U.S. patent application number 13/570682 was filed with the patent office on 2012-11-29 for breech plug for use with a muzzle-loading rifle.
This patent application is currently assigned to DIKAR, S. COOP.. Invention is credited to Inigo Lizarralde IBARGUREN.
Application Number | 20120297657 13/570682 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 46160871 |
Filed Date | 2012-11-29 |
United States Patent
Application |
20120297657 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
IBARGUREN; Inigo
Lizarralde |
November 29, 2012 |
BREECH PLUG FOR USE WITH A MUZZLE-LOADING RIFLE
Abstract
A breech plug for removable engagement with a muzzle-loading
firearm barrel having a seating surface that forms an oblique angle
with the longitudinal axis of the barrel. The breech plug includes
a circumferential tightening mechanism. The circumferential
tightening mechanism is configured to move the breech plug along
the longitudinal axis within the firearm barrel. The breech plug
also includes a continuous flange with a circumferential distal
edge. The distal edge is configured to form a seal with the firearm
barrel oblique angle seating surface upon movement of the breech
plug by the circumferential tightening mechanism.
Inventors: |
IBARGUREN; Inigo Lizarralde;
(Gipuzkoa, ES) |
Assignee: |
DIKAR, S. COOP.
Gipuzkoa
ES
|
Family ID: |
46160871 |
Appl. No.: |
13/570682 |
Filed: |
August 9, 2012 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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12469232 |
May 20, 2009 |
|
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13570682 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
42/51 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F41A 3/30 20130101; F41C
9/08 20130101; F41A 3/74 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
42/51 |
International
Class: |
F41C 9/08 20060101
F41C009/08 |
Claims
1. A breech plug for removable engagement with a muzzle-loading
firearm barrel having a seating surface that forms an oblique angle
with the longitudinal axis of the barrel, the breech plug
comprising: a circumferential tightening mechanism, the
circumferential tightening mechanism configured to move the breech
plug along the longitudinal axis within the firearm barrel; and a
continuous flange comprising a circumferential distal edge, the
distal edge configured to form a seal with the firearm barrel
oblique angle seating surface upon movement of the breech plug by
the circumferential tightening mechanism.
2. The breech plug of claim 1, wherein the circumferential
tightening mechanism comprises a threaded surface.
3. The breech plug of claim 2, wherein the circumferential
tightening mechanism further comprises a handle.
4. The breech plug of claim 2, wherein the diameter of the
circumferential tightening mechanism is greater than the diameter
of the circumferential distal edge.
5. The breech plug of claim 1, wherein the circumferential
tightening mechanism is unitarily constructed with the continuous
flange.
6. The breech plug of claim 1, wherein the circumferential
tightening mechanism is configured to move the continuous flange
distal edge to a position beyond the firearm barrel seating
surface.
7. The breech plug of claim 6, wherein movement caused by the
circumferential tightening mechanism after the circumferential
distal edge contacts the firearm barrel seating surface increases
the pressure between the circumferential distal edge and the
firearm barrel seating surface.
8. The breech plug of claim 6, wherein the circumferential distal
edge is configured to form a seal with an internal position along
the firearm barrel seating surface.
9. A breech plug for removable engagement with a muzzle-loading
firearm barrel having a seating surface that forms an oblique angle
with respect to the longitudinal axis of the barrel, the breech
plug comprising: a continuous flange comprising a circumferential
distal edge, the distal edge configured to contact the firearm
barrel seating surface; and a tightening mechanism configured to
move the circumferential distal edge toward the firearm barrel
seating surface, the tightening mechanism having unitary
construction with the continuous flange, and movement caused by the
tightening mechanism after the circumferential distal edge contacts
the firearm barrel seating surface increases the pressure between
the circumferential distal edge and the firearm barrel seating
surface.
10. The breech plug of claim 9, wherein the tightening mechanism
comprises a circumferential surface having a greater diameter than
the circumferential distal edge.
11. The breech plug of claim 10, wherein the tightening mechanism
circumferential surface comprises a threaded surface.
12. The breech plug of claim 9, wherein the tightening mechanism is
configured to move the continuous flange distal edge to a position
beyond the firearm barrel seating surface.
13. The breech plug of claim 9, wherein the circumferential distal
edge is configured to form a seal with an internal position along
the firearm barrel seating surface.
14. A muzzle-loading firearm comprising: a barrel comprising a
longitudinal axis and a seating surface that forms an oblique angle
with respect to the longitudinal axis; a continuous flange
comprising a circumferential distal edge, the distal edge
configured to contact an internal position along the firearm barrel
seating surface; and a circumferential tightening mechanism
configured to move the circumferential distal edge toward the
firearm barrel seating surface, the circumferential tightening
mechanism having unitary construction with the continuous flange,
and movement caused by the circumferential tightening mechanism
after the circumferential distal edge contacts the firearm barrel
seating surface increases the pressure between the circumferential
distal edge and the firearm barrel seating surface.
15. The muzzle-loading firearm of claim 12, wherein the
circumferential tightening mechanism comprises a handle.
16. The muzzle-loading firearm of claim 12, wherein the
circumferential tightening mechanism comprises a threaded
surface.
17. The muzzle-loading firearm of claim 12, wherein the
circumferential tightening mechanism comprises a diameter greater
than the continuous flange distal edge.
18. A breech plug for a muzzle-loading firearm comprising: a
threaded connection area having threads for engagement with a
barrel of a muzzle-loading firearm, the threaded connection area
defining an outside thread diameter; an expanded gripping surface
positioned at first end of the breech plug, the expanded gripping
surface having an external diameter greater than the outside thread
diameter of the threaded connection area; a deformable, continuous
circumferential sealing flange projecting axially forward from a
second end of the breech plug opposite the threaded connection area
from the expanded gripping surface, the sealing flange defining a
flange diameter less than the outside thread diameter of the
threaded connection area; and an internal conduit extending through
the breech plug from the first end to the second end.
19. The breech plug of claim 16, comprising a unitary integral
component.
20. The breech plug of claim 16, further comprising a protective
projection concentric with and externally positioned relative to
the circumferential sealing flange.
21. The breech plug of claim 16, wherein the expanded gripping
surface comprises raised and recessed surface features.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. Non-Provisional
patent application Ser. No. 12/469,232, filed May 20, 2009, the
entirety of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference for
all purposes.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] The invention relates to a muzzle-loading rifle (also known
as muzzleloader), i.e. a rifle in which the gunpowder and bullet
are loaded and pressed into the barrel manually. More particularly,
the invention has to do with the breech plug and the barrel of said
rifle.
PRIOR ART
[0003] A muzzle-loading rifle is a rifle that, in structural and
functional terms, replicates old-fashioned, traditional rifles and
gives the user the feeling that they are firing an antique weapon
in accordance with classical hunting techniques. Specifically, a
muzzle-loading rifle is mainly characterised in that the gunpowder
and the bullet must be manually inserted into the bottom of the
barrel and pressed down before the shot can be fired.
[0004] After the gunpowder and the bullet have been pressed into
the bottom of the barrel (next to the breech plug), the trigger is
pulled, the shot happening as follows: the pulling of the trigger
causes an ignition at the end of the breech plug opposite the
gunpowder and the bullet. Said ignition travels through a
relatively narrow internal conduit of the breech plug until it
reaches the other side of the breech plug, reaching the gunpowder.
The gunpowder then explodes, causing the bullet to be fired.
[0005] After a certain number of shots is performed using these
rifles, traces of gunpowder usually collect in the connection area
between the breech plug and the barrel (a connection area that is
generally threaded although it may present other arrangements).
These traces of gunpowder make it very difficult to detach the
breech plug from the barrel, so much that in some cases it is
impossible to detach the breech plug with the traditional tools the
user carries with them. In more extreme cases it is impossible to
remove the breech plug without damaging it, even when securing the
rifle on work benches and using large levering tools. Bearing in
mind that the breech plug must be detached from the barrel every
day (so that it may be cleaned carefully in order to remove the
traces of gunpowder and other impurities that may block the
internal conduit), the difficulty or impossibility of separating
both members can cause great inconvenience for the user.
[0006] Some solutions are known that attempt to solve this problem.
One known solution consists of disposing of one or more elastic
mechanized rings (shaped like a very closed C-shape, in other words
almost in the form of a complete circle) between the breech plug
and the barrel, on the end of the breech plug that is closer to the
gunpowder and the bullet, with these rings acting as seals. These
solutions may work for low-pressure explosions, but it has been
found that they are ineffective with regard to the pressures
generated in muzzle-loading rifles: muzzle-loading rifles are set
up to use new-generation black gunpowder, which is much more
powerful than the gunpowder used traditionally. Firstly, as the
rings are not completely circular or closed, it has been found that
gunpowder can pass through them and reach the connection area
between the breech plug and the barrel. Secondly and above all, it
has been found that in spite of the ring there is a small area
between the breech plug and the barrel where particles of gunpowder
are prone to collect. This space is large enough to cause a
"sticking" effect that is just as problematic as the gunpowder
reaching the connection area.
[0007] It is an objective of the invention to provide a design for
a muzzle-loading rifle, more particularly for the rifle's breech
plug and barrel, which prevents any gunpowder from passing from the
gunpowder explosion area to the connection area between the breech
plug and the barrel. Thus, the invention aims to facilitate the
disconnection of the breech plug from the barrel as much as
possible and enable said disconnection to be carried out manually
without the help of any tools whatsoever.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0008] In order to achieve the aforementioned objectives the
invention proposes a muzzle-loading rifle provided with a breech
plug and a barrel, both of them fixed to each other in a connection
area, wherein the breech plug comprises a first end further away
from the part of the barrel where a bullet is to be housed and a
second end closer to said part of the barrel. According to the
invention, the second end of the breech plug is provided with a
flange that presses internally against a seating surface of the
barrel when the breech plug is fitted in the interior of the
barrel. Said pressure increases when the gunpowder located near the
second end of the breech plug explodes. In other words, the flange
expands against the seating surface when the gunpowder explodes,
increasing the pressure it exerts on the seating surface and
therefore improving the sealing effect.
[0009] The flange of the breech plug is continuous, i.e. it does
not have any breaks or gaps. Contact between the flange and the
seating surface occurs in the area of 360.degree. around the
longitudinal axis of the breech plug. This is possible because the
flange bends against the seating surface and may thus form a
complete ring shape. The continuity enhances the barrier effect
against the gunpowder and helps ensure the objectives of the
invention are reached.
[0010] The invention provides a permanent seal between the breech
plug and the barrel thanks to the pressure that the flange always
exerts against the seating surface as a result of the breech plug
being attached securely (for example, threaded tightly enough) to
the barrel. And, above all, it is particularly interesting that
because the pressure is exerted from the inside said sealing effect
strengthens when the shot is fired, i.e., when the ignition and the
powder explosion take place. Therefore, the invention allows
achieving a non-constant, adaptive sealing between the breech plug
and the barrel, said sealing being greatest when most needed:
during the explosion and expansion of the gunpowder.
[0011] As a result, no gunpowder whatsoever is able to pass through
to the connection area between the breech plug and the barrel (this
has been tested in trials producing results that were in fact
surprising). The effect is so positive that the breech plug may be
manually and softly detached after several shots, with no effort at
all.
[0012] According to a first example embodiment, the invention is a
breech plug for removable engagement with a muzzle-loading firearm
barrel having a seating surface that forms an oblique angle with
the longitudinal axis of the barrel. The breech plug includes a
circumferential tightening mechanism. The circumferential
tightening mechanism is configured to move the breech plug along
the longitudinal axis within the firearm barrel. The breech plug
also includes a continuous flange with a circumferential distal
edge. The distal edge is configured to form a seal with the firearm
barrel oblique angle seating surface upon movement of the breech
plug by the circumferential tightening mechanism.
[0013] According to a second example embodiment, the invention is a
breech plug for removable engagement with a muzzle-loading firearm
barrel having a seating surface that forms an oblique angle with
respect to the longitudinal axis of the barrel. The breech plug
includes a continuous flange with a circumferential distal edge.
The distal edge is configured to contact the firearm barrel seating
surface. The breech plug also includes a tightening mechanism that
is configured to move the circumferential distal edge toward the
firearm barrel seating surface. The tightening mechanism has a
unitary construction with the continuous flange. And, movement
caused by the tightening mechanism after the circumferential distal
edge contacts the firearm barrel seating surface increases the
pressure between the circumferential distal edge and the firearm
barrel seating surface.
[0014] According to a third example embodiment, the invention is a
muzzle-loading firearm including a barrel with a longitudinal axis
and a seating surface that forms an oblique angle with respect to
the longitudinal axis. The muzzle-loading firearm also includes a
continuous flange with a circumferential distal edge. The distal
edge is configured to contact an internal position along the
firearm barrel seating surface. The muzzle-loading fire arm also
includes a circumferential tightening mechanism that is configured
to move the circumferential distal edge toward the firearm barrel
seating surface. The circumferential tightening mechanism has a
unitary construction with the continuous flange. And, movement
caused by the circumferential tightening mechanism after the
circumferential distal edge contacts the firearm barrel seating
surface increases the pressure between the circumferential distal
edge and the firearm barrel seating surface.
[0015] In another aspect, the invention relates to a breech plug
for a muzzle-loading firearm. The breech plug preferably includes a
threaded connection area having threads for engagement with a
barrel of a muzzle-loading firearm, the threaded connection area
defining an outside thread diameter. The breech plug preferably
also includes an expanded gripping surface positioned at first end
of the breech plug, the expanded gripping surface having an
external diameter greater than the outside thread diameter of the
threaded connection area. The breech plug preferably also includes
a deformable, continuous circumferential sealing flange projecting
axially forward from a second end of the breech plug opposite the
threaded connection area from the expanded gripping surface, the
sealing flange defining a flange diameter less than the outside
thread diameter of the threaded connection area. The breech plug
preferably also includes an internal conduit extending through the
breech plug from the first end to the second end.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0016] Details of the invention can be seen in the accompanying
non-limiting figures.
[0017] FIG. 1 shows a cross-section of a conventional
muzzle-loading rifle, in particular the area of the rifle in which
the breech plug is located inside the barrel.
[0018] FIG. 2 shows a cross-section of an embodiment of the
invention.
[0019] FIG. 3 shows an enlarged view of the area of FIG. 2 where
the flange and the seating surface come into contact.
[0020] FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of the breech plug used in
FIG. 2.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0021] FIG. 1 shows a cross-section of a conventional
muzzle-loading rifle, in particular the area of the rifle in which
the breech plug 1 is located inside the barrel 2. In the rifle
shown in the figure the breech plug 1 is fixed to the barrel 2 by
means of a threaded connection area 3. The breech plug 1 comprises
a first end 4 and a second end 5. A bullet 6 is also shown housed
inside the barrel 2 in front of a certain amount of gunpowder 7. As
seen, the first end 4 is the end of the breech plug 1 further from
the bullet 6, whereas the second end 5 is the end closer to the
bullet 6.
[0022] In the rifle shown in the figure the shot occurs as follows.
Firstly, an ignition occurs in the chamber 8 in the first end 4 of
the breech plug 1. Said ignition travels along an internal conduit
9 of the breech plug 1 until it reaches the second end 5 of the
breech plug 1. When the ignition reaches the gunpowder 7 an
explosion occurs, causing the bullet 6 to be fired in the shot
direction D. The explosion of the gunpowder 7 also results in some
traces of gunpowder being projected through gaps between the outer
walls of the breech plug 1 and the inner walls of the barrel 2
towards the connection area 3, potentially blocking it. To prevent
this some manufacturers provide the rifle with an elastic
mechanized ring 10 that acts as a seal between the area where the
gunpowder 7 is located and the connection area 3. It has been found
that this elastic mechanized ring 10--and other similar solutions
using seals--largely prevent the passage of gunpowder to the
connection area 3. However, in this and other similar solutions it
has been found that the gunpowder collects in a small area 15
between the breech plug 1 and the barrel 2, which is sufficiently
large to cause a "sticking" effect that is just as problematic as
the gunpowder reaching the connection area 3.
[0023] FIG. 2 shows a similar view to that of FIG. 1, in this case
showing an embodiment of the invention. The rifle shown in the
figure also comprises a breech plug 1 and a barrel 2, fixed to each
other in a connection area 3. In the rifle according to the
invention, the second end 5 of the breech plug 1 is provided with a
flange 11 that presses against a seating surface 12 of the barrel 2
when the breech plug 1 is fitted inside the barrel 2. In other
words, in the case of the figure where the connection area 3 is
threaded, when the breech plug is threaded 1 into the barrel 2 the
flange 11 is pressed and tightened against said seating surface 12,
creating a seal between both parts 1, 2. The flange 11 of the
breech plug 1 is continuous along its full perimeter.
[0024] The flange 11 presses internally on the seating surface 12,
as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. In other words, the flange 11 is closer
to the longitudinal axis 13 than the seating surface 12. A very
interesting third effect is achieved with this: when the shot is
fired, the high pressures generated inside the barrel 2 push the
flange 11 against the seating surface 12 in its whole perimeter. As
a result, the seal is strengthened in the moment when it is most
needed, i.e. when the gunpowder explodes 7.
[0025] Preferably, the seating surface 12 on which the flange 11
presses forms an angle other than 90.degree. with the longitudinal
axis 13. This embodiment has been proven to multiply (supposing a
constant torque setting) the normal force during the explosion
between the seating surface 12 and the flange 11 by three. This
performance (the sealing effect that does not allow gunpowder to
pass) will be optimum the smaller the contact area between the
flange 11 and the seating surface 12, because the smaller the
contact area, the greater the pressure between the surfaces
(supposing a constant normal force).
[0026] To ensure that the invention works correctly, it has been
found that the flange 11 should have a reduced thickness, the aim
being to guarantee a minimum flexibility (if it were completely
rigid, it would not be tensioned and a seal would not be created,
or alternatively the breech plug 1 would have to be screwed on very
tightly to make it sufficiently tensioned, something that the user
would find almost impossible). In consequence, the breech plug 1
preferably also comprises 14 a protective projection disposed
externally to the flange 11 to protect the flange 11 from being
damaged and possibly broken when the user is handling the breech
plug while detaching the barrel. Said protective projection 14 is
preferably an outer wall concentric to the flange, as shown in
FIGS. 2 and 3.
[0027] FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of the breech plug 1 used in
FIG. 2. As can be seen, the flange 11 is continuous along the
entire 360.degree. around the longitudinal axis 13. The reduced
thickness of the flange 11 can also be seen. As a result, it is
interesting that the flange 11 is exteriorly protected by the
protective projection 14.
[0028] The present invention provides for other embodiments
different to those shown. For example, the connection between the
breech plug 1 and the barrel 2 can be other than the threaded
connection shown in the figures.
* * * * *