Recoil absorber and redirector mechanism for gun stock

A recoil absorber and redirector mechanism for a shoulder held gun stock which reduces the effects of recoil by causing one of two normally aligned members mounted on the butt end of a gun stock to move laterally of the other under recoil thereby redirecting the forces of recoil with the movable member resiliently absorbing most of the recoil energy which is later used to reset the mechanism to its normal inactive position.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to recoil absorber and redirector mechanisms for 
shoulder supported firearms such as rifles and shotguns, and more 
particularly, to an improvement in or attachment to the gun stock to 
substantially reduce and redirect both the recoil energy and the tendency 
of the gun to move upward or jerk when it is fired. 
It is commonly known that the recoil of a gun causes the barrel to shift in 
a generally upward direction and to the left. In an automatic gun which is 
firing rapidly, this becomes a force which is practically uncontrollable 
so that effective use of the weapon is not always possible after the first 
few shots when rapid firing is being used. 
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART 
Although the prior art has attenpted to reduce recoil of shoulder supported 
firearms with various gun stock mounted devices, none have been totally 
satisfactory and particularly economical to manufacture. 
U.S. Pat. No. 169,465 discloses a recoil check for gun stocks employing a 
hinge guided, spring actuated check plate. 
U.S. Pat. No. 1,088,362 discloses an adjustable butt plate for gun stocks, 
the plate of which is positioned relative to the gun stock for a given 
user of the firearm and then fixedly bolted in position. 
U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,468,354 and 2,453,394 provide recoil absorbers capable of 
universal movement between the shoulder engaging portion and the gun 
stock. 
U.S. Pat. No. 1,480,350 discloses a gun employing a shoulder pad which is 
pivoted thereto on a transverse pivot located back of the stock of the gun 
with means disposed on opposite sides of the pivot for adjusting the pad 
with respect to the stock and retaining the pad in the adjusted position. 
U.S. Pat. No. 2,787,855 discloses an adjustable butt plate which may be 
displaced vertically and bolted in that position. 
U.S. No. 3,207,496 discloses a recoil mechanism employing a variable rate 
spring mechanism and associated cams providing reciprocable action between 
the relatively movable parts of a gun stock mechanism. 
U.S. Pat. No. 3,388,494 discloses a gun stock comprising two pivotal 
sections which respond by pivotal action to the recoil of a shot. 
U.S. Pat. No. 3,754,344 discloses a gun recoil absorber employing spring 
tensioned lever actuated means anchored within a cavity in the gun stock. 
The mechanism is adapted to reciprocate in an axial direction and is 
operatively associated with a hollow movable end member conforming to the 
shape and dimensions of an adjacent conventional wooden gun stock. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
In accordance with the present invention, a recoil-redirector absorber 
mechanism is disclosed comprising two interconnected parts which may move 
relative to one another under recoil action and wherein a spring is 
provided to bias the parts to their normal juxtapositioned arrangement and 
to absorb the forces of recoil under shell explosion reaction. 
It is, therefore, one object of this invention to provide an improved 
mechanism for the end of a gun stock of a shoulder held firearm which 
reduces to a minimum recoil. 
Another object of this invention is to provide an improved gun stock which 
not only reduces to a very minimum the change of position of the muzzle of 
the gun in continued firing, but also relieves the shock against the 
shoulder of the gunner making it possible for him to maintain a stable 
position with a well aimed firearm under rapid firing conditions. 
A further object of this invention is to provide a recoil mechanism for 
shoulder held firearms in which the force of recoil is directed away from 
the shoulder of the gunner and absorbed by a suitable shock absorbing 
means. 
A still further object of this invention is to provide an improved recoil 
mechanism for applying to the end of the gun stock of a shoulder held 
firearm wherein the gun stock moves relative to a shoulder held attachment 
under recoil with the recoil absorbed by a shock absorbing means which 
shock absorbing means after absorbing the recoil forces uses this absorbed 
force to return the gun stock to its normal shoulder held position. 
Another object of this invention is to provide a recoil control device for 
a gun stock which is readily adjustable depending on the ammunition used 
and the needs of a particular operator. 
It is a further object of the invention to provide a fully automatic, 
shoulder held device for firearms which dampens recoil through absorption 
of the energy to substantially reduce disturbance of the gunner and the 
gun attitude. 
Other objects and features of the invention relating to details of 
construction and operation will be apparent in the following description 
and claims.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
Referring more particularly to the drawing by characters of reference, 
FIGS. 1, 4A and 4B disclose the outline of the gun stock end 10 of a 
standard rifle or shotgun 11 with the usual barrel, magazine and trigger 
not shown for simplicity purposes. The details of operation of the gun are 
not essential to the description of the particular invention, but in 
general, the firearm or gun may be a single shot or a rapid firing, 
relatively high powered firearm. In the design shown, the stock of the gun 
may be formed of a molded plastic although it can be formed of any other 
suitable material such as solid wood. 
A recoil mechanism 12 is attached to the gun butt end 13 and comprises two 
relatively movable members 14 and 15 constructed and connected so that one 
member may be moved laterally of the other under the forces of recoil. 
Member 14 comprises a base plate 16 which is secured to the butt end 13 of 
the gun stock 10 by suitable means such as a screw or bolt 17 which passes 
through an opening formed in the base plate 16 and into the gun stock. 
The free end of the base plate is provided with a key or slide plate 
surface 18 from which protrudes the heads 19 of a pair of spacedly 
positioned bolts 20. 
Mounted to form a slide plate surface along which the slide plate surface 
18 may move thereover is the second member 15 of the recoil mechanism 12. 
This second member 15 comprises a face plate 21 supporting a foam or 
resilient pad 22 which is form fitted along its surface 23 to fit the 
shoulder of a user. The pad 22 and face plate 21 are provided with 
openings 24 and 25 which open into suitable blind sockets or openings 26 
and 27, respectively, in the face plate 21. The bolts 20 are threaded into 
suitable apertures in base plate 16 with their heads 19 loosely fitting 
one over each of the openings into the sockets 26 and 27. The heads are of 
a diameter larger than the width of the sockets 26 and 27 thereby holding 
members 14 and 15 together in a relatively movable arrangement. 
In order to move member 14 laterally of member 15 toward the feet of the 
gunner under recoil forces, two or more ball bearings 28 are arranged in 
two or more races 29 as shown in FIGS. 2, 3, 4A and 4B. Since the pad part 
22 of the second member 15 of the recoil mechanism is held relatively 
fixed on the curvature of the shoulder 30 of the user of the firearm, the 
first part 14 moves relative thereto on recoil with the ball bearings 28 
in their races 29 reducing the sliding friction of the moving parts. 
Except during the effects of the forces of recoil, the parts 14 and 15 are 
held in juxtapositioned relationship by any suitable biasing means such 
as, for example, the spring biasing means 31 shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B. As 
shown in these figures part 14 of the recoil mechanism 12 is held 
juxtapositioned to part 15 thereof by a coil spring 32 secured at one end 
33 by a bolt 34 to the face plate 21 of part 15 and at the other end 35 to 
a bolt 36 threadedly positioned in a suitable bore 37 in the base of part 
14. Bore 37 is open ended so that a screwdriver or suitable tool (not 
shown) can be inserted into a slot 38 in the head of the bolt 36 for 
relative adjustment of it in the bore 37 to increase or decrease the 
tension on coil spring 32. 
FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate modification of the structure shown in FIGS. 1-4 
wherein the relative parts of the recoil mechanism 12 may be modified to 
form a track for guiding the movement of its parts relative to each other. 
In FIG. 5, member 15 may be provided with a flange 39 along the edges of 
face plate 21 to hold within its flanges an interlocking T-shape 
protrusion 40 mounted on the juxtapositioned surface of base plate 16 of 
member 14 of the recoil mechanism. 
FIG. 6 illustrates that the guiding portion of the recoil mechanism may 
comprise a slot 41 in face plate 21 of member 15 in which a protrusion 42 
of base plate 16 extends. 
FIG. 8 illustrates a further modification of the biasing means shown in 
FIGS. 1-7 wherein a pneumatic device 43 is used to absorb the recoil of 
the firearm. The pneumatic device comprises a piston 44 mounted in a 
cylinder 45 that is provided with a port 46 at one end thereof. As the 
piston is moved under the recoil forces its piston rod 47 pivotally 
attached to piston 44 causes reciprocal action of the piston 44 in 
cylinder 45 in the manner of a shock absorber. A coil spring 49 causes 
relative movement of members 14 and 15 of the recoil mechanism after 
absorption of the recoil forces to return members 14 and 15 to their 
normal at rest position. 
Although but a few embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and 
described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various 
changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the 
spirit of the invention or from the scope of the appended claims.