Carbon Fiber Barrel and Method for Making the Same

Abstract

A carbon fiber composite reinforced gun barrel and a method for making the same. The composite barrel that includes an interference fit gas block sleeve and machined steel ferrule that seals the gas port provided through the laminate composite reducing the risk of pressure leakage and delamination. The disclosed method of winding a carbon fiber resin composite on a structure, such as a rifle barrel, produces, for a given layer, constant wind angles that are engineered for longitudinal stiffness throughout the length of a given layer. The engineered wind angles throughout the length of each layer of fiber minimizing sacrificial material for the benefit of optimal fiber orientations and wound fiber collation. Whereas the base layers are defined by hoop winding, the orientation angles of successive strata becomes progressively lower and lower until the outermost strata achieve the target orientation angle of approximately 3 to 5 degrees.

Having thus described the aforementioned invention, what is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A carbon fiber resin composite reinforced gun barrel having a reinforced gas port, said carbon fiber composite reinforced gun barrel comprising:
 a barrel defined by a steel barrel core having a longitudinal bore adapted for the passage of a projectile;   a carbon fiber resin composite wrapped around said barrel core, said carbon fiber resin composite being wrapped in multiple strata wherein orientation angles of successive strata become progressively lower;   an annular gas block landing sleeve carried by said barrel and engaging said barrel in an interference fit;   a gas port drilled in a selected location through said barrel core, said gas block landing sleeve, and said strata of said carbon fiber resin composite, said gas port adapted for providing fluid communication between said longitudinal bore of said barrel and said gas block, said gas port including a chamfer proximate interior an interior end of said gas port;   a gas port ferrule disposed through said gas port, said gas port ferrule having a longitudinal bore and further having a conical taper disposed at an interior end said conical taper adapted to form a pressure seal with said chamfer, said gas port ferrule being adapted for preventing said expansion gases from leaching through said strata of carbon fiber resin composite; and   a gas block carried by said barrel and secured to said annular gas block landing sleeve.   
     
     
         2 . The carbon fiber resin composite reinforced gun barrel having a reinforced gas port of  claim 1  wherein an innermost stratum of said carbon fiber resin composite winding is defined by high angle hoop wraps and a selected angle of outermost strata of said carbon fiber resin composite winding is defined by low angle helical wraps. 
     
     
         3 . The carbon fiber resin composite reinforced gun barrel having a reinforced gas port of  claim 2  wherein said outermost layers of strata of said carbon fiber resin composite windings have low wind angles in a range of approximately 3 to 5 degrees. 
     
     
         4 . The carbon fiber resin composite reinforced gun barrel having a reinforced gas port of  claim 1  wherein said gas block landing includes a chamfer and further wherein said gas port ferrule is secured to said gas block landing sleeve by a fillet weld. 
     
     
         5 . The carbon fiber resin composite reinforced gun barrel having a reinforced gas port of  claim 1  wherein said ferrule has an interior diameter that is in a range of approximately 0.005″ to approximately 0.010″ larger than an interior diameter of said gas port thereby forming a divergent duct. 
     
     
         6 . The carbon fiber resin composite reinforced gun barrel having a reinforced gas port of  claim 1  wherein said longitudinal bore of said gas port ferrule is conical. 
     
     
         7 . The carbon fiber resin composite reinforced gun barrel having a reinforced gas port of  claim 1  wherein said longitudinal bore of said gas port ferrule is cylindrical. 
     
     
         8 . The carbon fiber resin composite reinforced gun barrel having a reinforced gas port of  claim 1  wherein said gas port ferrule is composed of steel. 
     
     
         9 . The carbon fiber resin composite reinforced gun barrel having a reinforced gas port of  claim 1  wherein said gun barrel further comprises circumferential adhesive galleys provided on said carbon fiber resin composite adjacent to said gas block landing sleeve adapted for receiving a selected adhesive for further securing said gas block landing sleeve to said carbon fiber resin composite, wherein said circumferential adhesive galleys are approximately 0.0015″ to approximately 0.003″ deep. 
     
     
         10 . A carbon fiber resin composite reinforced gun barrel having a reinforced gas port, said carbon fiber composite reinforced gun barrel comprising:
 a barrel defined by a steel barrel core having a longitudinal bore adapted for the passage of a projectile;   a carbon fiber resin composite wrapped around said barrel core, said carbon fiber resin composite being wrapped in multiple strata wherein orientation angles of successive strata become progressively lower;   an annular gas block landing sleeve carried by said barrel and engaging said barrel in an interference fit;   a gas port drilled in a selected location through said barrel core, said gas block landing sleeve, and said strata of said carbon fiber resin composite, said gas port adapted for providing fluid communication between said longitudinal bore of said barrel and said gas block, said gas port including a chamfer proximate interior an interior end of said gas port, wherein said ferrule has an interior diameter that is in a range of approximately 0.005″ to approximately 0.010″ larger than an interior diameter of said gas port thereby forming a divergent duct;   a gas port ferrule disposed through said gas port, said gas port ferrule having a longitudinal bore and further having a conical taper disposed at an interior end said conical taper adapted to form a pressure seal with said chamfer, said gas port ferrule being adapted for preventing said expansion gases from leaching through said strata of carbon fiber resin composite, wherein said gas block landing includes a chamfer and further wherein said gas port ferrule is secured to said gas block landing sleeve by a fillet weld;   circumferential adhesive galleys provided on said carbon fiber resin composite adjacent to said gas block landing sleeve adapted for receiving a selected adhesive for further securing said gas block landing sleeve to said carbon fiber resin composite, wherein said circumferential adhesive galleys are approximately 0.0015″ to approximately 0.003″ deep; and   a gas block carried by said barrel and secured to said annular gas block landing sleeve.   
     
     
         11 . The carbon fiber resin composite reinforced gun barrel having a reinforced gas port of  claim 10  wherein an innermost stratum of said carbon fiber resin composite winding is defined by hoop winding. 
     
     
         12 . The carbon fiber resin composite reinforced gun barrel having a reinforced gas port of  claim 10  wherein outermost layers of strata of said carbon fiber resin composite windings have low wind angles in a range of approximately 3 to 5 degrees. 
     
     
         13 . The carbon fiber resin composite reinforced gun barrel having a reinforced gas port of  claim 10  wherein a wind angle of each said stratum of carbon fiber resin composite wound around said barrel core is an engineered wind angle that is constant for a length of said stratum. 
     
     
         14 . The carbon fiber resin composite reinforced gun barrel having a reinforced gas port of  claim 10  wherein said longitudinal bore of said gas port ferrule is conical. 
     
     
         15 . The carbon fiber resin composite reinforced gun barrel having a reinforced gas port of  claim 10  wherein said longitudinal bore of said gas port ferrule is cylindrical. 
     
     
         16 . The carbon fiber resin composite reinforced gun barrel having a reinforced gas port of  claim 10  wherein said gas port ferrule is composed of steel. 
     
     
         17 . The carbon fiber resin composite reinforced gun barrel having a reinforced gas port of  claim 10  wherein said gun barrel further comprises circumferential adhesive galleys provided on said carbon fiber resin composite adjacent to said gas block landing sleeve adapted for receiving a selected adhesive for further securing said gas block landing sleeve to said carbon fiber resin composite, wherein said circumferential adhesive galleys are approximately 0.0015″ to approximately 0.003″ deep.