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United States Patent |
5,245,776 |
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Dornaus |
September 21, 1993
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Firearm
having improved safety and accuracy features
Abstract
An improved firearm having a passive firing pin lock, a hammer drop
mechanism, a V-block type barrel bushing, and square sight inlays is disclosed.
The passive firing pin block prevents accidental discharge when the gun is
dropped. The hammer drop mechanism permits the hammer to be safely lowered when
a cartridge is present in the chamber without actuating the trigger. The
V-block type barrel bushing accurately repositions the forward end of the
barrel relative to the sights to provide maximum accuracy. The square sight
inlays allow the user to quickly and precisely aim the firearm.
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Inventors: |
Dornaus; Thomas F. (Norwalk, CA) |
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Assignee: |
Voit; Richard A. (Balboa, CA) |
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Appl. No.: |
537064 |
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Filed: |
June 12, 1990 |
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Current U.S. Class: |
42/70.08;
42/144 |
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Intern'l Class: |
F41A 017/64 |
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Field of Search: |
42/70.08 89/148 |
References Cited [Referenced
By]
U.S. Patent
Documents
|
Jun., 1908 |
Tansley |
42/70. |
|
|
Apr., 1909 |
Ehbets |
42/70. |
|
|
Apr., 1937 |
Swartz |
42/70. |
|
|
Aug., 1958 |
Norman |
89/148. |
|
|
May., 1968 |
Walther |
42/70. |
|
|
Apr., 1973 |
Ludwig |
42/70. |
|
|
Aug., 1974 |
Volkmar |
42/70. |
|
|
Mar., 1976 |
Schaller et al. |
42/70. |
|
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May., 1977 |
Curtis |
42/70. |
|
|
May., 1978 |
Volkmar |
42/70. |
|
|
Aug., 1981 |
Beretta |
89/148. |
|
|
Dec., 1981 |
Beretta |
89/148. |
|
|
Feb., 1982 |
Ludwig et al. |
42/70. |
|
|
Aug., 1983 |
Eder |
42/70. |
|
|
Jun., 1984 |
Meidel |
42/70. |
|
|
Dec., 1985 |
Khoury |
42/70. |
|
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Mar., 1986 |
Ruger et al. |
42/70. |
|
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May., 1986 |
Ruger et al. |
42/70. |
|
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Feb., 1988 |
Dornaus et al. |
42/70. |
|
|
Sep., 1988 |
Beretta |
42/70. |
|
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Foreign Patent
Documents |
|||
|
200967 |
Dec., 1958 |
AT |
42/70. |
|
660046 |
Oct., 1951 |
GB |
42/70. |
|
Other References
|
Primary Examiner: Bentley; Stephen C.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Stetina & Brunda
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A hammer drop mechanism for a firearm having a firing pin which has one end
protruding beyond a hammer striking surface and adapted to be struck by a
hammer, and having a sear for releasably holding the hammer in a cocked
position, the hammer drop mechanism comprising:
(a) a first means for withdrawing and releasably holding the firing pin below
the hammer striking surface to prevent the hammer from striking the firing pin;
(b) a second means for causing the hammer to drop to the hammer striking
surface after the firing pin has been withdrawn below the hammer striking
surface;
(c) wherein said first means and said second means are commonly actuated;
(d) said means for withdrawing and releasably holding the firing pin comprises
a rotatably member having a firing pin cam formed thereupon and a camming
surface formed upon the firing pin such that rotation of the rotatable member
causes the firing pin cam to engage the camming surface to withdraw the firing
pin; and
(e) said means for causing the hammer to drop comprises a hammer drop cam
formed upon the rotatable member, a pin translatable by the camming action of
the hammer drop cam, and a sear responsive to the translation of the pin to
cause the hammer to drop when the rotating member is rotated.
2. A hammer drop mechanism as recited in claim 1 further comprising a lever,
actuatable by a user, for rotating the rotatable member.
3. A hammer drop mechanism for a firearm, the mechanism comprising:
(a) a shaft;
(b) a first firing pin cam formed upon said shaft;
(c) a hammer drop cam formed upon said shaft;
(d) a lever formed upon one end of said shaft such that said shaft may be
manually rotated;
(e) a firing pin disposed proximate said shaft;
(f) a hammer disposed proximate said firing pin for striking said firing pin,
said hammer having cocked and decocked positions;
(g) a first camming surface formed upon said firing pin such that rotation of
said shaft causes said first firing pin cam to engage said first camming
surface to reposition said firing pin such that said hammer is prevented from
striking said firing pin;
(h) a sear engageable to said hammer for maintaining said hammer in a cocked
position;
(i) a pin disposed intermediate said shaft and said sear such that rotation of
said shaft causes said hammer drop cam to engage said pin and translate said
pin such that said pin abuts said sear and causes said sear to disengage said
hammer such that said hammer falls to the decocked position; and
(j) wherein said first firing pin cam and said hammer drop cam are configured
such that said firing pin is repositioned prior to said hammer falling to the
decocked position.
4. The hammer drop mechanism of claim 3 further comprising:
(a) a second firing pin cam formed upon said shaft;
(b) a second camming surface formed upon said firing pin such that rotation of
said shaft causes said second firing pin cam to engage said second camming
surface; and
(c) wherein said first firing pin cam and said first camming surface operate in
redundant fashion with said second firing pin cam and said second camming
surface to reposition said firing pin such that said hammer is prevented from
striking said firing pin.
5. The hammer drop mechanism of claim 4 wherein said shaft further comprises:
(a) a first shaft section upon which said lever and said second firing pin cam
are formed;
(b) a second shaft section attachable to said first shaft section, upon which
said first firing pin cam and said hammer drop cam are formed; and
(c) wherein rotation of the first shaft section causes a like rotation of the
second shaft section.
6. The hammer drop mechanism of claim 5 further comprising:
(a) a slot formed upon said first shaft section; and
(b) a substantially flat portion formed upon said second shaft section such
that said flat portion may be received by said slot to attach said first and
second shaft sections together.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to firearms and more particularly to an
improved firearm having a passive firing pin lock, a hammer drop mechanism, a
V-block type barrel bushing, and square sight inlays.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Firearms having inertial firing pins which, when struck by the hammer of the
firearm, are driven forward to strike and discharge a cartridge are well known.
Several devices have been proposed to selectively look the firing pin in order
to prevent the firearm from being accidentally discharged. Such accidental
discharge may occur in the event that the firearm is dropped from a distance of
several feet and subsequently lands in such a manner that inertia carries the
firing pin forward, thus causing it to strike the cartridge.
Manual firing pin locks are well known. They are typically located within the
slide of an automatic or semiautomatic pistol and function to prevent the
firing pin from contacting a chambered cartridge when activated. There is a
tendency not to activate such manually operated firing pin lock mechanisms when
it is anticipated that rapid and unexpected use of the gun may be required,
e.g. during law enforcement or combat use. In such situations, the user does
not want to be forced to remember to disengage the firing Pin lock under
stressful conditions, nor does he want to take the time to do so.
Passive firing pin locks such as that described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,555,861
issued to Khoury are known. Such devices have the advantage of not requiring
the user to manually engage and disengage the lock. Rather, the lock is
automatically engaged when the trigger is in the nondepressed or unactuated
position and is automatically disengaged when the trigger is in the depressed
or actuated position.
Prior art passive firing pin locks such as the Khoury device suffer, however,
from the inherent deficiency that the firing pin is necessarily free to travel
forward any time the trigger is depressed, including during the chambering of a
cartridge. In such firearms, a malfunction of the disconnector or sear can
cause a normally semiautomatic gun to function in a fully automatic mode. A
semiautomatic firearm discharges one cartridge each time the trigger is pulled.
A fully automatic firearm continues to fire as long as the trigger is depressed
and cartridges remain to be fired. Unexpected fully automatic operation could
result in the firearm being discharged in an inappropriate direction, possibly
resulting in injury or death. Since fully automatic operation requires a stronger
grip on the firearm and a firm stance to maintain control of the firearm.
Additionally, since in the Khoury device the firing pin lock does not re-engage
the firing pin until the trigger is released, it is possible that an accidental
discharge could occur prior to releasing the trigger. For example, in a combat
environment the firearm could be struck by a bullet or shrapnel immediately
after the firearm has been fired but prior to releasing the trigger. During
this time the passive firing pin lock of the Khoury device would be inactive
and therefore would not function to prevent the firing pin from being driven
forward and discharging the weapon. Therefore, it is possible that an
accidental discharge could occur. Also, it is conceivable that the user could
fall and permit the firearm to strike a hard surface prior to releasing the
trigger, thus driving the firing pin forward and accidentally discharging the
firearm.
It would therefore be desireable to lock the firing pin in a retracted position
at all times except when it is explicitly desired that the firearm be
discharged. This would prevent both unexpected fully automatic operation and
accidental discharge.
Also, such contemporary passive firing pin locks are comparatively complex in
their structure. The Khoury device is typical in this regard and includes a
double lever and pin arrangement which is comparatively prone to malfunction
due to excessive wear, contamination, or breakage. It would therefore be
desirable to provide a mechanically simpler mechanism for preventing undesired
forward motion of the firing pin.
Double action semi-automatic pistols are also well known in the art. Pulling
the trigger of a double action pistol both cocks the hammer and causes it to
fall upon the firing pin. This eliminates the need to separately cock the
hammer prior to pulling the trigger. Thus, double action pistols are more
effective when quick and unexpected use may be required.
Since the hammer of a double action semi-automatic pistol does not have to be
separately cocked and the pistol is therefore capable of being fired by merely
pulling the trigger, it is often desireable to keep a cartridge in the chamber.
This permits rapid use of the pistol by merely aiming and pulling the trigger.
To chamber a cartridge, the slide is pulled back and released, thereby
stripping the top cartridge from the magazine and loading it into the chamber.
This action also cocks the hammer of the pistol and leaves the hammer in a
cocked position.
After chambering a cartridge, the hammer remains in a cocked position such that
pulling the trigger will discharge the weapon. Various safety mechanisms are
known for preventing inadvertent discharge of the firearm when the trigger is
pulled while the hammer is in a cocked position. Such safety mechanisms
generally either prevent the sear from releasing the hammer, lock the hammer in
the cocked position, or prevent the trigger from being pulled. However, as with
the manual firing pin look, the use of such a safety mechanism is often undesirable
when rapid and expected use is likely.
Thus, it is often desireable to have a cartridge chambered, but due to the
double action operation of the pistol, it is not necessary to maintain the
hammer in a cocked position. Indeed, it is frequently more desireable to
maintain the hammer in a decocked position. This is because it takes a
substantially greater amount of force to depress the trigger and discharge the
firearm when the hammer is in the decocked position. As such, additional force
must be provided by the user to cock the hammer, instead of merely releasing it
to fall upon the firing pin (i.e. it requires a much more deliberate action to
depress the trigger of a decocked double action firearm than to depress the
trigger of a cocked double action firearm). This additional force is necessary
to overcome the hammer spring tension as the hammer is raised to the cocked
position. Such additional force makes an accidental discharge less likely. For
example, if a foreign object inadvertently engages the trigger, it is much less
likely that an accidental discharge will occur if the hammer is decocked.
Therefore, a common problem associated with double action semi-automatic
pistols is the safe lowering of the hammer after manually chambering a cartridge.
It may be desired to lower the hammer, thus decocking the firearm, when the gun
is to be carried in a holster, stored for an extended period of time, or when
it is otherwise desireable not to have the hammer in a cocked position. Many
police departments require that their officers carry their firearm with a
cartridge in the chamber and the hammer in a decocked position.
A common method for decocking a firearm is to grasp the hammer with the fingers
of one hand while holding the firearm in the other hand and pulling the
trigger. Grasping the hammer prevents it from falling forcefully upon the
firing pin and thus discharging the gun. However, occurrences of inadvertent
discharges while attempting this procedure are not uncommon. Since such
inadvertent discharges can cause injury and death, it is very desireable to
provide a means for lowering the hammer of such a firearm in a safe and
convenient manner.
Various decocking or hammer drop mechanisms are known. One such mechanism
slowly lowers the hammer to its decocked position such that the hammer does not
strike the firing pin with enough force to drive the firing pin into the
chambered cartridge. Another mechanism rotates a portion of the firing pin out
of the path of the falling hammer such that the hammer cannot strike the end of
the firing pin. In this instance the trigger may be pulled to cause the hammer
to drop, since it is prevented from striking the displaced firing pin.
Alternatively, the mechanism which displaces the portion of the firing pin may
also cause the hammer to drop.
A means for lowering the hammer in a single action semi-automatic pistol would
likewise be desireable since it is often desired to maintain a single action
semi-automatic pistol with a chambered cartridge. This is true even though the
hammer of a single action pistol must be separately cocked prior to firing the
first cartridge.
Additionally, in the prior art, much weight has been given to the ability of
the barrel bushing to firmly secure the front end of the barrel in position.
The accuracy of the firearm depends upon the repeatability with which the
barrel can be repositioned relative to the sights.
Various bushings for repositioning the forward end of the barrel after each
shot are well known. The simplest of such bushings merely receive the front end
of the barrel, holding it in place until the firearm is discharged. During
discharge, the bushing travels rearward along the barrel. When the barrel
unlocks from the slide, the bushing permits slight rotation of the barrel
relative to the slide. Such rotation is necessary to accommodate the
unlocking/locking motion of the barrel. Such simple bushings must therefore
incorporate a slightly oval, elongated, or oversized central aperture.
Through the use of close tolerances, an attempt is made to securely restrain
the forward end of the barrel within the bushing prior to discharging the
firearm. The requirement for such close tolerances causes the firearm's
accuracy to degrade as the bushing wears and the tolerances are lost. Also,
close tolerances require the mechanism be maintained comparatively free from
contamination. Dirt, sand, lint, and other contaminants can cause the bushing
to bind upon the barrel and jam the firearm. The use of close tolerances
increases the rate at which the barrel bushing wears due to friction.
Fabrication of barrel bushings having close tolerances is comparatively
difficult and expensive.
Thus, the prior art has concentrated efforts for achieving superior accuracy
upon the ability of the barrel bushing to firmly secure the forward end of the
barrel in position. Other mechanisms, such as Colt's collet type barrel bushing
disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,564,967 issued to La Violette have been used to
achieve this result. All such methods of firmly securing the forward end of the
barrel in position are characterized by the requirement for closely held
tolerances which tend to degrade over time and thus cause the firearm's
accuracy to deteriorate.
Another common problem with prior art bushings is cracking due to the repeated
application of stress when the gun is fired. This is particularly true of the
Colt collet type bushing wherein comparatively delicate fingers secure the
barrel in place. Such fingers are subject to the development of stress cracks.
Consequently, they occasionally break off whereupon they may cause the gun to
jam.
It would be desirable to repeatably position the barrel without requiring that
the forward end of the barrel be firmly secured in place. It would also be
desireable to eliminate the need for close tolerance in the fabrication of
barrel bushings. Additionally, it would be desireable to provide a barrel
bushing which is not susceptible to malfunction due to stress.
In addition, colored inlays formed upon the front and rear sights of firearms
for aiding the user in the aiming process are well known. Typically a single
round or rectangular inlay is provided upon the firearms front sight and two
round inlays are provided on either side of the central groove of the rear site.
Such inlays are typically colored either white or red to provide a stark
contrast to the deep blue or black color of the gun sights. The use of colored
inlays provides highly visible reference points by which the user can quickly
align the sights upon a target.
Such inlays are used by aligning the inlay formed upon the front sight between
the two inlays formed upon the rear sights. This process is hastened by the
ease with which the colored inlays are perceived by the user. The red or white
inlays can be quickly spotted and rapidly brought into rough alignment.
However, precise alignment of the prior art inlays is relatively difficult. The
curved peripheries of the round inlays used upon the rear and/or front sights
do not provide an easy means for judging alignment. In the prior art, the user
must either align round rear inlays to a round front inlay or round rear inlays
to a rectangular front inlay.
As will be recognized, it is difficult to align curved lines to each other or
to a straight line. The curved lines do not provide a single reference for
alignment, but rather present the user with the task of defining a reference.
The user must align the round inlay by concentrating upon some portion thereof.
For example, the user may attempt to visually determine the center point of the
round inlay on the front sight and align it to similarly determined center
points on round inlays of the rear sights.
Thus, although prior art firearms have proven generally suitable for their
intended purposes, they possess inherent deficiencies which detract from their
safe use and reduce accuracy below that theoretically obtainable. This detracts
from their overall effectiveness in the marketplace.
In view of the shortcomings of the prior art, it is desirable to provide an
improved firearm having a trigger actuated passive firing pin lock, a
convenient and safe means for lowering the hammer of a firearm having a
chambered cartridge, a barrel bushing which accurately repositions the forward
end of the barrel relative to the sights, and sight inlays which allow the user
to quickly and precisely aim the firearm.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention specifically addresses and alleviates the above mentioned
deficiencies associated in the prior art. More particularly, the present
invention comprises an improved firearm having one or more safety and
performance features such as a passive firing pin lock, a hammer drop
mechanism, a V-block type barrel bushing, and square sight inlays.
The passive firing pin lock of the present invention prevents an accidental
discharge when the gun is dropped. The passive firing pin look is comprised of
a lever which engages the firing pin and locks the firing pin in position such
that the firing pin cannot travel forward and discharge a chambered cartridge.
The lever pivots about a pin between an engaged or safe position and a
disengaged or fire position. The lever is biased in the safe position by a
spring.
Pulling the trigger rotates the sear to disengage a catch formed upon the sear
from a notch formed upon the hammer and thus permits the hammer to fall. Prior
to rotating sufficiently to cause the hammer to fall, a pawl formed upon the
sear engages a tab formed upon the passive firing pin lock lever, thus causing
the lever to disengage the firing pin. This places the lever in the fire
position wherein further rotation of the sear will cause the hammer to drop
upon the firing pin and drive the firing pin forward, thus discharging the
firearm.
Upon ignition of the propellant contained within the cartridge, the firing pin
is immediately urged rearward by both the firing pin spring and a dynamic
impulse imparted as gas pressure tends to re-flatten the primer. Upon
retraction to its original position, the firing pin is immediately looked into
place by the passive firing pin lock lever. This occurs prior to the user
releasing the trigger. Thus, the firing pin is immediately locked into a safe
position and the gun is thereby protected from accidental discharge.
By immediately locking the firing pin in a safe position, prior even to
releasing the trigger, the probability of an accidental discharge is
substantially reduced. For instance, if the gun should be forcibly struck, i.e.
by a bullet or shrapnel, immediately after a shot has been fired, but prior to
releasing the trigger, the firing pin will have been locked in a safe position
and the gun will be prevented from discharging. Also, in the event that the
user falls after firing a shot but prior to releasing the trigger, and the gun strikes
a hard surface with sufficient force to drive the firing pin forward, the gun
is again prevented from discharging.
The manufacture of a pistol having the passive firing pin lock of the present
invention essentially involves the fabrication of a lever and a modification of
the sear. By contrast, manufacture of the Khoury device involves the
fabrication of two separate lever mechanisms and a pin lock. Thus, manufacture
of the firing pin lock of the present invention involves fewer materials, less machining,
and simplified assembly. This provides a substantial savings in manufacturing
costs.
Additionally, locking of the firing pin in the safe position without the
necessity of the trigger being released precludes the possibility that the
pistol could operate in the fully automatic mode in the event of a sear or
disconnector malfunction. Operation of the firearm in the fully automatic mode
is extremely dangerous since it typically occurs unexpectedly and results in
the rapid discharge of several cartridges. In the event of such an occurrence
the user often does not maintain full control of the firearm since the
discharge of more than one cartridge is not expected. Therefore, several shots
could be fired in an unsafe direction, resulting in death or injury. The
ability to lock the firing pin in place immediately without the necessity of
releasing the trigger therefore reduces the likelihood of such an occurrence.
The passive firing pin lock of the present invention is also particularly well
suited for use in a double action only firearm While most double action
firearms can be operated in either a double action or single action mode,
double action only firearms can only be fired in a double action mode. Double
action only firearms do not have a hammer notch and sear catch for holding the
hammer in a cocked position and must therefore be fired from the decocked
position, i.e. in a double action mode.
In a double action only firearm it is often desired that the weapon be as
simple to operate as possible. Thus, external manually operated safeties are
not desirable. It is usually intended that such firearms be capable of being
used by merely aiming and pulling the trigger.
Since the hammer of a double action only firearm does not remain in a cooked
position after firing, it follows the slide forward as the next round is
chambered. The hammer thus pushes the firing pin slightly forward as the slide
moves into battery. Therefore, the firing pin may actually contact the primer
of a chambered cartridge as the slide is brought into battery. While the firing
pin does not strike the primer with sufficient force to cause the firearm to
discharge, it is nevertheless undesirable to permit the firing pin to contact
the primer except when a discharge is intended.
The passive firing pin lock of the present inventory prevents the firing pin
from contacting the primer of a chambered round as the slide is brought into
battery. This adds an extra margin of safety to the firearm. The firing pin
cannot contact the primer since the firing pin is locked into a retracted
position as the slide travels rearward and remains locked as the slide moves
forward into battery.
The passive firing pin lock of the present invention thus provides a means
whereby a double action only firearm may be constructed without the need for an
externally operated manual safety and without permitting the firing pin to
contact the primer of a chambered round as the slide moves into battery after
the round is chambered.
In addition, the present invention incorporates a novel hammer drop mechanism
which permits the hammer to be safely lowered when a cartridge is present in
the chamber. This is accomplished without touching the trigger of the firearm.
The hammer drop mechanism is comprised of first and second hammer drop shafts
which are inserted into the slide at diametrically opposed positions and
connect to form a single shaft having three cam surfaces formed thereupon. An
external thumb lever formed upon one of the shafts permits the shaft to be
manually rotated by the user. Rotation of the shaft engages two of the cams
against the firing pin, thus withdrawing the firing pin beyond the firing pin
retainer and into the slide such that the hammer can no longer strike the
firing pin. Further rotation of the shafts cams a hammer drop push rod downward
against the sear, thus causing the sear to rotate and release the hammer.
The use of two cams to withdraw the firing pin provides redundancy such that
the firing pin will be safely retracted in the event of excessive wear or
malfunction of one of the cams. Thus, even if one cam fails, the firing pin
will still be retracted within the slide prior to the hammer falling.
Therefore, in operation the hammer drop mechanism of the present invention
first repositions the firing pin within the slide to prevent contact with the
hammer and then actuates the hammer causing it to fall to a decocked position.
The hammer drop mechanism of the present invention thereby provides a safe and
convenient means for a user to lower a semi-automatic pistol's hammer when a
cartridge is chambered.
A V-block type barrel bushing of the present invention accurately repositions
the forward end of the barrel relative to the sights to provide maximum
accuracy. The V-block type barrel bushing of the present invention is comprised
of two flat contact surfaces formed as an integral part of the slide and
configured to contact the front end of the barrel tangentially at two
locations. The use of such a V-block provides an extremely accurate means for
repeatably positioning a cylindrical object. Thus, in the same manner that a
machinist might axially position a section of bar stock prior to drilling, the
forward portion of the barrel is precisely positioned prior to discharging the
pistol.
Since the V-block bushing of the present invention does not attempt to firmly
secure the front end of the barrel in place but rather repeatedly locates the
front end of the barrel in a consistent position relative the slide, friction
is minimized and bushing failure is eliminated. Also, the requirement for close
tolerance machining is eliminated since the exact positioning and dimensions of
the V-block are unimportant. It is merely necessary that the two contact
surfaces be formed at approximately the five and eight o'clock positions and be
tangential to the barrel. Use of the V-block barrel bushing of the present
invention therefore provides the best accuracy theoretically possible while
eliminating the prior art problems of wear and malfunction.
Further, the present invention discloses the use of square sight inlays or
indicia. The square sight markings of the present invention are preferably
comprised of a single square inlay formed upon the front sight and one square
inlay formed upon either side of the groove in the rear sight. The square
inlays are positioned such that when all three of their upper and lower edges
are aligned and the square inlay formed upon the front sight is centered
between the square inlays formed upon the rear sights, then the gun is on
target. The advantages of such square inlays lie in the ability to rapidly
align their upper and lower edges and the ability to perceive very small
discrepancies in alignment.
It is a simple matter for the user to vary the elevation of the gun to achieve
alignment of the upper and lower edges of the square inlays. The user simply
concentrates upon either the upper or lower edges of the square inlays and
tilts the gun to bring them into alignment. When aligned, both the upper and
lower edges of the square inlays form a pair of single lines such that any
deviations in the alignment of the inlays is immediately apparent and can be
corrected.
Alignment of sights having round inlays is far more difficult by comparison.
There are no straight lines for the user to bring into alignment. Therefore the
user must rely upon his ability to perceive corresponding points within each
round inlay and attempt to align these imagined corresponding points. For
example, the user may concentrate upon aligning the centers of the round
inlays. This is extremely difficult since the centers are only defined within
the user's mind and are therefore extremely difficult to align with any
precision. The user may also attempt to align the sights by concentrating upon
the uppermost portion of the outer perimeter of each round inlay. This is
likewise extremely difficult since the precise location of the uppermost point
of the perimeter of each round inlay again exists only within the user's mind.
The user must therefore attempt to determine the precise location of either the
center, uppermost portion of the perimeter, or some other distinctive portion
of each round inlay and do this subconsciously while also aligning the sights
upon the target.
Aligning the square inlay sights of the present invention in azimuth is also
greatly simplified over contemporary round inlays. In the present invention it
is simply necessary to insure that the front sight square inlay is centered
between the two rear sight square inlays by rapidly providing an equal distance
between each of the two rear sight square inlays and the front square inlay.
This is a simple matter since the user is aligning straight vertical lines.
That is, it is a simple matter to visually determine the distance between
vertical straight lines. By contrast, it is far more difficult to determine the
distance between adjacent circular edges. In order to determine the distance
between adjacent circular edges, it is first necessary to imagine points upon
each of the circular edges from which the determination is to be made. Thus,
the user must again use judgement to form an imaginary point upon the
circumference of each of the round inlays and to form a mental measurement
therebetween.
As such, the square sight inlays of the present invention provide a means of
rapidly and accurately aligning the sights upon a target without having to rely
upon the user's ability to mentally measure distances between curved objects.
The square sight inlays thus allow the user to quickly and precisely aim the
firearm.
These, as well as other advantages of the present invention will be more
apparent from the following description and the drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the right side of a semi-automatic pistol in
accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the left side of the semi-automatic pistol of
FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the passive firing pin lock of the present
invention showing the sear, sear housing, passive firing pin lock lever, and
the firing pin, the firing pin being shown in the phantom, and the passive
firing pin lock lever being shown partially in phantom;
FIG. 4 is an exploded view of the sear housing, sear, passive firing pin lock
lever, and firing pin of FIG. 3;
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the sear, passive firing pin look lever and a
portion of the firing pin of FIG. 4;
FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the sear and a portion of the passive firing pin
lock lever taken along line 6--6 of FIG. 5;
FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional side view of the rear portion of the slide and
receiver of the pistol of FIG. 1;
FIG. 7A is an enlarged cross-sectional side view of the rear portion of the
slide and receiver shown in FIG. 7 depicting the hammer in its cocked position,
the sear engaging the hammer and the passive firing pin lock lever positioned
to block the forward motion of the firing pin;
FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional side view of the rear portion of the slide and
receiver of the pistol of FIG. 1 depicting the hammer in the cocked position,
the sear disengaged from the hammer, and the passive firing pin lock lever
disengaged from the firing pin;
FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional side view of the rear portion of the slide and
receiver of the pistol of FIG. 1 depicting the hammer in the decocked position,
the sear disengaged from the hammer, the passive firing pin lock lever
disengaged from the firing pin, and the firing pin in its forward most
position;
FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional side view of the rear portion of the slide and
receiver of the pistol of FIG. 1 depicting the slide in its rear most position,
the hammer in its cocked position, the passive firing pin lock lever engaging
the firing pin, and the sear engaging the hammer;
FIG. 11 is an exploded perspective view of the hammer drop mechanism of the
present invention showing the first and second hammer drop shafts, the rear
most portion of the firing pin the hammer drop push rod, and a portion of the
sear;
FIG. 11A is a cross-sectional view of the first and second hammer drop shafts
taken along line 11A of FIG. 11 and a roll pin used to attach them together;
FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the second hammer drop shaft, the hammer drop
push rod, and a portion of the sear of FIG. 11 showing the cam formed upon the
second hammer drop shaft for camming the hammer drop push rod against the sear;
FIG. 13 is a sectional perspective view of a portion of the firing pin of FIG.
11 showing the two camming surfaces upon which the two cams formed upon the
first and second hammer drop shafts act;
FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional side view of the rear portion of the slide and
receiver of the pistol of FIG. 1 showing the hammer drop mechanism of the
present invention with the thumb lever in the horizontal or unactuated
position;
FIG. 14A is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the hammer drop push rod cam
engaging the hammer drop push rod as shown in FIG. 14;
FIG. 14B is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the first firing pin cam about
to engage the first firing pin camming surface of the firing pin as shown in
FIG. 14;
FIG. 14C is an enlarged side view of the second firing pin cam about to engage
the second firing pin camming surface as shown in FIG. 14, the second firing
pin camming surface being shown in dashed lines;
FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional side view of the rear portion of the slide and
receiver of the pistol of FIG. 1 showing the hammer drop mechanism of the
present invention with the thumb lever depressed to a position approximately
midway in its travel;
FIG. 15A is an enlarged cross-sectional side view of the hammer drop push rod
cam engaging the hammer drop push rod as shown in FIG. 15;
FIG. 15B is an enlarged cross-sectional side view of the first firing pin cam
engaging the first firing pin camming surface of the firing pin as shown in
FIG. 15;
FIG. 15C is an enlarged side view of the second firing pin cam engaging the
second firing pin camming surface of the firing pin as shown in FIG. 15;
FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional side view of the rear portion of the slide and
receiver of the pistol of FIG. 1 showing the hammer drop mechanism of the
present invention with the thumb lever in its fully depressed position;
FIG. 16A is an enlarged cross-sectional side view of the hammer drop push rod
cam depressing the hammer drop push rod as shown in FIG. 16;
FIG. 16B is an enlarged cross-sectional side view of the first firing pin cam
engaging the first firing pin camming surface of the firing pin as shown in
FIG. 16;
FIG. 16C is an enlarged cross-sectional side view of the second firing pin cam
engaging the second firing pin camming surface of FIG. 16;
FIG. 17 is a front view of the V-block bushing of the present invention formed
within the slide of the pistol of FIG. 1;
FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional side view of the V-block bushing of FIG. 17;
FIG. 19 is a cross-sectional side view of the rear sight of the pistol of FIG.
1;
FIG. 20 is a cross-sectional view taken about lines 20--20 of the rear sight of
FIG. 19 showing the two square inlays of the present invention;
FIG. 21 is a perspective view of the front and rear sights showing the square
inlays;
FIG. 22 is a rear view of the front and rear sights of FIG. 21; and
FIG. 23 is a rear view of the slide of the pistol of FIG. 1 showing alignment
of the square inlays of the front and rear sights with a bull's-eye.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
The detailed description set forth below in connection with the appended
drawings is intended as a description of the presently preferred embodiment of
the invention, and is not intended to represent the only form in which the
present invention may be constructed or utilized. The description sets forth
the functions and sequence of steps for constructing and operating the
invention in connection with the illustrated embodiments. It is to be
understood, however, that the same or equivalent functions and sequences may be
accomplished by different embodiments that are also intended to be encompassed
within the spirit and scope of the invention.
The firearm of the present invention is illustrated in FIGS. 1-23 which depict
a presently preferred embodiment of the invention. Referring now to FIGS. 1 and
2, a pistol 10 in accordance with the present invention is comprised generally
of a receiver 24 and a slide 22 disposed for reciprocal motion upon the
receiver 24. A trigger 12 protrudes from the lower portion of receiver 24 to
actuate, through conventional internal mechanisms, a hammer 14. A manually
operated safety 25 prevents the trigger 12 from discharging the pistol 10 as in
the prior art. As is well known, when trigger 12 is actuated, the hammer 14
strikes firing pin striking surface 54 and firing pin retainer 28. Rear 18 and
front 20 sights provide for the alignment of barrel 30 with a target. In the
preferred embodiment, the pistol 10 comprises a semi-automatic handgun, such as
that depicted in U.S. Pat. No. 4,726,136 issued to Dornaus et al. the
disclosure of which is expressly incorporated herein by reference. In this
regard, the present invention comprises a specific improvement over the hand
gun disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,726,136 but is additionally applicable to
other types of firearms.
Referring now to FIGS. 3 through 6, the passive firing pin look of the
preferred embodiment of the present invention is depicted. A sear 32 is
pivotally disposed within sear housing 36. Sear housing 36 is disposed within
the receiver of FIGS. 1 and 2 proximate the hammer 14. The sear 32 pivots about
sear pin 34. An arm 48 extends from the sear 32 and has a pawl 50 formed upon
the distal end thereof.
Passive firing pin lock lever 38 is pivotally mounted within the slide 22 above
the sear 32. Lever 38 pivots about lever pin 41 (shown in FIG. 7 and 7A) which
extends through aperture 40 formed in lever 38. Lever 38 has a detent 42 formed
upon one end thereof. A tab 46 extends perpendicularly from approximately the
middle of the lever 38. A contact surface 52 is formed upon the upper surfaces
of the tab 46.
An inertial firing pin 26 is disposed within the slide 22 immediately above the
passive firing pin lock lever 38. The firing pin 26 has a recess 44 formed in
the lower rear surface thereof and sized to receive the detent 42 formed upon
the lever 38. Firing pin striking surface 54 of firing pin 26 extends through
the firing pin retainer 28 as shown in FIG. 2.
In the present invention, as well as in the prior art, depression of the
trigger 12 is mechanically communicated to the sear 32 via linkage (not shown),
thus causing the sear to rotate to permit the hammer 14 to fall upon the firing
pin retainer 28 and striking surface 54 of the firing pin 26. The firing pin 26
is thus driven forward toward the primer of a chambered cartridge, against the
biasing force of a firing pin spring 62 (as shown in FIGS. 7-10). The inertia
of the firing pin 26 causes it to strike the primer with sufficient force to
detonate the primer, thus discharging the firearm.
Clockwise (as viewed in FIG. 3) rotation of the lever 38 engages a detent 42
within a recess 44 formed in the lower rear portion of the firing pin 26.
Engagement of the detent 42 within the recess 44 of firing pin 26 thus prevents
forward translation of the firing pin 26 within the slide 22. Clockwise
rotation of the sear 32 causes the tab 46 formed upon lever 38 to be engaged by
pawl 50 of sear 32.
As can be seen in the cross sectional view of FIG. 6, the pawl 50 formed upon
the distal end of arm 48 engages contact surface 52 of tab 46 when pawl 50
moves downward in response to clockwise rotation of the sear 32. Thus,
clockwise rotation of the sear 32 causes lever 38 to rotate counterclockwise,
and to disengage detent 42 from recess 44 of firing pin 26. Detent 42 of the
passive firing pin lock lever 38 engages the recess 44 formed within firing pin
26 at all times except when the trigger 12 is depressed to fire the pistol 10.
As in the prior art, clockwise rotation of the sear 32 disengages the hammer 14
from the sear 32 thus permitting the hammer 14 to fall and strike the firing
pin 26. The firing pin 26 travels forward to discharge a chambered round in
response to the striking surface 54 of the firing pin 26 being struck by the
hammer 14. The detent 42 of the present invention is disengaged from the recess
44 of the firing pin 26 immediately prior to the disengagement of the hammer 14
from the sear 32.
The detent 42 is engaged within the recess 44 of the firing pin 26 at all times
other than when the trigger 12 is depressed, thus effectively preventing
accidental discharge of the pistol 10. Dropping of the pistol 10 with its
barrel downward, such that an accidental discharge would be likely in a prior
art pistol, thus does not cause the firing pin 26 to travel forward under the
force of its own inertia when the firearm strikes the floor.
Operation of the passive firing pin lock of the present invention is presented
in further detail with reference to FIGS. 7-10 wherein the lock is depicted in
its various stages of operation as the trigger 12 is pulled and the pistol 10
is discharged.
With particular reference to FIGS. 7 and 7A, the pistol 10 is depicted with the
hammer 14 in a cocked position and a cartridge 66 loaded in the chamber 30. The
striking surface 54 of the firing pin 26 extends beyond the firing pin retainer
28 such that the hammer 14 will contact the striking surface 54 of the firing
pin 26 and drive the firing pin 26 forward toward the cartridge 66 when the
hammer 14 is released. Since the trigger has not yet been depressed, detent 42
on lever 38 is received by recess 44 of firing pin 26. Thus, the firing pin 26
is looked in a safe position and thereby prevented from translating forward and
striking the cartridge 66. Spring 68 disposed against surface 70 of lever 38
biases lever 38 into this safe position.
If the pistol were to be dropped while in this safe configuration, the firing
pin 26 would be prevented from moving forward under its own inertia and
striking cartridge 66 with the tip 64 thereof. Thus, the probability of death
or injury due to accidental discharge is reduced.
The sear catch 74 of sear 32 engages the hammer notch 72 of the hammer 14, thus
maintaining the hammer 14 in its cocked position until the trigger 12 is
pulled. Pulling the trigger 12 at this point will rotate (through a
conventional mechanical linkage which is not shown) the sear 32 clockwise, thus
disengaging sear catch 74 from hammer notch 72 and permitting the hammer to
rotate clockwise under the biasing of the hammer spring (not shown), whereupon
the hammer 14 will strike the striking surface 54 of the firing pin 26 and the
firing pin retainer 28. Pawl 50 formed upon the end of arm 48 of the sear 32
does not contact tab 46 of lever 38 when the trigger 12 is not depressed.
With particular reference to FIG. 8, the passive firing pin lock is depicted
after the trigger 12 has been depressed. Depressing the trigger 12 has caused
the sear 32 to rotate clockwise sufficiently to permit sear catch 74 to
disengage from hammer notch 72 such that hammer 14 will begin to rotate
clockwise under the urging of the hammer spring (not shown), whereupon the
hammer 14 will strike striking surface 54 and firing pin retainer 28.
Immediately prior to sear catch 74 disengaging hammer notch 72, pawl 50
contacts tab 46 of the lever 38 and urges tab 46 downwardly. This causes detent
42 to disengage from recess 44. Thus, as hammer 14 rotates clockwise to strike
the striking surface 54 of firing pin 26, firing pin 26 is unlocked from its
safe configuration and placed in a fire configuration wherein firing pin 26 is
free to travel forward to cause the discharge of the pistol 10.
With particular reference to FIG. 9, hammer 14 has struck the striking surface
54 of the firing pin 26, thus driving the firing pin 26 forward against the
urging of spring 62. The tip 64 of firing pin 26 thus strikes cartridge 66 to
discharge the pistol 10. The pawl 50 of the sear 32 holds the lever 38 in the
fire configuration as the firing pin 26 rebounds rearward under the urging of
spring 62.
With particular reference to FIG. 10, the reaction to the lead bullet moving
forward causes the slide 22 to rapidly recoil longitudinally rearward, thus
cocking the hammer 14, extracting the expended cartridge, and permitting
another cartridge to be chambered. As the slide 22 travels rearward, tab 46 of
lever 38 disengages sear pawl 50, thus permitting detent 42 to be again
received by recess 44 of the firing pin 26.
Therefore, firing pin 26 is once again locked into the safe configuration
before slide 22 returns to its rest position. As in the prior art, sear 32
rotates counterclockwise such that sear catch 74 engages hammer notch 72 thus
preventing the hammer 14 from rotating clockwise and again striking the
striking surface 54 of the firing pin 26. Thus, as the slide returns to its
forward most position, the safe configuration of the firing pin 26 is once
again attained.
Referring now to FIGS. 11 through 13, the hammer drop mechanism of the present
invention is depicted. The hammer drop mechanism is generally comprised of
first 100 and second 102 shafts, the firing pin 26, hammer drop push rod 104,
and sear 32. The first shaft 100 has a thumb actuation lever 106 formed upon
one end thereof and a shaft recess 110 and second firing pin cam 108 formed
upon the opposite end thereof. The second shaft 102 has a flat shaft portion
112, a first firing pin cam 114 and a hammer drop cam 116 formed thereupon.
First 100 and second 102 shafts are inserted into the slide 22 such that they
may be attached together with pin 101 to form a single shaft which passes
transversely through the slide 22 Pin 101 extends through aperture 119 in
second shaft 102 and through aperture 121 in first shaft 100. Therefore,
rotation of the first shaft 100 by depressing thumb lever 106 causes a like
rotation of second shaft 102.
With particular reference to FIG. 12, the upper end 118 of hammer drop push rod
104 contacts the hammer drop cam 116 of second shaft 102 and the lower end 120
contacts the arm 48 of the sear 32. The flat shaft portion 112 is formed to be
received by the shaft recess 110 of the first shaft 100. Thus, first shaft 100
and second shaft 102 attach together to form a single rotatable member.
With particular reference to FIG. 13, the firing pin 26 includes a first
camming surface 124 and a second camming surface 122 formed thereon. The first
camming surface 124 is adapted to engage the first firing pin cam 114 and the
second surface 122 is adapted to engage the second firing pin cam 108.
The firing pin 26 is prevented from rotating about its longitudinal axis by the
abutment of the lower surface 115 of the second shaft 102 against the upper
flat surface 127 of recess 126 formed in the firing pin 26 and by the abutment
of the edge 117 of the first shaft 100 against the flat side 125 of the firing
pin 26.
Operation of the hammer drop mechanism of the present invention is presented in
detail with reference to FIGS. 14 16C wherein the mechanism is depicted in
various stages of operation as the thumb lever is depressed. Thumb lever 106 is
biased in the up or unactuated position by the firing pin spring 62 acting
through the firing pin 26 and by the hammer drop pin spring 105 acting through
the hammer drop pin 104. Actuation of the thumb lever 106 cams the firing pin
26 into the slide 22 such that the striking surface 54 of the firing pin 26 is
disposed beneath the hammer striking or outer surface 29 of the firing pin
retainer 28 and consequently cannot be struck by the hammer 14. Further
rotation of the thumb lever 106 actuates the sear 32, thus releasing the hammer
14 and permitting it to fall to a decocked position.
With particular reference to FIG. 14, the firing pin 26 is depicted in its rest
position. The striking surface 54 of the firing pin 26 extends beyond the
hammer striking or outer surface 29 of the firing pin retainer 28. The hammer
drop cam 116 lightly contacts the upper end 118 of the hammer drop push rod
104. The first firing pin cam 114 is positioned almost in contact with the
first camming surface 124 of the firing pin 26. The second firing pin cam 108
is positioned slightly above the second camming surface 122 of the firing pin
26. The hammer 14 is shown in the cocked position and maintained therein by the
sear 32.
The hammer drop push rod 104 is disposed intermediate the second shaft 102 and the
sear 32 such that rotation of the second shaft 102 in a clockwise direction by
manipulation of the lever 106 will cause the hammer drop cam 116 to abut the
uppermost end 118 of the hammer drop push rod 104 and translate the lower end
120 of the hammer drop push rod 104 downwardly against the bias of hammer drop
push rod spring 105 into contact with the arm 48 of the sear 32. Continued
rotation of the second shaft 102 in the clockwise direction rotates the arm 48
of the sear 32 downward, thus causing the sear catch 74 of the sear 32 to
disengage the hammer notch 72 of the hammer 14. This permits the hammer 14 to
rotate clockwise under the urging of the hammer spring (not shown). The three
camming actions are discussed and illustrated in greater detail with respect to
FIGS. 14A-14C.
With particular reference to FIG. 14A, when the thumb lever 106 is in the
horizontal or rest position as in FIG. 14, the hammer drop cam 116 abuts the
upper end 118 of the hammer drop push rod 104 without urging the hammer drop
push rod 104 downward. That is, the upper end 118 of the hammer drop push rod
104 contacts the hammer drop cam 116 of the second hammer drop shaft 102 under
the urging of hammer drop push rod spring 105 and there is no downward force
upon the hammer drop push rod 104.
With particular reference to FIG. 14B, with the thumb lever 106 in the
horizontal or rest position as in FIG. 14, the first firing pin cam 114 is
positioned almost in contact with the first camming surface 124 of the firing
pin 26 without urging the firing pin 26 forward.
With particular reference to FIG. 14C, with the thumb lever 106 in the
horizontal or rest position as in FIG. 14, the second firing pin cam 108 does
not contact the second camming surface 122 of the firing pin 26.
Referring now to FIGS. 15-15C, the positions and interactions of the various
components of the hammer drop mechanism of the present invention are shown when
the thumb lever 106 has been rotated clockwise through approximately one half
of its travel i.e. approximately 30 degrees from its initial at rest position
of FIGS. 14A-14C. Rotating the thumb lever 106 to an intermediate position
brings the hammer drop cam 116 firmly into contact with the upper end 118 of
the hammer drop push rod 104. The hammer drop push rod 104 may translate
downward slightly, but not sufficiently to cause rotation of the sear 32. Such
rotation of the thumb lever 106 also causes first 114 and second 108 firing pin
cams to begin camming the firing pin 26 forward such that the firing pin 26 is
partially withdrawn into the slide 22.
In this position, the striking surface 54 of the firing pin 26 is approximately
flush with the outer surface 29 of the firing pin retainer 28. Therefore, the
firing pin 26 is withdrawn to a point where the dropping hammer 14 is incapable
of driving the firing pin 26 forward to discharge the pistol 10. The firing pin
26 is withdrawn in this manner prior to initiating the process of disengaging
the sear 32 from the hammer 14. That is, the hammer is prevented from falling
upon the striker plate 28 until the firing pin 26 is well beneath the outer
surface 29 of the firing pin retainer 28.
With particular reference to FIG. 15A, with the thumb lever 106 in an
intermediate position as in FIG. 15, the hammer drop cam 116 is brought into
firm contact with the upper end 118 of the hammer drop push rod 104 such that
slight pressure begins to be applied to the arm 48 of the sear 32. The hammer
drop cam 116 has not yet begun to urge hammer drop push rod 104 appreciably
downward. Thus, the sear 32 does not yet begin to rotate clockwise and the sear
catch 74 consequently firmly engages hammer notch 72 of the hammer 14.
With particular reference to FIG. 15B, with the thumb lever 106 in an
intermediate position as in FIG. 15, first firing pin cam 114 has urged firing
pin 26 forward sufficiently to bring the striking surface 54 of the firing pin
26 approximately flush with the outer surface 29 of the firing pin retainer 28.
With particular reference to FIG. 15C, with the thumb lever 106 in an
intermediate position as in FIG. 15, second firing pin cam 108 provides a
redundant means for urging firing pin 26 forward as thumb lever 106 is
depressed. Second firing pin cam 108 abuts camming surface 122 formed upon
firing pin 26 to simultaneously urge firing pin 26 forward in concert with cam
114 and camming surface 124. The redundant camming action assures that the
striking surface 54 of the firing pin 26 is safely withdrawn into the slide 22
prior to dropping of the hammer 14. Thus, even in the event of wear or
malfunction of one of the first 114 and second 108 firing pin cams and/or their
corresponding camming surfaces 124 and 122, a safe means for lowering the
hammer is maintained.
Referring now to FIGS. 16-16C, the position of the hammer drop mechanism as the
thumb lever 106 is rotated through its full travel i.e. approximately 60
degrees from its initial at rest position of FIGS. 14A-14C is depicted. As the
thumb lever 106 nears the completion of its travel to the fully clockwise rotational
position, the striking surface 54 of the firing pin 26 is withdrawn well below
the outer surface 29 of the firing pin retainer 28 and the sear catch 74
disengages the hammer notch 72, thus allowing the hammer 14 to fall to a
decocked position.
With particular reference to FIG. 16, the hammer has dropped from its cocked
position and rests upon the firing pin retainer 28. With the thumb lever 106 in
its fully rotated position the firing pin 26 is cammed forward such that the
striking surface 54 thereof is disposed within the firing pin retainer 28 and
cannot be contacted by the hammer 14 as the hammer 14 falls. The hammer 14 is
prevented from striking the firing pin 26 and thereby discharging the pistol.
Thumb lever 106 and the rotatable member comprised of first 100 and second 102
shafts thus provide a single or common means for withdrawing the firing pin 26
and lowering the hammer 14. The three camming actions are discussed and
illustrated in greater detail with respect to FIGS. 16A-16C.
With particular reference to FIG. 16A, it can be seen that the hammer drop cam
116 has urged the hammer drop push rod 104 against the urging of hammer drop
push rod spring 105 fully to its lowermost position wherein the hammer drop
push rod 104 has urged the sear 32 to rotate in a clockwise direction, thereby
disengaging the sear catch 74 from the hammer notch 72.
With particular reference to FIG. 16B, with the lever 106 fully depressed as in
FIG. 16 the first firing pin cam 114 has urged the firing pin 26 forward
sufficiently to withdraw the striking surface 54 of the firing pin 26 beyond
the hammer striking or outer surface 29 of the firing pin retainer 28.
With particular reference to FIG. 16C, with the thumb lever 106 fully depressed
as in FIG. 16, in redundant fashion the second firing pin cam 108 has urged the
firing pin 26 forward. The redundant operation of the first 114 and second 108
firing pin cams insures that the firing pin 28 is safely withdrawn beyond the
hammer striking or outer surface 29 of the firing pin retainer 28 before the
hammer 14 is released by the sear 32 to strike the firing pin retainer 28.
Thus, the hammer 14 is safely decocked without discharging the pistol 10.
In addition to the improved safety features obtained by the present invention's
use of the passive firing pin lock mechanism and hammer drop mechanism, the
present invention provides improved performance characteristics by of a V-block
bushing and square front and rear sight system. Referring more particularly to
FIGS. 17 and 18, the V-block bushing feature of the present invention is
illustrated. As is conventional, the distal end of the slide 22 is provided
with a bushing 55 which is threadingly inserted or press fit therewithin. The
purpose of the bushing is to maintain the distal end of the barrel which is
disposed within the interior of the slide 22 and position the distal end of the
barrel at a repeatable location relative the slide 22 prior to discharge of
pistol 10.
In contrast to prior art bushings, the bushing 55 of the present invention
comprises a V-block bushing having a pair of tangential flats 56 formed
adjacent its lower periphery adapted to tangentially contact the exterior
diameter of the barrel 31. As best shown in FIG. 17, with the barrel 31
disposed in its fire position the exterior of the barrel 31 contacts the flats
56 formed on the V-block bushing 55 to axially center the barrel 31 relative
the bushing 55 and thus the slide 22. Due to the barrel 31 being pivotally
connected to the slide adjacent its opposite end and is thereby urged
downwardly upon the flats 56 by lever action, the lower diameter of the barrel
31 contact the flats 56 at two tangential points, i.e. contact points 58 as
indicated in FIG. 17.
As such, during movement of the slide 22 relative to the barrel 31, as during
chambering of a cartridge within the barrel, upon the barrel 31 returning to
its final position relative the slide 22, the barrel 31 is consistently and
repeatably positioned at the same axial and vertical position relative the
slide 22. Due to this repeatability, accuracy and discharge of the pistol 10 is
effectuated merely by proper adjustment of the sight system of the pistol 10.
In FIGS. 19 through 23, the improved sight system of the present invention is
depicted. As will be recognized, the sight system comprises a rear sight
assembly 18 disposed within a recess 128 formed on the rear end of the slide 22
and a front sight 20 disposed on the opposite or front end of the slide 22 as
best seen in FIGS. 1 and 2.
Referring now to FIGS. 19 through 21, the square inlay rear sight 18 of the
present invention is depicted. One square inlay 76 is formed upon either side
of the sight groove 78. The rear sight 18 is adjusted for elevation by turning
elevation adjustment screw 80 to cause the rear sight 18 to pivot about windage
adjustment screw 82 against the biasing of rear sight spring 84. Windage
adjustment screw 82 secures rear sight 18 within recess 128 formed in slide 22.
Windage is adjusted by turning windage adjustment screw assembly 82 from the
right side. Windage adjustment screw assembly 82 is comprised of screw 83 and
slotted nut 85 such that a screwdriver can engage the windage adjustment screw
assembly 82.
First ball detent 86 is urged outward by spring 87 to engage recesses 88 formed
within the rear sight 18 and locks elevation screw 80 in position. A similar
ball detent 90 is urged outward by spring 91 and is received by similar
recesses 92 to lock windage screw 82 in position.
As shown in FIG. 21, the square inlay front sight 20 of the present invention
has a single square inlay 84 formed upon its rear surface. The front sight 20
is secured to the slide 22 using two posts 86. The posts 86 are received within
complimentary apertures formed within the slide 22 and the posts are peened to
form flared ends 87 which secure the posts 86 therein as shown in FIG. 18.
Each square indicia inlay 76 or 84 is preferably formed by first forming a
shallow square recess where the inlay is to be located. The recess is then filled
with red or white epoxy, enamel, or other durable colored material. Those
skilled in the art will recognize that other processes of forming the inlays
are likewise suitable. Additionally, those skilled in the art will recognize
that the square markings or indicia may simply be affixed upon the sights 18
and 20 as opposed to being inlayed or recessed therein.
Referring now to FIG. 22 and 23, operation of the rear 18 and front 20 sights
is depicted. In use, the upper and lower straight edges of the square inlays 76
and 84 are aligned to lie within a pair of straight lines A and B, thus
aligning the pistol 10 in elevation. The vertical lines of the square inlays 76
and 84 are aligned such that equal distances C and D are achieved between the
front sight inlay 84 and the two rear sight inlays 76. Alignment of the rear 18
and front 20 sights with a bull's-eye 130 is shown in FIG. 23. Such alignment
can be rapidly and accurately obtained due to the ease with which straight
lines can be visually aligned. It is a relatively simple matter to judge when
the upper surfaces, for instance, of each square inlay 76 and 84 form a single
straight line A. It is also relatively simple to judge the distances between
adjacent inlays such that equal spacing of C and D is achieved.
Rear 76 and front 84 inlays are sized such that they appear approximately equal
in linear dimensions to the user. That is, the front square inlay 84 is sized
slightly larger than the two rear square inlays 76 so that when viewed in
perspective by the user the more distant front square inlay 84 appears
approximately equal in size to the closer rear inlays 76. This, of course, is
most important when using the square inlays of the present invention upon a
rifle wherein the distance between the front and rear sights is substantial.
While squares having four straight edges are depicted for each inlay 76 and 84,
those skilled in the art will recognize that only the inboard vertical edges of
rear sight inlays 76 and both vertical edges of front sight inlay 84 as well as
either the top or bottom horizontal edges of all three inlays 76 and 84 need to
be straight. This permits the definition of line A or B and distances C and D.
It is understood that the exemplary firearm described herein and shown in the drawings
represents only a presently preferred embodiment of the invention. Indeed,
various modifications and additions may be made to such embodiment without
departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, the lever of
the passive firing pin lock could engage the firing pin in a variety of
different ways. Also, various hammer drop mechanism configurations are possible
for withdrawing the firing pin prior to actuating the sear and causing the
hammer to fall. Additionally, the V-block barrel bushing may be formed as a
separate removable element rather than as an integral portion of the slide as
described. Additionally, the sight inlay of the present invention need not be
square, but rather may use a variety of different shapes which provide straight
horizontal and/or vertical surfaces which may be quickly and accurately
aligned. Thus, these and other modifications and additions may be obvious to
those skilled in the art and may be implemented to adapt the present invention
for use in a variety of different applications.
* * * * *