Rifle Noise Suppressor

Abstract

My invention is a rifle noise suppressor comprised of a cylindrical chamber which contains a nested set of baffles concentrically and longitudinally arrayed through the chamber. One end of the chamber is threaded and threads are cut into the barrel of a rifle to permit the noise suppressor to be screwed into place. The chief advantage of the concentrically arrayed baffles is a shorter chamber, approximately one-half the length of a typical noise and smoke suppression device, yet able to achieve equal noise and smoke suppression by causing the escaping gases following the explosion of the bullet being fired to travel farther within the suppressor chamber.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCES

Provisional Application No. 61/889,326 filed Oct. 10, 2013.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY-SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

None.

NAMES OF PARTIES TO JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT

None.

REFERENCE TO “SEQUENCE LISTING”

None.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

Noise suppression devices are useful they because reduce sound and smoke produced by the firing of a bullet so as to assist in concealing the position of a shooter. Typical noise suppression devices rely on the sequentially linear placement of baffles, see for instance US Patent Application Publication No. 2012/0291614 by Koumbis on Nov. 22, 2012, at FIGS. 6, 7 and 8. The problem with these devices is that arrangement of sequential baffles in a row requires a longer device in order to achieve adequate suppression. My invention achieves sound and smoke suppression by a much shorter device, which favors concealment of the shooter, by arranging the baffles concentrically and longitudinally within a conical chamber that is affixed to the end of a rifle's muzzle by threading it into place.

The suppressor works by relying on the reflective properties of sound and gas expansion. With extended travel over time, energy is dissipated, lowering temperature and pressure, which translates to sound loss and slower gas velocity. The key is to increase the duration of the traveling gas. When a bullet is fired there is an explosion of gun powder. The bullet is propelled down the barrel bringing with it escaping gas. As the bullet passes by a diverter, the gas is immediately forced into the suppressor channels. The channels are formed from nested baffles which are tubes mounted concentrically and held in place at one end by a grooved plug to accommodate the tubes. There are two or three tubes inserted into the plug end nearest to the muzzle and one or two plugs inserted into the plug end farthest from the muzzle. The tubes are fixed in place with a slight gap to allow the escaping gas to be diverted into the chamber and then to pass back and forth through the tubular channels. The gas reflects backwards and forwards with each turn through the channels, in a fashion similar to sound echoing within canyon walls. It is the nesting of baffles which increases the duration of traveling gas while reducing the overall length of the suppressor.

In another embodiment, the rifle noise suppressor has two threaded ends, one of which is threaded onto a muzzle end of a rifle barrel, and the end of the cylindrical chamber farthest from the muzzle end can be screwed into a rifle barrel extension. The purpose of the barrel extension is to improve shooting accuracy by adding balance to the weapon.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

Three drawings, described as follows:

FIG. 1 shows a cross-sectional side view of a nested baffles within a conical chamber that is affixed on one end to the muzzle end of a rifle and on the other end to a rifle barrel extension.

FIG. 2 is an oblique view of the conical chamber which is sandwiched between the end of the muzzle and the barrel extension.

FIG. 3A contains cross-sectional views of two threaded plugs as assembled.

FIG. 3B contains cross-sectional view of two threaded plugs disassembled, with the view of the threaded plug at the end nearest to the muzzle containing three tubes which are nested within two tubes which are inserted at the end farthest from the muzzle.

FIG. 3C contains a cross-sectional view disassembled showing the plug at the end farthest from the muzzle containing two tubes which are nested within three tubes which are inserted at the end nearest to the muzzle.

FIG. 4 contains an oblique view showing the concentric arrangement of baffles within the plug at the end nearest to the muzzle (left side) and the plug at the end farthest from the muzzle (right side).

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

In FIG. 1, the rifle noise suppressor is shown as comprising a cylindrical chamber 2 which contains a nested set of baffles 3. The baffles are between three and five tubes concentrically and longitudinally arrayed 3 through the chamber 2. The chamber 2 is affixed to the muzzle end of a rifle 1 by threading 11 to the muzzle. In FIG. 1, there is an extension barrel 4 aft of the chamber 2, so that the chamber 2 is affixed to the extension barrel 4 as well by threading 9.

Affixed to the end of the conical chamber 2 nearest to the muzzle is a diverter 8. The diverter directs the gas escaping from the explosion of firing the bullet into the chamber 2. The chamber 2 has two opposing plugs (shown below). At the end nearest to the muzzle, the plug is grooved to accept two or three tubes, which tubes run the length of the chamber 2, less a small gap to allow gas to travel into adjoining tubes. At the end farthest from the muzzle, the plug is grooved to accept one or two tubes, which tube(s) run the length of the chamber 2, less a small gap to allow gas to travel into adjoining tubes. The three to five tubes are concentrically and longitudinally arrayed. The bullet 5 is shown proceeding out of the muzzle for perspective.

In FIG. 2, the conical chamber 2 has two threaded ends, one threaded end 6 can be affixed to a muzzle end of a rifle barrel which in turn, has reverse threads to accommodate the affixation. On the other threaded end 7 farthest from the muzzle, the chamber 2 can be affixed to a barrel extension 4 for additional accuracy for longer range targets. Threading to affix the suppression device to the muzzle end and extension of the barrel is well known to one skilled in the art. Other than threading to accommodate the suppression device, no modification of the rifle is required nor anticipated.

In FIG. 3A, a cross-section of the inside of the chamber 2 is shown with one plug 17 in place. In FIG. 3B the same plug, which is nearest to the muzzle end of the rifle is shown attached to three tubes 19 running concentrically and longitudinally through the chamber. There is a slight gap at the end of these tubes, to allow gas to escape into another tube. In FIG. 3C, the opposing plug 18, which is farthest from the muzzle end of the rifle is shown attached to two tubes 20 which also run concentrically and longitudinally through the chamber. There is a slight gap at the end of these tubes to allow gas to escape into another tube.

In FIG. 4, an oblique disassembled view of the plug 17 nearest to the muzzle end with the three tubes 19 affixed to the plug is shown on the left. The plug 18 farthest from the muzzle end with the two tubes 20 affixed to the plug is shown on the right. The dotted line shows how the tubes are inserted together from “x to x” within the noise suppressor chamber.

Calculation of noise and smoke or gas, reduction reveals that the length of the barrel impacts suppression. Greater suppression can be achieved with longer barrels, all other factors being equal—meaning that there is more noise and more smoke with shorter barrels. Shorter barrels are favored in close quarters, in areas where concealment is a very high priority, and when the weapon must be carried long distances so as to reduce weight. My invention promotes shorter barrels by reducing the length of the conical chamber which contains the suppression device.

Of note, the length of the conical chamber along the longitudinal axis of the rifle barrel is no more than three inches. The same degree of suppression is achieved with concentrically and longitudinally oriented baffles as described here, compared to sequential baffles of approximately twice this device's length.

An important advantage of the suppression device is that the shorter device will not impact the speed of the bullet as much as the longer devices currently deployed which rely on sequential baffles. In essence, my invention re-directs the noise and smoke through the concentrically and longitudinally arrayed baffles in the conical chamber. Through dispersion, reduced noise and smoke escape from the muzzle of the rifle.

The above description of the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been presented for the purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. Many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings. It is intended that the scope of the present invention not be limited by this detailed description, but by the claims and the equivalents to the claims.

Claims

1. A rifle noise suppressor comprising:

a cylindrical chamber with two opposing ends, which chamber contains a nested set of baffles, where the baffles are concentrically and longitudinally arrayed through the chamber,

there are at least two baffles held in place by a plug which is connected to an end of the cylindrical chamber located farthest from the muzzle and at least three baffles held in place by a plug which is connected to the end of the cylindrical chamber located nearest to the muzzle,

where the chamber has a threaded end that can be affixed to a muzzle end of a rifle barrel, and where the rifle barrel has reverse threads to accommodate the affixation.

2. The device of claim one, where the rifle noise suppressor has two threaded ends, one of which is threaded onto a muzzle end of a rifle barrel, and an end of the cylindrical chamber farthest from the muzzle end can be screwed into a rifle barrel extension.