Abstract:
A gun-cleaning device deploys a plurality of different tool pieces that connect to a rod or shaft that is inserted down the gun barrel. The tool pieces are adapted to be received by a latch mechanism disposed at the distal end of the rod or shaft. The latch mechanism does not protrude beyond the diameter of the shaft, yet is readily actuated with one finger to release the tool pieces without touching the tool itself. The tool pieces themselves are optionally configured to be either freely rotating or fixed with respect to the shaft axis when engaged by the latch mechanism.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    The present application claims priority to the U.S. Provisional Patent Application for a “Gun-cleaning Tool and System” filed on May 10, 2006 and having application Ser. No. 60/746,975, which is incorporated herein by reference 
     
     BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to improved tools for wiping and cleaning the inner walls of gun barrels, and in particular to a system for rapidly exchanging the various of tools used in the cleaning process. 
         [0003]    Varieties of tools are deployed to clean deposits from the inner walls of gun barrels. The deposits are the residue of burning gunpowder and metals from shell casings and if not removed build up to the extent that they affect the accuracy of the gun, as well as clog the barrel. Such tools include wire brushes for scraping hard deposits, as well as various configurations of soft fabrics that aid in the application of liquid cleaning agents. Other types of tools known to gun owners are a jag, mop and patch holder. In all cases, the tool is passed multiple times through the barrel. Such tools are generally mounted on a stiff rod that is as least as long as the gun barrel so the tool can be inserted through the entire barrel from one side. The rod, while being stiff and rigid to support the tool as it encounters the inner walls of the barrels, must be smaller in diameter to fit the barrel. 
         [0004]    Competition marksmen use many different styles of guns and rifles depending on the specific venues today. Serious marksmen purchase for competitive use very expensive guns and barrels that frequently are custom built. These barrels often are more expensive then the rest of the equipment used by a marksmen. For accuracy reasons, these barrels often only have a certain life expectancy of a certain number of rounds or bullets that can be fired or discharged through them and accuracy is of the utmost importance to today&#39;s competition marksmen. 
         [0005]    It is of paramount importance in cleaning the barrel of a gun to avoid damaging the barrel. The brush and jags can and will damage or wear out the lands and groves of these barrels. This in turn will decrease the accuracy and life of a barrel. It is for this reason that almost all competition shooters have a very rigorous cleaning routine that is followed to the letter for cleaning and maintaining the barrel of a gun. This routine is not limited to, but does include the following practice of only pushing a cleaning jag and brush through the barrel of a gun in one direction and one direction only. The wire brush is then removed from the supporting rod so that the rod can be withdrawn from the barrel in the backwards direction without the tool. After the supporting rod is removed from the barrel, the brush is re-attached so that is can be re-inserted through the gun breech. This process can be repeated as many as 25 to 75 times per each barrel cleaning. Thus, with every pass through the bore of the gun barrel, at the end of the pass made, the shooter will then un-screw the brush or jag from the cleaning rod to then pull the cleaning rod back out of the barrel. The user must also unscrew the brush or jag when changing to a wiping tool used to add liquid cleaner or lubricant. Accordingly, it should be understood that thoroughly cleaning a gun properly is messy and tedious process. 
         [0006]    Some guns deploy smooth bore barrels, while others utilize a helical grooved pattern known as riffling. As described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,674,218 to Bottomley (issued Jun. 23, 1987), which is incorporated herein by reference, it is desirable in some instances that the tool rotate freely to follow the barrel riffling, rather than depends on the user rotating the tool as it is pushed down the barrel. As taught by Bottomly and others, the tools themselves have a threaded end for engaging a mating threaded coupling at the end of the supporting rod. Likewise, the opposite end of the rod is threaded for engagement with mating threads of a handle. 
         [0007]    Further, as the cleaning agents and the residue removed from the barrel is frequently a harsh if not somewhat toxic materials, the user should wear protective gloves when handling the tools. The need to wear and change gloves, to prevent recontamination of the barrel with residue left on the gloves, make the cleaning process even more tedious. 
         [0008]    While others have recognized the need for providing a quicker method of disconnecting cleaning tools from the supporting rod, these methods have not enjoyed commercial success due to several deficiencies. For example, in the cleaning tool system taught by Hayes in U.S. Pat. No. 5,934,000 (issued Aug. 10, 1999), which is incorporated by reference, the tool attaches to the supporting rod via pins extending a right angle from the tool axis. The two pin fit into bayonet style L-shaped cutouts in hollow wall of the supporting rod. A bayonet mount is generally operative to lock by a combination of rotation and sliding movement to engage the pins extending from the cylindrical end of the implement in the end of the L-shaped cutouts of the holder. Thus, it should be appreciated that given the repetitive combination of rotation and sliding motion used to clean the barrel of a gun, a tool can come loose from such a bayonet mount in the cleaning process. The precise bayonet style configuration shown in the &#39;000 patent might avoid this consequence, as the tool is first rotated and then slide down to a locking position. However, this bayonet style configuration then leaves several gaps in which cleaning residue could accumulate. Further, the user must still grip the tool to remove it from the rod. Hence, the need to protect ones hands and frequently changes gloves. 
         [0009]    In the cleaning tool system taught by Sipple et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 4,509,223 (issued Apr. 9, 1985), which is incorporated by reference, the cleaning tips, though not intended for inserted in a gun barrel, do mount in a holder with a larger diameter. The end of the holder has a latching mechanism in which a detent lever snaps into a recess in a plate at the mounting end of the tip. The detent is removed by pushing a trigger recessed into the holder. While such a mechanism could be used on the end of a supporting rod, the mechanism would not allow the tool to rotate. Further, as the trigger is flush with the exterior diameter of the holder, it is not apparent how it could be recessed downward without the aid of an additional small tool. 
         [0010]    Rivers in U.S. Pat. No. 4,866,871 (issued Sep. 19, 1989), which is incorporated by reference, discloses a compact telescoping supporting rods and cleaning tool system. An internal rod has a cleaning tool engaged by a threaded attachment at one end, with the other end of the internal rods in sliding engagement within the external storage sleeve. A latching mechanism is associated with the storage tube to lock the internal rod to the interior of the sleeve when the tool is fully extended. There is no suggestion of how to use such a mechanism to attach the tool to the internal rod. 
         [0011]    Given the above and other deficiencies of the prior art it is a general object of the invention to speed up the gun barrel cleaning process, encouraging more frequent gun maintenance. 
         [0012]    In doing so, it is a first and more specific object of the present invention to provide improved gun-cleaning tools and implements that tightly and securely hold a variety of alternative tools or probe ends, such as the brush, jag or mop holder, on the end of a shaft that is inserted into the gun barrel 
         [0013]    It is another object of the invention to do so in a manner that avoids damage to the gun barrel during cleaning. 
         [0014]    It is a further object of the invention to do so in a manner that avoid the accumulation of dirt and/or cleaning residue on the portion of the shaft that repeatedly enters the gun barrel. 
         [0015]    Yet a further object of the invention is to provide a means to easily remove, replace and interchange the alternative gun-cleaning tools and implements. 
         [0016]    It is still another object of the invention to remove spent gun-cleaning tools without touching the residue with the hands, and thus avoid the need to wear and frequently change gloves. 
         [0017]    An additional object of the invention is to provide the option to have a wire brush or any other gun-cleaning tool or fixture rotate freely as it is advanced through the gun barrel so that it follows the gun barrel rifling. 
       SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
       [0018]    In the present invention, the first and other objects are achieved by providing a smooth elongated shaft with an inner bore and a recessed latch to hold a variety of gun barrel probes or implements. Each tool adapted to be received by the recessed latch has a different probe at the opposite end. The latch release is a lever or armature normally flush with the outer diameter of the tool but is readily depressed with a single finger on a trigger portion that is accessible by a surrounding concave recess in the shaft or rod surface. 
         [0019]    Another aspect of select embodiments of the invention is that the portion of the cleaning tool engaged by the detent portion of the latch is a circularly symmetric barb so that the tool can rotate about the supporting rod axis. This permits the cleaning tool to follow the barrel riffling as it is advanced down the barrel. 
         [0020]    Another aspect of the invention is a kit for converting existing gun-cleaning tools and components that attach to a support rod by a threaded screw connection. The kit includes first latch adapter for threaded engagement with the support rod and a second latch adapter for threaded engagement with the gun-cleaning tool. The first adapter once attached to the supporting rod is intended to receive in latched engagement the end of second adapter that is not attached to the gun-cleaning tool. 
         [0021]    A further aspect of the invention is a kit that includes a smooth elongated shaft with an inner bore and a recessed latch to hold a variety of gun barrel cleaning tools. Some of the tools are configured to freely rotate about the supporting rod axis, with others that do not rotate about the support rod axis, but can be rotated by rotating the supporting rod. Tools adapted to rotate in the latch terminate with a circularly symmetric barb connected to the tool body by circular shaft that is held by the rectangular detent of the latch mechanism. In contrast, tools adapted to not rotate in the latch still terminates with a circularly symmetric barb, but this barb is connected to the tool body by a flat plate which is prevented from rotating as well as lateral motion by the rectangular detent. 
         [0022]    The above and other objects, effects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description of the embodiments thereof taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
     
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         [0023]      FIG. 1A  is an elevation showing the discrete components of one embodiment of the gun-cleaning system prior to assembly. 
           [0024]      FIG. 1B  is an enlarged view of the patch tool or probe from  FIG. 1A   
           [0025]      FIG. 1C  is an enlarged view of a brush tool or probe that can be substituted for the patch tool from  FIGS. 1A and 1B . 
           [0026]      FIG. 1D  is an enlarged view of a mop tool or probe that can be substituted for the probes of  FIG. 1A-C . 
           [0027]      FIG. 1E  is an enlarged view of a jag tool or probe can be substituted for the probes of  FIG. 1A-D . 
           [0028]      FIG. 2  is a plan view of the tools in  FIGS. 1B and 1C  after insertion in the supporting rod in  FIG. 1  to show the external latch release at the end of the supporting rod. 
           [0029]      FIG. 3A  is a partial cross sectional elevation to illustrate the operation of the detent portion of the latch mechanism that engages the tool in  FIG. 2 . 
           [0030]      FIG. 3B  is a cross sectional elevation of the portion of latch mechanism that engages the tool in  FIG. 2  that includes the latch release portion and illustrates the section positions shown in  FIGS. 3C , D and E. 
           [0031]      FIGS. 3C , D, E and F are various sectional elevation of portions of the latch mechanism and tool shown in  FIG. 3B . 
           [0032]      FIG. 4A  is a plan view of an adapter system for using screw mounted tools and/or supporting rods with the previously illustrated embodiment of the invention. 
           [0033]      FIG. 4B  is an exploded view of an adapter system for using screw mounted tools comparable to that illustrated in  FIG. 4A  showing details of the armature and spring biased assembly in the latch mechanism. 
           [0034]      FIG. 5A  is a cross sectional elevation of the portion of the latch mechanism that engages an alternative embodiment of the tool taken orthogonal to the section shown in  FIG. 5A . 
           [0035]      FIG. 5B  is a plan view of the alternative embodiment of tool in  FIG. 4A . 
           [0036]      FIGS. 5C and 5D  are various sectional elevation of portions of the latch mechanism and tool shown in  FIG. 5A . 
           [0037]      FIG. 6  illustrates in plan view a gun-cleaning kit that includes rotating and non-rotating tools. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0038]    Referring to  FIGS. 1 through 6 , wherein like reference numerals refer to like components in the various views, there is illustrated therein a new and improved gun-cleaning tool and system, generally denominated  100  herein. 
         [0039]    In accordance with the present invention,  FIG. 1  is an elevation to show the discrete components of one embodiment of the gun-cleaning system prior to assembly. A shown in  FIG. 1A , the system  100  comprises a shaft or supporting rod  105  with handle  110  and a tool  120 . In use, the handle  110  is preferably attached to the proximal end of the supporting rod  105  wherein the distal end of the supporting rod  105  includes a latch mechanism  115 . The tool  120  is a shaft that terminates with a probe at the proximal end that is inserted to scrub, clean and/or lubricate the gun barrel. The supporting rod  105  has an interior bore  104  that receives the coupling portion  122  of tool  120 . The coupling portion  122  preferably terminates in a circularly symmetric barb  127 . The tool  120  is connected with rod  105  by the releasable engaging latch  115 , which engages the rear of the barb  127  at minor shaft  126 . 
         [0040]      FIG. 1B-E  are enlarged from  FIG. 1A  to more fully explain the structure and function on the coupling  122 , as well as illustrate the various types of probes that can be used on the tool. In  FIG. 1B  the probe  1201  is flat member with a slot, known as a patch holder. In  FIG. 1C  the probe  1202  is a wire brush. In  FIG. 1C  the probe  1204  is a cylindrical soft brush, known as a mop. In  FIG. 1  D, the probe  1203  is a series of concentric disks with a spike at the end known as a jag. Both the patch holder  1201  and jag  1202  are intended to hold disposable fabric pieces that apply cleaning or lubricating fluid, and/or scrub debris from the gun barrel. 
         [0041]    Any of the tools in  FIG. 1A-E  are rapidly interchanged or quickly removed using latch mechanism  115 . The coupling portion  122  has cylindrical ballast  123  that is connected to the probe portion. The ballast  123  preferably has the same diameter as the supporting rod  105 . The probe is connected to the ballast at the tapering end  123   a  by the tool shaft  124 . The opposite end of the ballast  123   b  has a smaller diameter cylindrical shank  125 . The coupling  122  terminates with a barb  127  that is connected to the shank  125  by a minor shaft  126 . The minor shaft  126  has a smaller diameter than the shank  125  and barb  127 . The exterior end  127   b  of the barb  127  preferably tapers to a point, whereas the interior end  127   a  is preferably perpendicular to the surface of adjacent minor shaft  126 . The ballast  123  is intended to be less than the inner diameter of the gun barrel to be cleaned and preferably has the same diameter of the supporting rod  105 . 
         [0042]    The shank  125  of tool  120  slides into the bore  104  in the shaft  105  at the latch end  115 . The outer diameter of the shank  125  is just slightly less than the inner diameter of bore  104 . The tight fit of the terminal end of the coupling portion  122  up to ballast portion  123 ) into the bore  104  in rod  105  secures the tool  120  and prevents debris cleaned from the barrel from reaching and fouling the moving components of latch  115 . 
         [0043]    The probe will vary in diameter depending on its purposes. Typically the brush probe  1202  shown in  FIG. 1C  is at least the same outer diameter as the inner diameter of the gun barrel. In contrast as the patch probe  1201  in  FIG. 1   b  is intended to secure a fabric patch in the longitudinal slot  121   a  that wraps around the diameter of the probe the probe will be somewhat smaller to accommodate the fabric, forcing it to compress so that strongly contact and then cleans the interior of the barrel. 
         [0044]      FIG. 2  is a plan view of the exterior of the latch portion  115  on rod or shaft  105  showing how the trigger portion  116  that releases latch  115  is accessible, being surrounded by exterior depression  114  in the outer wall of the rod  105 . A slot  113  in the exterior wall of rod  105  extends the length of the armature  112  from trigger portion  116  to detent  117 . 
         [0045]      FIG. 3  further illustrates how pressing trigger portion  116  of armature  112  lifts detent  117 . The armature  112  has a short pivot arm  118  descending from between the end of the trigger portion  116  and the detent  117 . The pivot arm rotates about axle connection with the inner diameter of the rod  105 . The axial rotary connection is preferably made by a roll pin  119  inserted in cross-bore holes  108   a  and  108   b  in the walls of rod  105 . The armature  112  is biased by a spring mechanism  111  that forces the detent  117  downward to engage the end  127   a  of barb  127  on tool  120 . Thus, when the trigger portion  116  is depresses the force of biasing spring  111  is overcome so that the detent pivots upward releasing barb  127 . An exploded view of a comparable armature for assembly in the latch  115  is shown in  FIG. 4B . Spring  111  is retained in place by a footing  109  that extends downward from armature  112 , just forward of trigger portion  116 . The coil opening of spring  111  fits surrounds footing  109  so that it is retained in latch  115 . 
         [0046]    As the barb end  127  is angled slightly to form a point at apex  127   a , inserting it into the bore of coupling  115  will urge detent  117  to tilt upwards as it acts on similarly sloped outside edge  117   a.    
         [0047]    With reference to  FIG. 3C , it should be noted that while the detent  117  is a flat plate, the barb  127  and minor shaft  126  are preferably circularly symmetric. Thus, the square or rectangular detent  117  prevents lateral and outward movement of the tool  120 , by grasping the barb  127 . However, as the detent  117  only contacts the cylindrical minor shaft  126  at a point it does not prevent rotation of tool  120  in bore  104 , about the x-reference axis in the figures. Likewise, the shank  125  is also cylindrical so that it freely rotates with the cylindrical bore  104  of the supporting rod  105 . 
         [0048]    It should now be appreciated that in contrast to prior art cleaning devices for gun barrels, the tool  120  and latch  115  combination of the invention also has the benefit that is a flush assembly. Thus, there are no edges or corners at the latch that would trap or entrain cleaning debris, which could re-contaminate and damage the barrel during a latter stage of cleaning. Further, though the latch detent  117 , securely holds the coupler portion  122  of tool  120 , it allows free rotation of the probe with the barrel riffling when desired. 
         [0049]    Further, the depression  114  around trigger  116  provides space for the user insert their fingertip and press on the trigger  116  so that the detent  117  rotates upward and releases barb  127  of tool  120 . In addition, the ballast  123  increases the mass of the tool  120  beyond that of the probe to overcome the frictional between the shank  125  and the inner wall of the support rod  105  so that gravity will urge the tool  120  free of the rod  105 , minimizing the need for the user to handle a dirty tool until all stages of the cleaning process are completed. It has been found that that merely lift the rod  105  by the handle end, such that the latch end  115  points downward, while depressing the trigger  116  will release the tool  120  so that it rests on a surface. Apparently, the mass of ballast  123  along with the probe overcomes the frictional resistance between the bore and the shank  125  to readily release tool  120  with minimal user intervention. 
         [0050]      FIGS. 4A and 4B  illustrates an alternative embodiment of the invention in the form of a kit for converting threaded tool gun-cleaning system components to the previously described latching tool system  100 . The first component of the kit is a tool adapter  120 ′ that has a front face with a threaded bore  130  for receiving the threaded shank  132  of a conventional cleaning tool  1200 , of which only the treaded shank portion is shown. The coupling  122  of tool adapter is otherwise constructed according to the description provided for same portion of the tool  120  in  FIG. 1B . The kit also included latch adapter  115 ′ that has the latch mechanism described with respect to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , but with a threaded shank  131  extending from the end with trigger release  116 , as previously described for latch portion  115  with respect to  FIGS. 2 and 3 . The threaded shank  131  is intended to engage the threaded bore  106  of a conventional support rod  105 ′. Absent the kit components  115 ′ and  120 ′, the threaded shank  132  of tool  1200  would be attached to the threaded bore  106 ′ of supporting rod  105 ′. It should be understood that the threaded shank  132  and the threaded bore  130  could be reversed with respect to components  120 ′ and  115 ′ depending on the gender of the threading on the rod and tool portion of the cleaning components being converted. 
         [0051]    A further embodiment of the invention is the tool  120 ″ shown in  FIG. 5A . The fixture portion of tool  120 ″ is omitted in this Figure, as it can be any of the tools shown in  FIG. 1B-E . The coupling  122  is intended to latch with the latch portion  115  described with respect to  FIG. 3 . The coupling  122  terminates at cylindrical ballast  123  that preferably has the same diameter as the supporting rod  105 . The probe, such as  1201  and the like, is connected to the ballast  123  at the tapering end  123   a  by the tool shaft  124 . The opposite end of the ballast  123   b  has a smaller diameter cylindrical shank  125 . The coupling  122  terminates with a barb  127  that is connected to the shank  125  by a plate  136 . In one direction, shown in  FIG. 5A  the height of plate  136  is narrower than the diameter of shank,  125 , whereas in the other orthogonal direction, shown in  FIG. 5B , the plate  136  may as wide as shank  125 . The exterior end  127   b  of the barb  127  preferably tapers to a point, whereas the interior end  127   a  is preferably perpendicular to the surface of adjacent minor shaft  126 . Thus, tool  120  in  FIG. 3  can rotate freely about the axis of tool shaft  124  while latched to rod  105  by detent  117 . In contrast, tool  120 ″ would be fixed with respect to the axis of rod  105 , as the detent  117  having a flat bottom prevents the rotation of plate  136 . Thus, latch mechanism  115 , supports tool portions  120  and  120 ″ that are selected to rotate either freely or under control of the user as the handle  110  is rotated. 
         [0052]    In another embodiment shown in  FIG. 6A-E , a kit  100  includes a handle  110  with either integral or detachable supporting rod  105 . Supporting rod  105  terminates in the latch mechanism  115  that has previously been described with respect to  FIGS. 2 and 3 . The kit includes at least one pair of tools, such as patch tool pair  600  or brush tool pair  601 . One tool of the pair  120  is comparable to that described with respect to  FIG. 1B , in which a cylindrical minor shaft  126  connects the barb  127  to the shank  125 . In contrast, the other tool in the pair  120 ″ is comparable to that described with respect to  FIG. 5 , in which a plate  136  connects the barb  127  to the shank  125 . Thus, with the kit  100  shown in  FIG. 6 , the user can select a tool  120  that can rotate freely when inserted into the gun barrel, or tool  120 ″ that will be fixed to prevent such free rotation when inserted into latch mechanism  115 . 
         [0053]    While the invention has been described in connection with a preferred embodiment, it is not intended to limit the scope of the invention to the particular form set forth, but on the contrary, it is intended to cover such alternatives, modifications, and equivalents as may be within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.