US2824322A - Chamber cleaning tool - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 25, 1958 N. J. ANGELICA EI'AL 2,824,322

CHAMBER CLEANING TOOL Filed Nov. 21, 1955 Fig-1 l mam Md aid-QM HTTURN YGI United States Patten-t9 CHAMBER CLEANING TOOL Nicholas J. Angelica, Thompsonville, Conn.,"and- Robert -S.-Henry, Agawam, Mass, assignors to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army Application November 21, 1955, Serial No. 548,285 3 Claims. (Cl. 15104.09) .(Granted under Title 35, U. S. Code (195,2),,sec. 266) The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to cleaning tools and more particularly to tools for cleaning the inside of hollow objects having limited space for actuation of a cleaning brush sprin g-biased bolt to press the brush against the wall of the chamber for cleaning thereof.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a tool for cleaning the chamber of a rifle which is rotatable in one direction by the oscillation of a handle and which facilitates removal of any debris loosened from the chamber.

-"The specific nature of the invention as well as other .objects and advantages thereof will clearly appear from aldescription of a preferred embodiment as shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a partially cross-sectioned top view of the breech end of a rifle barrel showing the cleaning tool inserted in the chamber thereof;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of the actuator partially in cross-section;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary enlarged perspective view showing the helical pitch of the ratchet teeth;

Fig. 4 is an exploded view of the cleaning tool; and

Fig. 5 is an enlarged partially cross-sectioned fragmentary side view of the actuator shown fabricated from plastic material.

Shown in the figures is a cleaning tool 12 for a firearm 14 having a barrel 16, a receiver 18 provided with an opening 20 in the top thereof and a bolt 22 reciprocably mounted in the receiver. Barrel 16 is provided with a chamber 24 having an annular shoulder 25 adjacent the rear end thereof, and bolt 22 is biased to a battery position adjacent such chamber by means of a cooperating operating rod 26 and a spring 28. Tool 12 is insertable into receiver 18 through opening 20 therein when bolt 22 is retracted and is comprised of a brush 30 and an actuator 32.

Brush 30 includes a core 34 formed from a wire which is bent to a U-shape so that the parallel arm portions pass through a pair of spaced bores 36 provided longitudinally through a cylinder mount 38. Such arm portions extending through mount 38 are then twisted. Fixed between such twisted arms so as to extend radially therefrom is a row of bristles 40 which forms a continuous helix conforming to the twist of such arms.

portion of base 2,824,322 Batented Feb. 25, 1958 .Bri stles -40.are contolltedrto.the dirnensions of chamber '24 so that the entire wall thereof is brushed by .the

bristleswhenbrush 30 is;rotated.by;actuator-32 ashere- .inafter described.

.44 in: the front facethereof to receive mount 38 which is fixed to such headby .a transverse.pin-4.6. The front of head .42.i s,re duced.in diameter, as noted at 48, to fit within the rear portion of Icharnber'24-so that front face 43 engages shoulder 25 to act as'a hearing for tool 12 when rotated. lFront face 43 is disposed, relative to brush, 30, so that bristles 4.0 are infirm contact with the walls of chamber 24, withoutbeing jammed thereagainst, whensuch front faceisin engagement with shoulder 25.

Extending axiallyrearwardly fromhead 38 and fixed thereto is a rod 52 upon hich there isrotatably mounted a cylinder base member 54 provided with an axial bore 56 for receiving such rod. Their earuend ofbore 56 is counterbored, as noted at 58, and suchcounterbore is terminated by an annular shoulder 60. Provided on the rear face of head 42 and .thefront face 54 is a set of matching ratchet teeth 62 which are so arranged that when .suchbaseis rotated, brush 30 is rotatcdso that the.helix.0f the bristles 40 draws rearwardly any foreign.matterinqchamber 24. The annular faces ofratchet teeth -62, note d at 64, are helically formed, as best shown in Fig. 3, to reduce frictional resistance therebetween when in ,sliding cooperation. Base 54 is restrained on rod 52 bymeansof a splitring 66 which is received by anannular groove 68 in such, rod and is slidable in ,counterbore 58. The movement ,of base 54 on rod 52 is limited by the full engagement of ratchet teeth 62 and the contactbetween split ring 66 and shoulder 60 and such movementis sufficient to permit the ratchet teeth on such=base to pass over those onhead 42 for re-engagement.

Provided in base 54 is a plurality of radialholes 70 which are threaded to receive the threaded ends of a coventional. cleaning rod .section 72 or any other suitable handle means. Therear face ofbase 54is engageable by the front end of bolt 22 whereby :the pressure of spring 28 biasing such bolt towards battery position presses actuator 32 against shoulder 25 and bristles 40 into resilient contact with the wall of chamber 24.

To clean chamber 24 by tool 12, bolt 22 is retracted sufficiently to permit entrance of such tool into receiver 18 through opening 20 therein. Tool 12 is then pushed forwardly until brush 30 enters chamber 24 so that when bolt 22 is released, the bias of spring 28, through operating rod 26, presses front face 43 against shoulder 25 and bristles 40 against the wall of the chamber. Cleaning rod section 72 is then threaded into one of the holes '70 through opening 20 and oscillated from side to side to the limit permitted by such opening.

As has hereinbefore been explained, ratchet teeth 62 are arranged so that when base 54 is rotated, such rotation is transferred through head 42 to brush 30 in the direction whereby the helix of bristles 40 moves rearwardly in chamber 24 any foreign matter loosened by such bristles so that when tool 12 is removed from the chamber, the debris disposed rearward of such brush is removed thereby. The bias of spring 28 through operating rod 26 assures engagement between ratchet teeth 62 for transmitting rotary movement in the desired direction from base 54 to head 42 and the drag of bristles 40 against the wall of chamber 24 and the helix on the angular faces 64 of the ratchet teeth permit such base to be counterrotated without counterrotating brush If desired, head 42 and base 54 may be fabricated from plastic material such'as nylon, for ease of manufacture and to, prevent any scoring of chamber 24 by such head. If such head and base are fabricated from plastic material, the rear end of core 34 might be molded directly into a head member 56 as illustrated in Fig. 5.

Also, ratchet teeth 50 might, if desired, be replaced by any other means which would convert oscillating movement of base 54 to rotary movement of head 42 in one direction. Furthermore, cleaning tool 12 may be used for cleaning any hollow object as long as pressure from manual or mechanical means is applied against actuator 32 to assure engagement of ratchet teeth 62 and pressure of bristles 40 against the inside wall of such object.

From the foregoing, it is clearly apparent that there is herein provided a cleaning tool which is especially well adapted for cleaning a chamber having limited space for actuation of the cleaning tool therein. '7 I Although a particular embodiment of the invention has been describedin detail herein, it is evident-that many variations may be devised within the spirit'and scope thereof and the following claims are intended to include such variations.

We claim: 1

1. For a firearm having a barrelwith a chamber and a longitudinally reciprocating bolt spring-biased against the breech end of the barrel, means for cleaning the chamber including an actuator operationally disposed outside of the chamber for resilient engagement by the bolt, a core secured to said actuator so as to extend axially into the chamber, a continuous helical row of radial-bristlesextending along said core for brushing contact with the wall of the chamber'when the bolt biases said actuator into engagement with the barrel, and means operationally cooperating with the bolt for rotating said core so that said bristles'clean the wall of the chamber and remove therefrom any foreign matter. 7

2. For a firearm having a barrel with a chamber provided with an annular shoulder adjacent the breech end of the barrel and a longitudinally -reciprocating bolt spring-biased against the breech of the barrel, means for cleaning the chamber including a cylindrical headmemher having a front face rotatably engageable with the annular shoulder, a core extending from one end of said head member and axially receivable by the chamber, a continuous helical row of radial bristles extending along said core for brushing contactwith the wall of the chamher when said head member is in engagement with the annular shoulder, a base member rotatably mounted to said head member for engagement by the bolt to bias said head member against the annular shoulder, means for oscillating said base member, and means cooperating with the bolt for. converting the oscillation of said base member to rotary movement of said head member in thedirection whereby said bristles simultaneously clean the inside of the chamber and move rearwardly therefrom any foreign matter.

3. .Forafirearm having a barrel with a chamber provided with an annular shoulder adjacent the breech end of the barrel and a longitudinally reciprocating bolt biased against the breech of the barrel, means for cleaning the chamber including a cylindrical head member having a front end face rotatably engageable with the shoulder, a wirelike core embedded at the midpoint thereof in said head member to form two arm portions twisted together to extend forwardly and axially from .said head member, a continuous row of bristles extending along said core betweensaid arm portionsto form a continuous helix having brushing contact with the wall of the chamber, a rod-portion extending axially rearward from the rear end. of said head member, a'base member rotatably mounted on said rod for engagement by the bolt, means for oscillatingsaid base member, cooperating teeth on the adjacent faces of said head and base members, sides on said cooperating teeth ,engageable by the bias of the bolt during oscillation of said base member for translating movement from said base member to said bristles in a direction'whereby said bristles simultaneously clean the wall of the chamber and move rearwardly therefrom any foreign matter, and, opposite cooperating helical inclined sideson said cooperating teeth whichpermit said base member to be rotated in an opposite directionagainst the bias of the bolt without: imparting rotary movement to said bristles.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Fish Nov. 28, 1944

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