Firearms – Breech loading – Upward-tilting breech
Reexamination Certificate
2001-09-04
2002-10-08
Jordan, Charles T. (Department: 3644)
Firearms
Breech loading
Upward-tilting breech
C042S002000, C042S012000, C042S041000, C042S069010
Reexamination Certificate
active
06460281
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to small arms, and more particularly to a double barrel firearm (e. g., shotgun) incorporating a single trigger action for sequentially firing both barrels. The present invention includes three separate embodiments, differing in the trigger structure. These embodiments enable the two barrels to be fired upon two consecutive pulls of the trigger, or pulling and then releasing the trigger, or upon two consecutive releases of the trigger after it has been pulled. The present invention is particularly adapted for use with over—under double barreled shotguns, but may be adapted to side by side double barrel shotguns, or other firearms incorporating two gun barrels.
2. Description of the Related Art
The earliest firearms incorporated relatively primitive reloading means, in which separate powder, wad, and ball charges were inserted from the muzzle end of the barrel. The desire to fire more rapid consecutive shots is obvious in such weapons, and as a result multiple barrel firearms were developed before the invention of chamber loading weapons utilizing self-contained cartridges and shot or rounds.
While present day firearm technology has provided semiautomatic and fully automatic small arms, many hunters and shooters still prefer double barreled firearms for various reasons. While double barreled weapons tend to be heavier than single barreled guns, and obviously limit the number of shots to the number of barrels of the firearm, they also have certain advantages. Among these are the greater stiffness provided by the two joined barrels and, to some shooters, the greater barrel mass which may assist the shooter in smoothly swinging the gun to align with a target. Trap and skeet shooters particularly often favor double barrel shotguns for use in their sport.
Nearly all such double barrel shotguns utilize two separate triggers, each of which trips a separate sear, hammer, and firing pin to fire one of the two chambers of the gun. Conventionally, each trigger is pulled to actuate the cocked mechanism in order to fire the respective chamber of the gun. More recently, competitive shooters have recognized the value of other mechanisms, such as linearly traveling pistons for driving the firing pins, rather than arcuately pivoting hammers. The use of pistons to drive the firing pins results in somewhat faster actuation of the mechanism. In addition, various multiple barrel mechanisms have been developed which utilize only a single trigger, and some means for selecting which barrel is to be fired using the single trigger. Such prior art mechanisms still require the manipulation of two different devices, whether a trigger and selector switch, or two triggers.
Some shooters have also recognized the potential inaccuracies which may occur in firing a weapon having a conventional pull-type trigger. The sudden muscular contraction required to produce the trigger pull, may be sufficient to throw off the aim of the firearm to some slight extent, which is often sufficient to cause the target to be missed. While this is more true of rifle and pistol shooting than shotgun shooting, it nevertheless can also apply to competitive skeet and trap shooting, as well as hunting with such firearms.
The present invention recognizes the various problems noted and described above, and provides a solution to these problems in the form of a double barrel firearm having only a single trigger for sequentially firing both chambers of the gun as desired. Rather than incorporating a separate selector switch for selecting the chamber and barrel to be fired, the present mechanism uses a sophisticated mechanical linkage to fire each barrel sequentially as the trigger is pulled, or in some embodiments, as the trigger is released after a pull. This trigger release firing system can provide significant advantages for the competitive shooter, in the form of smoother and more precise gun handling. Moreover, the present firearm mechanism incorporates piston actuation of the firing pins in order to provide more rapid firing action, as is desirable in the sport.
A discussion of the related art of which the present inventor is aware, and its differences and distinctions from the present invention, is provided below.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,131,499 issued on May 5, 1964 to Amedee J. Arsenault, titled “Action For Double Barrel Firearms,” describes a single trigger mechanism for selectively firing both chambers or barrels of an over—under double barrel gun. (Arsenault discloses a double barreled, break action rifle in his '499 U.S. Pat.). However, Arsenault requires a separate selector switch which operates to lock one or the other firing pin in its rearward position, thereby allowing only a single barrel to be fired. If the trigger is pulled again without switching the separate switch, the gun will not fire because that firing pin has already been released from its cocked position for firing that chamber upon the first trigger pull, and the cartridge in the chamber has been expended. Thus, the selector switch must be manipulated each time it is desired to fire the second barrel of the Arsenault gun. This does not appear to provide any advantage over the conventional two trigger mechanism for double barreled guns, as Arsenault merely moves the manipulation of a second trigger to a separate selector switch extending from the top rear of the action, and requires that the shooter manipulate that separate selector switch for firing the second chamber. Moreover, the Arsenault trigger only operates upon a pull stroke, and cannot fire the weapon upon trigger release. In contrast, the present invention utilizes two separate pistons which are in turn separate from their corresponding firing pins, and provides only a single trigger for sequential firing of the two chambers and barrels of a double barrel firearm, using one or more pull or release strokes of a specific trigger configuration.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,389,488 issued on Jun. 25, 1968 to Carlo P. Beretta, titled “Single-Trigger Release Mechanism For A Double-Barreled Shotgun,” describes a mechanism wherein a selector switch is used to select the first barrel or chamber desired for firing, with the mechanism then automatically switching to trip the second or previously unreleased hammer to fire the second chamber. In the event of a misfire of the first selected shell, the mechanism does not automatically switch. Rather, the shooter must manually use the selector switch to switch to the previously unselected second barrel or chamber, whereupon a pull of the single trigger releases the second hammer to fire the second chamber. This differs from the mechanism of the present invention in several ways: (a) Beretta uses pivotally acting hammers, rather than linearly acting pistons or plungers (as in the present invention) to strike the firing pins; (b) the Beretta mechanism requires a selector switch, whereas no selector switch is required in the present single trigger mechanism; and (c) the present mechanism is not dependent upon any inertial mechanism, but automatically switches from the first to the second chamber and shell regardless of whether or not the first chamber fires.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,421,243 issued on Jan. 14, 1969 to Val A. Browning, titled “Firing Mechanisms For Double Barrel, Single Trigger Firearms,” describes a gun having a three way selector switch, with the central position serving as a safety and the left and right positions serving to select the corresponding hammer for firing the respective chamber of the gun. The mechanism includes an inertial mass which is tripped or actuated upon recoil and counter-recoil of the gun after firing the round in the first chamber. The fall of the first hammer trips a sear, whether the round actually fires or not, which then allows the second hammer to be tripped sequentially upon the next trigger pull. In contrast, the present mechanism does not require a selector switch, but always fires one barrel (e. g., the lower barrel, in an over and under double barre
Hayes Bret C
Jordan Charles T.
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