Gun and magazine system

• US 4,766,800 A
• Filed: 11/25/1985
• Issued: 08/30/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/1985
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Helitek, Co.
• Original Assignee: Kern Instrument & Tooling Incorporated
• Inventors: Miller, Michael K., Stockton, Warren D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Terapane, John F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Maples, John S.
• Application Number:
  US06/802,152
• Time in Patent Office: 1,009 Days
• Field of Search: 33/254, 42/17, 42/49.01, 42/71.01, 42/72, 42/73, 42/87, 42/100, 89/1.42, 89/33.01, 89/33.02, 89/33.1, 89/33.17
• US Class Current: 89/33.02
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 17/38 Magazine mountings, e.g. for locking the magazine in the gun
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 9/59 Ejectors for clips or magazines, e.g. when empty
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 9/65 Box magazines having a cartridge follower
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 9/77 Magazines having a screw conveyor
• CPC Class Codes: F41C 23/04 Folding or telescopic stocks or stock parts articulated or collapsible guns F41A11/04
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 1/033 adjustable

Abstract

An improved gun/magazine system which is top loading and wherein the magazine is of generally cylindrical configuration. A spiral drive of the cartridges through the magazine into the top loading receiver of the gun is provided. The magazine includes a spring/winder having a silent clutch which permits tensioning of the drive spring at any time and even immediately before use, and which has a release means in order to permit relaxing of the spring in the event the unprecedented large capacity of cartridges is not entirely expended from the magazine. The cylindrical shaped magazine is mounted above, parallel to, and closely adjacent to the axis of the gun.

Claims

1. A gun/magazine system comprising a top loading gun, an ammunition magazine, means to removably mount said magazine on said gun above and closely spaced to the axial line of fire of said gun, said gun comprising grip means and barrel means defining said line of fire and extending forwardly of said grip means, said gun including a trigger means, said grip means and said trigger means being so located on said gun that said grip means can be gripped and simultaneously said trigger means can be operated with one hand of a user, said magazine mounting means locating said magazine on said gun at least substantially rearwardly of said grip means, whereby the front/rear balance and handling of said gun/magazine system is enhanced, said magazine including a drive spring to urge the ammunition stored in the magazine into said top loading gun, said magazine including winder means for said drive spring and manual release means to relieve the energy stored in said drive spring regardless of the amount of ammunition in said magazine, and means for operating said winder means and said manual release means independently of the loading and unloading of ammunition into and out of said magazine.

2. The system of claim 1, said gun/magazine including a front sight means extending up from the front of said gun so that said front sight can be viewed over the top of said magazine, said front sight means including aiming means comprising a pin, said sight also including aiming elevation adjusting means and means to operate said aiming elevation adjusting means manually without the use of any tool, said means to operate comprising a manual operating knob depending from said pin and formed with detent means, and said detent means serving as both manual gripping means and as part of said aiming elevation adjusting means.

3. The system of claim 1, said means to removably mount said magazine on said gun comprising manually operated securing means and magazine ejector spring means between said gun and said magazine so arranged that said magazine ejector spring means are loaded with energy when a magazine is secured in place on said gun and so arranged to move said magazine away from said gun upon release of said securing means.

4. The system of claim 1, and said grip means comprising a pistol-type grip mounted on said gun/magazine generally intermediate the total length thereof.

5. The system of claim 4, and a folding butt stock mounted on said gun/magazine rearwardly of said pistol grip and below said magazine.

6. The system of claim 1, said magazine being of a generally cylindrical configuration, said drive spring urging the ammunition through said magazine in a spiral path around the axis of said magazine, and said magazine being removably mounted on said gun with its axis above, in line with and closely spaced to the axial line of fire of said gun.

7. The system of claim 6, said means to removably mount said magazine on said gun comprising bosses formed on the opposite longitudinal sides of said magazine and a pair of spring latch members fixed to said gun and cooperable with said bosses, said latches being so arranged on said gun and said magazine that both of said latches must be operated simultaneously to release said magazine from said gun.

8. The system of claim 6, said means to removably mount said magazine on said gun comprising fingers formed on the opposite longitudinal sides of said magazine and a pair of toggle type latches mounted on said gun and cooperable with said fingers, said latches being so arranged on said gun and said magazine that both of said latches must be operated simultaneously to release said magazine from said gun.

9. The system of claim 6, said means to removably mount said magazine on said gun comprising a two-part housing mounted on said gun and adapted to completely enclose said magazine, locator means between said housing and said magazine, and latch means to secure said housing shut with said magazine correctly located therein by said locator means.

10. The system of claim 6, said means to removably mount said magazine on said gun comprising a bail member swingably mounted on said gun and adapted to removably secure said magazine to said gun.

11. The system of claim 6, said means to removably mount said magazine on said gun comprising an interfitting boss and recess at one longitudinal end of said magazine where said magazine end is received on said gun, mating ledges and ridges between said gun and said magazine extending longitudinally of said magazine, and manually operable latch means to removably secure said magazine on said gun.

12. The system of claim 4, said latch means comprising a pair of elongated latches mounted on said gun extending longitudinally with respect to the gun'"'"'s axial line of fire and positioned one to either side of said magazine, said latches being so arranged on said gun and said magazine that both of said latches must be operated simultaneously to release said magazine from said gun, and fairing means at either end of each of said latches for preventing inadvertent operation of said latch means.

13. The system of claim 12, and magazine ejector spring means between said gun and said magazine so arranged that said magazine ejector spring means are loaded with energy when a magazine is latched in place on said gun, whereby a user can reach across a latched magazine on said gun using the fingers on one hand to operate both of said latches simultaneously and whereby upon unlatching of said magazine said ejector spring means causes said unlatched magazine to move into said one hand used to unlatch said latch means.

14. The system of claim 1, and tactile means to assist in mounting said magazine on said gun, said tactile means comprising a plurality of longitudinal surfaces formed on the outside of said magazine and extending over at least a substantial portion of the length of said magazine.

15. The system of claim 1, and tactile means to assist in mounting said magazine on said gun, said tactile means comprising an asymmetrical cross-sectional shape of said magazine.

16. The system of claim 1, and tactile means to assist in mounting said magazine on said gun, said tactile means comprising a plurality of protruding portions formed on the portions of said magazine which will be the furthest away from the gun when the magazine is mounted thereon.

17. The system of claim 1, said winder means including a silent operation centrifugal action ramp-type clutch.

18. The system of claim 1, a drive member for ammunition rotatably mounted inside said magazine, said drive spring being a coiled torsion spring having a wound-up length less than the length of said drive member and having a relaxed length a predetermined amount shorter than the length of said drive member, said drive spring being located inside said drive member, means to fix one end of said drive spring to said winder means, a drive spring anchor member located inside said drive member, means to fix the other end of said drive spring to said drive spring anchor member, and means to secure said anchor member to said drive member so that said anchor member is prevented from rotating with respect to said drive member and so that said anchor member can move axially with respect to said drive member to accommodate the changes in length of said drive spring between its relaxed and wound-up conditions.

19. The system of claim 18, said means to secure said anchor member to said drive member comprising dog means extending radially outwardly of said anchor member and longitudinal groove means formed on the inside of said drive member to snugly and slidingly receive said dog means.

20. The system of claim 1, said magazine being of an elongated generally cylindrical configuration, said magazine comprising an outer housing, a drive member for ammunition cartridges rotatably mounted within said outer housing, said drive member being formed with a plurality of flutes extending at least generally axially of said drive member, said flutes being so configured as to permit a succession of said cartridges to pass therethrough in end-to-end relationship, said drive spring being strong enough to rotate said drive member within said housing even with all of said flutes filled with cartridges, said housing comprising a helical thread portion on the inside surface thereof cooperable with the cartridges in said flutes of said drive member, and feed means at the cartridge exit of said magazine to permit the cartridges therein to be fed one by one into said magazine or out of said magazine and into said gun.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein said drive member flutes are straight and parallel to the axis of said drive member, and said feed means include magazine exit end wear means, said wear means comprising a star wheel member arranged axially in line with said fluted drive member, said star wheel member being formed with flutes equal in number to and which continue from said drive member flutes but which also spiral around the axis of said drive member.

22. The system of claim 20, wherein said housing, said drive member and said winder means are all made substantially entirely of plastic materials.

23. The system of claim 20, and means to assure feeding of the last cartridge out of said magazine into a cooperating gun comprising dummy follower means, said dummy follower means comprising a pair of dummy cartridges joined together and located in said fluted drive member behind the last cartridge therein.

24. The system of claim 20, said winder means drive spring release means comprising a pair of mating clutch dog members, means to attach one end of said drive spring to one of said clutch dog members, a spring urging said dog members into engagement with each other, and a push button to operate against the force of said last mentioned spring to push said dog members out of engagement with each other to thereby permit unwinding of said drive spring, whereby a user grasping said magazine in one hand can operate said push button with a finger of said same one hand to thereby permit unwinding of said drive spring.

25. The system of claim 20, said helical thread portion having a cross-sectional shape including a pair of at least partially radially disposed surfaces each positioned at a predetermined angle to a line which is radial of said magazine, said surfaces, cooperating with said drive member and the particular size and type of cartridges being handled, and one surface adapted to facilitate loading of cartridges into said magazine and the other surface adapted to feed cartridges out of said magazine.

26. The system of claim 20, wherein said flutes spiral around the axis of said drive member.

27. The system of claim 26, and a fluted star wheel member arranged axially in line with said drive member with the flutes thereof equal in number to and continuing said drive member flutes.

28. The system of claim 1, and a folding butt stock for said gun comprising a first track member and means to fix said first track member to the gun, a second track member and means to mount said second track member on said first fixed track member to permit longitudinal sliding motion of said second track member on said first track member, a pivot arm member and means to pivotally mount one end of said pivot arm member on the free end of said second track member when said second track member is slid out and extended with respect to said first track member, a butt plate and means to pivotally mount said butt plate on the other end of said pivot arm, and manually operable lock means to positively and releasably lock said butt stock in both the extended unfolded use position and the collapsed folded stowed position.

29. The system of claim 28, said lock means comprising a locking lever, means to pivotally mount said locking lever on said second track member closely positioned to the pivotal connection between said second track member and said pivot arm, said second track member and said pivot arm being formed with a first set of notches which align with each other in said use position and a second set of notches which align with each other in said stowed position, said first and second sets of notches being located at the same position relative to said locking lever, said locking lever including a pair of fingers engageable with either said first or second set of notches, spring means at one end of said locking lever urging said fingers into engagement with said notches, and the other end of said locking levers being manually operable to disengage said fingers from said notches to permit motion of said butt stock between said use and stowed positions.

30. The butt stock of claim 28, said means to releasably lock comprising a locking trigger, said locking trigger being pivotally mounted on said gun and movable between a first position wherein it is aligned with said first track member and a second position wherein said trigger is out of line with said first track member, said second track member when extended being prevented from moving back to its collapsed position with respect to said first track member when said trigger is in its second position, and spring means normally urging said trigger into said second position.

31. The system of claim 28, and said first and second track members and said pivot arm all nesting together in said stowed position whereby said butt stock occupies a minimum amount of space.

32. The system of claim 31, and means to resiliently hold said butt plate substantially vertical in said use position, said holding means comprising a flat spring having one end secured to said pivot arm and having its other end bearing against said butt plate to urge said butt plate around its pivotal connection to said pivot arm in a first direction, said holding means further comprising stop means to limit the motion of said butt plate in said one direction, and said stop means comprising inclined surfaces formed on said other end of said pivot arm adapted to be engaged by said butt plate.

33. An ammunition magazine for a gun, said magazine comprising means to permit said magazine to be removably mounted on a cooperating gun, said magazine being of an elongated, generally cylindrical configuration, said magazine comprising an outer housing, a drive member for ammunition cartridges rotatably mounted within said outer housing, said drive member being formed with a plurality of flutes extending at least generally axially of said drive member, said flutes being so configured as to permit a succession of said cartridges to pass therethrough in end-to-end relationship, a drive spring strong enough to rotate said drive member within said housing even with all of said flutes filled with cartridges, said housing comprising a helical thread portion on the inside surface thereof cooperable with the cartridges in said flutes of said drive member;

feed means at the cartridge exit of said magazine to permit the cartridges therein to be fed one by one into said magazine, or out of said magazine and into a cooperating gun;

manual spring winder means for said drive spring mounted on said magazine, said winder means including manual drive spring release means for relieving the energy stored in said drive spring regardless of the number, from zero to maximum, of cartridges stored in said magazine, means for operating said winder means and said manual release means independently of the loading and unloading of ammunition into and out of said magazine, and said manual release means including a button being operable by one hand alone of a user pushing on said button to relieve the energy stored in said drive spring.

34. The magazine of claim 33, wherein said housing, said drive member and said winder means are all made substantially entirely of plastic materials.

35. The magazine of claim 33, and means to assure feeding of the last cartridge out of said magazine into a cooperating gun comprising dummy follower means, said dummy follower means comprising a pair of dummy cartridges joined together and located in an adjacent pair of flutes in said fluted drive member behind the last real cartridge therein.

36. The magazine of claim 33, said winder means including a silent operation centrifugal action ramp-type clutch.

37. The magazine of claim 33, said winder means drive spring release means comprising a pair of mating clutch dog members, means to attach one end of said drive spring to one of said clutch dog members, a spring urging said dog members into engagement with each other, and a push button to operate against the force of said last mentioned spring to push said dog members out of engagement with each other to thereby permit unwinding of said drive spring, whereby a user grasping said magazine in one hand can operate said push button with a finger of said same one hand to thereby permit unwinding of said drive spring.

38. The magazine of claim 33, said helical thread portion having a cross-sectional shape including a pair of at least partially radially disposed surfaces, each positioned at a predetermined angle to a line which is radial of said magazine, said surfaces cooperating with said drive member and the particular size and type of cartridges being handled, and one surface adapted to facilitate loading of cartridges into said magazine and the other surface adapted to feed cartridges out of said magazine.

39. The magazine of claim 38, wherein said predetermined angle for each of said surfaces is approximately 32°

for .22 caliber rimmed cartridges.

40. The magazine of claim 33, said drive spring being a coiled torsion spring having a wound-up length less than the length of said drive member and having a relaxed length a predetermined amount shorter than the length of said drive member, said drive spring being located inside said drive member, means to fix one end of said drive spring to said winder means, a drive spring anchor member located inside said drive member, means to fix the other end of said drive spring to said drive spring anchor member, and means to secure said anchor member to said drive member so that said anchor member is prevented from rotating with respect to said drive member and so that said anchor member can move axially with respect to said drive member to accommodate changes in length of said drive spring between its relaxed and wound-up conditions.

41. The magazine of claim 40, said means to secure said anchor member to said drive member comprising dog means extending radially outwardly of said anchor member and longitudinal groove means formed on the inside of said drive member to snugly and slidingly receive said dogs means.

42. The magazine of claim 33, wherein said drive member flutes are straight and parallel to the axis of said drive member, and said feed means include magazine exit end wear means, said wear means comprising a star wheel member arranged axially in line with said fluted drive member, said star wheel member being formed with flutes equal in number to and which continued from said drive member flutes but which also spiral around the axis of said drive member.

43. The magazine of claim 42, wherein said drive member is made of plastic and said star wheel is made of metal.

44. The magazine of claim 33, wherein said flutes spiral around the axis of said drive member.

45. The magazine of claim 44, and a fluted star wheel member arranged axially in line with said drive member with the flutes thereof equal in number to and continuing said drive member flutes.

46. The magazine of claim 45, wherein said drive member is made of plastic and said fluted star wheel is metal.

47. A gun/magazine system comprising a top loading gun, an ammunition magazine removably mounted on said gun above the axial line of fire of said gun, a front sight mounted on said gun and extending thereabove so that it can be seen over the top of said magazine, said front sight including aiming means comprising a pin, said sight also including aiming elevation adjusting means and means to operate said adjusting means with only the fingers of a user and without any tool, said means to operate comprising a manual operating knob depending from said pin and formed with detent means, and said detent means serving as both manual gripping means and as part of said aiming elevation adjusting means.

48. The system of claim 47, said adjusting means including spring loaded detent click stop means calibrated so that each click stop corresponds to a predetermined change in elevation at a predetermined distance from said gun.

49. In a gun/magazine system, the combination comprising a gun and an ammunition magazine cooperable therewith, securing means to releasably hold said magazine on said gun, magazine ejector spring means between said gun and said magazine arranged so that said spring means are loaded with energy when a magazine is secured in place on said gun;

and said securing means, said magazine and said ejector spring means being so arranged and configured that a user with one hand can release said securing means whereupon the energy stored in said ejector spring means causes the now unsecured magazine to move into that same one hand.

50. The system of claim 49, said gun comprising a top loading gun, means to removably mount said magazine on said gun above and closely spaced to the axial line of fire of said gun, said magazine including a drive spring to urge the ammunition stored in the magazine into said top loading gun, and said magazine including winder means for said drive spring and manual release means to relieve the energy stored in said drive spring regardless of the amount of ammunition in said magazine.

51. The system of claim 50, said gun/magazine including a front sight means extending up from the front of said gun so that said front sight can be viewed over the top of said magazine, said front sight means including aiming means comprising a pin, said sight also including aiming elevation adjusting means and means to operate said aiming elevation adjusting means manually without the use of any tool, said means to operate comprising a manual operating knob depending from said pin and formed with detent means, and said detent means serving as both manual gripping means and as part of said aiming elevation adjusting means.

52. The system of claim 50, a pistol type grip mounted on said gun/magazine generally intermediate the total length thereof, and said magazine extending rearwardly of said pistol grip, whereby the front/rear balance of said system is enhanced.

53. The system of claim 52, and a folding butt stock mounted on said gun/magazine rearwardly of said pistol grip and below said magazine.