Abstract:
The vibratory firearm barrel cleaning tool of this invention is a device to clean firearm barrels more thoroughly, quickly and efficiently than that with prior art devices. It employs the conventional cleaning rod, brush and cleaning fluid, but is powered by a vibratory source on the cleaning rod to more effectively remove fouling elements from the barrel interior.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    All firearms require cleaning for long-term reliable operation and to maintain accuracy; this is generally done after every series of shooting, and often during the series. 
         [0002]    In the prior art, firearm barrels are cleaned using a cleaning rod mounted on a handle and threading a brush, typically bronze or nylon, mounted on the opposite end of the cleaning rod. The brush is manually moved back and forth axially inside the firearm barrel to loosen powder residue, and loosen fouling by copper, lead or plastic buildup. Various bore cleaning fluids (such as solvents) have been used in this process depending upon the type of fouling, the degree of cleaning desired, and cost. The cleaning rod is also capable of being mounted with a jag (pointed tip) to press cleaning patches, typically cotton or other rag material, down the barrel with cleaning fluid, dry or with oil or other preservative lubricants. Slotted tips have also been used in the prior art, with a cleaning patch passed midway through the slot, holding the cleaning patch in place at the end of the cleaning rod during cleaning. The cleaning rod may be used through the receiver or muzzle end of the barrel depending upon the type of firearm. 
         [0003]    A typical rifle cleaning rod is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,616,109 having a handle with swivel connecting to the rod and threaded end for connecting a cleaning brush, jag, or slotted tip. An alternative prior art cleaning device is a rope-like device pulled through the barrel with dry or with solvents, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,972,125. Also, pistols may be disassembled and manually scrubbed or placed in an ultrasonic cleaning bath, though this is not done in the field, and requires a relatively bulky and expensive ultrasonic cleaning bath chamber. 
         [0004]    Rifle and pistol barrels have rifling, generally five or six grooves spiraling down the barrel interior to spin-stabilize the bullet after it is fired from the cartridge and accelerating down the barrel. The groove areas are most prone to powder residue and fouling. The prior art cleaning brush extends into the grooves to scrub the residue and fouling. Some types of fouling, such as copper from jacketed bullets, are difficult to remove even with strong solvents, and some type of prior art cleaning solutions can damage the barrel itself—a highly undesirable effect. Generally the cleaning regimen alternates between bore brushing with a cleaning fluid and running a patch through with a jag on the cleaning rod. When a patch runs through with little or no discoloration, the firearm is considered clean and a final lubricating patch is run through to prevent barrel corrosion. This prior art cleaning method may require up to an hour of repeated manual cleaning fluid scrubbing to fully cleanse a barrel. Even then, the barrel is often times not cleaned as well as desired, and a “clean” patch may simply indicate that the prior art method and selected cleaning fluid has performed to its level of ability, and not that the barrel is actually completely clean. 
         [0005]    The prior art devices and methods are almost entirely manual with little automation developed to improve the process. U.S. Pat. No. 4,726,137, however, describes a mechanical drive system to move the cleaning rod axially down the barrel while rotating the cleaning brush). Pistols may be disassembled and the parts placed in an ultrasonic cleaning bath for automated cleaning as shown in U.S. Pat No. 5,202,523. 
         [0006]    Rifle barrels may not generally be cleaned ultrasonically (most rifle barrels are too long for emersion in typical submersible cleaning tanks), and ultrasonic transducers are typically not used inside firearm barrels due to the possibility that cavitations would result, thus potentially damaging the barrel through pitting. Several mechanically driven rotating brush systems have been shown in the prior art (Chamber cleaning tool, U.S. Pat. No. 2,824,322; Gun barrel cleaning device, U.S. Pat. No. 4,930,240). The rotating brush actually forces material from the barrel lands (projections on the bore surface between the grooves) into the grooves, thereby impairing the cleaning process. The general rifle cleaning rod system seems to date back about one hundred years (OODFKEY, U.S. Pat. No. 1,556,494 issued in 1925 for a rotatable handle cleaning rod). Several rotating brush devices for generic tube cleaning have been patented: Chamber cleaning tool, U.S. Pat. No. 2,824,322; Power operated cleaning device, U.S. Pat. No. 3,343,192; Gun barrel cleaning device, U.S. Pat. No. 4,930,240; Tube cleaning apparatus, U.S. Pat. No. 5,426,807 and Device for cleaning the interior of a tubular member, U.S. Pat. No. 5,809,601. Each of these prior art references describe mechanically or electrically rotating a brush within a tubular member, which in some cases may be a firearm barrel. 
         [0007]    U.S. Pat. No. 7,676,878 describes the use of vibratory motion for interior tubular cleaning. This is an improvement to a large system used to clean various large tubulars, including the large artillery barrels on naval guns. This prior art barrel cleaning system is a pneumatically driven system with three brushes, a squeegee, oiling head and a pump to deliver liquid to the barrel interior. This device is similar to the ‘pig outs’ used for cleaning and inspecting pipelines by moving down the pipeline internally. It is far too large to be employed with any handheld firearm, is not electrically actuated, cannot be used in any manual mode, and typically cleans bores over 12 inches in diameter, due at least in part to the large size required for its components which all fit inside the large tubular, such as a naval gun. This system requires motors, pumps, a pneumatic system, lubricants and filters operated by a sizeable power system. It cannot be operated or moved by a single person, and has no application to handheld firearms. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0008]    The novel vibratory firearm barrel cleaning tool of this invention is a device comprising a source of vibration and a firearm cleaning rod. As with conventional firearm cleaning rods, cleaning fluids such as solvents may be used in conjunction with a brush, a jag with cleaning patch, and the like, to clean the barrel interior. The vibratory firearm barrel cleaning tool of this invention may be used by first slowly displacing the actuated vibrating cleaning rod (with or without cleaning fluid) with respect to the barrel, to dislodge powder residue, and remove copper, lead or plastic fouling. The cleaning rod is displaced with respect to the barrel by either by moving the cleaning rod while holding the barrel fixed, moving the barrel while holding the cleaning rod fixed, or moving both the cleaning rod and the barrel so that there is a displacement of the cleaning rod within the barrel being cleaned. After the vibratory cycling down the barrel, the cleaning rod may be forced back and forth axially, with or without vibration, to remove the loosened fouling. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         [0009]      FIG. 1  pictorially illustrates one embodiment of the Vibratory Firearm Barrel Cleaning Tool in two sections. 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  schematically depicts a fully automated embodiment of the device with the cleaning rod driven mechanically with cleaning fluid applied down the center of the cleaning rod to the cleaning element. 
       
    
    
     DRAWING REFERENCE NUMERALS 
     FIG. 1 
       [0000]    
       
           1  Power cord to vibratory device. 
           2  Vibration source. 
           3  Coupler connecting cleaning rod handle to vibration source. 
           4  Cleaning rod handle. 
           5  Cleaning rod swivel (optional). 
           6  Cleaning rod. 
           7  Barrel cleaning element, typically a brush. 
       
     
       FIG. 2 
       [0000]    
       
           8  Rifle barrel. 
           8  Mechanical driver moving rod and brush down and back the barrel interior. 
           10  Pump supplying cleaning fluid down the center of the rod to the cleaning brush. 
           11  Cleaning fluid supply line. 
       
     
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0022]    In accordance with the teachings of this invention, a novel firearm barrel cleaning tool enables faster, more thorough and more effective cleaning of firearm barrels. The vibratory firearm barrel cleaning tool of the present invention is lightweight and slightly larger and heavier than the prior art all-manual cleaning rod and brush tool. Further, the novel cleaning tool of this invention is inexpensive. One embodiment of this invention is a handheld device. An alternative embodiment mounts the vibratory device on a work bench, or the like while the barrel, not the rod and vibratory device, is cycled axially. In yet another embodiment of this invention, both the barrel and the rod are moved, but in such a manner that the rod is displaced relative to the barrel. Another embodiment uses a mechanically driven system to axially cycle the vibratory device coupled to the cleaning rod with respect to the barrel being cleaned, shown schematically in  FIG. 2 . In yet another embodiment the device of the present invention comprises an automated system for axially cycling the cleaning rod and vibratory device. As a feature which can be used in conjunction with the various embodiments, a fluid, such as a cleaning solvent is pumped or otherwise introduced at a slow rate through the cleaning rod to the cleaning tool at the end of the rod. Another embodiment connects an ultrasonic transducer to the cleaning rod in lieu of the cleaning brush. The various embodiments of this invention are more effective in first loosening barrel fouling and residue through vibratory action prior to its removal, for example by utilization of the cleaning rod in conjunction with one or more, brushes, slotted tips, jags, and cleaning patches. 
         [0023]    One embodiment of a novel vibratory firearm barrel cleaning tool constructed in accordance with the teachings of this invention is shown in  FIG. 1 . Due to the typical length of a cleaning tool used for rifle barrels,  FIG. 1  shows an exploded view with projection lines delineating a continuous connection of a single cleaning rod. The cleaning cool includes a vibration source ( 2 ), shaft coupler ( 3 ), cleaning rod ( 6 ) and cleaning tool ( 7 ). In  FIG. 2 , cleaning tool ( 7 ) is shown as a brush, although other cleaning tools can also be used. The vibration source ( 2 ) may be powered by any convenient source of power, including but not limited to batteries, household electricity, or an intermediate power supply which is itself operated by batteries or household electricity. In one embodiment the vibration source ( 2 ) is the type used therapeutically to massage sore muscles. Other such devices suitable for use as the vibration source ( 2 ) are the vibratory wands used to remove air pockets from concrete prior to setting. Other suitable sources of vibration may serve as vibration source ( 2 ), as will be readily appreciated to those of ordinary skill in the art. 
         [0024]    Compressed air or other fluid medium can also be used as the power source, although in one embodiment battery power is utilized as light weight, non-bulky and providing an adequate amount and duration of power for typical cleaning operations, particularly in the field when household power may be unavailable. Power cord ( 1 ) is shown as illustrative of embodiments which receive power from other than a battery source located within vibration source ( 2 ). Vibration source ( 2 ) may be coupled to bore cleaning rod ( 6 ) via coupling device ( 3 ). Common types of couplers suitable for use as coupling device ( 3 ) include threaded sleeves, keyed shaft couplers or press fit couplers, as well as other devices as will be appreciated to those of ordinary skill in the art. In certain embodiments, vibration source ( 2 ) is manufactured in integral combination with cleaning rod ( 6 ) and thus no separately distinct coupling device ( 3 ) is used. The cleaning rod ( 6 ) has a handle ( 4 ) mounted on the end opposite the cleaning tool ( 7 ), which handle ( 4 ) may if desired be substantially cylindrical for ease of use by an operator. If desired, optional swivel ( 5 ) is included to allow cleaning rod ( 6 ) and cleaning tool ( 7 ) to rotate with respect to handle ( 4 ), for example as cleaning tool ( 7 ) follows the lands and grooves of the barrel interior as cleaning tool ( 7 ) is longitudinally displaced within the barrel. 
         [0025]    Another embodiment of the vibratory firearm barrel cleaning tool is a more automated device shown schematically in  FIG. 2 . Here the barrel (and entire rifle if attached) is slowly cycled by a mechanical driver moving rod and brush down and back the barrel interior ( 9 ). Concurrent with the mechanical cycling cleaning fluid is supplied, for example by a pump ( 10 ) through a cleaning fluid supply line ( 11 ).While it has been the experience of the inventor that specific cleaning techniques are almost as varied as are the users of firearms themselves, in one embodiment, the novel vibratory firearm barrel cleaning tool of the present invention is used by following this regimen: