US3620125A - Fixed-barrel automatic pistol having a stopping device for the carriage - Google Patents

Abstract

AND BOLT FROM THE FRAME CAN NEVER OCCUR, EVEN IN THE PRESENCE OF THE USUAL SHOCKS DUE TO FIRING.
A STOPPING DEVICE FOR THE BOLT AND CARRIAGE ASSEMBLY OF A FIXED-BARREL AUTOMATIC PISTOL IS DISCLOSED, IN WHICH LATCHING MEANS ARE PROVIDED TO PREVENT THE ACCIDENTAL DISASSEMBLY OF THE AUTOMATIC PISTOL WHEN THIS IS FIRED. DUE TO THE PRESENCE OF A LATCH WHICH CAN BE ROTATED ABOUT A FIXED PIN, A MANIPULATION IS NECESSARY, AND CANNOT BE DISPENSED WITH, FOR SEPARATING THE CARRIAGE AND BOLT ASSEMBLY FROM THE PISTOL FRAME. THE DISENGAGEMENT OF THE CARRIAGE

Description

Nov. 16, 1971 P. c. BERETTA FIXED-BARREL AUTOMATIC PISTOL HAVING A STOPPING DEVICE FOR THE CARRIAGI 4 Shoots--Sheot 1 Filed April 21, 1970 Nov. 16, 1971 BERETTA 3,620,125

l"IXI'lL)l5Al REL AUTOMATIC PISTOL HAVING A STOPPING DEVICE FOR THE CARRIAGE Filed April 21, 1970 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 l c (f Carl fifl'l' az 3 INVENTOR.

Nov. 16, 1971 P. c. BERETTA FIXED-BARREL AUTOMATIC PISTOL HAVING A STOPPING DEVICE FOR THE GARRIAGF 4 Sheets-Shoot :5

Filed April 21, 1970 Car Carla $0 1 INVI'IN'I'OR.

@v. 16, 1971 c BERETTA 3 ,620,125

FIXED-BARREL AUTOMATIC PISTOL HAVING A STOPPING DEVICE FOR THE CARRIAGE Filed April 21, 11:70 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 1 I I I Y i l I II I Li 1 w F 'ii 37 INVENTOR.

A rnvv United States Patent @tfice 3,620,125 Patented Nov. 16, 1971 FIXED-BARREL AUTOMATIC IISTUI. HAVING A STOPPING DEVICE FOR THE CARRIAGE Pier Carlo Beretta, Gardone Val Trompia, Italy, assignor to I. Beretta-Armi-Roma S.p.A., Rome, Italy Filed Apr. 21, 1970, Ser. No. 30,383 Int. Cl. F416! 11/00 US. Cl. 89-196 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A stopping device for the bolt and carriage assembly of a fixed-barrel automatic pistol is disclosed, in which latching means are provided to prevent the accidental disassembly of the automatic pistol when this is fired. Due to the presence of a latch which can be rotated about a fixed pin, a manipulation is necessary, and cannot be dispensed with, for separating the carriage and bolt assembly from the pistol frame. The disengagement of the carriage and bolt from the frame can never occur, even in the presence of the usual shocks due to firing.

This invention relates to a fixed-barrel automatic pistol and, more particularly, a device for stopping, in pistol of the kind referred to above, the carriage and bolt assembly at the end of the backward stroke thereof so as prevent an accidental disassembling of the weapon during operation.

As is known, in automatic pistols having a fixed barrel, the carriage and bolt assembly is usually slidably connected to the frame by means of ribs situated in the rear portion of the carriage and which engage corresponding way formed on the frame. When the pistol is disassembled, in order to disengage the carriage and bolt assembly from the frame, a backward sliding motion of the carriage is required until disengaging the ribs aforementioned from the ways, whereupon the carriage and bolt assembly can be suitably tilted and slipped out of the barrel. It is obvious that, during the operation of the weapon, the disengagement of the ribs of the carriage and bolt assembly from the frame should be prevented. To this purpose the prior art uses two kinds of systems:

(a) A vertically slidable latch is provided, which can be shifted from a first position, wherein it projects during the backward stroke of the carriage thus preventing the ribs thereof from being disengaged from the sliding ways of the frame, to a second position wherein the backward sliding of the carriage is unhindered so that its ribs can be cleared of the sliding Ways or guideways. The latch is usually and snappingly actuable from outside towards either of the two positions.

(b) The trigger-guard is hingedly conected to the rear portion of the frame, that is, to the part which is closer to the pistol handle, whereas the front portion of the trigger guard has a projection which, when the pistol is in the firing position, has the same operability of the latch mentioned in (a) above, thus preventing the carriage from being slid out of the frame. The trigger guard is retained in its closed position by a spring.

Both systems, however, are impaired by a serious drawback. As a matter of fact, during the return stroke of the carriage and bolt assembly, immediately after firing, the vigorous shock of the rear end of the carriage against the spreader, formed by the vertically sliding latch in the case of (a), or by the projection borne by the trigger guard in the case of (b), can cause the same to be displaced from the position in which it would prevent the completion of the backward stroke of the carriage. Consequently, a partial disassembly of the weapon could take place, the weapon would jam and also become a source of danger for the user.

The principal object of the present invention is to provlde a stopping device, fixed and of a mechanical nature, which is capable of impending the disengagement of the carriage and bolt assembly from the pistol frame during the normal operation of the weapon.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a mechanical stopping mechanism in which any shock imparted to the spreader by the return stroke of the carriage and bolt assembly immediately after a firing, could in no wise remove the spreader from the position in which it prevents the disengagement of the carriage and bolt assembly from the frame.

A further object of the invention is to provide a mechanical stopping device in which, in order to carry out the disassembly of the carriage and the bolt from the frame, a manual operation is necessary, absolutely extraneous to the usual movements and the usual stresses of the carriage and bolt assembly when the weapon is in its operating conditions.

The foregoing and other objects of the present invention are achieved by a mechanical stopping device for fixed barrel automatic pistols of the kind comprising a frame, a barrel fixedly mounted on the frame, a carraige and bolt assembly slidable on the frame along the fixed barrel by means of a sliding coupling between ribs formed laterally on the inner surface of the carriage and bolt and ways or grooves formed correspondingly on the outer surface of the frame, said stopping device for the backward stroke of the carriage and bolt being formed by a latch conected to the frame by a fixed pin passed through an arcuate slot formed in the central portion of the latch, so that the latch can be rotated about said pin and shifted perpendicularly to the pin through a distance equal at the most to the length of the slot, the latch having in its rear portion a projection or heel adapted to project into the path of the backward stroke of the carriage and bolt assembly, the latch being movable between a first closed position wherein said heel rests against a step formed in the frame and projects into the path of the backward stroke of the carriage and bolt assembly while the re maining portion of the upper surface of the latch is flush with the plane of sliding of the carriage and bolt on the frame, and a second position, opening position, wherein said heel does not project into the path of the carriage and bolt assembly and the front end of the latch projects above the plane of sliding of the bolt and carriage assembly without hindering the backward stroke thereof, resilient means being provided which urge the latch towards said first closure position, the latch having in its front portion manual gripping means for displacing against the bias of said resilient means the latch from said first position to said second position.

Substantially, thus the stopping device according to the present invention provides a latch having a stable closure position in which it prevents the carriage and bolt assembly from being disengaged from the frame, and any shock applied against the heel is discharged through the attendant step of the frame, and an unstable opening position to which the latch itself is brought against the bias of the resilient means (that is a spring) and by effecting a forward motion (that is in a direction opposite to the backward stroke of the carriage and bolt assembly) and a rotation of the latch.

Objects and advantages of the present invention will become more clearly apparent from the ensuing description, given by way of example and without limitation, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of an automatic, fixed-barrel pistol having the stopping device of the present invention in the closed position, that is when the weapon is in the firing position.

FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view taken along the line II-II of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 1 with the stopping device in the open position.

FIG. 4 is a plan view from top of the stopping device as mounted on the pistol frame.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line VV of FIG. 4, and

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 5, of the stopping device in the open position.

Having initial reference to 'FIGS. 1 and 2, an automatic pistol is shown, which comprises, as conventional component parts, a frame, generally indicated at 10, the frame comprising, in turn, a butt or handle 11, a trigger guard 13 which houses a trigger 12, and a portion 14 in which the fixed barrel 15 is mounted. About the barrel 15 a carriage and bolt assembly is mounted, generally indicated at 17, as subjected to the bias of the compression spring 16 wound about the barrel 15.

As is well known, during the operation of pistols of the kind referred to herein, after each firing the carriage and bolt assembly 17 should carry out a backward stroke (i.e. towards the right as viewed in FIG. 1) and, to this end, the engagement is provided between the side ribs 18 as formed internally of the carriage and bolt assembly 17 and the ways or grooves 19 correspondingly formed on the frame 10.

Considering now FIGS. 3, 4, 5 and 6 in detail, the carriage. and bolt assembly 17 has on its front portion an abutment surface 20 and an appropriately inclined surface 21. The frame in turn, has an abutment 22. Beneath the abutment 22 of the frame 10 a cavity 23 is formed whose rear end has a semicircular groove 24 (FIG. 4) fitted with a step 25 whose outline corresponds to that of the semicircular groove aforesaid.

The cavity 23 houses the stopping device according to the present invention, which comprises a latch 26, pivoted by means of the pin or dowel 27 to the frame 10 and capable of being rotated about the dowel. The dowel 27 passes through a bore or slot 28 having such a size as to permit the displacement of the latch 26 along an axis which is perpendicular to the dowel 27 and through a distance which will be exactly defined in the ensuing description.

Internally of the latch 26 a blind longitudinal hole 29 is formed, to house in a sliding relationship a plunger 30: the latter urges the dowel 27 due to the bias of a compression spring 31.

The latch 26 carries at its rear end (FIG. 4) a radiused heel 32 which projects out of the top surface 33 of the latch and is adapted to have a seat in the cavity defined by the hollow space 24 and the step 25 of the frame 10. Through the rear surface of the heel 32 a notch 34 is formed. Lastly, the front portion of the latch 26 has two lateral knurled protrusions 35, in correspondence with which the frame 10 has, formed therein, appropriate hollow spaces 36 to permit the grasping of the latch 26 in order that the stopping device may be actuated.

As already mentioned, after each firing, the carriage and bolt assembly 17 carries out a backward stroke so that, the firearm being in the position of FIG. 1, that is with the stopping device in the conditions of FIG. 5, the abutment surface 20 of the carriage 17 goes into engagement with the front surface of the heel 32. As a result, inasmuch as the abutment surface 20 cannot reach the abutment 22, the ribs 18 cannot be wholly disengaged from the grooves 19 and thus the carriage and bolt assembly is slidably servoed to the frame without being allowed to become disassembled spontaneously, thus originating a jam.

It is important to observe that, irrespective of the force with which the abutment surface 20 strikes the front face 37 of the heel 32, the latter can never be lowered since it is housed in the seat defined by the hollow space 4 24 and step 25 and retained therein by the bias of the spring 31.

Whenever it is desired to overhaul the weapon, for example for the routine upkeep, the stopping device should be disengaged, at the outset, as follows:

The two projections 35 are. grasped and the latch is pulled forward against the bias of the spring 31 until bringing the rear end of the slot 28 to contact the dowel 27. At this stage the bottom portion of the heel 32 is cleared of the step 25, and the whole latch 26 can be rotated about the dowel 27 until reaching the position of FIG. 6. More particularly, it should be observed that also the condition shown in FIG. 6 for the latch 26 is a partially stable position, inasmuch as the notch 34 engages the edge of the step 25, thus preventing the spontaneous return of the latch to the position of FIG. 5.

At this stage the abutment 20 of the carriage 17 can go back until engaging the abutment 22 and, as a result, the ribs 18 are wholly clear of the ways or grooves 19 and the carriage and bolt assembly 17 can be slightly tilted (as far as the sloping surface 21 permits) and slipped in front of the barrel 15.

When it is desired to restore the automatic pistol to its operative position, it suffices that the carriage and bolt assembly is reassembled by slipping it over the barrel 15 and bringing the abutment surface 20 to contact the abutment 22. Then, the ribs 18 are matched with the ways 19 again and the carriage and bolt assembly 17 is slid forwards (towards the left as viewed in FIG. 3) until the position of FIG. 1 is reached. By virtue of this sliding movement, the bottom portion of the carriage 17 engages the still lifted front portion (FIGS. 3 and 6) of the latch 26 causing said portion to rotate about the dowel 27 until reaching the horizontal position. At this stage, due to the bias of the spring 31, the latch 26 resumes the normal position of FIG. 4.

It is important to notice that, by so doing, the automatic return of the stopping device to its operative position is warranted immediately on reassembling the weapon, and no danger of jamming or spontaneous disassembly being present as caused by the latch 26 missing its return to the closed position.

It should also be mentioned, lastly, that the front portion of the latch has a nail groove 37 which encourages the return sliding stroke of the carriage and bolt assembly.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A mechanical stopping device for the carriage and bolt assembly of a fixed-barrel automatic pistol of the kind comprising a frame, a barrel fixedly mounted on the frame, a carriage and bolt assembly slidable on the frame along the fixed barrel by means of a sliding coupling between ribs formed laterally on the inner surface of the carriage and bolt and ways or grooves formed correspondingly on the outer surface of the frame, said stopping device for the backward stroke of the carriage and bolt being formed by a latch connected to the frame by a fixed pin passed through an arcuate slot formed in the central portion of the latch, so that the latch can be rotated about said pin and shifted perpendicularly to the pin through a distance equal at the most to the length of the slot, the latch having in its rear portion a projection or heel adapted to project into the path of the backward stroke of the carriage and bolt assembly, the latch being movable between a first closed position wherein said heel rests against a step formed in the frame and projects into the path of the backward stroke of the carriage and bolt assembly in such a position that the ribs remain slidably engaged with said grooves, while the remaining portion of the upper surface of the latch is flush with the plane of sliding of the carriage and bolt on the frame, and a second position, opening position, wherein said heel does not project into the path of the carriage and bolt assembly and the front end of the latch projects above the plane of sliding of the bolt and carriage assembly resilient means being provided which urge the latch towards said first closure position, the latch having in its front portion manual gripping means for displacing against the bias of said resilient means the latch from said first position to said second position.

2. A stopping device according to claim 1, wherein said step formed in the frame together with a hollow space in the same frame define a seat for the correspondingly shaped rear portion of the heel; said rear portion being fitted with a notch which, in said second position of the latch engages the edge of said step.

3. A stopping device according to claim 1, wherein said manual gripping means in said latch consist of two knurled Wings.

4. A stopping device according to claim 1, in which said resilient means are formed by a coil spring housed in a blind hole formed internally of the latch and perpendicularly to the axis of said fixed pin, said spring having a first end which urges against said blind hole bottom wall and a second end which urges said fixed pin.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 935,952 10/1909 Becker 89-196 991,398 5/1911 Walther 89-496 SAMUEL FEINBERG, Primary Examiner S. C. BENTLEY, Assistant Examiner UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3620125 Dated NOV. 16, m1

Inventor(s) Pier Carlo Beretta It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

In the heading of this patent, column 1, after Filed Apr. 21, 1970, Ser. No. 30383 insert:

Claims priority, application Italy, April 29, 1969 Signed and sealed this 9th day of May 1972.

(SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD M.FLETCHER, JR. ROBERT GOT'ISCHALK Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents )RM PO-10 0 (10- uscoMM-Dc we're-Pee 9 U S. GOVERNHENY PRINTING OFFICE I ill. C -lll-SII

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