Abstract:
The invention relates to a trigger system for small arms, said system including a hammer, a catch associated with the hammer, a trigger, and a trigger bar which cooperates with the trigger and has a first locking edge for engaging with a first fire locking element of the hammer. The aim of the invention is to create a trigger system which has a low trigger resistance and remains operable even in the event of firing failure. To this end, the trigger bar has a second locking edge for engaging with a second fire locking element of the hammer.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
   This application is a continuation of International Application No. PCT/EP2003/014587, filed Dec. 19, 2003, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
   FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   The invention concerns a trigger system for small arms. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   So-called Double Action Only trigger systems are already known as pure tension triggers, in which the hammer must first be placed under tension by the trigger for each shot. Through such trigger systems, high safety is provided for the weapon, since it can be stored or laid aside without an additional release of tension. However, conventional Double Action Only trigger systems have uniform trigger travel and a relatively high trigger resistance. 
   There are also trigger systems that are already partly under tension and have shorter trigger travel and make it possible to set off a shot with low trigger resistance. Often, however, a second pull is not possible in these trigger systems after a firing failure. 
   From U.S. Pat. No. 6,341,442 B1, a trigger system for Double Action small arms is known with a hammer, a locking edge associated with the hammer, a trigger, and a trigger bar that cooperates with it. The trigger bar in this known system has a rear arm with a single projection to make contact with an associated contact surface of the hammer. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   An object of the invention is to create a trigger system for small arms that has a low trigger resistance and also remains able to operate in case of a firing failure. 
   This object is achieved by a trigger system with the characteristics of claim  1 . Appropriate embodiments and advantageous further developments of the invention are given in the dependent claims. 
   The way in which the trigger system according to the invention operates corresponds to that of a Double Action Only trigger system placed under partial tension. By repetition (manually or by holding the trigger back after the first shot has been taken), the trigger system comes to an operating position under partial tension, in which the stored energy of the strike-hammer spring applied to the hammer is not yet sufficient to fire a cartridge. By activating the trigger, the hammer can first be placed under additional tension and then released to trigger a shot. Through a first locking edge of the trigger bar and the associated first fire-locking element of the hammer, the trigger system can be activated, on the basis of the favorable leverage, about the center of rotation of the hammer with a small force expenditure. After the first shot, however, there is also the possibility that the trigger system, through the second locking edge on the trigger bar and the associated second fire-locking element, can be activated with significantly shorter trigger movement, though with a somewhat higher expenditure of force. When the trigger bar is moved in the direction that releases the hammer, the second locking edge can come into contact with the associated second fire-locking element sooner, and triggering of a shot is possible with shorter trigger travel. In this case, however, because of the unfavorable lever of the second locking edges and the second firing edge involved with respect to the center of rotation of the hammer, a somewhat high expenditure of force is required. With the aid of the second locking edge and the associated second firing edge, another activation of the trigger system is also possible after a firing failure, but then with a somewhat higher expenditure of force and a longer trigger travel. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Other special features and advantages of the invention can be seen from the following description of a preferred embodiment example, with reference to the drawing, in which: 
       FIG. 1  shows a trigger system for small arms according to the invention in a position under preliminary tension; 
       FIG. 2  shows the trigger system of  FIG. 1  during activation of the trigger; 
       FIG. 3  shows the trigger system shown in  FIG. 1  in a position after a firing failure; 
       FIG. 4  shows the trigger system shown in  FIG. 1  shortly before triggering of a shot after a firing failure; 
       FIG. 5  shows the hammer of the trigger system in  FIGS. 1 through 4  in an enlarged side view; 
       FIG. 6  shows the stop bar of the trigger system shown in  FIGS. 1 and 4  in a schematic perspective; and 
       FIG. 7  shows the catch of the trigger system shown in  FIGS. 1 through 4  in a schematic perspective. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   The trigger system for small arms shown schematically in  FIGS. 1 through 4  contains a hammer  1  with a catch  2 , a trigger  3  with a trigger bar  4  connected to it by a link, through which the hammer  1  is released during activation of the trigger  3 , first being placed under tension against the force of a hammer spring (not shown), and then released to set off a shot. The trigger bar  4  is moved back by a trigger spring (not shown) that pushes the trigger  3  into a forward exit position and is likewise pushed up by a trigger-bar spring (not shown). 
   As can be seen from the lower illustration in  FIG. 1 , the hammer  1  is arranged so as to be movable about a hammer axis  5  between two side parts  6  of a carrier element  7  that are separated from each other by a gap. Between the two side parts  6  of the carrier element  7 , a catch  2  is also mounted so as to be movable about a cross-pin  8 . Through this catch  2 , the hammer  1  is held in a position under partial tension, as will be explained in more detail below. The arrangement of the catch  2  can be recognized especially well in the upper illustrations of each of  FIGS. 1 through 4 , where the frontmost side of the two side parts  6  of the carrier element  7  has been omitted. The trigger  3  is also arranged on the carrier element  7 . It contains a side connecting part  9 , which faces obliquely upward, with a side link pin  10 , which projects forward and is connected by a link to the front end of the trigger bar  4 . The trigger  2  [sic;  3 ], the linking part  9 , and the link pin  10  are formed as a single part in the embodiment shown. 
   As can be seen especially from  FIG. 5 , the hammer  1  contains on its bottom a control arc  11  and a first, lower fire-locking element  12 . The hammer also has on its side facing the trigger bar  4  a free cut  13  with a second, upper fire-locking element  14 . Above the free cut  13 , the hammer  1  also contains a traverse hole  15  for the hammer axis  5  shown in  FIG. 1 , through which the hammer  1  is arranged so as to be movable between the side parts  6  of the carrier element  7 . The second fire-locking element  14  is above the first fire-locking element  12  and is arranged so as to be movable forward with respect to it. On the front of the hammer  1  a safety cam  16  is also provided, with a safety stop  17  to contact the catch  2 . 
   The trigger bar  4  illustrated in  FIG. 6  has at its front end, which is turned up, a hole  18  for insertion of the link pin  10  of the trigger  3 , which projects to the side. At its back end, which is cut off on the inside, the trigger bar  4  contains a control cam  19 , which projects upward, and a segment  20  that projects in the direction of the hammer  1 , with a first lower locking edge  21  and a second locking edge  22 , which is located to the side and upward from it. The first locking edge  21  cooperates with the first fire-locking element  12 , while the second, upper locking edge  22  engages with the free cut  13  and cooperates with the second fire-locking element  14 . In the embodiment shown, segment  20  consists of a lower part of the trigger bar  4  that is curved inward at a right angle. The trigger bar  4  also has a control bevel  23  that runs obliquely upward to the position on a part of the hammer axis  5  that projects outward. 
   In  FIG. 7 , the catch  2  is shown. The fork-shaped catch  2  has an upper catch edge  24  and two parallel prongs  25  and  26  that point downward, with aligned bearing holes  27  and  28  for the link pin  8 . The catch  2  also contains a catch cam  29  that projects to the side, which points outward through the oblique longitudinal hole  30  shown in  FIG. 1 , in the side part  6  of the carrier element  7  facing the trigger bar  4  to engage with the control cam  18  of the trigger bar  4 . 
   The operation of the trigger system according to the invention will be explained below with reference to  FIGS. 1 through 4 . 
   In  FIG. 1 , the trigger system is shown in an operating position under partial tension, which the trigger system reaches by manual repetition or being held back after a shot has been taken. In this operating position under partial tension, the hammer  1  is held by its engagement with the catch  2 , which engages with the safety stop  17 , in a position under partial tension in which the force of the hammer spring (not shown) is not yet sufficient to fire a cartridge. The back of the control cam  19  of the trigger bar  4  lies against a part of the hammer axis  5  that projects to the side. One locking edge  22  of the trigger bar  4  is situated without function in the free cut  13  of the hammer  1 , while the other locking edge  21  engages with the associated fire-locking element  12  of the hammer  1 . 
   By activating the trigger  3 , the hammer  1  according to  FIG. 2 , which is in a position under partial tension, is placed under further tension against the hammer spring (not shown) through the trigger bar  4 . During the tension process, the trigger bar  4  is moved downward in the direction of the arrow by the control bevel  23  of the trigger bar  4 , next to the hammer axis  5 , until the locking edge  21  of the trigger bar  4  no longer engages with the associated fire-locking element  12  of the hammer  1  and the hammer is released to set off a shot. The other locking edge  22  of the trigger bar  4  is situated without function in the free cut  13  of the hammer  1 . During the course of the tension process, the catch  2  is brought into a position by the control cam  19  of the trigger bar  4  and the catch cam  29  and held there, whereby the hammer  1  is enabled to strike. 
   In  FIG. 3 , the trigger system described above is shown in a position after a firing failure. The hammer  1  is in a forward exit position, completed without tension. The trigger bar  4  is located with its second locking edge  22  in the free cut  13  behind the associated fire-locking element  14 , while the first locking edge  21  lies on the control arc  11  of the hammer. 
   When the trigger  3  is activated in this position, the hammer  1  can be placed under tension by the trigger bar  4  by the second edge  22 , which engages with the second fire-locking element  14 , according to  FIG. 4 . During this tension process, the trigger bar  4  is moved out by the control arc  11  of the hammer  1  with the adjacent first locking edge  21  of the trigger bar  4 , until the second locking edge  22  of the trigger bar  4  releases the second fire-locking element  14  and the hammer can strike. At the same time, the catch  2  is brought into a position by control cam  19  of trigger bar  4  and catch cam  29  and held there, so that it is possible for the hammer  1  to strike.