US1363041A - Breech-bolt lock for firearms - Google Patents

Description

G. HAMMOND.

BREECH BOLT LOCK FOR FIREARMS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 1. 1917.

Patented Dec. 21, 1920.

INVEN TOR.

'PAT'T GRANT HAMLIVIOND, OF NEVI HAVE'N, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD T0 ALVA G. WASHB'UENE, 0F PITTSFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, AND ONE-THIRD TO FREDERICK G. CRANE, OF DALTON, MASSEBI'LUSETTS.

BBEECH-BOLT LOOK FOR FIREARMS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 21, 1920.

Application filed December 1, 1917. Serial No. 204,922.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, GRANT HAMMOND, a citizen of the United States, residing at New Haven, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and Improved Breech-Block Lock for Firearms, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the class of devices that are employed for retaining a breech-bolt in the receiver of a firearm, and an object of my invention, among others, is to provide a lock that shall be secure against accidental release while at the same time being readily operated to release the breech bolt when desired.

One form of device embodying my invention and in the construction and use of which the objects herein set out, as well as others, may be attained, is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in wh1ch- Figure l is a view in side elevation of the upper rear portion of a firearm embodying my invention with parts broken away to show construction.

.Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same with parts broken away to show construction.

Fig. 3 is a rear end view of the receiver and breech-bolt.

Fig. 4 is a detail view in cross section through the breech-bolt and receiver on plane denoted by dotted line 1-4 of Fig. 1.

Fig, 5 is a detail perspective view, scale enlarged, of the locking block.

Fig. 6 is a detail front end view of the breech-bolt.

Fig. 7 is a detail view, scale enlarged, in section of a fragment of the upper rear end of the firearm.

Fig. 8 is a detail side view of the spring supporting rod.

Fig. 9 is a detail view, scale enlarged, of a fragment of the breech-bolt showing the means for retaining the breech-bolt compression spring in place.

My invention, illustrated and described herein, relates particularly to the means for retaining the breech-bolt in place in the receiver of a firearm, and, therefore, only so much of the firearm as is necessary to an understanding of my invention is illustrated in the drawings herein, and while the device forming the subject matter of this application is not necessarily confined to any particula'r type of firearm, yet it is readily applied to a firearm of the type illustrated and described herein.

In the accompanying drawings the nufront portion of the frame has a trigger 17 pivotally mounted therein.

An opening 18 extends through the receiver from end to end, a barrel 13 being secured in any suitable manner within the front end of this opening, and a part of said opening back of said barrel comprisinga breech-bolt chamber 19 within which a breech-bolt 20 is slidably mounted. Any suitable connection between the trigger 17 and hammer 15 may be employed for controlling the operations ofthe latter, and any desired means for controlling movements of the breech-bolt 20 may be utilized.

The breech-bolt 20 is generally of round shape in cross section as shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings, and it is provided with a firing pin 21 that may be of any ordinary form and construction, said firing pin extending through, or substantially through, the breech-bolt and havingthe usual parts within the breech-bolt for effecting its operation.

A breech-bolt actuating spring recess 22 is formed partially in the top of the wall of the opening in the receiver 12 and partially in the upper part of the breech-bolt, said recess containing a breech-bolt actuating spring 23. A lip 24 at the front end of the breech-bolt comprises the end wall of the recess 22 and the spring 23 thrusts with one end against said lip and with its opposite end against a shoulder 25 upon a spring supporting rod 26, which rod extends through said spring and into the lip 24 at tom 30 of a groove in a retaining block 31. This retaining block is of a size to slidably fit within a hole 32 extending laterally through the upper part of the receiver near its rear end, a lip 33 on the block limiting its inward movement in said hole. The block is also cut-away to provide shoulders 3435 that are received against a stop pin 36 fixed in an opening extending preferably from a rear sight groove 37 into the hole 32, as clearly shown in Fig. 7 of the drawings.

A spring supporting rod retaining plate 38 is formed to fit within a recess 39 in the rear end of the breech-bolt, said recess extending into the receiver as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings. This plate has a hole 40 through which the rear end of the rod 26 constituting a thumb piece 41 extends.

The plate 38 is held in place as by means of a firing pin sleeve 42 that is preferably an integral projection from the plate 38 and that extends into the rear end of the breechbolt, as shown in Figs. 1 and 9 of the drawings, the back end 43 of the firing pin, when it is in its rearward position, extending through said sleeve and plate. The plate 38 may be held in place in any suitable manner, as shown herein a pin 44 extending through the breech-bolt and laterally into a groove in the bottom of the sleeve.

From the above description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings it will readily be seen that when it is desired to remove the breech-bolt from the receiver a pressure upon the thumb piece 41 will move the rod 26 inward sufiiciently to remove the lip 29 from within the recess in the retaining block 31, and this release of the retaining block will enable it to be moved out of the breech-bolt chamber, in which position it will not act as an obstruction to the removal of the breech-bolt and the latter may be taken rearwardly out of the receiver, together with. the rod 26 and the spring 23, the latter still under compression. The pin 36 will prevent the block 31 from being pulled entirely out of its hole in the receiver. WVhen the block 31 is in place it acts as an abutment for the rod 26 that receives thev pressure of the spring 23 caused by the pressure of the lip 24 when the breech-bolt is moved backwardly in the receiver under forces generated by the gases of explosion.

The construction herein illustrated and described affords extremely efiicient means whereby the breech-bolt may be readily removed and replaced without the necessity of relieving compression springs of their force, or of restoring the compression to such springs, in the operation of removing and inserting the breech-bolt. A firearm embodying my within described invention is, therefore, peculiarly applicable to the cleanin of parts of the mechanism and especia y to the cleaning of. the barrel from the breech end thereof, the mechanism being readily removed for such purpose and the chamber being free and unobstructed from the rear end of the firearm into the breech portion of the barrel, and the breech-bolt being readily reinserted.

A breech-bolt lock 45 is located in an opening through the bottom of the bolt into the chamber containing the firing pin, the head of said bolt extending into a locking recess 46 in the bottom wall of the receiver. Said bolt lock is held in its locked position as by means of a spring 47 located within the bolt lock and thrusting against a spring seat 48 that rests against the firing pin in the bottom of the opening in which the breech-bolt lock is located. The breech-bolt lock and the spring seat are both notched to receive a body 49 of the firin pin, this part of the body being preferabl y flattened on opposite sides and the notch being of a depth to permit a limited movement of the breechbolt lock laterally of the firing pin. The head of the breech-bolt lock is recessed to receive the cam shaped end 50 of a bolt lock actuator 51 that will be mounted and operated in any desired manner, Such actuator, as will be plainly seen from Fig. 1, engaging the cam shaped side of the recess and forcing the breech-bolt lock '45 upwardly against the tension of its spring from engagement with its opening in the receiver when the latter, together with the breech-bolt are thrust backwardly by the forces of the gases of explosion and sweep the lock 45 over the top of the actuator 51, in a manner well known in devices of this class.

The body 49 of the firing pin has a looking notch 52 that is of a width to receive the breech-bolt lock 45, said notch 52 being formed to receive said lock, and the body adjacent to said locking notch being, in the backward position of the firing pin, located to prevent movement of the locking bolt, as 110 shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. Said locking bolt, when it is in its position to unlock the breech-bolt, thus acts as a look for the firing pin and the firing pin, when it is in its rearward position in the breech-bolt, acts to pre- 115 vent unlocking movement of the breech-bolt lock. The firing pin is of a length less than the length of its opening through the breechbolt and when it is locked by the breech-bolt lock, both its ends being within the breech- 120 bolt, the firing pin cannot be actuated to explode a cartridge, and this locking takes place during all of the time when the breechbolt is unlocked, and, likewise, the firing pin acting as a lock for the breech-bolt lock, the 125 breech-bolt cannot be released when the firing pin is in its operative position. The breech-bolt lock and firing pin thus act as safety devices one for the other the breechbolt lock holding the firing pin in a safety 130 position when the breech-bolt is unlocked and the firing pin preventing unlocking movement of the breech-bolt lock when the firing pin is in an operative position.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, I have described the principles of operation of my invention, together with the device which I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof; but I desire to have it understood that the device shown is only illustrative and that the invention may be carried out by other means.

I claim- 1. A firearm including a frame having a breech-bolt chamber therein, a breech-bolt located in said chamber and having a spring recess, a spring located in said recess and compressed therein entirely by parts carried by the breech-bolt when the latter is removed from the frame, means supported by the frame for opposing thrust of said spring, said means being movably mounted to re lease said spring from pressure thereagainst, and means located at the rear end of the breech-bolt for maintaining compression of said spring when the breech-bolt is removed from the frame.

2. A firearm including a frame having a breech-bolt chamber therein, a breech-bolt located in said chamber and having a spring recess, a spring located in said recess and compressed therein entirely by parts car ried by the breech-bolt when the latter is removed from the frame, a spring support ing rod, means supported by the frame for resisting the thrust of the spring against said rod, said means being movably mounted to release said spring from pressure thereagainst, and means located at the rear end of the breech-bolt for retaining said rod in position when the breech-bolt is removed from the frame.

3. A firearm including a frame having a breech-bolt chamber therein, a breech-bolt located in said chamber and having a spring recess, a spring located in said recess and compressed therein entirely by parts carried by the breech-bolt when the latter is removed from the frame, means supported by the frame for opposing the thrust of said spring, said means being movably mounted to release said spring from pressure thereagainst, and a plate secured to the rear end of the breech-bolt to retain said spring in place when the breech-bolt is removed from the frame.

4. A firearm including a frame having a breech-bolt chamber therein, a breech-bolt located in said chamber and having a spring recess, a spring supporting rod located in said recess, a spring located on said rod in said recess and compressed therein entirely by parts carried by the breech-bolt when the latter is removed from the frame, means supported by the frame for resisting thrust of the spring against said rod, said means being movably mounted to release said spring from pressure thereagainst, and a plate secured to the end of the breech-bolt to hold said rod in position when the breechbolt is removed from the frame.

5. A firearm including a frame having a breech-b0lt chamber therein, a breech-bolt located in said chamber and having a spring recess, a spring located in said recess and compressed therein entirely by parts car ried by the breech-bolt when the latter is removed from the frame, a spring supporting rod, and a plate secured to the rear end of the breech-bolt to hold said rod in place, said plate having a hole through which the back end of said rod projects.

6. A firearm including a frame having a breech-bolt chamber with a recess in the upper wall of said chamber, a breech-bolt located in said chamber and having a spring recess, a spring located in said recess and compressed therein entirely by parts carried by the breech-bolt when the latter is removed from the frame, means supported by the frame for resisting the thrust of said spring, said means being movably mounted to release said spring from pressure thereagainst, and a rod located in the recess in the breech-bolt and secured therein to retain said spring under compression when the breech-bolt is removed from the chamber.

7. A firearm including a frame having a breech-bolt chamber therein and a recess opening out of said chamber, a breech-bolt located in said chamber and having a spring recess, a spring located in said recess and compressed therein entirely by parts carried by the breech-bolt when the latter is removed from the frame, a spring supporting rod located in said recess, means supported by the frame to resist the force of said spring, and a plate closing the rear end of said recess in the frame and breech-bolt and having an opening through which the rear end of said rod projects.

8. A firearm including a frame having a breech-bolt chamber therein, a breech-bolt located in said chamber and having a spring recess, a spring located in said recess and compressed therein entirely by parts carried by the breech-bolt when the latter is removed from the frame, means for retaining the spring in said} recess when the breech-bolt is removed from the firearm, and a sliding member supported by the frame to resist the force of said spring and movable to permit removal of the breechbolt from the frame.

9. A firearm including a frame having a breech-bolt chamber therein, a breech-bolt located in said chamber and having a spring recess, a spring locatedin said recess, a spring supporting rod located in said recess,

a member slidably mounted in the frame to engage said rod and support the thrust of the spring, and means for retaining said rod in place in the breech-bolt when the latter is removed from the frame.

10. A firearm including a frame having a breech-bolt chamber therein, a breech-bolt located in said chamber and having a spring recess, a spring located in said recess, a spring support located in said recess and having a lip, a member slidably mounted in the frame and having a recess to receive said. lip and to support the thrust of the spring gainst said rod, and means for moving said rod to release said lip from engagement with said member.

11. A firearm including .a frame having a breech-bolt chamber therein, a breech-bolt located in said chamber and having a spring recess, a spring located in said recess, a spring rod to support the thrust of said spring and having a cut-away part with a lip thereon, a member slidably mounted in the frame and having a recess to receive said lip, and means for holding said rod in place when the breech-bolt is removed from the frame.

12. A firearm including a frame having a breech-bolt chamber therein, a breech-bolt located in said chamber and having a spring recess, a spring located in said recess, a rod located in said recess to receive the thrust of said spring and having a cutaway part forming a beveled lip, a sliding block movable transversely in the frame and having a recess to receive said'lip, and means for securing said rod in place.

13. A firearm including a frame having a breech-bolt chamber therein, a breech-bolt located in said chamber and having a spring recess, a spring located in said recess, a spring rod located in said recess to resist the force of said spring, said rod being cut-away at its upper part forming a lip, a block slidably mounted in the frame transversely thereof and having a recess to receive said lip, and a plate secured to the rear end of the breech-bolt to hold said rod in place and having an opening to receive the end of said rod that projects through the plate.

14. A firing mechanism for a firearm including a breech-bolt movably mounted in a breech-bolt chamber in the firearm, a forked lock to retain the breech-bolt in its closed position, means for operating said look, a firing pin extending between the forks of said lock and movably mounted in a hole extending through the breech-bolt and having a cross-wise groove to receive the body of said look at the base of said forks to retain the firing pin in inoperative position, and cooperating means upon said lock and firing pin to hold said lock in its locked position.

15. A firearm including a frame having a breech-bolt chamber therein, a breech-bolt located in said chamber and having a spring recess, a member movably supported by the frame and independently of the breech-bolt, a spring located in said recess and supported by said member when the latter is in one position and by the breech-bolt when said member is in another position, and means located at the rear end of the breech-bolt to receive the thrust of said spring when the breech-bolt is removed from the frame.

, GRANT HAMMOND.

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