US2592858A - Serrated carrier latch for firearms - Google Patents

Description

April 15, 1952 R. E. CLARKSON 2,592,853

. SERR-ATED CARRIER LATCH FOR FIREARMS Filed Oct. 28; 1949 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 Patented Apr. 15, 1952 SERRATED CARRIER LATCH FOR FIREARMS Ralph E. Clarkson, Hamden, Conn., assignor to Olin Industries, Inc., New Haven, Conn., a corporation of Delaware Application October 28, 1949, Serial No. 124,117

Claims. 1

The present invention relates in general to firearms and more especially to improvements pertaining to the reloading means of an autoloading firearm.

The invention is especially well illustrated by reference to a firearm of the autoloading type having a tubular magazine for storing cartridges and automatically delivering the cartridges successively onto a pivoted cartridge-carrier or elevator following discharge of the firearm, the recoil of the firearm incident to discharge thereof serving to automatically unlock the breechblock and move it rearwardly in the receiver, thereby extracting and ejecting the fired shell, releasing a fresh shell from the tubular magazine for delivery onto the carrier, and elevating the carrier to align the fresh cartridge thereon with the chamber of the barrel for chambering by the breechblook on return thereof to breech-closing position.

In general, autoloading firearms'of this type have a combined cartridge-cutoff and cartridge carrier-latch which is pivotally mounted in one wall of the receiver immediately above the carried for positively locking the carrier down in its normal position opposite the exit end of the tubular magazine, and which is adapted to be engaged and actuated by a fresh cartridge delivered onto the carrier by the magazine-spring thereby to automatically unlock the carrier and simultaneously engage the next succeeding cartridge in the magazine, to prevent premature delivery thereof onto the carrier.

It has happened not infrequently that a cartridge delivered from the tubular magazine onto the carrier by the combined forces of the magazine-spring and the counter-recoil of the firearm is driven rearwardly onto the cartridge-carrier with such velocity and violence that it rides up over the carrier-latch and hence does not actuate the carrier-latch to unlock the cartridge-carrier, in which instance the b-reechblock will be automatically locked at the end of its rearward excursion, thereby interrupting the automatic ac A still further object of the invention is to provide an autoloading firearm with oppositelydisposed longitudinal guard-means within the receiver, one of which is movable laterally with respect to the other for holding a cartridge delivered onto the carrier in operative engagement with the carrier-latch.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an autoloading firearm with a superior carrier-latch in one wall of the receiver, having a plurality of serrations cooperatively associated with a guard-rib on the opposite wall of the receiver, whereby a cartridge being automatically delivered onto the carrier during counter-recoil of the firearm, will be held downon the carrier in operative engagement with the carrier-latch.

With the above and other objects in view,,.as'

will'appear to those skilled in the art from the present disclosure, this invention includes all features in the said disclosure which are novel over the prior art.

In the accompanying drawings, in which certain modes of carrying out the present invention are shown for illustrative purposes:

Fig. 1 is a broken side elevation partly in section of an autoloading firearm embodying the improved cartridge guard-means of this invention for holding a cartridge in cooperative engagement.

with the carrier-latch during automatic reloading of the firearm;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged broken side elevation in section of the firearm of Fig. 1, showing the action open and a fresh cartridge delivered part way onto the carrier from the magazine, the cartridge being held down on the carrier in operative engagement with the carrier-latch by the along, its lower right-hand edge to disclose the longitudinal guard-rib in the opposite wall of the receiver; and

Fig. 6 is an enlarged perspective view of the carrier-latch looking mainly toward its inner face and "showing the plurality of longitudinalvsei rations-formed thereon.

The firearm shown in the drawings and described below for the purpose of illustrating one embodiment of the invention, is an autoloading firearm comprising, in the main, a receiver [3 including a trigger-plate H detachably secured thereto, a barrel l2 fixedly secured to the forward end of thereceiver and having abarrel-extension I3 slidable relative to the receiver, a tubular magazine l4 including a fore end "I5 fixedly secured to the receiver beneath the barrel [2, and a buttstock l6 fixedly secured on the rear end of the receiver, the buttstock having a longitudinal passage therethrough for accommodating the action-return spring [8 and operating-link assembly I9 of the breechblock 20.

The latter is adapted to be supported in the receiver for both longitudinal and pivotal movement therein by means of a pair of slides. The latter are mounted in guide-grooves in opposite sides respectively of the receiver and have a lost-motion connection with the rear end of the breechblock, the lost-motion connection comprisinga pivot-pin '21 extending through the rear ends of the slides and through the cam-slots 22 .at the rear end of the breechblock. The pivotpin 2| serves also to connect the forward end of the operating-link IQ of the action-spring to the breechblock.

The fire-control mechanism of the autoloading firearm is supported by the trigger-plate II and embodies a pivot trigger 23 for cocking and releasing the pivoted hammer 24 (Fig. 4). Pivotally mounted on the forward end of the triggerplate as at 25 is a cartridge-carrier or elevator 26, the forward end or spoon 2! of which is located'normally in the loading-opening '28 in the bottom of .the receiver and substantially in alignment with the rear end of the tubular magazine I4, the cartridge-carrier being adapted to be actuated by the breechblocklforsequentially elevating a fresh cartridge fed thereon from the rear end of the tubular magazine upwardly into position to be chambered in the barrel by the return movement of the breechblock. In order for the .breechblock to actuate the carrier, the latter is provided with a rearwardly-extending reach 29 having a carrier-actuating dog 30 pivoted thereon and resiliently held substantially upright with respect thereto by means of a combined actuating-dog-and-carrier spring 3!, the upper end of the actuating-dog having camsurfaces 32 adapted to lie in the path of the breechblock so as .to be engaged and actuated thereby during the rearward and forward excursions thereof thereby to positively elevate the cartridge-carrier. Other details of the fire-control mechanism and breechblock assembly not shown and described herein, are considered to be ancillary to a clear understanding of the present invention but :are shown in greater detail and described at length in the copending application of Williams, Ser. No. 733,617, filed March 10,1947, and patented May 9, 1950, as Patent No. 2,506,982.

As pointed out at the outset, the present invention is concerned primarily with improved means for preventing malfunctioning of an autoloading firearm during reloading and, in particular, to prevent a cartridge which is automatically fed rearwardly onto the cartridge-carrier from the tubular magazine, on counter-recoil of the firearm, from inadvertently riding upwardly off'of the carrier, such that it fails to engage and :actuate the carrier-locking latch and unlock the carrier. A

being urged normally The means of this invention for preventing malfunctioning of the autoloading firearm in the manner described above is hereinafter referred to as cartridge guard-means and, as shown especially well in Figs. 3, 5 and 6, comprises, in general, oppositely-disposed guard-ribs within the receiver extending longitudinally thereof and located vertically above the upper surface of the carrier, as shown especially well in Fig. 3, the guard-ribs on one side of the receiver being movable laterally with respect to the guard-rib on the opposite side of the receiver. More particularly, the longitudinal guard-rib in the lefthand side of the receiver constitutes the upper edge '33 of a relatively-shallow substantiallyrec-tangular longitudinal clearance-recess 34 formed in the inner wall of the left-hand side of the receiver. The forward end of this clearance-recess 34 is located immediately adjacent the rear end of the tubular magazine, while the rear end of the clearance-recess 34 constitutes a cartridge-camming surface blending into the substantially-vertical planar surface of the receiver-wall, as shown especially well in Fig. 4. As is shown in Fig. 3, the vertical disposition of the cartridge guard-rib 33 with respect to the upper surface of the cartridge-carrier spoon 21 is such that the flange of the head of a cartridge moving rearwardly on the carrier-spoon will be engaged by the guard-rib 33 at a point on the flange above the horizontal axis of the cartridge thereby to effectively hold the head of the cartridge down on the carrier.

The guard-ribs on the right-hand side of the receiver are indicated generally at 36 and comprise a plurality of ribs or serrations formed on the inner vertical face of the combined cartridgecutoff and carrier-latch 31 which, as shown especially well in Figs. 3 and 6, comprises an elongated lever-member substantially rectangular in cross section and pivotally supported intermediate its ends in a clearance-recess 38 in the inner wall of the right-hand side of the receiver by a substantially-vertical pivot-pin 39 for lateral movement in and out of its clearancerecess, the rear end 40 of the carrier-latch 31 inwardly laterally by means of a coil spring 4| to engage over the adjacent edge of the carrier, so as to lock the latter down in its normal position for receiving a cartridge from the tubular magazine. The opposite or forward end 42 of the carrier-latch is provided with an inwardly-projecting cartridgecutoff lip 43 for regulating the delivery of cartridges from the tubular magazine, in the manner well known to the art; and an operatingbutton 44 which projects outwardly through an aperture in the right-hand side of the receiver for facilitating manual operation of the carrierlatch, for releasing the carrier. In the preferred construction, the guard-ribs 36 are serrations formed by cutting or scoring a plurality of longitudinal V-shaped grooves on the inner vertical face of the carrier-latch, the serrations extending longitudinally from a point immediately adjacent the rear end 40 of the latch forwardly to a point thereon substantially opposite the carrier-latch operating-spring 4i and vertically from the upper edge of the latch downwardly .of its face to a point slightly above the bottom edge thereof such that engagement will be insured with the flange of a cartridge-head.

The provision of a plurality of substantiallyparallel longitudinal ribs or serrations 36 on the vertical inner face of the carrier-latch is preferred in order that these serrations 36, in conjunction with the single guard-rib 33 on the opposite wall of the receiver, will serve successfully to hold down the heads of all cartridges on the carrier, regardless of slight variations in the diameters of the cartridge-heads. Moreover, inasmuch as the serrations 36 are on the vertical inner face of the inwardly-projecting rear end of the pivoted carrier-latch, they will intercept a cartridge as it moves rearwardly on the carrier. The flange of the cartridge-head will thus engage forcefully against the longitudinal serrations of the carrier-latch in dis placing the latter outwardly from its path, whereupon the serrations 36 will score microscopic grooves in the flange of the cartridge-head. These microscopic grooves, in conjunction with a microscopic groove formed in the opposite edge of the flange by the fixed guard-rib 33, serve to effectively hold the head of the cartridge down on the carrier in operative engagement with the carrier-latch.

Assuming a live shell is in the chamber of the barrel and the action is closed, then on discharge of the firearm,- the breechblock will be automatically unlocked and moved rearwardly in the receiver, thereby simultaneously extracting the fired cartridge and ejecting it from the cartridgeejection opening 45 in the right-hand wall of the receiver. n recoil of the firearm incident to discharge of the cartridge, the column of cartridges in the tubular magazine will be, in effect, moved forwardly therein to compress the magazine-spring 46. However, on counter-recoil' of the firearm, the column of cartridges in the tubular magazine will be moved rearwardly with considerable force by the combined action of the magazine-spring and the counter-recoil, thereby projecting the rearmost cartridge of the tubular magazine rearwardly onto the carrierspoon 21, which is held down in its normal position by means of the carrier-latch, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. As the rearmost cartridgeslides rearwardly on the carrier, its head will move laterally slightly into the clearance-recess 34, whereupon the flange of the cartridge-head will immediately engage the guard-rib 33 and serrations 36 respectively at opposite sides of the receiver, the fixed guard-rib 33 and the plurality of laterally-movable serrations 36 actually scoring microscopic grooves in the adjacent edges of the flange of the cartridge-head and, consequently, serving to positively hold the head of the cartridge from riding up off of the carrier out of engagement with the carrier-latch. The guard-rib 33 and serrations 36 thus effectively hold the cartridge-head in operative engagement with the carrier-latch, then as the head of the cartridge is cammed out of the clearance-recess 34 and moves to its rearmost position on the carrier, the head of the cartridge fulfills its normal function of swinging the rear end of the carrier-latch outwardly laterally against the resistance of the carrier-latch spring 4| thereby to unlock the carrier and automatically cut off the next cartridge in the magazine. Hence, on the subsequent forward movement of the breechblock, cooperative engagement of the latter with the actuating-dog 30 of the carrier-reach 29,

serves to q elevate the carrier-spoon 21 and the cartridge supported thereon upwardly into substantial alignment with the forwardly-moving breechblock, which engages and urges the elevated earjtridge forwardly into the chamber of the barrel. As the breechblock moves forwardly '36 is formed on the vertical inner face of the carrier-latch, it is within the purview of the invention to arrange the respective guard-ribs in the reverse order, that is to say, with a plurality of longitudinal substantially closely-spaced serrations on the inner wall of the left-hand side of the receiver and a single longitudinal guardrib on the vertical inner face of the carrierlatch; or to provide a plurality of guard-ribs within the receiver at opposite sides of the carrier, i. 'e., a plurality of serrations on the lefthand inner wall of the receiver and on the vertical inner face of the carrier-latch respectively.

The invention may be carried out in other specific ways than those herein set forth without departing from the spirit and essential characteristics of the invention, and the present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and all changes coming within the meaning and equivalency range of the appended claims are intended to be embraced therein.

I claim:

1. In an autoloading firearm, including in combination: a barrel; a tubular magazine; a receiver; a breechblo-ck reciprocably mounted in said receiver for movement to and from barrelclosing position; a cartridge-carrier movably mounted in said receiver and arranged to be .actuated by reciprocable movement of said breechblock to transfer a cartridge from said tubular magazine into the path of movement of said breechblock for chambering in said barrel:

carrier-latch means carried by said receiver and arranged to lock said carrier in position to receive a cartridge from said tubular magazine; and cartridge guard-means comprising a plurality of longitudinal serrations within said receiver adjacent one side of said cartridge-carrier and disposed above the upper surface thereof, said plurality of serrations being arranged to be engaged by the head of a cartridge as said cartridge is delivered onto said carrier from said tubular magazine to hold the head of said cartridge down on said carrier in operative engagement with said carrier-latch for unlocking said carrier.

2. In an autoloading firearm, including in combination: a barrel; a tubular magazine; a receiver; a breechblock reciprocably mounted in said receiver for movement to and from barrelclosing position; a cartridge-carrier movably mounted in said receiver and arranged to be actuated by reciprocable movement of said breechblock to transfer a cartridge from said tubular magazine into the path of movement of said breechblock for chambering in said barrel; carrier-latch means carried by said receiver and arranged to lock said carrier in position to receive a cartridge from said tubular magazine; and cartridge-guard means comprising a longitudinal rib within said receiver adjacent one side of said cartridge-carrier, and a plurality of longitudinal serrations within said re- 7 ce'iver adjacent the opposite side of said cartridge-carrier, .said rib and said serrations being disposed above the upper surface of said-carrier and arranged to .be engaged by the head of a cartridge as said cartridge is delivered onto said carrier from said tubular magazine to hold the head of said cartridge down on said carrier in operative engagement with said carrier-latch for unlocking said carrier.

3. In an autoloading firearm, including in combination: a barrel; a tubular magazine; a receiver; a breechblock reciprocably mounted in said receiver for movement to and from barrelclosing position; a cartridge-carrier movably mounted in said receiver and arranged to be actuated by reciprocable movement of said breechblock to transfer a cartridge from said tubular magazine into the path of movement of said breechblock for chambering in .said barrel; carrier-latch means carried by .said receiver and arranged to lock said carrier in position to receive a cartridge from said tubular magazine; and cartridge-guard means on said carrier-latch comprising a plurality .of longitudinal serrations arranged to be engaged by the head of a cartridge as said cartridge is delivered onto said carrier from said tubular magazine to hold the head of said cartridge down on said carrier in operative engagement with said carrier-latch for unlocking said carrier.

4. In an autoloading firearm, including in combination: a barrel; a tubular magazine; a receiver; a breech'b'lock reciprocably mounted in said receiver for movement to and from barrelclosing position; a cartridge-carrier movably mounted in said receiver and arranged to be actuated by reciprocable -movement of said breechblock to transfer a cartridge from said tubular magazine into the path of movement of said breechblock for chambering in said barrel; carrier-latch means carried by said receiver and arranged to lock said carrier in position to receive a cartridge from said tubular magazine; and cartridge guard-means comprising a longitudinal rib on the inner wall of one side of said receiver, and a plurality of longitudinal serrations on the vertical inner face of said carrier-latch substantially opposite the longitudinal rib on the said inner wall of said receiver, said oppositely-disposed longitudinal rib and serrations being arranged to be engaged by the head of a cartridge as said cartridge is delivered 8 onto said carrier from said tubular magazine to hold the head of said cartridge down on said carrier in operative engagement with said carrier-latch for unlocking said carrier.

5. In an autoloading firearm, including in combination: a barrel; a tubular magazine; a receiver; a breechblock reciprocably mounted in said receiver for movement to and from barrelclosing position; a cartridge-carrier movably mounted in said receiver and arranged to be actuated by reciprocable movement of said breechblock to transfer a cartridge from said tubular magazine into the path ofmovement of said breechbloc-k for chambering in said barrel; a carrier-latch pivotally mounted in said receiver for lateral swinging movement therein and arranged to lock said carrier in position to receive a cartridge from said tubular vmagazine; and cartridge guard-means comprising a longitudinal rib on the inner wall of one side of said receiver and disposed above the upper surface of said cartridge-carrier, and a plural ity of closely-spaced substantially-parallel serrations in the vertical inner face of said pivoted cartridge carrier-latch substantially opposite the longitudinal rib on the said inner wall of said receiver, said longitudinal rib and said closely-spaced substantially-parallel serrations cooperating to form a restricted passage in the path of movement of a cartridge delivered onto said carrier from said tubular magazine whereby said longitudinal rib and the said substantially-parallel serrations of said carrier-latch score the corresponding sides of the head of said cartridge to positively hold the cartridge down on said carrier in operative engagement with said carrier-latch for unlocking said carrier.

RALPH E. CLARK-SON.

REFERENCES CITED The :following references are of record :in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,03%839 Stevenson Oct. 1, 1912 1,096,615 Febiger May 12, 1914 1,099,621 Schildback June .9, 1914 1,788,637 Schmidt Jan. 13, .1931 1,940,657 Woodfcrd Dec. '19, 1933

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