Patent Publication Number: US-9849566-B2

Title: Armorer&#39;s block

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/979,934 filed Apr. 15, 2014 and entitled “ARMORER&#39;S BLOCK,” the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference for all purposes, as if fully set forth herein. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     The present disclosure relates generally to gunsmithing. In particular, but not by way of limitation, the present disclosure relates to systems, methods and apparatuses for supporting a firearm during gunsmithing operations. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Users who wish to build or modify firearms, or otherwise engage in gunsmithing, need a means for maintaining stability of the firearm. 
     Some known devices, such as the Geissele Reaction Rod and Brownell&#39;s Barrel Extension Torque Tool, couple to the flanges of the barrel extension as well as an inside of the upper receiver. To use the Brownell&#39;s Barrel Extension Torque Tool, the user is to clamp the barrel nut wrench handle firmly in a bench vise, insert the barrel into the upper receiver, and finger tighten the barrel nut. The user should then slide the barrel through the wrench, insert the Torque Tool in the back of the receiver until the teeth lock into the locking lugs in the barrel extension, and apply torque with a torque drive through the Brownell&#39;s Tool to tighten the barrel nut. This device is functional; however, it can only be gripped along a longitudinal length extending out a rear of the upper receiver, placing excessive torque on the end of the tool. 
     As another example, the CROSSTAC Upper/Lower Block and The Flipper by DPMS are both made from polymer, but merely include a rectangular block that fits into the upper receiver. While these devises are also functional, it is desirable to provide greater support and stability when building or modifying a firearm. 
     Although present devices and methods are functional, they are not sufficiently efficient or otherwise satisfactory. Accordingly, a system and method are needed to address the shortfalls of present technology and/or to provide other new and innovative features. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Exemplary embodiments of the present invention that are shown in the drawings are summarized below. These and other embodiments are more fully described in the Detailed Description section. It is to be understood, however, that there is no intention to limit the invention to the forms described in this Summary of the Invention or in the Detailed Description. One skilled in the art can recognize that there are numerous modifications, equivalents and alternative constructions that fall within the spirit and scope of the invention as expressed in the claims. 
     The present invention can provide a system and method for supporting a firearm during gunsmithing. In one exemplary embodiment, the present invention can include a gunsmithing block. 
     In some examples, the gunsmithing block has a first end for interfacing with a vice, and a second end shaped to interface with an upper receiver assembly of a firearm, the upper receiver assembly having an upper receiver, a bolt carrier without a bolt, and a barrel extension. In this example, the second end has an upper receiver mating portion shaped to interface with an interior region of the upper receiver and an interior region of the barrel extension. 
     In some examples, a gunsmithing block has an upper receiver mating portion shaped to mate with an interior region of an upper receiver of a firearm; a lower receiver mating portion opposing the upper receiver mating portion and shaped to interface with an interior region of a lower receiver of the firearm; an inner core having a metallic material and a bolt locking end; and an exterior body having at least a portion of the lower receiver mating portion, the exterior body substantially encasing the inner core such that the bolt locking end is exposed. 
     In some examples, a gunsmithing block for bracing a firearm has an upper receiver mating portion; a vice mating portion opposing the upper receiver mating portion; an inner core having a bolt locking end having a first material hardness; and an exterior body having a lower receiver mating portion and encasing a portion of the inner core such that the bolt locking end is exposed, the exterior body further having a plunger having a second material hardness. In these examples, the second material hardness is less than the first material hardness, and the plunger and the bolt locking end oppose one another along a central axis. 
     As previously stated, the above-described embodiments and implementations are for illustration purposes only. Numerous other embodiments, implementations, and details of the invention are easily recognized by those of skill in the art from the following descriptions and claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Various objects and advantages and a more complete understanding of the present invention are apparent and more readily appreciated by reference to the following Detailed Description and to the appended claims when taken in conjunction with the accompanying Drawings wherein: 
         FIG. 1  illustrates a rear perspective view of an exemplary armorer&#39;s block; 
         FIG. 2  is a front perspective view of an exemplary armorer&#39;s block; 
         FIG. 3  is a second front view of the block in  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a rear perspective view of an exemplary armorer&#39;s block assembly; 
         FIG. 5  is bottom view of an exemplary armorer&#39;s block; 
         FIG. 6  is a rear perspective view of an exemplary inner portion of an armorer&#39;s block; 
         FIG. 7  is a front perspective view of an exemplary outer portion of an armorer&#39;s block; 
         FIG. 8  illustrates an exemplary armorer&#39;s block with a lower receiver assembled thereon; 
         FIG. 9  illustrates an exemplary armorer&#39;s block with components of an upper receiver assembly thereon; 
         FIG. 10  is a cross section of the components illustrated in  FIG. 9 ; 
         FIG. 11  illustrates an exemplary armorer&#39;s block with an upper receiver with a bolt carrier and barrel extension assembled thereon; 
         FIG. 12  illustrates an interface between an exemplary armorer&#39;s block and a barrel extension located within an upper receiver; 
         FIG. 13  is a flowchart illustrating a method of using an armorer&#39;s block; and 
         FIG. 14  is a flowchart illustrating a process of making an armorer&#39;s block. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The word “exemplary” is used herein to mean “serving as an example, instance, or illustration.” Any embodiment described herein as “exemplary” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments. 
     The present disclosure relates generally to a device to assist in gunsmithing, and in particular, to an armorer&#39;s block that can mate with an upper receiver or a lower receiver and thereby provide a way to couple either firearm component to a vice. For the purpose of this disclosure, the terms “gunsmith” and “armorer” and their related adjectives and verbs, are interchangeable, and shall broadly reference any person who is working on, building, modifying, or otherwise treating a firearm, whether as a hobby, sport, or occupation. 
       FIGS. 1-12  illustrate various views of a first embodiment of an armorer&#39;s block  100 . The block  100  includes an upper receiver mating portion  110  and a lower receiver mating portion  130 . The upper and lower receiver mating portions  110 ,  130  can be part of a single block of material or can be formed from two or more different pieces. Between the upper and lower receiver mating portions  110 ,  130  is a magazine well stop  150  arranged obliquely to a longitudinal axis of the block  100 . As illustrated, the lower receiver mating portion  130  may include one or more recesses on the outer wall; these outer recesses may serve to allow portions of the block  100  to deform slightly and non-permanently as a vice is tightened about the block  100 . 
     The upper receiver mating portion  110  can mate to an upper receiver, or subcomponents thereof, of a firearm such as an AR15 as seen in  FIGS. 9-12 . This mating involves a bolt replacement portion  112  comprising a bolt locking end  114  and a plunger  116 . The bolt locking end  114  includes a plurality of radial flanges extending radially outward from a longitudinal axis of the bolt replacement portion  112 . The bolt locking end  114  is designed to replicate a front end of a bolt such that the radial flanges are designed to slide through the flanges of a barrel extension  2450  and mate with the barrel extension of an upper receiver (see  FIG. 12 ). The plunger  116  may include a friction element, such as a gasket  118 , a packing, a covering, a filling a padding, or a buffer, and this combination replicates the bolt gas rings of a bolt. In some embodiments, the friction element may include a replacement ring similar to the original gas ring or a spiral type ring; however, it should be understood that any suitable friction element is contemplated. The plunger  116  can slide in and out of a bolt carrier and the gasket  118  creates sufficient friction so that the upper receiver mating portion  110  remains securely mated to the bolt carrier when the block  100  is mated to an upper receiver. When the upper receiver mating portion  110  mates to an upper receiver, the bolt locking end  114  and the plunger  116  mate with the upper receiver in a similar but not identical fashion to the bolt that the bolt replacement portion  112  replaces. In this way, the upper receiver mating portion  110  more securely mates with an upper receiver than known vice blocks in the art and thereby enables greater torque to be applied to the barrel nut and other portions of the upper receiver while decreasing the risk of damaging the upper receiver during gunsmithing operations. 
     It should be noted that an alignment feature  180  (see e.g.  FIG. 1 ) may also be provided as part of the upper receiver mating portion  110 . The alignment feature  180  may be one or more raised sections, protrusions, or flanges that engage an upper receiver directly while also providing a locating and support function. Specifically, the alignment feature  180  may ensure the bolt locking end  114  may be properly inserted in the barrel extension. 
       FIG. 9  shows the block  100  mated to a bolt carrier and a barrel extension without showing other elements of the upper receiver. From this it can be more easily seen how the bolt replacement portion  112  replicates the interaction of the bolt with both the bolt carrier and the barrel extension. 
       FIG. 10  shows a cross section of the components illustrated in  FIG. 9 . 
     In order to use the block  100 , the upper and lower receivers of a firearm are separated and the bolt carrier group is removed. The bolt is removed from the bolt carrier group. The block  100  is then inserted into the upper receiver, the bolt locking end  114  being mated with the barrel extension. The bolt carrier, without the bolt, is then inserted back into the upper receiver and mated with the plunger  116  and pushed forward until the bolt carrier cannot move forward any further because it impinges on the block  100 . In this way the block  100  keeps the bolt carrier in a partially open position (see  FIGS. 9-12 ). 
       FIG. 11  shows the block  100  mated to an upper receiver and in particular mated to the bolt carrier and barrel extension thereof. 
     The upper receiver mating portion  110  also can include first and second takedown pin apertures  120 ,  122  and a takedown pin  124  (or a takedown pin from the firearm can be used). The first and second takedown pin apertures  120 ,  122  can be arranged near a front of the upper receiving mating portion  110  and can be arranged perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the firearm barrel or bolt. Once the upper receiver is mated with the block  100 , a takedown pin hole of the upper receiver will be aligned with the take down pin apertures  120 ,  122  such that the take down pin can be inserted through the take down pin apertures  120 ,  122  as well as the take down pin hole, thereby further affixing the block  100  to the upper receiver. In particular, while the bolt locking end  114  passes into the flanged region of the barrel extension, the bolt locking end  114  does not rotate and thereby lock into the barrel extension as a bolt does when ready to fire. Therefore, there is a possibility that the upper receiver can move forward relative to the block  100  and can damage the barrel extension. When the take down pin hole is coupled to the take down pin apertures  120 ,  122  via the take down pin, the upper receiver is unable to slide forward relative to the block  100 . The takedown pin apertures  120 ,  122  also assist in alignment of the block  100  with the upper receiver. Because the takedown pin only fits through the takedown pin apertures  120 ,  122  when it is aligned with the takedown pin holes, the coupling of these components longitudinally aligns the block  100  and upper receiver. This is especially important since most of the interaction of the upper receiver mating portion  110  and the upper receiver is blind—that is, not visible to the user. 
     The block  100  can be formed of an inner portion  160  and an outer portion  170 . These two portions  160 ,  170  appear seamless in most figures and in the product, but can be manufactured separately and then combined to form the final block  100 . In some embodiments the inner portion  160  and the outer portion  170  can be formed of different materials. For instance, the inner portion  160  can be formed from a stronger, yet possibly more brittle material (e.g., metal), while the outer portion  170  can be formed from a weaker, yet possibly less brittle material (e.g., polymer). 
     The inner portion  160  can be seen best in  FIG. 6 . The inner portion  160  can include the bolt locking end  114  and can run from a top to a bottom of the block  100  thus providing a skeleton or backbone to the block  100  that increases the overall resistance to torsion and bending of the block  100 . A cross section of the inner portion  160  when viewed from a top or bottom can resemble the profile of an I-beam, and this profile provides greater strength for a reduced amount of material. This can be important where the inner portion  160  is formed from a more expensive material than the outer portion  170 . 
     The outer portion  170  can include vertical protrusions  172  along the inside side surfaces of a slot  174  formed to accept the inner portion  160 . The vertical protrusions  172  can be shaped and sized to engage with the I-beam structure of the inner portion  160 . These vertical protrusions  172  can extend toward (and optionally to) a bottom of the outer portion  170  thereby forming an I-beam shaped cavity  176  shaped to encapsulate the inner portion  160  (see e.g.  FIG. 5 ). 
       FIG. 8  shows the block mated to a lower receiver via the magazine well. The lower receiver mating portion  130  can be rectangular and have a front and back side  132 ,  134  and a left and right side  136 ,  138  (see e.g.  FIGS. 1 and 3 ) where the left and right sides  136 ,  138  are longer than the front and back sides  132 ,  134 . The lower receiver mating portion  130  can have dimensions designed to be equal to or slightly smaller than those of a magazine well of a lower receiver of a firearm, such as an AR15, such that the lower receiver mating portion  130  can fit snugly into a magazine well. 
     The magazine well stop  150  can be arranged around a midplane of the block  100  and can circumscribe one or more portions of the block  100  or wrap completely around the block  100 . As illustrated, the magazine well stop  150  has left and right portions that run along a longitudinal length of left and right sides of the block  100 . The magazine well stop  150  is designed to act as a barrier to the magazine well when the block  100  is mated with a lower receiver so that the block  100  does not pass too far into a magazine well and further to provide added support and mating stability between the block  100  and a lower receiver. 
     Turning now to  FIG. 13 , a method  1300  of using an armorer&#39;s block is now described. The method  1300  includes attaching  1302  a block to a vice, placing  1304  one of an upper receiver and a lower receiver of a firearm on the block, removing  1306  the one of the upper and lower receiver from the block, reversing  1308  an orientation of the block, reattaching  1310  the block to the vice, and placing  1312  the other one of the upper and lower receiver on the block. 
     Attaching  1302  a block to a vice includes one of inserting a first end into a vice and inserting a second end into a vice, and tightening the vice about the one of the first end and the second end. Attaching  1302  may include allowing a stop or ledge in the block to limit vertical drop of the block before the vice is firmly tightened. Attaching  1302  may be achieved using the block  100  described with reference to any one of  FIGS. 1-12 . 
     Placing  1304  includes placing one of an upper receiver and a lower receiver of a firearm on the block. In some embodiments, placing  1304  includes placing an upper receiver on the block, sliding a barrel extension over a bolt locking end, and inserting a pin through the upper receiver and a pin aperture in the block to limit movement of components of the upper receiver relative to the block. In some embodiments, placing  1304  includes placing a lower receiver on the block by sliding a lower receiver over the block until the lower receiver abuts a stop. The upper and lower receiver can be placed onto separate or opposing ends of the block. Placing  1304  may be achieved using the block  100  described with reference to any one of  FIGS. 1-12 . 
     Removing  1306  includes removing the one of the upper receiver and the lower receiver from the block. In some embodiments, removing  1306  includes sliding the barrel extension off a bolt locking end, and removing a pin from the upper receiver and a pin aperture in the block to the upper receiver to be lifted from the block. In some embodiments, removing  1306  includes lifting a lower receiver from the block by sliding the lower receiver off the block. Removing  1306  may be achieved using the block  100  described with reference to any one of  FIGS. 1-12 . 
     Reversing  1308  includes reversing an orientation of the block relative to the vice. Reversing can include removing the block from the vice, and turning the vice upside-down relative to the first orientation. 
     Reattaching  1310  includes the other one of inserting a first end into a vice and inserting a second end into a vice, and tightening the vice about the one of the first end and the second end. Reattaching  1310  may include allowing a stop or ledge in the block to limit vertical drop of the block before the vice is firmly tightened. Reattaching  1310  may be achieved using the block  100  described with reference to any one of  FIGS. 1-12 . 
     Placing  1312  includes placing the other one of an upper receiver and a lower receiver on the block in a manner similar to that described with reference to placing  1304 . Placing  1312  may be achieved using the block  100  described with reference to any one of  FIGS. 1-12 . 
     Turning now to  FIG. 14 , a process  1400  of making an armorer&#39;s block is now described. The process  1400  includes forming  1402  an inner core, forming  1404  an outer shell, assembling  1406  a friction element, assembling  1408  the outer shell and inner core, and optionally providing  1410  a pin. 
     Forming  1402  an inner core includes shaping an inner core from a material that is harder than the outer shell, such as by casting or otherwise forming a blank, hardening the blank, and performing a final cutting operation. Forming  1402  may include providing a low cost metallic material such as, for example only, iron or steel, and heat treating, rolling, or otherwise hardening the metallic material to achieve a desirable strength and ductility. Forming  1402  an inner core includes shaping a longitudinal base structure and a bolt locking end at one end of the longitudinal base structure, the bolt locking end having a central axis that traverses a central axis of the longitudinal base structure. In some embodiments, forming  1402  includes hardening at least a portion of the bolt locking end to a Rockwell hardness that is greater than that of the longitudinal base structure. Forming  1402  an inner core may provide an inner core similar to the inner portion  160  described with reference to  FIGS. 1-12 . 
     Forming  1404  an outer shell includes shaping an outer shell that is suitable for encompassing a portion of the inner core and exposing at least the bolt locking end of the inner core such that the bolt locking end can attach to a firearm as described in previous sections of this disclosure. Forming  1404  also includes forming a plunger and at least a portion of a bolt replacement portion at one end of the outer shell. Forming  1404  an outer shell can include forming vertical protrusions along the inside side surfaces of a slot formed to accept the inner core, the vertical protrusions shaped as described in previous sections of this disclosure. Forming  1404  an outer shell may be accomplished by forming a shell from a relatively soft material such as a polymer. Of note, the material chosen should not be so weak as to permanently deform under the expected loading forces of a vice or torque forces applied by a user, but should not be so hard as to scratch a firearm when it is attached to the end product. Forming  1404  an outer shell may include molding or otherwise shaping a polymer into a shape that is suitable for encompassing a portion of the inner core, and may further include molding or otherwise shaping a right side and a left side of an outer shell that, when combined, are suitable for encompassing a portion of the inner core. Forming  1404  may be achieved by providing an outer portion  170  such as that described with reference to  FIGS. 1-12 . 
     Assembling  1408  the outer shell to the inner core may include attaching a right and left side of an outer shell or outer portion  170  to an inner core and fastening the outer shell to the inner core using one or more fasteners, or assembling  1408  may include sliding a unified outer structure over a portion of the inner core, and permanently or semi-permanently attaching the outer shell to the inner core using only a single fastener. In some embodiments, assembling  1408  the outer shell to the inner core may performed simultaneously with forming an outer shell  1404 , for example, by molding a polymer having the general desired shape of the outer shell directly about a portion or all of the inner core (e.g., sometimes referred to as “overmolding”). Some embodiments may further include removing a portion of the molded polymer to expose the bolt locking end of the inner core. Specifically, a plunger may be provided by the outer shell, while a bolt locking end may be provided by the inner core. 
     Some embodiments may optionally include providing  1410  a takedown pin, such as a takedown pin manufactured of a hard material such as a metallic material and suitable for inserting through a takedown pin aperture. Providing  1410  may be accomplished by providing a takedown pin as described with reference to  FIGS. 1-12 . 
     The presently disclosed embodiments have various advantages over the prior art, such as greater stability and allowing greater gunsmithing torques to be applied to the upper receiver. Further, the currently disclosed embodiments are far more compact than the prior tools and can be manufactured with far less metal and are thus less expensive. Further, a vice can more effectively clamp onto a deformable plastic such as the lower receiver mating portion  130  disclosed herein, as compared to the metal of the prior art tools. The use of plastic versus metal also decreases the risk of the block scratching a user&#39;s firearm. Additionally, the prior art tools are only able to resist forward movement of the upper receiver via the friction fit of the tool with the bolt carrier and the barrel extension. In contrast, the presently disclosed embodiments prevent longitudinal shifting of the upper receiving via a further coupling with the take down pin and take down pin hole of the upper receiver. 
     The presently disclosed embodiments further improve upon the prior art by recognizing that the interaction between any block or vice and the interior of the upper receiver is blind to the user, and therefore alignment is difficult. By coupling to the takedown pin hole and the takedown pin, the presently disclosed embodiments ensure longitudinal alignment of the block and upper receiver. 
     The previous description of the disclosed embodiments is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use the present invention. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Thus, the present invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown herein but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.