Grenade launcher and pivot mechanism for same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10119781-B1
Application number	US-201815973023-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	May 7, 2018
Priority date	May 8, 2017
Publication date	Nov 6, 2018
Grant date	Nov 6, 2018

Abstract

A grenade launcher is provided comprising a chassis, a barrel assembly, and a pivot mechanism. The pivot mechanism comprises a first pivot bar on the barrel assembly extending transversely. The first pivot bar has a first hinge barrel disposed at one transverse end thereof and is attachable in a first orientation wherein the first hinge barrel is on a left side of the barrel assembly and a second orientation wherein the first hinge barrel is on a right side of the barrel assembly. A second pivot bar is disposed on the chassis and has a second hinge barrel disposed at one transverse end thereof. The second pivot bar is attachable in a first orientation wherein the second hinge barrel is on a left side of the barrel assembly and a second orientation wherein the second hinge barrel is on a right side of the barrel assembly. A pivot pin extends in vertical openings in the first and second hinge barrels and defines a pivot axis for pivoting movement of the barrel assembly between a closed position and either a left or a right open position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A grenade launcher comprising a chassis, a barrel assembly comprising a barrel mounted on the chassis, the barrel having a breech end and a muzzle end, and a pivot mechanism, the pivot mechanism comprising:
a first pivot bar on the barrel assembly and extending transversely with respect to a longitudinal axis of the barrel and having a first hinge barrel disposed at one transverse end thereof, the first pivot bar being attachable in a first orientation wherein the first hinge barrel is on a left side of the barrel assembly and a second orientation wherein the first hinge barrel is on a right side of the barrel assembly;
a second pivot bar on the chassis aligned with and facing the first pivot bar, the second pivot bar having a second hinge barrel disposed at one transverse end thereof, the second pivot bar being attachable in a first orientation wherein the second hinge barrel is on a left side of the barrel assembly and a second orientation wherein the second hinge barrel is on a right side of the barrel assembly; and
a pivot pin extending in a first vertical opening in the first hinge barrel and in a second vertical opening in the second hinge barrel, the pivot pin defining a pivot axis for pivoting movement of the barrel assembly, relative to the chassis, between a closed position and a selected one of a left open position and a right open position.

2. The grenade launcher of claim 1 , wherein the barrel assembly is configured to pivot to the left open position when the first and second hinge barrels are disposed on the right side of the barrel assembly and the barrel assembly is configured to pivot to the right open position when the first and second hinge barrels are disposed on the left side of the barrel assembly.

3. The grenade launcher of claim 1 , further comprising:
a locking pillar disposed on the chassis and removably received within a complementary recess in the barrel assembly for securing the barrel assembly in the closed position.

4. The grenade launcher of claim 3 , further comprising:
a lock release actuator carried on the chassis and movable to retract the locking pillar from the recess to allow pivoting movement of the barrel assembly to the open position.

5. The grenade launcher of claim 4 , further comprising:
a spring biased plunger on the chassis engaging a tension actuator for creating a biasing force urging the barrel assembly to pivot to a selected one of the left open position and the right open position responsive to movement of the lock release actuator.

6. The grenade launcher of claim 5 , wherein the tension actuator has a generally cylindrical wall and the spring-biased plunger has angled side surfaces which are generally tangent to the generally cylindrical wall.

7. The grenade launcher of claim 6 , wherein the tension actuator has a vertical groove formed in the generally cylindrical wall and wherein the spring biased plunger engages the vertical groove when the barrel assembly in the closed position.

8. The grenade launcher of claim 3 , wherein the locking pillar is a spring biased locking pillar.

9. The grenade launcher of claim 1 , further comprising:
a stabilizer pin on the barrel assembly received within a complimentary slot in the chassis.

10. The grenade launcher of claim 1 , further comprising:
a stop member selectively positionable at a first stop position on the chassis and a second stop position on the chassis, the barrel assembly movable to the left open position when the stop member is in the first stop position and the right open position when the stop member is in the second stop position.

11. The grenade launcher of claim 1 , wherein said second pivot bar is disposed within a transverse slot in the barrel assembly.

12. The grenade launcher of claim 11 , wherein the transverse slot is defined between the barrel and an interface place, wherein said interface place is removably attached to the grenade launcher barrel with one or more mechanical fasteners.

13. The grenade launcher of claim 1 , wherein the lower chassis portion includes a transverse channel configured to receive the first pivot bar.

14. The grenade launcher of claim 1 , wherein the chassis is configured for removable attachment to a rifle.

15. The grenade launcher of claim 1 , wherein the chassis includes one or more firearm accessory rails.

16. The grenade launcher of claim 1 , further comprising:
a trigger assembly removably attached to the chassis at a position adjacent the breech end of the barrel.

17. The grenade launcher of claim 1 , which is configured for standalone operation.

18. A pivot mechanism for a grenade launcher of a type having a chassis and a barrel assembly mounted on the chassis, the barrel assembly including a barrel having a breech end and a muzzle end, the pivot mechanism comprising:
a first pivot bar on the barrel assembly and extending transversely with respect to a longitudinal axis of the barrel and having a first hinge barrel disposed at one transverse end thereof, the first pivot bar being attachable in a first orientation wherein the first hinge barrel is on a left side of the barrel assembly and a second orientation wherein the first hinge barrel is on a right side of the barrel assembly;
a second pivot bar on the chassis aligned with and facing the first pivot bar, the second pivot bar having a second hinge barrel disposed at one transverse end thereof, the second pivot bar being attachable in a first orientation wherein the second hinge barrel is on a left side of the barrel assembly and a second orientation wherein the second hinge barrel is on a right side of the barrel assembly; and
a pivot pin extending in a first vertical opening in the first hinge barrel and in a second vertical opening in the second hinge barrel, the pivot pin defining a pivot axis for pivoting movement of the barrel assembly, relative to the chassis, between a closed position a selected one of a left open position and a right open position.

Assignees

• Wilcox Ind Corp

Inventors

• Teetzel James W
• Lemire Gary M

Classifications

• F41C27/06 Primary

  Adaptations of smallarms for firing grenades, e.g. rifle grenades, or for firing riot-control ammunition; Barrel attachments therefor (signal pistols F41C3/02) · CPC title

• F41G11/003

  Mountings with a dove tail element, e.g. "Picatinny rail systems" · CPC title

• F41A35/06

  Adaptation of guns to both right and left hand use · CPC title