Firing mechanism for guns

This invention relates to a firing mechanism for guns of any particular size and wherein a cartridge or shell is to be lcoated in a chamber or breech at the inner end of a barrel, and once in such position, a firing pin is caused to strike a cap or rim in order to fire the cartridge or shell.

Firing pin mechanisms of the general type which are known are fairly complex for a variety of different reasons. In many larger guns the mechanism for removing spent shells or cartridge cases is fairly complex as is the mechanism required for feeding a further shell or cartridge into the chamber for subsequent firing. In the case of smaller guns, such as handguns, and personal protection firearms, the mechanism is generally fairly intricate in order to achieve a relatively simple result even in the case of a single shot firearm.

There is thus a need for a firing mechanism which, at least in many instances, can be employed in order to simplify the firing mechanism of a gun.

In accordance with this invention there is provided a gun characterised by comprising a support member having a bore therein, a breech block at one end of said bore, an axially movable barrel within said bore spring biased towards the breech block end thereof and defining a chamber at said end, and a firing pin carried by either the breech block or the barrel and located to fire a cartridge carried in the chamber as the barrel moves towards the breech block in use.

Access to the chamber can be by way of any access opening which may be a lateral opening, in whicl case a shell or cartridge can be introduced into the gun laterally with the chamber in a forward position (ie. remote from the breech block). Alternatively, the breech block itself may be removable to provide access to the chamber in which case access can be provided whether the barrel is in a forward or rearwarc position.

It will be understood that, when the barrel is in a forward position, the spring loading thereof will be in a charged condition and trigger operated release means will hold the chamber in its position if required. In some automatic weapons such a holding mechanism may, in fact, not be required.

Whilst it will be understood that it is possible to provide a moving barrel, movable towards and away from a stationary breech block, in numerous different sorts of guns ranging from heavy artillery through to the lightest of hand guns or personal protection firearms, with obvious variations and modifications, the invention will further be described by way of example by describing a personal protection firearm in the form of an extremely lightweight firearm.

In this embodiment of the invention the firearm is embodied in a finger ring but, it will be understood, that a gun mechanism of this type could equally well be embodied within a pendant, bracelet, pen or other writing instrument, or indeed any other article of adornment. A similar mechanism could also be embodied in a hand gun as will be apparent from the following.

Although a movable barrel, as provided by this invention, will accommodate a shell or cartridge being fired, the barrel need not be made integral with an extension barrel and, accordingly, the inertia and momentum of a single movable barrel may be obviated. However, where an extension barrel is provided, a bullet must be suitably guided for movement into the extension barrel after leaving the cartridge case or shell and, in such an instance, the barrel itself and the extension barrel will preferably be provided with elongate intermeshing finger-like or spline-like formations extending in an axial direction and, between them, defining a guide which can be extended and retracted to accommodate the axial movement of the barrel itself.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In order that the invention may be more fully understood further details will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which :-

• FIG. 1 illustrates, in isometric view, a finger ring embodying a firearm according to this invention in the closed and inoperative position;
• FIG. 2 illustrates, in similar view, the finger ring with the firearm in a cocked condition;
• FIG. 3 is a section through the finger ring taken along the axis thereof and in the uncocked condition;
• FIG. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 but with the finger ring in a cocked condition;
• FIG. 5 is a cross-section through the finger ring taken at right angles to the axis thereof;
• FIG. 6 is a split sectional view taken along line VI--VI in Fig. 5;
• FIG. 7 illustrates in isometric view the spring loaded catch arrangement for holding the firearm in a "safe" or "firing" condition and with the associated flash protector/flap;
• FIG. 8 illustrates, in exploded orthographic projection, a second embodiment of the invention; and,
• FIG. 9 illustrates in isometric view the association of an extension barrel and a movable chamber defining barrel;
• FIG. 10 is a schematic section illustrating a large type of gun having a gas operated cocking arrangement.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION WITH REFERENCE TO THE DRAWINGS

Referring firstly to Figs. 1 to 7 the firearm, in the illustrated embodiment of the invention, assumes the form of a finger ring, generally indicated by the numeral 1, which defines the support of the firearm according to this invention.

The ring has an axis 2 which, in use, is to coincide with the axis of a wearer's finger and has a body portion 3 of the firearm built up on the finger ring and shaped to form a bore 4 having its axis extending parallel to that of the finger ring.

An axially movable chamber defining barrel 5 is located in the bore to define an annular space 6 between its outside surface and the inner surface of the bore and the barrel has, at its operatively inner or rear end, an outwardly directed flange 7 slidable on the surface of the bore. It is guided, at its operatively forward end 8, by an inwardly directed flange formation 9, at the outlet extremity of the bore. Thus, in the firing position in which the barrel is at its innermost position, it is supported at its rear and front ends by the flange 7 and flange formation 9 respectively.

The annular space 6 accommodates a compression spring 10 for operating the firearm and a radially extending slide member 11 is secured to the barrel towards its flanged end 7. The slide member extends through a slot 12 in the side of the body portion of the support so as to be accessible by the thumb of a person wearing the ring. A suitable friction affording thumb engagement member 13 is provided at its free end.

The slot 12 has an angularly extending recess 14 at its end nearer the outlet from the barrel.

The above arrangement is such that the barrel 5 can be moved forwardly to compress the compression spring and the slide can be rotated somewhat angularly in order to engage it in the recess and hold the slide with the barrel in a cocked position. The gun is to be fired by simply moving the slide angularly with the thumb of the person wearing the ring to enable it to move rearwardly in the slot under the action of the spring.

In order to effect firing of the firearm a firing pin 15 is set into a plug-shaped breech block 16 which screw-threadedly engages the end of the bore opposite the outlet end. The breech block is cup-shaped with the inner diameter of the cup, which is defined by a skirt 17, aligning with that of the bore to form a continuation thereof.

A deep notch 18 in the skirt 17 (see Fig. 7) is, in the firing position of the breech block, adapted to align with the slot through which the slide extends to enable the slide and barrel to move rearwardly sufficiently far for a cartridge to engage the firing pin 15 carried in the breech block. The firing pin 15 can be permanently fixed in the breech block or may be removable to provide for replacement thereof.

In other angular positions of the breech block the slide is prevented from moving rearwardly to a sufficient extent that a cartridge in the chamber will contact the firing pin. All such positions correspond to a "safe" condition even when the firearm is cocked as the slide will simply engage the end edge of the skirt prior to a cartridge engaging the firing pin.

A click-stop arrangement is provided to define the "safe" and "firing" angular positions of the breech block and, to this end, a spring-loaded arrangement shown most clearly in Fig. 7 is provided. Two notches 19 are provided at angularly spaced positions in the free end edge of the skirt with a catch member 20 spring-biased by a spring 21 towards engagement therewith. In one position in which the catch member engages in a notch the deep recess aligns with the slot to define a "firing" position. In the other click-stop position the end region of the slot is obscured by the skirt of the breech block to define the "safe" position. The spring 21 is located in a hole 22 in the body which is parallel to the bore 4 but located offset therefrom and nearer the finger ring axis 2.

Alternative to the above, the same effect can be achieved by providing the skirt with suitably angled slots which co-operate with the slide member to form a ratchet to lock in, and indicate, the "safe" and "firing" conditions.

In order that the same spring 21 serves a dual purpose, its opposite end bears against a rider 23 in turn engaging a cam formation 24 associated with a hinge 25 of a cover flap 26. The cover flap is hingedly attached to the front end of the firearm and is movable between two positions, one (as illustrated in Fig. 1) in which the end of the barrel and bore are closed by the flap, and a second one in which the flap is pivoted downwardly to extend roughly parallel to the axis of the barrel, and in which it is located to protect a wearer's finger against flashing produced by the firing of a cartridge. The rider and cam surface are arranged to hold the flap member in either of these two terminal positions just described

In order to prepare the firearm for use the breech block is unscrewed entirely and a cartridge introduced into the chamber in which it is a light frictional fit. The breech block is replaced and either of the "safe" or "firing" positions can be chosen. Suitable indications are provided on the body of the firearm to show which position corresponds to which condition of the firearm.

In order to operate the firearm the slide is simply moved forwardly against the spring loading of the barrel which automatically opens the flap. The slide is then rotated into the recess in the slot and the firearm is then ready to be fired. The thumb of a person wearing the firearm can simply be employed to release the slide with the friction affording thumb engagement member 13 simply being flicked upwardly.

It will be understood that, with a finger ring of the above type located on a person's finger, and with the finger bent, the subcutaneous tissue of the finger expands to provide an extremely tight fit of the ring on a finger and, accordingly, enables the firearm to be aimed fairly accurately; at least sufficiently accurately for reasonably close combat situations. During firing the flap acts as a flash protector against scorching by the burnt powder of a cartridge. r

Numerous variations may be made to the above described embodiment of the invention

In particular the design of the support and, indeed, the breech block may be varied widely.

Thus, with reference to Fig. 8, there is provided a breech block 27 which slides onto the support 28 laterally and simply locks in position by any suitable catch means or a screw-threaded device.

In the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 8 two longitudinally movable barrels 29 are provided, each of which may be cocked independently of the other but which can be linked to the same firing mechanism so that they could be fired sequentially if required.

Each barrel 29 has a flanged end as described above with a radially extending slide 30 co-operating with one of two parallel slots 31 therefor in the top face 32 of the support. The slides are, in this case, simply in the forn of short pins and each slot has a transverse retaining recess 33 at its end remote from the breech block for holding its associated barrel in a cocked condition.

An operating cum trigger member 34 is provided on the support 28 to cover the top face 32 thereof and to be slidable both longitudinally relative to the barrels and transversely to a small extent. The operating member can also serve to retain the breech block in position where the latter slides on laterally from the top surface 32 of the support 28. The operating member has two slots 35 and 36 therein corresponding to the slots 31 in the support but wherein the one 36 is appreciably wider than the other 35. The narrower one 35 has a recess 37 at its end nearer the breech block.

The operating member acts as follows with the barrels in the uncocked condition the operating member is slid forwqrdly to compress both springs 38 for the barrels and to move them to their cocked positions. When the slides are opposite the retaining recesses the operating member is moved laterally to move the slides into their retaining recesses 33 thereby holding them in a cocked condition. The operating member is then slid back to its position in which its slots coincide with those in the support. Conveniently it may be spring biased in both directions to this latter position.

To fire the barrels successively the operating member is pushed laterally with the thumb until the slide 30 associated with the narrower slot 35 in the operating member is released from its retaining recess. That barrel will then fire. Further lateral movement causes the slide associated with the wider slot 36 to be released from its retaining recess and its barrel to fire. This further lateral movement is accommodated by the first slide moving into the recess 37 in the narrower slot 35.

Furthermore, a finger ring device may be made to accommodate two or more fingers of a wearer and, the chamber need not be movable within the firearm but a more conventional type of arrangement could be employed. Also, with rim firing cartridges, the firing pin could even be formed on the rear end of the chamber to co-operate with a rim of a cartridge located therein.

Turning now to Fig. 9 of the drawings there is illustrated a chamber 39 having finger-like longitudinally extending formations 40 on the outer periphery thereof which co-operate with spline-like complementary formations 41 on the inner surface of an extension barrel 42. The extension barrel can, accordingly, be fixed relative to the support whilst the chamber is axially slidable therein. The co-operating formations thus allow for relative longitudinal movement of the chamber to enable the firearm to operate on the above described principle.

Referring to Fig. 10, a substantially larger gun is illustrated with a multi-barrel arrangement wherein gas generated by the firing of a shell in one barrel may be employed for cocking the next barrel to be fired. To this end a body 43 is provided in which a plurality of parallel, axially movable barrels 44 are provided in which sequential firing of the barrels is to be effected.

As in the above described embodiment of the invention, the barrels are slidable in bores 45 in the body and are biased by compression springs 46 located in the annular space formed between the outer surface of the barrel and the inner surface of the bore.

The rear end of each bore is closed off, in each case, by a breech block 47, and a suitable sized passage 48 communicates from one barrel to the next for the purpose described below. When loaded, a shell 49 acts as a plug in the barrel so that, the rear end of the barrel is closed. This being so, the gas generated by the firing of one barrel can force some gas through the passage 48 to move the next adjacent barrel and shell to a cocked position analogous to that described above.