Abstract:
A safety device for deflecting spent ammunition cartridge cases away from a rifleman as they exit the ejector port of a semiautomatic or automatic rifle. In a first embodiment, intended for use with a rifle from which the carrying handle has been removed from the rifle&#39;s upper receiver rail in order to mount a monocular night vision device or other rail-mountable device, the deflector includes a deflector plate pivotably attached to a base plate and movable between a lower, ejector port covering position and an upper, ejector port uncovering position. A thumb-screw adjustable clamp attaches a front end of the base plate to the rail. A rear wall attached to the base plate has a rocker arm mechanism for alternately capturing the deflector plate in the lower position and releasing it to move to the upper position. A second embodiment has two spaced-apart clamps attached to a base plate for attaching the deflector to a rifle&#39;s carrying handle, but is otherwise similar to the first embodiment.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
   None 
   STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY APPROVED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
   None. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   This invention relates to the field of firearms, and in particular to devices that deflect spent ammunition cartridge cases away from a rifleman as they are ejected through the ejection port of an automatic or semiautomatic rifle while the rifle is being fired, such rifles including those of the U.S. Army&#39;s M4 series. The M4 designation refers to military-style carbines with collapsible buttstocks and shortened barrels. This invention relates further to such devices that, when mounted to a rifle, do not prohibit or obstruct the attachment of a rifle telescope or carrying handle to the rifle, and that can rapidly switch between an extended, cartridge-case-deflecting position and a retracted position. 
   2. Background Art 
   Semiautomatic and automatic rifles, including the M4 series of rifles, are generally comprised of an upper receiver, a lower receiver that attaches to a lower portion of the upper receiver, a barrel assembly that attaches to a front portion of the upper receiver, and an ammunition magazine that inserts into a magazine well of the lower receiver. As the rifle is being fired, spent ammunition cartridge cases are ejected through an ejection port, which is usually located on the right side of the upper receiver, in which case the trajectory of the ejected cartridge cases is generally rightwards and rearwards with respect to the rifle and the rifleman who is firing the rifle. Consequently, the hot, spent cartridge cases will occasionally impact the head or shoulders of the rifleman, sometimes causing burns and other injuries. This is especially the case for a left-handed rifleman who, when firing the rifle, places the butt of the rifle against his left shoulder such that the right side of his face is positioned immediately to the rear of the ejection port. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 6,487,808 to Carey disclosed a combination spent cartridge case deflector and catcher, and breech block actuator for an automatic shotgun. The combination was comprised of a generally planar frame for attachment in vertical orientation to the side of the gun&#39;s receiver, and generally parallel therewith, in the area of the ejector port. A lower section of the planar frame supported a removable connection for a spent cartridge case catcher. The spent cartridge case catcher was a generally planar tab with an upper portion that was a generally planar platform oriented substantially perpendicular to the lower portion of the catcher. When the upper portion of the cartridge case catcher was installed on a shotgun, it extended into the ejection port opening, and a resilient plug located on an upper section of the planar frame was disposed generally midway along the length of the ejection port to direct a spent cartridge case downward so that the cartridge case would not fly far away from the user of the gun. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 4,691,615 to Brunton disclosed a new rifle receiver body for an M-16 rifle that incorporated a deflector portion adapted to divert spent cartridge cases away from the person of the user. The deflector was a boss located at the rear of the ejection port that jutted out from the right side of the rifle body. 
   The spent ammunition cartridge deflecting devices disclosed by Carey and by Brunton lack the capabilities and features of the present invention, viz: the ability to be mounted to a semiautomatic or automatic rifle without prohibiting or obstructing attachment of a rifle telescope or carrying handle to the rifle, and the ability to rapidly switch between an extended, cartridge-case-deflecting position and a retracted position. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   According to the present invention, a spent ammunition cartridge case deflector is provided for use with a semiautomatic or automatic rifle to protect a rifleman from being burned or otherwise injured by cartridge cases exiting the rifle ejector port while the rifle is being fired. In a first embodiment of the deflector, for use with a rifle from which the carrying handle has been detached so that a monocular night vision device or other device can be mounted on the rifle&#39;s upper receiver rail, the deflector comprises a base plate that extends longitudinally from a rear end to a front end; screw-clamp means attached to the base plate for mounting the deflector to the rail; a deflector plate for deflecting spent ammunition cartridge cases downward and away from the rifleman; pivot means attached to the base plate for pivoting the deflector plate between an upper, ejection port uncovering position and a lower, ejection port covering position; and rocker arm catchment and release means attached to the base plate for manually and alternately locking the deflector plate in the lowered position and releasing the deflector plate to pivot upward again to the upper position. The screw clamp means preferably includes a transverse arm having a transverse, threaded bore, a clamp jaw having a transverse bore, and a clamp bolt insertable through the bore of the clamp jaw. The clamp bolt has mating threads for insertion and threaded engagement within the threaded bore of the transverse arm. The rocker arm catchment and release means preferably includes a rear wall that depends from the rear end of the base plate. The rear wall has a bottom edge that joins a left edge to a right edge thereof, a rear surface and an opposite front surface, which rear surface has a rocker arm recess. A rocker arm is pivotally attached to the rear surface of the rear wall adjacent to the rocker arm recess. The rocker arm pivots about a rocker arm pivot pin disposed with the rocker arm recess. The rocker arm extends transversely from a first end to a second end beyond the right edge of the rear wall, which second end includes a catchment spur. The catchment spur has a cam surface. A rocker arm spring is also disposed within the rocker arm recess and urges the first end of the rocker arm away from the rear wall—that is, to an undepressed position. The left edge of the deflector plate aligns with the right edge of the rear wall when the deflector plate is in the lowered position. Pivoting the deflector plate downward from the upper, ejector port uncovering position to the lower, ejector port covering position causes the rear edge of the deflector plate to engage the cam surface of the catchment spur, thereby pivoting the first end of the rocker arm into the rocker arm recess and permitting the rear edge of the deflector plate to engage the right edge of the rear wall, which locks the deflector plate in the lowered position as the rocker arm snaps back into an undepressed position. Thereafter, to raise the deflector plate to the upper position, which would be necessary, for instance, in order to access and clear the rifle&#39;s firing chamber, the first end of the rocker arm is manually depressed, which causes the catchment spur to pivot away from the deflector plate, thereby releasing the deflector plate to permit it to pivot upward to the upper position under the urging of a pivot spring. 
   In a second embodiment, the deflector is attachable to a carrying handle of a rifle, which handle has a rail mounting beam that extends longitudinally from a rear end to a front end thereof and a hand grasp that arcs above and joins said rear and front ends, thereby defining a handle opening. In this second embodiment, the deflector is in most respects similar to the first embodiment, but includes two, longitudinally spaced-apart screw clamp means connected to a base plate for attaching the deflector to the carrying handle. The second embodiment, like the first, includes a deflector plate, pivot means attached to the base plate for pivoting the deflector plate between an upper, ejector port uncovering position and a lower, ejector port covering position, and rocker arm catchment and release means attached to the base plate—all substantially identical to those of the first embodiment except insofar as the second embodiment of the deflector is dimensioned differently in order to accommodate the greater height that is required for the screw clamp means to overlie and grasp the rail mounting beam of the carrying handle. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     For a further understanding of the nature and objects of the present invention, reference should be had to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which like parts are given like reference numerals and, wherein: 
       FIG. 1  is a right side, elevational view of an M4 rifle with a carrying handle mounted on its upper receiver rail; and 
       FIG. 2  is a top, plan view thereof with the carrying handle removed and a first embodiment of the invention installed on the upper receiver rail of the rifle and disposed in an extended position. 
       FIG. 3A  is a right side, elevational view thereof; 
       FIG. 3B  is a right side, elevational view thereof, but with the first embodiment disposed in a retracted position. 
       FIG. 4  is a rear, perspective view of the first embodiment of the invention, removed from the rifle and disposed in a retracted position; and 
       FIG. 5  is a top, perspective view thereof. 
       FIG. 6  is an upper, right side, perspective view of an M4 rifle from which the carrying handle has been removed, to which rifle is mounted both the first embodiment of the invention and a rifle monocular night vision device. 
       FIG. 7  is a bottom, plan view of the monocular night vision device. 
       FIG. 8A  is an enlarged, right side, elevational view of an M4 rifle to the upper receiver rail of which are mounted a carrying handle and a second embodiment of the invention, disposed in an upper, retracted position; 
       FIG. 8B  is an enlarged, right side, elevational view thereof, but with the second embodiment disposed in a lower, extended position; and 
       FIG. 9  is an enlarged, left side, elevational view thereof. 
       FIG. 10  is an enlarged, left side perspective view of the second embodiment of the invention, as viewed from below, attached to the carrying handle, which handle has been removed from the rifle; and 
       FIG. 11  is a right side, perspective view thereof. 
       FIG. 12  is a bottom view of the second embodiment of the invention detached from the carrying handle with the deflector plate disposed in a lower, extended position; and 
       FIG. 13  is a bottom view thereof with the deflector plate disposed in an upper, retracted position. 
       FIG. 14  is a rear, elevational view of the second embodiment of the invention. 
       FIG. 15  is an enlarged, horizontal, cross-sectional view of the rear wall and of the rocker arm  126  of the first embodiment taken along line  15 - 15  of  FIG. 4 . 
   

   In the figures, the terms “rear” and “front” refer to the left side and right sides of  FIG. 1  and the right and left sides of  FIG. 9 , respectively. 
   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   In a first embodiment  100 , the spent ammunition cartridge case deflector of the present invention can be adapted for use with a semiautomatic or automatic rifle  10 , such as the M4 rifle depicted in  FIGS. 1 ,  2 ,  3 A,  3 B. The rifle  10  is comprised of an upper receiver  12  that attaches to a lower receiver  14 , a barrel assembly  16  that attaches to a front portion of the upper receiver, and an ammunition magazine  18  that inserts into a magazine well  19  of the lower receiver. Referring to  FIG. 2 , such rifles  100  have an upper receiver rail  20  to which a carrying handle  22  can alternately be attached and disattached by handle thumbscrews  24  that screw into internally-threaded openings in the rail; such thumbscrews  24  are best seen in  FIG. 10 . As shown in  FIG. 6 , a monocular night vision device  30  can also be mounted to the upper receiver rail  20 , but only if the carrying handle  22  has first been removed from the rail. The first embodiment  100  of the deflector, therefore, is intended for use with a rifle  10  from which the carrying handle  22  has been removed and in conjunction with a monocular night vision device  30  or other device one might want to be able to attach to the upper receiver rail  20 . 
   Referring to  FIGS. 4 and 5 , the first embodiment of the deflector  100  comprises a base plate  102  that extends longitudinally from a rear end to a front end; screw clamp means  104  attached to the base plate  102  for mounting the deflector to the upper receiver rail  20 ; a deflector plate  106 ; pivot means  108  attached to the base plate  102  for pivoting the deflector plate  106  between a lower, ejection port covering and spent cartridge case deflecting position and an upper, ejection port uncovering position; and rocker arm catchment and release means  110  attached to a rear end of the base plate  102  for manually and alternately locking the deflector plate  106  in the lowered position and releasing the deflector plate to pivot upward to the upper, retracted position. Preferably, the pivot means  108  includes a pivot spring  109  for urging the deflector plate  106  away from the lower position and toward the upper position.  FIG. 3B  depicts a right side elevational view of the first embodiment  100  of the deflector attached to a rifle  10 , wherein the deflector plate  106  is disposed in a retracted position such that the deflector plate  106  does not cover ejection port  40 .  FIG. 3A  depicts the deflector plate  106  disposed in a lower, ejection port covering position. 
   The screw clamp means  104  of the first embodiment  100  includes a transverse arm  112  that has a transverse, threaded bore  112 B, a clamp jaw  114  having a transverse bore, and a clamp bolt  116  insertable through the bore of the clamp jaw and having mating threads for insertion and threaded engagement within the threaded bore of the transverse arm. At the place of joinder of the transverse arm  112  with the front end of the base plate  102  the transverse arm has a notch  112 N; an apposing face of the clamp jaw  114  has a recess  114 R. The notch  112 N and the recess  114 R are adapted to receive opposite side edges of the upper receiver rail  20  when the deflector  100  is mounted to the rail and tightened in place by rotation of the knurled knob end  116 K of the clamp bolt  116 . 
   The rocker arm catchment and release means  110  includes a rear wall  120  that depends from the rear end of the base plate  102 . Since the rocker arm catchment and release means  110  is identical in both the first embodiment  100  and the second embodiment  100 ′ of the invention, reference may be had for this part of the description to  FIGS. 12 and 13  as well as  FIGS. 4 and 5 . The rear wall  120  has a bottom edge  120 B that joins a left edge  120 L to a right edge  121 , a rear surface  123  and an opposite front surface  124 . A rocker arm  126  is mounted to the rear surface  123  of the rear wall  120  for pivotal rotation about a spring-loaded, rocker arm pivot pin  127  disposed within a recess  132  in the rear wall and upon an axis normal to the rocker arm. The rocker arm  126  extends transversely from a first end  126   f  to a second end  126   s  beyond the right edge  120 R of the rear wall  120 . Referring to  FIG. 15 , attached to the first end  126  is a rocker arm coil spring  141  that extends into the recess  132 . A vertically-disposed rocker arm pivot shaft  139  mounted for rotation about a vertical axis within the recess  132  is attached to a projection  137  of the rocker arm  126  intermediate the first and second ends  126   f ,  126   s  thereof. Manual depression of the first end  126   f  forces said end into the recess  132 , and simultaneously pivots the second end  126   s  away from the rear wall  120 . Extending forward from a front surface of the second end  126   s  is a catchment spur that has a beveled, right edge forming a cam surface. As the deflector plate  106  is rotated downward from an upper, ejector port uncovered position to a lower, ejector port covering position, a rear edge  106 R thereof engages the cam surface of the second end  126   s , thereby pivoting the second end  126   s  at first away from the rear wall  120  (and the first end  126   f  into the recess  132 ) until the rear edge  106 R slips past the cam surface, whereupon the rocker arm  126  snaps back to its original position such that the catchment spur traps the deflector plate  106  in the lower position. Thereafter, to release the deflector plate  106 , the first end  126   f  is manually depressed into the recess  123 , which pivots the catchment spur of the second end  126   s  away from the rear edge  106 R of the deflector plate  106  and permits the pivot spring  109  to rotate the deflector plate to an upper position. With further reference to FIGS. and  3 B, it may be seen that when the deflector plate  106  is disposed in a retracted position, a rifleman has manual access to an ejection cover plate  31  that is attached to the right side of the rifle  10  by a hinge adjacent to the ejection port. When the ejection cover plate  31  is flipped open, as shown in  FIG. 3B , the rifleman can inspect and, if necessary, clear the firing chamber. 
     FIG. 6  depicts the deflector  100  attached to the upper receiver rail  20  of an M4 rifle  10  in conjunction with a monocular night vision device  200  that is also attached the rail, and wherein the deflector plate  106  is disposed in a lower, ejector port covering position. Forming an upper edge of the deflector plate  106  is a tubular hinge portion  140  that extends from a rear edge  106 R to a front edge thereof. Front and rear apertured ear extensions  142 ,  144  of the base plate  102  are longitudinally spaced apart a distance just adequate to receive and straddle the hinge portion  140 , and a pivot pin  150  (shown in phantom outline) is inserted through the apertured ears  142 ,  144  and the hinge portion  140 . The pivot spring  109  has a first end attached to the rear ear  144  and a second, opposite end attached to the deflector plate  106 . The right edge  121  of the rear wall  120  is convexly arcuate, comprising about a 45-degree sector of a circle, and the deflector plate  106  is similarly convexly arcuate as viewed from the right side of the rifle so that the rear edge  106 R thereof fits snugly against the right edge  121  when lowered to the ejector port covering position. The rear ear  144  also includes an upstanding stop  144   s  to limit the upward travel of the deflector plate  106 , as may be seen in  FIG. 4 . The rear edge  106 R of the deflector plate  106  near its tubular hinge portion  140  is cut away to accommodate the rear ear  144 . Attachment of the deflector  100  to the rail  20  leaves the rail sufficiently unobstructed to permit attachment of the monocular night vision device  200  to the rail.  FIG. 7  depicts a bottom plan view of the monocular night vision device  200 , which has right and left channels  200 L,  200 R to receive the left and rights sides of the upper receiver rail  20  and a screw bolt  202  for securing the sight to the rail. 
   When it is desired to maintain the carrying handle  22  mounted to the upper receiver rail  20 , a second embodiment  100 ′ of the deflector may be used. The second embodiment  100 ′ differs from the first embodiment  100  primarily in the following ways: it has two, longitudinally spaced-apart screw clamp means  104 R,  104 F for attachment to the carrying handle  22  instead of just a single screw clamp means  104  for attachment to the upper receiver rail  20 ; and the left wall  120 ′ is somewhat larger and has a different shape compared to the left wall  120  of the first embodiment  100 . Referring to  FIGS. 10-12 , it may be seen that the carrying handle  22  includes a rail mounting beam  22 B that extends longitudinally from a rear end  22 R to a front end  22 F and a hand grasp  22 G that arcs above and joins said rear and front ends, thereby defining a handle opening  23 . The carrying handle  22  further includes a pair of longitudinally-spaced thumb screws  25  for attaching the handle to the upper receiver rail  20 . As may be seen in  FIGS. 10-13 , the second embodiment of the deflector  100 ′ is comprised of a base plate  102  that extends longitudinally from a rear end to a front end; rear and front screw clamp means  104 R,  104 F attached to the rear and front ends of the base plate, respectively; a deflector plate  106  that has right and left side surfaces  111 ,  113 , bounded by rear and front edges  106 R,  106 F joined by top and bottom edges  106 T,  106 B; spring-based pivot means  108  attached to the base plate  102 ′; and rocker arm catchment and release means  110  attached to a rear end of the base plate  102 ′. As in the first embodiment  100 , the right edge  121  of the rear wall  104 ′ is convexly arcuate, extending through about a 45 degree sector of a circle, as may be seen in  FIG. 8A , and the deflector plate  106  has a matching convexly arcuate contour. The rocker arm catchment and release means  110  for the second embodiment  100 ′ is substantially identical to that of the first embodiment  100  and requires no further discussion. 
   Each screw clamp means  104 R,  104 F of the second embodiment  100 ′ is adapted for overlying, clamping engagement with the rail mounting beam  22 B of the carrying handle. Each screw clamp means  104 R,  104 F includes a transverse arm  112  having a transverse, threaded bore  112 B, a clamp jaw  114  having a transverse bore  112 B, and a clamp bolt  116  insertable through the bore of the clamp jaw. Each clamp bolt  116  has a knurled knob  116 K. As may be seen in  FIG. 14 , the rear transverse arm  104 R is a leftward extension from an upper portion of the rear wall  104 ′. The lower edge  119  of each the transverse arms  112  as well as the lower edge  131  of each of the clamp jaws  114  are cut away and contoured to receive and engage the upper receiver rail  20 . As in the first embodiment  100 ′, the second embodiment includes an apertured rear ear  144  integral with the rear wall  120 ′ and an apertured front ear  142  that extends from the base plate  102 , longitudinally spaced-apart for a distance just adequate to receive and straddle the hinge portion  140  of the deflector plate  106 , and a pivot pin  150  inserted through the apertured ears  142 ,  144  and the hinge portion  140 . 
   From the foregoing description it will be clear that the present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the sprit or essential characteristics thereof. Thus, the presently disclosed embodiments are to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims, and not limited to the foregoing description. In particular, the invention is not restricted for use with an M4 rifle, for it is within the ability of persons of ordinary skill in these arts to adapt the herein disclosed invention for use with a variety of types of semiautomatic and automatic rifles.