US-12624908-B2 - Break-barrel firearm

US12624908B2US 12624908 B2US12624908 B2US 12624908B2US-12624908-B2

Abstract

The present invention concerns a firearm comprising at least one frame; and a barrel group comprising at least one barrel, the barrel group being mounted in a tilting manner with respect to the frame, wherein the frame houses at least one closing device configured to act between the frame and the barrel group so as to selectively prevent the frame of the barrel group from tilting with respect to the frame, and is characterized in that the closing device comprises at least one pair of clamping elements with longitudinal development independent of each other, the clamping elements being slidably housed inside the frame, each along its own longitudinal development axis; and at least one pair of buffers each coupled to a respective clamping element so as to exert an axial thrust force on the respective clamping element substantially in parallel to and/or substantially along the respective longitudinal development axis.

Inventors

Paolo ZOLI

Assignees

ZOLI ANTONIO S.R.L.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260512
Application Date: 20241127
Priority Date: 20231201

Claims (11)

1 . A firearm comprising at least: a frame; and a barrel group comprising at least one barrel, the barrel group being mounted in a tilting manner with respect to the frame, wherein the frame houses at least one closing device configured to act between the frame and the barrel group so as to selectively prevent the barrel group from tilting with respect to the frame, wherein the closing device comprises: at least one pair of clamping elements with longitudinal development independent of each other, the clamping elements being slidably housed inside the frame each along its own longitudinal development axis; and at least one pair of buffers each coupled to a respective clamping element so as to exert an axial thrust force on the respective clamping element substantially in parallel to and/or substantially along a respective longitudinal development axis.
2 . The firearm according to claim 1 , wherein each buffer of the pair of buffers comprises a support carrying a first elastic element interposed between the support and a respective clamping element.
3 . The firearm according to claim 1 , wherein each buffer of the pair of buffers is mounted on a respective side of a rear portion of the frame.
4 . The firearm according to claim 1 , wherein each clamping element of the pair of clamping elements is housed inside the frame in a sliding manner between a position in which a first end part of the clamping element protrudes towards a housing seat of the barrel group located at a front portion of the frame and a position in which the first end part is retracted and substantially does not protrude into the housing seat of the barrel group.
5 . The firearm according to claim 1 , wherein the closing device comprises a maneuvering group configured to impart to each clamping element of the pair of clamping elements a force in opposition to a force exerted by a buffer on a respective clamping element.
6 . The firearm according to claim 5 , wherein the maneuvering group comprises an actuation element arranged externally to the frame, wherein the actuation element is made as an opening lever and is coupled to an upper end of a control shaft housed internally to the frame in a rotatable manner about a rotation axis (C), wherein a lower end of the control shaft is coupled to each of the pair of clamping elements, so that a rotation of the control shaft imparted through the opening lever causes a translation of the clamping elements in opposition to the force exerted by a respective buffer.
7 . The firearm according to claim 6 , wherein the lower end of the control shaft comprises: a first peg configured to engage a seat made in a first clamping element of the pair of clamping elements; and a second peg configured to cooperate with an arm pivoted on the frame, wherein the arm engages a second clamping element of the pair of clamping elements.
8 . The firearm according to claim 5 , wherein the maneuvering group comprises an actuation element arranged externally to the frame, wherein the actuation element is made as a slider movable in translation in the direction of a front portion of the frame and is coupled to a lever mechanism inside the frame that engages the pair of clamping elements, so that an advancement of the slider actuation element towards the front portion of the frame causes a translation of the pair of clamping elements in opposition to the force exerted by the respective buffers.
9 . The firearm according to claim 8 , wherein the lever mechanism cooperates with a releasable locking rod housed in the frame movably along its own rod axis and configured to retain the lever mechanism in an engagement position corresponding to a position of maximum translation of the pair of clamping elements in opposition to the force exerted by the respective buffers.
10 . The firearm according to claim 9 , wherein the releasable locking rod cooperates with a release rod housed in the frame movably along its own rod axis, between a configuration of greater protrusion from the frame at the housing seat of the barrel group in which it does not cooperate with the releasable locking rod and a configuration of lesser or no protrusion from the housing seat of the barrel group in which it cooperates with the releasable locking rod to disengage it from the lever mechanism.
11 . The firearm according to claim 2 , wherein the support comprises a first shank shaped to carry and/or cooperate with the first elastic element in exerting the axial thrust force and a second shank shaped to achieve a stable coupling to the frame.

Description

RELATED APPLICATION This application claims priority from European Patent Application No. 23425064.5, filed Dec. 1, 2023, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention concerns in general a firearm with a break-barrel group, in particular a long firearm, such as a rifle, with a closing device suitable for preventing the barrel group from tilting. BACKGROUND “Rifle” type firearms have been around for decades in many different forms and types. Various types of rifle have been developed for many types of shooting. For example, and without limitations, there are single-shot shotguns, double-barrelled shotguns (double shotgun), over/under shotguns, bolt-action shotguns, semi-automatic shotguns, and so on. Technology continues to evolve to meet the diverse needs of the shooting enthusiasts. Many factors are taken into account in the design of single- or double-barrelled rifles, including appearance, weight, sensitivity, ease of use, end-use, and individual shooter's preferences. In the single- and multi-barrelled rifles, a break-barrel group is generally provided to allow the extraction of casings as well as the refilling of new cartridges. In such firearms, therefore, there is typically also a closing device that has the function of allowing or preventing the barrel group of the firearm from tilting with respect to the body of the rifle, also known as the “frame”. Typically, the closing devices are positioned inside the firearm except for an actuation element, generally known as an opening lever or “lever”, i.e. a manual mechanical member that protrudes outwards to be actuated by the user. Typical closing devices of the state of the art include the longitudinally moved latch, the transversely moved bolt and the longitudinally moved bolt. The externally operable actuation elements are generally configured to move the latch or the bolt, as the case may be, between a release position in which the tilting of the barrel group is not hindered and a locking position in which such tilting is prevented. Typically, in the locking position, the bolt or the latch protrudes at least partially from the rifle body to engage corresponding shapings made on the barrels. In the release position, the bolt or the latch is retracted inside the rifle body, not engaging the barrels, which are thus free to tilt with respect to said rifle body. The known closing devices have a number of unresolved disadvantages. In particular, the complexity of the known closing devices provided with elastic elements that work off-axis, typically leads to movements of the latch or bolt that are not completely linear or completely balanced, resulting in a high degree of wear. Last but not least, the known closing devices are characterized by a certain structural complexity that makes their assembly on the frame body laborious and scarcely automatable. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In light of the above, the problem underlying the present invention is to devise a firearm with a break-barrel group that can be controlled to open and close effectively and functionally. Within the scope of this problem, an object of the present invention is to make a firearm with a break-barrel group whose closing device is particularly reliable. A further object of the present invention is to study a firearm with a break-barrel group whose closing device is poorly subject to wear and has a longer life cycle than the state of the art. Yet another object of the present invention is to design a firearm with a break-barrel group that is versatilely actuatable and adaptable to a plurality of actuation elements. In accordance with a first aspect thereof, the invention therefore concerns a firearm comprising at least one frame and a barrel group, wherein the barrel group comprises at least one barrel and is mounted in a tilting manner with respect to the frame. The frame houses at least one closing device configured to act between the frame and the barrel group so as to selectively prevent the barrel group from tilting with respect to the frame. According to the present invention the closing device comprises: at least one pair of clamping elements with longitudinal development independent of each other, the clamping elements being slidably housed within the frame, each along its own longitudinal development axis; andat least one pair of buffers each coupled to a respective clamping element so as to exert an axial thrust force on the respective clamping element substantially in parallel to and/or substantially along the respective longitudinal development axis. The Applicant has identified that by making the closing device with a pair of mutually independent clamping elements, each associated with a respective buffer capable of exerting an axial thrust force in parallel to and/or substantially along the development axis of the respective closing element, it is possible to considerably reduce the wear of both clamping element itse