May 6, 1959 .1. H.

MULLER 3,442,173
COMBINED RIFLE AND GRENADE LAUNCHER WEAPON SELECTIVELY
FIRED BY A SINGLE TRIGGER ‘
Filed May 28, ‘1968 Sheet / of 5

INVENTOR
James HMIIUET
BY W
M‘wwa ' P- I
ATTORN EY
May 6, 1969 J. H. ULLER 3,442,173
COMBINED RIFLE AND GREN LAUNCHER WEAPON SELECTIVELY
FIRED BY A SINGLE TRIGGER
Filed May 28,1968 Sheet 2 as

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INVENTOR
James HMUUEI
ATTQéNEY
May 6, 1969
COMBINED
J. H. MULLER 3,442,173
RIFLE AND GRENA DE LAUNCHER WEAPON SELEOTIVELY
. FIRED BY A SINGLE TRIGGER
Filed May 28, 1968
Sheet 3
-____
of‘5

V//////.

INVENTOR
Jnmes H.Mu11a1~
M. g BY- ‘M .w,
IW , X
ATTORNEY
May 6, 1969 J. H. MULLER 3,442,173
COMBINED RIFLE AND GRENADE LAUNCHER WEAPON SELECTIVELY
FIRED BY A SINGLE TRIGGER
Filed May 28, 1968 4

in.m.i".m,A
May 6, 1969 J. H. MUL LER 3,4421 73
COMBINED RIFLE AND GRENADE LA UNCHE R WEAPON SELECTIVELY
FIRED BY A SINGLE TR IGGER
Filed May 28, 1968 Sheet 5 of 5

v
,

INVENTOR
JurnesHJVluHer
BY ,
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W .
8w.
ATTORNEY
,
1
United States Patent O ice 3,442,173
Patented May 6, 1969

1 2
automatic ?re; and the automatic sear held in its dis
3,442,173 engaged position by the bolt;
COMBINED RIFLE AND GRENADE LAUNCHER
WEAPON SELECTIVELY FIRED BY A SINGLE FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 but showing the
TRIGGER trigger pulled and the automatic sear in its engaged posi
James H. Muller, Jefferson, Ky., assignor to the United tion holding the hammer cocked;
States of America as represented by the Secretary of FIG. 4 is a fragmentary view showing the relationships
the Army of the members of the ?re control mechanism and trigger
Filed May 28, 1968, Ser. No. 732,586 mechanism when the selector-safety device is indexed in
Int. Cl. F41d 11/02, 7/00 its “Safe” position whereby the weapon is made safe from
US. Cl. 89-127 9 Claims
10 accidental discharge;
FIG. 5’ is a view similar to FIG. 4 but showing the
selector-safety device indexed for semi-automatic ?re;
ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 5 but showing the
In a weapon including a ri?e unit adapted for selective trigger pulled and the hammer cocked by the secondary
automatic and semi-automatic ?re and a grenade launcher 15 sear;
unit designed for successively ?ring a plurality of grenades FIG. 7 is a view taken along line 7——7 of FIG. 3;
without reloading, a trigger mechanism releasably con FIG. 8 is a view taken along line 8—8 of FIG. 3;
nects the ?ring mechanism of the launcher to the ri?e FIG. 9 is an exploded view of the selector-safety device;
trigger for operation thereby and displaces the trigger FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the trigger;
relative to the ri?e sear so that the ri?e ?ring mechanism 20 FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the secondary sear;
is inoperable by the trigger when the weapon is selected FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the primary sear;
for grenade ?ring. Selection of the different ?ring opera FIG. 13 is a fragmentary view of the ?re control mech
tions is effected by a single rotary selector~safety which anism, trigger mechanism and ?re mechanism showing
also acts to make the weapon safe against accidental the trigger mechanism actuated by the selector-safety de—
discharge. 25 vice to its engaged position and the trigger advanced
thereby from its normal position (in phantom) to its for
ward position; and
The invention described herein may be manufactured, FIG. 14 is a view similar to FIG. 13 but showing the
used, and licensed by or for the Government for govern trigger pulled to launch a grenade.
mental purposes without the payment to me of any royalty 30 Shown in the drawings is a weapon 12 which consists
thereon. of a ri?e unit 14, a grenade launcher 16 mounted on the
It is the principal object of this invention to provide for ri?e unit and a trigger mechanism 18 which operatively
the military services a shoulder weapon which has a wide connects ?ring mechanism 20 of the grenade launcher
range of ?ring characteristics and is made simple to oper to ?re control mechanism 22 of the ri?e unit for operation
ate by eliminating complicated operating procedures for 35 thereby.
selecting the desired ?ring operation, which might lead to Ri?e unit 14 comprises a receiver 24 which houses a
mistakes in stress of combat. reciprocating bolt 26 and supports a barrel 28 upon which
It is another object of this invention to combine in such grenade launcher 16 is mounted, and a housing 30 for
a weapon a ri?e unit adapted for automatic and semi ?re control mechanism 22. Fire control mechanism 22
automatic operation and a grenade launcher unit designed 40 may be of any conventional design that adapts ri?e unit
to successively ?re a plurality of grenades without re 14 for selective automatic and semi-automatic ?re. The
loading. ?ring mechanism selected for illustrating the present in
It is a further object of this invention to provide such vention is substantially similar to the one disclosed in
a weapon with a trigger mechanism whereby the ri?e unit US Patent 3,045,555 to E. M. Stoner for Automatic
can be ?red automatically or semi-automatically and the 45 Trigger Mechanism With Three Sears ‘and a Rotatable
grenades successively launched by a single trigger. Control Member. It includes a pivotal hammer 32 which
It is a still further object of this invention to so arrange is biased from a cocked to a striking position by a spring
the trigger mechanism in cooperation ‘with the ri?e ?re 34 and is actuated to the cocked position by bolt 26
control mechanism that when the ri?e unit or grenade during recoil travel thereof. Hammer 32 is selectively
launcher unit is selected for ?ring the other is made in 50 held cocked, when bolt 26 travels in counter-recoil to
operable. battery position, by a primary sear 36 and a secondary
It is still another object of the invention to provide such sear 38, which cooperate to effect semi-automatic ?re, or
a weapon whereby the di?erent operating characteristics by an automatic sear 40 which effects automatic burst
are selected from a single rotary selector-safety device ?ring. Selection of the desired ?ring operation is made
which also acts to render the weapon safe from accidental 55 by a rotary selector-safety device 42 which extends trans
discharge. versely through housing 30 and is arranged for manual
Further objects and advantages of the invention will displacement. Firing is controlled by a trigger 44 which
be apparent from the speci?cation and the accompanying is mounted for pivotal movement on a transverse pin 46
drawings which are for the purpose of illustration only and which includes a depending ?nger piece 48 and a
in which: 60 longitudinal slot 49 which bifurcates the upper portion
FIG. 1 is an elevational view of the weapon of this of the trigger and receives a channelled bridge section 50
invention; of housing 30, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 7.
FIG. 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary view of the ?re Primary sear 36 is essentially of bar con?guration as
control mechanism and trigger mechanism showing the shown in FIG. 12 and is pivotally mounted between the
hammer cocked, the selector-safety device positioned for ends thereof on a transverse pin 51 through bridge sec
3,442,173
r,
3 4
tion 50, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 7, so that front end from trigger 44, tang 58 on primary sear 36 and arm 70
52 is receivable by a scar notch 54 in hammer 32 to re of secondary sear 38. Section B includes a protruding
leasably hold the hammer cocked. Rear end 56 of pri cam surface 96 which is contactable with arm 70 of sec
mary sear 36 is provided with a rearwardly extending ondary sear 38, when selector-safety device 42 is indexed
tang 58 which cooperates with safety-selector device 42, for automatic ?re, to make the secondary sear inopera
as hereinafter described, to control the operation of the tive. A cut-out portion 97 in section B is in registry with
primary sear. A spring 60 acts against primary sear 36 tang 58 and ?nger 94 and is arranged to permit free actua
to bias front end 52 upwardly to an engaged position tion of trigger 44 and primary sear 36 when selector
relative to sear notch 54. Extending transversely through safety device 42 is indexed for automatic ?re. When
trigger 44 above front end 52 is a pin 62 which is con 10 selector-safety device 42 is indexed for semi-automatic
tactable thereby so that spring 60, through primary sear ?re, ?nger 94, tang 58 and arm 70 are in registry with
36, acts as the means for biasing the trigger forwardly, a recess 98 in section B ‘which permits uninterrupted actu
and when the front end is in engagement ‘with sear notch ation of trigger 44, primary sear 36 and secondary sear
54 the trigger is held by such spring in its normal inoper 38. When selector-safety device 42 is indexed to the “Safe”
ative position. When trigger 44 is pulled to its ?ring posi position, periphery 99 of section B contacts ?nger 94 to
tion, pin 62 acts downwardly on front end 52 which is block displacement of trigger 44 to its ?ring position and
thereby displaced to its disengaged position, relative to contacts tang 58 and arm 70 to block displacement of
sear notch 54, for release of hammer 32. primary sear 36 and secondary sear 38, respectively, from
Secondary sear 38 is received by slot 49 in trigger 44 their engaged positions.
and is pivotally mounted therewith on pin 46. Secondary Grenade launcher 16 may be of the type such as in
sear 38 includes a hook 66 which is engageable with a disclosed in the patent application by Earle M. Harvey
scar notch 68 in hammer 32 to releasably hold the ham for Ri?e Mounted Auxiliary Firearm and Multiprojectile
mer cocked, as shown in FIG. 6. An arm 70 extends Cartridge Therefor, Ser. No. 177,707, ?led May 2, 1962,
rearwardly from secondary sear 38 for cooperation with now Patent No. 3,395,478, whereby a plurality of gre
selector-safety device 42 so as to control the operation 25 nades 100 in tandem arrangement may be successively
of the secondary sear as hereinafter described. Secondary launched by sequential discharge of an explosive propel
sear 38 is biased to its engaging position, relative to ham lant in back of each grenade through ?ring pins succes
mer 32, by a spring 72 and is actuatable to a disengaged sively actuated against the explosives, starting from the
position, relative to the hammer, through the contact of front one of the grenades. The ?ring pins, one of which
pin 62 with the underside of the secondary sear forwardly 30 is shown at 103 in FIG. 14, are spring-biased against the
of pin 46 when trigger 44 is released to its normal inoper related propellant charge.
ative position as shown in FIG. 5. Thus, when hammer Firing mechanism 20‘ includes a sear bar 102, which
32 is pivoted rearwardly by recoiling bolt 26 and trigger releasably holds ?ring pins 103 cocked, and a cooperating
44 remains pulled to its ?ring position the hammer is rocker arm 104. A pawl 106 is pivotally mounted at one
held cocked by secondary sear 38. When trigger 44 is end of rocker arm 104 and, as shown in FIGS. 13 and
released, spring 60 acting against primary sear 36 presses 14, is spring biased into contact with sear bar 102 to en
upwardly on pin 62 to move the trigger to its inoperative gage successive ones of the teeth 108 therein each time
position and at the same time presses such pin upwardly the rocker arm is pivoted, to progressive advance sear
against secondary sear 38. Thus, secondary sear 38 is bar 102 for successive release of ?ring pins 103. An actu
40 ating arm 110 extends above the pivotal point of rocker
displaced from its engaged position to release hammer
32 but not before primary sear 36 is positioned to engage arm 104 and a spring 112 is arranged to act against rocker
its cooperating sear notch 54 so that the hammer again arm 104 so that pawl 106 is pressed to its rearward posi
comes under the control of the primary sear. tion and actuator arm 110 to its forward position.
Automatic sear 40 includes a supporting arm 78 which Trigger mechanism 18 releasably connects actuating
is pivotally mounted on a pin 80 and is spring~biased from arm 110 to trigger 44 by means of a longitudinally slid
a disengaged position, wherein it is vertically disposed, ing trigger bar 113 connected at the front end to the
as best shown in FIG. 2, to an inclined engaged position, actuating arm, and a link 114 pivotally connected at its
as best shown in FIG. 3. A leaf-type latch '82 is ?xed to front end to the rear end of the trigger bar. Link 114 is
the upper end of arm 78 ‘While the lower end thereof ex provided "with a forwardly facing shoulder 116 which is
tends into cooperation with selector-safety device 42, as engageable by a protruding stud 118 on trigger 44 so that
hereinafter described. When automatic sear 40 is in its when the trigger is pulled rearwardly such stud acts
engaged position lower end 84 of latch 82 is engageable against the shoulder to displace the link rearwardly as
with sear notch 86 in hammer 32, as shown in FIG. 3, to shown in FIG. 14. Rearward displacement of link 114
releasably hold the hammer cocked while upper end 88 is transmitted to trigger bar 113 which acts to pull actu
of the latch is positioned for contact by bolt 26, when ator arm 110 of ?ring mechanism 20 rearwardly.
traveling to its battery position and is adjacent thereto Displacement of link 114 to its engaged and disengaged
to pivot the automatic sear to its disengaged position and positions, respective to trigger 44, is effected by a lever 117
thereby disengage the lower end from its cooperating sear which is pivotally mounted between the ends thereof on
notch for release of hammer 32. a pin 119. Lever 117 is pivotally connected to link 114
Referring particularly to FIG. 9, it is seen that selector 60 through the cooperation of a pin 121 through the front
safety device 42 includes a shaft 90, which is divided into end of the lever with a slot 120 in the rear end of the
two parts for assembly purposes, and a knob 92 for link. The rear end of lever 117 is pivotally connected to
manually turning the shaft to its several indexed posi a plunger 122 which is arranged as shown in FIGS. 6
tions. Shaft 90 includes a section A which is in registry and 13 for vertical displacement in housing 30 and which
with arm 78 of automatic sear 40 and which includes a 65 is biased upwardly by a pair of springs 124. Lever 117
recess 93 arranged to permit uninterrupted operation of is connected to plunger 122 by means of a pin 125 protrud
the automatic sear when selector-safety device 42 is in ing therefrom and a cooperating slot 126 in the rear end
dexed for automatic ?re. When selector-safety device 42 of the lever, whereby the upward bias of the rear end of
is indexed for any other type of ?ring operation, the un— lever by the plunger presses the rear end of link 114
interrupted periphery of section A noted at 95 contacts 70 vdownwardly, as shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 5 and 6, to move
shoulder 116 to a position away from engagement by
arm 78 to hold automatic sear 40 in its disengaged posi stud 118.
tion so as to be inoperable.
As shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, link 114 is actuated to
Shaft 90 also includes a section B of reduced diameter, an engaged position, wherein shoulder 116 is positioned
which is in registry with a ?nger 94 extending rearwardly 75 for engagement by stud 118, by means of a cam lobe 127
3,442,173
5 6
on selector-safety device 42, which is actuatable against of said grenade launcher, and a trigger mechanism re
head 128 of plunger 122, when the selector-safety device leasably connecting said ?ring mechanism to said trigger
is indexed for grenade launching, to depress the plunger. for operation thereby, said trigger mechanism including
Depression of plunger 122 raises the front end of lever a link actuatable into engagement with said trigger by
117 and thereby elevates link 114 so that shoulder 116 said selector-safety device, and means in said ?re control
is positioned for engagement by stud 118. Shoulder 116 mechanism and said ?ring mechanism disposed in co
includes an inclined cam portion 130 which during dis operation with said trigger mechanism for displacing said
placement of stud 118 therealong when link 114 is dis trigger to a position operatively isolated from the re
placed to its engaged position, serves to pivot trigger 44 maining ?re control mechanism to prevent operation of
forwardly of its normal inoperative position, shown in 10 said ri?e unit by said trigger when the weapon is selected
phantom in FIG. 13, to a forward position. As shown in for grenade launcher ?ring.
FIG. 7, this forward positioning of trigger 44 elevates pin 2. The weapon as de?ned in claim 1 wherein said trigger
62 so that the trigger is permitted limited rotation, enough mechanism includes a trigger bar connected at one end
to actuate trigger mechanism 20, before such pin can to said ?ring mechanism for actuation thereof and at the
come into contact with primary sear 36 for actuation other end to said link, means for biasing said link from an .
thereof to release hammer 32. When in its'forward posi engaged to a disengaged position respective to said trigger,
tion, the rearward displacement of trigger 44 is stopped, means on said link and said trigger arranged for engage
so that primary sear 36 will not be contacted by pin 62, ment when said link is in the engaged position to transmit
by contact of ?nger 94 of the trigger with periphery 99 displacement of said trigger to its ?ring position to said
of section B of selector-safety device 42 as shown in FIG. 20 ?ring mechanism for actuation thereof.
8. With link 114 in its engaged position, pressed engage 3. The weapon as de?ned in claim 2 wherein said means
ment is made between shoulder 116 and stud 118 to hold for biasing said link to the disengaged position include a
trigger 44 in its forward position by means of spring 112. lever mounted between the ends thereof for pivotal dis
in ?ring mechanism 20 of grenade launcher 16, which placement and connected at one of the ends to said
acts to bias the link ‘forwardly through trigger bar 113. link, and a spring-biased plunger connected by pin means
Consequently, with selector-safety device 42 indexed for to the other one of the ends of said lever.
grenade launching operation, trigger 44 is under the in 4. The weapon as de?ned in claim 2 wherein said trig
?uence of spring 112 of grenade launcher 16 and isolated
from spring 60 which can no longer act against the trig ger mechanism includes means actuatable by said selector‘
ger with pin 62 being elevated away from contact with safety device for displacing said link to the engaged posi
primary sear 36. tion when said selector-safety device is indexed for
Operation grenade launcher operation.
5. The weapon as de?ned in claim 4 wherein said means
When weapon 12 is to be made safe from accidental actuatable by said selector-safety device for displacing said
discharge, selector-safety device 42 is indexed in its “Safe” link to the engaged position includes a lever mounted be
position (FIG. 4), whereby trigger 44 is blocked against tween the ends thereof for pivotal displacement and con
displacement to its ?ring position, primary sear 36 and nected at one of the ends thereof to said link, a spring
secondary sear 38 are blocked against displacement from biased plunger connected by pin means to the other one
their engaged positions and link 114 is displaced to its of the ends of said lever, and a head on said plunger con
disengaged position to disconnect ?ring mechanism 20 tactable by a cam lobe on said selector-safety device for
from ?re control mechanism 22. 40
depressing said plunger against the spring bias when said
When weapon 12 is selected for grenade launching selector-safety device is indexed for grenade launching
(FIGS. 13 and 14), selector-safety device 42 is properly operation.
indexed according to reference symbols suitably marked 6. The weapon as de?ned in claim 4 wherein said means
on knob 92 whereby link 114 is actuated to its engaged on said link and said trigger include a stud on said trigger
position connecting trigger 44 to ?ring mechanism 20 disposed for actuation against a shoulder on said link
through trigger mechanism 18 and the trigger is advanced when said trigger is pulled to the ?ring position.
to its forward position to isolate it operatively from pri 7. The weapon as de?ned in claim 6 wherein said
mary sear 36. Thus, actuation of trigger 44 to its ?ring shoulder on said link includes an inclined cam surface
position actuates sear bar 102 one step for launching a disposed for cooperation with said stud on said trigger
grenade 100. so that when said link is displaced to the engaged posi
Semi-automatic ?re is effected by properly indexing tion said trigger is pressed to a new position operatively
selector-safety device ‘42 (FIGS. 5 and 6) whereby link isolated from other operating members of said ?re control
114 is displaced to its disengaged position, automatic sear mechanism.
40 is made inoperative through the contact of periphery 8. The weapon as de?ned in claim 7 wherein said ?re
95 of section A with the bottom end of arm 78 which 55 control mechanism includes a ?rst spring arranged to bias
pivots the automatic sear to its inoperative position while said trigger from a ?ring to a normal inoperative position
primary sear 36 and secondary sear 38 are permitted free
and to be free of said trigger when pressed to the new
operation by means of recess 98 in section B. position, and a second spring located in said ?ring mech
When selector-safety device 42 is indexed for automatic
anism of said grenade launcher and connected to said
?re (FIGS. 2 and 3), link 114 is displaced to its disen 60 trigger when said selector-safety device is indexed for
gaged position, recess 93 in section A is positioned in
registry with the bottom end of arm 78 to permit free grenade launching for biasing said trigger to the new
operation of automatic sear 40, and cam surface 96 is position.
positioned to make secondary sear 38 inoperative. Primary 9. The weapon as de?ned in claim 8 wherein said ?re
sear 36 is free for displacement by trigger 44 to start and 65 control mechanism includes a pivotal hammer, a primary
end an automatic burst through the cooperation of cut sear biased by said ?rst spring from a disengaged posi
out portion ‘97 in section B with tang 58 of the primary tion to an engaged position relative to said hammer to
sear.
releasably hold the hammer cocked, a transverse pin
I claim: through said trigger arranged to be acted upon by said
1. A weapon including a ri?e unit provided with a ?re primary sear to bias said trigger to its normal inoperative
control mechanism adapting said ri?e unit for selective position and to act against said primary sear for displace~
automatic and semi-automatic operation, a trigger of said ment thereof to the disengaged position thereof when said
?re control mechanism and a selector-safety device for trigger is pulled to its ?ring position, and said pin being
manually effecting the selected operation, a grenade located in said trigger so as to be displaced therewith to
launcher mounted on said ri?e unit, a ?ring mechanism a position sufficiently spaced from said primary sear when
3,442,173
7 8
trigger is actuated to its new position to permit actuation FOREIGN PATENTS
of said trdigger mechanism by said trigger Without displac- 1 026 665 3/1958 Germany.
ing said primary sear from its engaged position.
BENJAMIN A. BORCHELT, Primary Examiner
References Cited
5 STEPHEN c. BENTLEY, Assistant Examiner
UNITED STATES PATENTS
US. Cl X.R.
2,935,915 5/1960 Janson __________ __ 89-126 X
3,279,114 10/1966 Lewis et a1. __________ __ 42~1 42—1;89*148