US20060026885A1

US20060026885A1 - Grenade launcher and gun

Info

Publication number: US20060026885A1
Application number: US11/138,420
Authority: US
Inventors: Macaluso Tony
Original assignee: FN Herstal SA
Current assignee: FN Herstal SA
Priority date: 2004-05-28
Filing date: 2005-05-27
Publication date: 2006-02-09
Also published as: EP1600724A1; BE1016061A5

Abstract

Improved grenade launcher to be mounted under the barrel of a conventional gun of the type whose cartridge chamber (6) is mounted in front of the trigger (7) of the gun (1), whereby the grenade launcher (2) is provided with a percussion mechanism and a trigger mechanism (12) with a trigger (18) which is coupled to the percussion mechanism and which is situated near the trigger (7) of the gun (1) when the grenade launcher (2) is mounted on the gun (1), wherein the trigger mechanism (12) includes a support (13) containing at least one lateral cheek (14) which is provided with a cavity (16) and which extends towards the back of the gun next to the chamber (6), whereby the trigger (18) of the grenade launcher (2) is mounted on the rear end of said support (13), whereby a part of the trigger and the parts of the trigger mechanism which couple the trigger to the percussion mechanism are situated in said cavity (16) of the support (13).

Description

The invention concerns an improved grenade launcher.
More particularly, the invention concerns a grenade launcher to be mounted under the barrel of a conventional gun, especially a gun of the type whose cartridge chamber is mounted in front of the trigger.
Such a gun is usually provided with a grip situated behind the trigger of the gun so as to better hold the gun.
In a general manner, a grenade launcher is already known which is mounted in a permanent or detachable manner under the barrel of a gun and which is provided with its own trigger so as to be able to fire grenades, whereby said trigger is situated in front of said chamber.
In order to fire the cartridges from the gun, the shooter holds the latter by the grip with his strong hand, and he supports the gun with his weak hand at the height of the grenade launcher. In order to shoot, he uses his strong hand to operate the gun's trigger.
In order to use the grenade launcher, the shooter must release the grip of the gun, and he must move his strong hand to get hold of the chamber which is used as a grip and to be able to use the trigger of the grenade launcher which is situated right in front of the loader.
A disadvantage of this type of known grenade launcher is that the chamber which is used as a grip is not very suitable for this function, and that it does not lie comfortably in the hand, mainly due to its width which makes it possible to contain gun ammunition.
Another disadvantage of this type of known grenade launcher is that the time which is required to move the hand is an idle period during which the shooter cannot use his arm, neither as a gun, nor as a grenade launcher.
Certain grenade launchers are provided with their own grip, which enables the shooter to hold the gun with his strong hand at the grip of the gun and with his weak hand at the grip of the grenade launcher, thus forcing him to use his weak hand to operate the trigger of the grenade launcher.
In this manner, the idle period for moving the strong hand is avoided, but the use of the weak hand to operate a trigger is unusual and, in spite of a drive, is a source of confusion to the user.
Instead of using an conventional gun, it is also known to use a special gun to the extent that the chamber is situated behind the trigger and behind the grip of the gun. In this embodiment, called ‘bull pup’, the trigger of the grenade launcher may be situated under and near the trigger of the gun.
Such a gun is advantageous in that the shooter can use his strong hand to hold the grip of the gun and to operate the trigger of the gun, as well as the trigger of the grenade launcher without having to move his hand.
However, the use of such a special gun makes it necessary to buy a new gun, which may imply serious investments.
From patent U.S. Pat. No. 3,279,114, a grenade launcher is already known which is mounted under the barrel of a conventional gun whose cartridge chamber is mounted in front of the trigger of the gun and which is provided with a percussion mechanism, operated by a trigger in the shape of a telescopic rod which can be extended towards the back of the gun so as to be situated near the trigger of the gun.
Such a known mechanism is disadvantageous in that it is very vulnerable and can easily bend during combat, making the grenade launcher useless.
Another disadvantage is that the telescopic rod may be accidentally extended due to maneuvers of the fighter. In that case, the trigger may be accidentally placed next to the trigger of the gun and thus obstruct the access to that trigger of the gun and thus temporarily make the gun useless.
Yet another disadvantage is that the trigger is situated in a place where the trigger might get hooked behind an object, for example, and thus might launch a grenade.
The invention aims to remedy one or several of the above-mentioned disadvantages and to provide a grenade launcher which can be mounted on a conventional gun and which makes it possible to fire cartridges from the gun and the grenade without having to move the hands, and which allows for a safe use of the grenade launcher and the gun at any time.
This aim is reached according to the invention by an improved grenade launcher to be mounted under the barrel of a conventional gun of the type whose cartridge chamber is mounted in front of the trigger of the gun, whereby the grenade launcher is provided with a percussion mechanism and a trigger mechanism having a trigger which is coupled to the percussion mechanism and which is situated near the trigger of the gun when the grenade launcher is mounted on the gun, whereby the trigger mechanism comprises a support containing at least one lateral cheek which is provided with a cavity and which extends towards the back of the gun next to the chamber, whereby the trigger of the grenade launcher is mounted on the rear end of said support, whereby a part of the trigger and the parts of the trigger mechanism coupling the trigger to the percussion mechanism are situated in said cavity of the support.
In this manner, the trigger of the gun and the trigger of the grenade launcher are both situated near the grip of the gun, which is advantageous in that the shooter can operate both triggers while leaving his strong hand on the grip of the gun. Hence, the shooter must not move his hand to use the grenade launcher.
As the trigger mechanism is mounted on a support and is sheltered in a cavity of said support, there is no risk for the trigger mechanism to be accidentally damaged or for the trigger to accidentally obstruct the access to the trigger of the gun.
The trigger mechanism preferably extends on one side or on both sides of the chamber, in such a manner that the trigger of the grenade launcher is situated immediately under the trigger of the gun.
The invention also concerns a gun which is provided with an improved grenade launcher as described above.
For clarity's sake, an example of an embodiment of an improved grenade launcher according to the invention is described hereafter by way of example only and without being limitative in any way, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a conventional gun equipped with an improved grenade launcher according to the invention;
FIG. 2 represents the gun and the grenade launcher from FIG. 1, whereby the grenade launcher has been taken off the gun;
FIG. 3 is an exploded view in perspective of the part which is indicated with F3 in FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 represents the part indicated within the frame F4 in FIG. 2, but to a larger scale and with certain elements being partially omitted;
FIG. 5 is an elevated view in the direction of arrow F5 in FIG. 4;
FIG. 6 is a view analogous to that in FIG. 4, but in another state of use.
FIG. 1 represents a gun 1 which is equipped with a grenade launcher 2 according to the invention.
The gun 1 comprises a barrel 3; a grip 4 and a handshield 5 to hold the gun 1; a detachable chamber 6 to contain a certain number of cartridges, a trigger 7 situated between the grip 4 and the chamber 6, allowing to fire the gun 1.
The gun 1 is what is called a conventional gun whose chamber 6 is mounted in front of the trigger 7 and the grip 4.
The grenade launcher 2 is mounted under the barrel 3 of the gun 1 and is detachable in the given case.
In FIG. 2, the grenade launcher 2 has been taken off the gun 1.
As represented in FIGS. 1 and 2, and to a greater detail in FIGS. 3 to 5, the grenade launcher 2 generally comprises a launching tube 8, a percussion mechanism with a hammer 9 and a hammer spring 10 situated behind the launching tube 8, a tumbler 11 which allows to draw back the hammer 9 in armed position and to release the hammer 9 in a manner which is well known to the professional, and a trigger mechanism 12 to control the tumbler 11.
The percussion mechanism 9-10 and the tumbler 11, which is part of the latter, are elements which are well known to professionals and hence they are not further described in what follows.
The trigger mechanism 12 comprises a support 13 which, in this particular case, is formed of two lateral cheeks 14 and 15 which are mounted behind the launching tube 8, each on one side of the chamber 6, and which are extended towards the back of the gun 1 up to the vicinity of the trigger 7 of the gun 1, preferably under said trigger 7.
These cheeks 14-15 of the support 13 are assembled and are each provided with a cavity 16 situated next to the chamber 6.
On its rear end, the support 13 is provided with an opening 17 for mounting a trigger 18 which is mounted in a pivoting manner on a transversal shaft 19 fixed to the support 13.
In this case, the trigger 18 is ring-shaped and comprises two operating rods 20 which are directed towards the front of the gun 1 and which are accommodated in the cavities 16 of the cheeks 14-15 on either side of the chamber 6.
The free ends of the operating rods 20 are each provided with a lateral pivot 21.
A release spring 22 is mounted around the shaft 19 to bring back and hold the trigger 18 in its rest position represented in FIG. 4.
The trigger 18 is coupled to the tumbler 11 via a tipping lever 23, called tumbler lever, which is supported by a transversal shaft 24 on the front end of the support 13 while being rotated, and which is coupled with one far end 25 to the trigger 18 and with the other far end 26 to the tumbler 11 by means of a connecting shaft 27.
The far end 25 is made in the shape of a fork with two arms 28, each situated on one side of the chamber 6.
These arms 28 are directed towards the back of the gun 1 and are each provided with a longitudinal groove 29 on their free ends which serves as a guide for each of the pivots 21 on the far ends of the operating rods 20 to thus form a joint 21-29 between the trigger 18 and the tumbler lever 23.
The cavities 16 which hold the operating rods 20 of the trigger 18 and the arms 28 of the tumbler lever 23 are covered with a central protection plate which envelops the contour of the chamber 6 so as to form a passage 31 for the chamber.
In a well known manner, the trigger 18 is provided with a security button 32 which makes it possible to lock the trigger 18 in its rest position.
The use and working of the grenade launcher 2 is simple and as follows.
The grenade launcher 2 is mounted on the gun 1 as represented in FIG. 1.
The passage 31 allows to put the chamber 6 on the gun 1 and to remove the chamber 6 as soon as the grenade launcher 2 is placed on the gun 1. The chamber 6 is removed from the gun 1 by drawing it back in the direction of the arrow A represented in the FIG. 1.
In order to use the grenade launcher 2, a grenade which is not represented is first slipped into the launching tube 8, with its detonator facing the hammer 9 of the grenade launcher 2.
In order to launch the grenade, the shooter unlocks the security 32 from the trigger 18 of the grenade launcher 18 and operates said trigger 18 by making it tilt in the direction of arrow B as indicated in FIG. 6, against the force exerted by the spring 22.
The tilting of the trigger 18 results in the tilting of the tumbler lever 23 in the direction of the arrow C around its axis 24, which in turn results in the tumbler 11 being moved so as to draw back and free the hammer 9 which, due to the action of the spring 10, is launched forward in the direction of the arrow D and knocks against the detonator of the grenade for the ignition of the propulsive charge of the grenade.
In the figures it is clear that, thanks to the trigger mechanism being extended up to the trigger 7 of the gun 1, the triggers 7 and 18 of the gun 1 and of the grenade launcher 2 respectively, are each situated near the grip 4 of the gun 1 and thus within reach of the index finger or the middle finger of the hand of the shooter holding said grip 4.
This means that the shooter easily has access to both triggers 7 and 18 and can easily operate these two triggers 7 and 18 without having to release the grip 4 and thus without losing any time when switching between the use of the arm as a gun and its use as a grenade launcher.
It is clear that the trigger mechanism 12 can be realized in another manner.
Thus, it is not excluded for the percussion system to be operated by the trigger by means of an electromechanical or electric device.
It is not excluded either for the trigger mechanism to be realized with two sliding elements instead of rotating elements 18 and 20.
The support of the trigger mechanism 12 must not necessarily envelop the chamber 6.
According to a variant which is not represented in the drawings, it would also be possible, for example, to provide a support 13 in the form of a single cheek 14 which extends next to the chamber and which supports a simple trigger 18 with a single operating rod 20 and a tumbler lever with a single arm 28 which is hinge-mounted to said operating rod 20.
Although, in the example represented in the figures, the trigger 18 is situated immediately under the trigger 7 of the gun 1, it is not excluded for said trigger 18 of the grenade launcher 2 to be provided for example next to the trigger 7 of the gun 1 and in a position somewhat more to the front or to the back.
It is clear that the grenade launcher 2 can be mounted permanently on the gun 1 or that the grenade launcher 2 can be integrated in the gun 1.
It is clear that the invention is by no means limited to the above-described embodiment, but that numerous modifications can be made to the improved grenade launcher while still remaining within the scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.

Claims

1.- Grenade launcher mountable under the barrel of a conventional gun of the type whose cartridge chamber (6) is mounted in front of the trigger (7) of the gun (1), wherein the grenade launcher (2) comprises a percussion mechanism and a trigger mechanism (12) having a trigger (18) which is coupled to the percussion mechanism and which is situated near the trigger (7) of the gun (1) when the grenade launcher (2) is mounted on the gun (1), and wherein the trigger mechanism (12) comprises a support (13) containing at least one lateral cheek (14) which is provided with a cavity (16) and which extends towards the back of the gun next to the chamber (6), the trigger (18) of the grenade launcher (2) being mounted on the rear end of said support (13), and wherein a part of the trigger and the parts of the trigger mechanism which couple the trigger to the percussion mechanism are situated in said cavity (16) of the support (13).

2.- Grenade launcher according to claim 1, wherein the trigger mechanism (12) is provided with a passage (31) for the cartridge chamber (6).

3.- Grenade launcher according to claim 1, wherein the trigger (18) of the grenade launcher (2) is situated immediately under the trigger (7) of the gun (1).

4.- Grenade launcher according to claim 1, wherein the trigger (18) of the grenade launcher (2) is mounted in a pivoting manner on a shaft (19) on the rear end of said support (13) and in that the trigger (18) is provided with an operating rod (20) situated in the cavity (16) of the support (13).

5.- Grenade launcher according to claim 4, wherein the trigger (18) of the grenade launcher is coupled to the percussion mechanism via a lever, called tumbler lever (24), which is mounted in a rotating manner on a shaft (24) on the front end of the support (13) and of which one far end (25) is connected to the free far end of the operating rod (20) of the trigger (18) by means of a joint (21-29), whereas the other far end (26) of the tumbler lever (23) is coupled to the percussion mechanism.

6.- Grenade launcher according to claim 5, wherein at least one part of the operating rod (20) of the trigger (18) and a part of the tumbler lever (23) are situated in the cavity (16) of the support (13) of the trigger mechanism (12).

7.- Grenade launcher according to claim 1, wherein the cavity (16) of the support (13) is covered with a protection plate (30).

8.- Grenade launcher according to claim 1, wherein the trigger (18) of the grenade launcher (2) is provided with two operating rods (20), one on each side of the chamber (6), and in that this trigger (18) is coupled to the percussion mechanism by means of a tumbler lever (23) which comprises an arm (28) on each side of the chamber (6), whereby each arm (28) is coupled to the operating rod (20) situated on the same side of the chamber (6).

9.- Grenade launcher according to claim 8, wherein the support (13) is formed of two cheeks (14-15), a cheek on either side of the chamber (6), which are mounted together and which are provided with a cavity (16) which is covered by a central protection plate (30) which envelops the contour of the chamber (6) so as to form a passage (31) for the chamber (6).

10.- Grenade launcher according to claim 9, wherein the operating rods (20) of the trigger (18) of the grenade launcher (2) and the arms (28) of the tumbler lever (23) are situated in one of said cavities (16) of the cheeks (14-15) of the support (13).

11.- Grenade launcher according to claim 1, wherein the grenade launcher is detachable from a gun (1).

12.- Grenade launcher according to claim 1, wherein the grenade launcher is integrated in a gun (1).

13.- Gun, comprising grenade launcher (2) according to claim 1.