The invention relates to small weapon and may be used in the military equipment. Automatic rifles are known that are made under the “classic” system, with a permanent or a folding butt and a fire control handle located between the butt and a magazine: http://worldwidewebdotgunsdotru/assault/rus/ak-74-rdothtml.
A drawback of the “classic” system is a great length of weapon and lowered grouping pattern during automatic shooting (for weapon where the barrel axis is higher than the butt axis).
Assault rifles are known that are made under the “bullpup” system, where the fire control handle with the trigger is located on the forearm:
http://worldwidewebdotgunsdotru/assault/rus/ots-14-groza-rdothtml;
http://worldwidewebdotgunsdotru/assault/isr/tavor-tar-21-rdothtml;
http://worldwidewebdotgunsdotru/assault/ua/verp-rdothtml;
http://worldwidewebdotgunsdotru/assault/ch/type-95--qbs-95-rdothtml.
This system is disadvantageous in that the weapon center of gravity is shifted to the rear portion, reloading and the use of the safety catch are not convenient, a butt is missing which is necessary when prone shooting and in a hand-to-hand fight. The closest analogous solution to the claimed one is “Automatic Weapon “Kalashnikov Assault Rifle” (Eurasian Patent No. 000020; AK-74M) that comprises a breech, a trigger mechanism (TM), a locking mechanism, a gas outlet mechanism, a folding butt with retainers for the fight and the transportation positions, a barrel with a sight block, a sight bar and a foresight post, a magazine, a magazine catch, a fire control handle.
AK-74M assault rifle has a folding plastic hollow butt that folds to the left side and is retained by a catch.
AK-74M drawbacks are: a great length when the butt is put into the fight position, which causes quick tiredness of a rifleman during standing aimed shooting; a reduced maneuverability in constrained conditions; difficulties during aimed shooting in the transportation position with the folded butt; lowered grouping pattern due to misalignment of the barrel axis and a butt rest point on the shoulder; a significant increase of loading onto a rifleman when additional devices are used, such as silencers, tactical lights, optical sights, etc.
In order to eliminate the said drawbacks, it is proposed to combine the classic system with the bullpup system, with the possibility of using both system in one piece of weapon, which will enable to fire aimed shots in the transportation position, improve grouping pattern, reduce loading on the rifleman's hands, decrease the weapon dimensions for using in constrained conditions, make aiming easier when bullet-proof vests, helmets with a protective visor and voluminous winter clothes are used, and, at the same time, will enable to maintain the possibility of using the butt.
For this purpose weapon are provided with an additional trigger mechanism and sighting devices enabling to fire aimed shots both with the butt unfolded into the fight position, and with the butt folded into the transportation position, wherein activation (transfer of additional devices from the transportation position to the fight position for shooting in the “bullpup” position does not take more than 6-10 seconds.
Thus, according to the first embodiment, a raw bar is arranged within the butt, the draw bar being hingedly connected to a rotatable fork and to an additional trigger located on the left side of the butt next to the back plate in an L-shaped groove and, upon rotation of the fork under the action of a spring, extending out of the groove perpendicularly above the lateral surface of the butt by 1.5-2.5 centimeters, by 90° onto the left side of the butt, and when the butt is closed onto a catch, the divided end of the said fork grips the main trigger of the assault rifle, the additional trigger being moved to the operating position in front of a magazine under the end of the breech at a distance app. 2 centimeters.
Posts having a shape of rotatable components retained by springs are mounted onto standard sighting devices of AK-74M. A swing-aside aperture sight is mounted onto the sight of the sight block on two half-pins, and a rotatable post of an additional foresight is mounted onto a modified slide runner of the main foresight. A spring-loaded rotatable pad is mounted onto the magazine catch. Additional butt plates are mounted onto the butt and the butt catch that hold a rubber shock absorber. An elastic cover made of a porous material and intended for cheek rest and a gas shield made of a springy high-temperature film are mounted onto the lid of the breech, the gas shield being fixed to the lid lateral surface by a springy plate with a retainer, as provided with T-shaped rivets.
Thus, according to the second embodiment, a rotatable lever is mounted in the front lower part of the breech, in front of the magazine in a sector opening on the axis of the butt catch, the said lever having a post on which an additional trigger with a means for fixing the horizontal and vertical positions is hingedly mounted. The lever is connected to the main trigger by a draw bar passing through the inside of the breech along the left side, the additional trigger is protected by a removable additional trigger staple consisting of two hingedly connected parts that are moved apart by a spring, and additional sighting devices, the magazine catch, the rubber shock absorber, the cover of the breech lid and the gas shield are the same as in the first embodiment.
Some embodiments of the invention are herein described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings. With specific reference now to the drawings in detail, it is stressed that the particulars shown are by way of example and for purposes of illustrative discussion of embodiments of the invention. In this regard, the description taken with the drawings makes apparent to those skilled in the art how embodiments of the invention may be practiced.
In the drawings:
According to the first embodiment, the proposed automatic weapon with the combined system of use comprises all the main parts of the prototype (
The additional devices comprise: an additional trigger mechanism (13) arranged in the butt (9), a magazine catch rotatable pad (14), an aperture sight (15), an additional foresight rotatable post (16).
The additional trigger mechanism (13) is arranged within the hollow butt (9) (
The trigger (19) is connected to the draw bar (18) by the pin (35). The end of the draw bar (18) has a stop (36) that restricts the possibility of its rotating around the trigger pin (35). The retainer (20) of the fork (17) (
In order to ensure the necessary height of the trigger (19) above the lateral surface of the butt (9), a stop (42) of the additional trigger, which is made as a wedge, is inserted into its lower portion (
The rotatable pad (14) (
The aperture sight (15) (
The half-pins (48, 48′) have cylindrical portions (53, 53′) resting against the rear sight, which ends turn into hexahedrons (54, 54′) having slots (55, 55′) for the stop washers (52, 52′).
The staple (49), which is made of spring steel, has a pad with the aperture sight in its middle portion, and holes (56, 56′) corresponding to the diameter of the cylindrical portions (53, 53′) of the half-pins (48, 48′) in its ends. Grooves (57,57′) are made on the external sides of the staple (49) perpendicularly to the axis of the holes (56), the grooves being made to a half-depth of the staple (49) thickness in the shape of a cross or another figure having rotational symmetry of 90°.
The locking washers (51, 51′) have hexagonal holes (58, 58′) corresponding to the hexahedrons (54, 54′) of the half-pins (48, 48′). One of the washer sides is provided with protrusions (59) located according to the shape of a cross and protruding above the washer surface by the size of the grooves (57, 57′) of the staple (49). The dimensions of the protrusions (59) correspond to the dimensions of the grooves (57, 57′) of the staple (49) and, when overlaid, firmly enter into each other, thus forming a tooth coupling.
The cylindrical portions (53, 53′) have the length equal to the thickness of the staple (49) and that of the protrusions (59) of the washers, and the hexahedrons (54, 54′) have the dimensions corresponding to the thickness of the locking washers (51, 51′) (not metering the protrusions (59)). The working length of the hexahedrons (54, 54′) is limited by the slots (55,55′) for the locking washers (52, 52′).
The ends of the staple (49) are not parallel to each other in the free state and slightly diverge due to elasticity of tits material. For installing on the half-pins (48, 48′) the ends of the staple (49) are pulled apart and put on the ends of the half-pins (48, 48′). Then the ends of the staple (49) are clenched. The locking washers (51, 51′) are put on the hexahedrons (54, 54′) with the protrusions (59) facing the grooves (57, 57′) in the mirror symmetry to each other and are fixed in the slots (55, 55′) with the use of the locking washers (52, 52′).
When the ends of the staple are clenched and the staple is turned by 90° relative to the plane of the sight block (6), the staple (49) takes a position in which the arrangement of its grooves (57, 57′) corresponds to the protrusions (59) of the locking washers (51, 51′), and, due to elasticity of the staple material, the grooves (57,57′) on its ends engage with the protrusions (59) of the washers (51, 51′). This also helps to eliminate any backlashes, and the staple (49) is locked on the half-pins (48, 48′) without the possibility of rotating. And the aperture sight (50) is installed vertically in the fixed position over the sight block, which position enables to aim through it when the weapon are in the “bullpup” position or through the rear sight of the sight block (6) when the classic system of the weapon is used, without interfering with each other. In order to put the aperture sight (15) into the inactivated state, the ends of the staple (49) are pressed until they are disengaged from the grooves (57, 57′) in the protrusions (59) of the washers (51, 51′) (
The rotatable post of the additional foresight (16) (
The staple (69) is made of spring steel, and its ends are not parallel to each other in the free state, but form an angle (
An additional foresight (70) is fixed to the side of the staple (69) with the use of a bracket (71).
The ends of the staple (69) are provided with holes (72) corresponding to the diameter of the pin (60). Cross-shaped grooves (73, 73′) are made on the external surface of the ends of the staple (69), around the holes (72), the dimensions of the grooves coincide with the dimensions of the protrusions (68) of the locking washers (66, 66′), thus forming a tooth coupling.
The procedure of assembling and turning the rotatable post of the additional foresight (16) is similar to the assembly and turns to a necessary position of the aperture sight (15). The bracket (71) of the additional foresight (
For the purpose of improving the comfort of using the weapon according to the “bullpup” system, the weapon is also provided with a rubber shock absorber (80) (
The cover (81) (
The gas shield (82) (
In order to mount the gas shield (82) onto the lid (12), it is put with its holes (91) onto the T-shaped rivets (89), so as it covers the lid (12) from above, then the clamping plate (88) is put with its pear-shaped holes (90) onto the rivets (89), and the plate is moved to the right along the guides of the holes (90), simultaneously slightly raising the hitch (93) by the support (92) until the hitch comes into the slot (94) of the lid (12).
As a result, the gas shield is securely locked on the lid. In order to change the gas shield, the above operations are carried out in the reverse order.
During shooting, empty cases, which are discharged through the breech window, toss up the free end of the gas shield (82), it deforms, thus making the way for a discharged case, and returns back due to elasticity of the film material. This throws away gases from the cartridge chamber and discharged empty cases in the right-downward direction, which improves comfort of shooting in the “bullpup” position. Further, the gas shield helps to lower dirt accumulation in the cartridge chamber when shooting in dusty conditions. According to the first embodiment, the automatic weapon with the combined trigger works as follows: all the additional devices are in the inactivated state in the transportation position. Meanwhile, the weapon is in the “classic” state with the butt folded and allows to shoot with the use of hands to short distances.
In order to put the weapon into the firing state with the unfolded butt, the latter is unfolded and locked in the firing position. The weapon system turns out to be in “classic” firing state, allowing to aim and shoot with the butt and the standard sight and provides for using the butt during a hand-to-hand fight. In this state a magazine may be changed by one hand, by pressing with a finger of the other hand, which grips the handle (2), on projecting edges (47) or (47′) of the rotatable pad (14) of the magazine catch (5). The magazine may be changed by one hand in the transportation position also.
Shooting in the “classic” version is as usual, the butt rests against the shoulder. In order to put the weapon in the “bullpup” position, it is necessary, when the butt is unfolded, to press by the right hand on the head (37) of the retainer (20). After being released, the fork (17), rotates, under the action of the spring (32), perpendicularly to the left side of the butt, meanwhile pushing the draw bar (18) and the additional trigger (19). The trigger (19), while interacting with the stop (42), comes out of the hole (21) and goes to the groove (23), raising over the side surface of the butt by 1.5-2.5 centimeters.
When installing the butt into the transportation position, the groove (38) of the fork (17) engages the main trigger (3), and the additional trigger (19) is installed ahead of the magazine (10) at a distance app. 2 centimeters.
At the same time, when folding the butt (9), the rubber shock absorber (80) is pulled over the back plate of the breech (1) and the butt hinge between the butt plates (85) and (86).
In order to activate the aperture sight, the ends of the staple (49) of the aperture sight (15) (
In order to activate the rotatable post of the additional foresight (16), similarly to the aperture sight, the ends of the staple (69) are pressed, thus disengaging the grooves (73) from the protrusions (68) of the locking washers (66, 66′). The staple (69) is rotated on the cylindrical portion of the pin (60) by 90° until coupling teeth are engaged. As a result, the rotatable post (16) is firmly locked in the vertical position.
Meanwhile, the additional foresight (70) is installed in parallel with the elevation of the aperture sight, corresponding to the minimum distance, namely, 100 meters.
In order to adjust the foresight, its position is changed by changing the bend deformation (76) of the bracket (71) with the use of the knockout bar (79), after inserting its end into the hole (78) of the adjuster (79).
Activation of the additional devices from the “classic” system to the “bullpup” system takes 6-10 seconds.
In order to shoot from the “bullpup” position, a rifleman loads the weapon, takes the weapon by his right hand by the magazine, while resting the external surface of the hand between the thumb and the index finger against the pad (14) of the magazine catch. Now, the pad (14) rotates into the horizontal position parallel to the surface of contact with the rifleman's hand, thus ensuring comfort grip of the weapon by the magazine.
The rifleman holds the weapon by his left hand by the forearm (11), and rests his cheek against the cover (81). The rifleman's eye is now fixed on the optical axis between the aperture sight (50) and the foresight (70).
The back plate of the breech rests against the shoulder through the shock absorber (80). Now, the axis of the barrel (7) is in the middle of the shoulder rest.
The rifleman presses the additional trigger (19) with the index finger of the right hand. The force of the finger is transmitted to the main trigger (3) via the draw bar (18) and the fork (17), and the main trigger releases the weapon cock. A shot occurs.
During shooting, empty cases, which are discharged through the breech window, toss up the free end of the gas shield (82). It deforms, thus making the way for a discharged case, and returns back due to elasticity of the film material. This throws away gases from the cartridge chamber and discharged empty cases in the right-downward direction, which improves comfort of shooting in the “bullpup” position.
Shots in the “bullpup” system are fired in this position.
In order to put the additional devices into the inactivated position, the operations are performed in the reverse order.
According to the second embodiment, an additional trigger (95) (
When the lever (98) is mounted within the cavity of the breech (1), the post (97) enters a sector opening (112) cut in the lower portion of the breech with the center on the pin axis (99). The draw bar (105) is passed along the left-side wall within the breech, and its second end (113) is inserted into an additional hole (114) of the main trigger (3).
A staple (115) serves as the staple against accidentally pulling the additional trigger (95). The staple (115) is formed by two bent plates (116, 117) hingedly connected by a pin (118) and moved apart by an angle of 90°-100° by a spring (119).
The end (120) of the plate (116) is inserted between the front lower surface of the breech (1) and the complementary portion of the forearm (11) into a groove (121). The plate (116) has U-shaped section and is provided with a stop (122) at its end having the pin (118), which stop limits rotation of the plate (117) on the pin (118). The plate (117) has the possibility of deflecting toward the lower surface of the breech (1). When the weapon is provided with an under-barrel grenade launcher (123), the staple (115) is removed from the weapon beforehand. In such a case the additional trigger (95) is moved to the horizontal position.
According to the second embodiment, the device works as follows:
In order to transfer the automatic weapon into the “bullpup” position, the butt (9) is folded into the transportation position, the shock absorber (80) is pulled over the back plate of the breech, and the sighting devices are activated (see the first embodiment). The additional trigger (95) is put from the horizontal position to the vertical position when the weapon safety catch is activated. Then the safety catch is inactivated, the weapon is cocked, and, while gripping the weapon by the right hand by the magazine, resting the shock absorber against the shoulder, and gripping the forearm by the left hand, the rifleman can aim and fire a shot by pressing the additional trigger with his index finger of the right hand.
When the additional trigger (95) is pulled, the lever (98) rotates in the sector opening (112) on the pin (99), thus pulling the draw bar (105) by the end (104) toward the forearm. The draw bar (105) rotates the trigger (3) with the end (113) secured in the hole (114) of the trigger (3), thus releasing the cock (124) of the weapon. A shot is fired. After the additional trigger (95) is released, it is returned by the lever (98) to the initial position in the sector opening (112) under the action of the main spring of the main trigger (3).
In order to fold the additional trigger (95) into the inactivated horizontal position, the rifleman presses on its back portion, the retainer (108) leaves the depression (106); the trigger rotates forward on the pin (96) to the horizontal position and is fixed by the retainer (108) in the depression (107). Before mounting an under-barrel grenade launcher onto the automatic weapon, the trigger (95) must be put into the horizontal position. The trigger can be moved into the vertical position after activation of the weapon safety catch.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2012109555 | Mar 2012 | RU | national |
This application is a continuation of PCT Patent Application No. PCT/RU2012/000571 having International Filing Date of Oct. 25, 2012, which claims the benefit of priority of Russian Patent Application No. 2012109555 filed on Mar. 13, 2012. The contents of the above applications are all incorporated herein by reference as if fully set forth herein in their entirety.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
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4735007 | Gal | Apr 1988 | A |
20030116008 | Koursakoff | Jun 2003 | A1 |
20040226213 | Woodbury | Nov 2004 | A1 |
20060242880 | Griffin | Nov 2006 | A1 |
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000020 | Dec 1997 | EA |
200501637 | Oct 2006 | EA |
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20150267977 A1 | Sep 2015 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | PCT/RU2012/000571 | Oct 2012 | US |
Child | 14485730 | US |