Patent Application
20140109454
Not Applicable.
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Not Applicable
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of weapons. More specifically, the invention comprises a duplex weapon system having the ability to initially fire a non-lethal projectile and then a lethal projectile.
2. Description of the Related Art
Small arms such as pistols, rifles, and shotguns have been used by law enforcement and military personnel for well over a century. These traditional weapons inflict potentially life threatening injuries when they are used. While they are highly effective, they present the law enforcement officer with an “all or nothing” decision. If the officer uses a sidearm, for example, serious injury or death will likely result. In many circumstances the officer is facing a belligerent suspect that needs to be subdued. However, the suspect may not present an immediate threat to the safety of the officer or others. In this situation, a less forceful approach is desirable.
Many “non-lethal” alternatives have been developed in recent years. One example is the use of conventional centerfire small arms cartridges employing rubber bullets. These projectiles cause a painful impact that will often deter a subject, but they are unlikely to kill the subject.
Shotgun-fired “bean bags” are another non-lethal option. These projectiles contain a relatively high mass in a soft container. They are generally incapable of penetration, and instead deliver a sharp impulse to a suspect's body. The idea is to take the suspect off his feet.
The latest widespread non-lethal alternative is the TASER electroshock weapon marketed by TASER International, Inc. of Scottsdale, Ariz., U.S.A. The TASER weapon fires a pair of darts that penetrate a suspect's skin. Each dart is connected back to the handheld firing unit by a trailing wire. The firing unit sends pulses of high-voltage electricity through the two wires. An electrical current is then forced to flow through the suspect's body, thereby causing temporary incapacitation.
The TASER is quite effective in its intended role. However, it also includes a significant drawback: The TASER is strictly non-lethal. If a subject is hit by the TASER and then continues an assault on the officer, the officer must abandon the TASER and quickly switch to a conventional sidearm. And, because the TASER firing unit physically resembles a conventional sidearm, confusion can occur.
Police officers are trained in the handling of sidearms and TASERs, and this training is intended in part to ensure that the officer draws the correct weapon. For a right-handed officer, the sidearm is conventionally carried on the right hip. The TASER is then carried in a supplemental holster on the left hip. The officer undergoes repeated firing training so that he or she instinctively grabs the correct device. However, even with such training, errors have occurred. Under the adrenaline rush of actual combat, officers have pulled the sidearm and fired in the mistaken belief that they were deploying the TASER.
It would therefore be preferable to provide a single weapon that can deliver non-lethal and lethal projectiles. It would also be desirable to provide a single weapon that transitions from the non-lethal to the lethal mode automatically. The present invention provides such a weapon.
The present invention comprises a duplex weapon system that is capable of firing a high-mass/low-velocity (“HMLV”) projectile followed by a conventional projectile such as a bullet. A barrel adapter is aligned with the bore of the barrel of a conventional firearm. The barrel adapter includes an adapter bore running completely through its length, with the adapter bore terminating in an exit in the forward portion of the barrel adapter.
The HMLV projectile is slidably attached to the exterior of the barrel adapter. The HMLV projectile includes a launch tube that covers the exit of the barrel adapter. When a first cartridge is fired by the firearm, expanding propellant gas rushes down the adapter bore and out the exit of the barrel adapter. The expanding gas forces the launch tube and the attached HMLV projectile away from the barrel adapter. The HMLV projectile then flies toward a target. The firearm cycles normally and the next cartridge is loaded in the firing chamber. If the user then fires the weapon again, a conventional bullet is sent down the barrel bore and toward the target.
The HMLV projectile provides a non-lethal impact force that takes a subject off his feet. If the subject is at that point subdued, the officer need take no further action. However, if the subject regains his feet and advances toward the officer, then the next pull of the weapon's trigger delivers a lethal projectile.
Barrel extension 22 is preferably provided to facilitate the mounting of components needed in the present invention. Male thread 25 may be provided on the exterior of the barrel extension.
The prior art pistol shown fires the well known 9 mm Parabellum cartridge. The 9 mm bullet contained in the cartridge is an exemplary low-mass/high-velocity projectile. The muzzle velocity for the 9 mm Parabellum is generally in the range of 900 feet per second (“fps”) to 1300 fps (274 to 396 m/s). The bullet mass is about 0.016 pounds (0.007 Kg). The bullet diameter is 0.355 inches (9.02 mm).
The 9 mm bullet easily penetrates the human body and often causes extensive damage. While not all 9 mm bullet wounds are fatal, a wound to any significant portion of the body has the potential to be fatal. Thus, an officer firing a handgun such as illustrated in
Despite these facts, a bullet that strikes the human body in a location other than the central nervous system is not likely to be immediately fatal. For example, a wound through the lungs or abdomen may lake one or more hours to actually kill. While the gunshot victim will likely experience considerable pain, he may not be incapacitated. Many gunshot victims do fall to the ground, but this is thought to be the result of the victim's knowledge that the wound can be fatal and his desire to minimize further injury. A gunshot victim who does not possess this knowledge—or a person in a deranged mental state—may not react this way at all.
The U.S. Army became aware of this problem during the Moro Insurrection of the early 20th Century (know sometimes referred to as the Philippine-American War). During this conflict the standard U.S. Army sidearm chambered the 0.38 Long Colt cartridge. Several Moro warriors were shot through the chest with this weapon, yet continued forward and killed the soldier firing the weapon. The wounds to the Moro warrior were invariably fatal, but the failure of the 0.38 Long Colt to quickly disable the warrior was correctly perceived as a problem.
In studying this situation, the U.S. Army concluded that the Moro warriors had no knowledge of the effect of a gunshot wound and—since they were still physically able to press the attack for a few more seconds—they did so. The result was the U.S. Army's adoption of a higher mass projectile.
Modern law enforcement officers do not encounter Moro warriors. However, they sometimes face a similar hazard when dealing with a subject who is not in control of his own mental state. Drug addiction and severe mental illness sometimes produce a similar disregard for the effect of a gunshot wound.
The solution to these problems is to provide a weapon having the ability to knock a subject off his feet. Such weapons generally fire a high-mass/low-velocity projectile. While there is no standard definition of such a projectile, a mass that is greater than 0.15 pounds (0.07 Kg) and a velocity in the range of 30 fps to about 500 fps (12-152 m/s) may generally be considered a high-mass/low-velocity projectile. Such a weapon fires a large and preferably blunt projectile. This strikes the individual—preferably in the torso—and the transfer of momentum takes the individual to the ground.
High-mass/low-velocity weapons are an attractive alternative to the use of a pistol such as that shown in
The invention has two main components—a barrel adapter that attaches to the prior art firearm and a specialized high-mass/low-velocity projectile.
In this example the external surface of the barrel adapter assumes the shape of a cylinder, but this need not always be the case. The external surface could be square, triangular, or any suitable shape that provides a sliding fit with the projectile. However, as those skilled in the art will know, cylindrical surfaces are particularly easy to fabricate and this therefore represents the preferred embodiment.
One or more sealing components are preferably provided on the exterior surface. In the embodiment of
The barrel adapter may be made of any suitable material and no particular material is crucial to the invention. As a first example, the barrel adapter may be made of aluminum. As a second example, the barrel adapter may be made of carbon fiber. As a third example, the barrel adapter may be made using a steel “liner” wrapped in composite material.
Firearm bore 40 has a central axis 46. Barrel adapter 24 includes adapter bore 42 that is aligned with central axis 46. This configuration ensures that a bullet exiting firearm bore 40 will travel safely through adapter bore 42 and out exit 44. It is preferable to make adapter bore 42 somewhat larger than firearm bore 40 in order to ensure adequate clearance for the bullet.
The reader will observe how the female thread in barrel receiver 38 threads onto male thread 25 on barrel 16. This threaded engagement ensures the desired alignment between firearm bore 40 and adapter bore 42.
If the user fires the weapon of
The details of the firing process may be visualized with reference to
A pistol is illustrated as the firearm in the duplex weapon system of
When fired from a pistol, the mass of projectile 48 may produce more recoil than some shooters can comfortably handle.
The firing and reloading mechanism of the firearm pushes the top cartridge forward and out of the magazine, in a manner that is well understood by those skilled in the art. A lift spring and follower contained in the magazine then urges the cartridge stack higher. Following the departure of blank cartridge 90 the uppermost conventional cartridge 92 will be fed into the firing chamber. The firearm then functions conventionally.
Projectile 48 includes body 72 and nose 74. The body is preferably made using a high density foam such as a polyurethane foam. Those skilled in the art will know that this type of material can be molded around other components in order to create a unified assembly. For example, launch tube 50 can be placed in the open mold and the polyurethane foam is then molded around it. If done properly, this creates a strong bond between the internal components and the body.
Nose 74 is preferably made of a hard rubber compound such as industrial urethane rubber. Of course, urethane rubber is a synthetic substance and is not natural rubber at all. Many different materials may be selected for the nose. However, it is preferably made harder than the balance of the body in order to deliver a sharper blow to the target. The rearward-facing surfaces of nose 74 may be provided with mechanical interlocking features so that it can be strongly attached to the polyurethane foam of body 72. An example of a mechanical interlocking feature is a barbed protrusion.
As explained previously, launch tube 50 includes a cylindrical inward facing surface configured to slide over the exterior surface of barrel adapter 24. The rearward extreme of the launch tube is open. The forward extreme is preferably closed, such as by bulkhead 73. A compressible bullet trap 71 is preferably provided in the vicinity of the forward portion of the launch tube, including actually inside the launch tube as shown.
The inclusion of the bullet trap is preferred, since it is always possible that a user will fire a conventional cartridge (including a bullet) while projectile 48 is mounted on barrel adapter 24. In that case the bullet would exit the barrel adapter and embed itself in the bullet trap. The transfer of the bullet's momentum would then launch projectile 48.
Some of the embodiments of projectile 48 are designed to be reusable and some are not. For the re-usable versions, the bullet trap will likely only be effective once. Thus, if it has received a bullet it is preferable to somehow indicate that fact. One approach is to embed a dye pack that ruptures when struck by a bullet. The dye pack will color the rear portion of the launch tube interior and will be apparent to the user.
For the versions that are not reusable, the use of a suitable bullet trap can eliminate the need to use a blank cartridge to fire the weapon. An actual bullet can be used as the firing mechanism. This greatly simplifies operation for the officer since he or she only needs to carry one type of ammunition.
The projectile embodiment shown in
One or more ports 80 may be provided to connect cavity 76 with the exterior of projectile 48. The outside of these ports may be covered by a port cover 82, or they may simply be left open. The reader will observe that cavity 76 is positioned between backing plate 78 and the rear of nose 74. Backing plate 78 is preferably a metal disk that is located directly in front of launch tube 50. The rear of nose 74 provides the other boundary. Thus, cavity 76 is positioned within crush zone 98.
When the projectile strikes a target, the mass of the components lying behind the crush zone propels these components forward against frangible bag 84. The frangible bag is then propelled against the relatively firm rearward-facing surface of nose 74. Frangible bag 84 ruptures and its contents are forcibly expelled through the port(s). If port covers are used, these are blown clear by the escaping chemical agent.
The inclusion of a chemical agent allows the officer another option. If a subject is not particularly dangerous but needs to be driven out of an area, the officer can aim the HMLV projectile of
If, on the other hand, the subject is advancing on the officer, the officer can aim the HMLV projectile at the subject's chest and gain the dual benefit of (1) knocking down the subject; and (2) likely incapacitating the subject with the chemical agent.
An HMLV projectile made according to the present invention can also be used to deliver a wide range of other payloads.
The two darts are slidably housed within launch tubes 124, 126. The two launch tubes are preferably located outside the perimeter of nose 74—which has a modified shape in this embodiment. When the projectile strikes a target, the two launch tubes are stopped by the target and momentum propels the positive and negative darts forward and into the subject. At the same time, a deceleration detector within stun controller 118 detects the impact and starts sending pulsed voltage to the positive and negative darts.
In most instances, projectile 102 will rebound away from the target but the darts will remain embedded in the target. Thus, a coil of conductor connects each dart back to the stun controller. This allows the stun controller to continue administering the electroshock for a suitable period.
Cover 116 provides an exit for flash/bang cartridge 108. When the projectile decelerates upon impacts striker 104 fires ejector cartridge 106 and blows the flash/bang cartridge free. The cartridge then detonates, created a bright flash and a loud bang. An integrated or separate smoke cartridge could also be provided.
In the embodiment of
It is preferable to provide a relatively large diameter for the HMLV projectile, with the preferred embodiments having a diameter of 2 to 5 inches. This allows the impact forces to be spread over a greater surface area on the subject's body and thereby reduces the chance of a serious injury. This enlarged diameter is not without its disadvantages, however. In looking at
In order to solve this concern, a separate laser sight may be provided in the projectile itself.
A solid barrel adapter 24 could be provided as a launching device. The leading end of the barrel adapter could then be provided with a pair of electrodes that come in contact with launching charge 132 when projectile 102 is placed on the barrel adapter. The barrel adapter in this version would not need to be connected to a firearm. In fact, the barrel adapter itself could include suitable gripping features (such as a hand grip and a butt stock) that would make it easy to hold.
The barrel adapter would include a battery and a switching circuit. The switching circuit would be used to energize the electrodes in contact with the launching charge—thereby firing the projectile. Of course, a conventional percussive detonator could also be used to fire the launching charge.
The illustrations of the invention have included the use of a firearm. While the ability to use the invention as part of an operating firearm is an advantage, the invention is by no means limited to use with firearms. Many other methods of launching the HMLV projectile are possible.
The barrel adapter could include an electrical firing device for igniting launching charge 132. The launching charge could also include an embedded percussive cap. A striker extending from the end of the barrel adapter could strike this percussive cap in order to mechanically detonate the launching charge and thereby launch the projectile.
A compressed gas could also be used to launch the HMLV projectile. Compressed gas technology is often used to launch projectiles from paint bail guns. In such an embodiment compressed gas could be selectively fed through a bore in the middle of barrel adapter 24. The expanding gas would then propel the projectile away from the barrel adapter. Again, there would be no need to involve a conventional firearm. The launcher would be a triggering device accepting compressed gas, preferably in the form of a replaceable cylinder.
Although the preceding description contains significant detail, it should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention but rather as providing illustrations of the preferred embodiments of the invention. Those skilled in the art will know that many other variations are possible without departing from the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the scope of the invention should properly be determined with respect to the following claims rather than the examples given.
