U.S. patent application number 14/456949 was filed with the patent office on 2014-11-27 for clearing trap.
The applicant listed for this patent is Action Target Inc.. Invention is credited to David Bassett, Ernest M. John, Mike Long, Nate Raisor, Chris Ream.
Application Number | 20140346734 14/456949 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 44840492 |
Filed Date | 2014-11-27 |
United States Patent
Application |
20140346734 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
John; Ernest M. ; et
al. |
November 27, 2014 |
Clearing Trap
Abstract
A clearing trap for decelerating bullets including a housing and
bullet deceleration material disposed within the housing. The
bullet deceleration material may include a plurality of layers of
rubber material and metal for safely decelerating a bullet.
Further, the layers of rubber material may have different densities
and different types of metal may be used to decelerate a bullet.
The clearing trap may also include vent holes for dissipation of
the force generated from discharging a firearm in the housing and
diverters which channel vented gasses away from a shooter.
Inventors: |
John; Ernest M.; (American
Fork, UT) ; Bassett; David; (Mapleton, UT) ;
Ream; Chris; (Orem, UT) ; Long; Mike;
(Fountain Green, UT) ; Raisor; Nate; (Provo,
UT) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Action Target Inc. |
Provo |
UT |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
44840492 |
Appl. No.: |
14/456949 |
Filed: |
August 11, 2014 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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13189340 |
Jul 22, 2011 |
8827273 |
|
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14456949 |
|
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|
61369979 |
Aug 2, 2010 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
273/410 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F41J 13/00 20130101;
Y10T 29/49826 20150115 |
Class at
Publication: |
273/410 |
International
Class: |
F41J 13/00 20060101
F41J013/00 |
Claims
1.-29. (canceled)
30. A firearm clearing trap, the firearm clearing trap comprising:
a housing having a cavity defined by an outer wall, an end wall and
at least one open end, the outer wall being formed by hardened
steel; and a plurality of layers of bullet deceleration material
removably disposed in the housing; and a removable retention member
disposed between the plurality of layers of bullet deceleration
materials and the opening for limiting movement of the plurality of
layers of bullet deceleration materials toward the opening.
31. The firearm clearing trap of claim 30, further comprising a
mounting plate having an opening disposed on the open end, and
wherein the retention member has a diameter which is larger than
the opening in the mounting plate.
32. The firearm clearing trap of claim 30, wherein the retention
member is a collar which can be removed through the opening in the
housing along with the plurality of layers of deceleration
material.
33. The firearm clearing trap of claim 30, wherein the deceleration
material comprises a plurality of generally square pieces of
material stacked against one another.
34. The firearm clearing trap of claim 33, wherein the housing has
a generally square cross-section.
35. The firearm clearing trap of claim 33, wherein at least one of
the pieces of material comprises a piece of hardened steel which is
removable from the housing.
36. The firearm clearing trap according to claim 30, wherein the
housing further comprises at least one flange, a containment shield
and a mounting plate for holding the containment shield to the at
least one flange.
37. A firearm clearing trap comprising: a housing having a cavity
defined by an outer wall, an end wall and at least one open end,
the outer wall being formed by hardened steel; and at least one
vent disposed adjacent the open end; and wherein the cavity has a
generally consistent cross-section between the back wall and the
open end so that gasses passing along the outer wall are directed
to the at least one vent.
38. The firearm clearing trap of claim 37, further comprising at
least one of a mounting plate and a containment shield disposed so
as to at least partially cover the open end of the housing, the at
least one of the mounting plate and the containment shield
directing gasses passing alone the sidewall out of the at least one
vent.
39. The firearm clearing trap of claim 38, further comprising at
least one flange extending above the at least one vent for
directing gasses away from the open end and toward the end
wall.
40. A firearm clearing trap comprising housing having an end wall,
a top wall, a bottom wall and sidewalls, and wherein the sidewalls
extend beyond the bottom wall so as to form a base which supports
the housing on a surface.
41. The firearm clearing trap of claim 40, wherein the side walls
are formed of hardened steel.
42. The firearm clearing trap of claim 40, wherein the sidewalls
are bent and have holes formed therein for attaching the housing to
another structure.
43. A firearm clearing trap, the clearing trap comprising a housing
having an open end, an end wall, and a sidewall so as to form a
cavity, a deceleration medium removably disposed in the cavity, the
deceleration medium being about 7 inches of less in length and able
to stop a 50 caliber armor piercing round when the 50 caliber armor
piercing round is fired into the bullet deceleration medium.
44. The firearm clearing trap of claim 43, wherein the housing is
no longer than about 10 inches long.
45. The firearm clearing trap of claim 43, wherein the deceleration
medium is formed from a plurality of sheets, at least one of the
sheets being rubber and at least one of the sheets being hardened
steel.
46. The firearm clearing trap of claim 43, further comprising a
removable retention member disposed between the deceleration medium
and the open end of the housing.
47. The firearm clearing trap of claim 43, further comprising a
flange disposed at the open end of the housing and a mounting plate
attachable to the flange.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Related Applications
[0002] The present application claims the benefit of U.S.
Provisional Patent Application No. 61/369,979, filed Aug. 2, 2010,
the entirety of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
[0003] 2. The Field of the Invention
[0004] The present invention relates to a device and method for
decelerating projectiles. More specifically, the present invention
relates to an improved clearing trap for decelerating projectiles
discharged when performing a clearing check to ensure that the gun
is empty.
[0005] 3. State of the Art
[0006] In order to maintain proficiency in the use of firearms, it
is common for law enforcement officers and sportsmen to engage in
target practice. Participants will typically shoot at targets which
are placed in front of some type of bullet containment system.
After passing through the target, the bullet is typically contained
in a trap where the bullet may be retrieved and recycled. Such
traps include total containment systems wherein the bullet is
received in a chamber, and less expensive berm traps in which the
bullet is received by a bullet deceleration material.
[0007] A variety of devices to prevent accidental firing of a
firearm, such as safety locks, are built into or used with handguns
and rifles. Despite such safety features, accidental discharges do
occur, most frequently during the loading or unloading of the
firearm. While it is easy to remove a magazine or other container
holding the bullets, it may be difficult to accurately determine if
a bullet is contained in the chamber of the gun. Nevertheless,
after a target shooter is finished it is usually a requirement that
the weapon be unloaded for transportation and/or storage.
[0008] To prevent accidental discharges from occurring, it is
common for the target shooter to use a clearing trap. A clearing
trap is typically a small trap disposed near the main target range
into which a gun is inserted and the trigger pulled. If the gun has
been properly emptied, there will be no discharge and the user will
be assured that the gun is empty. However, occasionally the gun
will fire due to a round that was not properly removed from the
chamber. Once the round is discharged, the user may pull the
trigger again for assurance that the gun is empty. Once it is
demonstrated that the gun is empty, the user may store or transport
the gun.
[0009] Likewise, there are situations in which it is desirable to
clear a weapon away from a traditional range setting. For example,
police officers may use special weapons during certain types of
situations, such a bank robberies or hostage situations. Because
the weapons are not used on a regular basis, it is usually
desirable to ensure that the weapon is not loaded when stored.
Thus, for example, while an officer would typically not clear his
or her service pistol, he or she may desire to clear a
semi-automatic rifle when not in use.
[0010] Although clearing traps are currently available for this
purpose, each has various limitations. For example, FIG. 1A shows a
perspective view of a prior art clearing trap, generally indicated
at 10. The clearing trap 10 has a cylindrical housing 14 which has
a closed lower end 18 and an upper end 22 partially enclosed by a
disk with an opening for receiving the barrel of a gun. The
cylindrical housing may be held at an angle so that the user may
hold the gun in a comfortable position while pulling the trigger.
The cylindrical housing 14 is filled with sand to decelerate rounds
which are fired therein. When the housing 14 is sufficiently full
of bullets, the housing is turned upside down and the contents
removed.
[0011] The configuration shown has several disadvantages. For
example, the housing 14 must be made either of specially formed
steel plate (i.e. steel having a thickness of 0.25 inches), or of
standard steel or some other material. Forming the steel plate into
the cylindrical housing 14 can be expensive, and using standard
steel raises the risk that the housing will become damaged if a
user fires the gun at an angle significantly deviating from the
long axis of the housing. Additionally, the sand in the housing 14
is heavy and inverting the housing for clearing can require
significant effort.
[0012] FIG. 1B shows a side cross-sectional view of an alternate
type of clearing trap, generally indicated at 30. The trap 30 uses
a circular containment chamber 34 similar to that disclosed in U.S.
Pat. Nos. 5,070,763; 5,113,700; 5,121,671; and 5,486,008. As the
bullet moves through from the opening 38 through the circular
containment chamber 34, the bullet is forced to travel in a
circular pattern. While such movement is highly effective at
decelerating the bullet, it can also cause lead dust to be released
into the air. Additionally, the trap 30 is relatively expensive to
make, as plate steel must be formed into the circular pattern and
be disposed in a relatively large housing. Size is also a concern
to obtain a reasonable radius of travel for the bullet.
[0013] FIG. 1C shows yet another trap, generally indicated at 50,
which is used for clearing weapons. The trap has a housing 54 with
an opening 58 for inserting a gun. Disposed within the housing 54
is a plurality of rubber sheets 60. As the bullet travels through
the rubber sheets 60, the bullet is decelerated until it comes to a
rest. While the sheets are effective at stopping the bullet and
preventing fragmentation, over time they can develop large holes
which reduce their ability to decelerate bullets.
[0014] Turning now to FIG. 1D, there is shown a side
cross-sectional view of yet another clearing trap, generally
indicated at 70, in accordance with the prior art. The clearing
trap includes a housing 72 which is made of common steel. Inside
the housing is a plurality of inserts made of rubber 74 and steel
76 which are designed to receive and decelerate a bullet. The
housing 72 also includes a plurality of vent holes 77 for allowing
gasses to escape. While the design is advantageous in that it is
relatively compact and light weight, it also has disadvantages. For
example, because the housing is made of common steel, a bullet
ricocheting off the steel deceleration plates can potentially
penetrate or at least deform the housing. For example, a .223 round
was fired into the housing 72. The bullet ricocheted and caused a
noticeable bulge in the housing. Additionally, an end cap 78
through which the gun is inserted blew off and hit the shooter in
the face. Furthermore, in order to remove the bullet deceleration
material, the top of the housing must be cut off, making frequent
replacement of the deceleration material impractical.
[0015] Turning to FIG. 1E, there is shown a cross-sectional view of
yet another clearing trap. The trap 80 includes a common steel
outer housing 82 and a plurality of removable interlocking hardened
steel plates 84 which can be removed from the housing. A bullet
deceleration material 86 such as sand or chopped rubber can be
disposed inside the plates to decelerate the bullet prior to impact
with the plates. A removable end plate 88 attaches to a flange 90
and holds a shielding material 92 (i.e. rubber, etc.) through which
the gun is inserted. Removal of the end plate 88 allows the plates
84 and deceleration material 86 to be removed for cleaning,
etc.
[0016] The trap shown in FIG. 1E is effective at stopping rounds.
However, it is relatively large and is generally not for use with
high power rounds.
[0017] Thus, there is a need for an improved clearing trap and
method for bullet deceleration which provides the advantages of
prior art clearing traps without some or all of the disadvantages
of the currently available systems. Such a system may be
advantageous by stopping a wide variety of rounds in a compact
space, and may be lightweight, relatively inexpensive and easy to
use.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0018] It is an object of the present invention to provide an
improved clearing trap.
[0019] According to one aspect of the present invention, the
clearing trap may be formed from a hardened steel housing and
bullet deceleration material disposed within the housing. The
hardened steel housing and the deceleration material allow a bullet
to be safely contained in the housing in an improved manner over
the prior art.
[0020] According to another aspect of the invention, the housing
may be attached together with a plurality of welds in such a manner
that none of the welds are directly exposed to a bullet fired into
the clearing trap.
[0021] In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the
bullet deceleration material uses pieces of rubber (or the like)
and sheets of steel (which may include hardened steel) to
decelerate the bullet and enables bullets to be contained in a
smaller clearing trap for the size of the projectile than generally
available.
[0022] According to another aspect of the present invention, the
clearing trap may include one or more flanges extending from the
housing with at least a portion of the flange being at an angle
relative to the adjacent wall of the housing and adjacent a vent to
shield the shooter or others nearby from vented gasses escaping
from the housing. In a presently preferred embodiment, the
flange(s) may be bent to form an angle greater than 90.degree.
relative to the adjacent wall of the housing and more preferably is
generally L-shaped so that the flange channels gas escaping from
the housing away from the shooter and generally parallel to the
path of travel of a projectile discharged from a gun into the
housing.
[0023] These and other aspects of the present invention may be
realized in an improved clearing trap as shown and described in the
following figures and related description.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0024] Various embodiments of the present invention are shown and
described in reference to the numbered drawings wherein:
[0025] FIG. 1A shows a side view of a clearing trap made in
accordance with the prior art;
[0026] FIG. 1B shows a side cross-sectional view of a clearing trap
made in accordance with the teachings of the prior art;
[0027] FIG. 1C shows a side cross-sectional view of a clearing trap
made in accordance with the teachings of the prior art;
[0028] FIG. 1D shows a side cross-sectional view of a clearing trap
made in accordance with the teachings of the prior art;
[0029] FIG. 1E shows a side cross-sectional view of a clearing trap
made in accordance with the teachings of the prior art;
[0030] FIG. 2 shows a side view of a clearing trap made according
to principles of the present invention;
[0031] FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional view of a clearing trap with
a plurality of layers of bullet deceleration material in accordance
with principles of the present invention;
[0032] FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of a clearing trap of the
present invention with a face plate removably connected to the
housing.
[0033] FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of the open end of a
clearing trap with vent holes adjacent to the flanges of the
housing;
[0034] FIG. 6 shows a distal end view of a clearing trap of the
present invention;
[0035] FIG. 7 shows an exploded view of a clearing trap in
accordance with principles of the present invention including a
retention insert for securing the deceleration material; and
[0036] FIG. 8 shows an alternate embodiment of the housing for
floor mounting.
[0037] It will be appreciated that the drawings are illustrative
and not limiting of the scope of the invention which is defined by
the appended claims. The embodiments shown accomplish various
aspects and objects of the invention. It is appreciated that it is
not possible to clearly show each element and aspect of the
invention in a single figure, and as such, multiple figures are
presented to separately illustrate the various details of the
invention in greater clarity. Similarly, not every embodiment need
accomplish all advantages of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0038] The invention and accompanying drawings will now be
discussed in reference to the numerals provided therein so as to
enable one skilled in the art to practice the present invention.
The drawings and descriptions are exemplary of various aspects of
the invention and are not intended to narrow the scope of the
appended claims.
[0039] Turning now to FIG. 2, there is shown a side view of a
clearing trap, generally indicated at 110, made in accordance with
principles of the present invention. The clearing trap 110 may
include an elongate housing 120 into which a gun 220 may be
inserted and the trigger pulled in order to ensure that the gun has
been properly unloaded. The housing 120 may be formed of plate
steel which is sufficiently thick to stop high-power firearm
rounds, such as AR 500 or AR 550, although other hardened steels
may be used. Each piece of steel forming the housing may be, for
example, 3/8 to 1/4 of an inch thick, although other thicknesses,
such as 1/2 inch, etc., may be used.
[0040] The housing 120 may have a cavity defined by an outer wall
and can be preformed in a desired shape, typically a square
cross-section defined by two sidewalls 124 (only one of which is
shown in FIG. 2), an upper wall 121, a lower wall 122, and a back
wall 123. It should be appreciate that the housing 120 may be
formed from materials, other than plate steel, that are efficient
at stopping high-powered or other predetermined strength
rounds.
[0041] One or more flanges 170 or other end pieces may be
positioned adjacent the top of the housing 120 and may extend
outwardly. Typically, the flange 170 may extend completely around
the opening at the proximal end of the housing 120, though this is
not required.
[0042] A containment shield 130 can be removably connected to the
flange 170 to cover the open end of the housing 120. The
containment shield 130 may have an opening for receiving the gun
220. The containment shield 130 may be made of a flexible material,
such as rubber or LINATEX, available from Durex Products, Inc.,
Windfall, Ind. As is shown in FIG. 2, the containment shield 130
may be removably connected to flange 170 via a mounting plate 140.
The mounting plate 140 may be bolted to the housing of the clearing
trap, with the containment shield 130 located between the flange
170 and the mounting plate 140. Although bolts 180 are shown to
removably attach the mounting plate 140 to flange 170 or to the
housing 120, it should be appreciated that a variety of other
fasteners may be used to removably attach the mounting plate, such
as screws, rivets, etc.
[0043] The housing 120 may include a base portion 124A, which may
be formed by a portion of the sidewalls 124. As shown in FIG. 2,
the housing 120 may be formed with base 124A so as to dispose the
housing at an angle relative to horizontal so that the user may
maintain a comfortable position when performing the clearing check
on the gun 220. The clearing trap 110 may be removably mounted to a
horizontal surface 132, such as a table or bench, or other oriented
surface, via base 124A.
[0044] As shown, bolts 181 may be used to mount clearing trap 110
to a surface 132, however, it will be appreciated that clearing
trap 110 may be mounted to the surface 132 using a variety of other
methods. Ordinary persons skilled in the art will also appreciate
that housing 120 need not be preformed to include base 124A.
Rather, housing 120 may be mounted to a variety of structures.
[0045] The flange 170 may include extensions or attachments which
form diverters 160 which have a bend 162 so that the diverters 160
extend 90.degree. or less relative to upper wall 121, sidewalls 124
and/or lower wall 22 adjacent to which they are disposed.
Preferably, the diverters extend generally parallel to the walls to
which they are adjacent, although other angles are satisfactory.
Additionally and/or alternatively, diverters 164 may extend from
the mounting plate 140 so as to extend adjacent to sidewalls 124,
top wall 121 or bottom wall 122.
[0046] Disposed in one or more of the sidewalls 124, the top wall
121 and the bottom wall 122, is one or more vents 210 (shown in
more detail in FIGS. 3 and 5). In some prior art clearing traps,
vents are provided to dissipate the gasses released with the firing
of a round. For example, the vent holes in some prior art devices
are simply cut or formed into the sides of the clearing trap. As
gasses escape from the gun, they enter the clearing trap and a
portion deflects off the deceleration material. Thus, some of the
gas may be deflected back toward the person firing the gun, or
toward people standing adjacent the clearing trap.
[0047] In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, the
diverters 160, 164 ultimately extend from the housing and channel
the vented gasses back along paths generally parallel to the path
of travel of the bullet. Thus, the gasses are directed away from
the shooter and those who may be standing adjacent the shooter when
the gun discharges. This prevents the shooter and others from being
hit by the vented gasses and any debris or particles that the
vented gasses may carry.
[0048] Turning now to FIG. 3, there is shown a cross-sectional view
of the clearing trap 110 with a plurality of layers of bullet
deceleration material 200 disposed within the housing. The bullet
deceleration material 200 may include a plurality of pieces of
rubber 202a-f. (As used herein, "rubber" refers to natural rubber
and other rubber-like materials, including but not limited to
petroleum based polymers, other resilient synthetics, etc.) The
plurality of pieces (or sheets) of rubber 202a-f may have different
densities to provide for desired deceleration characteristics.
Additionally, bullet deceleration material may include interspersed
pieces of metal 204a and 204b. As a bullet is fired into the
clearing trap 110, the bullet deceleration material 200 safely
decelerates the bullet. If metal is included in the bullet
deceleration material 200, soft steel may be used so that a bullet
may penetrate one or more steel layers if necessary. However, it is
generally desirable to have at least one piece of metal be hardened
steel. Unlike the rubber which only slows the bullet, hardened
steel, such as AR 500 will tend to cause the bullet to deflect and
to fragment. The deflected fragments have less momentum and are
then generally easier to stop either with the rubber and remaining
steel or with the walls of the housing 120 because of the reduced
inertia.
[0049] In accordance with the principles of the present invention,
it has been found that it is preferred to have the final piece of
metal be hardened steel that is at least between about 3/8 and 1/4
of an inch thick, although thinner or thicker pieces can be used.
Additionally, it has been found that it is preferable, though not
required, to have at least one piece of rubber 202a disposed
distally to the last piece of hardened steel 204a. As the bullet,
or fragments thereof, hit the last piece of steel 204a, the rubber
202a compresses, making it harder to penetrate steel as the steel
deflects in response to the impact.
[0050] The combination of hardened steel plates 204 and rubber 202
has achieved remarkable results. A housing 120 approximately 10
inches long was provided with three pieces of hardened steel
interspaced between the rubber pieces, with total deceleration
medium slightly less than 7 inches. A 50 caliber armor-piercing
round was fired into the clearing trap 110 and was safely contained
therein. Containing such a round is generally challenging even in a
larger clearing trap.
[0051] While the trap can be configured to stop such a high powered
round, It can also use fewer or thinner pieces of rubber 202a-f and
metal 204a-b to stop smaller rounds if desired. For example, a
small caliber handgun range may use thin pieces (1/4-3/8 of an
inch) and some soft steel, while a range which allows higher
caliber weapons may use thicker (3/8-1 inch) and/or more pieces,
including hardened steel, to safely contain a broader range of
bullets.
[0052] FIG. 3 also shows vent holes 210 formed in the top wall 121
and bottom wall 122 and the diverters 160 extending from the flange
170 for channeling the vented gasses, and anything which may be
carried thereby, away from the shooter. Thus, the risk to the
shooter of getting hit with gas-borne debris is virtually
eliminated.
[0053] Now turning to FIG. 4, there is shown a perspective view of
the clearing trap 110 of the present invention with a containment
shield 130 removably connected to the housing 120. The containment
shield 130 may include an opening for receiving a firearm and may
be removably connected to the clearing trap 110 between the flange
170 and front mount plate 140. The opening 150 in the containment
shield 130 may be sufficiently large enough for receiving a variety
of different sized firearms while being able to substantially
prevent bullet fragments from passing back through the opening
after a firearm discharges. The mounting plate 140 may be removably
connected to the flange 170 using bolts 180. However, a variety of
other fasteners may be used to removably connect the mounting plate
40 to the flange 170 or other structure on the housing 120 of the
clearing trap 110.
[0054] To ensure that clearing trap 110 remains effective at
decelerating bullets, the containment shield 130 and the mounting
plate 140 can be removed to access the interior of housing 120.
After several bullets have been discharged into the clearing trap
110 (or a single round in case of a high powered round such as an
armor piercing 50 caliber round), the bullet deceleration material
can become less effective at decelerating a bullet. However, the
bullet deceleration material can be easily replaced in order to
ensure the proper function of clearing trap 110. This is
accomplished by simply detaching the mounting plate 140 and either
detaching or bending the containment shield 130 out of the way and
sliding out the metal and rubber pieces which form the deceleration
material. New pieces of metal and rubber (or already present pieces
of metal or rubber which are still in good shape) may then be
placed into the housing 120 and the containment shield 130 and
mounting plate 140 returned to the position shown in FIG. 4. In a
manner of minutes, the clearing trap 110 is in like new condition
and ready for use. This is in contrast to some prior art
configurations, in which a portion of the housing is literally cut
off to remove the deceleration material.
[0055] Additionally, the clearing trap 110 may be advantageous
because it is relatively light weight. Unlike traps using sand as a
deceleration material, the clearing trap 110 can be easily lifted
and inverted so the deceleration materials slide out. Additionally,
the light weight of the trap allows it to be used in a large number
of situations, including truck or car mounted applications for
police officers and the like.
[0056] FIG. 4 also shows in additional detail how the sidewalls 124
may extend and be bent to form the base 124A. One challenge with
working with hardened steel is the difficulty in forming the steel
into a box. In accordance with one aspect of the present invention,
the housing 120 of the clearing trap 110 may be formed from
multiple flat pieces of hardened steel. An overlap 124B is formed
between the sidewalls 124 and the top wall 121. A weld 143 may be
formed between the top of the top wall 121 and the overlapped
portion of the sidewall 124. A similar weld may be formed between
the top wall 121 and the sidewall 124 in the foreground in FIG. 4,
but the overlap portion hides the weld from view.
[0057] Welding hardened steel is problematic because the weld can
weaken the steel. However, in accordance with one aspect of the
present invention, the weld itself is never exposed to a bullet
entering the housing and the weld reinforces the portion of the
hardened steel which has been heated during the welding process.
(While FIG. 4 shows the overlap occurring on the sidewall, it will
be appreciated that the top of the sidewall 124 could butt up
against the top wall 121, with the top wall 121 overhanging.)
[0058] Now turning to FIG. 5, there is shown a perspective view of
the open end of the clearing trap 110 with a vent hole 210 adjacent
to the flange 170. As discussed above, containment shield 130 (FIG.
4) and the mounting plate 140 (FIG. 4) can be easily removed from
the housing 120 to facilitate replacement of worn bullet
deceleration material. The containment shield 130 may also be
easily replaceable.
[0059] The vent hole 210 can be seen adjacent to the flange 170 in
the lower wall 122. When a firearm is discharged inside the housing
120, the vent hole 210 facilitates release of the pressure
generated by gasses passing from the firearm into the housing 120.
An additional vent hole (not pictured) may be located adjacent to
the flange 170 of upper wall 121 and/or vent holes 210 can be
formed in the sidewalls 124.
[0060] Air flow and debris generated from the discharge of a
firearm into the housing 120 and dissipated through vent holes 210,
is safely directed away from the shooter by diverters 160 which may
extend from upper and lower portions of the flange 170, and/or from
the mounting plate 140 (not shown in FIG. 5) or other structures.
As the gasses pass out of the vent holes, the diverters 160 prevent
the gasses from traveling toward the person firing the firearm, and
preferably channel the gasses back into a direction generally
parallel with the travel path of the bullet. In this way, the
shooter is not hit with any debris, such as fragments of rubber or
small fragments of a bullet which may be carried by the gasses.
[0061] Turning now to FIG. 6, there is shown a view of the clearing
trap 110 taken from a distal end of the housing 120. The housing
120 may be formed from a back wall or end plate 123. The back wall
123 may attach to the top wall 121 and to the bottom wall 122 by
welds 145 As shown in FIG. 6, the top wall 121 and the bottom wall
122 each have an overlap and the welds 145 are formed between the
outside surface of the back wall 123 and the inside surface of the
overhang of the top and bottom plates. Those skilled in the art
will appreciate that the attachment could be reversed if desired so
that the outside of the top plate is welded to the front side of an
overhanging portion of the back wall 123. In this manner the steel
plates forming the housing are welded together but the weld is not
directly exposed to a bullet in the housing 120.
[0062] The back wall 123 may also be attached to an overhang along
each of the sidewalls 124 so that welds 146 are attached to the
back of the back wall 123 and the inside of the overhanging portion
of the sidewalls 124. It will be appreciated that the attachment
could be reversed with the outside of the sidewalls 124 being
attached to an overhanging portion of the back wall 123. Either
way, the welds 145, 146 are not directly exposed to bullets fired
into the housing 120.
[0063] FIG. 6 also shows how the sidewalls 124 may be bent so that
a single piece of steel forms both the sidewall 124 and the base
portion 124A. The diverters 160 used to channel gasses away from
the person shooting the gun are also shown. The diverters 160 may
be formed from a single piece of steel with either the flange 170
or the mounting plate 140, or both, or may be welded on or
otherwise attached to either structure Likewise, the diverters 160
could be attached directly to the housing 120.
[0064] FIG. 7 shows an exploded view of a clearing trap 110 made in
accordance with principles of the present invention. The
deceleration material may be made up of five pieces or sheets of
rubber 202, followed by a piece or sheet of metal 204. The sheet of
metal 204 may be regular steel or, in some applications, preferably
hardened steel and more preferably AR 500). Rubber 202 and metal
204 may then alternate with a piece of rubber being disposed behind
the last piece of metal. As a bullet is fired into the deceleration
material, the bullet will typically penetrate at least several
layers of rubber. A 22 caliber round may only pass through two or
three pieces of rubber before being stopped. A slightly larger
handgun round may penetrate through the rubber until hitting a
first piece of hardened steel, wherein the bullet may fragment or
ricochet and either be stopped by the rubber or by one of the top
wall 121, the bottom wall 122 or one or more of the sidewalls 124.
In the alternative, a hand gun round may impact soft steel and
either dent the steel or penetrate a first layer.
[0065] A higher velocity round, such as a .223 may penetrate the
rubber 202 and the first piece of metal 204 only to be stopped by
subsequent pieces of rubber or metal. Still other rounds, such as a
50 caliber armor piercing round may penetrate through all of the
pieces of rubber and the metal up to the last metal piece, wherein
it is stopped. If the round were to somehow pierce the last piece
of metal, it would still have to pass through the last piece of
rubber and then the backwall 123 of the housing 120.
[0066] By selecting the type of metal and the rubber used, a user
of the clearing trap 110 may obtain the deceleration
characteristics he or she desires. For example, with some high
caliber rounds, it may be advantageous to have the bullet first
impact a piece of soft (non-hardened) steel. The bullet will pierce
the steel, but will lose a substantial amount of inertia in doing
so. This reduces the risk of a ricochet while the bullet is still
traveling at a high rate of speed. At the second piece of metal, a
hardened steel piece of steel may be used. At this point a lower
velocity bullet will tend to fragment against the steel and either
be finally dissipated by the rubber or by the housing 120, while a
higher velocity bullet may pierce the first hardened steel piece
and then be fragmented by the second piece of hardened steel. By
selecting the combination of rubber and soft and hardened steel, a
person who runs a range or who is otherwise charged with clearing
firearms can ensure that a desired deceleration pattern is obtained
for the projectiles. Some bullets may even be captured
substantially whole for recycling, while others are fragmented to
reduce the mass which must be stopped.
[0067] FIG. 7 also shows a retention member 230 which may be used
to secure the deceleration material. When a high power round is
fired into the deceleration material, the amount of reflected force
is substantial. If the round is large enough, the pieces of rubber
may be projected back toward the opening of the clearing trap 110.
To prevent injury to the shooter, the retention member 230 inhibits
the movement of the deceleration material toward the opening of the
clearing trap. Typically this is done by having a body which can
engage the deceleration material, such as a collar, which is larger
in diameter than the opening in the mounting plate 140. The
retention member 230 affirmatively prevents larger portions of the
deceleration material from being thrown against the containment
shield 130 and the mounting plate 140 and prevents the shooter from
being pelted with pieces of rubber. This enables a very compact
clearing trap 110 to decelerate a very powerful round, such as a 50
caliber armor piercing round in a very small space and with a
relatively small weight.
[0068] FIG. 8 shows an alternate embodiment of the housing 120.
Instead of being configured for sitting on a table or bench, the
clearing trap 110 has a housing 120A which is designed for resting
on the ground. The housing 120A is similar to housing 120 in that
it may be formed by a top wall 121, a bottom wall 122 and sidewalls
124. The sidewalls 124 extend more lengthwise along the bottom wall
122 and are then bent at an angle to form the base portion 124A
more perpendicular to the housing than generally parallel with the
embodiment shown in FIGS. 2 through 7. This orientation, and a
longer top wall, bottom wall and sidewalls 121, 122 and 124, makes
the housing 120A extend a greater distance than housing 120 and
makes the clearing trap 110 easier to use with rifles and the like.
Additionally, because the housing is longer, more deceleration
material may be used, reducing the frequency with which the
deceleration material would need to be replaced due to discharged
rounds. Additionally, as with the prior embodiment, making the top
wall, bottom wall and sidewalls 121, 122 and 124 out of hardened
steel (preferably AR 500) between 3/8 and 1/2 inch thick, enables
the walls to channel or deflect a bullet into the deceleration
material, even though the bullet was not fired at the correct
angle, to thereby safely contain the bullet. In contrast, a trap
made out of soft steel may bulge or even allow the bullet to
penetrate the wall, potentially injuring the person clearing the
gun or those nearby.
[0069] It will be appreciated that the housing 120A shown in FIG. 7
may be connected together with welds, such as discussed in detail
with respect to FIG. 6. Other attachments could also be used. The
housing 120A could be attached to a similar flange 170, containment
shield 130, and mounting plate 140 as discussed above and may
include vent holes and other structures as set forth above. For
brevity, all of such structures will not be discussed again in
detail.
[0070] It will be appreciated that various combinations of the
aspects discussed above may be used consistent with the present
invention. For example, a firearm clearing trap may include a
housing having a cavity defined by an outer wall and at least one
open end, the outer wall being formed by hardened steel; and a
plurality of layers of bullet deceleration material, comprising at
least one rubber layer and at least one metal layer. The clearing
trap may also include: a) at least one rubber layer comprising a
plurality of rubber layers disposed on opposing sides of the at
least one metal layer; b) the at least one rubber layer comprising
a plurality of rubber layers having different densities; c) the at
least one rubber layer comprises a plurality of rubber layers and
wherein the at least one metal layer comprises a plurality of metal
layers; d) the plurality of metal layers being comprised of at
least one layer of hardened steel; e) the plurality of metal layers
comprising at least one layer of soft steel and at least one layer
of hardened steel; f) at least one flange, a containment shield and
a mounting plate for holding the containment shield to the at least
one flange; g) at least one flange disposed adjacent a proximal end
of the housing and at least one diverter extending from the flange
and toward a distal end of the housing; h) at least one vent hole
and wherein the diverter extends at least partially over the at
least one vent hole; i) plurality of vent holes wherein a plurality
of diverters extend from the at least one flange generally parallel
to the housing to direct gasses passing out of the plurality of
vent holes toward the distal end of the housing; j) a mounting
plate attachable to the flange and wherein the mounting plate
comprises at least one diverter positioned so as to at least
partially extend over a vent hole in the housing; k) one vent hole
is located in the housing substantially adjacent to a flange and
the diverter extending along the housing to direct gasses passing
out of the vent hole toward a distal end of the housing; and/or l)
a retention insert for limiting movement of the deceleration
material, or combinations thereof.
[0071] A method of forming a clearing trap may include selecting a
housing having a cavity defined by an outer wall and at least one
open end configured to receive a plurality of layers of bullet
deceleration material, the housing being formed from hardened steel
and disposing a plurality of layers of bullet deceleration material
into the housing, at least one of the plurality of layers being
metal and at least two of the plurality of layers being rubber
material. The method may also include: a) selecting a plurality of
rubber layers having different densities; b) at least one of the
plurality of layers being metal which is hardened steel; c) at
least one of the plurality of layers being metal being soft steel;
d) selecting a housing with at least one vent hole; e) selecting a
housing with a flange and a mounting plate attached thereto and at
least one diverter extending from at least one of the flange and
the mounting plate to cover the at least one vent hole and direct
gas escaping from the at least one vent hole away from the flange
and the mounting plate; and/or f) disposing a retention mechanism
in the housing to limit movement of the deceleration material, or
combinations thereof.
[0072] A clearing trap of the present invention may include a
housing having an inside, an outside and an opening for receiving a
firearm, and having a top wall, a bottom wall, a pair of sidewalls
and a back wall, and wherein the back wall and the top wall abut
one another so as to leave an overhang formed by a portion of the
top wall or the back wall on the outside of the housing and a weld
between an inner surface of the overhang and an outer surface of
the back wall or top wall so as to form a weld on the outside of
the housing which joins the top wall and back wall; and a bullet
deceleration material.
[0073] The clearing trap may also include: a) a back wall which
abuts the sidewalls and the bottom wall so as to leave overhangs
and wherein the back wall is attached to the bottom wall and the
sidewalls walls by one or more welds extending along the back wall
and the bottom wall and sidewalls of the housing; b) an outer
surface of the back wall is welded to overhangs formed by the
sidewalls, the top wall and the bottom wall; c) sidewalls extending
beyond the top wall and the bottom wall so as to form overhangs and
wherein outer surfaces of the bottom wall and top wall are welded
to the overhangs of the sidewalls; d) the sidewalls extending
beyond the bottom wall and form a base portion for supporting the
clearing trap; e) the bullet deceleration material comprising a
plurality of layers of bullet deceleration material, at least one
layer being a rubber material and at least one layer being hardened
steel; and/or f) a retention member disposed in the housing to
limit movement of the bullet deceleration material or any
combination thereof.
[0074] A clearing trap of the present invention may include a
housing having a void therein for receiving bullets and at least
one vent hole for venting gasses discharged into the housing, the
housing having a proximal end though which a bullet is fired and a
distal end and at least one diverter connected to the housing for
channeling gasses passing out of the vent holes toward the distal
end of the housing.
[0075] The clearing trap may also include has a plurality of vent
holes and a plurality of diverters wherein the plurality of
diverters are disposed adjacent the plurality of vent holes to
channel gasses passing out of the vent holes toward the distal end
of the housing. There is thus disclosed an improved clearing trap
for use with firearms. It will be appreciated that numerous changes
may be made to the present invention without departing from the
scope of the claims.
* * * * *