Folding bayonet for firearms

G. W. PATCHETT

FOLDING BAYONET FOR FIREARMS

Filed June 16, 1944

April 12, 1949.

2,467,270

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Attorneys

Patented Apr. 12, 1949

2,467,270

UNITED

OFFICE

STATES PATENT

2,467,270

FOLDING BAYONET FOR FIREARMS George William Patchett, Chigwell, England Application June 16, 1944, Serial No. 540,693 In Great Britain March 13,1944 (Cl. 42—86)

Claims.

, 1

This invention relates to a new or improved folding, bayonet for firearms.

The object of the invention is to provide an additional weapon of ahook-on defence that normally can lie parallel to the longitudinal axis of the firearm in its folded or inoperative condition, but when occasion demands or at close quarters, can be instantly released, the bayonet thereafter; snapping itself under resilient urge into a forward and locked condition for operative use, . .

While the said folding bayonet, the subject of the present invention, is applicable to every type of rifle, carbine or like weapon, it is more particularly useful when applied to firearms of the !·'&gt; automatic class, and the description set forth hereafter shows the said bayonet so applied.

Preferably the bayonet can have a length that is approximately that between the muzzle of the firearm and a point adjacent the trigger guard, ^2ythe said bayonet being hinged, about the barrel muzzle and, folding below the barrel, barrel casing and forward stock, if any.

The invention consists in a folding bayonet for firearms having, in combination a clip, collar 25 or like support about the muzzle of the said firearm, a bayonet hinged within said clip, a spring loaded plunger housed in the substance of shoulder of said bayonet adjacent said hinge, a recess in said muzzle collar or clip to receive 30 and hold said plunger, a resilient device loadable on, folding to impel said bayonet to an operatively fixed condition in release, and resilient catch means to lock said bayoriet in a folded condition and instantly release same therefrom at :;r&lt; will., ,,

The said bayonet is devised to lie parallel with the longitudinal axis of the firearm when in the folded condition and the resilient, means giving „„____„„ _____the urge to the bayonet taking and following an 40 shown in Fig. 5. , Said .pusher .14 is located adja· arcuate path to fixity in an operative condition ' '^! .. . - - fir,placed adjacent the bayonet hinge.

. The point of the bayoriet is adapted to snap iritb a r,esiliently displaceable catch, said catch _______________. —____ .,_____________ being under control of a spring-loaded thumb 45 capable of angular movement about its pivot press lever, a finger guard intervening between spindle 21 in a plane at right angles to the blade the bayonet blade point,and the thumb release.

, In order that the invention may ,be more fully described, reference is made to.the accompany- __________ „ _______ ___ ~____. ....

ing drawings wherein a preferred embodiment 50 shield 23. At the rear of the protector plate or Of the invention is illustrated arid wherein: ‘ ........

Fig. 1 is a curtailed longitudinal elevation of a firearm of the automatic type, and the bayonet in its folded condition,

Fig. 2 is a side elevation, partly in section, of 55 angular movement, the end of its boss 27 adja2 - , , the muzzle part of the firearm with the bayonet in its locked operative condition,

Fig. 3 is an end view of Fig. 1 facing the muzzle of the firearm,

Fig. 4 is a transverse section taken on the line 4—4 in Fig. 1,

Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view on an enlarged scale of the resilient bayonet pusher and its housing, ......

Fig. 6 is a transverse section taken on the line 6—6 in Fig. 1, , ,

Fig. 7 is a transverse section taken on the line 7—7 in Fig. 1,

Fig. 8 is an elevation of the bayonet catch and control connection with thumb lever.

Fig. 9 is a cross section taken on line 9—9 of Fig. 8. .....

Referring to the drawings and to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the firearm barrel I is provided with a muzzle nose ring 2 perforated as at 3, one of Which said perforations 3α constitutes the locking socket. The nose ring 2 constitutes the forward support for the casing ,4,,and, over this casing is disposed a collar or clip, 5, fast therewith. Said collar 5 is formed with lugs 6 adapted to receive the tang 7 of the bayonet blade 8. . A pivot pip. 9 passes through the lugs 6 and tang 7,and upon said pin the bayonet 8 freely hinges. Set in the shoulder of the bayonet 8 is a springloaded plunger 11, said plunger normally protruding as shown in Fig. 1, but capable of manual withdrawal by means of the knurled knob 12 against action of a spring 13. A resilient springloaded pusher, or impelling device 14 is mounted within a cylinder 15; secured between the external face of the firearm casing /4, and barrel I (see Fig. 2). Said cylinder 15 is closed by a threaded cap 16. Springs 17 urge the pusher or impeller to occupy a limit of travel position as ’ricent the hinge 9 to bear upon the back of the bayonet blade or shoulder 10. The bayonet blade adjacent its point is adapted to engage a resilient catch 20 (see Figs. 6, 7 and .8,). -Said catch 20 spindle 2,1 in a plane at right angles to the blade movement upon its pivot 9. The catch 20 is fixed to the spindle or arbor 21, the latter being journalled in a bearing 22 fast in protector plate or shield 23 arid fast with the spindle 21 is a thumb press lever 24, said lever being urged away from the trigger housing 25 by a leaf or like spring 26. To enable the catch 20 to have a limited

2,467,270 cent to the bearing 22 is of segmental form and the adjacent end of the bearing 22 is also of segmental form, these segmental portions meshing but forming less than a complete circle, thus giving an angular range of motion to said catch 5 according to the arc of the peripheral gap 28 thus formed between these segmental portions and providing limit stops for such angular motion. This is shown in Fig. 9 wherein a side elevation of the catch is illustrated looking in the 10 direction indicated by the arrows on line D—D, Fig. 8.

The operation of the invention is as follows: Assuming the bayonet to be folded and in its inoperative condition, as shown in Fig. 1, the 15 resilient pusher or impeller 14 is loaded and presses heavily upon the bayonet shoulder 10; the bayonet is caught about its point in the catch 20, the latter being resiliently restrained from movement by the leaf spring 26. To instantly 20 release the bayonet 8 the gunner presses the thumb lever 24 which is conveniently adjacent the trigger 18; this flexes the spring 26 causing the spindle 21 to rotate, and thus cause the catch 20 to move away from the bayonet 8 and 25 release it. The bayonet is now free and has arcuate movement about the pivot pin 9 under the influence of the spring loaded pusher 14. The bayonet gains sufficient momentum to swing 180°, the spring loaded plunger 11 engaging and 30 collapsing against the face of the nose ring 3 until said plunger in its path enters the locking socket 3α down which it travels maintaining thereby the said bayonet in an operative position aligned with the rifle or firearm. This action is ^:!jsubstantially instantaneous, but can even be expedited by giving the firearm an upward jerk when the bayonet has once started on its arcuate swing. To release and fold the bayonet, the plunger pin 12 is pulled, withdrawing the plunger ¹⁰11. The bayonet 8 is now free to hinge and by passing the hand down the back of the blade of the bayonet its point engages the catch 20 as previously described. ,₁₅