Firearm with folding buttstock

• US 9,546,845 B2
• Filed: 10/28/2015
• Issued: 01/17/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sturm Ruger & Company Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Sturm Ruger & Company Incorporated
• Inventors: Mather, Jonathan Philip
• Primary Examiner(s): HAYES, BRET C
• Application Number:
  US14/925,370
• Publication Number:
  US 20160116250A1
• Time in Patent Office: 447 Days
• Field of Search: 42/710.1, 42/713.02, 42/72, 42/73, 42/74, 42/750.1, 42/753, 42/751
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 3/66 Breech housings or frames; Receivers
• CPC Class Codes: F41C 23/04 Folding or telescopic stocks or stock parts articulated or collapsible guns F41A11/04

Abstract

A firearm includes a receiver, barrel coupled to the receiver, and buttstock. An openable/closeable hinge assembly comprising front and rear hinge elements pivotably mounts the buttstock to the receiver. A latch mechanism carried by the hinge assembly includes a latch pin having latch and lock members on opposing ends. The pin is both slidable and rotatable in the hinge assembly. When the buttstock is in an unfolded position in axial alignment with the barrel axis, the latch member engages a latch recess on a first lateral side of the hinge assembly to latch the buttstock in position. The buttstock may be pivoted laterally outwards about the hinge assembly to a folded position offset from the barrel centerline. Rotating the latch member engages the lock member with a lock recess on the hinge assembly to lock the buttstock in the folded position.

Claims

1. A firearm with folding buttstock comprising:

a receiver;

a barrel coupled to a front end of the receiver, the barrel defining a longitudinal axis and an axially extending bore forming a projectile pathway;

an elongated buttstock defining a stock axis;

a hinge assembly pivotably coupling the buttstock to the receiver, the hinge assembly comprising a fixed front hinge element coupled to the receiver, a movable rear hinge element coupled to the buttstock, and a hinge pivotably coupling the front and rear hinge elements together;

the buttstock pivotably movable between an inline position, and an offset position in which the stock axis is laterally offset from the longitudinal axis;

a latch pin rotatably and slideably carried transversely by the hinge assembly;

a latching mechanism on a first lateral side of the hinge assembly comprising a latch member on a first end of the latch pin engageable with a latch recess on the first lateral side, the latching mechanism operable to maintain the buttstock in the inline position when the latch member engages the latch recess;

a locking mechanism on a second lateral side of the hinge assembly comprising a lock member on a second end of the latch pin engaging a lock recess on the second lateral side, the locking member operable to maintain the buttstock in the offset position when the lock member engages the lock recess; and

a latch spring biasing the latch member in an inward direction and the lock member in an outward direction with respect to the hinge assembly;

wherein rotating the latch member in opposing directions selectively engages the lock member with or disengages the lock member from the lock recess when the buttstock is in the offset position.

2. The firearm according to claim 1, wherein buttstock is not movable from the offset position when the lock member engages the lock recess.

3. The firearm according to claim 1, wherein the latch spring is a compression spring mounted on the latch pin.

4. The firearm according to claim 1, wherein pushing the lock member in an inwards direction towards the hinge assembly projects the latch member outwards from the rear hinge element to disengage the latch member from the latch recess when the buttstock is in the inline position.

5. The firearm according to claim 1, further comprising a detent mechanism comprising:

a first pair of diametrically opposed notches formed on the hinge pin;

a second pair of diametrically opposed notches formed on the hinge pin; and

a pair of diametrically opposed raised ridges formed on a washer engaged by one end of the latch spring;

wherein rotating the latch member in a first direction selectively engages the pair of raised ridges with the first pair of notches when the latch member is in a horizontal orientation, and rotating the latch member in an opposite second direction selectively engages the pair of raised ridges with the second pair of notches when the latch member is in a vertical orientation.

6. The firearm according to claim 5, wherein the first and second pairs of notches are formed on a diametrically enlarged shoulder disposed on the latch pin.

7. The firearm according to claim 1, wherein the lock recess is downwardly open.

8. The firearm according to claim 1, wherein the latch recess is laterally open.

9. The firearm according to claim 8, wherein the latch recess includes a tapered surface that engages a mating tapered surface on the latch member when the buttstock is in the inline position.

10. The firearm according to claim 1, wherein the latch member includes a latching protrusion extending inwardly from the latch member which engages the latch recess.

11. The firearm according to claim 10, wherein the latching protrusion includes a chamfered surface which engages a mating chamfered surface on the hinge assembly when the buttstock is moved from the offset position to the inline position, the engaged chamfered surfaces pushing the latch member outwards from the second hinge element against the biasing force of the latch spring.

12. The firearm according to claim 1, wherein the lock member comprises a release button having an oblong shape oriented transversely to the latch pin which defines a pair of opposing locking elements selectively engageable with the lock recess when the buttstock is in the offset position.

13. The firearm according to claim 1, wherein the hinge assembly includes the hinge pin extending through meshed knuckles formed on the front and rear hinge elements of the hinge assembly, the hinge pin including a pair of space apart circumferential grooves each engaging a washer disposed in the knuckles of the hinge which secures the hinge pin to the knuckles.

14. A self-locking pivotable buttstock hinge assembly for a firearm having a receiver and a buttstock, the hinge assembly comprising:

a front hinge element configured for attachment to the receiver of the firearm, the front hinge element defining a longitudinal axis and comprising a first lateral side, a second lateral side and a plurality of knuckles each including a through hole collectively defining a pivot axis;

a rear hinge element comprising a first lateral side, a second lateral side, a plurality of knuckles pivotably connected to the knuckles of the first element by a hinge pin, the rear hinge element movable between a closed position and an open position, the rear hinge element defining a mounting flange configured for attachment of the buttstock;

a latch pin extending through a transverse passage formed between the first and second lateral sides of one of the front or rear hinge element, the latch pin being slidable and rotatable in the passage;

a latch recess formed in the first lateral side of the front or rear hinge element which does not have the latch pin;

a lock recess formed in the second lateral side of the front or rear hinge element which does not have the latch pin;

an elongated latch having an inwardly projecting latching protrusion on one end of the latch pin;

an elongated release button on another end of the latch pin having a locking element; and

a latch spring biasing the latch in an inward direction and the release button in an outward direction with respect to the front or rear hinge element which does not have the latch pin;

wherein when the rear hinge element is in the closed position, the latching protrusion engages the latch recess and latches the rear hinge element in the closed position;

wherein when the rear hinge element is in the open position, the locking element is rotatable by rotating the latch to engage the locking element with the lock recess and locks the rear hinge element in the open position.

15. The hinge assembly according to claim 14, wherein the stock mounting axis of the rear hinge element is parallel to but laterally offset from the longitudinal axis of the front hinge element when the rear hinge element is in the open position.

16. The hinge assembly according to claim 14, wherein the release button has an oblong shape oriented transversely to the latch pin which defines a pair of opposing locking elements selectively engageable with the lock recess when the hinge assembly is in the offset position.

17. The firearm according to claim 14, wherein the latching protrusion includes a chamfered surface which engages a mating chamfered surface on the front hinge element when the hinge assembly is moved from the open position to the closed position, the engaged chamfered surfaces pushing the latch member outwards from the second hinge element against the biasing force of the latch spring.

18. The firearm according to claim 14, wherein the latch recess includes a tapered surface that engages a mating tapered surface on the latch when the hinge assembly is in the closed position.

19. A method for operating a folding firearm buttstock, the method comprising:

providing a firearm including a receiver, a barrel supported by the receiver, a buttstock, and a hinge assembly comprising a front hinge element fixedly attached to the receiver, a rear hinge element pivotably attached to the front hinge element, and a spring-biased latch pin carried by the hinge assembly comprising an elongated latch member disposed on a first end of the latch pin and an elongated lock member disposed on a second end of the latch pin, the buttstock attached to the rear hinge element and movable therewith;

placing the latch member in a horizontal orientation;

engaging the latch member with a latch recess on a first lateral side of the hinge assembly, wherein the buttstock is in a latched inline position with respect to the barrel;

disengaging the latch member from the latch recess by pushing the lock member towards the first lateral side of the hinge assembly;

pivoting the buttstock laterally outwards about the hinge assembly in a first direction;

contacting the lock member with a second lateral side of the hinge assembly opposite the first lateral side;

rotating the latch member to a vertical orientation while maintaining contact with the second lateral side of the hinge assembly; and

engaging the lock member with a lock recess on the second lateral side of the hinge assembly, wherein the buttstock is in a locked offset position laterally offset from and parallel to the barrel.

20. The method according to claim 19, further comprising:

rotating the latch member back to the horizontal position;

disengaging the lock member from the lock recess;

pivoting the buttstock laterally inward about the hinge assembly in a second direction opposite the first direction; and

re-engaging the latch member with the latch recess, wherein the buttstock is in a latched inline position with the barrel.