Firearms – Cattle slaughter type
Reexamination Certificate
1999-05-27
2001-06-26
Carone, Michael J. (Department: 3641)
Firearms
Cattle slaughter type
C042S077000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06250007
ABSTRACT:
This invention is directed to improvements in construction and operation of stunning guns used in the processing of livestock, principally cattle.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In stunning guns of which we are aware, the guns utilize a moveable bolt which is placed at the temple of the animal and propelled into stunning contact by the firing of a blank (no projectile) cartridge. The cartridge is loaded into a breech mechanism which is positioned to direct the explosive force of the fired cartridge against one end of the bolt. The spent cartridge case can be extracted from the breech for reloading. A typical heretofore successful gun design is that described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,625,442 issued Dec. 2, 1986 (“the '442 patent”), the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, and marketed as the Koch Magnum .25 Stunner by Koch Suppliers, Inc. of Kansas City, Mo.
In recent years, there has been an effort to get away from the use of cartridges which have lead or barium containing propellants, which present adverse air pollution and other problems. Cartridges utilizing a plastic explosive rather than the conventional powders have been developed. One characteristic of the plastic is, however, that its firing results in a myriad of fine glass-like particles being discharged from the open end of the cartridge case.
It has been discovered that the newer plastic loads have consequences for the stunning gun that shorten the effective life of the breech mechanism, in particular. Apparently the presence of the glass-like particles emanating from the open end of the cartridge creates erosion of the breech surface adjacent to the open end and creates as a result of repeated firings an annular depression adjacent the open end. As the depression increases in width and depth it provides a space into which the casing portion adjacent to the open end (or least some part of it) can expand outwardly and into the eroded area. This expansion and deformation of the casing into the irregularity creates a locking effect which interferes with extraction of the spent casing from the breech to the extent that the guns affected become effectively inoperable.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A primary object of our invention is to provide a method and structure for modifying present guns to eliminate the aforesaid deleterious effects of the plastic propellants. In our invention we modify the cartridge receiving section of the breech in a way that increases greatly the resistance of the breech to the deformation effects of the plastic explosive. The modification is achieved without requiring complete replacement of the breech.
The modification is effected by machining the original breech to accommodate a specially designed and constructed sleeve insert which preserves the mechanical advantages of the original breech mechanism as to loading fresh cartridges and extracting spent casings and which increases materially the ability of the breech to resist the abrading and eroding effect of the plastic propellants heretofore described. We have determined that an unmodified gun having generally the design of the '442 patent deteriorates rather rapidly because of the abrading effect of the propellant. A typical unmodified gun operates for a life of approximately 5,000 rounds. With the employment of our invention, the life of the gun can be increased to approximately 50,000 to 60,000 rounds which is a significant factor in reducing costs of gun replacement.
Other and further objects and advantages will appear in the course of the following description.
REFERENCES:
patent: 801839 (1905-10-01), Behr
patent: 1435573 (1922-11-01), Accles
patent: 2736118 (1956-02-01), Clarkson et al.
patent: 2736119 (1956-02-01), Clarkson et al.
patent: 2850828 (1958-09-01), Sullivan
patent: 2922185 (1960-01-01), Aitken et al.
patent: 3067454 (1962-12-01), Catlin et al.
patent: 3895454 (1975-07-01), Hancox
patent: 4086682 (1978-05-01), Hancox
patent: 4625442 (1986-12-01), Hill et al.
patent: 0027923 (1903-04-01), None
patent: 0233207 (1944-10-01), None
Koch Magnum .25™ Stunner Operating Instructions.
Payne Billy C.
Steinhauser John
Buckley Denise J
Carone Michael J.
Haldiman Robert C.
Kang Grant D.
Koch Supplies Holdings LLC
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