United States Patent (19) 11) Patent Number: 4,706,401

Nielsen 45 Date of Patent: Nov. 17, 1987

54) TRIGGER MECHANISM FOR AWEAPON 3,950,876 4/1976 Wild et al. .
76 Inventor: Bent A. Nielsen, Tyrolsgade 1, 2300 FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS
Copenhagen, Denmark 1157247 7/1969 United Kingdom.
21) Appl. No.: 870,292 1290330 9/1972 United Kingdom.
(22) PCT Filed: Mar. 10, 1982 OTHER PUBLICATIONS
86) PCT No.: PCT/DK82/00020 EP, A2, 0025 518, (Kepplinger), 3/25/81.
CH, A5, 626,987, (Beretta), 12/15/81.
S371 Date: Nov. 10, 1982 CH, A4, 620,763, (Walther), 12/15/80.
S 102(e) Date: Nov. 10, 1982 SE, B, 368,081, 2/25/72.
87). PCT Pub. No.: WO82/03120 Primary Examiner-Deborah L. Kyle
Assistant Examiner-Ted L. Parr
PCT Pub. Date: Sep. 16, 1982 Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Ladas & Parry
Related U.S. Application Data 57 ABSTRACT
63 Continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 763,888, Aug. 8, 1985, By providing the trigger mechanism in a pistol with a
abandoned, and a continuation of Ser. No. 444,510, lever (8) which is mounted at its rearmost end on an axle
Nov. 10, 1982, abandoned. (10), and by providing said axle (10) with a notch which
can hold a superjacent hammer retainer (13) having a
51) Int. Cl." ...................... F41D 11/02; F41C 19/00; projection (20), it is possible to release the hammer
F41C 17/00 retainer (13) and thus the hammer (11) by applying a
52 U.S. Cl. ................................... 42/69.03; 42/70.01 very weak force to the opposite end of the lever (8).
58) Field of Search ................. 42/69.01, 69.02, 69.03, The connection between the actual trigger (2) and the
42/70.01
gripper (5) is effected through a rotatable disconnector
56) References Cited (1) with an upwardly extenidng stud. The slide (17) is
U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS provided with a recess (18) which, when the slide (17) is
in its forward position, lies opposite the stud. It is thus
2,464,427 3/1949 Wilson . possible to ensure that the trigger mechanism cannot
2,846,925 8/1958 Norman .............................. 42/69 B function unless the slide is in its forward position and
2,959,107 11/1960 Srurtevant. thereby has the stud lying opposite the recess.
3,060,810 10/1962 Hillberg.
3,128,570 4/1964 Browning . 4 Claims, 10 Drawing Figures
3,889,412 6/1975 Filecci.
U.S. Patent Nov. 17, 1987 Sheet 1 of 7 4,706.401
U.S. Patent Nov. 17, 1987 Sheet 2 of 7 4,706,401
U.S. Patent Nov. 17, 1987 Sheet 3 of 7 4,706,401
U.S. Patent Nov. 17, 1987 Sheet 4 of 7 4,706,401

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U.S. Patent Nov. 17, 1987 Sheets of 7 4,706,401

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U.S. Patent Nov. 17, 1987 Sheet 6 of 7 4,706,401

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U.S. Patent Nov. 17, 1987 Sheet 7 of 7 4,706,401
 4,706,401 2
1
that coupling can take place in this and only in this
TRIGGER MECHANISM FOR AWEAPON position.
The present invention will now be described in more
This is a continuation-in-part of co-pending applica detail and with reference to the accompanying draw
tion Ser. No. 763,888 filed on Aug. 8, 1985, which is a 5 ings, where
continuation of Ser. No. 444,510 filed Nov. 10, 1982 FIG. 1 shows the trigger mechanism in the safety-off
which is abandoned. and cocked position,
This invention relates to a trigger mechanism for a FIG. 2 shows the coupling, the disconnector,
pistol with a trigger, which when activated releases a position,3 shows the pistol in the safety-on and locked
FIG.
spring-loaded hammer, and also to a combined locking 10 FIG. 4 shows the pistol with the slide in the rearmost
and safety device for a weapon with a trigger which position,
acts upon a disconnector which, via a gripper, a lever FIG. 5 showing the present invention along here
and a hammer retainer, releases the hammer.
Hitherto known trigger mechanisms demand a rela 15 B-B of FIG. 6; all
tively strong force and long travel of the moving parts of FIG. 65.shows the present invention along here A-A
FIG.
in order to be able to function satisfactorily and safely. As will be seen from FIGS. 1-4, which show one
This is due to the high degree of friction which exists embodiment of the present invention, the trigger mech
between the strongly spring-loaded parts which must be
mutually displaced in order for the release and thus the 20 anism is built into the stationary part of the pistol. The
disengagement of the hammer to take be effected. This ing bush2, which
trigger see FIGS. 1 and 3, is provided with an overly
gives rise to difficulty in achieving the desired and pre a trigger arm 3, can the
be secured in a movable manner to
front end of which is mounted on an
cise amount of pull required on the trigger, and also axle 4. This unit is connected to the remaining part of
makes it difficult to bring about sufficiently short travel the mechanism via a disconnector
of the moving locking parts. Thus, since the trigger pull 25 The disconnector is shown moreorclearly coupling 1.
in FIG. 2,
is of considerable importance to the accuracy of the from which it can be seen that it can be turned
pistol, the marksmanship capable of being achieved is 45 clockwise against the action of a spring,approx. to the
affected. turned position as shown in FIG. 4. In this position, the
Moreover, hitherto known safety devices for weap trigger is disengaged from the mechanism, and coupling
ons have been limited to arrangements which prevent 30 does not take place until the slide 17 is moved forwards
movement of the trigger mechanisms. They do not into the position shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, where the
provide for locking of the parts of the weapon against upwardly extending stud on the disconnector can stand
separation, and they do not constitute a lock which in the vertical position, in that a recess 18 is provided in
provides the security that a part is required in order to the bottom of the slide 17.
unlock and lock the weapon after the insertion of the 35 To the disconnector 1 is connected a gripper 5 which
part in the weapon. is pivotally mounted on an axle 6, said axle 6 lying a
The object of the present invention is to overcome little higher than the fulcrum of the disconnector 1.
the deficiencies of the hitherto known trigger mecha Therefore, upon actuation of trigger 2, the gripper 5
nisms, and this object is achieved when the mechanism will turn clockwise so that its back edge will swing in
includes a trigger-actuated lever which is suspended at 40 against the shown spring. By employing a rotatable lock
the rear on the upper part of the pistol, and is fixedly having a blocking piece 7 which can abut against the
connected to a pivotal axle having a projection which front edge of the gripper 5, the trigger can be locked by
can engage with a projection on a gripper, said gripper turning the blocking piece 7 until it abuts the gripper in
being pivotally mounted on an overlying axle and hav its direction of movement, see FIG. 3. When the block
ing a projection which can engage with a recess in the 45 ing piece is turned away from this position, see FIGS. 1
exterior of the hammer. This construction constitutes a and 4, the gripper can be turned and the trigger actu
lever system with a high exchange ratio between the ated.
trigger and the release part for the hammer. This means Referring to the drawings, the trigger function is
that only a small load need be applied to the one end of explained as follows:
the lever to turn the other end at the axle and thus 50 When the trigger (2) is actuated, the trigger arm (3) is
release the hammer. Consequently, the pressure re turned counterclockwise around an axle (4), and when
quired on the trigger is considerably relieved, so that the disconnector (1) is in its "upright' position as shown
only a minimal movement of the trigger and a minimal in FIGS. 1, 3 and 6, a projection (22) on the trigger arm
force is required to release the hammer. (3) (this projection is shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 and also
As presented in claim 2, by releasing the front end of 55 in FIGS. 1, 3, 4) lifts the disconnector (1).
the lever by means of a pivotally mounted gripper actu The disconnector (1) is pivotally connected to the
ated by the trigger, it is possible to employ the mecha gripper (5) to that the gripper (5) is turned clockwise
nism as a dry-run training unit, in that the lever can be around a pivot mounting (6), when the projection (22)
cocked and released by the trigger without the hammer lifts the disconnector. This will release the lever and
being cocked. 60 hammer as disclosed above.
As presented in claim 3, by providing the gripper When the disconnector is turned away from its "up
with a pivotal coupling, disconnector, the possibility is right' position a shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, actuation
created of ensuring that the trigger is capable of func of the trigger will turn the trigger arm (3) around the
tioning when the slide is forward, without any friction axle (4), but the projection (22 in FIG. 5) will not reach
or resistance arising in the trigger mechanism. 65 the disconnector, thus the pistol can not be fired in this
Moreover, as presented in claim 4, it is expedient for position.
the disconnector to have an outwardly extending stud The lower side and the rear edge of the gripper are
which engages with a recess in the slide, thus ensuring shaped to form a projection which can engage with a
 4,706,401
3 4.
projection 9 in the front edge of a lever 8. The lever 8 disconnector, the reason being that this can turn during
can thus be cocked by moving the slide 17 backwards, the pulling movement.
as shown in FIG. 4, and secured in this cocked position By moving the slide 17 backwards slightly, the lever
by means of the gripper 5. 8 can be cocked without the hammer 11 needing to be
The edges of both the gripper 5 and the lever 8 are cocked, which means that the lever 8 also provides the
curved, and their axles of rotation 6 and 10 lie substan possibility of dry-run shooting under training. More
tially at the same level, the result being that the engage over, the lever can also be provided with an outwardly
ment becomes self-locking. This provides maximum extending stud, so that the lever can be cocked by press
security against premature release of the holding en ing the stud down with a finger. This means that the
gagement between the gripper and the lever. O pistol can be used for training purposes with a trigger
The other end of the lever is mounted on an axle 10 characteristic which is exactly the same as that when
which has a portion milled away to form a notch for a shooting.
pin or a projection 20 on a superjacent hammer retainer I claim:
13. This retainer 13 has a pivot mounting 14 at its top 1. A trigger mechanism for a pistol with a trigger,
end, and therefore it turns against a spring in the length 15 which, when actuated, releases a spring-loaded ham
wise direction of the pistol. mer, characterized in that the mechanism comprises a
Finally, the hammer 11 is pivotally mounted on an lever actuated by the trigger, said trigger mechanism
axle 19 and influenced to strike against the firing pin by comprising a trigger secured to a trigger arm the front
means of a spring 16, said spring 16 being mounted of which is mounted pivotally on an axle and a projec
around a rod 15. The curved rear edge of the hammer tion which can engage with a disconnector being pivot
has a projection 12 which, when the hammer is in its ally mounted on the front end of a gripper, when a stud
cocked position, see FIGS. 1 and 4, can form a locking on the disconnector is extending upwardly in a vertical
engagement with the projection 21 on the hammer re position, turning the gripper clockwise around a pivot
tainer 13. The hammer pivot 19 and the retainer pivot 25 mounting higher than the fulcrum of the disconnector,
14 lie similarly along a line which is substantially a little said lever being pivotally mounted on (the) an upper
above the point of engagement 21, 12, and since these part and at the rear end of the pistol, and fixedly con
parts are also curved, once again a self-locking engage nected to a rotatable axle having a notch which can
ment is achieved. There is thus the greatest possible engage with a projection on a hammer retainer, said
security against premature release of the engagement, in 30 retainer being pivotally mounted at its upper end on an
that the parts will be pressed together in the locking axle, and having a projection which can engage with a
recess in an outer side of the hammer.
position. 2. A trigger mechanism according to claim 1, charac
This trigger mechanism with its exchange transmis terized in that the front end of the lever has a projection
sion ratio results in only the minimum amount of trigger which can be engaged by (a) the gripper, (said gripper
movement being necessary in order for the mechanism 35 having a pivot mountable and being connected to the
to function. The trigger pull can be adjusted from 0.05 trigger) and where the forepart of said lever adjoins the
mm up to approx. 5.0 mm. The force necessary to actu plane of the underside of a locking slide.
ate the trigger is only a few grams, but can be adjusted 3. A trigger mechanism according to claim 2, charac
upwards to, for example, 2500 g. This is possible since terized in that (the gripper is connected to the trigger by
the spring that presses the level 8 upwards can be weak, a pivotable coupling) the disconnector with an up
for example of about 100 g. Since the lever provides an wardly extending stud releases the connection of the .
exchange with the axle of about 1:60, the result is that gripper to the trigger, (which) when the stud is turned
the turning moment produced at the axle is approx. 6000 away from the vertical position (, releases the connec
g, which is enough to disengage the hammer retainer 13 tion).
from the hammer 11. Furthermore, the low degree of 45 4. A trigger mechanism according to claim 3, charac
spring power applied to the lever 8 also enables the terized in that when in its vertical position, the stud
gripper 5 to be loaded with a quite low pressure, thus projects upwards into a recess in the slide, when said
resulting in such a smooth and precise actuation of the slide is in its forwardk position. k
trigger mechanism. There is no resistance offered by the
50

55

65
 UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION
PATENT NO. : 4,706, 401
DATED November 17, 1987
INVENTO R(S) : Bent A. Nielsen
It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent is hereby
Corrected as shown below:

On the title page, before item "22" insert

filed May 21, 1986 -- and -- Danish applications
1077/8l and lo78/8l, both filed March 10, 1981 --.

Signed and Sealed this

Nineteenth Day of April, 1988
Attest:

DONALD J. QUIGG
Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents and Trademarks