Shotgun Venting Chamber for Consistent Pattern Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional shotgun choke systems face limitations in shot pattern control and consistency due to wear and high manufacturing costs, particularly with radial projections that interfere with shot trajectory and are prone to wear, limiting effective range and accuracy.
Innovation Solution
A shot pattern control system featuring a cylindrical inner chamber with radial vents that laterally release propulsion gas to separate the wad from the projectile load, reducing gas pressure and preventing interference, thus maintaining shot pattern focus without radial projections.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If radial projections (ridges, pins, studs, screws, grit) are used to retard the wad before muzzle exit, then shot pattern consistency is improved, but manufacturing cost increases and wear occurs reducing reliability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the radial projections (ridges, pins, studs, screws, grit) that were previously used to retard the wad. Instead, it uses a smooth-bored barrel chamber that allows the wad to exit freely, eliminating the harmful interference with shot trajectory while maintaining shot pattern consistency through proper barrel design and gas pressure management.
Solution Approach 2:
Rather than using protruding radial elements to retard the wad, the patent inverts the approach by using a smooth surface that allows free exit, combined with controlled gas pressure release to achieve wad separation without mechanical interference. This reverses the conventional wisdom of using physical barriers to slow the wad.
2Reliability
If radial projections are used to retard the wad, then shot pattern control is improved, but the projections are subjected to wear and become ineffective over time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent eliminates the radial projections that were subject to wear. By removing these mechanical elements entirely and using a smooth-bored chamber with controlled gas pressure, the system achieves shot pattern control without components that degrade over time, thereby extending service life.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical radial projection system with a gas pressure-based system. Instead of using physical ridges, pins, or studs to retard the wad, the system uses controlled release of propellant gas through lateral vents to achieve wad separation and shot pattern control, eliminating mechanical wear.
3Manufacturing precision
If conventional choke tubes with radial projections are used, then shot pattern focus is improved, but the system becomes complex and expensive to manufacture
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the complex radial projection structures (ridges, pins, studs, screws, grit) from the choke system. By eliminating these elements, the design becomes simpler and less expensive to manufacture, while maintaining shot pattern focus through smooth-bore design and gas pressure control.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by creating a smooth-bored chamber section specifically designed for wad passage, with lateral vents positioned at specific locations to control gas pressure release. This localized design achieves shot pattern focus without requiring complex radial projections throughout the entire choke system.
4Length of moving object
If the barrel is constricted or choked to tighten shot pattern, then effective range is extended, but shot pattern variability increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces dynamic control of gas pressure through laterally positioned vents that can be opened or closed. This allows the system to adapt gas pressure conditions during wad passage, maintaining consistent shot pattern even with barrel constriction, thereby reducing variability while extending effective range.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the lateral vents respond to gas pressure conditions behind the wad. As the wad passes, gas pressure builds and triggers vent opening to release pressure, creating a self-regulating system that maintains consistent shot pattern control throughout the shooting sequence.
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
The system achieves consistent and predictable shot patterns, extends effective range, and reduces wear, ensuring durability and cost-effectiveness by avoiding radial projections, thereby improving shotgun accuracy and longevity.
Implementation Method 1
A shot pattern control system for a multiple-projectile-firing-weapon includes a cylindrical inner chamber that extends longitudinally between a rear opening and a muzzle end opening... a radial vent in the rear section of the tubular chamber... Laterally releasing a portion of the propulsion gas behind the wad... to effect a reduction in gas pressure behind the wad
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to systems, methods and devices for controlling the dispersion of shot or other projectiles fired from a weapon such as a shotgun. Embodiments according to the invention employ an inner cylindrical chamber that is divided at a median transverse plane into forward and rear sections. The rear section of the chamber tapers toward the median transverse plane and includes a number of radial vents that open into an outer chamber that provides one or more gas bypass channels into the forward section of the tubular chamber. Alternatively, channels function as unitary vents and outer chamber to provide for a gas bypass. The forward section tapers toward a forward muzzle opening. When a multiple projectile load/wad is fired from the weapon, expanding gas is sealed behind the load until it has advanced past the radial vents at which point, gas is allowed to expand into the outer chamber resulting in a momentary pressure drop and reduced propulsion force behind the wad/load. The relatively light wad decelerates while the much heavier shot continues forward, rapidly separating from the wad before the wad exits the muzzle. The wad seals against the tapered bore of the forward section of the inner chamber blocking the escape of gas from the outer chamber passageways until sufficient pressure develops to eject the wad from the muzzle end.