U.S. patent application number 10/914792 was filed with the patent office on 2005-06-02 for gunstock.
This patent application is currently assigned to Accurate Innovations, L.L.C.. Invention is credited to Thompson, Gerald Robert.
Application Number | 20050115135 10/914792 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 34622794 |
Filed Date | 2005-06-02 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050115135 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Thompson, Gerald Robert |
June 2, 2005 |
Gunstock
Abstract
The action and barrel of a firearm are in direct contact with a
high modulus of elasticity holder that receives the vibrations of
recoil directly and distributes the vibrations over a wide area.
The high modulus of elasticity holder, which may be made of a metal
such as aluminum, transfers the forces to the wooden portion of a
wooden gunstock over a wide area greater than 12 square inches so
that there are substantially no concentrated stresses placed upon
the wood.
Inventors: |
Thompson, Gerald Robert;
(Rapid City, SD) |
Correspondence
Address: |
VINCENT L. CARNEY LAW OFFICE
P.O. BOX 80836
LINCOLN
NE
68501-0836
US
|
Assignee: |
Accurate Innovations,
L.L.C.
Rapid City
SD
|
Family ID: |
34622794 |
Appl. No.: |
10/914792 |
Filed: |
August 10, 2004 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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60494138 |
Aug 11, 2003 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
42/75.02 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F41A 21/485
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
042/075.02 |
International
Class: |
F41C 023/00 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A method of making a firearm comprising the steps of: forming a
gunstock with a recess sufficiently large to receive a barrel and
action of the firearm; fastening a holder to the gunstock in the
recess; supporting the barrel and action of the firearm on the
holder, wherein the holder has a high modulus of elasticity and
vibration conductivity, whereby recoil forces are distributed over
the holder without damages to the holder and from a holder to a
contact area with the gunstock of at least 12 square inches whereby
vibrational forces in the holder are transferred to the gunstock
over a wide area without concentration of forces.
2. A method according to claim 1 wherein the step of supporting the
barrel and action of the firearm comprises the step of supporting
the barrel and action on a one-piece holder having a modulus of
elasticity of at least 3 million psi.
3. A method according to claim 2 wherein the step of supporting the
barrel and action of the firearm on a one-piece holder comprises
the step of supporting the barrel and action on a one-piece holder
having a modulus of elasticity of between nine million and ten
million psi.
4. A method of firing a firearm having a barrel and breech support
and a firearm stock comprising the steps of: firing the firearm;
transmitting vibrations of the barrel and breech to the support
without transmitting vibrations from the barrel and breech directly
to the stock; transmitting the vibrations from the support to a
wide area of the stock, whereby concentrated vibrational forces are
not applied directly to the stock from the support and vibrational
forces are not applied directly from the barrel and breech to the
stock; the step of transmitting vibrations of the barrel and breech
to the support including the substep of distributing the vibrations
throughout the support; and the step of transmitting vibrations
from the support to a wide area of the stock including the substep
of transmitting vibrations over an area of at least 12 square
inches and at least 10 percent of the support.
5. A method according to claim 4 wherein the step of transmitting
vibrations of the barrel and breech to the support comprises the
step of supporting the barrel and action on a one-piece holder
having a modulus of elasticity of at least 3 million psi.
6. A method according to claim 4 wherein the step of transmitting
vibrations of the barrel and breech to the support comprises the
step of supporting the barrel and action on a one-piece holder
having a modulus of elasticity of between nine million and ten
million psi.
7. A firearm comprising: a barrel; a breech; a gunstock; a holder;
said gunstock having a recess sufficiently large to receive the
holder, barrel and breech of the firearm; the holder being fastened
in the recess to the gunstock; the barrel and breech of the firearm
being fastened on the holder; the holder having a high modulus of
elasticity, whereby recoil forces are distributed over the holder
without damages to the holder; and said gunstock and holder having
at least 10 square inches in contact with each other and at least
10 percent of the support, whereby vibrational forces in the holder
are transferred to the gunstock over a wide area without
concentration of forces.
8. A firearm according to claim 7 in which the holder is a
one-piece holder having a modulus of elasticity of at least 3
million psi.
9. A firearm according to claim 7 in which the holder is a
one-piece holder having a modulus of elasticity of between nine
million and ten million psi.
10. A support for a firearm, comprising: a top surface for
supporting a barrel and breech of the firearm; a bottom surface for
contacting a gunstock of the firearm; fastener means for fastening
a holder to the gunstock of the firearm; said holder having an
opening positioned to be aligned with a corresponding opening in
the gunstock of the firearm for permitting a firing mechanism to
extend below the gunstock of the firearm; the holder being fastened
in a recess to the gunstock; the holder having a high modulus of
elasticity, whereby recoil forces are distributed over the holder
without damages to the holder; and said gunstock and holder having
at least 12 square inches in contact with each other, whereby
vibrational forces in the holder are transferred to the gunstock
over a wide area without concentration of forces.
11. A support for a firearm according to claim 10 in which the
holder is a one-piece holder having a modulus of elasticity of at
least 3 million psi.
12. A support for a firearm according to claim 10 in which the
holder is a one-piece holder having a modulus of elasticity of
between 9 and 10 million psi.
Description
RELATED CASES
[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part application of
U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/494,138 filed Aug.
11, 2003, by inventor, Gerald Robert Thompson. The benefit of
provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/494,138 is claimed.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] This invention relates to gunstocks.
[0003] It is known for long barrel firearms such as rifles to have
wooden gunstocks or gunstocks made of synthetic such as plastic or
gunstocks comprising a metal platform with a synthetic portion of
the stock formed onto it. For example, in one known embodiment, a
metal platform is attached to the synthetic portion of the stock as
a metal insert in the cavity of an injection molding apparatus to
have the synthetic portion of the stock molded onto it.
[0004] Wood stocks, without a metal insert have several
disadvantages, such as for example: (1) there are small microscopic
openings that in time admit some moisture causing eventual warping;
(2) laminates may have voids that weaken the stock and permit
eventual failure; (3) wood is subject to harmonics and subharmonics
of the barrel vibrations after each round is fired; (4) the
strength of the wood is not predictable and failure of the wood can
be sudden and unexpected; (5) in the normal manufacturing of
laminates, for reasons of economy, the adhesives used are sprayed
in a continuous process of specific volume of adhesive per unit
area, whereas the voids that need to be filled are irregular and,
thus, some voids do not get filled; (6) many wood stocks have very
small areas of contact with the barrel that must adsorb the entire
force of recoil thus increasing the pressure on the points of
contact; and (7) the forces imposed on the wood stock near the
breech area of the firearm by fasteners cause damaging stress on
the wood.
[0005] Synthetic stocks without an insert and with an insert molded
into the synthetic also have disadvantages such as imparting a
sharper more concentrated kick because the recoil force tends to
impact the shooter close in time with vibrations from resonance
effects.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide a
novel firearm.
[0007] It is a further object of the invention to provide a novel
method of making a firearm.
[0008] It is a still further object of the invention to provide a
novel gunstock which is more durable and delivers less of a recoil
to the shooter.
[0009] It is a still further object of the invention to provide a
novel wooden gunstock with a holder or support for a barrel.
[0010] It is a still further object of the invention to provide a
wooden gunstock for a firearm which is not subject to excessive
warping in time.
[0011] It is a still further object of the invention to provide a
novel wood gunstock that is not excessively subject to harmonics
and subharmonics of barrel vibrations.
[0012] It is a still further object of the invention to provide a
novel laminated wood gunstock.
[0013] It is a still further object of the invention to provide a
novel firearm in which the force of recoil is distributed over a
substantial portion of the area of the gunstock rather than being
concentrated.
[0014] It is a still further object of the invention to provide a
gunstock in which the fasteners fastening the breech to the
gunstock do not cause concentrated stress.
[0015] In accordance with the above and further objects of the
invention, a firearm is provided in which there is a recess in the
gunstock that accommodates a holder or support for the barrel and
the breech. Forces of recoil are thus transferred to the holder and
from the holder to the wood stock in a less concentrated form. The
holder has a higher modulus of elasticity than the wood and tends
to prevent the wood from warping. It also avoids concentrated
forces from being applied to the wood to avoid untimely fractures
of the wood. In the preferred embodiment, the modulus of elasticity
of a single one piece holder that supports both the barrel and the
breech is above three million psi and preferably between nine
million and ten million psi. However, it must be high enough to
retard warping of the gunstock and reduce the concentration of the
forces of recoil. To avoid the transmission of concentrated forces
to the wood stock, the holder has a contact area with the wood
stock of at least twelve square inches.
[0016] When the firearm is fired, the recoil forces are transferred
to a holder directly rather than being transferred directly to the
wood stock. The holder absorbs the forces and passes them on to the
wood stock across an area of at least twelve square inches. It is
stronger and less subject to warping than the wood stock and tends
to hold the wood stock against warping.
[0017] In manufacturing the wood stock, a recess is formed
sufficiently large to receive the breech and the barrel. A holder
is formed that fits within the recess with contact with the wood
stock of at least twelve square inches of area. The holder is
fastened to the wood stock.
[0018] The barrel and the breech of the firearm is in contact with
the holder so that it passes the recoil forces to the holder and
not to the wood stock. The firing mechanism such as the trigger and
the like pass through an opening in the applicator and in the wood
stock to protrude from the wood stock in the conventional manner
without providing a point for transferring forces to the wood
stock. The applicator is fastened to the wood stock by relatively
large tubular connectors instead of the breech being attached
directly to the wood stock. Thus, the fasteners do not pass
concentrated forces in the manner that would happen if the breech
itself were fastened directly to the wood stock.
[0019] From the above description, it can be understood that the
firearm of this invention has several advantages, such as for
example: (1) the high modulus of elasticity holder holds the wood
stock against warping from moisture over a period of time; (2) the
high modulus of elasticity holder reduces failure from weaknesses
in the wood stock; (3) the high modulus of elasticity holder
reduces harmonics and subharmonics in the wood stock after rounds
are fired; (4) the high modulus of elasticity holder reduces
failure in the woods from concentrated recoil forces; (5) the high
modulus of elasticity holder dissipates the concentrated forces
that are occurring when the firearm is fired over a wider area and
applies forces that are to be transmitted to the wood stock in less
concentrated form over the wide area; and (6) it does not have
fasteners extending from the breech into the wood stock to apply
concentrated forces to the wood stock and loosen the fasteners.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0020] The above noted and other features of the invention will be
better understood from the following detailed description when
considered together with the accompanied drawings, in which:
[0021] FIG. 1 is a plan view of a holder mounted within a rifle
stock;
[0022] FIG. 2 is a side elevational view, partly broken away,
showing a barrel and breech lock section within a rifle stock
having a holder;
[0023] FIG. 3 is a top view of a holder in accordance with one
embodiment of the invention;
[0024] FIG. 4 is a right side view of the holder of FIG. 3;
[0025] FIG. 5 is a left view of the holder of FIG. 3;
[0026] FIG. 6 is a bottom view of the holder of FIG. 3;
[0027] FIG. 7 is a plan view of a stock adapted to receive the
holders in accordance with one embodiment of the invention;
[0028] FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing the steps in making a
firearm in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; and
[0029] FIG. 9 is a flow diagram showing the steps in firing a
firearm in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0030] In FIG. 1, there is shown a plan view of a rifle stock 12
having a holder 14 mounted within a recess 16 within the stock 12.
In the embodiment of FIG. 1, the firearm stock 12 is a wood stock
and the holder 14 is an aluminum holder. However, other materials
can be used. Generally, the holder 14 will have a modulus of
elasticity greater than three million psi and in the preferred
embodiment, it is approximately nine million psi (pounds per square
inch). It is mounted to have a large area of at least twelve square
inches and the surface area of contact should be at least ten
percent of the surface area of the support itself. The amount of
surface area will of course depend upon the particular weapon but
it is desirable to maximize the surface to spread the force of
recoil throughout the high modulus of elasticity holder and
transfer it to the wood stock over the widest possible area to
avoid concentrated forces on the wood stock.
[0031] The holder 14 includes a breech block section 38, the barrel
supporting section 18 preferably has a flat upper surface against
which the barrel rests to receive the vibrations from the barrel.
The breech block section 38 includes on its upper surface a recess
portion 22, first and second through openings 26 and 28, a curved
support 24, a bushing support 32, cut away portions 34 and 30, and
a shoulder 36. Bushings 40 and 42 having central openings for bolts
extending downwardly from the top surface of the holder to receive
fasteners for tightly fastening the holder against the firearm
stock. The recess portion 22 receives a correspondingly shaped
portion of the breech block to hold it in place, while the breech
block itself extends and is exposed in the opening 26 and the
trigger mechanism extends downwardly through the opening 28 to
protrude from the bottom of a corresponding opening in the wood
stock. The curved support 24 receives the chamber which is
correspondingly shaped and has through it the bushing 40 for
holding the holder to the firearm stock. At the near end of the
breech block extending away from the barrel support section 18 is a
support 34 that accommodates the bushing 42. The cut away portion
34 accommodates the breech lever and the cutaway portion 30 and
shoulder 36 receive correspondingly shaped portions of the breech
block.
[0032] With this arrangement, the holder receives the recoil
vibrations upon firing and conducts the strain throughout the
holder where it is imparted to a wide surface area of the wood
stock. Also, it holds the wood stock against curved warping because
it is fully recessed with its sides in contact with the inner side
of the recess of the wood stock to prevent such bending. Because of
the extensive contact both laterally and at the underside, there is
sufficient restraining force against such warping. With a modulus
of elasticity of more than three million psi, its strength is
greater than that of conventional firearm stocks so that it has
ample strength to resist the forces of recoil.
[0033] In FIG. 2, there is shown a fragmentary side, elevational
view of a firearm 46 having the breech block 48, a trigger
mechanism 50 and a barrel 52 resting on the holder 14 (FIG. 1).
With this arrangement, when the firearm 46 is fired, the barrel 52
vibrates against the holder primarily to pass concentrated stresses
to it. The breech block 48 has points of high force that also
impinge against the holder, which in the preferred embodiment, is a
single piece so that the forces enter the holder and are conducted
through it because of its relatively high modulus of elasticity.
The recoil force is also transmitted backwardly through the stock,
which is preferably wood, while the recoil vibrations are within
the holder to reduce the total recoil force against the shoulder of
the shooter.
[0034] In FIG. 3, there is shown a top view of the holder 14 shown
without the fasteners that would go within the bushings 42 and 40
or within the opening 54 to fasten the holder to the bottom of the
wood stock. However, the parts are otherwise the same as in FIG. 1
and are numbered accordingly. As can be best seen in this view, in
the preferred embodiment, the holder is made as a single unit
except for the fasteners to increase the translation of vibrations
that are perpendicular to the plane of the holder into vertical
strains, to convert vibrational energy to heat energy, dissipate
the heat energy and to transfer the vibrations with reduced
amplitude over a wide area of the stock.
[0035] In FIGS. 4 and 5, there is shown, respectively, right and
left elevational views of the holder 14 showing the bushing 42, the
bushing 40, the barrel supporting section 18 and the opening 54 for
a fastener. In FIG. 4, there is shown the cut away portions 34 and
30 to receive breech levers. At the bottom of the barrel supporting
section 18, in spaced apart relation to each other, are protruding
parallelopiped integrally formed units 55 and 56 that fit into
corresponding openings in the wood stock under the barrel
supporting section 18 for a firmer connection to increase the
connection between the barrel supporting section 18 and the wood
stock.
[0036] In FIG. 6, there is shown a bottom view of a holder 14
indicating the parts shown in FIGS. 3-5 by the identical numbers
and showing more clearly serrations 58, two of which are numbered
and which extend throughout the length of the barrel supporting
section and a portion of the breech block supporting section 20 in
some embodiments to hold more epoxy for a better connection between
the barrel holding section and the wood stock.
[0037] In FIG. 7, there is shown a plan view of a stock 12
including the opening 16 for receiving the holder and having the
openings 60, 62, 64, 66 and 68. In the barrel support section,
there is a raised triangular portion 70. The openings 62 and 68 are
to receive the bushings 40 and 42 (FIGS. 1, and 3-5), the breech
block section opening 64, the trigger mechanism opening 66, the
spacer wedge 70 and the gripping openings 60.
[0038] In FIG. 8, there is shown a flow diagram 71 of the steps
which may be used to make an embodiment of firearm in accordance
with the invention comprising the step 72 of preparing a wooden
gunstock with a recess for holder, barrel and breech or action
mechanism, the step 74 of preparing a one-piece high modulus of
elasticity holder, the step 76 of mounting the holder to the wood
stock with a large contact area, and the step 78 of mounting the
barrel and breech on the holder without substantial contact with
the wood stock. With these steps, a holder is provided in a firearm
which distributes the vibrational forces over an area of the wood
stock and tends to hold the wood stock from bending.
[0039] In FIG. 9, there is shown a flow diagram 80 illustrating the
actions taken in using a firearm in accordance with an embodiment
of the invention comprising the step 82 of firing a firearm having
a wooden stock and a one-piece high modulus of elasticity holder,
the step 84 of transferring the recoil vibrations directly to the
holder without barrel or breech contact of the stock, and the step
86 of transferring vibrations to a wide area of the wooden stock
without concentrated forces. With this arrangement, the firearm is
fired, but instead of the recoil vibrations being transferred
directly to the wooden portion of the stock, they are transferred
to the high modulus of elasticity holder where they are distributed
over a wide area greater than 12 square inches and then transferred
to the wooden portion of the stock.
[0040] As can be understood from the above description, the firearm
of this invention has several advantages, such as for example: (1)
a high modulus of elasticity holder holds the wood stock against
warping from moisture over a period of time; (2) a high modulus of
elasticity holder for the barrel and action of the firearm reduces
failure from weakness in the wood stock; (3) a high modulus of
elasticity holder for the firearm action and barrel reduces
harmonics and subharmonics in the wood stock after rounds are
fired; (4) a high modulus of elasticity holder reduces failure in
the wood from concentrated recoil forces; (5) a high modulus of
elasticity holder dissipates the concentrated forces that are
occurring when the firearm is fired over a wider area and applies
forces that are to be transmitting to the wood stock in less
concentrated form over the wide area; and (6) it is not necessary
to have fasteners extending from the breech of the firearm into the
wood stock and thus avoids concentrated forces being applied to the
wood stock to loosen the fasteners.
* * * * *