U.S. patent application number 11/672519 was filed with the patent office on 2008-01-03 for totable, spring-biased, toggle-action firearm.
Invention is credited to Cory Joshua Newman.
Application Number | 20080000128 11/672519 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 38875148 |
Filed Date | 2008-01-03 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080000128 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Newman; Cory Joshua |
January 3, 2008 |
TOTABLE, SPRING-BIASED, TOGGLE-ACTION FIREARM
Abstract
A hyper velocity firearm has a downwardly-hinging toggle action.
The toggle action incorporates at least one coiled torsion spring
that is incorporated in at least one pivot of the toggle. A first
embodiment of the firearm employs two torsion springs. A second
embodiment employs a single adjustable-tension torsion spring.
Tension is adjustable without disassembly of the toggle mechanism.
A third embodiment employs a horizontally-oriented compressible
coil spring positioned above the toggle to bias the toggle. In the
pre-discharge configuration, the toggle of the present invention is
about 3 degrees from a straight angle linkage, with a negative
degree angle representing an over-center condition. The toggle
action is compact and reduces recoil and muzzle lift when the
firearm is discharged.
Inventors: |
Newman; Cory Joshua;
(American fork, UT) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Angus C. Fox, III
4093 N. Imperial Way
Provo
UT
84604-5386
US
|
Family ID: |
38875148 |
Appl. No.: |
11/672519 |
Filed: |
February 7, 2007 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60765791 |
Feb 7, 2006 |
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
42/16 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F41A 3/82 20130101; F41A
5/02 20130101; F41A 3/26 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
042/016 |
International
Class: |
F41A 3/12 20060101
F41A003/12 |
Claims
1. A bolt-action firearm comprising: a frame; a butt-stock attached
to a rear portion of said frame; a hollow barrel having a firing
chamber; a bolt movable in said frame axially to and from the
firing chamber of said barrel; a coil spring mounted in a generally
horizontal position within a chamber affixed to said frame; a
buffer slidable within said chamber biased against said coil
spring; a toggle comprising a pair of hingeably coupled front and
rear links, a foremost end of said front link being pivotally
coupled to said bolt and a rear most end of said rear link
pivotally coupled to said frame and incorporating an extension
lever having a rounded end which operates against said buffer to
compress said coil spring when the front and rear links are toggled
in a downward direction when the weapon is fired and the bolt is
driven rearward.
Description
[0001] This application for patent has a priority based on the
filing of provisional patent application No. 60/765,791 is related
to copending application No. 60/765,791, titled TOTABLE,
TORSION-SPRING-BIASED-TOGGLE-ACTION FIREARM FOR LAUNCHING
HYPERVELOCITY PROJECTILES, which was filed on Feb. 7, 2006.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The invention relates generally to firearms and, more
particularly, to handguns and rifles having toggle-actions which
facilitate the loading of cartridges and ejecting of spent
cartridge casings, and which reduce recoil and barrel lift.
[0004] 2. History of the Prior Art
[0005] Small arms which could be fired repeatedly without reloading
after each shot were the focus of many inventions since the dawn of
firearms. While a number of repeating firearms had already been
developed by the turn of the 19.sup.th century, none of them had
achieved any degree of commercial success, primarily because they
were too complicated and cumbersome. It was modern cartridge
ammunition that made repeating firearms practical.
[0006] In 1830, while a 16-year-old hired hand on a merchant ship
bound for India, Samuel Colt developed a simple revolving
ammunition cylinder for firearms in his spare time. By 1856, Colt's
company was enjoying phenomenal success, with the manufacture of
150 revolver handguns a day. A rifle revolver was also produced in
limited numbers. The extremely simple, highly reliable weapon had a
profound effect on life in the United States and later in the rest
of the world. As anyone packing a revolver could kill another
almost instantly, war, crime, and law enforcement were forever
altered. Even arguments became hazardous.
[0007] Christopher Spencer is generally credited with the
manufacture of the first practical non-revolver repeating rifle.
Model 1863, 1865 and M-1865 Spencer rifles, which were supplied to
the Union forces under Federal Government contract, use a long
blade on the left of the breech block carrier. In the M-1865 model,
the blade is held forward with a helper spring to make single
cartridge loading easier. Although Spencer rifles and carbines are
credited as having turned the tide of several Civil War battles,
the Henry sporting rifle of the same period was a superior
firearm.
[0008] The ancestor of the Henry and Winchester rifles was the
Volcanic lever action rifle designed by Horace Smith and Daniel B.
Wesson. It was originally manufactured by the Volcanic Repeating
Arms Company, which was later reorganized into the New Haven Arms
Company, of which Oliver Winchester was the major stockholder. The
Volcanic rifle used a form of "caseless" ammunition and had only
limited success. Wesson had also designed an early form of rimfire
cartridge which was subsequently perfected by Benjamin Tyler Henry.
Henry also supervised the redesign of the Volcanic rifle to use the
new ammunition, retaining only the general form of the breech
mechanism and the tubular magazine. This became the Henry rifle of
1860, which was manufactured by the New Haven Arms Company and was
used in considerable numbers by certain Union Army units in the
Civil War. As the New haven Arms Company received no Union
contracts, the Henry rifles were purchased by individual soldiers
or with state funding. After the New Haven Arms Company was
purchased by Oliver Winchester, the Henry rifle became the basis
for the design of the famous Winchester Model 1873, 1876 and 1886
rifles. In this type of lever action rifle, rounds are individually
loaded into a tubular chamber parallel to and below the barrel. A
short bolt is held in place with an over-center toggle action. Once
closed the over center action prevents opening solely by the force
on the bolt when the weapon is fired. This toggle action is
operated by a hand grip, or lever, that forms part of the trigger
guard. When operated, a spring in the tubular magazine pushes a
fresh round into position. Returning the operating lever to the
home position chambers the round and closes the breach. An
interlock prevents firing unless the toggle is fully closed.
[0009] In 1893, Hugo Borchardt, a naturalized U.S. citizen born in
Germany, developed the C93 semiautomatic pistol for the Ludwig Lowe
Company in Karlsruhe. It combined elements of Hiram Percy Maxim's
1884 machine gun and the toggle lever action of the Henry and
Winchester rifles. Borchardt reversed the toggle action and reduced
its size so that the toggle opened upwards, thereby providing space
for an ammunition magazine in the pistol grip. Although a fine
target pistol, the Borchardt was somewhat fragile. A bulky
protrusion behind the grip, which housed the mainspring and toggle
mechanism, also made the Borchardt rather cumbersome. As a result
of those deficiencies, it was never a commercial success.
[0010] A colleague of Hugo Borchardt, named Georg Luger, redesigned
the Borchardt handgun, making it lighter, far more compact, and
more reliable. The design, which is instantly recognizable for its
clean flowing lines, tapered barrel, and a magazine-containing grip
that is acutely angled to the barrel centerline, remained a staple
of the German military up until the adoption of the Walther P38 in
1942.
[0011] Both the Borchardt and Luger are locked-breech,
magazine-fed, semi-automatic pistols that use the same unique
toggle action to lock the breech momentarily during firing. The
toggle action moves to the rear for a short distance with the
barrel and then pivots upwards once chamber pressures have reached
a safe level to unlock the action, cock the firing mechanism and
eject the spent cartridge case. On its forward movement, the lock
pivots down to strip a fresh round from the magazine, load the
round into the chamber, and lock the breech. In addition to
performing the functions related to semiautomatic operation, the
toggle action has the added advantage of reducing recoil when
fired. A disadvantage of the Borchardt and Luger designs is that
the upward opening of the toggle increases the tendency of the
front of the gun to rotate (i.e., lift, with respect to the rear,
when fired).
[0012] U.S. Pat. No. 4,183,282 to Walter E. Perrine discloses a
toggle action pistol in which the toggle mechanism pivots in a
downward direction. The Perrine pistol is not as compact as the
Luger, due to the fact that a coil mainspring is located in the
hand grip, and the ammunition magazine must, consequently, be
positioned in front of the trigger assembly. However, it does have
an advantage in that the gun tends to remain more nearly level when
fired, as the downward toggle action tends to lift the rear of the
gun at the same time that the front of the gun is lifting as a
consequence of the gun being held behind the barrel and below the
barrel centerline. The bulkiness of the Perrine pistol most likely
contributed to its failure in the marketplace.
[0013] What is needed is a downward toggling firearm which
eliminates the bulkiness of the Perrine design, yet retains the
excellent potential for rearward and rotational recoil
reduction.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0014] The toggle action firearm that is the focus of the present
application is part of hypervelocity weapon system that also
includes a cartridge casing having a primer system that is as
strong as the cartridge casing, itself. Because blowout or
blow-through of conventional primer cups is eliminated by the new
design, ultra-high-energy charges can be used that can provide
greatly enhanced muzzle velocities. The new primer system
eliminates the thin-gauge metal of conventional primer cups by
utilizing a primer striker, which acts as a firing pin internal to
the cartridge, itself. The primer striker, which is retained in the
cartridge casing by an annular shoulder at the end of a cylindrical
seat within which the primer striker slides, has a forward facing
nipple which dents the face of a primer cup installed inside the
cartridge. The primer cup is installed within a primer carrier, and
a compressible, centrally-perforated, resilient rubber wafer is
positioned between the primer striker and the primer cup, thereby
preventing accidental ignition of the charge caused by unintended,
minor impacts to the exposed primer striker. The rubber wafer also
seals the primer and propellant charges against moisture. The
hypervelocity weapon system also includes a blunt-ended ramrod,
which replaces the conventional firing pin. The blunt end is sized
so that it can enter the aperture at the center of the annular
shoulder, thereby displacing the primer striker.
[0015] The toggle action firearm of the present invention is
envisioned as a hypervelocity sniper rifle, which is easily totable
by a single average soldier, and which has the capability to fire
0.50 caliber rounds powered by ultra-high-energy charges with
minimum recoil. It is envisioned that the weapon system can produce
muzzle velocities in excess of 5,000 ft/sec. The rifle may be
configured as a single-shot, semi-automatic, or fully automatic
firearm. Like the toggle of Perrine, the toggle of the present
invention is downward hinging. However, in place of the bulky coil
spring of Perrine, the toggle action of the present invention
utilizes at least one coiled torsion spring that is incorporated in
at least one pivot of the toggle. For one embodiment of the rifle,
a single adjustable-tension torsion spring is employed. Tension is
adjustable without disassembly of the toggle mechanism. Unlike the
Winchester toggle action, the action of the present invention, as
well as those of Borchardt, Luger, and Perrine, dispense with the
over center lock feature so that the toggle can be used to
implement an automatic load and eject function. In the
pre-discharge configuration, the toggle of the present invention is
about 3 degrees from a straight angle linkage, with a negative
degree angle representing an over-center condition.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
[0016] FIGS. 1A, 1B and 1C are prior art exploded diagrams of an
AR-15 rifle;
[0017] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a new first embodiment
spring-biased, toggle-action rifle, taken through a plane passing
through the centerline of the barrel and receiver, and through the
centerline of the handle, showing the toggle action in a
pre-discharge configuration;
[0018] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the rifle of FIG. 1,
taken through the same plane, but showing the toggle action in a
post-discharge configuration;
[0019] FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the rifle of FIG. 1,
with the stock cut away to show the toggle action in a
post-discharge configuration;
[0020] FIG. 5 is an isometric view of the rifle of FIG. 1, with the
stock removed, and showing the toggle action in a post-discharge
configuration;
[0021] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a new second embodiment
spring-biased, toggle-action rifle, taken through a plane passing
through the centerline of the barrel and receiver, and through the
centerline of the handle, showing the toggle action in a
post-discharge configuration;
[0022] FIG. 7 is an isometric view of the rifle of FIG. 5, with the
stock removed, and showing the toggle action in a post-discharge
configuration;
[0023] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of a third embodiment
spring-biased, toggle-action rifle before firing, the third
embodiment rifle having a compressible coil spring in place of at
least one torsion spring;
[0024] FIG. 9 is an isometric cut-away view of the third embodiment
spring-biased, toggle-action rifle of FIG. 8 after firing;
[0025] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the third embodiment
spring-biased, toggle-action rifle of FIG. 8 after firing;
[0026] FIG. 11 is an elevational see-through view of the third
embodiment spring-biased, toggle-action rifle of FIG. 8 after
firing;
[0027] FIG. 12 is an isometric see-through view of the third
embodiment spring-biased, toggle-action rifle of FIG. 8 after
firing;
[0028] FIG. 13 is a side elevational view of an exemplary ramrod
which can be used in the rifle to fire the new cartridge; and
[0029] FIG. 14 is an isometric view of the ramrod of FIG. 13.
DETAILED DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
[0030] The various embodiments of the invention will now be
explained in detail with reference to the attached drawing figures.
In order to demonstrate the functionality of the present invention,
the various embodiments have been incorporated into a gas-operated
AR15 rifle, which is essentially a semi-automatic commercial
version of the M16 U.S. military rifle. Some versions of the M16
can be fired in a fully automatic mode for short bursts. With some
additional machining of the AR-15 receiver, and replacement of the
AR-15 fire control components--including the sear and bolt
carrier--with corresponding automatic M16 components, the AR-15 can
be converted to fully automatic. An exploded diagram of a typical
AR-15 rifle is shown in FIG. 1. It will be subsequently noted that
at least the following components of FIG. 1 are either eliminated,
replaced with a new component, or extensively modified in order to
implement the present invention: the receiver extension, the
buttstock, the buttcap spacer, the action spring, and the buffer
assembly.
[0031] Referring now to FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, a first embodiment 200 of
the new hypervelocity rifle has an action tube 201 that is attached
to the upper receiver 202. It will be noted that the action tube
201, which has replaced the receiver extension of the AR-15 rifle
of FIG. 1, includes a lower longitudinal slot 203, through which
the toggle 204 consisting of a front link 205 and a rear link 206
can hinge in a downward direction. The rear end 207 of a bolt
carrier 208 is in contact with a forward end 209 of an action guide
210, which slides back and forth within the action tube 201. The
bolt carrier slides rearward in response to combustion gas
pressures provided by the gas tube of FIG. 1, to unload a fired
cartridge. A fresh cartridge is loaded in the breech as the bolt
carrier 208 is subsequently returned its initial pre-firing
position by spring pressure. In the conventional AR-15,the action
spring provides this pressure. The action guide 210 replaces the
buffer assembly of the conventional AR-15 rifle of FIG. 1. A
forward end 211 of the front link 205 is pivotally attached to the
action guide 210 with a front pivot pin 212. A rear end 213 of the
front link 205 is pivotally coupled to the rear link 206 via a
middle pivot pin 214, which also functions as a front torsion
spring mandrel. The rear link 206, in turn, is pivotally coupled to
the rear of the action tube 201 via a stationary rear pivot pin
215, which also functions as a rear torsion spring mandrel. A front
torsion spring 401 (shown in FIG. 4) wraps around the middle pivot
pin 213. One end of the front torsion spring is downwardly biased
against a first retaining groove 2l6 that is machined into a
forward portion of the rear link 206, while the opposite end of the
front torsion spring is downwardly biased through a torsion spring
guide hole 217, thereby exerting a force which opposes downward
hinging of the toggle 204. One end of a rear torsion spring 218,
which is wrapped around the rear third pivot pin 213, is downwardly
biased against a second retaining groove 219 machined into a rear
portion of the rear link 206, while the opposite end of thereof is
biased against the buttplate 220, thereby exerting an additional
force which opposes downward hinging of the toggle 204 and forces
the forward end 209 of the action guide 210 against the rear end of
the bolt carrier 208. It is this spring force provided by the front
torsion spring 401 and the rear torsion spring 218 that return the
bolt carrier 208 to its initial position as a fresh round is loaded
in the breech of the rifle 200.
[0032] Referring now specifically to FIG. 1, prior to firing the
rifle, a line drawn between the axes of the front pivot pin 212 and
the middle pivot pin 213 makes an obtuse angle of between about 177
and 178 degrees with a line drawn between the axes of the middle
pivot pin 213 and the rear pivot pin 215. This obtuse angle
represents the pre-discharge configuration of the toggle 204. If
the two lines formed a straight angle, the toggle 204 would be
unable to hinge downwardly upon firing, thereby preventing the
spent cartridge ejection and fresh cartridge reload system from
functioning. The 2 to 3 degree offset and the inertia of the toggle
components provides maximum resistance against hinging the moment
firing occurs when combustion gas pressures and opposite and equal
reaction forces are at their peak.
[0033] Referring now specifically to FIG. 2, when combustion gas
pressures are initially applied against both the front end 221 of
the bolt carrier 208 through the gas tube of FIG. 1, the toggle 204
begins to hinge downwardly. The magnitude of the pressure remains
relatively constant from the time the projectile passes the gas
tube inlet in the barrel until the projectile leaves the barrel. As
the toggle angle becomes less obtuse, increasingly greater
mechanical advantage is applied against the spring forces exerted
by the front and rear torsion springs 401 and 218, respectively.
However, at the same time that the mechanical advantage is
increasing, the anti-hinging force jointly applied by the middle
and rear torsion springs is increasing as the springs are wound
even tighter. As the projectile leaves the barrel, combustion gas
pressures drop rapidly. Spring constants of the front and rear
torsion springs, the obtuse angle, and the lengths of the middle
and rear links (205 and 206, respectively) are selected so that are
appropriate for the cartridges that are to be fired, in terms of
combustion gas pressures generated by the exploding charge and the
weight of the projectile. It will be noted in FIGS. 1 and 2 that
the toggle hinges downwardly within the buttstock 222. A hollow
cavity (not shown) within the buttstock 222 is sized to accommodate
such movement. An action bumper 223 limits rearward travel of the
action guide 210, which in turn, limits the amount of hinged
movement of the toggle 204 that is both downward and rearward.
[0034] Referring now to FIG. 5, the new first embodiment
hypervelocity rifle 200 of FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 is seen in an isometric
view, minus the buttstock 222 and buttplate 220. In this view, the
magazine insertion opening 501 can be clearly seen. A magazine (see
FIG. 1) containing multiple cartridges can be inserted within the
opening 501.
[0035] Referring now to FIG. 6, a second embodiment 600 of the new
hypervelocity rifle has an action that is similar to that of the
first embodiment of FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, with the exception that the
front and rear torsion springs 401 and 217, respectively, are
replaced by a stiffer single rear torsion spring 601, the tension
of which can be adjusted without disassembly of the rifle 600.
Alternatively, an unadjustable front torsion spring 401 can be used
in combination with an adjustable rear torsion spring 601.
[0036] Referring now to FIG. 7, the rear pivot assembly has an end
cap 701 that can be removed in order to adjust the tension of the
rear torsion spring 601. Spring tension can be increased or
decreased by rotating the cap. An adjustment disc (not shown),
which fits within the pivot housing 702, can be rotated to a
desired position and locked into place with a ratchet, a threaded
fastener, or other suitable locking device.
[0037] As is was determined that the torsion springs of the first
and third embodiment rifles of FIGS. 2 and 6 had a lifespan of only
about 300 cycles due to metal fatigue, it was determined that a
coil spring would provide a greatly enhanced useful life and
greater reliability in the field. The coil spring version of the
rifles of FIGS. 2 and 6 is shown in FIGS. 8 through 12.
[0038] Referring now to FIG. 8, a third embodiment spring-biased,
toggle-action rifle 800 is shown prior to firing. The coil spring
is mounted above the toggle. The rear link incorporates an
extension lever having a rounded end. The rounded end operates on a
sliding buffer which is biased against the coil spring. Thus, as
the toggle transitions from a nearly straight configuration to a
folded or toggled configuration during recoil of the weapon, the
extension lever operates against the rear end of the sliding buffer
to compress the coil spring.
[0039] Referring now to FIGS. 9, 10, 11, and 12, the third
embodiment spring-biased, toggle-action rifle 800 is shown after
firing, with the toggle at the final recoil position.
* * * * *