Patent Application
20100281693
The invention relates to use of a bayonet knife typically used with military rifles.
One of the basic attributes of a fighting knife is a proper guard, which serves multiple purposes. Examples are that the guard provides an adequate rest for the thumb and serves to protect the thumb and hand against uncommon slashes.
Military style bayonet knives typically have a large hole instead of a forward guard. This configuration does not provide an adequate guard. When used in a forward grip position, the thumb slides into the barrel attachment (hole), wherein the barrel attachment does not provide protection or a platform for the thumb to thrust. The thumb is also exposed to slashes and counter-slashes.
What is needed is an easily insertable and removable plug fitted to the barrel attachment hole to transform the bayonet knife into an efficient fighting knife that a Marine or Army soldier can use which further provides for the protection afforded by standard fighting knife guards.
When used as a fighting hand-held knife, the plug can be inserted into the barrel attachment hole from the handle side and if the bayonet needs to be placed back on the rifle, the plug can be taken out of the hole from the knife blade side of the barrel attachment. If the plug is inserted by a compressed fit because of flexible rubberized or elastomeric material used, it is also easy to pop it out when the knife is to be reattached to the associated rifle for use as a rifle bayonet.
In the accompanying drawings:
Referring now to the drawings,
The plug 10 is formed to fit within a barrel attachment hole 12 of a rifle bayonet knife 14. It is sized to be inserted within the barrel attachment hole 12 and to maintain its position within the barrel attachment hole 12 while the rifle bayonet knife 14 is used as a hand-held fighting knife. It is easily insertable by snapping the plug 10 within the hole 12. The flexible material from which the plug 10 is made (described below) facilitates a compressed friction fit within the hole 10. The plug 10 can further be removed by popping it out from the opposite side from which it was inserted. The military style rifle to which a bayonet would be typically attached is not shown in the drawings as it is understood that the barrel of such a rifle inserted within the barrel attachment hole 12 when the bayonet 14 is attached to the rifle itself.
The plug 10 is generally round and has a first portion 10a that has a first portion diameter sized to be larger than a hole diameter of said barrel attachment hole 12. This diameter typically runs between 1 inch and 1 ⅞ inches, depending on the bayonet model. The first portion 10a is typically made from a generally rigid material which engages in a face to face relationship with an outer surface of the barrel attachment perimeter surface 16a. The first portion 10a preferably has a roughened or slip resistant surface 10d upon which the end of the user's thumb can engage. As shown in FIG. by way of example only, this can be provided with a knurled pattern or similar pattern.
The plug 10 further has a second portion 10c spaced-apart from the first portion 10a and an intermediate portion 10b. The intermediate portion 10b is integral on one side to the first portion 10a and integral on the opposite side to the second portion 10c. The second portion 10c is made from a flexible material and has a second portion diameter sized to be slightly larger than the hole diameter of said barrel attachment hole 12. The slightly larger diameter will keep the plug 10 engaged within the barrel attachment hole 12 so that it will not fall out after its insertion. The intermediate portion 10b typically has a thickness approximating that of a depth 16b of the barrel attachment hole 12 and a diameter sized to fit within barrel attachment hole 12.
The first portion 10a can be made from a variety of materials such as plastic material, polymeric material, hard rubber material or even metal material. Preferably, the intermediate portion 10b and the second portion 10c can be made from a flexible elastomeric material. However, the intermediate portion 10b certainly can be made from a variety of material as well such as plastic material, polymeric material, hard rubber material, flexible elastomeric material or even metal material. It is understood that the second portion 10c should be made from a rubberized or otherwise elastomer material to facilitate the plug's insertion and popping out of the barrel attachment hole 12.
It should be understood that the preceding is merely a detailed description of one or more embodiments of this invention and that numerous changes to the disclosed embodiments can be made in accordance with the disclosure herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The preceding description, therefore, is not meant to limit the scope of the invention. Rather, the scope of the invention is to be determined only by the appended claims and their equivalents.
