Patent Publication Number: US-8984793-B2

Title: Disk-shaped bullet, bullet case and firearm with rectangular barrel for disk-shaped bullet

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates generally to firearms and guns such as rifles and to the bullets propelled therefrom, and in particular relates to a firearm having a rectangular barrel for shooting a disk-shaped bullet and to a disk-shaped bullet and cartridge for use with the firearm. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     There are many different types of firearms used for sporting, military or other activities, primarily having in common that a projectile (e.g., a bullet or ball) is propelled by some means away from the firearm through a barrel. Propulsion upon discharge of the firearm is accomplished by means such as gunpowder alone, a percussion cap plus gunpowder or a cartridge containing primer (impact sensitive chemical mixture), gunpowder and bullet. Ignition of the gunpowder, usually within the cartridge casing, causes a sudden formation of gas which propels the projectile out the barrel. 
     Early firearms used simple, spherical bails as bullets, typically made of lead and having diameters sized to fit closely in the cylindrical barrels of the firearms. In the early 1800&#39;s pointed bullets having a conical front end were developed. Typically they had a hollow rear end with some structural component designed to grip and engage rifling within the barrel. Whatever the structure, it is important that bullets are manufactured without problematic surface imperfections and that they form a seal with the bore of the firearm so that gas does not leak past the bullet, reducing the efficiency of the firearm. The bullet must also engage rifling within the firearm barrel without damaging or fouling the bore of the firearm and without distorting the bullet. 
     Most firearms designed to discharge a single projectile at a time typically have a bullet guide feature known as “rifling”. The process of rifling provides lands with interleaved helical (“spiral”) grooves within the barrel of a round-bored firearm, generally with two or more grooves cut or milled throughout the length of the barrel. The diameter of the projectile or bullet that is fired through the barrel corresponds with the groove diameter. The rifling causes the projectile to spin and become gyroscopically stabilized. The projectile is then aerodynamically stabilized and has increased accuracy. The “twist rate” of rifling defines the distance the projectile moves within the barrel to complete one full revolution. The shorter the distance, the greater (faster) the twist rate, so that the projectile is rated at a faster spin rate. For spherical lead balls, only a low twist rate (e.g., 1 turn in 48 inches) is used, while barrels used with long narrow bullets have faster twist rates (e.g., 1 turn in 8 inches). The twist rate may increase within the barrel. Generally, firearm barrels have rifling that provides a twist rate to stabilize the type of projectile for which the firearm is typically used. An alternative bullet guide feature is provided by the patent of Hagan (U.S. Pat. No. 3,777,385) and comprises a plurality of adjacent aperture disc assemblies fitted within the cylindrical barrel. 
     Rifle cartridges are designed to work with particular interior bore dimensions of the gun chamber. A cartridge holds the bullet, propellant and primer, usually within a case (e.g., of metal) that fits precisely within the firing chamber of a firearm. 
     It is an object of the invention to provide a firearm, bullet case and bullet providing increased stability when the firearm is fired. 
     It is a further object of the invention to provide a firearm having a barrel with a rectangular bore and a bullet case and disk-shaped bullets for use with the firearm. 
     It is a further object of the invention to provide a disk-shaped bullet that is compact and thin for high capacity storage and magazine loading. 
     It is a further object of the invention to provide a bullet that has greater penetration, similar to a rotating circular blade, with greater surface edge. 
     Other objects and features of the inventions will be more fully apparent from the following disclosure and appended claims. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention herein includes a firearm comprising a receiver, a stock, an elongated barrel and a muzzle. The barrel extends from the receiver to the muzzle and has a rectangular internal bore extending from the receiver to the muzzle. The internal bore has two short sides and two long sides. A plurality of teeth extends along one of the short sides within the internal bore. A disk-shaped bullet fitting within the internal bore may be fired from the firearm. A bullet case having a rectangular orifice is provided to chamber the disk-shaped bullet for propulsion through the rectangular internal bore of the firearm. 
     Other objects and features of the inventions will be more fully apparent from the following disclosure and appended claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a first embodiment of the disk-shaped bullet of the invention. 
         FIG. 2  is an elevational view of a side the disk-shaped bullet of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is an elevational view of an edge of the disk-shaped bullet of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a first embodiment of the disk-shaped bullet of the invention having a coating (dashes). 
         FIG. 5  is an elevational view of a side of the disk-shaped bullet of  FIG. 4 . 
         FIG. 6  is an elevational view of an edge of the disk-shaped bullet of  FIG. 4 . 
         FIG. 7  is an elevational view of a second embodiment of the disk-shaped bullet of the invention. 
         FIG. 8  is an elevational view of a side of the disk-shaped bullet of  FIG. 7 . 
         FIG. 9  is an elevational view of an edge of the disk-shaped bullet of  FIG. 7 . 
         FIG. 10  is a perspective view of a third embodiment of the disk-shaped bullet of the invention having a central indentation on the sides. 
         FIG. 11  is an elevational view of a side of the disk-shaped bullet of  FIG. 10 . 
         FIG. 12  is an elevational view of an edge of the disk-shaped bullet of  FIG. 10 . 
         FIG. 13  is a perspective view of the third embodiment of the invention having a larger central indentation than on  FIG. 10 . 
         FIG. 14  is an elevational view of a side of the disk-shaped bullet of  FIG. 13 . 
         FIG. 15  is an elevational view of an edge of the disk-shaped bullet of  FIG. 13 . 
         FIG. 16  is a side cross-sectional view of a rectangular teething barrel (and a portion of the rest of the rifle) in a vertical configuration, showing a disk-shaped bullet in a bullet case in the gun chamber. This figure also illustrates the appearance of a top view of a horizontal teething barrel. 
         FIG. 17  is a top view of the rectangular teething barrel of  FIG. 16 . This figure also illustrates the appearance of a side view of a horizontal teething barrel. 
         FIG. 18  is a muzzle-end view of the rectangular teething barrel of  FIG. 16 . 
         FIG. 19  shows the rectangular teething barrel of  FIG. 16  and a side cross-sectional schematic view of sequential positions of a disk-shaped bullet being fired through the teething barrel. 
         FIG. 20  is a schematic side-view of flat/straight (rectangular) teeth. 
         FIG. 21  is a perspective view of the teeth of  FIG. 20 . 
         FIG. 22  is a schematic side-view of flat angled teeth. 
         FIG. 23  is a perspective view of the teeth of  FIG. 22 . 
         FIG. 24  is a schematic side-view of convex teeth. 
         FIG. 25  is a perspective view of the teeth of  FIG. 24 . 
         FIG. 26  is a schematic side-view of concave teeth. 
         FIG. 27  is a perspective view of the teeth of  FIG. 26 . 
         FIG. 28  is a schematic side-view of off-set flat, straight teeth. 
         FIG. 29  is a perspective view of the teeth of  FIG. 28 . 
         FIG. 30  is a schematic side-view of off-set teeth with a central channel. 
         FIG. 31  is a perspective view of the teeth of  FIG. 30 . 
         FIG. 32  is a front side perspective view of a primer center-fired, straight bullet case with no shoulder and no neck. 
         FIG. 33  is a side cross-sectional view of the bullet case of  FIG. 32 . 
         FIG. 34  is a front elevational view of the bullet case of  FIG. 32 . 
         FIG. 35  is top plan view of the bullet case of  FIG. 32 . 
         FIG. 36  is a back elevational view of the bullet case of  FIG. 32  (also shows the back elevational view of the bullet case of  FIG. 37  and  FIG. 41 ). 
         FIG. 37  is a front side perspective view of a primer center-fired, sloped shoulder bullet case with no neck. 
         FIG. 38  is a side cross-sectional view of the bullet case of  FIG. 37 . 
         FIG. 39  is a front elevational view of the bullet case of  FIG. 37  (also shows the front elevational view of the bullet case of  FIG. 41 ). 
         FIG. 40  is a top plan view of the bullet case of  FIG. 37 . 
         FIG. 41  is a front side perspective view of a primer center-fired bullet case having a shoulder and neck. 
         FIG. 42  is a side cross-sectional view of the bullet case of  FIG. 41 . 
         FIG. 43  is a top plan view of the bullet case of  FIG. 41 . 
         FIG. 44  is a front side perspective view of a rim-fired, straight bullet case with no shoulder and no neck. 
         FIG. 45  is a side cross-sectional view of the bullet case of  FIG. 44 . 
         FIG. 46  is a front elevational view of the bullet case of  FIG. 44 . 
         FIG. 47  is a top plan view of the bullet case of  FIG. 44 . 
         FIG. 48  is a back elevational view of the bullet, case of  FIG. 44  (also shows the back elevational view of the bullet case of  FIG. 49  and  FIG. 53 ). 
         FIG. 49  is a front side perspective view of a rim-fired bullet case with a sloped shoulder and no neck. 
         FIG. 50  is a side cross-sectional view of the bullet case of  FIG. 49 . 
         FIG. 51  is a front elevational view of the bullet case of  FIG. 49  (also shows the front elevational view of the bullet case of  FIG. 53 ). 
         FIG. 52  is a top plan view of the bullet case of  FIG. 49 . 
         FIG. 53  is a front side perspective view of a rim-fired bullet case with a shoulder and neck. 
         FIG. 54  is a side cross-sectional view of the bullet case of  FIG. 53 . 
         FIG. 55  is a top plan view of the bullet case of  FIG. 53 . 
         FIG. 56  is a side perspective view of rectangular teething barrel having a horizontal curved configuration. 
         FIG. 57  is a front (end) elevational view of the teething barrel of  FIG. 56 . 
         FIG. 58  is a top plan view of the teething barrel of  FIG. 56 . 
         FIG. 59  is a side cross-sectional view of a rectangular teething barrel (and a portion of rest of the rifle) in a vertical configuration, showing a disk-shaped bullet in a bullet case in the gun chamber. In this embodiment, there are grooves between the teeth. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION AND PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS THEREOF 
     The present invention comprises a firearm with a barrel having a rectangular internal bore with teeth extending along one short side of the rectangular internal bore, a disk-shaped bullet (or “penny bullet”) and a bullet case as described and shown herein. 
     The firearm with which the invention is used comprises a receiver and a stock as known in the art (not shown) and an elongated barrel  10 . The elongated barrel  10  of the invention has an internal bore  12  having a rectangular cross-section  14  as shown in  FIG. 18  to accommodate the disk-shaped bullet  16  (discussed below). In an example of a preferred embodiment of the invention components herein, the internal bore  12  is ½ inch× 3/16 inch as is the rectangular orifice  44  of the bullet case  42  (see below), and the disk-shaped bullet  16  is about 0.001 inch larger in each dimension than is the internal bore  12 . The disk-shaped bullet  16  touches the internal bore  12  on all sides of the disk-shaped bullet  16  as is the case for prior art bullets and barrels. The disk-shaped bullet  16  compresses as it goes over the teeth  22 , and as shown in  FIG. 19 , has an edge similar to a saw blade after progressing down the elongated barrel  10 . 
     The barrel  10  may be mounted on a receiver of a rifle as known in the art, in a vertical configuration ( FIGS. 16-18 ). Alternatively, the barrel  10  may be shifted 90° to a horizontal configuration ( FIG. 16  shows what the top of a vertical configuration would look like and  FIG. 17  shows what a side of a vertical configuration would look like) or a diagonal position (not shown). Preferably the outside of the barrel  10  is rectangular. Multiple elongated barrels, each having a rectangular internal bore, may be mounted together, for example, stacked aligned side-by-side or stacked, to create multi-barrel, single-shot, multi-projectile configurations and are included in the invention herein. 
     In the invention herein, teething within the barrel  10  comprising multiple teeth  22 , replaces the rifling that is known in the art in a rifled barrel. When a disk-shaped bullet  16  is shot out of the teething barrel  10  of the invention, it rotates as it comes out of the barrel  10 , which is accomplished with the teeth  22 , which are regularly spaced projections extending down one of the short sides  20  of the internal bore  12  and projecting into the internal bore  12 , preferably about 0.004 inch into the internal bore  12  from one of the short sides  20 . Thus, within the internal bore  12  are a plurality of teeth  22  preferably extending the length of the barrel  10 , and at a minimum extending down a barrel  10  that has an internal bore  12  that is a least as long as a distance equal to the outer circumference of the disk-shaped bullet  16  of the invention (see below). The teething provides symmetry to the disk-shaped bullet  16  for flight. The teething pattern acts as a horizontal straight gear running along the length of the barrel  10 , parallel to the path of the disk-shaped bullet of the invention. The purpose of the teething is to create a rotation of the disk-shaped bullet  16  when the disk-shaped bullet  16  is shot through the rectangular internal bore  12  of the barrel  10  of the invention. The teeth  22  help to accelerate rotation so as to stabilize the disk-shaped bullet  16  as it flies down the barrel  10  and to stabilize the disk-shaped bullet  16  in flight. This creates an orbital resonance so that the disk-shaped bullet  16  does not deflect from its intended path. Teeth  22  can be present at the top or bottom of a vertically oriented barrel  10  that has the shorter sides  20  of the rectangular cross-section  14  on the top and the bottom of the barrel  10 , or at the left or right of a horizontally oriented barrel  10  that has the shorter  20  sides of the rectangular cross-section  14  on the left and right of the barrel  10 , but never are there teeth on both shorter sides  20  of the internal bore  12  of the barrel  10  or on the longer sides  18  of the internal bore  12  of the barrel  10 . 
     The teeth  22  which make up the teething of the invention herein may be in any shape as desired. Examples are shown of flat/straight (rectangular) teeth  22 A ( FIGS. 20-21 ), flat, angled teeth  22 B ( FIGS. 22-23 ), convex teeth  22 C ( FIGS. 24-25 ), and concave teeth  22 D ( FIGS. 26-27 ). Teeth  22  may also be pointed (not shown). Teeth  22  along the barrel  10  may also be spaced in an off-set pattern  24  ( FIGS. 28-29 ) and/or have a center space or channel  26  ( FIGS. 30-31 ). 
     Optionally, there may be grooves  56  between teeth  22  as shown in  FIG. 59 . These grooves  56  mean that in the grooved barrel, the teeth  22  in the preferred embodiment extend about 0.002 inch above the mean barrel dimension and the groove  56  extends about 0.002 inch below the mean barrel dimension, and the mean barrel dimension is 0.002 inch greater in the embodiment shown in  FIG. 59  than in the embodiment shown in  FIG. 16 . 
     The disk-shaped bullet  16  of the invention herein is a thin circular object, referred to herein as a “disk” (or “disc”; also called a “penny bullet”) as shown in  FIGS. 1-15 . The disk-shaped bullet  16  is preferably made of any substance softer than that of the barrel  10 , such as copper, or a copper coating  28 , with lead, carbide or steel inside as known in the art. 
     In a first embodiment, the disk-shaped bullet  16  of the invention is coin-shaped (called a “penny bullet”) as shown in  FIGS. 1-6  and does not have any central indentation or hole. In a second embodiment, the disk-shaped bullet  16  of the invention is shaped like a flat washer, which may have a centrally located interior hole  30  ( FIGS. 7-9 ), the edges  32  of the interior hole  30  being equidistant from the bullet outer edge  34  all around the interior hole  30 . In a third embodiment, the disk-shaped bullet  16  of the invention has a centrally located interior, preferably but not necessarily flat, circular indentation  36  ( FIGS. 10-15 ), with the outer edge  38  of the indentation  36  being equidistant from the bullet outer edge  34  as shown with a smaller ( FIGS. 10-12 ) or a larger ( FIGS. 13-15 ) indentation. A disk-shaped bullet with a larger diameter indentation  36  has less friction going down the teethed barrel  10  of the invention herein than does one with a smaller diameter indentation  36 . 
     In any of the disk-shaped bullet embodiments, the outer edge of the disk-shaped bullet  16  may be tapered or rounded without departing from the invention herein, or be squared off as shown in the figures. A flat edge disk-shaped bullet penetrates a target in the manner of a blunt-nosed bullet as known in the art, whereas as taper-edged disk-shaped bullet has the same effect as a serrated buzz saw blade or a meat slicer or other rotating cutter. The dashed line around the edges of the disk-shaped bullet  10  in  FIGS. 4-6  indicates that the disk-shaped bullet may have an exterior coating layer  28 , for example, made of copper as known in the art of bullet manufacture. This coating  28  may be placed on any of the embodiments of the disk-shaped bullet of the invention herein, although is only shown on the first embodiment. 
     In one preferred embodiment, the disk-shaped bullet, of the invention has a circumference of approximately 1.57 inches (½ inch diameter). This is 7.743 rotations per linear foot (12 inches divided by 1.57). At 1,000 feet per second, that is 7,643 rotations per second. 
     The bullet case  42  of the invention may be made in the design of the cartridge of a long range rifle, a pistol or a revolver. The bullet case  42  chambers like cartridges as known in the art, for example, in the chamber  52  for a traditional rifle, semi-automatic, automatic, revolver or pistol, but only a disk-shaped bullet as provided in the invention herein can be fired from the bullet case  42  through the rectangular bore of the invention herein. 
     The bullet case  42  of the invention has a rectangular orifice (slot)  44  which holds to the disk-shaped bullet  16  of the invention as shown in  FIGS. 32 ,  37 ,  41 ,  44 ,  49 , and  53 . The bullet case  42  may be structured in a wide variety of shapes with or without a shoulder  46  and with or without a neck  48  as known in the art for particular firearms and desired uses (e.g., desired burn rate and ignition characteristics). The bullet case  42  may be primer center-fired  50  or rim-fired  54  as its ignition method as known in the art. Preferred embodiments of the bullet case  42  include but are not limited to primer center-fired, straight with no shoulder and no neck ( FIGS. 32-36 ), primer center-fired, sloped shoulder  46 , no neck ( FIG. 37-40 ), primer center-fired with shoulder  46  and neck  48  ( FIGS. 41-43 ), rim-fired, straight no shoulder, no neck ( FIGS. 44-48 ), rim-fired, sloped shoulder  46 , no neck ( FIGS. 49-52 ) and rim-fired with shoulder  46  and neck  48  ( FIGS. 53-55 ). The inside of the bullet case will have a different shape depending on the method of ignition. If the bullet case is rim-fired, it should have two firing pins as known in the art to give positive ignition. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 33 ,  38 ,  42 ,  45  and  50 , for proper crimping to hold the disk-shaped bullet  16  in the bullet case  42 , the interior dimensions of the bullet case  42  are smaller than the external dimensions of the disk-shaped bullet  42 . In use, the disk-shaped bullet is seated in the bullet case  42  by a seating die or tool as known in the art. Preferably at least half the circumference is inside the bullet case and half of it is outside the bullet case.  FIG. 19  shows a schematic view of the travel of a disk-shaped bullet  16  down the teething barrel  10  of the invention and shows the tooth-caused deformation of the disk-shaped bullet  16   
     As shown in  FIGS. 56-58 , the elongated barrel with rectangular bore of the invention may be curved (up to 90 degrees) to allow “around-corner” shooting of a disk-shaped bullet. The teeth  22  are shown in  FIGS. 56 and 58  on the inside of the curved barrel  10 , but may alternatively be on the opposite (outside) of the curved barrel  10  (not shown). In this embodiment, the disk-shaped bullet  16  initially travels on its side (horizontally) directly away from the shooter, but is turned by the curve of the barrel to exit an angle to a side of the shooter, sideways when the barrel is horizontally placed as shown in  FIG. 56 . 
     While the invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments, it will be appreciated that numerous variations, modifications, and embodiments are possible, and accordingly, all such variations, modifications, and embodiments are to be regarded as being within the spirit and scope of the invention.