all, the magazine of the invention does not require to modify or adjust the existing magazine, thus permitting to use it also on existing shotguns.

The additional magazine of the invention, of cylinder type, comprises a series of three parallel pipes, with each pipe housing a series of cartridges, one after the other, subjected to the ejection action of a spring contained inside each pipe.

The front of each pipe is closed and a nozzle is engaged on the rear opening.

The nozzle is an integral part of a rotary pipe-holding disk, coupled with a counter-disk that can be fixed to the shotgun magazine. More precisely, the rotary pipe-holding disk includes a series of three nozzles, staggered by 120°, which protrude from corresponding holes drilled on the rotary disk, which is fixed to the counter-disk with a central pin.

The counter-disk is provided with a threaded eccentric nozzles on the back, with which the three nozzles can be selectively put in direct communication by simply rotating the rotary pipe-holding disk by 120°.

It must be noted that the magazine of smooth-bore shotguns is provided with a screwed front plug. By removing the plug, the internal part of the magazine can be accessed from the opposite side with respect to the rear loading mouth. The only nozzle that protrudes from the back of the counter-disk has the same internal diameter and threading as the plug and replaces it when the user wants to increase the fire capacity of the shotgun by means of the additional magazine of the invention.

In other words, by unscrewing the plug and replacing it with the nozzle, the counter-disk can be stopped on the front mouth of the cartridge magazine of the shotgun.

The magazine is in indirect communication with the cartridge-holding pipe, which is momentarily aligned with the magazine, where the cartridges are pushed, one at a time and in a sequence, by the ejection spring housed inside each of the three pipes, which, as mentioned earlier, can selectively communicate with the magazine by simply rotating the rotary pipe-holding disk by 120°. It must be noted that friction means and automatic stop means are situated between the rotary disk and fixed counter-disk, so that at each 120° rotation the cartridge-holding pipe is automatically stopped in perfect coaxial alignment with the cartridge magazine of the shotgun. For major clarity the description of the additional magazine of the invention continues with reference to the enclosed drawings, which are intended for purposes of illustration only and not with a limiting sense, whereby:

- Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view of the additional magazine of the invention assembled under a shotgun. - Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic axonometric view of the additional magazine of the invention, with the series of three cartridge-holding pipes cut for space reasons.

- Fig. 3 is the cross-section of the additional magazine of the invention with the symmetry axial plane passing through the centre of the nozzle by which the magazine is fixed on the cartridge-holding magazine of the shotgun.

- Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic perspective view of the additional magazine of the invention assembled under a shotgun without the main magazine.

- Fig. 5 is an enlarged view of a detail of Fig. 2

- Fig. 6 is an exploded view of the constructive detail shown in Fig. 5. With reference to Fig. 1 , the additional magazine (1) of the invention is designed to be mounted on smooth-bore shotguns (F), of the type provided with a cartridge magazine (S) that extends under the barrel (C) and is provided with two mouths, one rear mouth for cartridge loading and one front mouth (B) for cleaning and disassembling, closed by a threaded plug that is screwed from the outside of the front mouth (B).

With reference to Figs. 2 and 3, the additional magazine (1 ) has a series of three parallel pipes (2), with each pipe housing a spring (3) used to push the entire series of pre-loaded cartridges in each pipe (2) into the magazine (S). Each pipe has a front closing (2a) and a nozzle (4) engaged on the rear opening (2b), which is an integral part of a rotary pipe-holding disk (5) coupled with a counter-disk (6) by means of a central connection screw (7), which leaves the disk (5) free to rotate with respect to the counter-disk (6). More precisely, the rotary pipe-holding disk (5) includes a series of three nozzles (4), staggered by 120°, which protrude from corresponding holes (4a) drilled on the rotary disk (5). The counter-disk (6) is provided with a threaded nozzle (8) that is eccentric and housed inside a circular housing (6a), which is opened in radial direction by means of a notch (6b), whose opposite edges can be tightened by means of a screw (9).

In view of the above, it appears evident that by turning the disk (5) around the screw (7) by 120°, all three pipes (2) can communicate selectively and align with the nozzle (8), which has the same internal diameter and threading (8a) as the plug that closes the front mouth (B) of the magazine (S). This means that, by unscrewing the plug and replacing it with the nozzle (8), the counter-disk (6) can be stopped on the front opening (B) of the magazine (S) of the shotgun (F), as shown in Fig. 1. It is understood that the nozzle (8) must be tightened after unloosing the fixing screw (9) that must be tightened again to prevent the counter-disk (6) from oscillating around the nozzle (8) that is now joined to the shotgun magazine. As mentioned earlier, friction means and automatic stop means at the end of each 120° rotation travel are provided between the rotary disk (5) and the fixed counter-disk (6).

More precisely, a peripheral series (10) of hemispherical marks is provided on the front side of the fixed counter-disk (6), in which a small sphere (11) contained in a suitable housing (12) of the rotary disk (5) can partially engage under the ejection action of a pre-compressed spring (13).

Finally, attention is drawn to a manual device used to obstruct the free ejection of cartridges from the pipes (2) when the pipes (2) are selectively and alternatively in perfect alignment with the nozzle (8) after the rotation of the disk (5). Reference is made to the device (14) illustrated with complete constructive details in Figs. 5 and 6, which comprises a tongue (14a) fixed at the end of a stem (14b) ending with a threaded section (14c) on the opposite side, on which a cap (14d) is screwed to compress a spring (14e) inserted outside the stem (14b), which is inserted and slides inside a rectilinear slot (15) of the counter-disk (6). The face of the counter-disk (6) against the rotary disk (5) has a shaped housing and guide for the tongue (14a), which at the end of the forward travel occupies the space before the housing (6a), thus obstructing the free ejection of cartridges from the pipes (2).

The device can be very useful when the pipes (2) are loaded with cartridges of different type, so that the disk (5) must be rotated until the pipe (2) is perfectly aligned with the housing (6a), thus preventing the cartridges of any other pipe (2) from spontaneously enter the housing (6a) under the action of the springs (3) when the housing (6a) and one of the pipes (2) are aligned. It appears evident that the tongue (14) completely frees the space before the housing (6a) at the end of the backward travel. The stable stop of the tongue (14a) at stop limits is ensured by the friction generated between the wall of the counter-disk (6) and the washer (14f) inserted into the stem (14b) and subject to the action of the spring (14e). It is understood that the additional magazine of the invention can be provided with a different number of cartridge-holding pipes, without altering the operation principle and without leaving the scope of the present invention. The magazine (1 ) can be fixed to the shotgun frame directly, as shown in Fig. 4, which illustrates a shotgun (F) in which the magazine (S) has been replaced by the magazine (1) of the invention, being in this case the main only magazine with improved capacity, and not an additional magazine. In this case, an ordinary threaded bush is used instead of the nozzle (8) to fix the counter-disk (6) directly to the shotgun frame, so that the cartridges ejected from the pipes (2) enter the feeding compartment (V) of the barrel (C) directly, immediately below the housing and guide of the bolt. Another possible way in which the counter-disk (6) can be fixed to the shotgun frame directly is represented by the construction of the counter-disk (6) in one piece with the shotgun frame, in case of a moulded frame.

Claims

1 ) Additional magazine for smooth-bore shotguns, characterised in that it comprises two or more cartridge-holding parallel pipes, each of them housing a spring (3) and having a front closing (2a), while a nozzle (4) is engaged on the rear opening (2b) and protrudes from a corresponding hole (4a) in eccentric position on a rotary pipe-holding disk (5) coupled with a counter- disk (6) by means of a central connection screw (7), which leaves the disk (5) free to rotate with respect to the counter-disk (6), which has an eccentric housing (6a) for the fixing means (8) of the counter-disk (6) at the front opening (B) of the main magazine (S) of the shotgun (F) or at the feeding compartment (V) of the barrel (C) of the shotgun (F), having the means (8) a tubular configuration in order to permit the passage of the cartridges ejected from the pipes (2). 2) Additional magazine for smooth-bore shotguns as defined in the preceding claim, characterised in that the means (8) consist in a threaded nozzle (8) housed inside a circular housing (6a), which is opened in radial direction by means of a notch (6b), whose opposite edges can be tightened by means of a screw (9); it being provided that the nozzle (8) has the same internal diameter and threading (8a) as the plug that covers the front opening (B) of the cartridge magazine (S) of the shotgun.

3) Additional magazine for smooth-bore shotguns as defined in the preceding claims, characterised in that friction means and automatic stop means of the disk (5) are provided between the rotary disk (5) and the fixed counter-disk (6) every time the pipe (2) is perfectly aligned and coaxial with the nozzle (8).

4) Additional magazine for smooth-bore shotguns as defined in one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that a peripheral series (10) of hemispherical marks is provided on the surface of the counter-disk (6) against the rotary disk (5), having the same number as the pipes (2), in which a small sphere (11) contained in a suitable housing (12) of the rotary disk (5) and subject to the ejection action of a pre-compressed spring (13) can be partially engaged. 5) Additional magazine for smooth-bore shotguns as defined in one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that the counter-disk (6) is provided with a manual device (14) used to obstruct the free expulsion of cartridges from the pipes (2) when the pipes (2) are selectively and alternatively in perfect alignment with the nozzle (8) after the rotation of the disk (5).

6) Additional magazine for smooth-bore shotguns as defined in the preceding claim, characterised in that the device (14) comprises a tongue (14a) fixed at the end of a stem (14b) ending with a threaded section (14c) on the opposite side, on which a cap (14d) is screwed to compress a spring (14e) inserted outside the stem (14b), which is inserted and slides inside a rectilinear slot (15) of the counter-disk (6), which has a shaped housing and guide for the tongue (14a) on the side against the rotary disk (5), which occupies the space before the housing (6a) at the end of forward travel, thus obstructing the free ejection of cartridges from the pipes (2).