Cleaning rod

Dec. 2, 1958

2,862,218

H. A. KRONE

CLEANING ROD

Filed Nov. 8, 1956

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United States Patent Office /. .. _D²’⁸®²;²’⁸

Patented Dec. 2, 1958

2,862,218

CLEANING ROD . Harold A. Krone, Chicago, BI.

Application November 8,1956, Serial No. 621,062

Claims. (CI. 15—104.16)

This invention relates to a cleaning rod, and is particularly concerned with a rod for cleaning the barrel of a shotgun, rifle or pistol.

When a gun barrel is cleaned it is customary to coat its interior with oil to protect it. A cleaning rod constructed in accordance with the present invention comprises a rigid rod and a plurality of soft cloth patches held firmly at their centers in longitudinally spaced relationship relative to said rod. The cloth patches are preferably of some soft fibrous material, and may be made of either natural or synthetic fibers. The cloth patches may be made of any suitable synthetic material. The cloth patches are held firmly at their centers on both surfaces of the cloth to permit them to be pulled or pushed through a narrow opening, such as a gun barrel, without displacing any of them. The cloth patches apply a thin coating of oil to the inside of the gun barrel as they are being pulled out of the barrel.

The cleaning rod of the present invention is provided with an adapter for holding one or more circular patches of soft cloth which can be inserted into the gun barrel in one direction, and reversed without withdrawing the rod so that the entire cleaning and oiling operation may be performed by pushing the rod through the barrel in one direction and then pulling it out in the opposite direction. Preferably the rod is inserted into the muzzle end of the gun barrel and pushed until the patches enter the breech.

A standard size rod may be used with adapters of different sizes for either a shotgun, rifle or pistol of any size bore, although it may be preferred to use a larger rod for shotguns than for rifles or pistols.

The diameter of the adapter to be used depends upon the bore of the gun barrel to be cleaned, but it is possible to use the same adapter with barrels of slightly different bores. The number of patches secured to the rod also varies with the bore of the barrel. It is preferred to use three patches for shotgun barrels, and a single patch for rifle or pistol barrels.

Flexible spacers in the form of grommets made of material not soluble in oil are used in conjunction with the patches. The diameter of the grommets used is preferably slightly larger than the diameter of the widest portion of the adapter and slightly smaller than the bore of the gun barrel to be cleaned. The grommets are provided with circumferential grooves which act as reservoirs for small quantities of oil. The oil is applied lightly to the patches before the rod is pushed into the gun barrel. When the rod is pushed into the gun barrel the patches are compressed, and some of the oil squeezed from the patches flows into the circumferential grooves. On the return stroke of the rod, the oil flows from the circumferential grooves to the patches, and the patches apply it as a light coating to the inner surface of the gun barrel.

The structure by means of which the above and other advantages are attained will be described in detail in the following specification, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, showing a preferred illustrative embodiment of the invention, in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a shotgun showing the patches in dotted lines as they appear upon being pushed into the breech, and in solid lines as they are pulled back into the gun barrel for the return stroke of the rod;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side elevation of a rod embodying the invention, with patches secured to the end of the rod;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary cross sectional view of the end of the rod with patches secured thereto;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary cross sectional view of a gun barrel with the rod being pushed therethrough in one direction;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4, showing the rod being pulled through the gun barrel in the opposite direction;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary cross sectional view, showing the spacing grommets and the patches on the rod as the rod is being pushed through the gun barrel; and

Fig. 7 is a detail perspective view of one of the spacing grommets.

In the drawings, the reference numeral 2 indicates a rod having an axial threaded bore 3 in one end. An adapter 4 comprises a threaded pin 5 projecting from one side of a cylindrical disk 6 and a threaded pin 7 projecting from the opposite side of the disk. Pins 5 and 7 are aligned axially, and are both integral with the disk 6. Pin 7 is pointed, for reasons hereinafter disclosed, and has a diameter different from the diameter of pin 5 to insure proper assembly of the adapter and rod without difficulty. The diameter of pin 5 permits it to fit in the threaded bore 3, and the diameter of pin 7 permits an internally threaded cap 8 to be threaded thereon.

The diameter of disk 6 is dimensioned in. accordance with the bore of the gun barrel to be^: cleaned, being smaller than said bore. The cap 8 is provided with an integral flange 9 adjacent its open end. The diameter of flange 9 is substantially the same as that of disk 6. The closed end of cap 8 is knurled on its outer cylindrical surface, as indicated at 10, to facilitate screwing it in place.

The threaded pin 7 of adapter 4 is pointed, as indicated at 11, to facilitate positioning circular patches 12, 13 and 14 of soft cloth, such as for example, flannel, on the adapter between disk 6 and flange 9 of cap 8. The patches are preferably perforated through the center prior to their assembly with the adapter. The pointed end 11 also facilitates impalement of grommets 15 and threading of cap 8 on the adapter.

The spacing grommets 15 are preferably made of “Neoprene,” but may be made of any flexible fibrous material that is not soluble in oil. The grommets are apertured to fit on the pin 7 and are preferably slightly larger in diameter than the diameter of disk 6 and flange 9. Each grommet is provided with a circumferential groove 16 which acts as a reservoir for small quantities of oil during a portion of the cleaning operation, as hereinafter described. If desired, the grommet may be provided with two circumferential grooves instead of the single groove shown in the drawings.

It is very simple to assemble the grommets 15 and patches 12, 13 and 14 with the adapter 4, and to assemble adapter 4 with rod 2. A patch 12 is impaled on pin 7 and pushed into juxtaposition with disk 6. Then a grommet 15 is impaled on the pin and pushed into contact with one face of patch 12. If additional patches are to be used, patches 13 and 14, and grommets 15 are impaled on pin 6 in the same order, and cap 8 is tightened against the last patch 14. The adapter, with the patches

2,862.218 and grommets secured in place, is then assembled with the rod merely by threading pin 5 in bore 3.

The method of cleaning and oiling the gun barrel with the.rod. herein described is very simple. The first stepin the cleaning operation, is the, assembly of ah.-adapter: of proper size , with the rod. A small quantity of oil· is then applied to the flexible, cloth, patches-12,, 13, and 14. The. patches are folded over the edges of disk 6, with the. loose, edges of the patches held, against the,.rod- 2,.. while, the end of the rod having the adapter secured thereto is inserted.into the muzzle of the gun barrel. 17. The rod is then pushed into the barrel until :the patches clear the; opposite end of the barrel'. .

. During, this.-first , movement , of the .patches from.: the muzzle of the gun barrel to the breech, the patch- 14 closest to cap ,8 substantially covers the other two patches arid picks, rip all. the dirt removed from the inner surface of the gun barrel 17. The patches are compressed .somewhat during this movement so that some of the oil applied to the patches is squeezed out of them into the grooves 16-.

It will be noted that the patches must, be folded in the opposite direction before the rod can be pulled through the. gun barrel in' the reverse direction. The reverse fold-, ing of the. patches positions the patch 12 closest to the disk 6 on the outer side, and the patch 14, which carries all the dirt removed from the barrel on the first movement, on- the inside. Accordingly, patch 12, which engages the inner surface of the gun barrel on the return movement of the cleaning rod, is clean and will not release any dirt to fall back into the barrel. The patches are also- compressed- upon the return movement, thereby causing them to deposit a light coating of oil on the inner surface of the gun barrel 17 as the cleaning rod is withdrawn from the barrel.

If only a single patch is used, that patch will have one surface exposed to the barrel to pick up the dirt from the barrel as it is being pushed through the barrel, and the other surface exposed on the withdrawal of the cleaning rod, when the light coating of oil is deposited on the inner surface of the gun barrel. When a single patch is used it is preferred to use a grommet 15 on each side of the patch.

The cleaning rod may also be used to polish the inside of a gun barrel by applying any suitable polishing material, such as, for example, jewelers’ rouge, to the cloth patches, and then running the rod through the dry gun barrel.

While I have described a preferred embodiment of my invention in detail, it will be understood that the description thereof is illustrative, rather than restrictive, as many details may be modified or changed without departing from the spirit or scope of my invention. Accordingly, I do not desire to be restricted to the exact construction described.