Patents by Inventor Helmut Weldle

Helmut Weldle has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20020026739
    Abstract: A bolt assembly for use in a firearm is disclosed which is movably arranged in a weapon housing and which includes a bolt carrier and a bolt head. The bolt head can be alternately inserted in at least two positions in the weapon housing to adapt the firearm to eject spent cartridge casings in a desired direction. The bolt assembly also includes an extractor which is fastened laterally on the bolt or bolt head for withdrawing a cartridge casing from a barrel of the weapon housing during return of the bolt assembly, and an ejector integrated in the bolt mechanism which removes the cartridge casing from the bolt assembly after extraction from the barrel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 23, 2001
    Publication date: March 7, 2002
    Inventors: Johannes Murello, Helmut Weldle
  • Publication number: 20020020284
    Abstract: An automatic firearm with a bolt assembly which is moveable along a bolt assembly motion path between a closed position and an open position, a magazine which advances cartridges by spring force across the bolt assembly motion path into this motion path, and a lock which only allows the first cartridge of magazine to advance into the bolt assembly motion path when the bolt assembly is situated in or near its open position, is disclosed. The lock is preferably created by a plate that extends parallel to the bolt assembly motion path and is mobile in its direction of extent, is pushed between the first cartridge and the bolt assembly motion path, and holds back the cartridge until the bolt assembly has reached or almost reached its open position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 27, 2001
    Publication date: February 21, 2002
    Inventors: Johannes Murello, Wilhelm Fischbach, Helmut Weldle
  • Patent number: 6314859
    Abstract: An unlocked self-loading pistol and a conversion kit for modifying a locked self-loading pistol adapted for firing normal and powerful cartridges into an unlocked self-loading pistol capable of firing weak cartridges as well as normal and powerful cartridges is disclosed. The unlocked self-loading pistol includes a return spring which is closely surrounded on the outside by a sleeve composed of an elastomer material. The length of the elastomer sleeve corresponds approximately to the length of the compressed return spring. The sleeve absorbs a part of the movement energy of the breech and passes it on into the grip. The conversion kit can be used to convert a locked self-loading pistol into an unlocked self-loading pistol as stated above and vice versa. The disclosed conversion kit includes: an alternate barrel which does not come into locked engagement with the breech, the abovementioned elastomer sleeve, and, optionally, a substitute return spring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2001
    Assignee: Heckler & Koch GmbH
    Inventors: Berthold Weichert, Ernst Mauch, Helmut Weldle, Hans-Peter Bantle
  • Patent number: 6070353
    Abstract: A hammer for a portable firearm, such as automatic pistol, which hammer is at least partially exposed and has a hammer piece (1), arranged for firing a bullet cartridge by striking action and an end piece (2) extending a given distance for facilitating grasping of the hammer piece and preferably connected to the hammer piece (1) in a flexible manner, where either the end piece (2), extends a given distance on the hammer piece (1), is mounted via a flexible connection, or the end piece (2) is made of a flexible material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2000
    Assignee: Heckler & Koch GmbH
    Inventors: Hermann Albrecht, Hans Peter Bantle, Robert Knopfle, Helmut Weldle
  • Patent number: 5920028
    Abstract: A locking mechanism for a self-loading hand-held firearm includes a breech block carrier mounted for sliding movement in the longitudinal direction of the weapon and a breech block head which is rotatable about a longitudinal axis between a locked position and an unlocked position. The breech block head has a transverse control pin which is received in an oblique sliding guide formed in the breech block carrier. The sliding guide has first and second guide edge opposite to each other with different angles of inclination with respect to the longitudinal axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 6, 1999
    Assignee: Heckler & Koch, GmbH
    Inventors: Manfred Guhring, Helmut Weldle
  • Patent number: 5915935
    Abstract: A cocking trigger mechanism is disclosed. The cocking trigger mechanism includes a hammer element that is moveable between a front position and a rear position, and a drive part that is moveable between an uncocked position and a cocked position. The drive part is arranged to entrain the hammer element during its movement into the uncocked position. A striker spring biases the drive part into the uncocked position. A trigger causes movement of the drive part against the force of the striker spring from the uncocked position to the cocked position and actuates its release. When the drive part is moved independently of the trigger into the cocked position, it is held in this position until subsequent operation of the trigger. The hammer element is connected to a return spring that forces it into a rest position that is situated near its front position as long as the trigger is not operated so that it always assumes a defined position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 29, 1999
    Assignee: Heckler & Koch GmbH
    Inventors: Helmut Weldle, Rolf Knopfle
  • Patent number: 5824943
    Abstract: A gas-pressure loading arrangement for a self-loading rifle includes a gas cylinder fluidly connected to the bore of the rifle barrel and a gas piston received in the gas cylinder to define a gas chamber. The gas piston has piston ring members seated thereon in engagement with the inner surface of the gas cylinder under tension. The piston ring members allow the gas piston to be loosely received in the gas cylinder while preventing gas leakage around the piston. The piston ring members also scrape gas deposits off the inner wall of the gas cylinder during piston movement so that the inner wall remains clean.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 20, 1998
    Assignee: Heckler & Koch GmbH
    Inventors: Manfred Guhring, Helmut Weldle
  • Patent number: 5654519
    Abstract: An automatic pistol, with at least a barrel (1) and a slide (2) that move relative to the rest of the firearm and to each other, whereby the barrel extends through an alignment channel (3) in the slide. The weapon included means (4) of centering the barrel around at least one axis through the slide such that the barrel will not jam. The means are elastic and resilient and rest lightly against the inner surface of the channel before the weapon is discharged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 1995
    Date of Patent: August 5, 1997
    Assignee: Heckler & Koch GmbH
    Inventors: Hermann Albrecht, Helmut Weldle, Hans-Peter Bantle
  • Patent number: 5581046
    Abstract: The invention discloses a hand-held firearm with a barrel assembly (2, 18, 36, & 54) moving back and forth essentially in or opposite the direction the weapon is fired in between a forward and a rear stop (44, 48, & 50) on or in a frame or grip assembly (12). A breech assembly (6 & 32) that moves back and forth essentially in the same direction as the barrel assembly between a forward and closed position and a rear and open position, moving out of the closed position and into the open position against the force of a closure spring (16) and, at the end of its return stroke, the frame or grip assembly or a component (64 or 64') resting off it. A buffering spring (66) tensions the barrel assembly toward the forward stop (44 or 50) and buffers its contact with the rear stop (44 or 48).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 1994
    Date of Patent: December 3, 1996
    Assignee: Heckler & Koch GmbH
    Inventors: Helmut Weldle, Hermann Albrecht
  • Patent number: 5568696
    Abstract: This invention relates to a magazine for a repeater firearm, preferably for an automatic pistol which, while approximately preserving its external dimensions, is modified so that the usable capacity inside the magazine is reduced. In one refinement, the invention relates to a magazine with a magazine tube (1), a magazine spring (4), a feeder (7) and a magazine base (2). To reduce the usable capacity of the magazine, a spacer (6) is attached to the magazine base (2) facing the magazine spring (4). The magazine spring (4) is also shortened so that, in the absence of the spacer (6), it does not exert sufficient force on the feeder (7) to reliably advance the last cartridges (9) to the magazine lips on the end of the magazine tube (1). In addition to or instead of the features described above, the spacer (6) can be designed so that in its absence, and if the magazine is filled with bullets, the magazine base is partly or completely detached from its mounting on the other end of the magazine tube (1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 1994
    Date of Patent: October 29, 1996
    Assignee: Heckler & Koch GmbH
    Inventors: Ernst Mauch, Helmut Weldle, Johannes-August Bantle, Erwin Epp
  • Patent number: 5513461
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a light-weight automatic rifle with a housing with removable attachments, specifically a longitudinally coaxial barrel, a grip with a trigger mechanism, a shoulder rest, a clip, and sights. The slide slides back and forth in the housing in back of the barrel and along a cheek, resting in its frontmost position against the rear end of the barrel and with locking components that securely engage accommodations in the housing. The housing is a hollow plastic housing and it accommodates a metal sleeve, which is coaxial with the barrel. The rear of the barrel is inserted in the front of the sleeve, and the accommodations are on the rear of the sleeve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 1994
    Date of Patent: May 7, 1996
    Assignee: Heckler & Koch
    Inventor: Helmut Weldle
  • Patent number: 5309815
    Abstract: Locked automatic pistol in connection with which the recoil-produced delivery of momentum of the barrel (2) is buffered.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 1992
    Date of Patent: May 10, 1994
    Assignee: Heckler & Koch GmbH
    Inventors: Tilo Moller, Rudolf Brandl, Helmut Weldle
  • Patent number: 5214233
    Abstract: In a cocking and loading device (3) for self-loading small firearms which are provided with a bolt movable in their longitudinal direction, in particular for an automatic rifle, with a pivoted cocking lever (4) which extends in its rest position in the longitudinal direction of the weapon and can be transferred into an operating position by lateral pivoting, in said operating position a spring (6) endeavoring to pivot the cocking lever forward and to retain it in the rest position exterts pressure on said cocking lever, a simple construction of the cocking and loading device by means of which the bolt can be displcaed in the cocking direction as well as in the opposite direction and greater safety for the rifleman against injuries during shooting are achieved by the fact that the cocking lever (4) is accomodated in its rest position within the exterior conture of the weapon and is arranged at the bolt directly or by means of an intermediate part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 1992
    Date of Patent: May 25, 1993
    Assignee: Heckler & Koch GmbH
    Inventors: Helmut Weldle, Hubert Krieger
  • Patent number: 4635530
    Abstract: An automatic hand firearm for ammunition with extremely high projectile momentum is designed as a recoil loader which has a mounted barrel, supported by a spring and brake system (6, 7) on the weapon housing, a breech block (9, 10), which can be rigidly locked with the barrel and which encompasses a breech block carrier (9), movably led in the weapon housing (2) and supported on a breech-closing spring, and also encompasses a plug (10) which is longitudinally adjustable in relation to the breech block carrier, which carries locking parts (14) which can be engaged or disengaged with locking parts (15) on the barrel (1), and having devices comprising cams (18) and follow-up parts (17) for engaging-and-disengaging locking parts (14, 15) with the counterrecoil and recoil motion of the breech and with which the device for disengaging the locking parts (14, 15), arranged on the barrel (1) and on the plug (10), with the recoil motion of the breech block, is arranged between breech block carrier (9) and plug (10).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 1985
    Date of Patent: January 13, 1987
    Assignee: Heckler & Koch GmbH
    Inventor: Helmut Weldle
  • Patent number: 4132023
    Abstract: A self-loading pistol designed as a grip-cocking type pistol, the grip of which is provided with a cocking lever arranged at the gripfront facing the muzzle of the barrel. Said cocking lever loads an energy accumulator which is released by a trigger and which pushes a striker.In the cocked position only a minor force is acting on the cocking lever; the energy accumulator is unloaded when the cocking lever reaches its rest position. Not beeing kept by the marksman the pistol always is uncocked. It needs no safety.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 1977
    Date of Patent: January 2, 1979
    Assignee: Heckler & Koch GmbH
    Inventor: Helmut Weldle