Patent Publication Number: US-2005115135-A1

Title: Gunstock

Description:
RELATED CASES  
      This application is a continuation-in-part application of U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/494,138 filed Aug. 11, 2003, by inventor, Gerald Robert Thompson. The benefit of provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/494,138 is claimed. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      This invention relates to gunstocks.  
      It is known for long barrel firearms such as rifles to have wooden gunstocks or gunstocks made of synthetic such as plastic or gunstocks comprising a metal platform with a synthetic portion of the stock formed onto it. For example, in one known embodiment, a metal platform is attached to the synthetic portion of the stock as a metal insert in the cavity of an injection molding apparatus to have the synthetic portion of the stock molded onto it.  
      Wood stocks, without a metal insert have several disadvantages, such as for example: (1) there are small microscopic openings that in time admit some moisture causing eventual warping; (2) laminates may have voids that weaken the stock and permit eventual failure; (3) wood is subject to harmonics and subharmonics of the barrel vibrations after each round is fired; (4) the strength of the wood is not predictable and failure of the wood can be sudden and unexpected; (5) in the normal manufacturing of laminates, for reasons of economy, the adhesives used are sprayed in a continuous process of specific volume of adhesive per unit area, whereas the voids that need to be filled are irregular and, thus, some voids do not get filled; (6) many wood stocks have very small areas of contact with the barrel that must adsorb the entire force of recoil thus increasing the pressure on the points of contact; and (7) the forces imposed on the wood stock near the breech area of the firearm by fasteners cause damaging stress on the wood.  
      Synthetic stocks without an insert and with an insert molded into the synthetic also have disadvantages such as imparting a sharper more concentrated kick because the recoil force tends to impact the shooter close in time with vibrations from resonance effects.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide a novel firearm.  
      It is a further object of the invention to provide a novel method of making a firearm.  
      It is a still further object of the invention to provide a novel gunstock which is more durable and delivers less of a recoil to the shooter.  
      It is a still further object of the invention to provide a novel wooden gunstock with a holder or support for a barrel.  
      It is a still further object of the invention to provide a wooden gunstock for a firearm which is not subject to excessive warping in time.  
      It is a still further object of the invention to provide a novel wood gunstock that is not excessively subject to harmonics and subharmonics of barrel vibrations.  
      It is a still further object of the invention to provide a novel laminated wood gunstock.  
      It is a still further object of the invention to provide a novel firearm in which the force of recoil is distributed over a substantial portion of the area of the gunstock rather than being concentrated.  
      It is a still further object of the invention to provide a gunstock in which the fasteners fastening the breech to the gunstock do not cause concentrated stress.  
      In accordance with the above and further objects of the invention, a firearm is provided in which there is a recess in the gunstock that accommodates a holder or support for the barrel and the breech. Forces of recoil are thus transferred to the holder and from the holder to the wood stock in a less concentrated form. The holder has a higher modulus of elasticity than the wood and tends to prevent the wood from warping. It also avoids concentrated forces from being applied to the wood to avoid untimely fractures of the wood. In the preferred embodiment, the modulus of elasticity of a single one piece holder that supports both the barrel and the breech is above three million psi and preferably between nine million and ten million psi. However, it must be high enough to retard warping of the gunstock and reduce the concentration of the forces of recoil. To avoid the transmission of concentrated forces to the wood stock, the holder has a contact area with the wood stock of at least twelve square inches.  
      When the firearm is fired, the recoil forces are transferred to a holder directly rather than being transferred directly to the wood stock. The holder absorbs the forces and passes them on to the wood stock across an area of at least twelve square inches. It is stronger and less subject to warping than the wood stock and tends to hold the wood stock against warping.  
      In manufacturing the wood stock, a recess is formed sufficiently large to receive the breech and the barrel. A holder is formed that fits within the recess with contact with the wood stock of at least twelve square inches of area. The holder is fastened to the wood stock.  
      The barrel and the breech of the firearm is in contact with the holder so that it passes the recoil forces to the holder and not to the wood stock. The firing mechanism such as the trigger and the like pass through an opening in the applicator and in the wood stock to protrude from the wood stock in the conventional manner without providing a point for transferring forces to the wood stock. The applicator is fastened to the wood stock by relatively large tubular connectors instead of the breech being attached directly to the wood stock. Thus, the fasteners do not pass concentrated forces in the manner that would happen if the breech itself were fastened directly to the wood stock.  
      From the above description, it can be understood that the firearm of this invention has several advantages, such as for example: (1) the high modulus of elasticity holder holds the wood stock against warping from moisture over a period of time; (2) the high modulus of elasticity holder reduces failure from weaknesses in the wood stock; (3) the high modulus of elasticity holder reduces harmonics and subharmonics in the wood stock after rounds are fired; (4) the high modulus of elasticity holder reduces failure in the woods from concentrated recoil forces; (5) the high modulus of elasticity holder dissipates the concentrated forces that are occurring when the firearm is fired over a wider area and applies forces that are to be transmitted to the wood stock in less concentrated form over the wide area; and (6) it does not have fasteners extending from the breech into the wood stock to apply concentrated forces to the wood stock and loosen the fasteners. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
      The above noted and other features of the invention will be better understood from the following detailed description when considered together with the accompanied drawings, in which:  
       FIG. 1  is a plan view of a holder mounted within a rifle stock;  
       FIG. 2  is a side elevational view, partly broken away, showing a barrel and breech lock section within a rifle stock having a holder;  
       FIG. 3  is a top view of a holder in accordance with one embodiment of the invention;  
       FIG. 4  is a right side view of the holder of  FIG. 3 ;  
       FIG. 5  is a left view of the holder of  FIG. 3 ;  
       FIG. 6  is a bottom view of the holder of  FIG. 3 ;  
       FIG. 7  is a plan view of a stock adapted to receive the holders in accordance with one embodiment of the invention;  
       FIG. 8  is a block diagram showing the steps in making a firearm in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; and  
       FIG. 9  is a flow diagram showing the steps in firing a firearm in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
      In  FIG. 1 , there is shown a plan view of a rifle stock  12  having a holder  14  mounted within a recess  16  within the stock  12 . In the embodiment of  FIG. 1 , the firearm stock  12  is a wood stock and the holder  14  is an aluminum holder. However, other materials can be used. Generally, the holder  14  will have a modulus of elasticity greater than three million psi and in the preferred embodiment, it is approximately nine million psi (pounds per square inch). It is mounted to have a large area of at least twelve square inches and the surface area of contact should be at least ten percent of the surface area of the support itself. The amount of surface area will of course depend upon the particular weapon but it is desirable to maximize the surface to spread the force of recoil throughout the high modulus of elasticity holder and transfer it to the wood stock over the widest possible area to avoid concentrated forces on the wood stock.  
      The holder  14  includes a breech block section  38 , the barrel supporting section  18  preferably has a flat upper surface against which the barrel rests to receive the vibrations from the barrel. The breech block section  38  includes on its upper surface a recess portion  22 , first and second through openings  26  and  28 , a curved support  24 , a bushing support  32 , cut away portions  34  and  30 , and a shoulder  36 . Bushings  40  and  42  having central openings for bolts extending downwardly from the top surface of the holder to receive fasteners for tightly fastening the holder against the firearm stock. The recess portion  22  receives a correspondingly shaped portion of the breech block to hold it in place, while the breech block itself extends and is exposed in the opening  26  and the trigger mechanism extends downwardly through the opening  28  to protrude from the bottom of a corresponding opening in the wood stock. The curved support  24  receives the chamber which is correspondingly shaped and has through it the bushing  40  for holding the holder to the firearm stock. At the near end of the breech block extending away from the barrel support section  18  is a support  34  that accommodates the bushing  42 . The cut away portion  34  accommodates the breech lever and the cutaway portion  30  and shoulder  36  receive correspondingly shaped portions of the breech block.  
      With this arrangement, the holder receives the recoil vibrations upon firing and conducts the strain throughout the holder where it is imparted to a wide surface area of the wood stock. Also, it holds the wood stock against curved warping because it is fully recessed with its sides in contact with the inner side of the recess of the wood stock to prevent such bending. Because of the extensive contact both laterally and at the underside, there is sufficient restraining force against such warping. With a modulus of elasticity of more than three million psi, its strength is greater than that of conventional firearm stocks so that it has ample strength to resist the forces of recoil.  
      In  FIG. 2 , there is shown a fragmentary side, elevational view of a firearm  46  having the breech block  48 , a trigger mechanism  50  and a barrel  52  resting on the holder  14  ( FIG. 1 ). With this arrangement, when the firearm  46  is fired, the barrel  52  vibrates against the holder primarily to pass concentrated stresses to it. The breech block  48  has points of high force that also impinge against the holder, which in the preferred embodiment, is a single piece so that the forces enter the holder and are conducted through it because of its relatively high modulus of elasticity. The recoil force is also transmitted backwardly through the stock, which is preferably wood, while the recoil vibrations are within the holder to reduce the total recoil force against the shoulder of the shooter.  
      In  FIG. 3 , there is shown a top view of the holder  14  shown without the fasteners that would go within the bushings  42  and  40  or within the opening  54  to fasten the holder to the bottom of the wood stock. However, the parts are otherwise the same as in  FIG. 1  and are numbered accordingly. As can be best seen in this view, in the preferred embodiment, the holder is made as a single unit except for the fasteners to increase the translation of vibrations that are perpendicular to the plane of the holder into vertical strains, to convert vibrational energy to heat energy, dissipate the heat energy and to transfer the vibrations with reduced amplitude over a wide area of the stock.  
      In  FIGS. 4 and 5 , there is shown, respectively, right and left elevational views of the holder  14  showing the bushing  42 , the bushing  40 , the barrel supporting section  18  and the opening  54  for a fastener. In  FIG. 4 , there is shown the cut away portions  34  and  30  to receive breech levers. At the bottom of the barrel supporting section  18 , in spaced apart relation to each other, are protruding parallelopiped integrally formed units  55  and  56  that fit into corresponding openings in the wood stock under the barrel supporting section  18  for a firmer connection to increase the connection between the barrel supporting section  18  and the wood stock.  
      In  FIG. 6 , there is shown a bottom view of a holder  14  indicating the parts shown in  FIGS. 3-5  by the identical numbers and showing more clearly serrations  58 , two of which are numbered and which extend throughout the length of the barrel supporting section and a portion of the breech block supporting section  20  in some embodiments to hold more epoxy for a better connection between the barrel holding section and the wood stock.  
      In  FIG. 7 , there is shown a plan view of a stock  12  including the opening  16  for receiving the holder and having the openings  60 ,  62 ,  64 ,  66  and  68 . In the barrel support section, there is a raised triangular portion  70 . The openings  62  and  68  are to receive the bushings  40  and  42  ( FIGS. 1 , and  3 - 5 ), the breech block section opening  64 , the trigger mechanism opening  66 , the spacer wedge  70  and the gripping openings  60 .  
      In  FIG. 8 , there is shown a flow diagram  71  of the steps which may be used to make an embodiment of firearm in accordance with the invention comprising the step  72  of preparing a wooden gunstock with a recess for holder, barrel and breech or action mechanism, the step  74  of preparing a one-piece high modulus of elasticity holder, the step  76  of mounting the holder to the wood stock with a large contact area, and the step  78  of mounting the barrel and breech on the holder without substantial contact with the wood stock. With these steps, a holder is provided in a firearm which distributes the vibrational forces over an area of the wood stock and tends to hold the wood stock from bending.  
      In  FIG. 9 , there is shown a flow diagram  80  illustrating the actions taken in using a firearm in accordance with an embodiment of the invention comprising the step  82  of firing a firearm having a wooden stock and a one-piece high modulus of elasticity holder, the step  84  of transferring the recoil vibrations directly to the holder without barrel or breech contact of the stock, and the step  86  of transferring vibrations to a wide area of the wooden stock without concentrated forces. With this arrangement, the firearm is fired, but instead of the recoil vibrations being transferred directly to the wooden portion of the stock, they are transferred to the high modulus of elasticity holder where they are distributed over a wide area greater than  12  square inches and then transferred to the wooden portion of the stock.  
      As can be understood from the above description, the firearm of this invention has several advantages, such as for example: (1) a high modulus of elasticity holder holds the wood stock against warping from moisture over a period of time; (2) a high modulus of elasticity holder for the barrel and action of the firearm reduces failure from weakness in the wood stock; (3) a high modulus of elasticity holder for the firearm action and barrel reduces harmonics and subharmonics in the wood stock after rounds are fired; (4) a high modulus of elasticity holder reduces failure in the wood from concentrated recoil forces; (5) a high modulus of elasticity holder dissipates the concentrated forces that are occurring when the firearm is fired over a wider area and applies forces that are to be transmitting to the wood stock in less concentrated form over the wide area; and (6) it is not necessary to have fasteners extending from the breech of the firearm into the wood stock and thus avoids concentrated forces being applied to the wood stock to loosen the fasteners.