System and method for a kit for converting firearms with an auxiliary ejector

Abstract

A carriage (100) for a weapon conversion kit as used in conjunction with a firearm having a factory-provided ejector and configured to fire ammunition, the carriage (100) comprising: a slide housing; and an auxiliary ejector part (110) rotatably connected to the carriage housing, the auxiliary ejector part (110) having a first part (111) and a second part (112), the second part (112) comprising a contact surface; wherein the auxiliary ejector part (110) is configured to contact the factory-provided ejector when the slide housing slides rearward in response to firing of the firearm, thereby causing the contact surface of the second part (112) of the auxiliary ejector part (110) to eject a cartridge case (201).

Description

REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONSThis application claims priority to patent application US 62 / 415,366 filed October 31, 2016, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.TECHNICAL FIELDThe technical field generally relates to firearms. More particularly, the technical field relates to systems and methods for refitting firearms for training purposes.BACKGROUNDMilitary organizations and lawful organizations often attempt to use training low energy ammunition that has a shorter range and lower effect than standardized mission ammunition. In order to enable such training, it is advantageous to modify the standard or inventory firearm in order to enable reliable firing of the low-energy training ammunition. Many thousands of weapon changeover kits have been produced and sold in recent years and, because of the increasing use of metal spraying technology (MIM) as well as light weight polymeric materials for weapons receiver and frame members, geometrically more complex weapons designs are now possible. This has resulted in more complex designs for kits which now require more frequent replacement of the weapon sled with the manufacturer's service weapon sled or weapon sled as well as replacement of the original barrel with a training barrel.Currently known conversion kits often have reliability problems due to improper ejection of the fired cartridge case. Since the low energy cartridge cases are ejected from the remodeled weapon according to the recoil principle, the energy required to perform a working stroke of the weapon is generated only by the rearward movement of the bolt from the low energy cartridge case against the surface of the breech of the weapon (see, for example, the invention. Patent US 5 359 937 A).Because the remodeled weapon includes a remodeled barrel that does not lock the carriage of the service gun frame, the training barrel moves differently than a barrel of a service weapon, causing a deviation between the firing pin and the central firing load of the training cartridge.In normal operation, firing a standardized unmatable weapon will cause the end of the muzzle of the gun barrel to tilt upwardly after the standard ammunition has been inserted, with the non-blocking training barrel not performing an upward tilting movement, making insertion of the training ammunition into the compartment of the kit more demanding for rematable.When ordinary ammunition is fired from a weapon having a standard barrel and standard slide, the chamber tends to load ammunition downwardly, accordingly the chamber is placed in an optimum position against the magazine of the weapon to load the cartridge case, then it tends again upwardly to allow the firing pin to impact the centrally located firing charge of a cartridge in the chamber cleanly. After firing, the barrel slides backwards with the carriage, unlocks and the end of the chamber of the barrel then tilts down again so that the fired cartridge case can be ejected cleanly, strike the ejector and ultimately eject it from the weapon (when the carriage is pushed backwards). This normally occurs with conventional ammunition under the assistance of an ejector which is part of the device of the weapon frame. The position of the ejector ensures that it is capable of compressing a sufficient area of a surface of the frame of the fired conventional cartridge case so that it is reliably ejected from the ejection opening of the weapon.In order to ensure reliable functioning of a remodeled weapon for training, it must be suitable for supplying the training ammunition cleanly from the magazine to the feed ramp. In this regard, some conversion kits require an additional removable feed ramp (see, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,276,252 B1) to cleanly position the ammunition and allow the firing pin to compress the central firing propellant for a reliable firing function and then ultimately allow the factory ejector to cleanly hit the cartridge case rim of the fired cartridge case for a clean ejection. All remaining alignment details are more complex with a non-tilting refitting run that results in a variety of design tradeoffs.First, in such a kit, the firing pin sometimes needs to be adjusted (with respect to the factory firing pin) for refitting in order to ensure a sufficient effect on the firing charge of the training ammunition. This often requires unusual designs and / or positions for strikers to mitigate the lack of barrel tilting, but this results in an increase in production costs while creating a potential defect. Second, the non-tilting barrel offers less surface area for the ejector to compress the cartridge case fired in the training round.In order to cleanly eject the fired cartridge case, there must be sufficient material projection between the rim of the cartridge case and the ejector. This is not always the case with remodeled weapons, since the position of the fired cartridge case no longer lies in the same plane as the ejector and there is therefore an increased potential for increased hangers and a reduced reliability of the weapon.US 2014 / 0 196 339 A1 describes an ejector for a self-loading firearm which is mountable on a breech and has a body with a hook at one end. The body is pivotally supported by a pivot pin. Also described is a carriage on which the ejector is mounted, and a self-loading weapon with this carriage.AT 513 980 A4 describes a firearm having a slide on which an ejector is mounted so as to be longitudinally displaceable, which ejector protrudes into the ejection path of movement of a cartridge from the side and abuts against a stop in the end phase of the rearward movement of the slide.There has long been a need for retrofit kits that provide clean ejection but that also allow for clean impact of the firing pin on the training ammunition initiator. Off-center impacts are often the cause of misfire that causes misfire of the weapon. The plurality of all guns has a fixed ejector on the frame of the weapon, a part which is not normally modified for training purposes. Since it is normally firmly connected, the position of the ejector is a preset and accordingly the firing pin (or firing pin) becomes the component of the kit for refitting which is moved as required for compensating for the deviation (as far as it is physically possible) for a more reliable function. However, the maximum possible distance of the deviation of the firing pin in the training slide or the slide used for training is limited or limited by the quantity of material in the weapon on the basis of geometric restrictions.Accordingly, there is a trade-off between a good, solid or strong impact of a firing pin on the detonator of the central drive means and the possibility of ejecting the cartridge case reliably, on account of restrictions by the weapon geometry.The firing pin of an unmodified weapon is directed towards the central axis of the service ammunition when the ammunition is present in the chamber of the inclined barrel, and is therefore in direct plane with its central propellant initiator. This is not the case with a weapon with a kit for refitting that does not incline, so that even different or differently designed firing pins still do not generate sufficient firing blows and corresponding misfires.Even if initiation of the detonator and ejection of the cartridge case are successful, the ejection energy may vary due to design constraints caused by the geometry of the remodeled weapon. Marginal contacts between the ejector and the cartridge case may result in weak ejection from the training weapon. Sleeve flash ejection is a symptom of a limit design and potential dropout occurrences, and this affects the training person's perception of weapon performance and reliability and corresponding training realism.Because of geometrical limitations of some remodeled weapons, it has been necessary to provide modified firing pins to attempt to overcome the deviation caused by the lack of barrel tilt and to strike the detonator cleanly. These unique refitting strikers are sometimes angled (toward the longitudinal axis of the refitting slide) to assist the striker in impacting the initiator. Sometimes the tips of the firing pins of a conversion kit require a modified tip geometry to compensate for the deviation, sometimes resulting in an asymmetric shape conforming to a "sharkskin design" or with the tip of the firing pin extending in a straight line but parallel to a central longitudinal axis below the firing pin. The design with a shark-shaped firing pin tip has the disadvantage of providing a sharp tip (as opposed to the standardized design with a round head as a tip), which as already shown occasionally leads to perforated detonators, which is unsatisfactory. The other or different designs for tips of firing pins also have the disadvantage that they generate a bending moment on the offset arm of the firing pin, which can lead to fractures of the firing pin.Another method of improving the ejection of a sleeve that has been presented is to arrange a new, supplementary ejector directly on the refitting barrel or barrel of the refitting kit at a lower end (by welding or stapling). This method helps ensure a clean contact with the rim of a sleeve, but has the disadvantage of being more expensive to manufacture and provide a long thin element which can be easily bent or broken by a training person during the operation in which the weapon is re-fitted for training purposes or when it is restored to the operative condition. Furthermore, such ejectors are arranged within the frame or carriage of the weapon, as provided at the factory, which has its own inherent geometrical variations and is accordingly likewise restricted in its application because of spatial restrictions in some weapons.Accordingly, there has long been a need for kits for refitting firearms with improved ejector systems that address the limitations of the prior art described above. Other advantageous features and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description and the dependent claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the foregoing technical field and background.BRIEF SUMMARYIn accordance with numerous embodiments, there is provided a carriage for a weapon refitting kit of the type used in connection with a firearm having a standard ejector, as provided at the factory, and configured to fire ammunition. The carriage comprises a housing and an auxiliary ejector member rotatably mounted on the housing of the carriage. The auxiliary ejector part has a first part and a second part, the second part comprises a contact surface. The auxiliary ejector member is configured to contact the ejector as provided at the factory when the housing of the carriage is pushed back in response to firing of the firearm, thereby causing the contact surface of the second part of the auxiliary ejector member to eject the cartridge case of the ammunition.In accordance with one embodiment, a firearm kit comprises: a firearm configured to fire ammunition, the firearm having an ejector as provided at the factory and a carriage as provided at the factory; A conversion slide configured to replace the slide of the firearm as provided at the factory, the conversion slide comprising a slide housing and an auxiliary ejector member rotatably disposed on the slide housing, the auxiliary ejector member having a first portion and a second portion, the second portion comprising a contact surface, the auxiliary ejector member configured to contact the ejector provided at the factory when the slide housing is slid rearward in response to firing of the firearm, thereby causing the contact surface of the second portion of the auxiliary ejector member to eject a cartridge case of the ammunition.In one embodiment, a firearm comprises an ejector as provided at the factory and a conversion slide used in place of the slide of the firearm as provided at the factory, the conversion slide comprising a slide housing and an auxiliary ejector member rotatably connected to the slide housing, the auxiliary ejector member having a first portion and a second portion, the second portion having a contact surface; the auxiliary ejector member being configured to contact the ejector as provided at the factory when the slide housing is slid rearward in response to firing of the firearm, thereby causing the contact surface of the second portion of the auxiliary ejector member to eject a cartridge case of the munition.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGSThe exemplary embodiments are described below in connection with the following figures, wherein like reference numerals designate like elements. FIG. 1 is a fragmentary isometric view of a carriage of a conversion kit with an auxiliary ejector member in a rest position, in accordance with one embodiment. FIG. 2 is a fragmentary isometric view of the carriage of the conversion kit shown in FIG. 1 in an eject position. FIG. 3 is a fragmentary isometric view of the conversion kit as shown in FIG. 1, in accordance with one embodiment. FIG. 4 is a fragmentary isometric view of an example of an auxiliary ejector member in accordance with an embodiment. FIGS. 5-7 illustrate various free body images of example auxiliary ejector parts in accordance with various embodiments.DETAILED DESCRIPTIONIn general, the subject matter described herein relates to an improved sled for a refitting kit comprising an auxiliary ejector member that overcomes the limitations of the prior art by being moved by the rearward movement of the refitting sled as it moves over the existing ejector of the receiving housing of the weapon or the housing of the weapon as provided at the factory during a firing stroke of the weapon. This means that the improved ejector "assists" in (i.e., moved by) rearward movement of the conversion slide relative to the ejector as provided at the factory.First, it should be noted that there is no intention to be bound by any explicit or implicit theory as described in the preceding section of the technical field, background, brief description or the following detailed description. Embodiments of the present disclosure may be described herein as functional and / or logical block components and various method steps. In addition, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that embodiments of the present disclosure may be practiced in conjunction with any number of systems, and that the designs described herein are merely exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. For brevity, conventional techniques relating to firearms, remodelling kits, ammunition, and other functional aspects of the systems (and the individually operating components of the systems) may not be described in detail herein.Referring to FIG. 1, an exemplary conversion sled for a conversion kit (or simply "conversion sled" or "sled") 100 will be described. As can be clearly seen, the carriage 100 is suitably configured to move relative to a running assembly 120 (left and right along the z-axis in FIG. 1 ) due to the presence of rails or other mechanical constraints. In particular, the sled 100 is configured to move to the right during a "recoil" resulting from firing a low energy cartridge.As shown, the sled 100 generally includes an auxiliary ejector member (or simply "ejector member" or "member") 110 rotatably secured to the sled 100 via a plug or rotatable member 104 that defines a rotational axis 105 relative to the housing of the ejector member 110. Ejector member 110 includes a first (or "top") portion 111 and a second (e.g., "bottom") portion 112. In this state or position (the "rest position"), the ejector part 110 is held in position by a suitable retaining force (for example by a spring, as is illustrated in the drawings below). Alternatively, other components providing the restraining force may be employed.In some embodiments, in the rest position, the ejector fits within the carriage 100 so that it does not extend beyond the edge of the orifice 102 (i.e., along the negative z-axis as shown in FIG. 1 ). In a respective embodiment, the ejector member 110 has a surface that is substantially flush with the edge of the mouth 102.FIG. 2 is a fragmentary isometric view of the conversion kit of FIG. 1 in an "eject position.". More specifically, this figure shows ejector member 110 in a rotated (clockwise) position relative to the rest position of Figure 1. As shown, ejector member 110 is disposed opposite a spring 205 which provides a force on the rear of upper portion 111 of ejector member 110 and causes member 110 to spring back to its rest position upon movement. It should be appreciated that the ejector member 110 may be opposed to a spring (205) acting as a plunger or other such intermediate structures. Also shown in Figure 2 is ejector 202 as provided at the factory, which as mentioned previously is connected to the frame of the firearm and engages (at 203) the rear 112 of the lower portion 112 of ejector 202 as provided at the factory when the carriage 100 slides rearwardly (to the right in the figure).As a result of the rotation of ejector member 110, lower member 112 contacts and helps eject cartridge case 201 (shown by the arrow pointing away from cartridge case 201). Accordingly, as can be seen, the ejector member 110 can effectively provide an improved surface at a correct, deviated position by its interaction with the ejector 202 as provided at the factory to affect the ejection of the cartridge case 201.FIG. 3 provides another partial isometric view of the carriage 100 of the conversion kit of FIG. 1. This figure shows an annular range of diameters (302) extending from a center 305 (corresponding to a position of a striker) that can be contacted by a lower portion 112 of ejector portion 110.This means that ejector member 110 of Figure 3 would be most effective in ejecting cartridge cases having an outer diameter in the range shown because of the shape of lower portion 112 of ejector member 110. It will be appreciated that the ejector member 110 acts as an extension to the contact surface and accordingly results in more effective contact with the rim of the fired cartridge case 201 and correspondingly greatly improves the reliability of the ejection.FIG. 4 shows a close-up view of an auxiliary ejector part 110 in accordance with one possible embodiment. As shown, the part 110 includes a bore 402 configured to rotatably receive the rotating element 102 of FIGS. 1-2. In this embodiment, the part 110 includes a tapered rear surface 415 configured to contact the ejector 202 as provided at the factory (shown in FIG. 2 ). The member 110 also includes a "hockey stick" or "J-shaped" bottom surface 112 that is defined by a contact surface 410 to contact the cartridge case 201 and eject the cartridge case 201 (FIG. 2 ). In other embodiments, the bottom surface 112 is "pedal-shaped" or simply of another substantially constant width. The contact surface 410 is bounded by an upper edge 414 (which may be chamfered as shown), a distal edge 413, a lower edge 412, and a chamfered edge 411, as shown. In general, it will be understood that the design of the carriage 100 in FIG. 1 includes a modified orifice structure that can accommodate the shape of the bottom region 412 (and the entirety of the portion 110) within the boundaries of the orifice 102 such that the contact surface 410 is substantially flush with the orifice 102.While the foregoing figures illustrate an embodiment in which the upper part 111 of the part 110 rotates around a central rotating member 104 and is restricted by a pressing force acting on a rear side of the upper part 111, the invention is not limited thereto, and any form of configurations of restricted levers may be used. In this regard, FIGS. 5-6 show simplified free body representations of example auxiliary ejector parts in accordance with various embodiments. In particular, Figure 5 illustrates the operating position as shown in Figures 1-2 wherein the applied force acts on the upper portion and the ejector as provided at the factory acts on the bottom portion of the portion 110, resulting in a predetermined rotation about the rotary member 104. Figure 6, on the other hand, shows the case where the applied force provides a rotational torque, for example by a torsion spring or other such components.Finally, FIG. 7 shows the case where the rotating member 104 is disposed in the vicinity of the upper part 110 and the opposing applied force and ejector force of the factory ejector occur below the rotating member 104. It should be understood that the embodiments shown in Figs. 5-7 are not intended to be limiting, and that any mechanical arrangement that enables the part 110 to use the cartridge case due to interaction with the ejector as provided at the factory. This means that the present invention anticipates any "assisted" arrangement of a movable ejector for a kit for refitting with an ejector as provided at the factory.Ejector member 110 may be manufactured using various materials including hard metals, such as, for example. Steel, brass or aluminum, high strength polymers or the like. In some embodiments, steel is a particularly advantageous material because of its strength, cost, and processability.

Claims

A carriage (100) for a weapon conversion kit as used in conjunction with a firearm having a factory ejector and configured to fire ammunition, the carriage (100) comprising: a carriage housing; and an auxiliary ejector member (110) rotatably connected to the carriage housing, the auxiliary ejector member (110) having a first portion (111) and a second portion (112), the second portion (112) including a contact surface; wherein the auxiliary ejector member (110) is configured to contact the factory ejector when the carriage housing slides backward in response to firing of the firearm, thereby causing the contact surface of the second portion (112) of the auxiliary ejector member (110) to eject a cartridge case (201).The carriage (100) of claim 1, wherein the auxiliary ejector part (110) has a surface that is substantially flush with an opening of the carriage housing in a rest state.The carriage (100) of claim 1, wherein the second portion (112) of the auxiliary ejector portion (110) has a generally "J" shape.The sled (100) of claim 1, wherein the second portion (112) has a curved contact surface to reduce mating upon contacting the factory-provided ejector.The carriage (100) of claim 1, wherein the auxiliary ejector member (110) is made of a material selected from the list consisting of: steel, aluminum, bronze, and polymers.The carriage (100) according to claim 1, further comprising a spring element connected to the first part (111) of the auxiliary ejector part (110) for retaining the auxiliary ejector part (110) in the carriage housing in the idle state.A firearm configured to fire ammunition, the firearm comprising: a factory ejector; and a conversion carriage disposed in place of a factory carriage (100) of the firearm, the conversion carriage comprising a carriage housing and an auxiliary ejector member (110) rotatably connected to the carriage housing, the auxiliary ejector member (110) having a first portion (111) and a second portion (112), the second portion (112) having a contact surface; wherein the auxiliary ejector member (110) is configured to contact the factory ejector when the carriage housing slides backward in response to firing of the firearm, thereby causing the contact surface of the second part (112) of the auxiliary ejector member (110) to eject a cartridge case (201).A kit for refitting firearms, comprising: a firearm configured to fire ammunition, the firearm having a factory ejector and a factory sled (100); a conversion slide configured to replace the factory slide (100), the conversion slide comprising a slide housing and an auxiliary ejector part (110) rotatably connected to the slide housing, the auxiliary ejector part (110) having a first part (111) and a second part (112), the second part (112) having a contact surface, the auxiliary ejector part (110) being configured to contact the factory ejector when the slide housing slides backward in response to firing of the firearm, thereby causing the contact surface of the second part (112) of the auxiliary ejector part (110) to eject a cartridge case (201).The firearm conversion kit of claim 8, further comprising a training ammunition cartridge configured to be fired by the firearm when equipped with the conversion carriage.

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