Kinetic Firearm Trigger

• US 20100175291A1
• Filed: 01/08/2010
• Published: 07/15/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Iii, James Shelton Farley, Jr., James Shelton Farley
• Original Assignee: Iii, James Shelton Farley, Jr., James Shelton Farley
• Inventors: Farley, JR., James Shelton, Farley, III, James Shelton
• Granted Patent: US 8,099,895 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 42/69.10
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 19/10 Triggers; Trigger mountings
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 19/12 Sears; Sear mountings
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 19/16 Adjustable firing mechanisms; Trigger mechanisms with adjustable trigger pull F41A19/17 takes precedence

Abstract

A trigger mechanism having a sear block engaging a striker of a firearm, a pivot drop piece supporting the sear block in an over center configuration, a toggle sear supporting the pivot drop piece and engaging a finger piece via a set of sear surfaces, the finger piece having a toggle sear fly weight, such that when pressure is applied to the finger piece to overcome the sear surfaces friction, the finger piece releases the toggle sear, the pivot piece collapses and allows the sear block to release the cocking piece or striker, wherein during the collapsing motions, movement of the toggle sear is initially damped by kinetic resistance of the fly weight, and later, completion of the collapsing motions are assisted by inertia stored in the fly weight, providing full disengagement of the sear block from the striker.

Claims

I_We. I/We claim:

1. A trigger mechanism for use in a firearm comprising:

a frame having a rear panel and one or more integral sides;

a front panel receivable and affixable to the frame;

a sear block positioned near a top of said frame, mounted about a first pivot to rise into a first position to engage a cocking piece or striker of a firearm to hold the cocking piece or striker in a cocked position, and having a second position pivotally rotated to release the cocking piece or striker, wherein the cocking piece or striker provides a downward force upon the sear block when in the first position of a tensioned firing train;

a pivot drop piece having a top end extending through an angular channel orifice in a top of said frame, the top end of the pivot drop piece engaging the sear block and operative to hold the sear block in said first position;

a toggle sear disposed within the frame having a notch receiving a bottom end of the pivot drop piece, mounted about a second pivot so as to support the first position of the sear block in an over center geometry when cocked, having a first sear surface;

a toggle sear fly weight member affixed to the toggle sear in a position storing kinetic energy during movement of the toggle sear, and providing kinetic resistance about the second pivot from a state of rest; and

a finger piece mounted about a third pivot, having a finger actuating portion and a second sear surface,

wherein said first and second sear surfaces mate to each other in a friction relationship to keep the sear block, pivot drop piece and toggle sear in a tensioned, over center, non-collapsed arrangement with the sear block in the first position, and wherein pressure equal to or greater than a threshold pressure upon the finger actuating portion overcomes the friction between the first and second sear surfaces, thereby rotating the finger piece about the third pivot to release the toggle sear to rotate about the second pivot as damped by a lack of kinetic inertia in the fly weight member, the rotation of the toggle sear leading to a collapse of the over center support of the sear block via the pivot drop piece, thereby releasing the cocking piece or striker, the fly weight member then storing kinetic inertia so as to continue providing rotational force about the second pivot such that the collapse completes and the sear block is dropped completely to said second position to allow travel of the cocking piece or striker unimpeded by friction with the sear block.

2. The trigger mechanism as set forth in claim 1 wherein said pivot drop piece is floating in the angular channel.

3. The trigger mechanism as set forth in claim 1 wherein the fly weight is integrally formed with the toggle sear.

4. The trigger mechanism as set forth in claim 1 wherein the fly weight is separably provided with the toggle sear.

5. The trigger mechanism as set forth in claim 4 wherein the separably fly weight is exchangeable with alternate fly weights of different masses, thereby providing a degree of adjustment for the trigger mechanism operation.

6. The trigger mechanism as set forth in claim 1 further comprising a first spring biasing the toggle sear about the second pivot to provide a default position in which the first and second sear surfaces come into friction contact.

7. The trigger mechanism as set forth in claim 6 further comprising a second spring biasing the finger piece about the third pivot to provide a default position in which the first and second sear surfaces come into friction contact.

8. The trigger mechanism as set forth in claim 1 in which the frame is integrally formed within a cavity of a portion of rigid material, the cavity being defined by a rear panel and a set of surrounding walls, the walls having the top orifice formed therein, and having a bottom orifice formed for passage of the finger actuating portion therethrough.

9. The trigger mechanism as set forth in claim 8 wherein the walls and rear panel are continuous material without seams or gaps, thereby providing a seal against contaminations when the front panel is affixed, except for the top and bottom orifices.

10. The trigger mechanism as set forth in claim 1 further comprising at least one sealed viewing aperature in the top panel or rear panel, having a transparent window disposed therein, and aligned with the engagement of the first and second sear surfaces.

11. The trigger mechanism as set forth in claim 1 wherein the second pivot comprises a captive socket structure.

12. The trigger mechanism as set forth in claim 1 wherein the third pivot comprises a captive socket structure.