Abstract:
An AR-15/M-16 rifle variant bolt cleaning and polishing tool comprising three pieces designed for scraping the carbon build up off of a dirty AR-15/M-16 rifle variant bolt, then polishing the residual carbon completely off the bolt tail. The scraping is accomplished by means of a scraping blade with a radius that matches the bolt tail and rotating the bolt tail against this blade while applying pressure. The polishing is accomplished by inserting a scouring pad between the polishing arm and the main body of the tool and then applying pressure to the polishing arm creating torque to polish off residual carbon.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE 
       [0001]    The present application claims priority from provisional patent application 61/241,495, filed on Sep. 11, 2009 the contents of which are incorporated by reference in their entirety. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    1. Field of Endeavor 
         [0003]    The present disclosure relates to the cleaning of the bolt used in semi-automatic and fully automatic rifle variants such as those rifles styled after the direct gas impingement of the AR-15 or M-16 rifle. 
         [0004]    2. Description of the Prior Art 
         [0005]    The function of the AR-15/M-16 rifle and its variants utilizes a method of direct gas impingement where the expended gas of a fired cartridge is captured and funneled back into the rifle to complete the cycle of operation. By doing so, gas is directed onto the bolt tail where carbon from the gas accumulates. This carbon builds as the rifle is repeatedly fired and can cause stoppages and malfunctions within the rifle and the cycle of operation if not cleaned from the bolt tail. 
         [0006]    Other methods for cleaning this carbon from the bolt tail are generally ineffective, time consuming and laborious, and include wiping with a cloth, the use of chemical solvents, scraping with non-specific tools such as screwdrivers, knives, dental picks, and expended cartridge casings. Further, none of these methods completely remove the carbon from the bolt tail. 
         [0007]    U.S. Pat. No. 7,644,529 B2 to Hopper et al. issued Jan. 12, 2010 describes a simplified tool that scrapes a portion of the carbon off the rifle bolt tail, but does not completely remove the carbon from the rifle bolt tail or assist in the continued maintenance and future cleanings by removing all of the carbon from the rifle bolt tail thus limiting the carbon build up. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0008]    The present invention provides a bolt cleaner and polisher for automatic and semi-automatic rifles. Various embodiments of the present invention comfortably fit in one hand for ease of use, while a pivot arm allows for enough torque to effectively clean the rifle. Embodiments of the present invention are constructed for lasting durability and resistance to chemical solvents. A scraper blade is preferably laser cut to the same radius as the rifle bolt tail and has four scraping surfaces. This tool will remove the carbon build up from the bolt tail in a matter of seconds. The unique polisher ensures that the carbon on the bolt tail is removed and helps prevents residual build up on the bolt tail. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0009]    1.  FIG. 1  is an overall top view of the rifle bolt cleaning and polishing tool with the polishing arm closed. 
           [0010]    2.  FIG. 2  is a detail view of the rifle bolt tail in contact with the scraping blade. 
           [0011]    3.  FIG. 3  is an overall view of the bottom of the rifle bolt cleaning and polishing tool with the polishing arm open, polishing pad, and the rifle bolt. 
           [0012]    4.  FIG. 4  is a detail view of the polishing arm in the closed position with the rifle bolt inserted with a polishing pad. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Reference Numbers 
       [0000]    
       
         
           
               1 . Rifle bolt cleaning tool (assembled) 
               2 . Tool body 
               3 . Scraper blade 
               4 . Scraper blade channel 
               5 . Scraper blade set screws 
               6 . Scraper guide hole 
               7 . Polishing arm 
               8 . Polishing arm pivot screw 
               9 . Polishing arm guide hole 
               10 . Polishing pad capture area 
               11 . Polishing arm guide hole radius 
               12 . Rifle bolt 
               13 . Polishing pad 
               14 . Rifle bolt tail 
           
         
       
     
         [0027]    While the present disclosure discusses the user of a bolt cleaning a polishing tool for an AR-15/M-16 rifle variant, those skilled in the art will recognize that it can be used on other types of rifles and rifle variants. The AR-15/M-16 rifle variant bolt cleaning and polishing tool, according to the present disclosure, is a gun cleaning product that is efficient and useful. This invention was made with the user in mind with the goal being making gun cleaning easier. Carbon build up on an AR-1/M-16 variant rifle bolt tail can be a challenge for even the experienced gun cleaner. The present disclosure provides a solution for cleaning the carbon off the AR-15/M-16 bolt tail in just a matter of seconds. The cleaner and polisher strips away the carbon from the bolt tail surface. This eliminates the need for any messy solvents to clean the bolt. Further, the present invention is designed to be used without any solvents. This tool balances the importance of weapon maintenance and function with trying to reduce the amount of time needed to clean the rifle. Proper cleaning of the carbon build up from the bolt tail will help prevent a catastrophic failure caused by an interruption of the gas flow through the weapon. Using this bolt cleaning and polishing tool will help prevent the continuing build up of carbon and make cleaning easier each time the tool is used. The present invention eliminates the need for many different makeshift tools and chemicals to remove the carbon from the rifle bolt tail. The present invention helps ensure proper maintenance and function of the rifle. 
         [0028]    The bolt cleaner and polisher was designed with the user in mind. This invention comfortably fits in one hand for ease of use, while the polishing arm  7  allows plenty of torque for superior cleaning. The tool is constructed for lasting durability and resistance to chemical solvents. The scraper blade  3  is laser cut to the same radius as the rifle bolt tail  14  and has four scraping surfaces. This tool  1  will remove the carbon build up from the AR-15/M-16 rifle variants bolt tail  14  in a matter of seconds. The unique polisher  6  ensures that every last bit of carbon is removed and helps prevents residual build up on the bolt tail  14 . 
         [0029]      FIG. 1  is an overall top view of the bolt cleaner and polisher tool  1  in its assembled condition, according to one illustrative embodiment. As illustrated in  FIG. 1 , scraper blade  3  is locked into scraper blade channel  4  with set screws  5 . Polishing arm  7  is attached to tool body  2  with a pivot screw  8 . The tool body  2  and the polishing arm  7  are preferably constructed of a durable material, such as metal and plastic. However, those skilled in the art will recognize that other materials can be used. 
         [0030]    In one embodiment, blade  3  is constructed of a metal hard enough to hold a laser cut edge and scrape off the built up carbon on the rifle bolt tail  14  without cutting into or damaging it. The scraper blade channel  4  is slightly longer than the length of the scraper blade  3 , slightly wider than the width of the scraper blade  3 , and slightly taller than the height of the scraper blade  3 . This arrangement helps keep the scraper blade  3  beneath the surface level of the tool body  2 . The scraper blade  3  is aligned as to allow the rifle bolt tail  14  to contact the scraper blade  3  at the same radius when the rifle bolt tail  14  is inserted into the scraper guide hole  6 . The polishing arm  7  is the same height as the tool body  2  and is cut across the middle of the polishing arm guide hole  9  with half of the polishing arm guide hole  9  on the polishing arm  7  and half of the polishing arm guide hole  9  on the tool body  2 . The start  11  of the polishing arm guide hole  9  is cut to the radius of the rifle bolt tail  14 . The polishing arm  7  is attached to the tool body  2  with a pivot screw  8  to allow the polishing arm  7  to pivot into an open position to accept the polishing pad  13  in the polishing pad capture area to. In one embodiment the open position is 180 degrees. 
         [0031]    To clean the carbon off the rifle bolt tail  14 , first the user inserts the rifle bolt tail  14  into the scraper guide hole  6  and makes contact between the rifle bolt tail  14  and the scraper blade  3 . Next, the user pushes the rifle bolt  12  down onto the scraper blade  3  while rotating the rifle bolt  12  clockwise and counterclockwise until the majority of the carbon is removed from the rifle bolt tail  14  by the scraper blade  3 . Then the user opens the polishing arm  7  and places a portion of polishing pad  13  into the polishing pad capture area  10 . The user leaves a portion of the polishing pad  13  extending out past the edge of the tool body  2  and the start of the polishing arm guide hole  9  where the radius  11  is cut. This allows the polishing pad  13  to flatten itself onto the radius of the rifle bolt tail  14  and polish off the carbon. Next the user places the rifle bolt tail  14  onto the tool body  2  side of the polishing arm guide hole  9  with the cone portion at the radius  11  cut into the edge of the guide hole  9 . Once the rifle bolt tail  14  is placed in this position, the user closes the polishing arm  7  causing the polishing pad  13  to fold in half over the rifle bolt tail  14 , enclosing the rifle bolt tail  14  in the polishing arm  7 , wrapped with the polishing pad  13 . Finally pressure is applied to keep the polishing arm  7  closed and to create torque, while rotating the rifle bolt  12  clockwise and counterclockwise until the residual carbon is polished off the rifle bolt tail  14 . 
         [0032]    This entire cleaning process, using this invention, takes only a few seconds, requires no additional tools or chemical solvents, and ideally completely removes the carbon from the rifle bolt tail. 
         [0033]    In conclusion the present disclosure is directed to a bolt cleaning and polishing tool comprising: Two pieces of material that are joined by a pivot screw enabling one piece of material to pivot outward 180 degrees, wherein a guide hole, cut into the body of each piece so half of the hole is in each piece, holds the rifle bolt in place during the polishing portion of the cleaning process; and a cleaning chamber cut out in the non-pivoting piece, wherein a scraping blade is affixed; and a guide hole in the non-pivoting piece that allows the rifle bolt to lower onto the scraping blade and contact is made between the radius of the bolt tail and the scraping blade.