Patent Publication Number: US-11662172-B2

Title: Integrated barrel and muzzle device system

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims the benefit of the priority date of earlier filed U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 63/072,189 titled ‘Integrated Barrel and Muzzle Device System’ filed Aug. 30, 2020 by Keith A. Langenbeck, and is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The A firearm sound suppressor, suppressor or sound moderator, is a muzzle device that reduces the acoustic intensity of the muzzle report (sound of a gunshot) and the recoil when a gun (firearm or air gun) is discharged, by modulating the speed and pressure of the propellant gas from the muzzle and hence suppressing the muzzle blast. Like other muzzle devices, a silencer can be a detachable accessory mounted to the muzzle, or an integral part of the barrel. 
     Hunters using centerfire rifles find silencers bring various important benefits that outweigh the extra weight and resulting change in the firearm&#39;s center of gravity. The most important advantage of a suppressor is the hearing protection for the shooter as well as their companions. Many hunters have suffered permanent hearing damage due to someone else firing a high-caliber gun too closely without warning. By reducing noise, recoil and muzzle-blast, it also enables the firer to follow through calmly on their first shot and fire a further carefully aimed shot without delay if necessary. 
     Apart from integral silencers that are integrated as a part of the firearm&#39;s barrel, most suppressors have a female threaded end, which attaches to male threads cut into the exterior of the barrel. These types of silencers are mostly used on handguns and rifles chambered in .22LR. 
     Military rifles such as the M16 or M14 often use quick-detach suppressors that use coarser than normal threads and are installed over an existing muzzle device such as a flash suppressor and can include a secondary locking mechanism to allow the shooter to quickly and safely add or remove a sound suppressor based on individual needs. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The disclosed Integrated Barrel and Muzzle Device System includes a firearm suppressor having an interchangeable projectile tube attached to a muzzle endcap and to a gas block endcap proximal a threaded muzzle of the firearm. The disclosure also includes a suppressor tube body configured to receive the muzzle endcap and the gas block endcap located against a distal face of the threaded muzzle. The disclosure additionally includes a suppressor element received into the suppressor tube body proximal the muzzle endcap, wherein the suppressor element channels propellant gases from openings defined in the interchangeable projectile tube through an array of open cells. 
     Other aspects and advantages of embodiments of the disclosure will become apparent from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, illustrated by way of example of the principles of the disclosure. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG.  1    illustrates the Integrated Barrel and Muzzle Device System (IBMDS) as applied to an M16/M4/AR15 rifle in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG.  2    illustrates Muzzle Device  1500  in longitudinal section and various parts in exploded views in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG.  3    illustrates an Integrated Barrel and Muzzle Device System  2000  similar to IBMDS  1000  and likewise used on an M16/M4/AR15 rifle in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG.  4    illustrates Muzzle Device in longitudinal section and various parts in exploded views in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG.  5    illustrates another version of Integrated Barrel and Muzzle Device System, hereinafter sometimes IBMDS  3000 , applied to the muzzle end of a firearm barrel in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG.  6    illustrates Muzzle Device in cross section without Barrel in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. A cross section of projectile tube illustrates vent holes in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG.  7    illustrates a three-dimensional partial section of the muzzle device with the distal end slightly tilted away from vertical in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
     
    
    
     Throughout the description, similar or same reference numbers may be used to identify similar or same elements in the several embodiments and drawings. Although specific embodiments of the invention have been illustrated, the invention is not to be limited to the specific forms or arrangements of parts so described and illustrated. The scope of the invention is to be defined by the claims appended hereto and their equivalents. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Reference will now be made to exemplary embodiments illustrated in the drawings and specific language will be used herein to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the disclosure is thereby intended. Alterations and further modifications of the inventive features illustrated herein and additional applications of the principles of the inventions as illustrated herein, which would occur to one skilled in the relevant art and having possession of this disclosure, are to be considered within the scope of the invention. 
     This application discloses novel and unobvious improvements to projectile performance and launch systems in small caliber weapons but the features and performance benefits could be applied to large caliber projectiles as well. Throughout the present disclosure and continuances and/or divisional disclosures thereof, the terms ‘slug,’‘bullet,’ and ‘projectile’ may be used interchangeably to generally define a solid mass expelled from a firearm, usually explosively. The term ‘nominal’ used throughout may define a measurement or a metric near a mean in a normal distribution. Furthermore, the term ‘plateau’ used in the present disclosure refers to a conventional definition thereof meaning a relatively level surface considerably raised above adjoining surfaces. The term ‘waist’ refers to a narrowing or at least one of a narrowest part of a shank of a bullet affected by machining or molding or other means before and after manufacture. The term ‘endcap’ is used synonymously with the term ‘end cap’ according to common usage. 
     This application discloses unique features and advancements in devices that attach to the end of small arms barrels to redirect muzzle blast and attenuate or suppress physical blast signature, visible muzzle flash and audible report of a weapon when fired. 
       FIG.  1    illustrates the Integrated Barrel and Muzzle Device System, hereinafter sometimes IBMDS,  1000  as applied to an M16/M4/AR15 rifle in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. IBMDS  1000  is comprised of two major subsystems, the Barrel  1100  and the Muzzle Device  1500 . Barrel  1100  includes gas vent hole  1120 , phantom lines  1110  depicting the bore of the barrel, threaded muzzle end  1125  and end view of the barrel  1130 . 
     Muzzle Device  1500  depicted in longitudinal section view  1510 , extends back over the Barrel  1100  towards the gas block and breech. Muzzle Device  1500  is affixed by threaded attachment to the Barrel  1100 . End view of the muzzle endcap  1525  depicts exhaust holes  1544  through which propellant gases are exhausted from the bore of Barrel  1100 . Interior space  1600  is exterior to Barrel  1100  and interchangeable projectile tube  1520  and within tube body  1590 . 
       FIG.  2    illustrates Muzzle Device  1500  in longitudinal section  1510  and various parts in exploded views in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. Muzzle Device  1500  is comprised of tube body  1590 , gas block end cap  1580  also known as a front endcap, interchangeable projectile tube  1520 , suppressor elements  1560  and common split lock washer  1600 . 
     End view of the muzzle endcap  1525  depicts exhaust holes  1544 , hex end  1542  for attaching and removing Muzzle Device  1500  from Barrel  1100  and projectile exit hole  1546 . Longitudinal section view of the interchangeable projectile tube  1520  depicts projectile exit hole  1546 , internal threaded end  1521  for engagement with barrel external threaded end  1125  and projectile tube vent slot  1535  which discharges propellant gases into interior space  1600  as projectile moves past. Cross section view  1530  of the interchangeable projectile tube  1520  depicts three vent slots  1535  that discharge propellant gases into interior space  1600  as projectile moves past. Projectile tube vent slots  1535  could be holes that discharge propellant gases into interior space  1600 . 
     Distal end of the interchangeable projectile tube  1520  has external threads for engagement with internal threads of distal end of tube body  1590 . Gas block end cap  1580  would be seam welded to the proximate end of tube body  1590 . When Muzzle Device  1500  is assembled and fully threaded onto Barrel  1100 , gas block end cap  1580  captures lock washer  1600  between and flush up against rifle gas block, not shown in this depiction. Consequently, Muzzle Device  1500  is in a state of mechanical compression, which increases stiffness of barrel  1100  from the gas block to the muzzle. The interchangeable projectile tube  1520  is interchangeable with other interchangeable projectile tubes as described and shown below. 
     Muzzle Device suppressor elements  1560  are depicted as two half cylinders in end view  1565  and longitudinal view  1562 . Suppressor elements  1560  within Muzzle Device  1500  attenuate or suppress muzzle flash, physical muzzle blast and audible report of the weapon. Suppressor elements  1560  can be removed for cleaning or replacement. Suppressor elements  1560  could be comprised of more than a single set of halves, each item having different porosity, hole size, architecture and etcetera. 
     Construction of suppressor elements  1560  could be open cell metal foam, 3D printed digital metal foam or various other materials and architectures with high surface area, low mass, circuitous and disruptive gas pathways in order to extract heat, reduce gas pressure and attenuate sound energy from the propellant gases that pass through and out exhaust holes  1544 . Suppressor elements  1560  could have uniform or varying resistance to gas flow and variable porosity as the propellant gases move through the internal architecture. Propellant gases that enter interior space  1600  are intended to pass through suppressor elements  1560  and out of Muzzle Device  1500 , not just absorbed or received within the suppressor elements  1560 . 
     Configuration of Muzzle Device  1500  allows for use of the same tube body  1590 , gas block end cap  1580  and suppressor elements  1560  in Muzzle Device  1500  for different caliber projectiles fired from a different barrel  1100 . Different interchangeable projectile tubes  1520  with different inside diameter and internal threaded end  1521  would be changed to match with different diameter bore  1110  of Barrel  1100 . 
     Attaching assembled Muzzle Device  1500  without suppressor elements  1560  would result in a blast forwarding device that projects unsuppressed propellant gases out of Muzzle Device  1500  through exhaust holes  1544  parallel to the barrel bore. 
       FIG.  3    illustrates an Integrated Barrel and Muzzle Device System  2000  similar to IBMDS  1000  and likewise used on an M16/M4/AR15 rifle in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. IBMDS  2000  is comprised of two major subsystems, Barrel  2100  and Muzzle Device  2500 . Barrel  2100  includes gas vent holes  2120 , phantom lines  2110  depicting the bore of the barrel, threaded muzzle end  2125  and end view of the barrel  2130 . Different than IBMDS  1000 , IBMDS  2000  has an extended barrel  2100 . Gas vent holes  2120  could be slots or circular holes. 
     Muzzle Device  2500 , depicted in longitudinal section view  2510 , extends back over the Barrel  2100  towards the gas block and breech. End view of the muzzle endcap  2525  of the Muzzle Device  2500 , which is affixed by threaded attachment to the Barrel  2100 , depicts exhaust holes  2544  through which propellant gases are exhausted parallel to the bore of Barrel  2100 . 
     Interior space  2600  of Muzzle Device  2500  is exterior to Barrel  2100 . Barrel  2100  has vent slots  2135  that discharge propellant gases into interior space  2600 . Cross section  2130  of barrel  2100  depicts three vent slots  2135 . Likewise, these slots  2135  could be holes in Barrel  2100 . 
     Muzzle Device tube body  2590  has slits  2594  for receiving a portion of internal fins  2700 . Internal fins  2700  are depicted nominally at the midsection of tube body  2590 , which locates them above barrel vent slots  2135 . When affixed by welding, internal fins  2700  add mechanical strength to tube body  2590  immediately above barrel vent slots  2135 . Internal fins  2700  are depicted as straight and parallel to barrel bore  2100 . This disclosure also anticipates that slits  2594  and internals fins  2700  would be angled or in a spiral arrangement. Such arrangement would induce a torque that tightens Muzzle Device  2500  onto barrel  2100  when propellant gases escape and expand into interior space  2600 . It is anticipated that tube body  2590 , internal fins  2700  and gas block end cap  1580  could be configured as a single, monolithic piece by 3D metal printing technology, also known as additive manufacturing. Reference  2560  refers to the longitudinal sectional view of the disclosure. 
       FIG.  4    illustrates Muzzle Device  2500  in longitudinal section  2510  and various parts in exploded views in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. Muzzle Device  2500  is comprised of muzzle end cap  2525 , tube body  2590 , internal fins  2700 , suppressor element  2560 , gas block end cap  1580  and common split lock washer  1600 . Also depicted is internal fin tab  2704  that fits within tube body slit  2594  for affixing by welding. 
     End view of the muzzle endcap  2525  of end cap  2520  depicts exhaust holes  2544 , hex end  2542  for attaching and removing Muzzle Device  2500  from Barrel  2100  and internally threaded hole  2546  for engagement with barrel external threaded end  2125 . End cap  2520  has external threads for engagement with internal threads of distal end of tube body  2590 . Gas block end cap  1580  would be seam welded to the proximate end of tube body  2590 . 
     When Muzzle Device  2500  is assembled and fully threaded onto Barrel  2100 , gas block end cap  1580  captures and compresses lock washer  1600  between and flush up against rifle gas block, not shown in this depiction. Consequently, Muzzle Device  2500  is in a state of mechanical compression, which increases stiffness of barrel  2100  from the gas block to the muzzle. 
     Suppressor element  2560  is depicted as a single cylinder in end view  2565  and longitudinal view  2562 . Suppressor element  2560  can be readily added over barrel  2100  and within Muzzle Device  2500  to attenuate or suppress muzzle flash, physical muzzle blast and audible report of the weapon. Suppressor element  2560  can be removed for cleaning or replacement. Half cylinder suppressor elements  1560  as depicted in  FIG.  2    could function in Muzzle Device  2500  in lieu of suppressor element  2560 . 
     Construction of suppressor element  2560  could be open cell metal foam, 3D printed digital metal foam or by various other methods, materials and architectures with high surface area, low mass, circuitous and disruptive gas pathways in order to extract heat, reduce gas pressure and attenuate sound energy from the propellant gases that pass through and out of projectile tube exhaust holes  2544 . Suppressor element  1560  could have uniform or varying resistance to gas flow and variable porosity as the propellant gases move through the internal architecture. Propellant gases that enter interior space  2600  are intended to pass through suppressor element  2560  and out, not just absorbed or received within the suppressor element  2560 . 
     Configuration of Muzzle Device  2500  and the manner in which propellant gases are directed through suppressor element  2560  allows for use of the same tube body  2590 , end cap  2520 , gas block end cap  1580  and suppressor element  2560  in Muzzle Device  2500  for different caliber projectiles fired from a different barrel  2100 . Outside profiles of different barrels  2100  would be the same but have different diameter bore  2110 . 
     Attaching assembled Muzzle Device  2500  without suppressor element  2560  would result in a blast forwarding device that projects unsuppressed propellant gases out of Muzzle Device  2500  through exhaust holes  2544  parallel to the barrel bore. 
     Herein above descriptions anticipate a combination of parts machined from bar stock, tube stock and other manufacturing methods to complete IBMDS  1000  and  2000 . This disclosure anticipates that either IBMDS  1000  or  2000  could be 3D printed as a monolithic, single piece unit. For example, a monolithic 3D printed version of IBMDS  2000  would no longer have end cap  2520  with exhaust holes  2544 . Propellant gases would exit directly from suppressor element  2560  with greater exposed surface area for the gases to escape. Monolithic, 3D printed IBMDS  2000  could have greater heat transfer to atmosphere of the heat stripped out by suppressor element  2560 . Eliminating air gap between the inside diameter of tube body  2590  and outside diameter of suppressor element  2560  results in conduction heat transfer to atmosphere throughout the entire IBMDS  2000  unit. 
     Illustration and description of the Integrated Barrel and Muzzle Device System herein is not limited to the M16/M4/AR15 rifle and can be similarly adapted to other rifles and firearms. 
       FIG.  5    illustrates another version of Integrated Barrel and Muzzle Device System, hereinafter sometimes IBMDS  3000 , applied to the muzzle end of a firearm barrel in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. IBMDS  3000  is comprised of two major subsystems, the Barrel  3100  and the Muzzle Device  3500 . Barrel  3100  would have a threaded muzzle end  3125 . IBMDS  3000  would attach to the threaded end of the firearm barrel  3125  without having to overlap any portion of the firearm barrel  3100  beyond the threaded portion. End view  3525  of Muzzle Device  3500  is included. 
     IBMDS  3000  does not require the muzzle outside diameter to be greater than the diameter of the external threads. Current suppressors require a shoulder, larger in diameter than the muzzle external threads, to register against or locate when fully attached. When fully attached, IBMDS  3000  registers against the distal face of the barrel muzzle itself. This allows for utilization of the IBMDS  3000  suppressor on legacy firearms that have muzzle outside diameters too small for machining a registration shoulder into the barrel. 
       FIG.  5    also includes a cross section view  3510  of Muzzle Device  3500 , which illustrates front end cap  3580 , interchangeable projectile tube  3520 , suppressor tube body  3590 , suppressor elements  3560  and muzzle end cap  3530  through which propellant gases pass out to atmosphere. In this representation, muzzle end cap  3530  is attached to the interchangeable projectile tube  3520  and not an integral part of the interchangeable projectile tube  3520 . Interior space  3600 , which receives propellant gases from the interchangeable projectile tube  3520 , is exterior to the interchangeable projectile tube  3520  and interior to suppressor tube body  3590 . 
       FIG.  6    illustrates Muzzle Device  3500  in cross section without Barrel  3100  in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. Cross section of the interchangeable projectile tube  3520  illustrates vent holes  3535  in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. Interchangeable Projectile tube  3520  has an external surface and configuration  3522  in a conformal relationship to interior surface and configuration  3582  of front-end cap  3580  when Muzzle Device  3500  is assembled. Interchangeable Projectile tube  3520  has an interior relief cut  3523  that allows the muzzle face of the barrel  3100  to contact and register against the interior face  3527  of projectile tube  3520 . 
       FIG.  7    illustrates a three-dimensional partial section of the muzzle device with the distal end slightly tilted away from vertical in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. Interchangeable Projectile tube  3520  with vent holes  3535  is illustrated solid. Interchangeable Projectile tube  3520  has an external surface and configuration in a conformal relationship to interior surface and configuration with front-end cap  3580  when Muzzle Device  3500  is assembled. Interior space  3600  is illustrated. Suppressor elements  3560  are illustrated in partial section view. Muzzle end cap  3530  is illustrated solid with holes though which propellant gases pass through. The interchangeable projectile tube  3520  is interchangeable with other interchangeable projectile tubes including interchangeable projectile tube  1520 . 
     Embodiments of the disclosure include the projectile tube being interchangeable for each caliber of ammunition. The internal bore diameter is optimized for each size bullet and each projectile tube still uses the same open cellular media for the suppressor elements. 
     For example, a common caliber rifle bullet is .224″ outside diameter (OD). The preferred bore size of the projectile tube for a .224 caliber bullet is approximately .025 to .035″ larger than .224″=&gt;.250.″ Similarly, the preferred bore size of the projectile tube for .308 caliber would be approximately .025 to .035″ larger than .308″=&gt;.344,″ and so forth for different caliber bullets. 
     Using a .308 caliber projectile tube with a .344″ ID (inside diameter) when firing a .224″ projectile allows too much clearance for the high pressure propellant gases to bypass the bullet while in the projectile tube. This negatively affects the propellants being vented into the suppressor body and reduces sound attenuation, aka it is louder. 
     Therefore, an interchangeable projectile tube that vents propellant gases into the suppressor body separates the preponderance of the propellant gases from the projectile. Interchangeable projectile tubes sized for different caliber projectiles minimizes bypass of propellant gases while the projectile moves within the projectile tube. 
     Interchangeable projectile tubes sized for different caliber projectiles therefore minimizes bypassing of propellant gases while the projectile moves within the projectile tube. Interchangeable projectile tubes also use the same open cellular acoustic media for the different caliber projectiles. 
     In further embodiments of the disclosure, propellant gases are vented into the body of the suppressor from the barrel, preponderance of the propellant gases and thereby separated from the projectile pathway. Therefore, the propellant gases vented into the suppressor body exit the suppressor independent of the projectile pathway. 
     The propellant gases vented into the suppressor body pass through an open cell media that attenuates sound, disrupts gas flow, reduces gas pressure and extracts heat from the propellant gases. The open cell media is a single piece annular unit in embodiments and split annular units in other embodiments of the present disclosure. The open cell media is composed of multiple subsidiary pieces that when assembled within the suppressor function similar or equivalent to the single piece annular unit. The open cell media has varying or differential porosities through which the propellant gases and associated sound and heat pass and are filtered by varying and differential wavelengths therefrom. The array of open cell elements comprise a metallic foam, a printed digital metal foam and media with high surface area, low mass, and circuitous and disruptive gas pathways 
     Embodiments of the disclosure include methods of attaching the suppressor to a threaded muzzle end without the barrel diameter being sufficiently large to provide a shoulder for locating the suppressor. In other the suppressor is attached to a threaded muzzle end that locates the suppressor against the distal face of the barrel muzzle. 
     The advantages of this design include reduced added length beyond the muzzle, superior suppression of sound, muzzle flash and gas blow back into the chamber. The suppressor blast chamber that extends back toward to the rifle chamber is a key feature. Previous versions utilize an interior tube that slides back over the rifle barrel proper. This interior tube adds weight and reduces interior volume but is necessary to fit different barrel shapes of existing riles. Suppressor does not have an interior tube but uses the exterior surface of barrel as the surface of the suppressor blast chamber. Assuming the same suppressor tube OD (outside diameter) and wall thickness, not having the interior tube results in greater blast chamber volume for the same over-the-barrel length, reduced weight by eliminating the interior tube, shorter over-the-barrel length for the same blast chamber volume, reduced material cost and reduced manufacturing complexity. 
     Suppressor uses bushing attached or welded at the tube end closest to the rifle chamber. Barrel includes a precision machined journal portion with an OD slightly less than the ID of bushing. The length of engagement and dimensional clearance between the suppressor bushing and the barrel journal is sufficient to check the flow of high pressure gases that exit the muzzle and explosively fill the blast chamber. The portion of the barrel adjacent to the muzzle and the over-the-barrel portion of the suppressor are designed to function one with the other. Attaching the suppressor onto a rifle that did not have the matching interface dimensions would render it non-functional. The above described suppressor and rifle barrel relationships can be applied to bolt action barrels and other firearms as well. 
     Notwithstanding specific embodiments of the invention have been described and illustrated, the invention is not to be limited to the specific forms or arrangements of parts so described and illustrated. The scope of the invention is to be defined by the claims and their equivalents.