Firearms – Muzzle loaders
Reexamination Certificate
1999-02-04
2001-11-13
Eldred, J. Woodrow (Department: 3644)
Firearms
Muzzle loaders
C042S083000, C089S027130
Reexamination Certificate
active
06314670
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an improvement concerning a muzzle loader firearm and, more specifically, to a muzzle loader firearm having the capability of discharging smokeless powder, in a safe manner, to increase both the velocity and accuracy of a discharged bullet or projectile while also minimizing the associated cleaning and maintenance of the muzzle loader firearm.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
There are a variety of black powder, single shot firearms currently available in the marketplace. These modern weapons are based upon the traditional muzzle loading, black powder weapons of the past, yet they incorporate modern materials and technological advances. Recent improvements have brought such weapons to a modern renaissance by increasing their effectiveness while still relying on a sense of history and tradition important to the contemporary black powder hunter and rifleman.
A major drawback associated with all of such firearms is that they are only currently able to discharge black powder or Pyrodex®. Even the newest and most advanced muzzle loaders are not designed to withstand the forces and pressures generated by the use of smokeless powder as a propellant in single shot muzzle loading weapons. In particular, there are strong warnings against discharging smokeless gun powder in such firearms. Smokeless powder is a substantially more powerful propellant which, if improperly used, significantly increases the risk of blow ups.
Not only does smokeless gun powder increase the velocity, accuracy and power available, but smokeless gun powder is much less corrosive than black powder or Pyrodex® gun powder and a weapon utilizing this propellant thus requires less cleaning or maintenance. Consequently, it is imperative for safety reasons that if smokeless gun powder is to be utilized in a weapon, it is desirable to design a muzzle loader which is capable of safely discharging both black powder or Pyrodex® gun powder as well as smokeless gun powder.
Typically, black powder and Pyrodex® gun powders have a standard burn rate which, by contemporary standards, is relatively slow. Upon discharge of the weapon, the powder ignites and burns, causing an explosion force that is generated within the breech end of the gun barrel. The exploding powder causes the projectile, e.g. the slug, round ball or bullet, to be very swiftly conveyed along the length of the gun barrel and discharged out the muzzle end of the gun barrel.
On the other hand, when smokeless gun powder is discharged within a gun barrel, it achieves a drastically increased burn rate compared to that of conventional gun powder. The rapid burn rate produces gases within the breech end of the gun barrel and it is the expansion of such gases that causes the projectile. e.g. the slug, round ball or bullet, to be swiftly forced out of the muzzle end of the gun barrel.
Upon discharging a firearm containing either black powder or Pyrodex® gun powder, typically a force of about 7,000 to about 20,000 pounds per square inch is generated within the gun barrel, depending upon the quantity or charge of gun powder contained within the gun barrel. Upon discharging a firearm containing smokeless gun powder having the same quantity or charge as with black or Pyrodex® gun powder, typically a force of between about 20,000 to about 62,000 pounds per square inch or so can be generated within the gun barrel.
It is of the utmost importance when using such a volatile propellent to ensure that substantially all the formed gases are directed down the length of the barrel and out the muzzle end. As is readily apparent from even a basic understanding of expanding gases, any generated gas expansion force not directed down the length of the barrel must be allowed to expended and exhaust somewhere else. Unfortunately, the only other path for the expanding gases is back through the ignition bore or orifice hole, out the breech plug and into the face of the rifleman. Therefore, it is desirable to limit any rapid backward escape of such formed gases through the ignition bore or orifice hole provided in the breech plug supported by the breech end of the gun barrel. If significant excess gases are allowed to escape via the ignition bore or orifice hole, formed in the breach plug, there is a real potential that the breech end of the gun barrel could explode in the face of the operator, burn the face or body part of an operator or otherwise seriously injure or mortally wound the operator.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Wherefore, it is an object of the present invention to overcome the above noted drawbacks of the prior art muzzle loaders.
A further object of the invention is to provide a muzzle loader which is capable of discharging both black powder or Pyrodex® gun powder as well as smokeless gun powder in a safe and efficient manner while increasing the velocity and accuracy of a discharged round ball, bullet or slug, hereinafter referred to as a “projectile”.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a firearm discharge system which minimizes fouling of the gun barrel, during and following use of the firearm, simplifies cleaning of the firearm and also minimizes corrosion of the firearm during storage.
Another object of the invention is to provide the breech end of the gun barrel with a sealing capability such that, upon discharging the firearm, the primer located within the primer cavity formed in the breech plug forms an effective seal with the inner wall or surface of the primer cavity such that substantially most of the generated thrust from the rapid burning or explosion of the gun powder, e.g. expansion gases, contained within the gun barrel is exhausted out through the muzzle end of the gun barrel thereby to minimize any back flow of the expansion gases, generated by the rapid burning or explosion of the gun powder, toward the face of the operator of the firearm and thus to improve the output velocity of the projectile being discharged by the firearm.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a primer cavity which has a slight taper such that the end portion of the primer cavity, facing the firing pin assembly, is wider than the end portion of the primer cavity carrying the ignition bore or orifice hole which communicates with the gun powder located within the breech end of the gun barrel.
A still further object of the invention is to utilize a slightly longer primer, having a sufficient charge to facilitate a rapid burning of the (smokeless) gun powder, which is located in a slightly longer primer cavity to facilitate an adequate seal between the primer and the inner wall or surface of the primer cavity, upon discharging the primer, to minimize the possibility of any substantial expansion or explosion gases being exhausted past the primer and the primer cavity interface.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an arrangement which facilitates quick, consistent, precise and easy loading of a projectile into the muzzle of a gun barrel.
Yet another object of the invention is to ensure that the central longitudinal axis of the projectile, once loaded, substantially coincides with the central longitudinal axis of the gun barrel so that a complete peripheral seal between the exterior surface of the projectile and the interior rifled surface of the gun barrel is achieved to prevent any of the expansion or explosion gases, generated upon the burning or explosion of the gun powder, from escaping or leaking past the seal formed therebetween.
A further objection of the invention is to facilitate engagement between a muzzle loading tool and the muzzle end of the gun barrel so that the projectile, gun powder, and/or wad can be loaded into the central bore of the gun barrel in a quick continuous motion while still ensuring proper alignment.
The present invention also relates to a muzzle loader firearm comprising: a gun barrel having a breech end and a muzzle end, the breech end of the gun barrel supporting a breech plug having a primer cavity for supporting a desired primer for discharging the firearm, an
Davis & Bujold P.L.L.C.
Eldred J. Woodrow
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