Trigger mechanism

What is this patent about?

’067 is related to the field of firearm trigger mechanisms, specifically those designed for semi-automatic operation. In standard semi-automatic systems, the rearward travel of the bolt carrier forces the hammer back into a cocked position, often causing the hammer to strike the disconnector with significant force. This impact creates a sharp mechanical feedback known as trigger snap, which can cause discomfort or injury to the shooter over time, while the inherent delay in the hammer-to-trigger reset cycle limits the achievable rate of fire.

The underlying idea behind ’067 is to utilize the kinetic energy of the hammer’s over-travel to actively drive the trigger and disconnector back into their ready-to-fire positions. By inserting a secondary linkage between the hammer and the trigger assembly, the invention transforms the hammer's rearward momentum into a mechanical assist. This setup effectively bypasses the traditional reliance on manual trigger release and spring tension alone, creating a faster, forced reset that simultaneously shields the shooter's finger from the harsh impact of the hammer striking the disconnector directly.

The claims of ’067 focus on a trigger mechanism featuring a reset lever that serves as a mechanical bridge between the hammer and the trigger-disconnector assembly. The independent claims describe a hammer that, upon moving into a past-cocked position, strikes this reset lever to pivot it from an open to a closed position. This motion is specifically claimed to act upon the trigger body or a cam surface on the disconnector, forcibly shifting the assembly from a discharged orientation back to a charged orientation where the trigger nose is pre-positioned to catch the hammer notch.

In practice, the system employs a boomerang-shaped lever biased by a spring and controlled by a multi-position selector. When the user selects the assisted-reset mode, the lever moves into the path of the hammer's tail. As the bolt carrier cycles and pushes the hammer back, the hammer hits the lever instead of the disconnector. This impact drives the lever against a cam surface on the disconnector, which mechanically pops the trigger forward and resets the sear engagement almost instantaneously, significantly reducing the time required between successive shots.

This approach differs from prior solutions by providing a forced mechanical reset that is physically isolated from the primary sear surfaces until the moment of impact. While standard triggers wait for the user to let go of the trigger to reset the sear, this mechanism uses the firearm's own cycling energy to do the work. Furthermore, the inclusion of a selector with varying stop distances allows the shooter to physically shorten the trigger travel, combining a reduced pull length with an accelerated reset to maximize semi-automatic firing speed while eliminating painful trigger snap.