The present inventions relates to sound suppressors, and more particularly to sound and flash suppressors for firearms.
It is generally known to utilize sound and flash suppressors with firearms to diminish both noise and barrel flash when the weapon is fired. This provides the benefits of hearing and eye protection and may allow the person firing the weapon to avoid detection while firing. A significant number of firearm noise suppressor devices and flash suppressor devices, generally and jointly referred to as suppressors herein, have been developed over the years for use with firearms such as rifles and handguns. In most cases, the suppressors are attached to the barrel of a firearm, by threads for example. In some cases suppressors are constructed integrally with a firearm barrel so as to be a permanent component of the firearm.
Typically, a suppressor comprises an elongate tubular body that attaches in any suitable manner to a firearm barrel and permits passage of a projectile from the bore of a firearm barrel and through the tubular body of the suppressor. To facilitate noise and flash suppression, a number of internal baffles are typically positioned along the length of the body to create several internal chambers within the body. In various different suppressors, the baffles are stacked in the tube, provided as part of a mono- baffle assembly inserted into the tube, or welding baffles together to form a unitary baffle weldment without a separate tube.
The baffle partitions are typically spaced apart and have central openings in each baffle partition for projectile passage. The chambers that are defined between the internal baffles cause the discharge gas from the firearm to progress in serial fashion through each of the chambers. The baffles are designed to reflect discharge gas and slow the expansion and progress of gas through the suppressor and increase the dwell time reduing the noise of the gas being exhausted from the suppressor. In general, discharge gas emitted from the bore of the firearm barrel enters the larger volume of the internal chambers of the tubular body and progresses from chamber to chamber, with the gas expanding and its pressure being diminished within each successive chamber thereby reducing the rapid expansion and discharge of gas which normally creates the loud bang we associate with gun fire.
Known suppressors, however, suffer from multiple drawbacks, including cost of and time required for manufacture, inefficiency in cooling discharge gas, inability to or too difficult to clean, and creating smooth or laminar gas flow through the suppressor. Further, each firearm, even of the same make and caliber, is somewhat unique, and the operational features of firearms also change depending on the features of ammunition, such as load. Known suppressors provide no way to optimize a suppressor to multiple firearms or for different ammunition. Accordingly, it is desirable to provide an enhanced suppressor with improved operation, and it is desirable to provide an optimizable suppressor.
There is, therefore, provided in the practice of the invention an improved suppressor having a suppressor body with at least one baffle movably positionable in the suppressor body.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, the suppressor body is internally threaded and the baffle has outer threads. The baffle is threaded into the suppressor body to a desired location to create interior chambers in the suppressor body.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the location of the baffle is moved to another location to optimize the suppressor for operational parameters of a noise generating item such as a firearm. In other aspects of the invention, each of a plurality of baffles are threaded into the suppressor body each being movably positioned at desired locations, which may be adjusted to optimize the suppressor. In one aspect of the invention, a discharge-end cap is fitted on a discharge end of the suppressor body.
In accordance with a further aspect of the present invention, the discharge-end cap and baffles are removable for cleaning and optimization. In one aspect the baffles comprise thread gaps operable to scrape off and collect carbon build up as the baffles are threaded out of the suppressor body thereby cleaning the inner threaded surface of the suppressor body.
In accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention, a baffle tool engages the baffle to rotate the baffle thereby positioning the baffle at a desired location in the suppressor body.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved suppressor, improved method of optimizing a suppressor, improved method of cleaning a suppressor, and an improved tool for optimizing and cleaning a suppressor. There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, certain embodiments of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof herein may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional embodiments of the invention that will be described below and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of embodiments in addition to those described and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein, as well as the abstract, are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception upon which this disclosure is based may readily be utilized as a basis for designing other structures, methods, and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Though some features of the invention may be claimed in dependency, each feature has merit when used independently.
The invention will now be described with reference to the drawing figures, in which like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout. Referring to
With continued reference to
The muzzle end 28 is configured for attachment to the muzzle of a gun (not shown) or other output from another sound generating item. In the embodiment shown, the muzzle end 28 utilizes muzzle threads 34 to thread onto a gun barrel and is removable for use on another gun. If desired, other attachment mechanisms, bayonet fitting, etc. could be used to attach the muzzle to the end of the gun barrel. Also, the suppressor body 22 could be formed integral to the gun barrel, and alternatively, it could be permanently fixed to the gun barrel.
The inner surface 26 of the suppressor body 22 includes an inner threaded surface 32 also referred to as suppressor chamber thread. The chamber thread 32 is a mono-thread in one embodiment but multiple threads are used in others. The chamber thread 32 extends over substantially the entire length of the suppressor body 22 starting at the discharge-end and extending to near the muzzle end 28. In one embodiment, the chamber thread 32 extends over more than 50% of the length of the overall suppression chamber. The overall suppression chamber (illustrated by arrow 36A as it is in common with a large portion of the interior passageway 36) extends from the muzzle shoulder 40 to the discharge-end. In another embodiment, the chamber thread 32 extends over approximately 75% of the length of the overall suppression chamber 36A, and in still another embodiment, the chamber thread 32 extends over approximately 80% of the overall suppression chamber 36A. The arrowed lines 36 and 36A also illustrate the central axis of the suppressor body 22. While embodiments could extend the chamber thread up to the muzzle shoulder 40, there is generally no need to make the first internal chamber so small, so the threads stop at about 80% of the length of the overall suppression chamber.
The chamber thread is a course thread, in one embodiment having a pitch of 16 or less threads per inch. In one embodiment the pitch is 12 threads per inch; in another the pitch is 10 threads per inch or less, and in still another embodiment the pitch is 8 threads per inch. The course threads provide a high interior surface area compared to a smooth wall, and thus, are more efficient at heat transfer out of the internal chambers 38 making the suppressor more efficient and less subject to overheating. This more efficient and rapid heat transfer also increases the cooling rate of the exhaust gas enhancing the sound suppression. Further, the course thread creates more turbulent flow along the interior surface 26 of the suppressor body 22, reducing laminar flow, slowing gas exhaust, and again enhancing the sound suppression of the invention. Alternate embodiments also incorporate fine threads on the suppressor interior.
To achieve the beneficial heat transfer and turbulent flow of this aspect of the invention, an alternate embodiment uses course annular ridges with 16 or less ridges per inch. The annular ridges can be utilized in other suppressor configurations with stacked baffles and mono baffle configurations. While this embodiment provides the gas cooling and turbulent gas flow benefits to enhance sound suppression, the threaded embodiment provides the additional benefits of inexpensive and fast manufacturing as well as the ability to optimize the suppressor.
Referring to
The muzzle facing or inlet side 58 of the baffle 50 is illustrated in
The discharge-end facing side or discharge surface 62 is generally flat for ease of manufacture, and includes a plurality of holes 64 for engaging with the baffle tool 80. The holes face away from the gas flow and thus away from the muzzle end 28 of the suppressor body 22.
In a preferred embodiment the threads are a loose fit to reduce or inhibit galling between the chamber thread surfaces 32 and baffle thread surfaces 52. To direct the discharge gases through the central passageway 54, the valley portions of the threads are made deeper, so that the peek portions of the threads extend deep into the valley of the mating threads creating a barrier around the outside of the baffle, inhibiting gas flow around the outside of the baffle; thus inhibiting discharge gas flow between the suppressor body and the baffle. In the embodiment shown, the valley portions of the threads on the baffle extend through the thread gaps 56 adjacent the muzzle surface 60 to maintain the gas flow inhibiting barrier around the outer circumference of the baffle 50. In one embodiment, the thread gaps, defined in the outer threads of the baffle, have a first depth adjacent the muzzle surface of the baffles. The first depth is shallow enough that valleys of the outer baffle threads extend through the thread gaps. The thread gaps also have a second depth extending deeper into the baffle creating additional volume for collecting debris during cleaning. Thus, the thread gaps deepen as they extend toward the discharge side 62 to provide additional volume 51 for cleaning carbon deposits from the interior threads of the suppressor.
In one embodiment, the first two threads closest to the muzzle side 60 have their valley portions extending across the thread gaps, so that there are at least two circumferential discharge gas barriers around the outside of the baffle. In the alternate embodiment of
In one embodiment, referring again to
Referring additionally to
Referring again to
Referring to
To assist with the location of the baffles 50, the baffle tool 80 (referring again to
After a weapon has been fired multiple times debris including carbon deposits build up in the suppressor on the baffles (50) and on the interior surface 26 including the interior threads 32. Firing the weapon even once is enough to deposit sufficient debris to hold the baffles in place during repeated firing. To clean the suppressor 20, insert the baffle prongs 82 into the cap tool holes 112, and rotate the tool 80 and cap 100 to remove it from the suppressor body 22 internal thread surface 32. Thereafter, the baffle tool 80 is used to threadably remove each baffle 50, and as each baffle is removed, the thread gaps 56 allow the remaining thread leading edge to scrape debris out of the interior threaded surface 32. The debris is collected in the thread gaps 56 and discarded once the baffle 50 is removed from the suppressor body 20. To further clean the interior surface 26 of the suppressor, a baffle is repeatedly threaded into and out of the suppressor body 22.
Referring to
The muzzle facing or inlet side 58B of the baffle 50B′ is illustrated in 3A. The muzzle facing side or muzzle surface 58B of the baffle has a concave arc 60B to it, which enhances sound suppression by creating a turbulent spiral or rolling flow of the gas as opposed to simply impacting a flat wall.
The discharge-end facing side or discharge surface 62B (
To assist with the location of the baffles 50B′, the baffle tool 80B (referring again to
Although an example of the suppressor 20 is shown using a threaded inner surface with threaded baffles, it will be appreciated that other location engagement mechanisms are used in alternate embodiments. For example, a bayonet arrangement is employed with outer surface tabs of the baffles sliding through longitudinal channels on the suppressor body inner surface until the baffle reaches the desired location. Then the baffle tool and baffle are rotated moving the baffle tabs into annular bayonet slots to locate the baffle. Also, although the suppressor is useful to suppress sound and barrel flash in the firearms industry, it can also be used to suppress sound in other applications such as vehicle exhaust. From the above description of embodiments of the invention, those skilled in the art will perceive improvements, changes and modifications. Such improvements, changes and modifications within the skill of the art are intended to be covered by the appended claims.
The many features and advantages of the invention are apparent from the detailed specification, and thus, it is intended by the appended claims to cover all such features and advantages of the invention which fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and variations will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation illustrated and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.
Suppressor has an Interior Surface Contour to create turbulence in the discharge gas. A suppressor comprising an elongated body with an outer surface and an inner surface; the body includes a muzzle end for attachment to a firearm, a discharge end opposite the muzzle end, and the body defines an interior passageway to transmit a projectile; the inner surface includes a plurality of generally annular ridges operable to create turbulent flow of discharge gases from the firearm.
A suppressor comprising an elongated body with an outer surface and an inner surface; the body includes a muzzle end for attachment to a firearm, a discharge end opposite the muzzle end, and the body defines an interior passageway to transmit a projectile; the inner surface includes an inner threaded surface; a plurality of baffles having an outer baffle thread threadably engaged in the inner threaded surface, and the baffles including cleaning thread gaps defined in the baffle thread, the thread gaps operable to scrape debris from the inner threaded surface and collect the debris for removal from the suppressor.
As required, detailed aspects of the disclosed subject matter are disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed aspects are merely exemplary of the disclosed subject matter, which may be embodied in various forms. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art how to variously employ the disclosed technology in virtually any appropriately detailed structure.
Certain terminology will be used in the following description, and are shown in the drawings, and will not be limiting. For example, up, down, front, back, right and left refer to the disclosed subject matter as orientated in the view being referred to. The words, “inwardly” and “outwardly” refer to directions toward and away from, respectively, the geometric center of the aspect being described and designated parts thereof Forwardly and rearwardly are generally in reference to the direction of travel, if appropriate. Said terminology will include the words specifically mentioned, derivatives thereof and words of similar meaning.
Although the invention has been disclosed with reference to various particular embodiments, it is understood that equivalents may be employed and substitutions made herein without departing from the scope of the invention as recited in the claims.
It is to be understood that while certain aspects of the disclosed subject matter have been shown and described, the disclosed subject matter is not limited thereto and encompasses various other embodiments and aspects.
This application claims priority on Provisional U.S. patent application Ser. No. 62/594,372, filed Dec. 4, 2017, titled SUPPRESSOR APPARATUS AND APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR OPTIMIZING AND CLEANING A SUPPRESSOR which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
Number | Date | Country | |
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20200173750 A1 | Jun 2020 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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62594372 | Dec 2017 | US |