SEMI-AUTOMATIC FIRING AND DISCONNECTING DEVICE FOR A NON-HAMMER FIRED MACHINE GUN

• US 20030037666A1
• Filed: 08/25/1998
• Published: 02/27/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Timothy S. Bero
• Original Assignee: Timothy S. Bero
• Inventors: BERO, TIMOTHY S.
• Granted Patent: US 6,543,169 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 89/9
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 19/32 for catching the percussion or firing pin after each shot, i.e. in single-shot or semi-automatic firing mode

Abstract

A semi-automatic firing and disconnecting device for a non-hammer fired machine. A first trigger member coupled to the weapon'"'"'s firing pin and a second trigger member adapted for engagement by a user of the weapon move relative to one another from a first position, in which the trigger members are operably connected to one another, to a second position, in which the trigger members are not operably connected to one another, and back to the first position as a result of firing the weapon. The configuration of the second trigger member, upon the trigger members'"'"' returning to the first position from the second position, is altered so that the trigger members are not enabled to fire unless and until the user releases and reengages the second trigger member.

Claims

1. A semi-automatic firing and disconnecting device for a weapon, the weapon having a first trigger member and a second trigger member, the second trigger member adapted to receive a firing force from a user for firing the weapon and to transmit the firing force to the first trigger member, the first and second trigger members being adapted for cyclic movement relative to one another from a first position, in which the trigger members are operably connected to one another, to a second position, in which the trigger members are not operably connected to one another, and back to the first position as a result of firing the weapon, the semi-automatic firing and disconnecting device comprising a trigger gate mechanism connected to said second trigger member and adapted to transmit the firing force to the first trigger member so that, as a result of movement of the first and second parts of the weapon from the first position to the second position, the configuration of said trigger gate mechanism is altered so that the second trigger member is no longer adapted to transmit the firing force to the first trigger member.

2. The semi-automatic firing and disconnecting device of claim 1, wherein said trigger gate mechanism includes an extendable member, said extendable member in an extended position being adapted to transmit the firing force to the first trigger member so long as the first part and the second part of the weapon are in the first position, wherein, when the first part and the second part of the weapon move from the first position to the second position, the extendable member moves from said extended position to a retracted position wherein said extendable member is not capable of transmitting the firing force to the first trigger member.

3. The semi-automatic firing and disconnecting device of claim 2, wherein the second trigger member is adapted to receive a firing force applied by the user of the weapon sufficient for firing the weapon and to move in response from a “

trigger off”

position to a “

trigger on”

position, wherein said extendable member remains in said retracted position so long as the second trigger member remains in the “

trigger on”

position.

4. The semi-automatic firing and disconnecting device of claim 3, wherein said extendable member is adapted to return to said extended position from said retracted position as a result of the second trigger member moving from the “

trigger on”

position to the “

trigger off”

position.

11. The semi-automatic firing and disconnecting device of claim 2, wherein the first part of the weapon is a bolt having a top surface, wherein the first trigger member has a top surface that does not extend substantially above the top surface of the bolt, wherein said extendable member is adapted for making contact with said top surface of the first trigger member and for not substantially making contact with the top surface of the bolt in said extended position.

12. The semi-automatic firing and disconnecting device of claim 11, wherein said extendable member is adapted for making contact substantially equally with the top surface of the bolt and said top surface of the first trigger member in said retracted position.

5. The semi-automatic firing and disconnecting device of 4, wherein said extendable member comprises a spring-biased lever.

6. The semi-automatic firing and disconnecting device of claim 5, wherein said lever is pivotally mounted to said trigger gate mechanism at a pivot point located between legs extending at an angle from one another, wherein one of said legs includes a contact edge adapted to make contact with the first trigger member when said extendable member is in said extended position for transmitting the firing force thereto, wherein the other of said legs is adjacent a leaf spring, wherein, when said extendable member moves from said extended position to said retracted position, said one of said legs is pivoted into a recess in said trigger gate mechanism and movement of said other of said legs is resisted by said leaf spring.

7. The semi-automatic firing and disconnecting device of claim 5, further comprising a biasing member connected to the second trigger member for biasing the second trigger member in favor of the “

trigger off”

position.

8. The semi-automatic firing and disconnecting device of claim 7, wherein the second trigger member is elongate and has proximal and distal ends, the second trigger member pivotally connected to the weapon at a pivot point disposed between the proximal and distal ends, wherein the “

trigger on”

position corresponds to the distal end pivoting in a first direction and the proximal end pivoting in a substantially opposite, second direction and the “

trigger off”

position corresponds to the distal end pivoting in the second direction and the proximal end pivoting in the first direction, wherein said trigger gate mechanism is disposed at the distal end of the second trigger member, wherein said biasing member includes a coiled spring extending from the second trigger member between the pivot point and the proximal end.

9. The semi-automatic firing and disconnecting device of claim 8, including a keyed portion of the second trigger member that is adapted to fit a keying member fixedly attached to the weapon, said keyed portion and said keying member together permitting movement of the proximal and distal ends of the second trigger member in said first direction and said second direction.

10. The semi-automatic firing and disconnecting device of claim 9, wherein the second trigger member has an elongate axis, and wherein said keyed portion is laterally reentrant with respect to the first and the second directions.

13. A method for converting an automatic weapon to semi-automatic operation, the weapon having a first trigger member and a second trigger member, the second trigger member adapted to receive a firing force from a user sufficient for firing the weapon and to transmit the firing force to the first trigger member, the first and second trigger members being adapted for cyclic movement relative to one another from a first position, in which the trigger members are operably connected to one another, to a second position, in which the trigger members are not operably connected to one another as a result of firing the weapon, the method comprising, during movement of the first and second parts of the weapon from the first position to the second position, altering the configuration of the second trigger member so that the second trigger member is no longer adapted to transmit the force to the first trigger member.

14. The method of claim 13, including, after altering the configuration of the second trigger member, restoring the configuration of the second trigger member by decreasing the force applied to the trigger so that it is less than the firing force.

15. A method for converting an automatic weapon to semi-automatic operation, comprising:

selecting one or more original parts of the weapon;

modifying the shape of said one or more original parts by forming one or more keyed portions therein;

providing one or more keying members corresponding in shape to said one or more keyed portions of said one or more original parts; and

mounting said keying members in the weapon so that the modified said original parts are substantially equally operable in the weapon as were said original parts prior to said step of modification, wherein however said original parts prior to said step of modification are substantially inoperable in the weapon subsequent to said step of mounting said keying members in the weapon.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the weapon has a bolt, a barrel extension and a buffer assembly, wherein said step of selecting includes selecting at least one of the bolt, barrel extension and buffer assembly, wherein said step of modifying includes removing metal from selected surfaces of the selected ones of the bolt, barrel extension and buffer assembly, and wherein said step of providing includes providing a portion of a housing adapted to be placed against said selected surfaces having raised areas forming said keying members.

17. The method of claim 15, the weapon having a bolt and an original sear plate slidably retained between two grooves in the bolt, wherein said step of selecting includes selecting the bolt, wherein said step of modifying includes deepening one or both grooves in the bolt so that the original sear plate may no longer be slidably retained therebetween, wherein said step of providing includes providing another sear plate having a wider lateral dimension and adapted so that said other sear plate is slidably retained between the deepened grooves.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the weapon has a trigger member adapted for receiving a firing force from a user sufficient for firing the weapon and transmitting the firing force to a triggering mechanism, wherein the trigger member is elongate and has an elongate axis, and has proximal and distal ends, the distal end adapted for coupling with the triggering mechanism, the trigger member pivotally connected to the weapon at a pivot point disposed between the proximal and distal ends, where said step of selecting includes selecting the trigger member, wherein said step of modifying includes cutting the trigger member between the pivot point and the distal end and attaching a trigger gate mechanism to the remaining portion of the trigger member that includes the pivot point so that a portion of said trigger gate mechanism is laterally offset from the elongate axis with respect to the direction of pivoting of the trigger member to form one of said keyed portions, and wherein said step of providing includes providing a trigger bar block forming said keying member and adapted for disposition adjacent said portion of said trigger gate mechanism.

19. A method for converting an automatic weapon to semi-automatic operation, the weapon having a pre-loadable firing mechanism, a bolt having a top surface, and a sear plate movably disposed in the bolt, the sear plate having a tab, the sear plate being movable, in response to a firing force applied to the tab, from a rest position in which the tab extends above the top surface of the bolt and the sear plate is not in a position to release the firing mechanism, to a firing position, in which the extending tab is pressed substantially to the level of the top surface of the bolt and the sear plate is in a position to release the pre-loaded firing mechanism, the weapon further having a trigger member adapted to receive the firing force and to transmit the force to the tab, the method comprising removing the sear plate and replacing it with a sear plate that has a top surface that does not extend substantially above the top surface of the bolt when the sear plate is in the rest position, and removing the trigger member and replacing it with a trigger member that has a member adapted to press the top surface of the sear plate beneath the top surface of the bolt to move the sear plate to the firing position.

20. A method for converting an automatic weapon to semi-automatic operation, the weapon having a trigger member adapted for receiving a firing force from a user sufficient for firing the weapon and transmitting the firing force to a triggering mechanism, wherein the trigger member is connected to a first part of the weapon and the triggering mechanism is connected to a second part of the weapon that is disposed with respect to the first part of the weapon to move between a first relative position, in which the triggering mechanism is operably connected to the trigger member, and a second relative position, in which the triggering mechanism is not operably connected to the trigger member, wherein, upon firing the weapon, the first and second parts of the weapon are adapted to move from the first position to the second position and back to the first position and to cause the weapon to reset to fire, wherein the trigger member is elongate and has an elongate axis, and has proximal and distal ends, the distal end adapted for coupling with the triggering mechanism, the trigger member pivotally connected to the weapon at a pivot point disposed between the proximal and distal ends, the method comprising cutting the trigger member between the pivot point and the distal end and attaching a trigger gate mechanism to the distal end, said trigger gate mechanism being adapted to transmit the firing force to the triggering mechanism so that, during movement of the first and second parts of the weapon from the first position to the second position, the configuration of said trigger gate mechanism is altered so that the trigger member is no longer adapted to transmit the firing force to the triggering mechanism.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising attaching a coil spring to the proximal end of the trigger member so as to extend in the direction of pivoting of the trigger member.