US3102354A

US3102354A - Shotgun firing mechanism with thumboperated cocking piece

Info

Publication number: US3102354A
Application number: US89232A
Authority: US
Inventors: Hardfalk Klas Harding
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1961-02-14
Filing date: 1961-02-14
Publication date: 1963-09-03
Anticipated expiration: 1980-09-03

Description

Sept. 3, 1963 K. H. HARDFALK 3,102,354

SHOTGUN FIRING MECHANISM WITH THUMB-OPERATED cocxms PIECE Filed Feb. 14, 1961 Fig. 1

IN V EN TOR.

United fitates Patent 3 1192,35 1 SHGTGUN FIRENG MEQHANESM Vi/1TH THUMB- QPERATEZ CGCKEIIG PliEtIE Kias Harding Hardfalk, Anasvagen 21, Goteborg, Sweden Filed Feb. 14-, 1961, Ser. No. 89,232 4 (Jlaims. (Cl. 42-41) Most modern shotguns are of two main types In one of these types there are on the upper side of the gun pivotally arranged hammers with unprotected firing pins and the other type has enclosed hammers which are automatically cocked when the weapon is loaded When the ham.- mers are cocked, a slide bolt locks the triggers but not the hammers. Regretfully, accidental firing often occurs with both these types of weapons. In the first mentioned type, which is the oldest one, it might happen that when the hunter carries the weapon through bushy vegetation one :of the hammers catches a twig in such a way that the hammer is partly lifted so that when the pressure from the twig ceases, the hammer falls against the firing pin and a shot is fired. Shotguns of the hammerless type may be accidentally discharged by a shock against the butt end which swings the hammers backwards to fall against the firing pin which causes an unintentional firing.

The present invention has for its main purpose to overcome these drawbacks and to provide for a weapon which is very safe in its function and in which any risk of any accidental firing is practically eliminated. More specifically, the invention relates to shotgun locks of the hammerless type. The main feature of the invention is that the hammer with its upper portion is journalled about a horizontal shaft together with a cocking piece, which can be reached by the thumb on one hand, to cock the hammer.

My invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying, partly diagrammatic, drawing. In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 shows a longitudinal section through the casing of the gun with the hammer in an uncocked position, and

FIGURE 2 shows a similar section but with the hammer in a cocked position.

In the casing 1 of the gun, a guiding sleeve 2 movably carries a firing pin 3 having its front end directed obliquely upwards towards the rear end of the cartridge casing 4 in the gun. A hammer 6 is journal led with its upper portion about a horizontal shaft 5. Behind the rear end of the firing pin 3. A cocking piece 8 is with its lower portion 7 journalled about the same shaft 5. Said cocking piece 8 extends with its upper portion above the casing 1, said upper portion'being shaped as a thumb hold 9. In front of the shaft 5, the hammer 6 is at its upper portion provided with anabutment surface 1b facing a corre sponding abutment surface 11 on the lower part of the cocking piece 8 in front of the shaft 5. The hammer 6 is shaped like a sector and is at its periphery 12 provided with two locking abutrnents, a frontal one 13 and a rear one 14. A sear 18 abuts with its rear end 16 against the periphery 12 of the hammer by the action of a spring 15. The scar 18 is journalled about a horizontal bolt 17 and a trigger 21, journalled about another horizontal bolt 26 can be swung against the front end 19 of the sear 18. The main spring 22 of the gun is inserted between a stop abutment 23 for the cocking piece 3 and the hammer 6 in such a way that it tends to rotate thehammer 6 in a clock wise direction. However, the sear 13 prevents such a swinging movement by an engagement of the sear end 16 in front of either of the locking iabutments 13, 14. A spring 25 is inserted between the hammer 6 and the cocking piece 8 in a space 24 between these two portions behind the carrying shaft 5. The spring 25 continuously keeps the driving surface 11 on the cocking piece .8 in abutment against the corresponding surface 10 on the 3,1d2354 l atenterl Sept. 3, 1%63 "ice hammer-6. Further, the spring 25 also serves as a buffer for preventing the cocking piece 3 from striking hard against the abutment 23.

It is clear from the above description with reference to the drawing that even when the cartridge 26 is inserted in the breech 4 there is no risk of any accidental firing when the mechanism is in the position shown in FIG. 1. The end 16 of the sear prevents the hammer 6 from swinging against the firing pin 3. The hammer 6 is retained in the position shown in FIG. 1 by the main spring 22. Only when the cocking piece 8 has been swung in a counter-clockwise direction into the casing 1, the hammer 6, against the action of the main spring 22, is brought to its rear, tensioned position in which the sear end 16 by the action of the spring 15 snaps in in front of the lockingabntment 13. When the trigger 21 thereupon is pulled, the sear 18 is swung in a clockwise direction so that the sear end 16 releases the hammer 6 which is swung by main spring 22 hard against the firing pin 3 to fire the shot. Upon striking against the firing pin 3, the hammer 6 bounces somewhat to the rear and is engaged by the sear end 16 which snaps in in front of the locking abutment 14 whereby the hammer 6 again is effectively locked in the same manner as has been described.

The present invention has been described in detail.

the top part of said cocking piece being reached by the thumb of a person, a main spring urging said hammer forward towards said firing pin, a scar, a sear spring urging said sear against said hammer to engage a locking abutment of said hammer, and trigger means disengaging said sear from said hammer, said cocking piece on being pivoted forward by a thumb engaging said hammer and rotating said hammer rearwardly against said main spring until said sear engages said'front locking abutment and holds said hammer in a cocked position, said trigger means disengaging said sear and allowing said main spring to force said hammer forward to strike said firing pin, said hammer rebounding and said sear engaging said rear locking abutment of said hammer.

2. The combination according to claim 1 wherein said hammer and said cocking piece have abutting surfaces disposed in front of said horizontal shaft, the forward motion of said cocking piece causing said. abutting surface of said cocking piece to urge said abutting surface of said hammer about said shaft cocking said hammer.

3. The combination according to claim 2 with the addition of a cocking piece spring extending between said cocking piece and said hammer behind said shaft and.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 243,223 Davenport June 21, 1881

Claims

1. IN A SHOTGUN LOCK OF THE HAMMERLESS TYPE, A FIRING PIN, A HORIZONTAL SHAFT DISPOSED ABOVE THE REAR END OF SAID FIRING PIN, A HAMMER JOURNALED ABOUT SAID SHAFT TO STRIKE THE REAR END OF SAID FIRING PIN, SAID HAMMER HAVING A FRONT AND A REAR LOCKING ABUTMENT, A COCKING PIECE JOURNALED ABOUT SAID SHAFT AND EXTENDING ABOVE SAID SHAFT, THE TOP PART OF SAID COCKING PIECE BEING REACHED BY THE THUMB OF A PERSON, A MAIN SPRING URGING SAID HAMMER FORWARD TOWARDS SAID FIRING PIN, A SEAR, A SEAR SPRING URGING SAID SEAR AGAINST SAID HAMMER TO ENGAGE A LOCKING ABUTMENT OF SAID HAMMER, AND TRIGGER MEANS DISENGAGING SAID SEAR FROM SAID HAMMER, SAID COCKING PIECE ON BEING PIVOTED FORWARD BY A THUMB ENGAGING SAID HAMMER AND ROTATING SAID HAMMER REARWARDLY AGAINST SAID MAIN SPRING UNTIL SAID SEAR ENGAGES SAID FRONT LOCKING ABUTMENT AND HOLDS SAID HAMMER IN A COCKED POSITION, SAID TRIGGER MEANS DISENGAGING SAID SEAR AND ALLOWING SAID MAIN SPRING TO FORCE SAID HAMMER FORWARD TO STRIKE SAID FIRING PIN, SAID HAMMER REBOUNDING AND SAID SEAR ENGAGING SAID REAR LOCKING ABUTMENT OF SAID HAMMER.