Gas block and gas tube ferrule seal for firearms barrel

Abstract

A gas block mounted to a rifle barrel and having a gas conducting tube retained within a tube receptacle of the gas block. A ferrule seat is defined about the gas conducting tube receptacle and a sealing ferrule member surrounding the barrel is press fitted within the ferrule seat and is deformed during press fitting to form a gas seal between the gas conducting tube and the gas block within the gas tube receptacle.

1 . A cartridge gas actuating mechanism for a firearm comprising:
 a barrel defining a barrel bore and having a barrel port along the length thereof in communication with said barrel bore;   a gas block member being mounted externally of said barrel and having a gas passage in communication with said barrel port;   a gas tube receptacle being defined within said gas block member;   a gas conducting tube having an internal gas passage and having an end portion thereof retained within said gas tube receptacle and establishing a gas block/gas tube interface; and   a seal member establishing positive sealing within said gas tube receptacle and with said gas tube and with said gas block member at said gas block/gas tube interface and preventing leakage of cartridge gas from said gas block/gas tube interface upon firing of a cartridge.   
     
     
         2 . The cartridge gas actuating mechanism of  claim 1 , comprising:
 said seal member being an annular seal member positioned about said gas conducting tube and being press-fitted within said gas tube receptacle to establish positive sealing with said gas block and said gas conducting tube at said gas block/gas tube interface.   
     
     
         3 . The cartridge gas actuating mechanism of  claim 1 , comprising:
 an annular gas seal receptacle being defined by said gas block member and surrounding said gas tube receptacle; and   said seal member being an annular ferrule seal located within said annular gas seal receptacle and having sealing engagement with said gas block member within said annular gas seal receptacle and having sealing engagement with said gas conducting tube.   
     
     
         4 . The cartridge gas actuating mechanism of  claim 3 , comprising:
 said annular gas seal receptacle having a substantially cylindrical internal wall surface and having an outer enlargement defining a circular receptacle having a generally circular seal flange receptacle circumscribing said gas tube receptacle;   said gas tube being substantially immoveable relative to said gas block member and being composed of metal and having a generally cylindrical external configuration;   said annular ferrule seal member being composed of deformable metal and having a generally cylindrical wall and having an annular tapered lead end enabling guided entry of said generally cylindrical wall into said annular gas seal receptacle during press fitting installation, said annular ferrule seal member being press-fitted within said annular gas seal receptacle and being deformed sufficiently by press-fitting force to establish positive sealing thereof with said gas block within said annular gas seal receptacle and with said gas conducting tube.   
     
     
         5 . (canceled) 
     
     
         6 . The cartridge gas actuating mechanism of  claim 4 , comprising:
 said annular ferrule seal member being composed of deformable metal material and having a central opening receiving said gas conducting tube;   upon being deformed by press-fitting said annular ferrule seal member establishing positive cartridge gas pressure resistant sealing within said gas tube receptacle of said gas block member and with said gas conducting tube; and   said annular ferrule seal member having an outer circular flange being positioned within said seal flange receptacle.   
     
     
         7 . The cartridge gas actuating mechanism of  claim 1 , comprising:
 a gas tube bore being defined by said gas block and having an end portion of said gas conducting tube substantially fixed therein;   said gas tube receptacle being located in substantially concentric relation with said gas tube bore and being of generally cylindrical internal configuration and having a gas passage being aligned with said barrel port of said firearm barrel and communicating cartridge gas from said barrel port into said gas conducting tube;   an annular gas seal receptacle being defined by said gas block and having an inner receptacle surface portion being located substantially concentrically about said gas tube receptacle and having an annular internal stop shoulder; and   said seal member being a ferrule seal having a generally cylindrical tubular portion being received within said annular gas seal receptacle about said gas tube and establishing a seal with said gas tube and a seal with said gas block within said inner receptacle surface of said annular gas seal receptacle.   
     
     
         8 . The cartridge gas actuating mechanism of  claim 7 , comprising:
 an annular seal flange receptacle being defined by said gas block about said gas tube receptacle and having an annular flange shoulder; and   an annular flange being defined by said ferrule seal and being received by said annular seal flange receptacle.   
     
     
         9 . The cartridge gas actuating mechanism of  claim 8 , comprising:
 said gas block member defining an external surface intersected by said annular flange seal receptacle; and   said annular flange of said ferrule seal being positioned within said annular flange seal receptacle and being located substantially coextensive with said external surface.   
     
     
         10 . A cartridge gas actuating mechanism comprising:
 a barrel defining a barrel bore and having a barrel port along the length thereof in communication with said barrel bore;   a gas block member being mounted externally of said barrel and having a gas passage in communication with said barrel port;   a gas tube receptacle being defined within said gas block member;   a gas conducting tube having an internal gas passage and having an end portion thereof retained within said gas tube receptacle and establishing a gas block/gas tube interface, said gas conducting tube having an end portion thereof fixed within said gas tube receptacle and defining a gas port being in alignment with said gas passage;   a gas seal receptacle being defined by said gas block member and being open to said gas tube receptacle, said gas seal receptacle having a generally cylindrical wall section and a gas seal flange receptacle circumscribing said generally cylindrical wall section; and   a seal member being press-fitted within said gas seal receptacle and having a generally cylindrical wall in sealing engagement with said generally cylindrical wall section and having a substantially circular flange member positioned within said gas seal flange receptacle, said seal member establishing positive sealing with said gas tube and with said gas block member within said gas seal receptacle and preventing leakage of cartridge gas at said gas block/gas tube interface upon firing of a cartridge.   
     
     
         11 . The cartridge gas actuating mechanism of  claim 10 , comprising:
 said gas seal receptacle being defined by said gas block member and being located in substantially concentric relation with said gas tube receptacle;   said gas conducting tube having a generally cylindrical external surface; and   said seal member being an annular ferrule seal located within said annular gas seal receptacle and being deformed by press-fitting and establishing cartridge gas pressure resistant sealing engagement with said gas block member within said annular gas seal receptacle and establishing sealing engagement with said generally cylindrical external surface of said gas conducting tube.   
     
     
         12 . (canceled) 
     
     
         13 . The cartridge gas actuating mechanism of  claim 11 , comprising:
 said annular gas seal receptacle defining a circular internal surface and a circular bottom surface in substantially concentric relation with said gas tube bore;   said annular ferrule seal being composed of deformable material and having a central opening receiving said gas conducting tube; and   upon being deformed by press-fitting said annular ferrule seal being conformed to and establishing sealing engagement with said circular internal surface and said circular bottom surface of said annular gas seal receptacle and establishing sealing relation with said generally cylindrical external geometry of said gas conducting tube thus establishing positive sealing with said gas block and with said gas conducting tube.   
     
     
         14 . The cartridge gas actuating mechanism of  claim 10 , comprising:
 said gas tube receptacle being of generally cylindrical internal configuration;   an annular gas seal receptacle being defined by said gas block and having an inner cylindrical receptacle surface and an internal circular bottom shoulder both being located concentrically about said gas tube receptacle; and   said seal member being a ferrule seal having a generally cylindrical tubular portion being received in sealing relation with said inner cylindrical receptacle surface and establishing a seal with said gas tube and a seal with said gas block within said annular gas seal receptacle, said generally cylindrical tubular portion having an annular tapered lead end facilitating ease of insertion of said seal member into said annular gas seal receptacle.   
     
     
         16 . The cartridge gas actuating mechanism of  claim 14 , comprising:
 an annular seal flange receptacle being defined by said gas block about said gas tube receptacle and having an annular flange shoulder; and   an annular flange being defined by said ferrule seal and being received by said annular seal flange receptacle.   
     
     
         17 . The cartridge gas actuating mechanism of  claim 10 , comprising:
 said gas block defining an external generally planar surface intersected by said annular flange seal receptacle; and   said annular flange of said ferrule seal having generally planar surface being located substantially coextensive with said external generally planar surface when said annular flange is seated within said annular flange seal receptacle.   
     
     
         18 . A cartridge gas actuating mechanism comprising:
 an upper receiver having a barrel defining a cartridge chamber and barrel bore and having a barrel port along the length thereof in communication with said barrel bore;   a gas block member being mounted externally of said barrel and having an internal gas passage in communication with said barrel port;   a gas tube receptacle being a gas tube bore defined within said gas block member;   a gas conducting tube having an internal gas passage and a generally cylindrical external surface and having an end portion thereof retained in substantially fixed relation within said gas tube receptacle and establishing a gas block/gas tube interface;   a gas seal receptacle being defined within said gas block member substantially concentric about said gas tube receptacle and being open to said gas tube receptacle; and   an annular deformable ferrule seal member located about said gas conducting tube and being press-fitted within said gas seal receptacle and establishing positive sealing with said generally cylindrical external surface of said gas tube and with said gas seal receptacle of said gas block member and preventing leakage of cartridge gas at said gas block/gas tube interface upon firing of a cartridge.   
     
     
         19 . The cartridge gas actuating mechanism of  claim 18 , comprising:
 said gas seal receptacle defining an annular seal flange receptacle located in substantially concentric relation about said gas tube receptacle and intersecting an external surface of said gas block; and   said annular deformable ferrule seal member having an annular flange defining an outer end thereof, said annular flange being received by said annular seal flange receptacle.