Patent Publication Number: US-8991552-B2

Title: Weapon silencer and method of making weapon silencer

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/763,513 filed 12 Feb. 2013. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     This disclosure relates generally to a silencer for a weapon such as a firearm. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Firearm silencers can absorb and reduce the audible frequencies and vibrations resulting from the rapid expansion of gases leaving a firearm muzzle as a projectile exits the gun bore. Such devices, in addition to reducing audible frequencies, can also contain and reduce muzzle flash. Silencers are designed to temporarily contain and divert expanding gases and other combustion by-products emitted from the muzzle of a firearm, and, as a result, effective firearm silencers can be relatively large and bulky to accommodate the large volume of expanding gasses, especially with higher caliber firearms. 
     SUMMARY 
     One aspect of disclosed implementations is a firearm silencer having a first cylindrical body section formed as a single unit having a first inner bore and a receiving end having a first axial bore, a second cylindrical body section formed as a single unit having a second inner bore and a discharge end having a second axial bore, wherein the first cylindrical body section is joined to the second cylindrical body section to form a cylindrical body and a plurality of baffles disposed within the monolithic cylindrical body, each baffle having a baffle axial bore. 
     Another aspect of disclosed implementations is a method of making a firearm silencer by forming a first cylindrical body section having a first inner bore from monolithic metallic stock, forming a second cylindrical body section having a second inner bore from monolithic metallic stock, inserting a plurality of baffles, each baffle having a baffle axial bore, within the first or second cylindrical body sections, and joining the first cylindrical body section with the second cylindrical body section to form a cylindrical body having a plurality of baffles disposed therein. 
     Another aspect of disclosed implementations is a method of silencing a firearm by firing a projectile from a firearm through a silencer formed by joining a first cylindrical body section formed as a single unit having a first inner bore and a receiving end having a first axial bore with a second cylindrical body section formed as a single unit having a second inner bore and a discharge end having a second axial bore, wherein the first cylindrical body section is joined to the second cylindrical body section to form a cylindrical body. The cylindrical body includes a plurality of baffles that are disposed within the cylindrical body, each baffle having a baffle axial bore, wherein the first axial bore, the second axial bore and one or more baffle axial bores of the plurality of baffles align to permit the projectile to enter the cylindrical body via the first axial bore, pass through one or more baffle axial bores of the plurality of baffles and exit the cylindrical body via the second axial bore, and wherein heated gasses and sonic energy emitted from the firearm along with the projectile are captured at least in part in the cylindrical body and dissipate therein. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The description herein makes reference to the accompanying drawings wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views, and wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective cutaway view of a weapon silencer; 
         FIG. 2  is a side view of the weapon silencer; 
         FIG. 3  is a side cross-sectional view of the weapon silencer; and 
         FIG. 4  is a side cross-sectional view of the weapon silencer. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Aspects of disclosed implementations can provide an effective firearm silencer wherein audible frequencies and muzzle flash can be effectively confined in a body of precise axial configuration whereby the expansion of gases is rapidly dissipated. 
     Aspects of disclosed implementations can provide a firearm silencer machined from solid stock material so as to insure precise dimensional tolerances along the longitudinal dimension of the silencer. 
     Aspects of disclosed implementations can provide a weapon silencer which is of economical construction, may be readily assembled, and minimizes the number of seams used in the completed assembly. 
     Aspects of disclosed implementations can provide a weapon silencer which is light in weight, strong, and of uniform wall thickness and precise concentricity along its length. 
     Aspects of disclosed implementations can provide a weapon silencer which may be manufactured from a wide variety of raw materials, without relying solely on conventionally available tube stock. 
     A firearm silencer  10  is illustrated in  FIG. 1 . The silencer  10  can include a cylindrical body  12  having a cylindrical bore  13  axially extending from an open end distal from a receiver  16  of the cylindrical body to a closed end proximate to the receiver  16 . The cylindrical body  12  is also referred to herein as a first cylindrical body section. The receiver  16  includes a wall that extends generally transverse to the axial direction of the cylindrical bore  13  of the cylindrical body  12 . The cylindrical bore  13  has a receiver bore  18  that extends axially through the receiver  16  and can be concentric with the cylindrical body  12 , the cylindrical bore  13  and an axis of the barrel of a firearm to which the silencer  10  can be attached. The receiver bore  18  is sized to allow connection to a firearm and to permit passage of a projectile. The diameter of the receiver bore  18  is small in comparison to the diameter of the cylindrical bore  13  of the cylindrical body  12 . The receiver bore  18  can be threaded for at least a portion of its length and can be threadably attachable to a firearm muzzle, thereby rendering the silencer  10  selectively installable and removable from the weapon or firearm. A firearm barrel is the portion of a firearm or weapon that directs a fired projectile and the muzzle is the end portion of the barrel. The terms weapon and firearm will be used interchangeably herein. 
     The cylindrical body  12  can be formed as a single unit. In one implementation, the cylindrical body  12  can be formed of solid bar stock, being machined in any conventional fashion to form the outer circumference of cylindrical body  12 , the cylindrical bore  13 , the receiver  16 , and the receiver bore  18  and further elements of the body that will be described herein. The thickness of the walls of cylindrical body  12  may be selected by modifying the machining process, and a desired and precise thickness of the walls of the cylindrical body  12  may be selectively varied to form variations in the wall thickness throughout the length of the cylindrical body  12 , or to maintain a uniform thickness along the length of the cylindrical body  12 . By utilization of solid bar stock, the material for the disclosed implementations may be selected from a wide range of available metallic alloys. 
     In other implementations the cylindrical body  12  can be formed by one or more of machining, stamping, forging, casting or additive manufacturing. Each of these forming operations can utilize a wide range of available metallic alloys and are not limited to conventionally available tube stock. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 1-4 , the silencer  10  further comprises an extension  14  having an extension bore  15  with one open end distal to an end cap  22  and one closed end proximate to the end cap  22 . The extension  14  is also referred to herein as a second cylindrical section. The extension  14  can have a discharge  20  at the end cap  22  to allow the projectile fired from the weapon to pass and exit the silencer. The discharge  20  can be an axially extending bore through the end cap  22  that is concentric with respect to the extension bore  15  of the extension  14 . The diameter of the discharge  20  is sized to allow a projectile to pass out of the silencer  10 , and the diameter of the discharge  20  is small in comparison to the diameter of the extension bore  15 . Like the cylindrical body  12 , the extension  14  can be formed as a single unit, and can be formed of solid bar stock, being machined in any conventional fashion to form the outer circumference of the extension  14 , the extension bore  15 , the end cap  22 , and the discharge  20  and further elements of the extension that will be described herein. The thickness of the walls of the extension  14  may be selected by modifying the machining process, and a desired and precise thickness of the walls of the extension  14  may be selectively varied to form variations in the wall thickness throughout the length of the extension  14 , or to maintain a uniform thickness along the length of the extension  14 . By utilization of solid bar stock, the material for disclosed implementations can be selected from a wide range of available metallic alloys. 
     In other implementations the extension  14  can be formed by one or more of machining, stamping, forging, casting or additive manufacturing. Each of these forming operations can utilize a wide range of available metallic alloys and are not limited to conventionally available tube stock. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 1-4 , positioned within an inner chamber  26  formed interior to cylindrical body  12  and the extension  14  are a plurality of baffles  30 . Each baffle  30  can have an axial bore  32  and a frusto-conical section  37 , with the apex of the frusto-conical sections  37  of the baffles  30  disposed toward the receiver bore  18  of the receiver  16  and the base of frusto-conical section disposed toward the discharge  20  of the end cap  22 . Each axial bore  32  in each baffle  30  is large enough to accommodate the passage of the projectile fired from the weapon. Each axial bore  32  in each baffle  30  can be in coaxial alignment so that a projectile fired from a weapon can pass unobstructed through the receiver bore  18 , chamber  26  and axial bores  32  of the plurality of baffles  30 , until exiting the discharge  20  in the end cap  22 . 
     The inter-relationship of the cylindrical body  12 , the extension  14 , and baffles  30  will be best appreciated by reference to  FIG. 3 . In the implementation so depicted, one or more baffles  30  can be positioned substantially within the inner chamber  26  of the extension  14 , although partially extending into the inner chamber  26  of cylindrical body  12 . Each baffle  30  has an annular section or annulus  36  and the frusta-conical section  37 . Baffles  30  can be formed by casting or stamping, and are manufactured so as to insure a precise fit between the outer circumference of the annulus  36  and the inner circumference of the extension bore  15 . By closely fitting the annulus  36  to the extension bore  15 , expanding gasses, combustion by-products and sound energy can be prevented from passing between the annulus  36  and the extension bore  15  thereby increasing the efficiency with which the silencer  10  can suppress noise and muzzle flash. Baffles  30  may be spaced apart by one or more spacers  38 . One or more of the one or more spacers  38  can be formed as a separate unit or can be formed as part of each baffle  30 . When assembled, the silencer  10  can present the appearance shown in  FIG. 3 . 
     In aspects of disclosed implementations, it can be desirable that the flow of combustion gases associated with the firing of a projectile be attenuated and captured by the baffles  30 . To facilitate this attenuation, each of the baffles  30  can be provided with one or more ports  34  which can communicate with the inner chamber  26 . In disclosed implementations, this communication takes place by virtue of the orientation the ports  34 , which will be best appreciated by reference to  FIG. 4 . For example, in baffle  30   b , the port  34  is formed in the shape of a rectangle in the frusto-conical section  37  of baffle  30   b . In baffle  30   a , the port  34  is formed in the shape of a circle in the frusto-conical section of baffle  30   a . Each baffle  30  can also be ported by a relief section  33  formed in the axial bore  32 . Baffle  30   c  has a relief section in diameter of the axial bore  32 . 
     In operation, the ports  34  and the relief sections  33  can assist in dissipating combustion gasses and sound energy. As combustion gases and sound energy enter chamber  26   a  via the axial bore  32  in baffle  30   c , the expanding gasses and sound energy can encounter turbulent flow caused by the shape of chamber  26   a . A portion of the gasses and sound energy can be communicated back into chamber  26  via the relief section  33  and the port  34  in baffle  30   c , thereby attenuating sound energy and dissipating the pressures of gases to be transmitted to the axial bore  32  of baffle  30   b . The gases continue their flow through axial bore  32  of baffle  30   b  passing into chamber  26   b  wherein a further portion of the gasses and sound energy is passed back to chamber  26   a  through the ports  34  formed in baffle  30   b . The remainder of the gasses and sound energy can then pass to chamber  26   c  via the axial bore  32  of baffle  30   c  where a further portion of the gasses and sound energy can pass back into chamber  26   b  via the port  34  in baffle  30   a  and then, having dissipated a substantial amount of heat and sound energy, the remaining gasses and sound energy finally pass through the discharge  20  and out of the silencer  10 . 
     The cylindrical body  12  and the extension  14  can secured together in end to end relationship as shown in the figures, and as will be explained in further detail herein. The cylindrical body  12  and the extension  14  may also be secured together by welding, thereby forming a monolithic structure permanently joined together, for example. Forming the silencer as a monolithic unit in this fashion can provide a more reliable silencer since it cannot be inadvertently separated in use. Other ways of joining the cylindrical body  12  and the extension  14  include utilizing modern high strength adhesives, fasteners, threads or conventional metal joinder techniques such as brazing or soldering. The techniques of manufacturing the device according to the above-described structure results in a silencer which is assembled having a single seam, and wherein the silencer body is of precise dimension and alignment with the weapon bore. The cylindrical body  12  and the extension  14  can be joined permanently, for example by welding the two parts to form the silencer  10 , or they can be joined so as to permit the two parts to be separated, for example by threading the two part together. 
     Further aspects of disclosed implementations include a stop ring  60 .  FIG. 4  shows the stop ring  60  positioned at the point where the cylindrical body  12  is joined to the extension  14 . The cylindrical body  12  can formed with a reduced portion  52 , where the stop ring  60  is of an outer diametric dimension substantially equal to the outer diameter of the reduced portion  52  of the cylindrical body  12 . By sizing the baffles  30  and the spacers  38  properly, the baffles  30  can be captured by the stop ring  60  and thereby held securely in position in the extension  14  prior to the cylindrical body  12  and the extension  14  being mated. The baffle  30  closest to the cylindrical body  12  engages the stop ring  60  when the cylindrical body  12  and the extension  14 , containing the baffles  30 , are assembled together. The extension  14  is provided with an annular lip  50 , which surrounds and partially engages the reduced portion  52  of the cylindrical body  12 . The annular lip  50  and the reduced portion  52  may be formed with mechanically interlocking elements, which secure the cylindrical body  12  and the extension  14  in end to end communication, thereby forming a substantially contiguous internal chamber  26  extending from the receiver bore  18  to the discharge  20  in the end cap  22  portion of the extension  14 . 
     Although the above implementations disclose combining the cylindrical body  12  and the extension  14  to form the silencer  10 , it is contemplated that three or more portions can be joined together to form the silencer  10 . The silencer  10  can include one or more baffles having frusto-conical sections and ports and other structures designed to direct and/or port gasses, by-products of combustion and sound energy in such a fashion as to reduce the sound energy and muzzle flash emitted from the silencer in conjunction with the firing of a projectile. When using baffles and other structures in this fashion, the principles and concepts are similar to those previously described and it will be appreciated that various other modifications of the disclosed implementations may be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure herein.