US3145494A

US3145494A - Muzzle-triggered gun

Info

Publication number: US3145494A
Application number: US296802A
Authority: US
Inventors: Charles E Willcox; Donald G Setty
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1963-07-22
Filing date: 1963-07-22
Publication date: 1964-08-25
Anticipated expiration: 1981-08-25

Description

Aug. 25, 1964 c. E.w1LL.cox ETAI.. 3,145,494

MuzzLE-TRIGGERED GUN Filed July 22, 1963 3,145,494 MUZZLE-TRIGGERED GUN Charles E. Willcox, 451 N. Doherty Drive, Beverly Hills, Calif., and Donald G. Setty, 1632 Mouutcrest Drive, Los Angeles 69, Calif.

Filed July 22, 1963, Ser. No. 296,802 4 Claims. (Cl. 42-1) This invention relates to a gun which is triggered by pressure of the target-body on the muzzle, and particularly to such a gun in which ring is achieved when a spring-piston is released by telescopic action against a cam latch.

Heretofore, skin divers have been almost defenseless against sharks, or other large fish or animals, which might threaten and attack under water. The resistance of water is so great that underwater guns, harpoons, and spears have no lethal effect on a large fish or animal beyond the distance of a few feet.

Small explosive cartridges have been used on the ends of spears and arrows as a means for launching an auxiliary dart upon Contact with the target fish. These are practically useless against a large fish coming in for attack. Movement of the target is too rapid for accuracy, and the target is very likely to be missed entirely, and the weapon lost to the skin diver so far as the needs of the immediate situation are concerned. Even if the dart actually hits a fish such as a shark, it may not penetrate the extremely tough hide, or if it does, may serve only to infuriate the sh.

The defensive need of the skin diver is for something he can retain in his hand and use immediately next to himself where he can accurately press the weapon home against the attacking fish. However, this precludes any large explosive charges, since the open explosion of a substantial charge near the skin diver would severly injure the skin diver as well as the target fish.

It is a principal object of the present invention to provide a gun, suitable as an underwater gun, in which the barrel serves as a gas tube for introducing a large volume of the cartridge explosion gases directly into the body of the target fish.

It is another major object of the invention to provide a muzzle-triggered gun in which great security against accidental firing is provided by positive safety means.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an underwater gun of the type described in which the entire tiring tube, and cartridge are dismounted from the gun during the cooking operation.

Another object is to provide a gun of the type described in which firing is accomplished by telescopic action of the gun assembly, to release a spring-firing mechanism in a simple and positive manner to be described hereinafter.

The foregoing and other objects of the invention will be best understood from the following description of a specific embodiment, read in connection with the accompanying illustrations in which:

FIGURE l is a side elevational view of a gun constructed according to the invention, shown in cocked position and ready for firing;

FIGURE 2 is a front or muzzle view of the gun of FIGURE l;

FIGURE 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the gun of FIGURES 1 and 2 as viewed at a vertical plane through the axis of the gun, in the direction of the arrows 3--3 of FIGURE 2; and,

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of an exploded assembly of the principal telescoping parts.

In FIGURE l, the gun is identified generally by the numeral 10. The principal parts seen listing from the muzzle end to the cocking handle are the firing tube 11,

Patented Aug. 25, 1964 the breech block member 12, the piston housing 13, a rearwardly projecting piston rod 14, and a cooking handle 15.

The sectional view of FIGURE 3 and the exploded assembly seen in perspective in FIGURE 4 reveals that breech block member 12 and piston housing 13 form a telescoping assembly. Breech block member 12 is comprised primarily of a relatively massive forward body 20, serving as breech block to firing tube 11, and a rearwardly extending sleeve 21 in the form of a cylindrical tube. The forward end 22 of the breech block body 20 is reduced in diameter and externally threaded, whereas, the rear end of fire tube 11 is internally threaded at 23 to provide threadable attachment for firing tube 11 to breech block member 12.

The breech block body 20 is provided with an axial firing pin bore 24 in which a firing pin 25 is reciprocable. Preferably, the rear end of firing pin 25 is provided with an enlarged striking head 26.

It will be seen from a front view of FIGURE 2 at the exploded disassembly of FIGURE 4 that safety against accidental striking of striker head 26, by means to be described hereinafter, is provided by a transverse safety pin 27, which passes horizontally through the forward portion of sleeve 21, but just to the rear of striker head 26, through a pair of diametrically opposite openings 2S.

A longitudinal slot 29 is provided in the upper surface of sleeve 21 for reception of a latch-trigger means to be described hereinafter.

Firing tube 11 is very short, but sufficient in length to contain a shotgun shell 30. Preferably, the shotgun shell 30 is loaded in a stainless steel cartridge, and the breech end of the shell is provided with external annual shoulder 31, which is closely received in an internal annular groove 32, so that shell 3! is firmly held in position against the forward end of breech block body 20 when the firing tube 11 is threadably assembled to breech block member 12.

An important and preferred feature of the device of the invention is that it kills not only by the shot contained in the shell 30, but, more importantly, by the direct introduction of the explosion gases into the body of the shark, or other major target. A sharks hide is extremely tough, so that it must be penetrated by the bullet or shot at or very near the muzzle of any gun, lest lthe velocity of the projectile be tool much reduced by intervening water. Moreover, even bullet penetration is not necessarily enough. The shark even if wounded mortally may have sufficient remaining minutes `of life to launch a very dangerous attack against the skin diver. In the present invention, the forward end of the muzzle is provided with an annular ring of barbs 33 which serve to anchor the muzzle of a gun against the body of a shark, and at the same time seal in the explosion gases. When the gun 1@ is fired, the metal pellets from the shotgun shell 30 blast a small hole into the side of the shark, and are lost in the internal organs of the shark. Immediately, the explosion gases inflate the body of the shark and burst many vital organs. The shark is instantly disabled and killed. The body rises to the surface because of the contained air, and the skin diver achieves instant and effective security. Note, moreover, that the resultant desire is achieved even if the gases are introduced into the sharks body cavity at some relatively non-vital point.

FIGURES 3 and 4 reveal that piston-housing 13 has a forwardly extending cylindrical barrel 4@ which is closely received into the interior of rearwardly extending sleeve 21. Telescopic action between barrel 40 and the rearwardly extending sleeve 21 is limited by an external annular shoulder 41, which is larger in external diameter than sleeve 21, in the preferred embodiment of the invention, in order to provide suitable mounting means for the trigger-latch mechanism to be described hereinafter.

The interior of barrel 40 provides a cylinder in which a hollow piston 42 is reciprocable. Integrally assembled with piston 42 is the piston rody 14 which is reciprocable in a piston rod bore 44, of reduced diameter in the rear portion of piston housing 13.

A powerful spiral spring 45 encircles piston rod 14 l within and behind piston 42 so as to powerfully urge piston rod 14V forward toward striker head 26. It will be noted that the forward end of piston rod 14 is provided with an enlarged annular shoulder 46, and a forward projecting striker head 47.

Undesired disassembly of barrel 40 from sleeve 21 is prevented by means of a limiting screw Si), which passes through threaded opening 51 in the sidewall of the sleeve 21, and is received in a longitudinal limit screw slot 52 in the sidewall of barrel 40. AItwill be seen that the invention is a type of spring gun. Thus, firing of the shell 30 is accomplished by power stored in spring 45, whenvthe latter is released from a compressed condition by unlatching of a latch 60.

In a preferred embodiment, latch 60 is in the form of a leaf spring mounted at its rearward end on the shoulder 41 by means of a mounting screw 61 fitted into internally threaded bore 62.

The latch 60 extends forwardly in a resilient spring portion 63 to a hook or dog member 64 which is adapted to hook over piston rod shoulder 46Vand retain it and piston 42 in a retracted position with spring 45 compressed for tiring. A convenient way of forming dog 64 Vfrom leaf spring material is to fold down two portions on each side as illustrated in the perspective view of FIGURE 4.

Barrell 40 is provided with a slot opening 65, which aligns with the slot opening 29 in sleeve 21 to provide a path for dog 64 into and out of latching position ahead of shoulder 46.

It will be appreciated that the resilient leaf spring portion'63 functions as a resilient latch hinge. It readily Yyields to n'ger pressure when the gun is cocked, so that the operator can pull back on cooking handle 15 retracting piston rod 14 and piston 42, until dog 64 can enter into the interior of barrel 40 and hook over shoulder 56, retaining spring 45 in a compressed condition ready for firing. Safety pin 27 can then be inserted through vopening 28 to prevent inadvertent firing. After the safety pin Y 28 is inserted, andonly after that, the firing tube 11 may be loaded withshell 30 and threaded into its position on threads 22. f Y

Latch 60 isforced outwardly to the position indicated in phantom line in FIGURE 3 at 60a by telescoping action of breech block member 12 backwardly over the barrel '40 of piston housing 13. This is accomplished by virtue of a camming action between breech block member'12 and latch 60. In the preferred embodiment, the external diameter of sleeve 21 is substantially less than that of breech block body 20, and the latter is provided with a `rearwardly converging conical camV surface 66, rwhich engages a correspondingly forwardly inclined camV surfaceV 67l on the'forward deectable end of resilient latch mem- ;ber 60.

Thus, as telescoping action causes the two Vcamming -surfaces 66 and 67 to come into contact, latch member 60 is forced outwardly to position a, and piston 42 is vreleased.v Piston 42 and piston rod 14 are then forcibly driven forward by compressed spring 45, piston rod head 47, then strikes striker head 26 and drives firing pinrZS Yforward to re cartridge 30.

It 'will be Vnoted that this ring action vcannot occur until after safety pin 27 has 'been retracted from the Vholes 28. It will be further noted that safety pin 27 is sufficiently reduced at its central portion 2,71 sothat ring pin 24 cannot be driven to firing position by con- Vtact between firing pin head 26' and safety pin'27. Ex-

ternal access to firing pin striker head 26 may be had through hole 68 in sleeve 21 and making slot 69 in barrel 40. Thus, if desired, a tool may be inserted to retract firing pin 2S, or an additional safety wedge may be inserted forward of firing pin striker head 26 through hole 68, and not withdrawn until it is desired to ready gun 10 for firing.

lt will be understood that our invention is not restricted to the exact construction of the specic embodiment, preferred though it is, illustrated in the drawings and described in the foregoing description. On the contrary, the invention comprehends all variations of the inventive combination, which retain the spirit of substantial equivalents of the invention as broadly defined by the terms of the appended claims.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A gun triggered by muzzle contact, which gun includes: a breech block member having an axial firing pin means and a rearwardlyprojecting sleeve; a piston housing telescopically received into said sleeve; a piston reciprocable within said piston housing; a spring within said piston housing urging said piston towards said firing pin means; a firing tube means on the forward end of said breech block member; a piston-retaining latch mounted on said piston housing rearward of said sleeve, and located to hold said spring in a condition of compression; a latch cam on said latch having a camming surface extending forwardly at an angle with respect to the axis of said telescoping sleeve and piston housing; and a mating breech block camming surface on said breech block member formed to move said latch cam out of latching engagement with said piston when said breech block mem ber is telescoped rearwardly over said piston housing, whereby said piston is released, and driven by said spring, against said firing pin means.

2. A gun Ytriggered by muzzle contact, which gun includes: a breech block member having an axial tiring pin means and a rearwardly projecting sleeve; a piston housing telescopically received into said sleeve; a piston reciprocable within said piston housing, and a piston retraction means extending from said piston through said piston'housing; a spiral spring within said piston housing rearward of said piston, and urging said piston towards the rear end of said firing pin means; a firing tube means threadably received on the forward end of said breech block member; a piston retaining latch mounted on said piston housing rearward of said sleeve, said piston latch comprising a forwardly extending leaf spring member, andY inwardly extending piston latch member resiliently urgedk by said leaf spring member into engagement with saidrpiston through mating openings in the side walls of said piston housing and said sleeve; a latch cam'on `the forward endV ofsaid latch having a camming surface extending forwardly at an angle with respect to the l'axis offsaid telescoping sleeve and piston housing; and

- a mating breechY block camming surface on said breech 'bore and a rearwardly projecting sleeve; a piston housing telescopically received into said sleeve; a piston re ciprocable within said'piston housing, and a piston rod extending rcarwardly from said piston through a piston rod bore in the rear of said piston housing; a spiral spring within said piston housing rearward of said piston, and

`urging said pis/ton towards the rear end of said tiring pin bore; a ringpin reciprocable in said firing pinV bore, Vsaid firing pin having an enlarged striker headY rearward Aof said firing pin bore and enclosed within the forward end of'said sleeve; a firing tube means threadably received u on the forward end of said breech block member; a piston retaining latch mounted on said piston housing, said piston latch comprising a spring member, and inwardly extending piston latch member resiliently urged by said spring member into engagement with said piston through mating openings in the side walls of said piston housing and said sleeve; a latch cam on said latch having a camming surface extending forwardly at an angle with respect to the axis of said telescoping sleeve and piston housing; and a mating breech block camming surface on said breech block member adapted to engage said latch cam and force it to retract from the path of said piston when said breech block member is telescoped rearwardly over said piston housing, whereby said piston is released, and driven by said spring, against said striker head to operate said firing pin.

4. A gun triggered by muzzle Contact with a target body, which gun includes: a breech block member having an axial ring pin bore and a rearwardly projecting sleeve; a piston housing telescopically received into said sleeve; a piston reciprocable within said piston housing, and a piston rod extending rearwardly from said piston through a piston rod bore in the rear of said piston housing; a spiral spring within said piston housing rearward of said piston, and urging said piston towards the rear end of said tiring pin bore; a tiring pin reciprocable in said ring pin bore, said firing pin having an enlarged striker head rearward of said tiring pin bore and enclosed with- :in the forward end of said sleeve; a safety pin transversely received through said sleeve between the forward end of said pin and said striker head; a firing tube means threadably received on the forward end of said breech block member, and having target-engaging barbs disposed at the muzzle end; a piston retaining latch mounted on said piston housing rearward of said sleeve, said piston latch comprising a forwardly extending leaf spring member, and inwardly extending piston dog resiliently urged by said leaf spring member into engagement with said piston through mating slot openings in the side walls of said piston housing and said sleeve; a latch cam on the forward end of said latch having a camming surface extending forwardly at an angle with respect to the axis of said telescoping sleeve and piston housing; and a mating breech block camming surface on said breech block member adapted to engage said latch cam and force it to retract said dog from the path of said piston when said breech block member is telescoped rearwardly over said piston housing, whereby said piston is released, and driven by said spring, against said striker head to operate said firing pin.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,668,432 Thorstenson May 1, 1928 2,659,273 v Trautmann Nov. 17, 1953 2,667,814 Blackmon Feb. 2, 1954 2,691,844 Smith Oct. 19, 1954

Claims

1. A GUN TRIGGERED BY MUZZLE CONTACT, WHICH GUN INCLUDES: A BREECH BLOCK MEMBER HAVING AN AXIAL FIRING PIN MEANS AND A REARWARDLY PROJECTING SLEEVE; A PISTON HOUSING TELESCOPICALLY RECEIVED INTO SAID SLEEVE; A PISTON RECIPROCABLE WITHIN SAID PISTON HOUSING; A SPRING WITHIN SAID PISTON HOUSING URGING SAID PISTON TOWARDS SAID FIRING PIN MEANS; A FIRING TUBE MEANS ON THE FORWARD END OF SAID BREECH BLOCK MEMBER; A PISTON-RETAINING LATCH MOUNTED ON SAID PISTON HOUSING REARWARD OF SAID SLEEVE, AND LOCATED TO HOLD SAID SPRING IN A CONDITION OF COMPRESSION; A LATCH CAM ON SAID LATCH HAVING A CAMMING SURFACE EXTENDING FORWARDLY AT AN ANGLE WITH RESPECT TO THE AXIS OF SAID TELESCOPING SLEEVE AND PISTON HOUSING; AND A MATING BREECH BLOCK CAMMING SURFACE ON SAID BREECH BLOCK MEMBER FORMED TO MOVE SAID LATCH CAM OUT OF LATCHING ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID PISTON WHEN SAID BREECH BLOCK MEMBER IS TELESCOPED REARWARDLY OVER SAID PISTON HOUSING, WHEREBY SAID PISTON IS RELEASED, AND DRIVEN BY SAID SPRING, AGAINST SAID FIRING PIN MEANS.