Abstract:
An auto regulating gas system to automatically regulate the operating speed of an auto loading weapon having a gas operating system by restricting the gas flow from the firing of a projectile. A gas block attached to the barrel or the weapon redirects a volume of propellant gases to cycle the weapon, the gas block including a gas port for directing propellant gases received from the a gas port of the barrel into the gas system. A spring-loaded plunger assembly is positioned within the gas block, the plunger assembly including a regulator plunger having a reduced flow orifice, a regulator bushing, a regulator spring, and a regulator cap, wherein the position of the regulator plunger within the gas block automatically controls an amount of gas that is allowed to enter the gas system. A mechanical backup linkage assembly is attached to the gas block as a backup device for returning the regulator plunger to a forward position in the gas block when a muzzle device mounted on a muzzle of the firearm is removed.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/751,625, filed on Jan. 11, 2013. The specification and drawings of the provisional patent application are specifically incorporated by reference herein. This application is related to co-pending and commonly assigned U.S. Application No. (Attorney Docket R087 2240US.1). 
     
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0002]    The present invention generally relates to gas operating systems for firearms and, more particularly, to automatic gas regulation systems for firearms. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    Semi-automatic firearms, such as rifles and shotguns, are designed to fire a round of ammunition, such as a cartridge or shotshell, in response to each squeeze of the trigger of the firearm, and thereafter automatically load the next shell or cartridge from the firearm magazine into the chamber of the firearm. During firing, the primer of the round of ammunition ignites the propellant (powder) inside the round, producing an expanding column of high pressure gases within the chamber and barrel of the firearm. The force of this expanding gas propels the bullet/shot of the cartridge or shell down the barrel. 
         [0004]    In standard auto loading rifles, the addition of a silencer or suppressor to the muzzle of the weapon generates an increase in operating energy, causing the rifle to cycle faster than it would normally cycle if the suppressor were not installed. In known systems, the operator manually switches a gas regulating device to modify the operating characteristics of the weapon to compensate for this increased cyclic rate. This manual switch will typically have a lever or rotational plug that requires the operator to manually switch the system from one setting to the other. In a manually switched gas system, gases are either diverted (bled off) or restricted in order to reduce the overall energy available to operate the firearm. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0005]    The disclosed embodiments are directed to a mechanism to automatically regulate the operating speed of a weapon having a gas operating system by restricting the gas flow from the firing of a projectile. The embodiments describe a system and methods in which the action of installing a suppressor on the weapon actuates a regulating mechanism to reduce the energy available to drive a gas operating system by restricting the gas flow from the barrel to the gas operating system and to substantially match operating speeds between suppressed and unsuppressed operation. 
         [0006]    In an autoloading firearm, installing a sound suppressor (silencer) on the weapon typically can cause the cyclic operation of the weapon to speed up due to residual pressures in the suppressor and bore of the weapon. Commonly available systems require the manual activation of a regulator to reduce the initial energy available to the operating system to balance the extra energy imparted by the residual bore pressure. 
         [0007]    In one embodiment having a gas regulation system, when a suppressor is not attached to the muzzle, a gas port in the barrel is free to provide energy to cycle the weapon. When a suppressor is attached to the muzzle, the suppressor depresses a regulator plunger which restricts gas flow from the gas port, reducing the amount of gas entering the system to cycle the weapon. The regulator plunger returns to a spring-biased forward position in the gas block when the suppressor is removed. 
         [0008]    In another embodiment, an auto regulating gas system is provided for an auto loading firearm. The auto regulating gas system includes a gas block attached to a barrel of the firearm to redirect a volume of propellant gases, the gas block including a gas port for directing propellant gases received from a gas port of the barrel into a gas tube to cycle the auto loading firearm. A spring-loaded plunger assembly is positioned within the gas block, the plunger assembly including a regulator plunger having a reduced flow orifice, a regulator bushing, a regulator spring, and a regulator cap, wherein the position of the regulator plunger within the gas block automatically controls an amount of gas that is allowed to enter the gas system. Mounting a muzzle device, such as a suppressor over the muzzle drives the regulator plunger rearward moving the reduced flow orifice over the gas port in the gas block to automatically reduce the volume of propellant gases directed into the gas system. 
         [0009]    In a further embodiment, an auto regulating gas system is provided for an auto loading firearm. The auto regulating system includes a gas block attached to the barrel to redirect a volume of propellant gases to cycle the auto loading weapon, the gas block including a gas port for directing propellant gases received from the a gas port of the barrel into the gas system. A spring-loaded plunger assembly is positioned within the gas block, the plunger assembly including a regulator plunger having a reduced flow orifice, a regulator bushing, a regulator spring, and a regulator cap, wherein the position of the regulator plunger within the gas block automatically controls an amount of gas that is allowed to enter the gas system. A mechanical backup linkage assembly is attached to the gas block for returning the regulator plunger to a forward position in the gas block when a muzzle device mounted on a muzzle of the firearm is removed. 
         [0010]    These and other advantages and aspects of the embodiments of the disclosure will become apparent and more readily appreciated from the following detailed description of the embodiments taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, as follows. It further will be understood that the present drawings may not necessarily be drawn to scale and dimensions therein are for illustrative purposes and should not be taken as limiting the scope of the present invention. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0011]      FIG. 1  illustrates a side view of the auto regulating gas system and mechanical linkage assembly when a suppressor is not installed in accordance with an exemplary embodiment. 
           [0012]      FIG. 2  illustrates a side cross-sectional view of the auto regulating gas system and mechanical backup linkage assembly when a suppressor is not installed in accordance with an exemplary embodiment. 
           [0013]      FIG. 3  illustrates a side cross-sectional view of the auto regulating gas system and mechanical backup linkage assembly when a suppressor is installed in accordance with an exemplary embodiment. 
           [0014]      FIG. 4  illustrates an isometric view of the auto regulating gas system and mechanical backup linkage assembly when a suppressor is not installed in accordance with an exemplary embodiment. 
           [0015]      FIG. 5  illustrates an isometric view of the auto regulating gas system and mechanical backup linkage assembly when a suppressor is installed in accordance with an exemplary embodiment. 
           [0016]      FIG. 6  illustrates an isometric view of the auto regulating gas system and mechanical backup linkage assembly in an unsuppressed mode in another embodiment. 
           [0017]      FIG. 7  illustrates a side view of the auto regulating gas system and mechanical backup linkage assembly of  FIG. 6  in an unsuppressed mode. 
           [0018]      FIG. 8  illustrates a side view of the auto regulating gas system and mechanical backup linkage assembly of  FIG. 6  in a suppressed mode. 
           [0019]      FIG. 9  illustrates an isometric view of the auto regulating gas system and mechanical backup linkage assembly of  FIG. 6  in a suppressed mode. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0020]    The following description is provided as an enabling teaching of embodiments of the invention. Those skilled in the relevant art will recognize that many changes can be made to the embodiments described, while still obtaining the beneficial results. It will also be apparent that some of the desired benefits of the embodiments described can be obtained by selecting some of the features of the embodiments without utilizing other features. Accordingly, those who work in the art will recognize that many modifications and adaptations to the embodiments described are possible and may even be desirable in certain circumstances. Thus, the following description is provided as illustrative of the principles of the invention and not in limitation thereof, since the scope of the invention is defined by the claims. 
         [0021]    There have been documented cases of weapon failing to operate when users fail to switch the weapons from unsuppressed to suppressed operation or vice versa when installing or removing a suppressor. The disclosed embodiments provide a means to automatically switch the weapon between these two states, thereby assuring proper weapon operation. 
         [0022]    In related, co-pending, commonly-owned patent application, serial number (Attorney Docket No. R087 2240US.1), incorporated by reference herein, two separate gas ports in the barrel are utilized and one port is sealed off when a suppressor is installed. In the embodiments described herein, a single port in the barrel can be utilized and the flow of gases from the port can be restricted by an opening in a regulator plunger that aligns with the corresponding ports in the barrel and gas block when a suppressor is installed. A mechanical backup assist system is also provided. In this embodiment, an auto loading weapon is cycled utilizing propulsion gases from the firing of a cartridge. Gases are bled off from the barrel of the weapon and can be diverted to operate either a piston in a piston driven weapon, or to directly operate the bolt and bolt carrier in a direct gas impingement weapon. In either system, the installation of a suppressor or silencer typically increases the operating velocity of the bolt and bolt carrier, which is detrimental to the longevity and functional reliability of the weapon. The disclosed embodiments do not utilize a manually switched gas system to either divert (bleed off) or restrict gases in order to reduce the overall energy available to operate the firearm. 
         [0023]    As depicted in  FIGS. 1-5 , in one exemplary embodiment, the gas-operated mechanism of an auto loading rifle F can be adjusted automatically when a suppressor  40  is attached to the muzzle of the rifle. The operating characteristics of the weapon are changed automatically with the installation of a suppressor  40  or other muzzle device, such as a blank firing adapter. The automatic regulating gas system could be applied to both direct gas impingement operated weapons and piston operated weapons. An embodiment is described below, and in the accompanying drawings, in which the automatic regulating gas system is applied to a direct impingement system. A mechanical backup linkage assembly  50  is also disclosed for the automatic regulating gas system to provide both a visual indication of the firearm&#39;s setting (suppressed or unsuppressed) and a manual backup of the regulating system should the automatic regulating gas system fail to switch positions from suppressed to unsuppressed mode in which the plunger is spring-based forward. 
         [0024]      FIG. 1  illustrates a side view of the auto regulating gas system and mechanical linkage assembly when a suppressor is not installed. It depicts a firearm F having a barrel  30  with a flash hider  20  installed on the muzzle end. Also shown are gas block  34 , accessory rail  60 , plunger assembly regulator cap  18 , and mechanical linkage assembly  50 . The mechanical linkage assembly  50  includes a lever or paddle  52 , and links  54 ,  56 . Identical links generally are installed on the opposite side of the firearm with regulator plunger retaining pin  28  also serving as the pivot point for the linkage assembly.  FIGS. 1-4  further show a flash hider  20  installed on the muzzle end of barrel  30 . Also shown in  FIGS. 1-5  is the mounting rail  60  extending over the gas block  34 . 
         [0025]    The barrel  30  for an autoloading rifle may have a suppressor  40  attached to the muzzle end of the weapon. The suppressor  40  can be installed over flash hider  20  as shown in  FIGS. 3 and 5 . The barrel  30  will include a chamber to accept a cartridge, a bore, one or more gas orifices (ports)  22 , and a muzzle. 
         [0026]    The gas block  34  can be attached to the barrel  30  to redirect the propellant gases to cycle the action of the weapon either through the use of a gas tube  36 , shown in  FIGS. 2-3 , that redirects the gases into the bolt carrier group in a direct impingement rifle, or into a piston system that cycles the weapon with direct mechanical force. 
         [0027]      FIGS. 2-3  illustrate side cross-sectional views of the auto regulating gas system without and with a suppressor installed, respectively. In this exemplary embodiment, in a direct impingement weapon, the barrel  30  includes a gas port  22  that redirects propellant gases from the bore of the barrel into a gas passage  24  within the gas block  34 . With a suppressor installed ( FIG. 3 ), the suppressor  40  can engage a regulator plunger  12 , which at least partially closes or restricts the passage of gases through the gas port  22  such that the gas port  22  and gas passage  24  redirect the propellant gas through a restricted opening  26  in the regulator plunger  12  into the gas tube  36 . The propellant gas is then passed down the gas tube  36  into the bolt carrier group (not shown) where the gas acts in a standard method to cycle the action of the weapon. 
         [0028]    As illustrated in  FIGS. 1-4 , the regulator plunger assembly  10  generally can operate co-axially with the bore of the weapon. The regulator plunger assembly  10  is spring-loaded to bias the plunger assembly  10  to the forward position, referred to herein as the “unsuppressed” setting. The regulator plunger assembly  10  operates in a bore of a gas block  34  co-axial to the bore of the weapon. The gas block  34  has a passage or passages  24  that correspond to ports  22  in the barrel  30  that are roughly perpendicular to the bore of the weapon and serve to bleed off propulsion gases for the purpose of cycling the weapon. The gas block  34  diverts these operating gases into either a piston chamber in a piston operated weapon, or into a gas tube  36  via a counter bore  32  in the plunger that provides passage for the operating gases back to the bolt carrier group in a gas impingement weapon. 
         [0029]    In one embodiment, the spring loaded plunger assembly  10  can be positioned within a larger bore of the gas block  34  and will be oriented parallel with the bore of the barrel  30  of firearm F. As also show in  FIG. 4 , a flash hider/flash suppressor  20  could be mounted over the muzzle end of barrel  30 . The plunger assembly  10  can include a regulator plunger  12 , regulator bushing  14 , regulator spring  16 , and regulator cap  18 . The regulator plunger  12  includes a restricted opening (i.e., reduced flow orifice) that aligns with the barrel port  22  and gas block port  24  when the regulator plunger is moved rearward by mounting of the muzzle device. The plunger assembly  10  may be removed from the gas block  34  as a unit or substantially unitary assembly, and can be retained by a cross pin  28  to prevent forward and rearward motion of the regulator bushing  14 , which cross pin  28  also can serve as the primary pivot point for the mechanical linkage assembly  50 . 
         [0030]    The mechanical backup linkage assembly  50  includes a top lever or paddle  52 , with links  54 ,  56  mounted along the sides of the mechanical backup linkage assembly  50 . The mechanical backup linkage assembly  50  provides a mechanical assist or backup to the spring loaded return system of the regulator plunger  12 . Should the regulator plunger  12  not return to the unsuppressed, forward biased condition when the suppressor  40  is removed, the linkage assembly  50  provides a mechanical advantage to the operator in forcing the plunger  12  forward. 
         [0031]    As shown in  FIGS. 2-3 , a larger diameter section of the regulator plunger  12  generally operates within the regulator bore of the gas block  34  and interfaces with the rear surface of the regulator bushing  14  when the plunger is held forward by the regulator spring  16 . This interface surface prevents the forward flow of propellant gases from exiting the gas block  34 . As also indicated in  FIGS. 2-3 , another smaller diameter section of the regulator plunger  12  extends through the regulator bushing  14  and towards the front end of the gas block  34 . The regulator cap  18  slides over the end of the small diameter of the regulator plunger  12  and is retained by a cross pin  28 . The regulator cap  18  captures the regulator spring  16  in a slightly compressed state between the forward face of the regulator bushing  14  and the regulator cap  18 . The regulator spring  16  operates within the regulator bore on the gas block  34  and surrounds the small diameter of the regulator plunger  12 . The regulator cap  18  extends out the front end of the gas block  34  towards the muzzle. 
         [0032]    When the weapon fires unsuppressed, the regulator plunger  12  may cycle backward on contra-recoil, wiping the surfaces of the bore/gas passage  24  of the gas block to keep carbon from building up. A seal between the regulator plunger  12  and regulator bushing  14  prevents gas from getting into the regulator spring  16 . The regulator plunger  12 , in the unsuppressed setting, does not alter the operating characteristics of the weapon. However, when a suppressor  40  or other muzzle device is installed onto the muzzle of the weapon, the regulator plunger  12  is depressed through the action of installing the suppressor  40 . The regulator plunger  12  contains reduced flow orifice  26  that is introduced over the gas passage  24  in the gas block to restrict the flow of gases from the gas port  22  on the barrel  30  into the counter bore  32  and gas tube  36 . This restricted gas flow is sized so that the operating velocity of a weapon with the suppressor  40  installed roughly matches the operating velocity of an unsuppressed weapon. When the suppressor  40  is removed from the muzzle of the weapon, the spring loaded plunger  12  returns to its forward position, allowing unrestricted gas flow from the barrel  30  to the operating system of the weapon. 
         [0033]    In other embodiments, the installation of other muzzle devices, such as grenade launchers and adapters for the use of blank firing ammunition, could also require a restriction in the gas available to operate the weapon to prevent overspeed conditions. These muzzle devices could be designed in such a way to operate the regulator plunger in a manner identical to the suppressor installation, thereby restricting the operating gases and maintaining the proper operating speed of the weapon. 
         [0034]    In operation, as illustrated in  FIG. 4 , in the unsuppressed mode, the lever (paddle)  52  is forced forward by the spring-biased return spring (not shown) of the plunger assembly and is attached above the plunger  12  and horizontal to the bore. In the suppressed mode, as illustrated in  FIG. 5 , the plunger  12  lifts the assist lever  52  as it is depressed by the suppressor  40 , thereby providing a highly visible indicator of the plunger position. Pushing down on the paddle  52  provides a strong mechanical advantage forcing the plunger  12  back to the unsuppressed setting. The mechanical advantage afforded by the lever  52  would only be used as a backup to the plunger spring system and in the case of extreme fouling. The entire mechanical backup linkage assembly  50  and plunger assembly  10  can be removed without the use of any tools by pressing a detented cross pin  28  on the left side of the firearm F and lifting the lever  52 . The lever  52  then can be used as a grip to pull out the plunger assembly  10 . The detented cross pin  28  retains the plunger cartridge and acts as a fixed pivot for the mechanical backup linkage assembly  50 . 
         [0035]      FIGS. 6-9  illustrate another embodiment in which the links of the mechanical backup linkage assembly  50  can be of a reduced or shorter length or size than in the embodiment illustrated in  FIGS. 1-5 . Operation of both embodiments remains the same.  FIG. 6  illustrates an isometric view of the auto regulating gas system and mechanical linkage assembly in an unsuppressed mode.  FIG. 7  illustrates a side view of the auto regulating gas system and mechanical linkage assembly of  FIG. 6  in an unsuppressed mode. The links  54 ,  56  in the mechanical linkage assembly  50  generally will be sized such that the lever  52  cannot be adjusted to a vertical position since the lever  52  could then interfere with firearm accessories positioned on handguard/accessory rail  60 .  FIG. 8  illustrates a side view of the auto regulating gas system and mechanical linkage assembly of  FIG. 6  in a suppressed mode.  FIG. 9  illustrates an isometric view of the auto regulating gas system and mechanical linkage assembly in a suppressed mode. 
         [0036]    The corresponding structures, materials, acts, and equivalents of all means plus function elements in any claims below are intended to include any structure, material, or acts for performing the function in combination with other claim elements as specifically claimed. 
         [0037]    Those skilled in the art will appreciate that many modifications to the exemplary embodiments are possible without departing from the scope of the present invention. In addition, it is possible to use some of the features of the embodiments disclosed without the corresponding use of the other features. Accordingly, the foregoing description of the exemplary embodiments is provided for the purpose of illustrating the principles of the invention, and not in limitation thereof, since the scope of the invention is defined solely by the appended claims.