U.S. patent application number 12/430213 was filed with the patent office on 2009-10-29 for quick-assembly breech plug for muzzleloader firearms.
This patent application is currently assigned to ARDESA, S.A.. Invention is credited to Angel Calvete Zumalde.
Application Number | 20090265973 12/430213 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 39926903 |
Filed Date | 2009-10-29 |
United States Patent
Application |
20090265973 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Calvete Zumalde; Angel |
October 29, 2009 |
QUICK-ASSEMBLY BREECH PLUG FOR MUZZLELOADER FIREARMS
Abstract
The invention relates to a quick-assembly breech plug for
muzzleloader firearms, allowing a quick assembly and disassembly
and being extremely practical, simple to manufacture and having a
low cost, wherein said breech plug comprises a cylindrical body
(1), configured to be internally coupled in a rear end (10') of a
barrel (10), and a head (6) configured to define a limit coupling
position of the breech plug inside the barrel (10), wherein the
cylindrical body (1) externally comprises a male thread (2) having
at least two starts located close to a front end (3) of the breech
plug, opposite the head (6), according to a plane perpendicular to
an axis of revolution of the cylindrical body (1), said male thread
(2) being configured to screw into a female thread (10'') located
internally in the rear end (10') of the barrel (10), preferably 4
screw ridges.
Inventors: |
Calvete Zumalde; Angel;
(Zamudio (Vizcaya), ES) |
Correspondence
Address: |
KATTEN MUCHIN ROSENMAN LLP
575 MADISON AVENUE
NEW YORK
NY
10022-2585
US
|
Assignee: |
ARDESA, S.A.
Zamudio (Vizcaya)
ES
|
Family ID: |
39926903 |
Appl. No.: |
12/430213 |
Filed: |
April 27, 2009 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
42/51 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F41C 9/08 20130101; F41A
3/74 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
42/51 |
International
Class: |
F41C 9/08 20060101
F41C009/08 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Apr 28, 2008 |
ES |
U200800875 |
Claims
1. Quick-assembly breech plug for muzzleloader firearms, comprising
a cylindrical body (1) configured to be tightly coupled internally
in a rear end (10') of a barrel (10), wherein said breech plug
comprises a head (6) configured to define a limit coupling position
of the breech plug inside the barrel (10), characterized in that
the cylindrical body (1) externally comprises a male thread (2)
having at least two starts located close to a front end (3) of the
breech plug, opposite the head (6), according to a plane
perpendicular to an axis of revolution of the cylindrical body (1),
said male thread (2) being configured to screw into a female thread
(10'') located internally in the rear end (10') of the barrel (10),
preferably 4 screw ridges.
2. Quick-assembly breech plug for muzzleloader firearms according
to claim 1, characterized in that the front end (3) of the
cylindrical body (1) comprises an end section without male thread
(2) having at least one perimetric groove (4) configured to house
an O-ring seal (5) configured to prevent firing gases from escaping
through a clearance located between the cylindrical body (1) and
the barrel (10) when the firearm is fired and the breech plug is
coupled in the barrel (10).
3. Quick-assembly breech plug for muzzleloader firearms according
to claim 1, characterized in that the head (6) comprises a side
surface (7) in which there are located at least one blind hole (8)
and preferably 4 blind orifices, configured to receive a tooth
(11') comprised by a tool (11) and receive the transmission of a
torque to cause the screwing and/or unscrewing of the breech plug
in the barrel (10) in the event of jamming thereof.
4. Quick-assembly breech plug for muzzleloader firearms according
to claim 3, characterized in that the side surface (7) of the head
(6) is knurled.
5. Quick-assembly breech plug for muzzleloader firearms according
to claim 1, characterized in that it comprise an axially centered
inner hole (9) configured to allow the transmission of the ignition
of the primer to the charge of the powder (10).
Description
OBJECT OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to a quick-assembly breech
plug for muzzleloader firearms, applicable in the arms industry,
and more specifically in the field of firearms for use in sports,
allowing a quick and effective assembly and disassembly of the
breech plug in the rear end of the barrel, being an extremely
practical breech plug which is simple to manufacture and has a low
cost, which allows its coupling in the barrel from any angular
position.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Firearms which are loaded through the muzzle of the firearm,
usually known as muzzleloader firearms, incorporate at the rear end
of the barrel, opposite the muzzle, a part referred to as breech
plug which can be disassembled from the barrel, having the
functions of closing the rear end of the barrel during its use,
while at the same time it allows the ignition of the charge,
likewise allowing accessing the inside of the barrel when it is
disassembled for the purpose of performing operations for cleaning
said barrel.
[0003] The breech plug is currently fixed to the rear end of the
barrel by means of a standard thread, said thread having a single
start, the operations for assembling and disassembling the breech
plug in the barrel therefore require considerable time since a
considerable length of thread must be screwed or unscrewed, step by
step, until achieving the complete extraction or introduction of
the breech plug between 12 and 20 turns on average.
[0004] For the purpose of solving the problem set forth in the
previous paragraph, there are quick-assembly breech plugs
incorporating means to allow quickly disassembling the breech plug
from the rear end of the barrel. Said means consist of
incorporating planar recessed grooves, like bevel edges, located in
diametric opposition according to the longitudinal direction of the
threaded male body of the breech plug, said planar recessed grooves
being provided to be axially inserted in a certain and tight
angular position inside the barrel, for which said grooves are
located in correspondence with complementary bevel edges located
internally in the barrel, allowing a quick introduction of the
breech plug in the barrel. Then, by means of a 90.degree. rotation
of the breech plug, the latter is secured to the barrel by means of
the threaded coupling of the male thread located in the male body
of the breech plug, with a complementary toothing, like a female
thread, located internally in the barrel.
[0005] The main drawback of these breech plugs is that their
manufacture is complicated and expensive, since the machining of
said recessed grooves and bevel edges in the previously threaded
male body of the breech plug is required, in addition to having to
precisely incorporate recesses and complementary toothing inside
the barrel, requiring the breech plug to be in a certain angular
position before introducing it in the barrel, which delays the
operations for assembling it, which furthermore require the use of
suitable tools for screwing and unscrewing the breech plug.
[0006] In this sense, patent application no. US-2006/0248771-A1
relates to a muzzleloader firearm comprise a breech plug for
quickly assembling the breech plug in the barrel, being based on a
bayonet-type system, which incorporates teeth and grooves both in
the barrel and in the breech plug configured to allow a coupling
and uncoupling by means of 90.degree. rotations, having as a
drawback, in addition to those indicated above, the fact that
considering the described coupling means it is extremely difficult
to prevent firing gases from escaping through said clearances.
DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0007] The present invention relates to a quick-assembly breech
plug for muzzleloader firearms, which allows both assembling and
disassembling the breech plug in the barrel in an extremely quick
and effective manner, for the purpose of removing the breech plug
to clean the loader or to remove a charge housed in the barrel.
Said quickness and effectiveness are based on the breech plug of
the invention requiring for its assembly and/or disassembly a
smaller number of rotations in comparison with the currently
existing breech plugs, the thread of which has a single start. The
breech plug of the invention is simple, practical and inexpensive
to manufacture, not requiring complex means for coupling to the
barrel, as in the case of bayonet-type couplings, and allowing its
introduction from any angular position, without having to be in a
certain angular position for its introduction.
[0008] The quick-assembly breech plug for muzzleloader firearms
proposed by the invention comprises a cylindrical body configured
to be internally tightly coupled in a rear end of a barrel. The
breech plug likewise comprises a head configured to define a limit
coupling position of the breech plug inside the barrel.
[0009] According to the invention, the cylindrical body comprises,
externally, a male thread having at least two starts located close
to a front end of the breech plug, opposite the head. Said starts
of the male thread are defined depending on the inclination of the
thread fillet, being able to be clearly identified at any point of
the cylindrical body upon making an imaginary section according to
a plane perpendicular to an axis of revolution of said cylindrical
body, being able to count in said plane the starts that the male
thread has, preferably 4 threads, 3 revolutions=12 screw ridges.
This furthermore causes a large angle in the screw threads allowing
the quick detachment of the breech plug and barrel, being able to
be loosened or placed by hand without needing tools, except for
cases of jamming due to dirt.
[0010] Said male thread is configured to screw into a female thread
located internally in the rear end of the barrel, allowing the
coupling between the breech plug and the barrel.
[0011] It is contemplated that the front end of the cylindrical
body comprises an end section without male thread, i.e., a smooth
section, said smooth end section having at least one perimetric
groove configured to house an O-ring seal configured to prevent
firing gases from escaping through a clearance located between the
cylindrical body and the barrel when the firearm is fired and the
breech plug is coupled in the barrel.
[0012] Likewise, the front located in correspondence with the front
end of the breech plug has a planar face increasing the resistance
of the breech plug, for the purpose of withstanding the large
actions to which it is subjected during the ignition of the
firearm.
[0013] On the other hand, for the purpose of handling and operating
the breech plug more comfortably and easily, the possibility of the
head comprising a side surface in which at least one blind hole is
located is contemplated, in which said blind hole is configured to
house and receive a tooth of a tool or implement like a key, said
blind hole receiving the transmission of a torque coming from said
tool to cause the screwing and/or unscrewing of the breech plug in
the barrel (4 orifices).
[0014] Likewise, it is contemplated that the side surface of the
head is knurled in order to allow manually gripping the breech plug
for its operation, preventing its slipping.
[0015] Finally, it is contemplated that the breech plug comprises
an axially centered inner hole configured with a housing for the
primer cap and arranged to transmit the ignition to the powder.
[0016] Therefore, according to the described invention, the
quick-assembly breech plug for muzzleloader firearms proposed by
the invention is an advance in the breech plugs used up until now,
and fully and satisfactorily solves the problems previously set
forth in the sense of allowing a quick and effective assembly
and/or disassembly in the rear end of the barrel, being an
extremely practical breech plug which is simple to manufacture and
has a low cost, which allows its coupling in the barrel from any
angular position.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0017] To complement the description which is being made and for
the purpose of aiding to better understand the features of the
invention according to a preferred practical embodiment thereof, a
set of drawings is attached as an integral part of said
description, in which the following has been depicted with an
illustrative and non-limiting character:
[0018] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view, from the side of the head,
of the quick-assembly breech plug for muzzleloader firearms
proposed by the invention.
[0019] FIG. 2 shows a longitudinal section of the breech plug of
the invention, having coupled thereto the O-ring seal in the
perimetric groove located in the area corresponding to the front
end of the breech plug.
[0020] FIG. 3 shows a longitudinal section of the breech plug
located in an uncoupled position in correspondence with the rear
end of the barrel of a muzzleloader firearm.
[0021] FIG. 4 shows an elevational view of a tool configured to
operate the breech plug of the invention more comfortably and
quickly.
PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION
[0022] In view of the indicated figures, it can be observed how in
one of the possible embodiments of the invention the quick-assembly
breech plug for muzzleloader firearms proposed by the invention is
a part of revolution comprising a cylindrical body (1) configured
to be tightly coupled internally in the rear end (10') of a barrel
(10).
[0023] The breech plug comprises a head (6) configured to define a
limit coupling position of the breech plug inside the barrel (10),
as can be interpreted in view of FIG. 3.
[0024] The cylindrical body (1) externally comprises a male thread
(2) having four starts located close to the front end (3) of the
breech plug, opposite the head (6), according to a plane
perpendicular to an axis of revolution of the cylindrical body
(1).
[0025] Said male thread (2) is configured to screw into a female
thread (10'') located internally in the rear end (10') of the
barrel (10), as can be seen in FIG. 3.
[0026] As can be seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, the front end (3) of the
cylindrical body (1) comprises a smooth end section without male
thread (2) having a perimetric groove (4) configured to house an
O-ring seal (5).
[0027] Said O-ring seal (5) is configured to prevent firing gases
from escaping through a clearance located between the cylindrical
body (1) and the barrel (10) when the firearm is fired and the
breech plug is coupled in the barrel (10).
[0028] According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the
O-ring seal (5) is made of an elastomer material configured to
withstand high pressures and temperatures. For the purpose of
maximizing the useful life of the O-ring seal (5), it is covered
with molybdenum bisulfate grease, the possibility of covering it
with any other suitable grease for its protection being
contemplated.
[0029] As can be seen in FIG. 2, the front located in
correspondence with the front end (3) of the breech plug has a
planar face for the purpose of increasing the resistance of the
breech plug to withstand the large actions to which it is subjected
during the ignition of the firearm.
[0030] Likewise, the head (6) comprises a knurled side surface (7)
in which there are located four blind holes (8) configured to
receive a tooth (11') comprised by a tool (11), depicted in FIG. 4,
thus receiving the transmission of a torque caused by the screwing
and/or unscrewing of the breech plug in the barrel (10), such tool
being used in cases of jamming of the threads.
[0031] Finally, as observed in FIG. 2, the breech plug comprises an
axially centered inner hole (9) configured to transmit the ignition
of the primer cap and the breech plug is coupled in the barrel
(10).
[0032] In view of this description and set of drawings, the person
skilled in the art will understand that the embodiments of the
invention which have been described can be combined in many ways
within the object of the invention. The invention has been
described according to some preferred embodiments thereof, but for
the person skilled in the art it will be evident that many
variations can be introduced in said preferred embodiments without
exceeding the object of the claimed invention.
* * * * *