Roller style firearm trigger

Abstract

A roller-style firearm trigger mechanism is disclosed. The trigger mechanism includes a sleeve or bearing which freely spins or rotates around a pin or shaft or that freely spins or rotates within a receptacle that is positioned along, or that replaces, the portion of the firearm trigger that the shooter's trigger finger would normally touch during firearm discharge.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to the firearm industry. More particularly, the present invention relates to a new and improved trigger mechanism for use with all types of hand-operated firearms.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Trigger mechanisms for small hand-operated firearms have remained essentially unchanged since the invention of the “flintlock” firing mechanism around the mid 1500s. Modern firearms use triggers to initiate the explosive discharge of a projectile contained within a bullet cartridge located in the firing chamber of the weapon. This is accomplished by releasing a hammer or striker each time the trigger is pulled or squeezed by the operator of the firearm. Movement of the firearm due to improper trigger control or incorrect trigger pull during weapon discharge is one of the most common errors in marksmanship and frequently causes the marksman to miss his or her intended target. Authorities on marksmanship, including military and law enforcement authorities, cite trigger control or trigger squeeze as the most important fundamental of good marksmanship. The U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit Pistol Training Guide devotes an entire chapter to trigger control and includes the following quote: “(T)he most carefully attained sight alignment will be spoiled by the slightest error in the movement of the trigger finger”. The U.S. Army Field Manual on sniper training states that “(T)rigger control is the most important of the sniper marksmanship fundamentals. It is defined as causing the rifle to fire when the sight picture is at its best, without causing the rifle to move”. It follows, therefore, that the act of properly squeezing or pulling the trigger of a hand-operated firearm during weapon discharge is of paramount importance. At the exact moment that a firearm is being discharged, the operator or shooter must consciously attempt to move a part of the firearm (the trigger) without moving the gun sights and gun barrel from their aimed position. This problem is compounded or exacerbated by the physical characteristics and functionality of the human finger itself The joints of the human finger are basically unidirectional hinges and, as such, do not allow the digits of the finger to move in a straight line when attempting to pull in a backward direction as when pulling or squeezing the trigger of a firearm. Instead, as the finger is caused to initiate a pulling or squeezing action against the trigger of a firearm, the digits of the finger are caused to rotate or swing along a planar arc from the “hinge” of each joint thereby causing the finger to move in a rearward direction but also causing the finger to simultaneously move slightly right or left depending on which hand the marksman is using to pull the firearm trigger. True linear movement of the finger when pulling or squeezing a firearm trigger, if that were possible, or the conversion of the arcuate motion of the finger into linear motion when pulling or squeezing said trigger, would obviously be ideal as this would tend to eliminate or prevent incorrect trigger pull and the associated movement of the firearm during the discharge sequence.

Presently, in order for handgun operators or marksman to attempt to effectuate proper trigger control, focus must be placed on the exact positioning of the finger on the firearm trigger while at the same time the shooter must attempt to overcome the natural sideways movement of the finger as the trigger is being pulled or squeezed. Accordingly, handgun operators and marksmen are caused to spend countless hours of practice with live ammunition in order to attempt to develop the “muscle memory” necessary to master these proper trigger control techniques. This is both time consuming and very expensive.

In an attempt to assist the firearm operator or marksman in perfecting proper trigger control techniques, various firearm trigger designs have been introduced into the market that essentially change the shape and/or size of the trigger in order to make the trigger more comfortable and thereby allow the shooter's finger to be positioned on the trigger in a more natural manner. Another attempt to assist the firearm operator or marksman in this regard has been to lighten the pressure required to pull the trigger and/or to shorten the movement of the trigger necessary to initiate firearm discharge. Unfortunately, this method of assistance has also resulted in the production of firearms that are sometimes unsafe.

While the above techniques or designs may be helpful in assisting the firearm operator or marksman in mastering, or at least improving, his or her skills in firearm trigger control and while countless hours of training or practice may also help the shooter or marksman hone these skills, none of the prior techniques or designs address, or attempt to eliminate, the natural sideways movement of the human finger during normal trigger pull. This natural finger movement simply cannot be “trained away” and changing the shape or size of the firearm trigger, or reducing the pressure required to pull the trigger, has not solved the problem. Moreover, trigger control techniques and trigger shape or size are of minimal assistance in situations where law enforcement officers or soldiers are actually using their firearms in the line of duty or in the defense of his or her life as there is generally very little time for concentrating on precise finger placement and/or proper trigger squeeze. The problem is further compounded for the officer or soldier in these stressful situations by the natural release, or rush, of adrenaline into the bloodstream which tends to affect the fine motor skills required to precisely place one's finger on the firearm trigger and to accurately squeeze the trigger while under such extreme pressure.

It would be expedient, therefore, to provide a new and improved firearm trigger mechanism that allows the trigger finger of the firearm operator or marksman to move in its natural arcuate manner during trigger pull while at the same time allowing only linear motion or pressure to be transferred to, or exerted upon, the firearm trigger during discharge.

The present invention is a substantial modification and significant improvement over known designs and incorporates unique and novel design features, which distinguish the invention over existing art.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the foregoing, it is a primary object of this invention to provide a new and improved apparatus or mechanism for converting the natural arcuate movement of the human finger into linear motion or pressure directed toward or against the trigger of a hand-operated firearm during the discharge of said firearm.

According to an embodiment of the invention, a roller-style firearm trigger comprises a cylindrical sleeve or bearing which freely spins or rotates around a pin or shaft positioned along the portion of the trigger that the shooter's trigger finger would normally touch thereby converting the natural movement of the operator's trigger finger to the left or right during trigger pull into linear movement or pressure directed rearward in relation to the firearm trigger.

According to an alternate embodiment of the invention, a roller-style firearm trigger comprises a cylinder mounted within a receptacle wherein the cylinder and receptacle replaces the trigger shoe of the firearm and wherein the cylinder is allowed to freely rotate or spin within said receptacle thereby converting the natural movement of the operator's trigger finger to the left or right during trigger pull into linear movement or pressure directed rearward in relation to the firearm trigger.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a trigger mechanism for use with hand-operated firearms which will not disturb sight alignment or proper firearm aim during trigger squeeze and firearm discharge.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a trigger roller mechanism for use with hand-operated firearms which allows the firearm trigger to rotate freely of other parts of the firearm during the firing process.

An important advantage of the present invention is the provision of a new and improved firearm trigger mechanism for handheld firearms that compensates for the natural sideways movement of the human trigger finger during the firing process.

Another important advantage of the present invention is the provision of a new and improved firearm trigger mechanism for handheld firearms that allows the trigger finger of the operator to move slightly left or right during trigger pull without affecting the gun sight or barrel aiming direction.

Another advantage of the present invention is the provision of a new and improved firearm trigger mechanism for handheld firearms that greatly reduces the error rate associated with improper trigger pull.

Another advantage of the present invention is the provision of a new and improved firearm trigger mechanism that allows only linear rearward pressure to be applied or transferred to the firearm trigger during discharge.

A further advantage of the present invention is the provision of a new and improved firearm trigger mechanism that allows the operator to obtain the correct trigger position much faster than with “fixed” or “static” triggers.

Another advantage of the present invention is the provision of a new and improved firearm trigger mechanism that allows the operator's trigger finger to remain in proper position on the trigger after experiencing firing recoil.

Another advantage of the present invention is the provision of a new and improved firearm trigger mechanism for handheld firearms that provides for more consistent grouping of shots during sequential firing.

Another advantage of the present invention is the elimination of the need for extensive practice of trigger control techniques and which greatly improves the shooting skills of firearm users.

A further advantage of the present invention is the provision of a new and improved firearm trigger mechanism for handheld firearms that makes it easier for the shooter to place his or her trigger finger in the proper position on the firearm trigger for firing during stressful situations.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following more particular description of preferred embodiments as illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which reference characters refer to the same parts throughout the various views. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the principles of the invention.

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a typical prior art spring-action firearm trigger mechanism having a “fixed” or “static” trigger lever.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the typical spring-action firearm trigger mechanism of FIG. 1 with a preferred embodiment of the present invention shown in place of the “fixed” or “static” trigger lever.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the embodiment of FIG. 2 shown installed within the trigger guard of a typical hand-operated firearm such as a rifle.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of an alternate preferred embodiment of the roller trigger mechanism of FIG. 2 wherein the roller trigger mechanism is in the shape of an elliptical hyperboloid (hourglass shape).

FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the embodiment of FIG. 2 showing the components of the invention.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of another typical prior art handgun trigger mechanism, used primarily with pistol firearms, having a “fixed” or “static” trigger shoe.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the trigger mechanism of FIG. 6 with an alternate preferred embodiment of the present invention shown in place of the “fixed” or “static” trigger shoe.

FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of the embodiment of FIG. 7 showing the components of the invention.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of an alternate preferred embodiment of the roller trigger mechanism of FIG. 7 wherein the roller trigger mechanism is in the shape of an elliptical hyperboloid (hourglass shape).

FIG. 10 is a plan view of the embodiment of FIG. 7 shown installed within the trigger guard of a typical pistol firearm.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a typical firearm trigger assembly 100 having a “static” or “fixed” trigger lever 110 attached to a spring-action hammer release mechanism 120. In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, FIG. 2 shows a rotatable trigger mechanism 200 attached to the hammer release mechanism 120 of the typical firearm trigger assembly 100 shown in FIG. 1.

Referring now to FIG. 5, said rotatable trigger mechanism 200 of FIG. 2 further comprises a sleeve member 210, a shaft member 220 and a retaining member 230.

The sleeve member 210 of said rotatable trigger mechanism 200 comprises a rigid tubular component 211 having a hollow cylindrical core 212.

The shaft member 220 of said rotatable trigger mechanism 200 comprises a cylindrical upper component 221 and a cylindrical lower component 222. The cylindrical upper component 221 of the shaft member 220 comprises a base portion 223 and an attachment portion 224. The base portion 223 of said upper component 221 of said shaft member 220 is slightly larger in diameter than the attachment portion 224 of said upper component 221 and defines an upper flange 225 with respect to the lower component 222 of said shaft member 220. The attachment portion 224 of said cylindrical upper component 221 of said shaft member 220 comprises a cylindrical tab 226 for insertion into the hammer release mechanism 120 of the typical firearm trigger assembly 100 shown in FIG. 2. The cylindrical lower component 222 of said shaft member 220 comprises an elongated rod member 227 having an upper end 228 and a lower end 229. The upper end 228 of said rod member 227 is centrally attached to the flange 225 of the base portion 223 of the cylindrical upper component 221 of said shaft member 220 and extends therefrom. The diameter of said rod member 227 is slightly less than the diameter of the hollow cylindrical core 212 of the sleeve member 210 so that when said sleeve member 210 is slidably inserted onto said rod member 227 said sleeve member 210 is allowed to rotate or spin freely about said rod member 227. The lower end 229 of said rod member 227 is provided with a slot 231 for receiving the retaining member 230 of the rotatable trigger mechanism 200.

The retaining member 230 of said rotatable trigger mechanism 200 comprises a C-shaped clip 232 and, when attached to the lower end 229 of the rod member 227 of said lower component 222 of said shaft member 220, forms a lower flange 233 for supporting the tubular component 211 of the sleeve member 210 of said rotatable trigger mechanism 200 after said tubular component 211 has been inserted onto said rod member 227.

FIG. 3 shows the rotatable trigger mechanism of FIG. 2 operably installed within a typical hand-operated firearm such as a rifle 300.

In an alternate embodiment as shown in FIG. 4, the tubular component 211 of said sleeve member 210 of said rotatable trigger mechanism 200 of FIG. 2 has been modified to resemble the geometric shape of an elliptical hyperboloid (hourglass shape).

Referring now to FIG. 6, this figure shows another typical firearm trigger assembly 400 used with pistol-type firearms. Said assembly 400 having a typical “static” or “fixed” trigger shoe 410 attached to a typical hammer release bow 420. In accordance with an alternate embodiment of the invention, FIG. 7 shows a rotatable trigger mechanism 500 attached to the hammer release bow 420 of the typical pistol-type firearm trigger assembly 400 shown in FIG. 6. In this embodiment, the trigger shoe 410 of the typical trigger assembly of FIG. 6 has been replaced by the rotatable trigger mechanism 500 of FIG. 7.

Referring now to FIG. 8, said rotatable trigger mechanism 500 of FIG. 7 further comprises a cylindrical member 510 and a receptacle member 520.

The cylindrical member 510 of said rotatable trigger mechanism 500 comprises a solid tubular-shaped component 511 having an upper end 512 and a lower end 513. The upper and lower ends 512,513 of said solid tubular-shaped component 511 of said cylindrical member 510 each present a flat external surface 514 and further comprise a convex hemispheric protrusion 515 centrally positioned along said flat surface 514 of each said upper and lower ends 512,513 of said tubular-shaped component 511.

The receptacle member 520 of said rotatable trigger mechanism 500 is operably attached to the hammer release bow 420 of the typical trigger assembly 400 of FIG. 7 and comprises a C-shaped component 521 having an upper arm 522 and a lower arm 523 extending laterally from a vertical central support member 524. The upper and lower arms 522,523 of said C-shaped component 521 each have an external surface 525 and an internal surface 526. The internal surface 526 of each of the upper and lower arms 522,523 of said C-shaped component 521 further comprise a concave hemispheric indentation 527 for receiving the convex hemispheric protrusions 515 of the upper and lower ends 512,513 of the tubular-shaped component 511 of said cylindrical member 510 when said tubular-shaped component 511 is inserted between the upper and lower arms 522,523 of said C-shaped component 521. The dimensions of the convex hemispheric protrusions 515 of the tubular-shaped component 511 and the dimensions of the concave hemispheric indentations 527 of the C-shaped component 521 allow the tubular-shaped component 511 to rotate or spin freely when inserted between said upper and lower arms 522,523 of said C-shaped component 521 of said receptacle member 520.

In an alternate embodiment as shown in FIG. 9, the tubular-shaped component 511 of said cylindrical member 510 of said rotatable trigger mechanism 500 of FIG. 7 has been modified to resemble the geometric shape of an elliptical hyperboloid (hourglass shape).

FIG. 10 shows the rotatable trigger mechanism of FIG. 7 operably installed within a typical hand-operated firearm such as a pistol 600.

While the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to the preferred embodiment thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various alterations in form, detail and construction may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A rotatable firearm trigger apparatus comprising:

a cylindrical shaft component having an upper end and a lower end with said upper end being attached to the firing mechanism of a hand-operated firearm;

a cylindrical sleeve component having a hollow cylindrical core for slidably engaging said cylindrical shaft component; and,

a means for securing said cylindrical sleeve component to said cylindrical shaft component wherein said cylindrical sleeve component is supported by said means and is allowed to rotate freely about said cylindrical shaft component.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said cylindrical shaft component defines an upper flange with respect to said cylindrical sleeve component.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said the hollow cylindrical core of said cylindrical sleeve component has a diameter slightly larger than the diameter of the cylindrical shaft component.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said means for securing said cylindrical sleeve component to said cylindrical shaft component comprises a C-shaped clip attached to the lower end of said cylindrical shaft component.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said means for supporting and securing said cylindrical sleeve component to said cylindrical shaft component defines a lower flange with respect to said cylindrical sleeve component.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said cylindrical sleeve component comprises a tubular member having linear external dimensions.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said cylindrical sleeve component comprises a tubular member having non-linear external dimensions.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said tubular member presents non-linear external dimensions having the shape of an elliptical hyperboloid.

9. A rotatable firearm trigger apparatus comprising:

a receptacle component operably attached to the firing mechanism of a hand-operated firearm;

a cylindrical component mounted within said receptacle component for rotation therein; and,

means for rotatably securing said cylindrical component to said receptacle component.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said receptacle component comprises a C-shaped member having an upper arm and a lower arm with both said arms extending laterally from a vertical central support member and wherein each of said arms have an external surface and an internal surface and wherein said cylindrical component comprises a solid cylindrical member having an upper end and a lower end with each said end having a flat external surface further comprising a convex hemispheric protrusion centrally positioned along said external surface and wherein said means for rotatably securing said cylindrical component to said receptacle component comprises a concave hemispheric indentation along the interior surface of each of said upper and lower arms of said C-shaped member of said receptacle component for receiving the convex protrusions of the upper and lower ends of the cylindrical member of said cylindrical component.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said concave hemispheric indentations of said means for securing said cylindrical component to said receptacle component allows the cylindrical member of said cylindrical component to rotate or spin freely within the upper and lower arms of said C-shaped member of said receptacle component.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said cylindrical member of said cylindrical component has linear external dimensions.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said cylindrical member of said cylindrical component has non-linear external dimensions.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said cylindrical member of said cylindrical component presents non-linear external dimensions having the shape of an elliptical hyperboloid.

15. A rotatable firearm trigger apparatus comprising:

a receptacle component operably attached to the firing mechanism of a hand-operated firearm wherein said receptacle component comprises a C-shaped member having an upper arm and a lower arm extending laterally from a vertical central support member and wherein each of said arms have an external surface and an internal surface;

a cylindrical component mounted within said receptacle component wherein said cylindrical component comprises a solid cylindrical member having an upper end and a lower end with each said end having a flat external surface further comprising a convex hemispheric protrusion centrally positioned along said external surface; and,

means for rotatably securing said cylindrical component to said receptacle component comprising a concave hemispheric indentation along the interior surface of each of said upper and lower arms of said C-shaped member of said receptacle component for receiving the convex protrusions of the upper and lower ends of the cylindrical member of said cylindrical component.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said cylindrical member of said cylindrical component has linear external dimensions.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said cylindrical member of said cylindrical component has non-linear external dimensions.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein said cylindrical member of said cylindrical component presents non-linear external dimensions having the shape of an elliptical hyperboloid.