US20160018178A1

US20160018178A1 - Silencer for a firearm

Info

Publication number: US20160018178A1
Application number: US14/773,389
Authority: US
Inventors: Anders Eckhoff Johansen
Original assignee: A-TEC HOLDING AS
Current assignee: A-TEC HOLDING AS
Priority date: 2013-03-08
Filing date: 2014-03-06
Publication date: 2016-01-21
Also published as: NO20130367A1; WO2014135639A1; NO335475B1; EP2965033A1

Abstract

The present invention relates to a silencer for firearms, the silencer comprising a substantially cylindrical outer sleeve and an inner body arranged therein, which inner body at one end is provided with an attachment portion and at an opposite end is provided with a muzzle portion. The inner body is further provided with a number of separate transverse through openings around its circumference and at least a part of its length, thus providing a plurality of walls around its circumference and a solid core in the inner body, a throughgoing longitudinal bore extending through the solid core, wherein each transverse through opening and the throughgoing longitudinal bore are connected by means of at least one channel.

Description

The present invention relates to a silencer for firearms, such as a rifle or handgun, the silencer comprising a substantially cylindrical sleeve and an inner element arranged therein, where the silencer is detachably connected to the barrel of the firearm or to attachment element(s) arranged on the barrel of the firearm.
Silencers are used in particular with high-pressure weapons, because the report of the weapon when fired will in many situations be too high. Through its design, the silencer will be capable reducing the report and recoil that occur during the firing of a shot, with the result that hearing damage is prevented and that the person at the trigger feels safer when discharging shots since the recoil is reduced.
Known silencers are of a tubular design and can employ different principles in order to obtain a reduction of the report and/or recoil. Reference is made here, for example, to the U.S. patents U.S. Pat. No. 5,029,512 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,907,488.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,029,512 uses the principle of setting the exhaust gases following the projectile in rotational motion, which results in the velocity of the exhaust gases being lowered before they exit the silencer. Here, a number of elements will be arranged one after the other internally in the cylindrical sleeve, which elements interact in order to set the exhaust gases in rotation within the sleeve.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,907,488, elements inside a sleeve are also used to change the flow direction of the exhaust gases, so as to obtain a reduction or muffling of sound.
Such silencers will be subjected to substantial loads during the firing of a weapon, these loads essentially being due to the high temperature and pressure of the exhaust gases. For this reason, silencers will be made of “special materials”, and materials that are relatively heavy. Silencers will also very often be “overdimensioned” as extra safety against the silencer cracking open or exploding. In addition, several differently shaped elements must be used to set the exhaust gases in rotational motion, which elements are complex. This results in such silencers being unnecessarily heavy and complicated.
The object of the present invention is to provide a silencer that controls the flow direction of the exhaust gases, that is modular and comprises few parts and at the same time is light in weight.
This object is obtained according to the invention by the features disclosed in the following independent claims, with additional features of the invention set forth in the dependent claims and the description below.
The present invention relates to a silencer for a firearm, the silencer being designed to be detachably connectable to one or more attachment elements arranged on the barrel of the firearm, or to the barrel of the firearm.
In a first embodiment of the silencer according to the present invention, the silencer comprises a substantially cylindrical outer sleeve and an inner body arranged therein, the inner element at one end being provided with an attachment portion for being detachably connectable to the barrel of a firearm or to an attachment element arranged on the barrel of the firearm, and at an opposite end is provided with a muzzle portion. The inner body is further provided with a number of separate groups of transverse through openings around its circumference over at least a part of the length of the inner body, thus providing a number of walls around the circumference of the inner body, extending in the longitudinal direction of the inner body, and a solid core in the inner body. The inner body is further configured with a throughgoing longitudinal bore in its axial direction, which throughgoing longitudinal bore extends through the solid core, wherein each transverse through opening and the throughgoing longitudinal bore are connected by means of at least one channel.
The number of separate groups of transverse through openings may vary from two and upwards, depending on the calibre, charge and/or bullet weight that is to be used. The number of walls formed around the circumference of the inner body and extending in the longitudinal direction of the inner body will then depend on how many separate transverse through openings are provided in the inner body: if the inner body is provided with a number of groups of three transverse through openings, three walls will be formed around the circumference of the longitudinal direction of the inner body, four walls if the inner body is provided with four transverse through openings etc. By configuring the traverse through openings to form an angle with one another, it is ensured that the walls are arranged spaced apart. This will also result in a solid core being formed in the inner body. If the inner body is provided with a group comprising three transverse through openings, the transverse through openings will form a 60-degree angle to one another, whereby the three walls that are formed will also be arranged offset at 60 degrees to one another. The solid core that is formed will in this case have a triangular shape.
If the inner body is provided with a group comprising four transverse through openings, the transverse through openings will form a 90-degree angle to one another, whereby the walls will also be arranged offset at 90 degrees to one other. The solid core formed will in this case have a quadrangular shape.
The transverse through openings are preferably configured with an oval shape, but it will be understood that the openings can be configured so as to have other shapes, for example, a circular shape, a quadrangular shape, a rectangular shape or the like.
Each group of the transverse through openings in the inner body may be configured to have the same height and breadth, but in an embodiment of the present invention, a first group of the transverse through openings arranged closest to the attachment portion of the silencer are configured with a breadth that is smaller or narrower than a last group of the separate transverse through openings arranged closest to the muzzle portion, the breadth of the transverse through openings thereby increasing from the first to the last group of transverse through openings.
The shaping of the transverse through openings will affect the breadth of the walls that are formed in the inner body.
In order to detachably connect the silencer to a firearm, the inner body may comprise an inner threaded portion, which inner threaded portion is configured to cooperate with a corresponding outer threaded portion on the barrel of the firearm, or with an attachment element arranged on the barrel of the firearm. The attachment element will then be configured with a corresponding outer threaded portion. It is also conceivable that a transition element can be used to detachably connect the silencer to the firearm, the transition element then being configured with an outer threaded portion at its one end and an inner threaded portion at its same or opposite end. This means that the transition element can be connected to the threaded portion of the inner body by means of its outer threaded portion, and to the outer threaded portion of the firearm by means of its inner threaded portion. The transition element will then constitute a part of the silencer. Thus, the silencer and the firearm will not be directly connected to each other, whereby the transition element will be subjected to the forces and loads that are produced when the firearm is fired. The transition element is further configured with a throughgoing longitudinal bore, and may be configured with a plurality of radial channels extending from the throughgoing longitudinal bore to an exterior of the transition element.
It will further be understood that the transition element may be formed of one piece, or comprise several parts that are suitably connected to form the transition element.
Alternatively, the attachment portion of the silencer can be configured with a rapid coupling or the like, in order to cooperate with a corresponding rapid coupling arranged on the barrel of the firearm. A person of skill in the art will know how this arrangement can be configured, and therefore it is not discussed further here.
Beyond the attachment portion, the inner body is configured with an internal chamber, into which internal chamber the barrel of the firearm or the transition element can extend some way into when the silencer according to the invention is connected to the firearm. The internal chamber will then be disposed between the attachment portion and the first separate group of transverse through openings in the inner body. Around the circumference of the attachment part there may be formed a number of axial ports which lead into the internal chamber, such that the internal chamber is in communication with the surrounding environment.
The muzzle portion of the inner element, arranged at an opposite end to the attachment portion, is configured with an outer abutment shoulder, which abutment shoulder is designed for receiving an end of the cylindrical outer sleeve. The abutment shoulder will extend around the whole circumference of the inner body and be configured with a recess adapted to the thickness of the cylindrical outer sleeve. Alternatively, four diametrically opposing part shoulders may be arranged around the circumference of the inner body, these being configured for receiving one end of the cylindrical outer sleeve.
The at least one channel provided in the solid core for connecting the throughgoing longitudinal bore through the inner body and each of the groups of the transverse through openings is configured to lead out towards an inner surface of a plurality of walls of the inner body, these walls being provided by the configuration of the plurality of the separate groups of the transverse through openings, such that exhaust gases escaping through the at least one channel when the bullet or projectile passes each group of the transverse through openings will “strike” the inside of the wall, whereby the wall will be subjected to the high pressure and the high temperature. In an embodiment of the present invention, the at least one channel may be configured with at an angle extending from the throughgoing longitudinal bore to the transverse through opening, whereby the channel will be made tapering from the transverse through opening to the throughgoing longitudinal bore formed in the solid core.
The at least one tapering channel may also be provided by drilling two channels close to each other and at an angle to each other, where these two channels together will form the tapering channel.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the throughgoing longitudinal bore and each transverse through opening are connected to each other through several channels, which channels will form an angle to each other.
By making a channel of such a tapering shape, it will be ensured that turbulence is produced in the exhaust gases escaping from the throughgoing longitudinal bore in the solid core and out into each transverse through opening, which will result in the walls that are arranged above each at least one channel being subjected to smaller loads.
In an embodiment of the invention, the substantially cylindrical outer sleeve is made of composite materials such as carbon fibre, glass fibre, thermoset plastic, aramid, Kevlar and the like, an inner surface of the outer sleeve being coated with at least one layer of a liner, a metal foil or the like. This will mean that the cylindrical outer sleeve is to a far lesser degree subjected to the high temperature and pressure of the exhaust gases as these loads will be taken up by the at least one layer of liner, metal foil or the like, thereby increasing the lifetime and safety of the silencer.
Further objects, structural embodiments and advantages of the present invention will be seen clearly from the following detailed description, the attached drawings and the claims below.

The invention will now be described with reference to the attached figures, wherein:

FIG. 1A is an oblique rear view of a silencer according to the present invention;

FIG. 1B is an oblique front view of the silencer according to FIG. 1A;

FIG. 1C shows the silencer according to FIGS. 1A and 1B, where an inner body has been partly drawn out of the silencer sleeve;

FIG. 1D shows a longitudinal cross-section of the silencer according to FIGS. 1A-1C;

FIG. 2A shows a first embodiment of the inner body of the silencer according to the present invention;

FIG. 2B shows a cross-section G-G of the inner body according to FIG. 2A;

FIG. 2C shows a cross-section H-H of the inner body according to FIG. 2A;

FIGS. 3A-3E show a second embodiment of the inner body of the silencer according to the present invention, in side view and in cross-section; and

FIGS. 4A-4E show a third embodiment of the inner body of the silencer according to the present invention, in side view and in cross-section.

FIG. 1A is an oblique rear view of a firearm silencer 1 according to the present invention, whilst FIG. 1B is an oblique front view of the silencer 1 according to FIG. 1A. The firearm silencer 1 according to the present invention comprises a substantially cylindrical outer sleeve 2, in which outer sleeve 2 an inner body 3 is arranged. To hold the silencer 1 together once the silencer 1 has been assembled, a transition element 41 is connected to the attachment part 4 of the inner element 3.
As the transition element 41 is used to connect the silencer 1 to the barrel of the firearm (not shown), the transition element 41 is provided with a hole H. In an opposite end of the transition element 41 the inner body 3 is provided with a muzzle portion 5 and which comprises a throughgoing longitudinal bore 6, through which throughgoing longitudinal bore 6 the projectile will leave the silencer 1 when the firearm has been fired.
The substantially cylindrical outer sleeve 2 is made of composite materials and is on its inside coated with at least one layer of a liner or a metal foil, where this will cause that the outer sleeve 2 is to a far lesser degree subjected to loads of exhaust gasses.
FIG. 1C shows an assembly (or disassembly) of the silencer 1 for firearm according to the present invention, where the inner body 3 is shown partly outside the substantially cylindrical outer sleeve 2.
A longitudinal cross-section of the assembled silencer 1 according to the present invention is shown in FIG. 1D, where it can be seen that the transition element 41 is connected with an attachment portion 4 of the inner body 3. The substantially circular outer sleeve 2 will then be fixedly connected between the muzzle portion 5 of the inner body 3 and the transition element 41 being connected to the inner body 3.
The transition element 41 comprises a sleeve 411 and an integrated flange F, where the flange F will form an abutment shoulder 15 for the substantially circular outer sleeve 2. The flange F is further formed with a gradual stepping, such that an outer circumference of the flange F will be in line with an outer circumference of the outer sleeve 2 when the silencer 1 is assembled.
Around an outer circumference of the stepping is formed at least one groove 16 for receiving of a sealing element 17, whereby one or more sealing elements 17 will be arranged between an inside of the outer sleeve 2 and the outer circumference of the stepping, whereby it is provided a tight connection between the transition element 41 and the outer sleeve 2.
When the silencer 1 is connected to a barrel of a firearm (not shown), the barrel of the firearm will extend a distance into the sleeve 411 of the transition element 41.
The transition element 41 is in an opposite end of the flange F formed with an outer threaded portion 18, which cooperates with threads 13 provided on the attachment portion 4 of the inner body 3. The sleeve 411 is also formed with an inner threaded portion 19 in order to be connected to an extension element 20. The extension element 20 will then be formed with an outer threaded portion 21.
The extension element 20 is farther formed with a throughgoing bore B and a number of radial throughgoing holes 22. In the throughgoing bore B is also formed threads (not shown), whereby the barrel of the firearm (not shown) will be connectable to the extension element 20. By connecting the barrel of the firearm to the extension element 20, the firearm and silencer 1 will not be directly connected to each other, whereby the extension element 20 will be subjected to the forces and loads that are produced when firearm is fired, and not the inner body 3.
However, it should be understood that the extension element 20 may be integrated in the transition element 41, whereby the transition element 41 then must be provided with threads in order to be connectable to the barrel of the firearm.
If the extension element 20 is not used, the barrel of the firearm can be connected to the inner threaded portion 19 which is configured in the sleeve 411 of the transition element 41.
Beyond the attachment portion 4, the inner body 3 is configured with an internal chamber 23, which internal chamber 23 is limited by the attachment portion 4 and a first separate group of traverse through openings 7 which are provided in the inner body 3. The extension element 20 will then extend into the internal chamber 23 when it is connected to the transition element 41.
FIG. 2A shows a first embodiment of the inner body 3 of the silencer 1 according to the present invention, where the attachment portion 4 is configured with threads 13 so as to be detachably connectable to the barrel of a firearm (not shown), to an attachment element (not shown) arranged on the barrel of the firearm, or also to the transition element 41/the extension element 20, such as shown in FIG. 1D.
At an opposite end to the attachment part 4, the muzzle part 5 of the inner element 3 is configured with an abutment shoulder 14, which abutment shoulder 14 is intended for receiving the substantially cylindrical outer sleeve 2 when the silencer 1 is assembled. Beyond the abutment shoulder 14 the inner body 3 is configured with a groove 16 for receiving of sealing elements, for example in form of an O-ring, whereby it will be provided a tight connection between the inner body 3 and the outer sleeve 2 when the silencer 1 is assembled.
The inner body 3 is further configured with a number of separate transverse through openings 7, which separate transverse through openings 7 are provided around the circumference of the inner body 3 and over at least a part of the length of the inner body 3. The provision of the separate transverse through openings 7 around the circumference and length of the inner body 3 will form a number of walls 9 around the surface of the inner body 3, the function of which walls 9 will be explained in more detail below.
The transverse through openings 7 are shown configured with a height H and a breadth H.
The configuration of one separate group of the traverse through openings 7 is shown in FIG. 2B, which is cross-section G-G in FIG. 2A. Here the transverse through openings 7 are configured to form an angle with each other. The cross-section G-G shows that there is provided a group comprising three transvers through openings 7 in the inner body 3, where these three transverse through openings 7 then will form a 60-degree angle to one another. This will also result in that three walls 9 are formed in the inner body 3. With walls 9 according to the present invention it should be understood the areas around the circumference of the inner body 3 that remain or are left when the transverse through opening 7 are provided in the inner body 3.
The configuration of the groups of the transverse through openings 7, where the transverse through openings 7 can be provided by machining of the inner body 3, will also result in that a solid core 8 is formed around a center axis S of the inner body 3, which solid core 8 is configured with a throughgoing longitudinal bore 6, through which throughgoing longitudinal bore 6 a projectile passes when the firearm is fired and the silencer 1 is connected to the firearm.
The form of the solid core 8 of the inner body 3 will depend on how many such transvers through openings 7 are formed in the inner body 3. In the case where a number of three traverse through openings 7 is used, the solid core 8 which is formed around the center axis S of the inner body 3 will have a triangular shape.
In order to ensure that exhaust gases formed when a shot is fired are discharged into the separate transverse through openings 7, at least one channel 10 is provided in the solid core 8, such that each of the separate transverse through openings 7, through the at least one channel 10, is connected to the throughgoing longitudinal bore 6 extending through the solid core 14.
The at least one channel 10 will then be formed in an area that is covered by the walls 9, when looking on the walls 9 from an outside of the inner body 3, such that the exhaust gases that are allowed to flow out of the throughgoing longitudinal bore 6 through the at least one channel 10, and out into each transverse through opening 7, are directed towards an inner surface of each wall 9. This design will mean that it will essentially be the inner surface of each wall 9 that is subjected to the pressure and the high temperatures escaping from the throughgoing longitudinal bore 6 each time the projectile passes the at least one channel 10, thereby preventing the substantially cylindrical outer sleeve 2 from being subjected to such large loads.
The two cross-sections G-G and H-H of FIGS. 2B and 2C thus show the design of the three transverse through openings 7, the throughgoing longitudinal bore 6 and three channels 10 which connect the throughgoing longitudinal bore 6 to each of the three transverse through openings 7, each of the three channels 10 being designed to direct the exhaust gases in towards the inner surface of the wall 9.
Moreover, in FIG. 2B the flow of the exhaust gasses is indicated by arrows, where it can be seen that the exhaust gasses will flow out of the throughgoing longitudinal bore 6 through the three channels 10 and into each of the three transversal through openings 7, whereafter the exhaust gasses will continue radially outwardly until they strike the inside og the walls 9 which are formed in the inner body 3.
According to one embodiment of the present invention, the channels 10 which are formed to provide a connection between the throughgoing longitudinal bore 6 and the transverse through openings 7 can be designed to create as much as possible turbulence in the exhaust gasses, such that the exhaust gasses have low velocity when they strike the inside of the walls 9. In this way will both the inner body 3 and the outer sleeve 2 be subjected to smaller loads when a projectile passes through the silencer 1, whereby the lifetime of the silencer 1 and also the security when using the silencer 1 is increased.
FIGS. 3A-3E show another embodiment of the inner body 3, where the inner body 3 in this embodiment is configured with a group of four transverse through openings 7, a throughgoing longitudinal bore 6 and four channels 10, such that each transverse through opening 7, through at least one channel 10, is connected to the throughgoing longitudinal bore 6. Similarly, as explained in connection with FIGS. 2A-2C, the channels 10 will also in this embodiment be configured for directing exhaust gases in towards the inner surface of the walls 9. In this embodiment the four transverse through openings 7 are configured such that they form a 90-degree angle to one another.
Even though FIGS. 3A-3E show that the inner body 3 is configured with only one group of four transverse through openings 7, it is to be understood that the inner body 3 may be configured with a larger number of groups of transverse through openings 7, such as for instance shown in FIG. 2A. However, in this embodiment the transverse through openings 7 will have a quadrangular shape and not an oval or elliptical shape as shown in FIG. 2A.
In this case, where four transverse through openings 7 are configured in the inner body 3, it will be formed four walls 9 in the inner body 3 and the solid core 8 will have a quadrangular form. The solid core 8 will then be arranged around a center axis S of the inner body 3.
FIGS. 4A-4E show a further embodiment of the inner body 3, which inner body 3 in this embodiment is configured with a group of four transverse through openings 7, a throughgoing longitudinal bore 6 and four channels 10. Here, the four transverse through openings 7 will be configured with a circular shape.
The inner body 3 can be made by first drilling out a number of separate groups of transverse through openings 7 over at least a part of a length of the inner body 3, where this will provide a number of walls 9 around the circumference of the inner body 3 and a solid core 8 around the center axis S of the inner body 3. The solid core 8 will thereafter be drilled in its longitudinal direction, so as to provide the throughgoing longitudinal bore 6 through the inner body 3. In order to provide a connection between the throughgoing longitudinal bore 6 and the transverse through openings 7, it will thereafter be drilled out at least one channel 10 from each of the transverse through opening 7 and into the throughgoing longitudinal bore 6 in the solid core 8. Finally the inner body 3 will be provided with the abutment shoulder 14, at least one groove 16 around its circumference and the attachment portion 4 with internal threads 13.
The present invention has now been explained with reference to exemplary embodiments, but a person of skill in the art will understand that changes and modifications could be made to these embodiments which are within the scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.

Claims

1. A firearm silencer comprising a substantially cylindrical outer sleeve and an inner body arranged therein, wherein the inner body is provided with an attachment portion and a muzzle portion, wherein a number of separate groups of transverse through openings are provided around the circumference of the inner body at least over a part of the length of the inner body, the traverse through openings of each group forming an angle with each other, thus providing a number of walls around the circumference of the inner body, the number of walls extending in the longitudinal direction of the inner body, and a solid core in the inner body around a center axis of the inner body, which inner body is further configured with a throughgoing longitudinal bore extending through the solid core, wherein each transverse through opening of each group and the throughgoing longitudinal bore are connected by means of at least one channel provided in the solid core, the channels being configured to direct exhaust gases in towards an inner surface of the walls.

2. A silencer according to claim 1, wherein each of the transverse through openings is configured to have the same or different height and/or breadth.

3. A silencer according to claim 1, wherein a first group of the separate transverse through openings arranged closest to the attachment portion is configured with a smaller breadth than a last group of the separate transverse through openings arranged closest to the muzzle portion, the breadth thereby increasing for each successive group of separate transverse through openings.

4. A silencer according to claim 1, wherein the inner body beyond the attachment portion is configured with an internal chamber.

5. A silencer according to claim 1 or 4, wherein the attachment portion is configured with threads.

6. A silencer according to claim 1, wherein the inner body at an end close to the muzzle portion is configured with an abutment shoulder for receiving the cylindrical outer sleeve.

7. A silencer according to claim 1, wherein the at least one channel is configured with an angle extending from the throughgoing longitudinal bore to the transverse through opening.

8. A silencer according to claim 1, wherein the cylindrical, outer sleeve is made of composite materials.

9. A silencer according to claim 1 or 8, wherein the cylindrical outer sleeve on an inner surface is coated with a liner or metal foil.

10. A silencer according to claim 9,

wherein the at least one channel is configured leading out towards the plurality of walls provided in the inner body.

11. A method for providing an inner body in a firearm silencer, wherein the method comprises the following steps:

to drilling out a number of separate groups of traverse through openings around a circumference of the inner body at least over a part of a length of the inner body, the traverse through openings of each group forming an angle with each other, thus providing a number of walls around the circumference of the inner body, the number of walls extending in the longitudinal direction of the inner body, and a solid core around a center axis of the inner body,

to drilling out a throughgoing longitudinal bore through the solid core, and

to drilling out at least one channel from each of the traverse through openings to the throughgoing longitudinal bore in the solid core, such to provide a communication between these, the channels being configured to direct exhaust gases in towards an inner surface of the walls.