Pressure relief valve for providing recoil to blank-firing weapons

Abstract

An improved pressure relief valve is provided for giving recoil to blank-ing weapons of the recoil type. This pressure relief valve includes a cap which is fitted to the muzzle of a gun allowing longitudinal movement of the barrel. The cap is provided with an endwall in which a series of circularly arranged holes are provided and it is maintained in a fixed position with respect to the loading end of the weapon by spaced rods which are secured to the cap's flange and anchored at their opposite ends to a barrel jacket of the weapon. Positioned in the muzzle end of the bore of the weapon, and affixed to the endwall of the cap, is the pressure relief valve which is provided with diametrically opposite flats and a fully cylindrical portion sized to allow sliding movement in the bore of the barrel. In operation, when the blank cartridge ignites, the gas expands down the bore of the barrel and is trapped inside the barrel by the valve, forcing the barrel into recoil. As the barrel recoils, the flats on the pressure relief valve are exposed and there is a rapid release of the gas pressure into the fixed end cap, where the unrestricted gas is vented through the holes in the endwall of the cap member. The pressure relief valve can be utilized with any recoil operated blank firing weapon.