Patent Application
20240328739
The present disclosure relates generally to firearms. In particular, it relates to tapered interfaces for firearm barrel assemblies, barrel extensions, and/or receivers.
Firearms, such as the AR-15 platform rifle, may include a barrel extension connected to a barrel that may be integrated into a barrel assembly. The barrel assembly has an interface that connects to the firearm's upper receiver. Misfires, jams, or other failures may result without proper engagement between the interface of the barrel assembly and the upper receiver.
Through applied effort, ingenuity, and innovation, the Applicant has solved problems relating to barrel interfaces and alignment hardware by developing solutions embodied in the present disclosure, which are described in detail below.
In general, embodiments of the present disclosure provide improved upper receivers, barrel assemblies, improved firearm assemblies, and/or the like.
In accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure there is provided an improved upper receiver for a firearm. In some embodiments, the upper receiver defines an ejection port defined at a first side between a barrel end and a buttstock end; and a barrel engagement portion defined at the barrel end, wherein the barrel engagement portion defines: a threaded outer surface configured to engage a barrel nut; and a tapered inner surface configured to engage a tapered outer surface of a barrel extension.
In some embodiments, the tapered inner surface comprises a frustoconical surface.
In some embodiments, the improved upper receiver further defines a flat surface at the barrel end between the threaded outer surface and the tapered inner surface, wherein the flat surface is oriented perpendicular to an axis extending between the barrel end and the buttstock end.
In some embodiments, the flat surface is configured to abut a flange of the barrel extension when the barrel extension is configured in an installed position.
In some embodiments, the improved upper receiver further defines a slot formed in the barrel end between the threaded outer surface and the tapered inner surface.
In some embodiments, there is provided an improved firearm assembly including the improved upper receiver for a firearm and a pin engaged with the improved upper receiver, wherein the improved upper receiver further defines: an opening disposed on a barrel end side of an ejection port; and a bore, and wherein the pin is installed in the opening and is configured to extend through the tapered inner surface into the bore.
In accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure there is provided an improved barrel assembly including a barrel defining a bore extending therethrough between a receiver end of the barrel and a muzzle end of the barrel, wherein the barrel defines a threaded outer surface at the receiver end; a barrel extension defining a tapered outer surface and a threaded inner surface, wherein the threaded inner surface of the barrel extension is configured to engage the threaded outer surface of the barrel, and wherein the tapered outer surface of the barrel extension is configured to engage a tapered inner surface of an upper receiver.
In some embodiments, the tapered outer surface of the barrel extension includes a frustoconical surface.
In some embodiments, the barrel assembly includes a pin configured to engage the barrel extension between a receiver end of the barrel extension and a flange of the barrel extension.
In some embodiments, the barrel assembly includes a slot formed in a receiver end of the barrel extension between the threaded outer surface of the barrel extension and an inner bore of the barrel extension.
In some embodiments, there is provided an improved firearm assembly including the barrel assembly and further including an upper receiver and a pin, wherein the upper receiver further defines: an opening disposed on a barrel end side of the ejection port; and a bore, and wherein the pin is installed in the opening and is configured to extend through the tapered inner surface of the upper receiver into the bore.
In some embodiments, there is provided an improved firearm assembly including the upper receiver and a barrel assembly comprising: a barrel defining a bore extending therethrough between a receiver end of the barrel and a muzzle end of the barrel, wherein the barrel defines a threaded outer surface at the receiver end; and the barrel extension defining the tapered outer surface and a threaded inner surface, wherein the threaded inner surface of the barrel extension is configured to engage the threaded outer surface of the barrel, and wherein the tapered outer surface of the barrel extension is configured to engage the tapered inner surface of the upper receiver.
In some embodiments, there is provided an improved firearm arm including the improved firearm assembly.
In some embodiments, the improved firearm assembly includes a pin configured to engage the barrel extension between a receiver end of the barrel extension and a flange of the barrel extension.
In some embodiments, the improved firearm assembly includes a slot formed in a receiver end of the barrel extension between the threaded outer surface of the barrel extension and an inner bore of the barrel extension.
In some embodiments, the improved upper receiver further defines a flat surface at the barrel end between the threaded outer surface and the tapered inner surface, wherein the flat surface is oriented perpendicular to an axis extending between the barrel end and the buttstock end.
In some embodiments, the flat surface is configured to abut a flange of the barrel extension in an installed position.
According to various embodiments, there is provided a method of assembling an improved firearm. In some embodiments, the improved firearm includes an improved upper receiver and a barrel assembly. In some embodiments, the improved upper receiver defines: an ejection port defined at a first side between a barrel end and a buttstock end; a barrel engagement portion defined at the barrel end, wherein the barrel engagement portion defines: a threaded outer surface configured to engage a barrel nut; and a tapered inner surface configured to engage a tapered outer surface of a barrel extension; and a flat surface at the barrel end between the threaded outer surface and the tapered inner surface, wherein the flat surface is oriented perpendicular to an axis extending between the barrel end and the buttstock end, wherein the barrel assembly includes: a barrel defining a bore extending therethrough between a receiver end of the barrel and a muzzle end of the barrel, wherein the barrel defines a threaded outer surface at the receiver end; and a barrel extension defining a tapered outer surface and a threaded inner surface, wherein the threaded inner surface of the barrel extension is configured to engage the threaded outer surface of the barrel, wherein the tapered outer surface of the barrel extension is configured to engage a tapered inner surface of an upper receiver, and wherein a gap is defined between a flange of the barrel extension and the flat surface of the upper receiver, wherein the method comprises tightening the barrel nut until the gap is eliminated.
In some embodiments, the improved upper receiver defines a slot formed in the barrel end between the threaded outer surface and the tapered inner surface and the barrel assembly further includes a pin. In some embodiments, the method further includes sliding the barrel extension into the improved upper receiver until the pin and the slot engage to rotationally lock the barrel, the barrel extension, and the improved upper receiver.
In some embodiments, the method further includes threading the barrel nut onto the improved upper receiver; and capturing the flange of the barrel extension.
The above summary is provided merely for purposes of summarizing some example embodiments to provide a basic understanding of some embodiments of the disclosure. Accordingly, it will be appreciated that the above-described embodiments are merely examples. It will be appreciated that the scope of the disclosure encompasses many potential embodiments in addition to those here summarized, some of which will be further described below.
Having thus described the disclosure in general terms, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, and wherein:
Various embodiments of the present disclosure now will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which some, but not all embodiments of the disclosure are shown. Indeed, this disclosure may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will satisfy applicable legal requirements. The term “or” (also designated as “/”) is used herein in both the alternative and conjunctive sense, unless otherwise indicated. The terms “illustrative” and “exemplary” are used to be examples with no indication of quality level. Like numbers may refer to like elements throughout. The phrases “in one embodiment,” “according to one embodiment,” and/or the like generally mean that the particular feature, structure, or characteristic following the phrase may be included in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure and may be included in more than one embodiment of the present disclosure (importantly, such phrases may, but do not necessarily, refer to the same embodiment, such that the described features may be combined, in whole or in part, as part of a single embodiment, or may be described and/or claimed separate).
In some embodiments, an improved firearm assembly may include an improved upper receiver and barrel assembly. The improved firearm assembly may be part of a firearm, such as the AR-15 platform rifle. In some embodiments, the upper receiver may include a barrel engagement portion having an inner surface. In some embodiments, the barrel assembly may include a barrel extension having an outer surface. In some embodiments, the upper receiver may engage the barrel assembly when the barrel extension is installed in the barrel engagement portion of the upper receiver such that the inner surface of the barrel engagement portion engages the outer surface of the barrel extension. In some embodiments, the outer surface of the barrel extension may be tapered and the inner surface of the barrel engagement portion may be tapered.
In some embodiments, the upper receiver may include a pin configured to engage with a slot in the barrel extension. In some embodiments, the barrel extension may include the pin and the slot may be defined in the upper receiver. In some embodiments, the pin may be configured to orient the barrel extension of the barrel assembly. The location of the pin and slot may be reversed relative to some configurations.
Referring now to
Referring now to
In some embodiments, the upper receiver 200 may define a barrel engagement portion 208, which may be defined at the barrel end 202. In some embodiments, the barrel engagement portion 208 may be configured to operably engage with one or more components of the barrel assembly 300. In some embodiments, the barrel engagement portion 208 may comprise one or more surfaces, at least a portion of which may be cylindrical in shape. In some embodiments, the barrel engagement portion 208 may have a hollow interior that may be configured to receive one or more components of the barrel assembly 300 and thereby engage the upper receiver 200 and the barrel assembly 300 to secure the barrel to the upper receiver while aligning the chamber (and thus a cartridge within the chamber) and the bore of the barrel for accurate, precise firing while being able to withstand rough handling of the firearm. In some embodiments, when the barrel assembly 300 is engaged with the barrel engagement portion 208, the barrel assembly 300 may be considered to be in an “installed” position.
In some embodiments, referring to
In some embodiments, the inner surface 212 of the barrel engagement portion 208 may be tapered. In some embodiments, such as the embodiment of
In some embodiments, the barrel engagement portion 208 of the upper receiver 200 may further define a flat surface 213. In some embodiments, the flat surface 213 may be between the outer surface 210 and the inner surface 212 at a barrel end 202 of the upper receiver facing towards the target. In some embodiments, the flat surface 213 may be oriented perpendicular to an axis that extends between the barrel end 202 and the buttstock end 204. In some embodiments, this axis may be substantially parallel to one or more components of the barrel assembly 300. In some embodiments, the flat surface 213 may be configured to engage with one or more components of the barrel assembly 300 when the barrel assembly 300 is in the “installed” position, as shown in at least
In some embodiments, the barrel assembly 300 may include a barrel 302. In some embodiments, the barrel 302 may be a standard 16 inch barrel with rifling configured to propel a projectile at a target when the firearm assembly 100 is discharged. In some embodiments, the barrel 302 may be an elongated tube that is substantially cylindrical in shape. In some embodiments, the barrel 302 may include one or more protrusions and may have a non-constant diameter throughout its length. In some embodiments, the barrel 302 may define a receiver end 304 configured to engage with the upper receiver 200 and a muzzle end 306 from which a projectile may be discharged. In some embodiments, the barrel 302 may define a bore 308 that may extend between the receiver end 304 and the muzzle end 306. The receiver end 304 of the barrel 302 may define a chamber 320 configured to receive a cartridge for firing. In some embodiments, as shown in at least
With continued reference to
In some embodiments, the barrel extension 303 may define an outer surface 310 and an inner surface 312. In some embodiments, the barrel extension 303 may have a diameter less than that of the barrel engagement portion 208 for a given respective axial position when in the installed position such that the outer surface 310 of the barrel extension 303 may be flush with the inner surface 212 of the barrel engagement portion 208 when the barrel assembly 300 is in the “installed” position. In the depicted embodiments, the outer surface 310 of the barrel extension 303 and the inner surface 212 of the barrel engagement portion 208 of the upper receiver 200 are both smooth and configured to slide relative to each other until affixed in the installed position. For example, a barrel nut may engage the threading on the outer surface 210 of the barrel engagement portion 208 and may engage the barrel assembly 300 (e.g., by hooking the muzzle side of the flange 316) to draw the barrel assembly into the upper receiver and securely hold the components together.
With reference to the embodiments of
In some embodiments, with reference to
The barrel assembly and the upper receiver may include alignment hardware, such as a pin and a slot, that rotationally and/or axially align the barrel assembly and the upper receiver when the two components are engaged. For example, in the various embodiments discussed herein, the inner surface 212 of the barrel engagement portion 208 and the outer surface 310 of the barrel extension 303 may be smooth such that the barrel extension and upper receiver may be rotationally locked, at least in part, by the alignment hardware.
In some embodiments, the firearm assembly 100 may include alignment hardware including a slot 216 and a pin 314. In some embodiments, the alignment hardware may include additional components for aligning the barrel assembly 300 and the upper receiver 200. In some embodiments, the alignment hardware may be configured to ensure proper alignment between the upper receiver 200 and the barrel assembly 300 when the upper receiver 200 and the barrel assembly 300 are operably engaged (e.g., in the “installed” position).
In some embodiments, such as in the embodiments of
In some embodiments, the pin 314 may be an indexing pin. In some embodiments, the indexing pin 314 may be used for reference and to orient the barrel extension 303 when the barrel assembly 300 is installed in the upper receiver 200 (e.g., for a user to view and align the components rotationally as they are installed). In some embodiments, the indexing pin 314 may be used as a reference by a user when positioning the one or more fasteners (e.g., the barrel nut). It will be understood that, in some embodiments, the indexing pin 314 may be one or more additional fasteners.
Referring now to
In some embodiments, the alignment hardware may be interchanged between the improved upper receiver 200 and the barrel assembly 300. Referring to
In some embodiments, the placement of the pin 314 in the upper receiver 200 and the formation of the slot 216 in the barrel extension 303 may improve manufacturability and rigidity of the firearm. For example, the barrel engagement portion 208 may be stiffer and more efficient to manufacture without a slot formed therein, and the barrel nut may attach more securely (e.g., with greater force and less deflection of the upper receiver) with an unslotted barrel engagement portion 208. The barrel extension 303 may incorporate the slot 216 without the forces of the barrel nut to deform the barrel extension. In some embodiments, the slot 216 may be formed in a valley between two lugs 322 of the barrel extension 303.
In some embodiments, the interface between the upper receiver 200 and the barrel assembly 300 may not include the tapered surfaces, and may instead define a concentric interface. An example embodiment of this concentric interface is shown in
According to various embodiments, and as shown in
Many modifications and other aspects of the disclosure set forth herein will come to mind to one skilled in the art to which this disclosure pertains having the benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings. For example, while embodiments of the present disclosure depict tapered barrel extensions and corresponding receivers, some embodiments may include firearm models that do not use barrel extensions having substantially the same tapered barrel interfaces between the barrel and the receiver (e.g., such as some bolt guns). Similarly, while embodiments of the present disclosure depict barrel extensions and corresponding receivers having matching alignment hardware, some embodiments may include firearm models that do not use barrel extensions having substantially the same alignment hardware between the barrel and the receiver (e.g., such as some bolt guns). Therefore, it is to be understood that the disclosure is not to be limited to the specific aspects disclosed and that modifications and other aspects are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims. Although specific terms are employed herein, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation.
