Gun safety device

• US 4,141,166 A
• Filed: 02/03/1977
• Issued: 02/27/1979
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/1977
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Timothy R. Schultz
• Original Assignee: Timothy R. Schultz
• Inventors: Schultz, Timothy R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jordan, Charles T.
• Application Number:
  US05/765,411
• Time in Patent Office: 754 Days
• Field of Search: 42/70 B, 42/70 D, 42/70 E, 42/70 F, 42/70 R, 42/84, 42/70 C
• US Class Current: 42/70.03
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 17/20 Grip or stock safeties, i.e. safeties disengaged by clasping the grip or stock thumb-operated sliding safeties F41A17/52, F41A17/62, F41A17/70, F41A17/80

Abstract

A firearm is disclosed including a safety mechanism having sensing of engagement of the firearm butt with an operator'"'"'s shoulder and sensing of engagement of the operator'"'"'s hand at the firearm stock.

Claims

1. In a shoulder held firearm including a barrel portion and a stock portion, said barrel portion including at least one barrel, firing action and trigger assembly, said stock portion including a butt portion and a forearm portion, said forearm portion having a foregrip, the improvement comprising:

safety means including shoulder sensing means and hand sensing means, said shoulder sensing means being disposed at said butt portion, said hand sensing means being disposed at said foregrip, said safety means further including blocking means coupled to said shoulder and hand sensing means, said blocking means preventing firing of said firearm except when said shoulder sensing means is actuated by shoulder contact and said hand sensing means is actuated by hand contact.

2. In the firearm of claim 1 wherein said safety means is electrically powered, said shoulder sensing means and said hand sensing means comprise switch means connected in series.

3. In the firearm of claim 2 wherein said blocking means comprise solenoid means.

4. In the firearm of claim 3 wherein said firing action includes bolt means and wherein said solenoid means includes rod means for preventing said bolt means from moving to a firing position.

5. In the firearm of claim 3 wherein said firearm includes hammer means and firing pin means.

6. In the firearm of claim 5 wherein said safety means includes blocking means for removable disposition between said hammer and said firing pin means.

7. In the firearm of claim 1 wherein said forearm portion includes a pistol grip and a foregrip, said hand sensing means being disposed at said foregrip.

8. In the firearm of claim 7 wherein said safety means further includes hand sensing means disposed at said pistol grip.

9. In the firearm of claim 6, wherein said blocking means comprise rod means capable of movement upwardly into a blocking position between said hammer and said firing pin means and capable of movement downwardly into a non-blocking position.

10. In the firearm of claim 9 wherein said rod means includes a rearwardly extending projection which overlies said hammer when said hammer is in contact with said rod means thereby preventing movement of said rod to the non-blocking position when said hammer is in contact with said rod.

11. A shoulder held firearm including a barrel portion and a stock portion, said barrel portion including at least one barrel, firing action and trigger assembly, said stock portion having a butt and a forestock with a foregrip, said firearm further including a safety having a shoulder sensing means disposed in said butt and a hand sensing means disposed in said foregrip, said safety further having a blocking means coupled to said shoulder sensing means and said hand sensing means for releasably blocking the firing of said firearm.

12. A shoulder held firearm including a barrel portion and a stock portion, said barrel portion including a barrel, a firing action and a trigger assembly, said stock portion having a shoulder engageable zone and a hand engageable zone, said hand engageable zone being a stock foregrip, said firearm further including safety means having shoulder sensing means disposed at said shoulder engageable zone, hand sensing means disposed at said hand engageable zone and lock-out means for locking said firearm in a non-firing condition except when said shoulder sensing means and said hand sensing means have been engaged.

13. The firearm of claim 12 wherein said trigger assembly includes a sear and wherein said lock-out means serves to lock said sear.

14. The firearm of claim 12 wherein said shoulder and hand sensing means comprise electrical switches, each comprising a pair of electrically conductive bar means and resilient means for supporting said bar means in spaced relationship.