Patent ID: 8141474

Claim:
An improved charging mechanism for a gas powered firearm, said firearm comprising a barrel, a firing chamber, a bolt assembly, a recoil spring mechanism in connection with a rear portion of the bolt assembly, an operating rod in connection with a front portion of the bolt assembly, an ammunition magazine having a spring loading mechanism, and a port formed into the barrel providing a communication between the barrel and a gas block, said improved charging mechanism comprising a gas tube, said gas tube being in communication with the gas block such that gases created from the firing of a round of ammunition may be discharged from the barrel through the port and through the gas block into said gas tube, said gas tube having a substantially cylindrically shaped interior with a substantially constant inside diameter, said gas tube suitably adapted to accommodate within its interior the operating rod, whereby the operating rod has a forward portion, a rear portion, and a shaft interposed between the forward portion and the rear portion, said shaft having a length, with the operating rod able to move forward and rearward within said gas tube, and said gas tube further having a lateral aperture formed into its left side, passing through said gas tube into its interior, the lateral aperture running parallel to a longitudinal axis of said gas tube, with the lateral aperture having a front edge, a rear edge, a top edge, and a bottom edge, with the top and bottom edges substantially parallel to each other; a sleeve, said sleeve having a partial cylindrical configuration, with said sleeve being suitably adapted to be placed onto the shaft of the operating rod within the gas tube; and a charging handle, said charging handle suitably adapted to be removably attached to the sleeve, such that said charging handle extends from the sleeve through the lateral aperture of the gas tube and extends outward from the left side of the firearm; whereby movement of the charging handle rearward simultaneously moves the sleeve rearward, effecting rearward pressure upon the rear portion of the operating rod and thereby moving the operating rod and the bolt assembly rearward, which in turn opens the firing chamber, ejects any cartridge casing from the firing chamber, compresses the recoil spring mechanism, and allows a round of ammunition to be moved from the ammunition magazine by the spring loading mechanism into the firing chamber, and cessation of the application of a rearward force on the charging handle results in the recoil spring mechanism moving the bolt assembly forward and simultaneously moving the operating rod, the sleeve, and the charging handle forward, resulting in the newly chambered round being ready to be fired.