Compact gas-operated autoloading firearm mechanism

Abstract

A gas-operated autoloading firearm mechanism has a compression chamber fluidly interfacing a barrel via a gas takeoff and a piston within the compression chamber which is urged rearwardly by combustion gas entering the compression chamber from the barrel during firing. The piston acts on a round carrier which moves relative to a bolt carrier. As such, the mechanism urges a round carrier rearwardly to strip a new round from the magazine and move the new round rearward behind a firing chamber. The mechanism urges a bolt carrier rearwardly away from the firing chamber to expel a spend case and to align the new round between a bolt assembly of the bolt carrier and the firing chamber so that, when the bolt carrier rebounds forward, the new round enters the firing chamber.

Claims

1. A gas-operated autoloading firearm mechanism comprising: a compression chamber fluidly interfacing a barrel via a gas takeoff; and a piston within the compression chamber which is urged rearwardly by combustion gas entering the compression chamber from the barrel during firing to: urge a round carrier rearwardly to: strip a new round from the magazine; and move the new round rearward behind a firing chamber; and urge a bolt carrier rearwardly away from the firing chamber to: expel a spend case; and to align the new round between a bolt assembly of the bolt carrier and the firing chamber so that, when the bolt carrier rebounds forward, the new round enters the firing chamber and wherein the round carrier moves relative to the bolt carrier.

2. The mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein the magazine is located in front of the trigger.

3. The mechanism as claimed in claim 2, wherein the new round is moved rearward past the trigger by the round carrier.

4. The mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein the round carrier moves relative to the piston.

5. The mechanism as claimed in claim 4, wherein a piston recoil spring is compressed between the piston and the round carrier.

6. The mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein a bolt carrier recoil spring urges the bolt carrier forward.

7. The mechanism as claimed in claim 6, wherein the round carrier knocks the bolt carrier rearward.

8. The mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein a guide rod aligns the bolt carrier and the round carrier.

9. The mechanism as claimed in claim 8, wherein the guide rod is slidably retained by the bolt carrier.

10. The mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein the bolt carrier travels rearwardly away from an entrance of the firing chamber a distance greater than a length of the new round.

11. The mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein the bolt carrier acts on a lever which pushes the new round into alignment when the bolt carrier moves forward.

12. The mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein the round carrier pushes against a tip of a bullet of the new round to move the new round rearwardly.

13. The mechanism as claimed in claim 1, when the round carrier comprises tines to laterally restrain the new round.

14. The mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein the round carrier forms an upper channel through which the new round moves into alignment between the bolt assembly and the firing chamber.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Notwithstanding any other forms which may fall within the scope of the present invention, preferred embodiments of the disclosure will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a gas-operated autoloading firearm mechanism prior firing;

(3) FIG. 2 shows the mechanism during firing;

(4) FIG. 3 shows the mechanism post firing;

(5) FIG. 4 illustrates the interconnection of a piston, round carrier and bolt carrier of the mechanism;

(6) FIG. 5 shows the bolt carrier in further detail;

(7) FIG. 6 shows a perspective view of the round carrier in further detail;

(8) FIG. 7 shows a side view of the round carrier; and

(9) FIG. 8 shows a top plan view of the round carrier

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

(10) With reference to FIGS. 1-3, a gas operated autoloading firearm mechanism 100 taps combustion gas energy during firing to urge a round carrier 101 rearwardly to strip a new round 102 from a magazine 103 and to move the new round 102 behind a firing chamber 104.

(11) The compressed gas energy is also used to urge a bolt carrier 105 rearwardly away from the firing chamber 104 to expel a spend case 106 and to align the new round 102 between a bolt assembly 107 of the bolt carrier 105 and the firing chamber 104 so that, when the bolt carrier 105 rebounds forward, the new round 102 enters the firing chamber 104.

(12) The magazine 103 may be located forward of a trigger mechanism 121 and the round carrier 101 may bring new rounds 102 past the trigger mechanism 121 to an action behind the trigger mechanism 121.

(13) The mechanism 100 may comprise a compression chamber 108 fluidly interfacing a barrel 109 via a gas takeoff 110. A piston 111 within the compression chamber may urged rearwardly by compressed gas entering the compression chamber 108 from the barrel 109 during firing as shown in FIG. 2. The piston 111 may comprise a piston head presenting a face within the compression chamber 108 which is impinged by the compressed gas and a drive rod.

(14) It should be noted that other mechanisms may be employed to urge the round carrier rearwardly using compressed gas, including by direct impingement or even manual action.

(15) With reference to FIGS. 6 and 7, the round carrier may comprise a monobloc 117 which pushes against a tip of a bullet 118 of the new round 102 to move the new round 102 rearwardly. Tines 119 may restrain lateral movement of the new round 102 and/or push against the base of the cartridge rim of the new round 102 to push the new round 102 rearward.

(16) The round carrier 101 may be bifurcated to define a channel 120 through which the new round 102 can move up into alignment between the bolt assembly 107 and the chamber 104.

(17) The round carrier 105 may move relative to the piston 111. A piston recoil spring 112 may be compressed between the piston head and a round carrier 101. A bolt carrier recoil spring 113 may urge the bolt carrier 105 forward.

(18) The round carrier 101 may knock the bolt carrier 105 rearward. Guide rods 114 may align the bolt carrier 105 and the round carrier 101. With reference to FIG. 5, the bolt carrier 105 may comprise a guide rod engagement 115 through which the guide rod 114 is slidably retained.

(19) As is shown in FIG. 3, bolt carrier 105 may travel rearwardly away from an entrance of the firing chamber 104 a distance greater than a length of the new round 102.

(20) The bolt carrier 105 may act on a lever 116 which pushes the new round 102 into alignment with the bolt assembly 107 when the bolt carrier 105 moves forward.

(21) The foregoing description, for purposes of explanation, used specific nomenclature to provide a thorough understanding of the invention. However, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that specific details are not required in order to practise the invention. Thus, the foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments of the invention are presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed as obviously many modifications and variations are possible in view of the above teachings. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical applications, thereby enabling others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is intended that the following claims and their equivalents define the scope of the invention.