Firearm noise and flash suppressor having ratcheted collet locking mechanism

Abstract

A sound and flash suppressor having a tubular suppressor housing is releasably secured to a suppressor mounting adapter that is threaded to a firearm barrel. An annular locking collet is defined by a housing mounting adapter and has a plurality of spring collet fingers each having an internal ratcheted locking surface and being moveable to locking and release positions relative to an externally ratcheted locking surface of the suppressor mounting adapter A locking ring is supported by the suppressor mounting adapter and is rotatable for actuating the spring collet fingers to locking positions locking the tubular suppressor housing against loosening or separation movement relative to the suppressor mounting adapter. The locking ring is rotatable in a release direction permitting spring movement of the spring locking fingers to their release positions.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A sound and flash suppressor for firearms having a barrel defining a threaded muzzle end, comprising:
 a suppressor mounting adapter being threaded to said threaded muzzle end of the firearm barrel;   a tubular suppressor housing defining a propellant gas processing chamber having gas processing members therein and being releasably secured to said suppressor mounting adapter;   an annular collet being defined by said tubular suppressor housing and having a plurality of collet fingers each having a release position and a locking position; and   a locking member being movably supported by said tubular suppressor housing and movably actuating said plurality of collet fingers of said annular collet to locking positions thereof locking said tubular suppressor housing against loosening or separation movement relative to said suppressor mounting adapter, said locking member being moveable in a release direction permitting spring movement of said spring locking fingers to said release positions thereof.   
     
     
         2 . The sound and flash suppressor of  claim 1 , comprising:
 an annular external locking rim being defined by said suppressor mounting adapter;   an internal locking surface being defined by each of said plurality of collet fingers and being disposed for locking contact with said annular external locking rim when said plurality of collet fingers are actuated to said locking positions by said locking member.   
     
     
         3 . The sound and flash suppressor of  claim 2 , comprising:
 an annular external ratcheting surface being defined by said annular external locking rim; and   an internal ratcheting surface being defined by each of said plurality of collet fingers and being disposed for locking engagement with said annular external ratcheting surface when said plurality of collet fingers are located at said locking positions thereof.   
     
     
         4 . The sound and flash suppressor of  claim 1 , comprising:
 a locking thread being defined by said housing mounting adapter;   said locking member being a locking ring having threaded engagement with said locking thread and defining a spring finger actuating surface, rotation of said locking ring relative to said housing mounting adapter causing actuating movement of said spring locking fingers to and from said locking and release positions responsive to the direction of rotation of said locking ring.   
     
     
         5 . The sound and flash suppressor of  claim 1 , comprising:
 said suppressor mounting adapter defining an externally threaded section and having spaced external sealing surfaces with said externally threaded section located therebetween; and   a housing mounting adapter being connected with said tubular suppressor housing and having an internally threaded section engaging said externally threaded section of said suppressor mounting adapter and having spaced internal sealing surfaces in sealing engagement with said spaced external sealing surfaces of said suppressor mounting adapter when said tubular suppressor housing and said housing adapter are assembled to said suppressor mounting adapter.   
     
     
         6 . The sound and flash suppressor of  claim 1 , comprising:
 said gas processing members being a plurality of baffle members and spacer members arranged in serially stacked relation and having tubular walls defining a central gas processing chamber and serially arranged internal baffle chambers defining a primary propellant gas flow path through said tubular suppressor housing;   said tubular walls of said baffle members and spacer members being spaced from said internal wall surface of said tubular suppressor housing and defining a secondary propellant gas flow path through said suppressor housing; and   a housing mounting adapter being connected with said tubular suppressor housing and defining a bypass passage communicating said primary propellant gas flow path with said secondary propellant gas flow path, said primary and secondary propellant gas flow paths cooperating to minimize propellant gas pressure within said tubular suppressor housing and minimizing sound and flash discharge from said suppressor.   
     
     
         7 . The sound and flash suppressor of  claim 6 , comprising:
 a thread connection being defined by said housing mounting adapter with said suppressor mounting adapter and permitting unthreading separation of said sound and flash separator from said suppressor mounting adapter.   
     
     
         8 . The sound and flash suppressor of  claim 6 , comprising:
 a thread connection being defined by said housing mounting adapter with said suppressor mounting adapter; and   said housing mounting adapter and said suppressor mounting adapter each having spaced seal surfaces being engaged when said sound and flash suppressor is seated in operative position and supported by said suppressor mounting adapter.   
     
     
         9 . The sound and flash suppressor of  claim 1 , comprising:
 an external thread section being defined by said suppressor mounting adapter;   spaced annular external seal members being defined by said suppressor mounting adapter with said external thread section being located therebetween; and   a housing mounting adapter being located within said tubular suppressor housing and having an internal thread section being engaged with said external thread section and having spaced internal seal members in sealing engagement with said spaced external seal members when said tubular suppressor housing is in supported engagement with said suppressor mounting adapter.   
     
     
         10 . The sound and flash suppressor of  claim 1 , comprising:
 a front wall being defined by said tubular suppressor housing and defining a central primary propellant gas discharge port thro\ugh which propellant gas is discharged from said primary propellant gas flow path;   a flash hider surrounding said central primary propellant gas discharge port and projecting forward from said front wall; and   a plurality of secondary propellant gas discharge ports being defined by said front wall and being in communication with said secondary propellant gas flow path.   
     
     
         11 . A sound and flash suppressor for firearms having a barrel defining a threaded muzzle end, comprising:
 a suppressor mounting adapter being threaded to said threaded muzzle end of the firearm barrel and defining an external thread;   a tubular suppressor housing defining a propellant gas processing chamber having gas processing members therein;   a housing mounting adapter being secured to said tubular suppressor housing and having an internal thread section establishing threaded connection with said external thread section when said housing mounting adapter is in operative engagement with said suppressor mounting adapter;   an annular collet being defined by said tubular suppressor housing and having a plurality of collet fingers each having a release position and a locking position; and   a locking member being movably supported by said tubular suppressor housing and movably actuating said plurality of collet fingers of said annular collet to locking positions thereof locking said tubular suppressor housing against loosening or separation movement relative to said suppressor mounting adapter, said locking member being moveable in a release direction permitting spring movement of said spring locking fingers to said release positions thereof.   
     
     
         12 . The sound and flash suppressor of  claim 11 , comprising:
 said suppressor mounting adapter defining a pair of external spaced seal surfaces with said external thread section located therebetween; and   said housing mounting adapter defining a pair of internal spaced seal surfaces with said internal thread section located therebetween, said spaced external and internal sealing surfaces establishing seals preventing propellant gas fouling of said thread sections when said sound and flash suppressor is installed on said suppressor mounting adapter.   
     
     
         13 . The sound and flash suppressor of  claim 11 , comprising:
 an annular external locking rim being defined by said suppressor mounting adapter;   an internal locking surface being defined by each of said plurality of collet fingers and being disposed for locking contact with said annular external locking rim when said plurality of collet fingers are actuated to said locking positions by said locking member.   
     
     
         14 . The sound and flash suppressor of  claim 13 , comprising:
 an annular external ratcheting surface being defined by said annular external locking rim; and   an internal ratcheting surface being defined by each of said plurality of collet fingers and being disposed for locking engagement with said annular external ratcheting surface when said plurality of collet fingers are located at said locking positions thereof.   
     
     
         15 . The sound and flash suppressor of  claim 11 , comprising:
 a locking thread being defined by said housing mounting adapter;   said locking member being a locking ring having threaded engagement with said locking thread and defining a spring finger actuating surface, rotation of said locking ring relative to said housing mounting adapter causing actuating movement of said spring locking fingers to and from said locking and release positions responsive to the direction of rotation of said locking ring.   
     
     
         16 . The sound and flash suppressor of  claim 11 , comprising:
 said suppressor mounting adapter defining an externally threaded section and having spaced external sealing surfaces with said externally threaded section located therebetween; and   a housing mounting adapter being connected with said tubular suppressor housing and having an internally threaded section engaging said externally threaded section of said suppressor mounting adapter and having spaced internal sealing surfaces in sealing engagement with said spaced external sealing surfaces of said suppressor mounting adapter when said tubular suppressor housing and said housing adapter are assembled to said suppressor mounting adapter.   
     
     
         17 . The sound and flash suppressor of  claim 11 , comprising:
 said gas processing members being a plurality of baffle members and spacer members arranged in serially stacked relation and having tubular walls defining a central gas processing chamber and serially arranged internal baffle chambers defining a primary propellant gas flow path through said tubular suppressor housing;   said tubular walls of said baffle members and spacer members being spaced from said internal wall surface of said tubular suppressor housing and defining a secondary propellant gas flow path through said suppressor housing; and   a housing mounting adapter being connected with said tubular suppressor housing and defining a bypass passage communicating said primary propellant gas flow path with said secondary propellant gas flow path, said primary and secondary propellant gas flow paths cooperating to minimize propellant gas pressure within said tubular suppressor housing and minimizing sound and flash discharge from said suppressor.   
     
     
         18 . The sound and flash suppressor of  claim 17 , comprising:
 a thread connection being defined by said housing mounting adapter with said suppressor mounting adapter; and   said housing mounting adapter and said suppressor mounting adapter each having spaced seal surfaces being engaged when said sound and flash suppressor is seated in operative position and supported by said suppressor mounting adapter.   
     
     
         19 . The sound and flash suppressor of  claim 11 , comprising:
 an external thread section being defined by said suppressor mounting adapter;   spaced annular external seal members being defined by said suppressor mounting adapter with said external thread section being located therebetween; and   a housing mounting adapter being located within said tubular suppressor housing and having an internal thread section being engaged with said external thread section and having spaced internal seal members in sealing engagement with said spaced external seal members when said tubular suppressor housing is in supported engagement with said suppressor mounting adapter.   
     
     
         20 . The sound and flash suppressor of  claim 11 , comprising:
 a front wall being defined by said tubular suppressor housing and defining a central primary propellant gas discharge port thro\ugh which propellant gas is discharged from said primary propellant gas flow path;   a flash hider surrounding said central primary propellant gas discharge port and projecting forward from said front wall; and   a plurality of secondary propellant gas discharge ports being defined by said front wall and being in communication with said secondary propellant gas flow path.