ELONGATED ELEMENT FOR BIASING THE TRIGGER BAR AND CONTROLLING THE SLIDE STOP LATCH IN AN AUTOMATIC PISTOL

Description

Background of the Invention

[0001] Pistols having trigger bars have been biased with a plunger spring arrangement (U.S. Patent No. 4,575,963). Further, slide stop latches have included slots with retention springs engageable therein (U. S. Patent No. 4,627,184).

[0002] From US-A-4 428 138 there is known an automatic pistol according to the preamble part of claim 1. In particular, this document discloses a construction in which a spring element with a forward end section thereof engages a frame of the pistol and with a rearward end section thereof engages a trigger bar in order to bias same. There is no further interaction between the spring element and another component of the pistol.

[0003] DE-OS-25 17 002 discloses a pistol in which a substantially V-shaped spring element with one end portion thereof engages a pistol frame and with another end portion thereof engages a trigger bar in order to bias same. Again there is no interaction of the spring element with a further component of the pistol.

[0004] It is the object of the present invention to provide an automatic pistol having a reduced number of components thereby reducing the manufacturing steps and costs.

[0005] According to the present invention this object is solved by the automatic pistol as defined in claim 1.

[0006] Broadly, the present invention comprises an elongated configured spring which biases the trigger bar of a pistol having a frame and a slide rearwardly and upwardly and engages grooved slide stop latch to prevent its transverse movement, and to bias the slide stop pin shaft to cause the slide stop to remain against or near the frame during pistol operation.

[0007] It is a feature of the invention that the spring element functions to both bias the trigger bar and to bias and control movement of the slide stop latch.

Brief Description of the Invention

[0008] 

Fig. 1 is a partial side elevational view of the automatic pistol of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a partial enlarged sectional elevational view along lines 2-2 of Fig. 4 showing frame, slide, trigger bar, stop latch and elongated spring with trigger at rest;

Fig. 2a is a sectional view taken along line 2a-2a of Fig. 2;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view along line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the pistol with portion cutaway showing the elongated spring and related parts; and

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 2 in which the pistol trigger is in its pulled position.

Fig. 6 is an elevational view of an alternative elongated spring including a full circle loop;

Fig. 7 is a top view of the spring of Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a partial elevational view of the rear portion of the trigger bar with the alternative spring mounted therein;

Fig. 9 is an enlarged elevational view of the trigger bar spring rear mount cavity; and

Fig. 10 is a sectional view along line 10-10 of Fig. 9.

Description of the Preferred Embodiment

[0009] In Figs. 1-2, pistol 10 includes frame 11 with upper surface 115, grip 12, slide 13, trigger 14, barrel 15, trigger guard 16 and slide stop latch 17 including pin 17a, thumb piece 17b and thumb piece stop surface 17s (not shown). Thumb piece stop surface 17s is normally urged against frame surface lls by a spring 28 as further explained. Also shown are trigger extension 19, trigger bar 21, hammer 22 and hammer pivot 23. Trigger bar 21 includes an L-shaped bracket 26 including vertical portion 26a and horizontal portion 26b.

[0010] Elongated configured spring 28, which is positioned below trigger bar 21, includes forward end section 28a which is substantially straight except for forward foot 28f; middle loop section 28b and rearward end section 28c which is substantially straight except for tab portion 28t. Middle loop section 28b has two legs 30a, b and bottom portion 30c. Foot 28f is mounted in frame hole lla. Rearward end section 28c is nested in bracket 26 to hold tab 28t in trigger bar hole 21a.

[0011] Forward end section 28a of spring 28 engages slot 20 of pin 17a to prevent transverse movement of pin 17a and to urge pin 17a in clockwise rotation as viewed in Fig 2. Slot 20 includes vertical wall 20a and slant wall 20b and slot bottom seat surface 20c (Fig. 3). Spring 28 is shown engaging a portion of seat surface 20c which engagement will bias the pin 17a to rotate clockwise (arrow A) in Figs. 2 and 5 thus urging thumb piece 17b against frame 11.

[0012] Elongated spring 28 is preferably made of spring steel material configured and shaped so that section 28a is urged upwardly into slot 20 and middle loop section 28b compresses with legs 30a,b moving toward one another as trigger 14 is pulled and as trigger bar 21 moves forward. Upon release of trigger 14, spring 28 urges trigger bar 21 rearwardly and upwardly. Since spring 28 is long and narrow, it is able to perform the dual functions described while requiring little space.

[0013] In pistol operation, spring 28 functions to hold latch shaft pin 17a of latch 17 from transverse movement (movement perpendicular to barrel 15), to bias rotatably bias stop latch 17 and to urge and bias trigger bar 21 rearwardly and upwardly. When trigger 14 is pulled back, trigger bar 21 moves forward tensioning each section 28a, b and c of spring 28 and particularly loop section 28b.

[0014] An alternative embodiment is shown in Figs. 6-10 where elongated spring 40 includes forward end 40a, foot 40f, middle section 40b including full circular loop 401 and rearward spring curved head section 40h. Curved head 40h is anchored to trigger bar side cavity 41 in trigger bar 21' which bar has a surface 21s. Cavity 41 includes entrance 42 defined by flat slanting walls 43 and 44. Interior of cavity 41 is defined by a cured slanting wall 46. Flat slanting walls each include an edge 43a, 44a in the plane of surface 21s of bar 21' and an edge 43b, 44b in the interior of bar 21'. Similarly curved slanting wall 46 has edge 46a lying in the surface 21s, and interior edge 46b positioned in the interior of bar 21' (see Fig. 10). In addition cavity 41 has cylindrical section 48 further into the interior of bar 21' defined by edge 46b and cavity floor 49. Cylindrical section 48 has perimeter wall 51 (Fig. 10).

[0015] Curved head 40h includes straight leg portion 52a and curved portion 52b which legs are moved toward one another to enable head 40h to be compressed for insertion through cavity entrance 42. Spring foot 40f is anchored in the same manner as the earlier embodiment. As mounted, spring 40 including loop 401 is tensioned to hold it in its anchored position.

[0016] In operation of spring 40, head 40h must be compressed for its insertion through entrance 42 into cavity 41. Once head 40h is so installed, leg 52a may due to the shape of entrance 42 be moved forward or backward as loop 401 is tensioned while foot 40f is installed.

Claims

1. An automatic pistol (10), comprising a frame (11), a trigger (14), a trigger bar (21; 21') connected to the trigger (14), said trigger bar being movable forwardly and rearwardly relative to the frame (11) during operation, a slide (13), a slide stop latch (17) for limiting movement of the slide (13), an elongated spring element (18; 40) for biasing the trigger bar (21; 21'), said spring element (28; 40) comprising

- a forward end section (28a; 40a), said forward end section (28a; 40a) being positioned in the frame (11),

- a rearward end section (28c; 40h), said rearward end section (28c; 40h) being positioned in the trigger bar (21; 21'),

- a middle section (28b; 40b),

said pistol further comprising first spring mount means (26, 21a; 41) on the trigger bar (21; 21') for confining the rearward end of the spring element (28; 40) to urge the rearward end section (28c; 40h) into and against the trigger bar (21; 21'), second spring mount means (lla) on the frame (11) for securing the spring element (28; 40) to the frame (11),
characterized by slot means (20) in the slide stop latch (17) for engaging the forward end section (28a; 40a) of the spring element (28; 14) to prevent transverse movement of such latch.

2. The automatic pistol of claim 1 in which the first spring mount means (26) is a trigger bar hole (21a) and bracket means (26) on the trigger bar (21) which bracket means (26) hold the elongated spring (28) in the trigger bar hole (21a) under tension.

3. The automatic pistol of claim 1 in which the second mount means (11a) is a hole in the frame (11) and the stop latch (17) which stop latch (17) hold the elongated spring (28) in such frame hole (11a) under tension.

4. The automatic pistol of claim 1 in which the slot means (20) has a seat means (20c) and in which the elongated spring element (28;40) may engage such seat (20c) to rotatably bias the stop latch (17).

5. The automatic pistol of claim 1 in which the rearward end section (40h) includes a partial curved portion and in which the first spring mount means (41) is a cavity in the trigger bar (21').

6. The automatic pistol of claim 1 in which spring element middle section (40b) is a full circle loop (40l).

Ansprüche

1. Automatische Pistole (10), mit einem Rahmen (11), einem Abzug (14), einem Abzugstab (21; 21'), der mit dem Abzug (14) verbunden ist, wobei der Abzugstab vorwärts und rückwärts relativ zu dem Rahmen (11) im Betrieb bewegbar ist, einem Schlitten (13), einem Schlittenstoppriegel (17) zum Begrenzen der Bewegung des Schlittens (13), einem länglichen Federelement (18; 40) zum Vorspannen des Abzugstabs (21; 21'), wobei das Federelement (28; 40) folgendes aufweist

- einen vorderen Endabschnitt (28a; 40a), der in dem Rahmen (11) positioniert ist,

- einen hinteren Endabschnitt (28c; 40h), der in dem Abzugstab (21; 21') positioniert ist,

- einen Mittelabschnitt (28b; 40b),

wobei die Pistole außerdem folgendes aufweist: eine erste Federhalterung (26, 21a; 41) an dem Abzugstab (21; 21') zum Einschließen des hinteren Endes des Federelements (28; 40), um den hinteren Endabschnitt (28c; 40h) in und gegen den Abzugstab (21; 21') zu drängen, eine zweite Federhalterung (lla) an dem Rahmen (11) zum Befestigen des Federelements (28; 40) an dem Rahmen (11),
gekennzeichnet durch eine Schlitzeinrichtung (20) in dem Schlittenstoppriegel (17) zum Angreifen an dem vorderen Endabschnitt (28a; 40a) des Federelements (28; 14), um eine Querbewegung des Riegels zu verhindern.

2. Automatische Pistole nach Anspruch 1, bei welcher die erste Federhalterung (26) ein Abzugstabloch (21a) und eine Stützeinrichtung (26) an dem Abzugstab (21) ist, wobei die Stützeinrichtung (26) die längliche Feder (28) in dem Abzugstabloch (21a) unter Spannung hält.

3. Automatische Pistole nach Anspruch 1, bei welcher die zweite Halterung (lla) ein Loch im Rahmen (11) und der Stoppriegel (17) ist, der die längliche Feder (28) in dem Rahmenloch (11a) unter Spannung hält.

4. Automatische Pistole nach Anspruch 1, bei welcher die Schlitzeinrichtung (20) eine Sitzeinrichtung (20c) hat, und bei welcher das längliche Federelement (28; 40) mit diesem Sitz (20c) in Eingriff kommen kann, um den Stoppriegel (17) drehbar vorzuspannen.

5. Automatische Pistole nach Anspruch 1, bei welcher der hintere Endabschnitt (40h) einen teilweise gekrümmten Teil hat, und bei welcher die erste Federhalterung (41) ein Hohlraum in dem Abzugstab (21') ist.

6. Automatische Pistole nach Anspruch 1, bei welcher der Mittelabschnitt (40b) des Federelements eine Vollkreisschleife (40l) ist.

Revendications

1. Pistolet automatique (10) comprenant un châssis (11), une détente (14), une barre (21 ; 21') de détente raccordée à la détente (14) et mobile vers l'avant et vers l'arrière par rapport au châssis (11) lors du fonctionnement, une glissière (13), un verrou (17) d'arrêt de glissière destiné à limiter le déplacement de la glissière (13), un élément allongé à ressort (18 ; 40) destiné à rappeler la barre de détente (21 ; 21'), l'élément à ressort (28 ; 40) comprenant

- un tronçon d'extrémité avant (28a ; 40a), ce tronçon d'extrémité avant (28a ; 40a) étant disposé dans le châssis (11),

- un tronçon d'extrémité arrière (28c ; 40h), le tronçon d'extrémité arrière (28c ; 40h) étant placé dans la barre de détente (21 ; 21'), et

- un tronçon médian (28b ; 40b),

le pistolet comprenant en outre un premier dispositif (26, 21a ; 41) de montage de ressort placé sur la barre de détente (21 ; 21') et destiné à retenir l'extrémité arrière de l'élément à ressort (28 ; 40) afin que le tronçon d'extrémité arrière (28c ; 40h) soit repoussé dans la barre de détente (21 ; 21') et contre elle, et un second dispositif à monture de ressort (11a) placé sur le châssis (11) et destiné à fixer l'élément à ressort (28 ; 40) sur le châssis (11),
   caractérisé par un dispositif à fente (20) placé dans le verrou (17) d'arrêt de glissière et destiné à coopérer avec le tronçon d'extrémité avant (28a ; 40a) de l'élément à ressort (28 ; 14) pour empêcher un déplacement transversal de ce verrou.

2. Pistolet automatique selon la revendication 1, dans lequel le premier dispositif à monture de ressort (26) est un trou (21a) de la barre de détente et une équerre (26) formée sur la barre de détente (21), et l'équerre (26) maintient le ressort allongé (28) dans le trou (21a) de la barre de détente sous tension.

3. Pistolet automatique selon la revendication 1, dans le second dispositif à monture (11a) comporte un trou formé dans le châssis (11) et le verrou (17) d'arrêt, le verrou d'arrêt (17) maintenant le ressort allongé (28) dans ce trou (lla) du châssis sous tension.

4. Pistolet automatique selon la revendication 1, dans lequel le dispositif à fente (20) comporte un siège (20c), et l'élément allonge à ressort (28 ; 40) peut coopérer avec le siège (20c) afin qu'il rappelle le verrou d'arrêt (17) en rotation.

5. Pistolet automatique selon la revendication 1, dans lequel le tronçon d'extrémité arrière (40h) comporte une partie courbe partielle, et le premier dispositif à monture de ressort (41) est une cavité formée dans la barre de détente (21').

6. Pistolet automatique selon la revendication 1, dans lequel le tronçon médian (40b) de l'élément de ressort est une boucle formant un cercle complet (40l).

Drawing