Redundant latch suppressor mount

[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Nos. 60/904,340, filed Feb. 28, 2007; 60/927,001, filed May 1, 2007; and 60/931,670, filed May 24, 2007.

[0002] 1. Field of Invention

[0003] This invention generally relates to firearms, specifically to noise suppressors and devices which are used to rotationally restrain the noise suppressor on the muzzle of a firearm and prevent it from backing off due to the incidental vibrations resulting from the discharge of the host firearm.

[0004] 2. Prior Art

[0005] Previous systems exist for attaching noise suppressors to a firearm, and specifically for removing or attaching a noise suppressor to a flash suppressor affixed to the muzzle of a firearm. Systems such as the one presented in Advanced Armaments Corp, Inc's M4-2000 fall short in several areas such as secondary latch engagement between the teeth present about the rear of the preferred embodiment flash hider once the silencer is completely threaded on. There is a need for a secure attachment system for mounting noise suppressors to a firearm particularly a flash suppressor which will withstand the vibrations incidental to firing an automatic rifle or other small arm, provide for an secondary spring latch which will reliably engage the teeth located about the flash hider once the host noise suppressor is threadedly secure without requiring the noise suppressor to be backed off to ensure proper engagement of the secondary spring latch.

[0006] Designs such as the one present in Surefire U.S. Pat. No. 6,948,415 fail to provide several features which are novel to my design. The mounting system referenced requires two hands to mount. When a solider or police officer is manipulating a firearm with one hand it is not possible to fully attach a noise suppressor which utilizes the referenced mount. The mounting ring may also become stuck making it difficult to remove the attach noise suppressor should it become damaged.

[0007] Designs where the mount is located within the interior of the noise suppressor are flawed. Exposing the spring of a noise surprise mount to the heat of a discharging firearm anneals the metal causing it to fatigue and ultimately rendering the mount ineffective at retaining the noise suppressor on the host firearm. Materials generally selected for springs are not well suited to the high heat environment present inside of a noise suppressor during use. An example of a noise suppressor utilizing this style of mount is the GemTech G5.

[0008] Minimizing the use of secondary latches, rings and other devices simplifies my apparatus making it easy to use. Proper material selection creates a more robust spring while using two springs creates system redundancy which lessons the chance of failure. My design is also backwards compatible with currently produced Advanced Armament noise suppressor flash hider mounts.

[0009] Accordingly several objects and advantages of the present invention are

• • [0010] (a) To provide the capability to quickly attach a noise suppressor to flash hider which has the appropriate threads and secondary retaining device present to receive the proposed noise suppressor mount.
  • [0011] (b) To provide a spring latch with two elbows offset from one another by 10 degrees to ensure that one elbow has positive engagement between the teeth of the gear present on the rear of the flash hider mount.
  • [0012] (c) to provide a secure secondary spring latch which will engage the teeth present on the preferred embodiment flash hider mount thus eliminating unintentional rotation of the noise suppressor due to vibrations resulting from the discharge of a firearm.
  • [0013] (d) To provide an apparatus which may be utilized single handedly.

[0014] Still further objects and advantages will become apparent from a consideration of the ensuing description and drawings.

[0015] In general terms the present inventions provides a mount which may be incorporated into a noise suppressor where a fast attached feature would be desirable. The ease of installation which is afforded by my design will be greatly appreciated by the end user of my proposed device.

[0016] Specifically my device affords several advantages over other existing designs. There are no moving parts on my mount except the two secondary spring latches which help secure the mount to the host firearm. My mount allows the end user to install a noise suppressor properly equipped onto a firearm with one hand. The secondary spring latches in my design are not exposed to the high temperatures present inside of the noise suppressor thereby minimizing the possibly of annealing said springs. Offsetting the two secondary spring latches 10 degrees ensures that a secure fit will always be achieved when my device is used in conjunction with a flash hider having 18 teeth spread evenly over a 1.5″ diameter surface. I will note that the proposed apparatus is not limited to the above flash hider design.

[0024] Turning now to the drawings in which like reference characters indicate corresponding elements throughout the several views, attention is directed to FIG. 2 which illustrates the preferred embodiment noise suppressor mount 1. Noise suppressor mount 1 includes two main elements, the internal acme threads 10, and the retaining springs 7. Noise suppressor mount 1 is permanently coupled to noise suppressor 8 by a circumferential weld.

[0025] In FIG. 1, there is illustrated a view of how the flash hider 4 should be oriented prior to insertion within the noise suppressor mount 1. Once the flash hider 4 is fully seated into the noise suppressor mount 1 the acme threads 9 present about the flash hider 4 will threadedly secure to the noise suppressor mount acme threads 10.

[0026] In FIGS. 2 & 3, there is illustrated in FIG. 1 an example of a noise suppressor mount 1 to which an Advanced Armament flash hider 4 would be inserted and threadedly secured. Advanced Armaments single lead ACME thread mounts incorporated onto a flash hider 4 are well known in the prior art. Spring latches 7 are restrained in noise suppressor mount 1 by means of spring retaining notch 5 restraining spring retainer 3. Outward movement of spring latch 7 is facilitated by (2) mount relief's 6 provided on the noise suppressor mount 1. The retaining springs 7 are placed one before the other as show by the (A) view.

[0027] In FIG. 4, shows an internal view of the noise suppressor mount 1 illustrating the location of the noise suppressor mount acme threads 10, and mount reliefs 6. The seating surface 12 located on the flash hider 4 presses against the seating surface 11 of the noise suppressor mount 1 ensuring that flash hider 4 is properly centered with the noise suppressor mount 1.

[0028] In FIG. 5, shows a bottom view of the noise suppressor mount showing how the two retaining springs 7 are oriented within the noise suppressor mount 1.

[0029] As used herein, the word “front” or “forward” corresponds to the firing direction of the firearm (i.e., to the right as shown in FIG. 2); “rear” or “rearward” or “back” corresponds to the direction opposite the firing direction of the firearm (i.e., to the left as shown in FIG. 2); “longitudinal” means the direction along or parallel to the longitudinal axis a of the noise suppressor mount 1; and “transverse” means a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.

[0030] Noise suppressor mount 1 is secured to the noise suppressor 8 by circumferentially welding the mount to the body of the noise suppressor 8. The spring retaining notch 5 is drilled into the back of the noise suppressor mount 1. Two mount reliefs are machined into the side of the noise suppressor mount 1, housing the retaining springs 7 and allowing the spring elbows 2 clearances to move outwards while the noise suppressor mount 1 is being threadedly secured about the flash hider 4. The noise suppressor mount 1 is threadedly secured to flash hider 4 by means of the flash hider male threads 9 and the noise suppressor mount threads 10. The noise suppressor mount 1 is secured once the seating surfaces 11, 12 are in contact. The threads are the primary means of attachment for my proposed apparatus while the retaining springs 7 serve as a secondary means.

[0031] The retaining springs 7 are offset by 10 degrees to minimize rotational movement of the noise suppressor mount 1 while mounted on the flash hider 7. The offset retaining springs 7 minimize the potential for a gap between the two seating surfaces when the noise suppressor mount 1 is threadedly secured about the flash hider 7. With one retaining spring 7 always landing in the valley of a retaining notch 13 located about flash hider 4 movement in the noise suppressor mount 1 is minimized and thereby minimizing the possibility of a bullet contacting the baffles of the noise suppressor 8 or poor accuracy of the host firearm.

[0032] The noise suppressor mount 1 is machined from 316 stainless while the retaining springs 7 are formed from stainless wire.

[0033] Accordingly the reader will see that, according to the invention, I have provided a system for threadedly securing a noise suppressor equipped with my apparatus about a flash hider. I have afforded the user of my product the ability to securely retain the noise suppressor with minimal rotational or side to side movement once the noise suppressor is fully seated. The two secondary spring latches of my apparatus ensure that once the mount is fully threaded on the acme threads of the flash hiders, one of the secondary spring latches will fully engage the retaining notches located about the circumference of said flash hider.

[0034] While my above drawings and description contain many specificities, these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of the invention, but rather as an exemplification of one preferred embodiment thereof. For example, my design is not limited to the use of two secondary spring latches, three of more secondary spring latches may be uses and offset set at various degrees if more strength is required from the secondary retaining deices.

[0035] Accordingly, the scope of the invention should be determined not by the embodiments illustrated, but by the appended claims and their legal equivalents.”