Automatic rifle

Abstract

The invention is an automatic rifle (1) comprising: i) a main body (2) comprising a lower semi-receiver (21) and an upper semi-receiver (22) integrally joined together and a barrel (25), extending along an axis (X-X); ii) a carriage assembly (4) mainly housed in the upper semi-receiver (22) comprising a shutter group (5) configurable in a retracted configuration and an advanced configuration, comprising a shutter carriage (50) and a shutter head (55) housed in the shutter carriage (50); iii) an advancement device (6) engaged with the upper semi-receiver (22), manually operable for axially moving forward the shutter group (5), comprising a thrust member (61) suitable for engaging the shutter carriage (50). The shutter group (5) comprises a rack element (51) extending along the axis (X-X), comprising teeth (510) engageable by the thrust member (61). The shutter carriage (50) comprises a rack housing (500) wherein the rack element (51) is at least partially housed in such a way that the rack element (51) is insertable into the rack housing (500) along the axis (X-X) by performing a shape coupling.

Description

"AUTOMATIC RIFLE"DESCRIPTION

[0001] The present invention relates to an automatic rifle .

[0002] In particular, the term "automatic rifle" means an automatic rifle or a semi-automatic rifle with a selective focus. A variety of automatic rifle solutions, such as the M4 or Ml 6, are known in the art.

[0003] With known embodiments, automatic rifles comprise a main body wherein specific components such as the barrel, the stock and / or the magazine are housed or engaged, or specific components of the shooting mechanism, such as the carriage assembly or the trigger assembly.

[0004] Furthermore, known automatic rifles comprise an advancement device operable by the user for manually positioning the shutter head in an advanced or shooting configuration. This requirement typically occurs upon the occurrence of incorrect positioning of the shutter group due, for example, to the presence of dirt; by actuating said advancement device, in fact, a specific action may be performed that is suitable for advancing the shutter group until the shutter head is brought into an advanced or shooting configuration.

[0005] Going into detail, known advancement devices are suitable for performing a thrust action on the shuttergroup, in particular on the shutter carriage whereupon the shutter head is housed, to force the advancement and positioning thereof .

[0006] Such known advancement devices are known in the prior art as " forward assists" .

[0007] In automatic ri fles comprising said advancement devices , some problems are identi fied : since as the advancement device acts upon the shutter carriage , the geometry of the advancement device and the geometry of the shutter carriage are directly influenced by each other ; in general , the geometry of the entire automatic ri fle is influenced by the presence and relative position of the advancement device . Furthermore , the shutter carriage is directly influenced by the presence and action of the advancement device ; in other words , the shutter carriage is structurally designed and produced to cooperate with the advancement device having features closely related to said mutual interaction, for example by having a notched surface specially provided to be subj ected to the pushing action .

[0008] The obj ect of the present invention is to provide an automatic ri fle solution that is an alternative to the solutions of the prior art and suitable for resolving the aforementioned problems that are present in the known solutions .

[0009] Said obj ect is achieved by means of the automatic ri fle according to claim 1 . The claims dependent thereon are seeking protection for further features and entail further technical advantages .

[0010] In addition, further features and advantages of the invention will become clear from the description provided below of the preferred embodiments thereof given as nonlimiting examples in reference to the attached figures , wherein :

[0011] - Figures la and lb show, in perspective , an automatic ri fle according to the present invention;

[0012] - Figure 2 shows a perspective view of a carriage assembly and an advancement device comprised within the automatic ri fle shown in Figures la and lb ;

[0013] - Figure 3 shows a perspective view of separate parts of a shutter carriage and of a rack element comprised within a shutter group according to the present invention;

[0014] - Figures 4a and 4b are a cross section and a longitudinal section, respectively, of the shutter carriage and of the rack element of Figure 3 , which are mutually assembled .

[0015] With reference to the accompanying figures , an automatic ri fle according to the present invention is indicated in the entirety thereof with the numeral 1 .

[0016] According to the present invention, the automatic ri fle 1 comprises a main body 2 .

[0017] Such main body 2 is graspable or heldable by the user, for example in shooting or aiming operations , and houses or supports all of the various components adapted to perform the shooting action .

[0018] According to the present invention, the main body 2 comprises a lower semi-receiver 21 and an upper semireceiver 22 . In the industry nomenclature , the main body 2 is known as a " receiver, " and the lower hal f-stock 21 is known as a " lower semi-receiver, " while the upper hal f-stock 22 is known as an "upper semi-receiver" . Said lower semi-receiver 21 and upper semi-receiver 22 are suitable for mutually engaging integrally in such a way as to constitute a single component .

[0019] Furthermore , the main body 2 comprises a barrel 25 .

[0020] Said barrel 25 extends along a main axis X-X .

[0021] Said barrel 25 extends along said main axis X-X from the upper semi-receiver 22 .

[0022] The lower semi-receiver 21 preferably comprises the grip and supports the stock of the automatic ri fle 1 .

[0023] According to the present invention, some kinematic shooting components are housed within the lower semireceiver 21 and other components are housed within the upper semi-receiver 22 .

[0024] The automatic ri fle 1 , obj ect of the present invention, further comprises a carriage assembly 4 housed mainly in the upper semi-receiver 22 .

[0025] Said carriage assembly 4 , in order to perform the operations of a shooting cycle , is axially movable .

[0026] The carriage assembly 4 , in fact , comprises a shutter group 5 configurable in a retracted configuration and configurable in an advanced, or shooting, configuration .

[0027] The shutter group 5 comprises a shutter carriage 50 and a shutter head 55 housed within the shutter carriage 50 . The axial movement of the shutter carriage 50 corresponds to an axial movement and a rotary movement of the shutter head 55 to reach the shooting position . In other words , upon the axial movement of the shutter carriage 50 , the shutter head 55 is adapted to be moved to position itsel f and engage the breech of the automatic ri fle 1 in an advanced or shooting configuration . In such an advanced configuration, in fact , the actuation of a striker group, which is in turn comprised within the carriage assembly, involves the shooting o f a proj ectile .

[0028] According to a preferred embodiment , the carriage assembly 4 further comprises a recoil spring 7 housed in the entirety thereof within the upper semi-receiver 22 , preferably in an upper region . Preferably, said recoveryspring 7 is suitable for acting to return the shutter group 5 to an advanced configuration once the shot has been executed, and therefore once the shutter group 5 is arranged in the retracted configuration .

[0029] Furthermore , according to a preferred embodiment , the carriage assembly 4 comprises a firearm rod 8 manually-operable along the axis X-X to move back the carriage assembly 4 .

[0030] Preferably, said firearm rod 8 and the carriage assembly 4 are reciprocally separated and configured to move the carriage assembly 4 regardless of the position of the firearm rod 8 and to perform a mutual engagement upon retraction of the firearm rod 8 by also retracting the carriage assembly 4 .

[0031] According to the present invention, the automatic ri fle 1 comprises an advancement device 6 engaged with the upper semi-receiver 22 , which is manually operable , for axially moving forward the shutter group 5 .

[0032] Speci fically, said advancement device 6 is useable when required . In a situation wherein for example , due to the presence of dirt , the shutter group 5 fails to reach the advanced configuration . In other words , according to a preferred embodiment , the advancement device 6 is suitable for being operable in a situation wherein the recovery spring 7 fails to complete the entireadvancement of the shutter group 5 .

[0033] According to the invention, the advancement device 6 comprises a thrust member 61 suitable for engaging the shutter carriage 50 .

[0034] According to a preferred embodiment , the advancement device 6 comprises a thrust pump 60 adapted to act under pressure upon the thrust member 61 comprising a loading spring 600 .

[0035] According to the present invention, the shutter group 5 comprises a rack element 51 which extends along the axis X-X, comprising teeth 510 engageable by the thrust member 61 .

[0036] In particular, according to the present invention, the rack element 51 and the shutter carriage 50 are two distinct components .

[0037] That is to say that according to the present invention, the rack element 51 and the shutter carriage 50 are two components which are mountable one upon the other .

[0038] According to the present invention, the shutter carriage 50 comprises a rack housing 500 wherein the rack element 51 is at least partially housed .

[0039] The rack element 51 is insertable into the rack housing 500 along the axis X-X by performing a shape coupling .

[0040] The rack element 51 and the rack housing 500 are preferably shaped in such a way as to be complementary and in such a way as to execute a solid and play- free coupling .

[0041] According to a preferred embodiment , both the rack housing 500 and the rack element 51 comprise respectively, a bottom wall 501 , 511 and two retaining walls 502 ' , 502" , 512 ' , 512" , which are preferably inclined .

[0042] According to a preferred embodiment , both the rack housing 500 and the rack element 51 respectively comprise a head wall 503 , 513 . Preferably, said head walls extend orthogonally with respect to the main axis X-X, i . e . , orthogonally to the direction of insertion of the rack element 51 . In other words , the rack element 51 engages the rack housing 500 in abutment .

[0043] Preferably, the rack housing 500 and the rack element 51 are shaped in such a way that only the teeth 511 of the rack element 51 are accessible externally, whilst all of the other walls are mutually engaged .

[0044] Preferably, the thrust action of the advancement device 6 is discharged onto the teeth 511 of the rack element 51 which in turn discharges the action onto the shutter carriage 50 . The thrust action of the advancement device 6 is preferably discharged onto the teeth 511 ofthe rack element 51 which in turn discharges the action onto the shutter carriage 50 al so at the engagement between the head walls 503 , 513 .

[0045] According to a preferred embodiment , the shape coupling between the rack housing 500 and the rack element 51 is of the dovetailed type .

[0046] According to a preferred embodiment , the shutter group 5 comprises a fastening plug 515 transversely insertable between the rack element 51 and the shutter carriage 50 , preferably at the rack housing 500 , to integrally lock them .

[0047] Preferably, both the rack element 51 and the shutter carriage 50 have a transverse semi-hollow, respectively . In a speci fic axial position of the rack element 51 within the rack housing 550 , the respective transverse semi-hollows face one another and identi fy the space wherein the fixing plug 515 is insertable .

[0048] According to a preferred embodiment , the rack element 51 extends along the cantilevered axis X-X from the shutter carriage 50 .

[0049] Preferably, the rack element 51 has a section with varying thickness along the axis X-X .

[0050] According to a preferred embodiment , the rack element comprises a section with a greater thickness at the cantilever from the shutter carriage 50 .

[0051] According to a preferred embodiment , the automatic ri fle 1 comprises , as mentioned, a stock, engaged with the main body 2 , preferably with the lower semi-receiver 21 .

[0052] Preferably, said stock is foldable . In other words , the stock is arrangeable in a position that is on axis with the main axis X-X aligned with the main body, but it is also foldable in a resting position wherein it extends parallel to the main axis alongside the main body 2 .

[0053] Innovatively, the automatic ri fle , obj ect of the present invention, fully meets the predetermined obj ect .

[0054] Advantageously, the automatic ri fle , obj ect of the present invention, is an alternative solution to those that are known .

[0055] Advantageously, the automatic ri fle , obj ect of the present invention, has a shutter carriage that is structurally more solid when compared to the solutions of the prior art which comprise a rack . Advantageously, the shutter carriage has small and compact dimensions compared to the known solutions .

[0056] Advantageously, the rack element extends further in length than the shutter carriage and is cantilevered therefrom . Advantageously, the rack element is designable separately from the shutter carriage .

[0057] Advantageously, the rack element is replaceable asneeded . For example , rack elements with di f ferent teeth may advantageously be mounted, for example with di f fering pitches .

[0058] Advantageously, the rack element is designable with a variable cross-section, in such a way as to have a larger cross-section in the presence of the cantilevered portion, in order to support the thrust action of the advancement device .

[0059] Advantageously, the advancement device is positionable upon the main body according to the position and si ze of the rack element .

[0060] Advantageously, the position of the advancement device allows for the presence of a reclinable stock .

[0061] It is clear that a person skilled in the art may make changes to the invention described above in order to meet contingent needs , which changes all fall within the scope of protection as defined in the following claims .

Claims

CLAIMS1. An automatic rifle (1) comprising: i) a main body (2) comprising a lower semi-receiver (21) and an upper semi-receiver (22) integrally joined with each other, and a barrel (25) extending along an axis (X- X) , from the upper semi-receiver (22) ; ii) a carriage assembly (4) mainly housed in the upper semi-receiver (22) comprising a shutter group (5) configurable in a retracted configuration and an advanced, or shooting, configuration, comprising a shutter carriage (50) and a shutter head (55) housed in the shutter carriage (50) , wherein an axial movement and a rotatory movement of the shutter head (55) correspond to the axial movement of the shutter carriage (50) to reach the shooting position; iii) an advancement device (6) engaged with the upper semi-receiver (22) , manually operable for axially moving forward the shutter group (5) comprising a thrust member (61) adapted to engage the shutter carriage (50) ; wherein the shutter group (5) comprises a rack element (51) extending along the axis (X-X) , comprising teeth (510) engageable by the thrust member (61) ; wherein the shutter carriage (50) comprises a rack housing (500) in which the rack element (51) is at least partially housed;wherein the rack element (51) is insertable into the rack housing (500) along the axis (X-X) by performing a positive coupling.

2. Automatic rifle (1) according to claim 1, wherein both the rack housing (500) and the rack element (51) comprise, respectively, a bottom wall (501, 511) and two retaining walls ( 502 ' , 502", 512' , 512") , which are preferably inclined.

3. Automatic rifle (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said positive coupling is of the dovetailed type.

4. Automatic rifle (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the shutter group (5) comprises a fastening plug (515) transversely insertable between the rack element (51) and the shutter carriage (50) , preferably at the rack housing (500) , to integrally lock them.

5. Automatic rifle (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the rack element (51) extends along the axis (X-X) in a cantilever manner from the shutter carriage (50) .

6. Automatic rifle (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the rack element (51) has a section with varying thickness along the axis (X-X) .

7. Automatic rifle (1) according to claims 5 and 6,wherein the rack element comprises a section with a greater thickness at the cantilever from the shutter carriage ( 50 ) .

8. Automatic rifle (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the advancement device (6) comprises a thrust pump (60) adapted to act under pressure on the thrust member (61) and a loading spring (600) .

9. Automatic rifle (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the carriage assembly (4) further comprises a recoil spring (7) entirely housed in the upper semi-receiver (22) , preferably in an upper region, adapted to return the shutter group (5) to an advanced configuration.

10. Automatic rifle (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the carriage assembly (4) further comprises a firearm rod (8) manually-operable along the axis (X-X) to move back the carriage assembly (4) , wherein said firearm rod (8) and the carriage assembly (4) are reciprocally separate and configured to move the carriage assembly (4) regardless of the position of the firearm rod (8) and to perform a mutual engagement upon retraction of the firearm rod (8) by also retracting the carriage assembly (4) .

11. Automatic rifle (1) according to any one of thepreceding claims, further comprising a stock, engaged with the main body (2) , preferably with the lower semireceiver (21) , wherein said stock is foldable.

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