Firearms – Muzzle loaders
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-01
2001-05-01
Johnson, Stephen M. (Department: 3641)
Firearms
Muzzle loaders
C042S070080
Reexamination Certificate
active
06223459
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Modern muzzleloading rifles often use the side hammer design of the very old muzzleloading rifles either with an ignition flint or a more modern ignition system. However, neither the old or more modern side hammer rifles are relatively safe. At best, they have a thumb safety mechanism which might break or even become disengaged if the rifle is dropped. Further, it is possible to disassemble and assemble these rifles when the safety is not engaged, thus creating a possible ignition of the rifle in a state of disassembly. These rifles are all difficult to clean.
It is therefore a principal object of this invention to provide a safety mechanism for side hammer muzzleloading rifles that has a cross bolt safety.
A further object of this invention is to provide a safety mechanism for side hammer muzzleloading rifles that has a cross bolt safety which prevents the barrel from being disassembled or assembled without the safety being engaged.
A still further object of this invention is to provide a safety mechanism for side hammer muzzleloading rifles that requires that a removable breech plug be assembled within the rifle before the safety can be moved to a firing position.
A still further object of this invention is to provide a safety mechanism for side hammer muzzleloading rifles which will not disengage the safety upon being dropped, and which will not have a safety that will break upon being dropped.
These and other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A safety mechanism for a muzzleloading rifle has a firing hammer pivotally mounted on the rifle and is movable between a rearward cocked position and a forward firing position, and is releasably held by a trigger mechanism in the cocked position when manually moved to the cocked position.
The firing hammer includes an arm portion extending away from the pivotal connection between the hammer and the rifle. An elongated safety bolt is slidably mounted in a transverse direction in the rifle and is movable between an outer safety position and an inner non-safety position, and is located within a pivotal path of the arm portion of the hammer to engage the arm to prevent the forward rotation of the hammer to move to the firing position if the hammer is released for forward pivotal movement by the trigger mechanism.
The safety bolt is selectively manually slidable into the rifle by the user to remove it from the safety position in the pivotal path of the arm portion so as to prevent the hammer to pivot toward the firing position when released by the trigger assembly. The safety bolt has a plurality of annular grooves therein which must be aligned with tangs on the rear end of the rifle barrel when the barrel is being removed from or inserted into the rifle. The alignment of these components is only possible when the safety bolt is in the safety position.
A detent also engages spaced annular grooves on the safety bolt to stabilize the position of the safety bolt in either the safety or non-safety positions.
REFERENCES:
patent: 1256631 (1918-02-01), Zeymer
patent: 3577667 (1971-05-01), Kern
patent: 4989357 (1991-02-01), Norman et al.
patent: 5067266 (1991-11-01), Findlay
patent: 5678341 (1997-10-01), Kahnke
patent: 448500 (1936-06-01), None
Ebsco Industries Inc.
Johnson Stephen M.
Zarley McKee Thomte Voorhees & Sease
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