Nonmetallic gun barrel
OwnerPaul A. Petrovichinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The invention is a nonmetallic gun barrel having a a longitudinally rigid tubular exterior capable of radial elastic deformation upon passage of a projectile therethrough. Liner segments fixed at the inner diameter of the barrel exterior are abutted end to end and form spiraled rifling structures comprised of shallow channels and ridges between the channels. Radial gaps between sides of the liners can be partly filled by radial projections of elastomeric material of the barrel exterior. The radial projections expand inwardly to seal against a projectile bearing against the inner periphery of the barrel as the projectile is fired from the barrel.
Claims17
A nonmetallic gun barrel, comprising:
- a barrel axis;
- a tubular, elastically deformable barrel exterior portion disposed along the barrel axis and comprised of a thermosetting plastic resin;
- a generally cylindrical barrel interior portion divided circumferentially and lengthwise into axial liner segments fixed on an inner diameter of the barrel exterior portion, the liner segments being harder and less compressible than the the barrel exterior portion;
- the interior portion defining a plurality of wide, shallow, cross-sectionally curved channels, the channels forming spiral paths about the barrel axis, the channels bounding one another at ridges running along the channels;
- wherein the segments have ends between sides, one of the ends on one of the liner segments opposes another of the ends on another of the liner segments, and the one of the ends and the other of the ends together define an arcuate groove at an inner diametrical face of the barrel interior portion.
A nonmetallic gun barrel, comprising:
- a barrel axis;
- a tubular, elastically deformable barrel exterior portion along the barrel axis comprised of a thermosetting plastic resin;
- a generally cylindrical barrel interior portion divided circumferentially and lengthwise into axial liner segments fixed on an inner diameter of the barrel exterior portion, the liner segments being harder and less compressible than the the barrel exterior portion;
- the interior portion defining a plurality of shallow channels, each of the channels having an axial cross section in the shape of a single smooth continuous curve, the channels forming spiral paths about a longitudinal axis of the barrel, the channels bounding one another at ridges running along the channels.
A gun barrel, comprising:
- a circumferentially continuous tubular barrel exterior portion;
- a generally cylindrical barrel interior portion divided radially and lengthwise into axial liner segments bounded by and fixed on an inner diameter of the barrel exterior portion, the liner segments being harder and less compressible than the the barrel exterior portion;
- the interior portion defining a plurality of channels forming spiral paths about a longitudinal axis of the barrel, the channels bounding one another at ridges running along the channels;
- the channels having shallow, dish-like radial cross-sectional profiles wherein radially inner boundaries of the profiles are smooth curves eccentric relative to a longitudinal axis of the gun barrel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.