The present invention relates generally to reversible safety selectors, such as for use in AR type firearms. More specifically, the present invention discloses a dual lever and reversible safety selector, such as providing either of a standard 90° degree or short throw 60° degree movement between “safe” and “fire” positions.
A safety selector is commonly utilized in AR type firearms and operates by rotation of a lever 90 from a “safe” position to the “fire” position. In the “safe” position, an internal rotatable shaft of the selector blocks movement of a rearwardly extending portion of a trigger. When rotated to the “fire” position, any of a flat or recessed portion of the shaft is positioned over the rearwardly extending portion of the trigger member, thereby allowing actuating movement of the trigger, such as to fire a cartridge within the chamber.
Standard AR type firearms include a safety selector having a single actuation lever, typically located on the left side of the firearm receiver. The prior art also discloses ambidextrous safety selectors which attach a second actuation lever on an opposite end of the selector shaft to provide actuation from either side of the lower receiver. Such reversible selectors can be further adapted in alternate configurations to operate at both standard or regular throw (generally defined as a 90° rotation between safe and fire positions), as well as a reversible or short throw of less than the standard 90° angular throw.
With reference to the prior art view of
With further reference to the prior art cutaway perspective view of
The present invention discloses a dual lever ambidextrous and reversible safety selector switch for a firearm. The selector includes a central and pseudo-cylindrical shaped control shaft which is pivotally mountable in a lower receiver of such as an AR type firearm for selective rotation about a widthwise or transverse axis extending through the receiver.
The central shaft includes each of first and second arcuate slots configured along opposite ends. Each of the slots exhibit a seating detent located at each of opposite ends of the circumferential extending are and, depending upon the mounting configuration of the selector within the lower receiver, will permit a selected angular range of rotation (e.g. standard 90° degree throw in a first mounting configuration or a modified short throw rotatable only 60° in a second mounting configuration) at which a spring loaded detent pin in the lower receiver seats within one of the configured slots for displacement between the detents. The central shaft selector further includes an angular profile provided by a pair of angled faces or surfaces positioned between the arcuate ninety and sixty degree end slots and, depending upon the adjusted rotational position of the selector, will either obstruct or provide the necessary clearance for the rear extending portion of the trigger (not shown) for in turn actuating the disconnector and hammer components of the lower receiver trigger group in order to discharge a cartridge in the attached upper receiver of the AR style firearm.
A pair of control levers are provided for attaching to opposite ends of the central shaft shaped selector and so that either lever can be manipulated from either side of the lower receiver for actuating the selector. The opposite end faces of the central selector cylinder or drum each further exhibit a recessed and internal multi-sided profile, such as a diamond “pseudo slot” shape, with rounded corners which can further exhibit both of equal or unequal lengths. The attachable lever or levers (one can be integrated into the central shaft component) further includes a mating interior facing projection which, upon seating within the diamond shaped slot, receives an externally threaded screw for attachment to mating threads configured within aligning apertures defined in at least the central selector. As will be further described, the arrangement of the opposing multi-sided or diamond end projections and recesses can be reversed so that the projections extend from the ends of the cylinder and the seating recesses are configured into the opposing seating locations of the lever(s).
When the selector is installed in the lower receiver, the spring loaded detent pin in the receiver engages a selected one of the detent grooves to prevent rotation. In the first standard throw installed configuration, and upon exerting a specified force upon the lever to unseat the spring loaded pin from an end located detent in the first arcuate slot corresponding to the “safe” position, rotation of the shaft is permitted between “safe” and “fire” positions over ninety degrees of rotation. Alternatively, and when the selector is removed and re-installed in a reversed arrangement, the spring loaded pin seats within a corresponding end detent of the second arcuate slot, following which rotation of the selector is permitted over a reduced or short throw travel of sixty degrees, at which the spring loaded pin seats within a second end located detent.
Reference will now be made to the attached drawings, when read in combination with the following detailed description, wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views, and in which:
With reference to the attached illustrations, the present invention discloses a safety selector for AR type firearms that is reversible between a first configuration in which it provides an approximately ninety degree rotational switch between “safe” and “fire” positions, and a second orientation in which the same device will provide an approximately sixty degree selection between “safe” and “fire” positions. Without limitation “AR” type firearms are interpreted to include variants of the AR15 and AR10-platform firearms, whether in a rifle or pistol configuration and without respect to what other accessories or features may be included on or in the firearm.
Referring initially to
Without limitation, the levers 14/16 can be secured to the opposite ends of the central component 12 utilizing screws 18/20 which mount through aligning apertures established between the pivotally supported head portion of the lever (see aperture 22 of lever 14 in
Referring to each of
Each of the slots 30 and 32 exhibits a seating detent located at each of opposite ends of the circumferential extending arc (see as best depicted in succeeding
The central shaft selector further includes an angular profile provided by a pair of angled faces 38/40 or surfaces positioned between the arcuate ninety (32) and sixty (30) degree end slots and, depending upon the adjusted rotational position of the selector, will either obstruct or provide the necessary clearance for the rear extending portion of the trigger (see again at 6 in
With reference to each of
The widths of the respective pairs 46 and 48 of opposing walls can be the same in order to define such as a generally pseudo diamond shaped profile. Alternatively, the widths of the respective walls 46/48 in other embodiments can be envisioned to vary incrementally and so as to cover other profiles not limited to a pseudo-trapezoidal shape and, again, having at least a pair of the corners with acute angles.
The widths of the parallel walls are again, in a non-limiting embodiment, depicted as being equal. The opposing inner projection of the lever 14 (see again pseudo diamond shaped outline 26 in
Additional variants envision reversing the arraignment of the recessed ends 42/44 in the central rotatable component 12 and the opposing seating inner profile of the outer levers 14/16, and so that the diamond shaped end recesses 42/44 are inverted and project outwardly from the opposite end faces of the central component 12. In this arrangement, the pseudo diamond shaped projecting outline 26 configured upon the inner face of the lever 14/16 can be likewise reversed so that it is recessed into the inside surface of the lever 14. It is further understood that the thickness of the lever can further be varied from that shown according to the dimensional requirements for supporting the levers in end secured fashion against the central element in either of the one hundred degree eighty degree offset arrangements and during installation of the associated mounting screw.
Accordingly, and as previously described, the selector 10 is installed in the lower receiver so that the spring loaded detent pin in the receiver engages a selected one of the detent grooves or slots 30 or 32 to prevent rotation. In the first standard throw installed configuration, and upon exerting a specified force upon the lever to unseat the spring loaded pin from an end located detent in the first arcuate slot (see again by example end located detent recesses 34/36 associated with selected groove or slot 30) corresponding to the “safe” position, rotation of the shaft is permitted between “safe” and “fire” positions over a given range of rotation, at which, and upon the receiver mounted spring pin engaging the opposite end located detent pin configured within the given slot. Upon the selector being removed and re-installed in a reversed arrangement within the receiver, the spring loaded pin seats within a corresponding end detent of the other arcuate slot, following which rotation of the selector is permitted over either of a standard or reduced travel, at which the spring loaded pin seats within a second end located detent.
Referring now to
The smaller/thinner lever 52 otherwise includes a similar pattern to that shown in the lever 14 of
Other envisioned variants include presenting a modified ambi-selector in which one of the levers 14/16 is formed in one piece with the central rotatable element 12 (this is depicted in reference to
Additional variants can also include configuring either of mating diamond shaped recesses or projections into the opposing surfaces of the lever and central component as previously described. This is best shown in
Having described my invention, other and additional preferred embodiments will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which it pertains, and without deviating from the scope of the appended claims. The detailed description and drawings are further understood to be supportive of the disclosure, the scope of which being defined by the claims. While some of the best modes and other embodiments for carrying out the claimed teachings have been described in detail, various alternative designs and embodiments exist for practicing the disclosure defined in the appended claims.
The foregoing disclosure is further understood as not intended to limit the present disclosure to the precise forms or particular fields of use disclosed. As such, it is contemplated that various alternate embodiments and/or modifications to the present disclosure, whether explicitly described or implied herein, are possible in light of the disclosure. Having thus described embodiments of the present disclosure, a person of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that changes may be made in form and detail without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Thus, the present disclosure is limited only by the claims.
In the foregoing specification, the disclosure has been described with reference to specific embodiments. However, as one skilled in the art will appreciate, various embodiments disclosed herein can be modified or otherwise implemented in various other ways without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure. Accordingly, this description is to be considered as illustrative and is for the purpose of teaching those skilled in the art the manner of making and using various embodiments of the disclosure. It is to be understood that the forms of disclosure herein shown and described are to be taken as representative embodiments. Equivalent elements, materials, processes or steps may be substituted for those representatively illustrated and described herein. Moreover, certain features of the disclosure may be utilized independently of the use of other features, all as would be apparent to one skilled in the art after having the benefit of this description of the disclosure. Expressions such as “including”, “comprising”, “incorporating”, “consisting of”, “have”, “is” used to describe and claim the present disclosure are intended to be construed in a non-exclusive manner, namely allowing for items, components or elements not explicitly described also to be present. Reference to the singular is also to be construed to relate to the plural.
Further, various embodiments disclosed herein are to be taken in the illustrative and explanatory sense, and should in no way be construed as limiting of the present disclosure. All joinder references (e.g., attached, affixed, coupled, connected, and the like) are only used to aid the reader's understanding of the present disclosure, and may not create limitations, particularly as to the position, orientation, or use of the systems and/or methods disclosed herein. Therefore, joinder references, if any, are to be construed broadly. Moreover, such joinder references do not necessarily infer that two elements are directly connected to each other.
Additionally, all numerical terms, such as, but not limited to, “first”, “second”, “third”, “primary”, “secondary”, “main” or any other ordinary and/or numerical terms, should also be taken only as identifiers, to assist the reader's understanding of the various elements, embodiments, variations and/or modifications of the present disclosure, and may not create any limitations, particularly as to the order, or preference, of any element, embodiment, variation and/or modification relative to, or over, another element, embodiment, variation and/or modification.
It will also be appreciated that one or more of the elements depicted in the drawings/figures can also be implemented in a more separated or integrated manner, or even removed or rendered as inoperable in certain cases, as is useful in accordance with a particular application. Additionally, any signal hatches in the drawings/figures should be considered only as exemplary, and not limiting, unless otherwise specifically specified.
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