Radially Expanding Bore Cleaning Device for Firearm Maintenance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for cleaning firearm bores are inefficient and pose health risks due to the airborne dispersal of hazardous residues, requiring extensive time and exposing technicians to dangerous particulates.
Innovation Solution
A bore-cleaning device with elongate bodies, end plates, and internal tensioning members that expand radially to fit various barrel sizes, combined with a scrubbing section and flexible connectors, allowing for efficient solvent application and residue removal starting from the breech end, reducing airborne particulates and cycle time.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a plumber's plunger device is used to clean gun bores, then the cleaning process can be performed, but it requires many passes and up to six hours to clean a cannon barrel
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaning device is divided into multiple sections: a first cleaning body with fabric cover for solvent application, a second cleaning body with wire brush for mechanical scrubbing, and a third cleaning body with fabric cover for residue removal. This segmentation allows each section to perform its specific function efficiently, reducing the total cleaning time from six hours to approximately 15-30 minutes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines multiple cleaning functions (solvent application, mechanical scrubbing, and residue removal) into a single integrated device that can be pulled through the bore in one operation. This merging of functions eliminates the need for multiple separate cleaning passes, dramatically reducing cleaning time while maintaining thoroughness.
2Ease of operation
If the cleaning process starts by inserting the cleaning device into the muzzle of the barrel and forcing material towards the breech, then the cleaning operation can be completed, but residue becomes airborne in confined spaces exposing personnel to hazardous materials
Solution Approach 1:
The patent reverses the traditional cleaning direction by inserting the device into the breech end and pulling it toward the muzzle. This inversion allows the cleaning device to engage with residue at the chamber end first, containing hazardous particles in the closed breech area rather than dispersing them into the confined space at the muzzle end, thereby protecting personnel from airborne exposure.
Solution Approach 2:
The cleaning device acts as an intermediary barrier that contains and transports hazardous residues from the breech toward the muzzle in a controlled manner. The fabric covers and wire brush sections work together to capture and move particles rather than allowing them to become airborne, effectively mediating between the cleaning action and personnel safety.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a cleaning device is used to remove residue from the bore, then cleaning is achieved, but the device must be adapted to various barrel sizes and geometries
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaning device incorporates flexible fabric covers that can dynamically adapt to different barrel diameters. The fabric material allows the cleaning bodies to conform to various geometries while maintaining contact with the bore surface, enabling the same device to be used across multiple caliber sizes without modification.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent designs a universal cleaning device that can handle various barrel types including smoothbore and rifled, different calibers from .22 caliber to 205 millimeter, and various geometries. The combination of fabric-covered sections and wire brush sections provides multi-functionality across different application scenarios, eliminating the need for multiple specialized devices.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Significantly reduces cleaning time across various barrel sizes, minimizes airborne hazards, and effectively removes corrosive deposits and dangerous materials without damaging the barrel surfaces, ensuring safer and more efficient maintenance.
Implementation Method 1
an internal tensioning member to pull the ends plates toward each other to compress the bore-cleaning body longitudinally and thus expand it radially
Implementation Method 2
compress the bore-cleaning body longitudinally and thus expand it radially
Implementation Method 3
apply a solvent or lubricant or both to the interior surfaces of a gun bore
Implementation Method 4
scrub away propellant residue, projectile residue, and other materials fouling the surfaces of the gun bore
Data Source
AI summary
A device for cleaning a bore of a firearm. One or more bore-cleaning bodies may include a core and a fabric cover, and a central member used to compress the core longitudinally and expand it radially to apply radial force pressing the fabric cover against the interior bore surface. A small-bore version may include flexible portions to be able to negotiate a breech mechanism of a repeating small arm.