U.S. patent application number 11/237313 was filed with the patent office on 2006-03-16 for firearms, adapters for firearms and methods for using the same.
Invention is credited to Johannes Murello.
Application Number | 20060053673 11/237313 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 33099294 |
Filed Date | 2006-03-16 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060053673 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Murello; Johannes |
March 16, 2006 |
Firearms, adapters for firearms and methods for using the same
Abstract
A firearm and an adapter for use with a firearm is disclosed.
The adapter includes a housing that surrounds at least a portion of
a barrel of the firearm, wherein the housing further comprises a
cylindrical exterior surface and at least one circumferential
formation. The adapter also includes a receiver attached to the
housing, wherein the receiver further comprises an interior surface
that at least in part matches the exterior surface of the housing
and at least one bore through which a coupling mechanism is
inserted to couple the receiver to the at least one circumferential
formation of the housing. The adapter serves to attach at least one
accessory to the firearm.
Inventors: |
Murello; Johannes;
(Deisslingen, DE) |
Correspondence
Address: |
HANLEY, FLIGHT & ZIMMERMAN, LLC
20 N. WACKER DRIVE
SUITE 4220
CHICAGO
IL
60606
US
|
Family ID: |
33099294 |
Appl. No.: |
11/237313 |
Filed: |
September 27, 2005 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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PCT/EP04/03181 |
Mar 25, 2004 |
|
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11237313 |
Sep 27, 2005 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
42/71.01 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F41C 27/06 20130101;
F41C 27/00 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
042/071.01 |
International
Class: |
F41C 23/00 20060101
F41C023/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Mar 27, 2003 |
DE |
DE 103 13 919.2 |
Apr 10, 2003 |
DE |
DE 103 16 545.2 |
Claims
1. A firearm comprising: an adapter to attach at least one
accessory, wherein the adapter comprises: a housing that surrounds
at least a portion of a barrel of the firearm, wherein the housing
further comprises a cylindrical exterior surface and at least one
circumferential formation; and a receiver attached to the housing,
wherein the receiver further comprises an interior surface that at
least in part matches the exterior surface of the housing and at
least one bore through which a coupling mechanism is inserted to
couple the receiver to the at least one circumferential formation
of the housing.
2. The firearm according to claim 1, wherein the receiver is
rotatable with respect to the housing.
3. The firearm according to claim 1, wherein the receiver is
axially fixed with respect to the housing.
4. The firearm according to claim 1, wherein the rotational
alignment of the receiver is independent of the position of the
housing.
5. The firearm according to claim 1, wherein the at least one
accessory is at least one of a night targeting device, a lighting
unit, a bi-pod support, a tri-pod support, a grenade launcher, a
shotgun accessory, or a sight.
6. The firearm according to claim 1, wherein the housing is
mechanically linked to the barrel.
7. The firearm according to claim 1, wherein the housing is axially
parallel to the barrel.
8. The firearm according to claim 1, wherein the receiver further
comprises an extension that engages a recess in a portion of the
firearm to limit rotation of the receiver.
9. The firearm according to claim 1, further comprising a second
circumferential formation.
10. The firearm according to claim 1, wherein the housing further
comprises a protuberance that serves as a contact for the receiver
unit.
11. The firearm according to claim 1, wherein a front shaft is
designed to fit onto the housing.
12. The firearm according to claim 1, wherein the receiver further
comprises at least one rail.
13. The firearm according to claim 12, wherein the at least one
rail is substantially parallel to an axis of the barrel.
14. The firearm according to claim 12, wherein the accessory is
attached to the at least one rail.
15. The firearm according to claim 1, wherein the receiver is made
of a metal, a plastic, or a metal-plastic combination.
16. The firearm according to claim 1, wherein the receiver is a
single piece.
17. The firearm according to claim 1, wherein the receiver
comprises more than one component.
18. The firearm according to claim 1, wherein the receiver at least
partially surrounds the housing.
19. For use with a firearm, an adapter to attach at least one
accessory, the adapter comprising: a housing that surrounds at
least a portion of a barrel of the firearm, wherein the housing
further comprises a cylindrical exterior surface and at least one
circumferential formation; and a receiver attached to the housing,
wherein the receiver further comprises an interior surface that at
least in part matches the exterior surface of the housing and at
least one bore through which a coupling mechanism is inserted to
couple the receiver to the at least one circumferential formation
of the housing.
20. The adapter according to claim 19, wherein the receiver is
rotatable with respect to the housing.
21. The adapter according to claim 19, wherein the receiver is
axially fixed with respect to the housing.
22. The adapter according to claim 19, wherein the rotational
alignment of the receiver is independent of the position of the
housing.
23. The adapter according to claim 19, wherein the housing is
mechanically linked to the barrel.
24. The adapter according to claim 19, wherein the housing is
axially parallel to the barrel.
25. The adapter according to claim 19, wherein the receiver further
comprises an extension that engages a recess in a portion of the
firearm to limit rotation of the receiver.
26. The adapter according to claim 19, further comprising a second
circumferential formation.
27. The adapter according to claim 19, wherein the housing further
comprises a protuberance that serves as a contact for the receiver
unit.
28. The adapter according to claim 19, wherein a front shaft is
designed to fit onto the housing.
29. The adapter according to claim 19, wherein the receiver further
comprises at least one rail.
30. The adapter according to claim 29, wherein the accessory is
attached to the at least one rail.
31. The adapter according to claim 19, wherein the receiver is made
of a metal, a plastic, or a metal-plastic combination.
32. The adapter according to claim 19, wherein the receiver at
least partially surrounds the housing.
33. A method of modifying a firearm that has a removable barrel,
the method comprising: removing the barrel from a lock in the
firearm; inserting a second barrel in place of the removed barrel;
threading the housing into the lock to secure the barrel; mounting
a receiver to the housing, wherein the receiver serves as an
attachment for at least one accessory.
34. The method according to claim 33, wherein the receiver is
rotatable with respect to the housing.
35. The method according to claim 33, wherein the receiver is
axially fixed with respect to the housing.
36. The method according to claim 33, wherein the rotational
alignment of the receiver is independent of the position of the
housing.
37. The method according to claim 33, wherein the receiver further
comprises an extension that engages a recess in a portion of the
firearm to limit rotation of the receiver.
38. The method according to claim 33, wherein a front shaft is
designed to fit onto the housing.
39. The method according to claim 33, wherein the receiver further
comprises at least one rail.
40. The method according to claim 39, wherein the accessory is
attached to the at least one rail.
Description
RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This patent is a continuation-in-part of International
Patent Application Serial No. PCT/EP2004/003181, filed Mar. 25,
2004, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its
entirety.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] This disclosure relates generally to firearms and, more
particularly, to firearms that are equipped with adapters to which
accessories may be attached.
BACKGROUND
[0003] For many decades adapters have been used to attach
accessories, such as, for example, night targeting devices,
lighting units, bipod supports, grenade launchers or the like to
firearms. In conventional firearms having steel casings, it is
typical to attach an adapter, such as a telescopic sight adapter
that is designed to support a telescopic sight for the firearm,
directly on the steel casing. In addition to an adapter, the casing
also houses a lock and fixedly supports a gun barrel. Consequently,
exchanging the gun barrel is feasible only as part of extensive
maintenance work.
[0004] Typically, with rapid-fire firearms, which have an extended
outer housing, or casing, of sheet metal, an adapter for mounting
accessories is attached on the outside of the outer casing of sheet
metal. As with conventional firearms, the gun barrel of these
rapid-fire firearms can be exchanged only as part of extensive
maintenance work, if at all. Furthermore, under extreme conditions,
the form and orientation of this sheet metal casing is not always
perfectly stable relative to the gun barrel, which leads to changes
in the position of the accessory (e.g., the sight) relative to the
barrel, i.e., misalignment. Consequently, the targeting of the
firearm may be affected. This is also true for modem rapid-fire
firearms having plastic casings. Nonetheless, there has been no
other option for the firearm designer but to attach the adapter or
mounting unit for accessories directly on the casing.
[0005] For accessories that are attached to the front of the
firearm, such as a laser targeting device, the orientation of the
assembly, and thus the targeting device, is even more unstable if
the accessory in question is not to be attached directly to the
front segment of the barrel. However, attachment to the front
segment of the barrel is undesirable, at least in precision
firearms, because it degrades the achievable targeting precision.
Thus, such a unit would have to be attached to a hand guard, the
orientation of which relative to the barrel is even less precise
than compared to when attached to the plastic casing.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0006] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of the front portion of an
example rapid-fire firearm equipped with an example adapter.
[0007] FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a portion of the front portion
of FIG. 1.
[0008] FIG. 3 is an external view of the example firearm of FIG. 1
with a portion of the casing removed to expose a portion of the
example housing.
[0009] FIG. 4 is a cross section along line IV-IV of FIG. 1.
[0010] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the firearm of FIG. 1
with an example front shaft attached to the example housing.
[0011] All figures show the same example firearm and example
adapter. The scale of the figures varies, and the reference numbers
are consistent in all figures. The firearm discharges from right to
left in FIGS. 1-3 and 5.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0012] Throughout this patent, position designations such as
"above," "below," "top'" "forward," "rear," etc. are referenced to
a firearm held in a normal firing position (i.e., pointed away from
the shooter in a generally horizontal direction).
[0013] FIG. 1 shows a firearm 1 including an example adapter 8
disclosed herein for use with firearms to facilitate attachment of
firearm accessories to, for example, a rapid-fire firearm 1. The
adapter 8 includes a housing 9 and a receiver 10 that is mounted on
the housing 9, both of which are described in greater detail below.
Example accessories that are connectable to the receiver 10 of the
adapter 8 include, for example, night targeting devices, lighting
units, bipod supports, grenade launchers, or the like.
[0014] The example rapid-fire firearm 1 shown in FIGS. 1-3 is a gas
pressure loader. The firearm 1 includes a pipe-shaped steel lock 12
that is molded into the interior of a plastic casing 144 at the
rear end of a barrel 16. The lock 12 has locking pins (not shown)
and is the central force-bearing component of the firearm 1. The
lock 12 has male threads on the outer surface of its front end.
[0015] The housing 9 has a substantially cylindrical exterior
surface and may be fabricated from steel, titanium, light metals,
or any combination of various materials. The housing 9 includes a
protuberance 18, which, when the housing 9 is installed, contacts
the front of a shoulder 20 of the barrel 16. The housing 9 includes
female threads that are firmly screwed onto the male threads of
lock 12, thus forming a thread connection 22 and locking the
shoulder 20 of the barrel 16 as described below. The contact
between the lock 12, the shoulder 20, and the protuberance 18 makes
the barrel 16 non-rotatable in the lock 12. Thus, the rear portion
of the housing 9 operates like a coupling nut in combination with
the lock 12.
[0016] Unlike a coupling nut, the housing 9 extends towards the
front to contact or nearly contact a gas removal unit 24, which is
removably mounted on the outside of the barrel 16. Though the
housing 9 is relatively long, the contact between the shoulder 20
and the protuberance 18 assures an axially parallel and essentially
coaxial orientation between the entire housing 9 and the barrel 16.
The housing 9 surrounds the barrel 16 tightly without making
contact with the barrel 16. The thread connection 22 between the
housing 9 and the lock 12 likewise does not make contact with the
barrel 16. In one example, the axial support of the housing 9
around the barrel 16 is provided only by the axial contact of the
barrel shoulder 20 and the protuberance 18, and there is no contact
in a radial direction. Thus, the barrel 16 is free to move and has
the same characteristics as though a coupling nut were used, rather
than the housing 9.
[0017] The housing 9 has a relatively thin perforated wall and two
circumferential formations such as, for example, ring formations or
grooves: a front ring groove 26, which may contain a slip gauge,
and a larger rear ring groove 28. Due to the thinness of the wall
of the housing 9, ring grooves 26, 28 are formed by grooves in the
wall.
[0018] The barrel 16 has a radial gas discharge bore 30 in front of
the cylindrical housing 9 that expands into the gas removal unit
24. An arrangement 32, including a gas piston 34, a shaft 36 and a
spring 38, extends parallel to the barrel 16 behind the rear of the
gas removal unit 24. The spring 38 contacts the casing 14 by a shim
40, while the shaft 36 extends into the casing 14. Though FIG. 2
shows the spring 38 in two positions, only one spring 38 is
used.
[0019] If no receiver 10 is mounted on the housing 9 of the firearm
1, a conventional front shaft 41 (FIG. 5) may be attached to the
housing 9. The front shaft 41 is not obstructed by the housing 9 in
any manner. However, if, as shown in FIGS. 1-4, a receiver 10 is
mounted on the housing 9, the receiver 10 may be implemented as a
receiver 10 having for four axis-parallel rails 42, 44, 46. In this
example, the receiver 10 is designed as a pipe-like housing made of
aluminum, though other metallic materials, a plastic, or a plastic
and metal combination may also be used. The receiver 10 has an
inner bore 48 that fits precisely on the exterior of the housing 9
and is mounted onto the front of the housing 9 to form the adapter
8. The bore 48 has radial recesses 50 (FIG. 4), such that the
receiver 10 may be mounted from the front over the gas removal unit
24 and the gas piston, shaft and spring arrangement 32 onto the
housing 9.
[0020] The receiver 10 has three cross bores 52a, 52b, 52c, which
tangentially traverse the ring grooves 26, 28 and which are of
substantially identical size. There is one bore 52a, 52b on each of
the upper and lower surfaces of the housing 9 in the area of the
front ring groove 26, while the third bore 52c is placed in the
area of the rear ring groove 28 over the housing 9. In one example,
the distance between the ring grooves 15 and 17 is set to
correspond to almost the entire length of the receiver 10.
[0021] There is a coupling mechanism, such as a fitted pin or screw
54 in the upper front bore 52a, which fits exactly into the front
ring groove 26. In the rear bore 52c is another coupling mechanism,
a loose pin 56, which has substantially the same dimension as screw
54, but because the rear groove 28 has a larger diameter than the
front groove 26, the pin 56 has play, i.e., is not closely fitted
into the rear ring groove 28. Consequently, the receiver 10 acts as
a bridge with a solid connection 26, 54 and a loose connection 28,
56 axially, but which may essentially rotate with respect to the
housing 9 in ring grooves 26, 28. Though the receiver 10 may
essentially rotate with respect to the housing 9 in the ring
grooves 26, 28, there is an extension 58 that extends beyond the
rear end of receiver 10 that limits any rotation. The extension 58
fits into a corresponding recess 60 of the casing 14, which limits
the rotation of the receiver 10 with respect to the housing 9.
[0022] The lower front bore 52b is intended for a special use, such
as for mounting accessories that may transfer significant forces to
the firearm 1.
[0023] When the barrel 16 needs to be exchanged (e.g., for cleaning
or repair), it necessary to remove the barrel 16 from the lock 12
and casing 14. In the illustrated example, the barrel 16 is removed
by first removing the receiver 10 from the housing 9. This may be
carried out by removing the pins 54, 56 that are inserted through
the receiver 10 into the grooves of the housing 9. After the pins
54, 56 are removed, the receiver 10 may be slid forward on the
firearm 1 over the gas removal unit 24.
[0024] After the receiver 10 has been removed, the housing 9 is
rotated such that the threaded connection 22 loosens, thereby
moving the protuberance 18 from the shoulder 20 of the barrel 16
and decoupling the housing 9 and the lock 12. Once the threads on
the housing 9 and the lock 12 are no longer in engaged, the housing
9 may be removed and the barrel 16 may be slid out of the lock 12.
A new barrel 16 may then be inserted into the lock 12. Then the
housing 9 is inserted over the barrel 16 and rotated to engage the
threads on the housing 9 with the threads on the lock 12 to re-form
the threaded connection 22 and secure the shoulder 20 between the
protuberance 18 and the lock 12. The receiver 10 may then be
re-mounted to the housing 9 by sliding the receiver 10 over the gas
removal unit 24 and reinstalling the pins 54, 56.
[0025] As previously mentioned and shown in FIG. 4, the receiver 10
has four rails, including the upper rail 42, two side rails 44, and
a lower rail 46. An accessory may be pushed onto each of the rails
42, 44, 46 to be fastened therein by cross grooves 62. The rails
42, 44, 46 may be conventional rails such as, for example,
Picatinny rails.
[0026] The illustrated example is particularly beneficial because
the receiver 10 is bound to the housing 9 only axially. This allows
the housing 9 to be screwed tightly onto the lock 12 (via the
protuberance 18) to form thread connection 22, as described above.
However, the exact final rotational position of the housing 9 is of
no consequence to the proper and successful mounting and alignment
of the receiver 10 because the receiver 10 can freely rotate about
the housing 9, any resulting rotational alignment is acceptable due
to the pair of complementary formations, the recess 60 and the
extension 58. Once fully assembled, the extension 58 is bound
within the confines of the recess 60 to ensure that the receiver 10
is properly aligned. The design of the recess 60 was considered and
implemented in the production of the firearm 1 and may be a
standard feature that appears on firearms that do not have the
adapter 8.
[0027] FIG. 2 shows specifically that the loose connection (loose
pin 56, ring groove 28) is designed to have not a circular profile,
but, rather, be an extended oval groove 28. FIG. 2 also shows that
the adapter 8 does not make contact with the gas removal unit 24.
Thus, the solid connection of the gas removal unit 24 within the
barrel 16 is not degraded or affected in any fashion by the
addition of the adapter 8.
[0028] FIG. 4 shows a cross-sectional view of the firearm 1 along
the IV-IV line in FIG. 1. An example receiver 10 can be seen here,
the inner bore 48 of which circumfuses the housing 9. The recesses
50 of the bore 48 enable the receiver 10 to be mounted over the gas
removal unit 24 during assembly or disassembly.
[0029] As stated above, the adapter 8 disclosed herein is used to
attach accessories, such as night targeting devices, lighting
units, two-leg supports, grenade launchers or the like, to a
firearm 1, specifically a rapid-fire firearm 1. It is also possible
to add other accessories like a separate hand protector on the
lower rail 46, or behind the receiver 10.
[0030] As described herein, the receiver 10 may be constructed out
of metal and mounted on the exterior of the housing 9, which has a
substantially circular or ring formation. The housing 9 is also
mechanically connected to the barrel 16, such that the housing 9
surrounds the barrel 16 and is oriented coaxially or axially
parallel to the barrel 16. Further, the adapter 8 can accommodate
accessory units and can support the accessories in a stable
connection with respect to the casing 14.
[0031] In another example, the adapter 8, as described above, may
also include an extension 58 that is operable within a recess 60 of
the casing 14. The extension 58 and the recess 60 operate to limit
rotation of the receiver 10, and, thus, any accessories attached
thereto, relative to the housing 9 and the firearm 1.
[0032] The housing 9 has a solid mechanical connection with the
barrel 16 with lock 12, such that the housing 9 is most stable,
i.e., has a maximum rigidity, when fully connected to the barrel
16. Temperature changes, such as for example, those due to sunlight
are not sufficient to modify the connection in any measurable
manner.
[0033] As described above, the cylindrical exterior surface of the
housing 9 and its circumferential grooves 26, 28 enable potential
rotation of the receiver 10 with respect to the housing 9. The
receiver 10 is fixed to the housing 9 in the axial direction of the
barrel 16 by means of the ring grooves 26, 28, but the receiver 10
is not rotationally fixed with respect to the housing 9. To also
fix the rotational position or limit rotational movement of the
receiver 10 with respect to the housing and/or casing 14, the
extension 58 extends into the recess 60 in the body of the firearm
1, i.e., its casing 14. The extension 58 and recess 60 may deform
due to various heat influences, specifically if the recess 60 is
formed in the plastic casing 14. However, any such deformation or
modification of the extension 58 and recess 60 would only affect
the rotational position of the receiver 10 relative to the axis of
the barrel 16, but not the angular position. In other words, the
angle between the axis of the gun barrel 16 and the axis of the
adapter 8 is always constant. Normally, these axes coincide.
[0034] Any minor movement of the receiver 10 or a target point, for
example by one or two tenths of a millimeter relative to the point
of incidence, is totally insignificant compared to the other
confounding factors. Of most importance, with respect to the
stability and alignment of the receiver 10, are the length of the
exterior surface of the housing 9, the matching of the extension 58
and the recess 60, and the precision of the positioning of the
receiver 10 on the housing 9. If these parameters can assure that
the receiver 10 does not wobble on the housing 9 (or does so at an
acceptable minimal level), then there is no possibility for a
change of the angle between the housing 9 or the receiver 10 in the
direction of the axis of the barrel 16, and the adapter 8 is then
practically fully (or acceptably) secured relative to the barrel
16.
[0035] Preferably the extension 58 and the recess 60 will be part
of the original design of the firearm 1 to prevent rotation of the
adapter 8. If, however, a firearm 1 is designed and manufactured
without an extension 58 or recess 60, the extension 58 and the
recess 60 may be produced later, such as by, for example, a
drill.
[0036] One of ordinary skill in the art would appreciate that the
example adapter 8 may be used with a rapid-fire firearm 1, such as,
for example, a gas pressure loader. However, the example housing 9
and the example receiver 10 may also be attached to a machine gun,
a sub-machine gun, a pistol, or the like without problems. To the
extent that the free movement of the barrel 16 is not hindered,
attachment of the adapter 8 to a sharpshooter firearm may also be
appropriate.
[0037] As described herein, to facilitate a simple, but stable
attachment of the receiver 10 to the housing 9, the illustrated
example includes ring formations or grooves 26, 28 to which the
receiver 10 may link. Further, the inner bore 48 of the receiver 10
complements, at least in part, the exterior surface of the housing
9. This optimizes the attachment of the receiver 10 on the housing
9 in a simple, but reliable manner.
[0038] In conventional firearms, particularly modern rapid-fire
firearms, the gun barrel 16 is held in place by a coupling nut that
surrounds the shoulder 20 of the barrel 16 on its rear section and
that is screwed into male threads on the exterior surface of the
lock 12, which is set in the plastic casing 14. The present example
has the metal housing 9, which can be screwed onto the firearm 1,
supporting the barrel 16, rather than the coupling nut holding the
barrel 16. Additionally, because the housing 9 is not designed to
support excessive loads, the housing 9 may be produced of light
metal, such that it adds only an insignificant weight to the
firearm 1.
[0039] As stated above, in the illustrated example, the barrel 16
is supported in the firearm 1 by the housing 9 instead of a
conventional coupling nut. However, although the housing 9 extends
for some length of the barrel 16, because the housing 9, just as
the coupling nut, only contacts one shoulder 20 of the barrel 16,
and nothing else, the barrel 16 is supported in the same fashion
with the housing 9 as with the coupling nut. Thus, the housing 9
presents no impediment to free movement of the barrel 16 of the
firearm 1.
[0040] As mentioned above, the illustrated example firearm 1 has
two circumferential ring grooves in the housing 9, the smaller ring
groove 26, which is towards the front, and the larger ring groove
28 towards the rear. The receiver 10 has corresponding recesses or
bores 52a, 52b, 52c that connect to the ring grooves 26, 28. Front
bores 52a, 52b correspond to the smaller groove 26, and rear bore
52c corresponds to the larger groove 28. The ring grooves 26, 28
have slightly larger diameters than the corresponding bores 52a,
52b, 52c and pins 29, 31 are inserted through the bores 52a, 52b,
52c and the grooves 26, 28 to couple the receiver 10 with the
housing 9, as described herein. Thus, the illustrated example
assures that locking and disengaging connectors are provided for
the attachment of the receiver 10 in the ring formations 26, 28. In
the front bores 52a, 52b and groove 26, the fitted pin 54 is
secured as the connector, which creates a precise and solid
attachment. In the rear bore 52c and groove 28, the loose pin 56 is
inserted as the connector. The loose pin 56 creates an attachment
between the receiver 10 and the housing 9 that has a certain amount
of friction in the direction of the axis of the barrel 16 such that
the receiver 10 may move as a result of heat expansion in a
specified direction with no effect on the targeting precision, in
order to expand or contract relative to the casing 14 without
restraint. Because the loose pin 56 connection in the rear bore 52c
and groove 28 allows for expansion and contraction of the receiver
10 and the housing 9 relative to each other, heat tension and
resulting deflections that would otherwise lead to imprecision or
other mechanical problems are avoided, and practically all damages
from heat expansion are prevented. Care should be taken to ensure
that the receiver 10 makes contact with such pins on two facing or
opposite sides of the housing 9.
[0041] In an alternative example, it is possible to omit one of the
ring formations 26, 28 and instead to provide a protuberance (not
shown) or the like on the housing 9, which can then serve as the
contact for the receiver 10. This protuberance may be flush against
the receiver 10 and thus transfers heat away from the housing 9.
Furthermore, in yet another alternative example, the receiver 10
may be designed with surface extensions, such as ribs, in order to
improve heat dissipation.
[0042] Normally, a rapid-fire firearm 1 has a front shaft, which
surrounds the barrel 16 at least partially, and which protects the
hand of a user from being burned by a hot barrel 16. In the
illustrated example, the adapter 8 may also provide protection for
the hand of the user.
[0043] In an alternative example, discussed above, the housing 9 is
mounted within the front shaft 41 (FIG. 5). The front shaft 41 may
be design to removably fit over the housing 9. These designs enable
modification of the firearm 1 without extensive maintenance. For
example, if the front shaft 41 is removable, the adapter 8, and
thus, various accessories, may be attached to the firearm 1 upon
removal of the front shaft 41. This example may be used in
conventional rapid-fire firearms as well as in future designs.
[0044] One example accessory is a grenade launcher, which may be
attached on the underside of the barrel 16 especially where there
are sights are mounted elsewhere on the firearm 1. The securely
aligned and stable connection guaranteed by the adapter 8 is
particularly beneficial when the accessory attached thereto is a
grenade launcher because grenade launchers impart high forces to
the firearm 1 and must always be oriented precisely. Further, the
solid attachment guaranteed by the adapter 8, as described herein,
is also beneficial for accessories that do not impart high forces
on the firearm 1, such as for example, a bayonet for a shotgun.
[0045] One of ordinary skill in the art will also appreciate that
the adapter 8 with rails 42, 44, 46 parallel to the axis of the
barrel 16 is particularly advantageous, as the rails 42, 44, 46 may
serve as support for various other accessories, such as, targeting
units such as night vision targeting units, lighting units such as
infrared lighting units with high output, a bi-pod or tri-pod
support, a front pistol grip, a belt anchor, or the like. The rails
42, 44, 46 are particularly useful to attach these accessories and
others to the firearm 1 quickly and simply. Further, the rails 42,
44, 46 can support many accessories, regardless of their weight.
Preferably, the adapter 8 has four rails 42, 44, 46 that are
equally spaced around the firearm 1 at equal angles from each
other, thus one rail each above 25, below 27, and on the two sides
26, relative to the axis of the barrel 16. This makes it feasible
to attach several accessories to the adapter 8 at the same time.
The solid and secure connection of example adapter 8 guarantees
that the adapter 8 can support high loads continuously and
reliably, where these loads are directly transferred to the housing
9 that supports the barrel 16 and the lock 12, i.e. the component
best suited to accept force. Also, it is, of course, possible to
equip the adapter 8 with less than four rails, such as only a
single rail.
[0046] Similar to the housing 9, the receiver 10 may consist of a
light metal. However, it is advantageous that the receiver 10
consist of a hard, solid plastic because the receiver 10 is in
contact with a substantial portion of the exterior surface of the
housing 9, to provide added strength. The plastic may be
reinforced, such as with sprayed-on fiberglass, or it may be
Duroplast. The rails 25, 26, 27 may also be made of a reinforced
plastic. Use of a reinforced plastic permits an economic and
efficient manufacture of the receiver 10 and the rails 42, 44, 46
as well as a relatively simple attachment to the housing 9.
[0047] The receiver 10 may consist of two or more components, which
are held together by fasteners, such as bolts and screws. These
bolts may also project into the ring formations, preferably ring
grooves 26, 28. However, it is optimal that the receiver 10 is just
a single piece. Then the receiver 10 may be mounted over a detached
gun barrel 16 and the housing 9 from the rear. However, it is
optimal that the receiver 10 is designed to be mounted onto the
housing 9 from the front over the barrel 16 and over additional
components of the firearm 1 such as, for example, a silencer or, in
the case of a gas pressure loading firearm 1, the gas transfer unit
24.
[0048] Further, the housing 9 is generally preferably perforated,
specifically to reduce weight, improve cooling and to provide bore
holes for use in attaching and specifically in loosening the
housing 9.
[0049] As described above, the housing 9 may be used to modify a
firearm 1 such as, for example, conventional gas pressure loading
rapid-fire firearm 1. Traditional gas pressure loading rapid-fire
firearms have barrels that may be removed by loosening a coupling
nut. The firearm 1 may then be modified, according to the
illustrated example, by adding a barrel 16 that is supported by a
housing 9, in lieu of the coupling nut. Further, because the
cylindrical housing 9 extends towards the front of the barrel 16
and has a cylindrical exterior surface, the receiver 10 and other
accessories may be mounted onto the housing 9. As described above,
the receiver 10 is mounted to the housing 9 via the fitted pin 29,
which extends through the front bore holes 52a and 52b in the
receiver 10 to secure the receiver 10 to the ring groove 26 in the
housing 9, and the loose pin 56, which extends through the rear
bore 52c in the receiver 10 to secure the receiver 10 to the ring
groove 28 in the housing 9. These connections secure the adapter 8
to the rapid-fire firearm 1 such that the adapter 8 is essentially
permanently fixed, axially, yet may be axially rotated to some
degree. This example may be used in any rapid-fire firearm 1,
regardless of its method of operation.
[0050] The example adapter 8 is particularly advantageous for use
with the rapid-fire firearms such as a gas pressure loading
rapid-fire firearm 1 that has with bores 51 in the barrel 16 to
vent the gas and a gas removal unit 24 on the barrel 16 because the
receiver 10 maybe mounted onto the housing 9 over the gas removal
unit 24 and dismounted, or exchanged without requiring that the
barrel 16 or the gas removal unit 24 be modified or removed. In an
alternative example, the receiver 10 may be separated lengthwise
and may consist of two or three components that are mounted from
the side to be linked to each other, such as by screws.
[0051] In sum, the present disclosure illustrates an example
adapter 8 that is mounted to a firearm 1, particularly a rapid-fire
firearm 1, to which one or more accessories may be fastened. The
adapter 8 includes the housing 9 that may be made of metal and has
a substantially cylindrical exterior surface that contains the
front ring groove 26 and the rear ring groove 28. The housing 9 is
mechanically connected with the barrel 16 of the firearm 1 such
that the housing 9 surrounds the barrel 16, where the ring grooves
26, 28 are oriented axially or axis-parallel to barrel 16. The
adapter 8 also includes the receiver 10, which may be attached
solidly to housing 9 in order to support accessories. The adapter 8
also includes the protuberance 58 that engages the matching recess
60 to limit rotation of the adapter 8 with respect to the housing 9
and to keep the adapter aligned.
[0052] Although certain example methods, apparatus and articles of
manufacture have been described herein, the scope of coverage of
this patent is not limited thereto. On the contrary, this patent
covers all methods, apparatus and articles of manufacture fairly
falling within the scope of the appended claims either literally or
under the doctrine of equivalents.
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