Gun Muzzle Sound Suppressor

Abstract

A gun muzzle sound suppressor incorporating a plurality of bells, the plurality of bells including a breachward-most bell and at least a second bell, wherein each bell among the plurality of bells has a breachward throat and a muzzleward mouth, wherein the breachward throat of the at least second bell extends into the muzzleward mouth of the breachward-most bell, wherein each bell among the plurality of bells has a circumferentially extending wall, wherein the radially outer surface of the circumferentially extending wall of the breachward-most bell is radially inwardly and muzzlewardly bowed, and wherein the radially outer surface of the circumferentially extending wall of the at least second bell is substantially conic; and incorporating a cylindrical housing, wherein the plurality of bells are arranged in a linear series within the cylindrical housing.

1 . A gun muzzle sound suppressor comprising:
 (a) a plurality of bells arranged in a series along a longitudinal axis, the plurality of bells comprising a breachward-most bell and at least a second bell, wherein each bell among the plurality of bells has a breachward throat and a muzzleward mouth, wherein the breachward throat of the at least second bell extends into the breachward-most bell's muzzleward mouth, wherein each bell among the plurality of bells has a circumferentially extending wall forming a geometric shape selected from the group consisting of obverted ellipsoid surfaces, obverted paraboloid surfaces, and hyperboloid surfaces, and wherein the circumferentially extending wall of the at least second bell is substantially conic; and   (b) a first cylindrical housing, the plurality of bells being mounted within the first cylindrical housing.   
     
     
         2 . The gun muzzle sound suppressor of  claim 1  wherein the plurality of bells further comprise a plurality of third bells, each bell among the plurality of third bells being positioned muzzlewardly from the at least second bell, wherein said each bell is configured substantially identically with the at least second bell. 
     
     
         3 . The gun muzzle sound suppressor of  claim 2  wherein the first cylindrical housing is segmented, and wherein each bell among the plurality of bells is fixedly attached to or formed wholly with one of the first cylindrical housing's segments. 
     
     
         4 . The gun muzzle sound suppressor of  claim 3  comprising a second cylindrical housing positioned radially outwardly from the first cylindrical housing, and further comprising a gas flow annulus between the first and second cylindrical housings. 
     
     
         5 . The gun muzzle sound suppressor of  claim 4  further comprising a multiplicity of baffles within the gas flow annulus. 
     
     
         6 . The gun muzzle sound suppressor of  claim 5  wherein each baffle among the multiplicity of baffles extends helically about the longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         7 . The gun muzzle sound suppressor of  claim 6  wherein each baffle among the multiplicity of baffles is formed wholly with one of the first cylindrical housing's segments. 
     
     
         8 . The gun muzzle sound suppressor of  claim 7  wherein the second cylindrical housing has a helically threaded breachward end, and further comprising a helically threaded gun muzzle adapter received within said end. 
     
     
         9 . The gun muzzle sound suppressor of  claim 8  wherein the second cylindrical housing has a helically threaded muzzleward end, and further comprising a helically threaded blast choking ring received within said end. 
     
     
         10 . A gun muzzle sound suppressor comprising:
 (a) a plurality of bells arranged in a series along a longitudinal axis, the plurality of bells comprising a breachward-most bell and at least a second bell, wherein each bell among the plurality of bells has a breachward throat and a muzzleward mouth, wherein the breachward throat of the at least second bell extends into the breachward-most bell's muzzleward mouth, wherein each bell among the plurality of bells has a circumferentially extending wall, wherein the circumferentially extending wall of the breachward-most bell is radially inwardly and muzzlewardly bowed, and wherein the circumferentially extending wall of the at least second bell is substantially conic; and   (b) a first cylindrical housing, the plurality of bells being mounted within the first cylindrical housing.   
     
     
         11 . The gun muzzle sound suppressor of  claim 10  wherein the circumferentially extending wall of the breachward-most bell has a length extending radially outwardly and muzzlewardly from said bell's throat, wherein said wall's radially inward and muzzleward bow has a depth, and wherein said length is between six and twelve times greater than said depth. 
     
     
         12 . The gun muzzle sound suppressor of  claim 11  wherein the plurality of bells further comprise a plurality of third bells, each bell among the plurality of third bells being positioned muzzlewardly from the at least second bell, wherein each bell is configured substantially identically with the at least second bell. 
     
     
         13 . The gun muzzle sound suppressor of  claim 12  wherein the first cylindrical housing is segmented, and wherein each bell among the plurality of bells is fixedly attached to or formed wholly with one of the first cylindrical housing's segments. 
     
     
         14 . The gun muzzle sound suppressor of  claim 13  comprising a second cylindrical housing positioned radially outwardly from the first cylindrical housing, and further comprising gas flow annulus between the first and second cylindrical housings. 
     
     
         15 . The gun muzzle sound suppressor of  claim 14  further comprising and multiplicity of baffles within the gas flow annulus. 
     
     
         16 . The gun muzzle sound suppressor of  claim 15  wherein each baffle among the multiplicity of baffles extends helically about the longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         17 . The gun muzzle sound suppressor of  claim 16  wherein each baffle among the multiplicity of baffles is formed wholly with one of the first cylindrical housing's segments. 
     
     
         18 . The gun muzzle sound suppressor of  claim 17  wherein the second cylindrical housing has a helically threaded breachward end, and further comprising a helically threaded gun muzzle adapter received within said end. 
     
     
         19 . The gun muzzle sound suppressor of  claim 18  wherein the second cylindrical housing has a helically threaded muzzleward end, and further comprising a helically threaded blast choking ring received within said end. 
     
     
         20 . The gun muzzle sound suppressor of  claim 10  further comprising a multiplicity of circumferentially extending knurls, each such knurl extending radially outwardly and breachwardly from one of the bells.