Automatic shootbolt

1 . An automatic shootbolt assembly comprising:

a frame;

a shootbolt slidably carried for linear motion along a shootbolt axis between a shootbolt retracted position and a shootbolt extended position, the shootbolt having a latch abutment, the shoot bolt having a first projection extending outward generally perpendicular to the shoot bolt axis;

a biasing member biasing the shootbolt in a first direction towards the extended position;

an actuation lever slidably carried for linear motion parallel to the shootbolt axis between an actuation lever retracted position and an actuation lever extended position, the actuation lever having a cam actuator;

a shootbolt latch slidable transverse to the shootbolt axis between a latched position and a released position, the shootbolt latch having a shootbolt abutment that engages the latch abutment when the shootbolt is in the shootbolt retracted position, the actuation lever is in the actuation lever extended position, and the shootbolt latch is in the latched position, the engagement between the latch abutment and the shootbolt abutment preventing the shootbolt from transitioning to the shootbolt extended position, the shootbolt latch having a cam surface that cooperates with the cam actuator to transition the shootbolt latch from the latched position to the released position when the actuation lever is transitioned from the actuation lever extended position to the actuation lever retracted position;

a dampening spring having a spring projection extending generally perpendicular to the shoot bolt axis, the spring projection being positioned on a first side of the first projection in the shootbolt extended position and on a second opposite side of the first projection in the shootbolt retraced position, the spring projection engaging the first projection to dampen the speed of the shootbolt as the shootbolt transitions from the shootbolt retracted position to shootbolt extend position.

2 . An automatic shootbolt assembly comprising:

a frame;

a shootbolt slidably carried for linear motion along a shootbolt axis between a shootbolt retracted position and a shootbolt extended position, the shootbolt having a latch abutment;

a biasing member biasing the shootbolt in a first direction towards the extended position;

an actuation lever slidably carried for linear motion parallel to the shootbolt axis between an actuation lever retracted position and an actuation lever extended position, the actuation lever having a cam actuator;

a shootbolt latch slidable transverse to the shootbolt axis between a latched position and a released position, the shootbolt latch having a shootbolt abutment that engages the latch abutment when the shootbolt is in the shootbolt retracted position, the actuation lever is in the actuation lever extended position, and the shootbolt latch is in the latched position, the engagement between the latch abutment and the shootbolt abutment preventing the shootbolt from transitioning to the shootbolt extended position, the shootbolt latch having a cam surface that cooperates with the cam actuator to transition the shootbolt latch from the latched position to the released position when the actuation lever is transitioned from the actuation lever extended position to the actuation lever retracted position;

wherein;

the frame defines a shootbolt latch guide slot that is elongated along guide slot axis that is transverse to the shootbolt axis; and

the shootbolt latch includes a guide projection being received within the shootbolt latch guide slot parallel to the guide slot axis between the latched and released positions.

3 . An automatic shootbolt assembly comprising:

a frame;

a shootbolt slidably carried for linear motion along a shootbolt axis between a shootbolt retracted position and a shootbolt extended position, the shootbolt having a latch abutment;

a biasing member biasing the shootbolt in a first direction towards the extended position;

an actuation lever slidably carried for linear motion parallel to the shootbolt axis between an actuation lever retracted position and an actuation lever extended position, the actuation lever having a cam actuator;

a shootbolt latch slidable transverse to the shootbolt axis between a latched position and a released position, the shootbolt latch having a shootbolt abutment that engages the latch abutment when the shootbolt is in the shootbolt retracted position, the actuation lever is in the actuation lever extended position, and the shootbolt latch is in the latched position, the engagement between the latch abutment and the shootbolt abutment preventing the shootbolt from transitioning to the shootbolt extended position, the shootbolt latch having a cam surface that cooperates with the cam actuator to transition the shootbolt latch from the latched position to the released position when the actuation lever is transitioned from the actuation lever extended position to the actuation lever retracted position;

wherein:

the latch abutment extends transversely relative to the shootbolt axis; and

the shootbolt abutment extends transversely relative to the shootbolt axis

the shootbolt has a first reset cam surface and the shootbolt latch has a second reset cam surface; and

one of the first reset cam surface and the second reset cam surface being angled relative to the shootbolt axis such that if the shootbolt latch is in the latched position and the shootbolt is transitioned from the shootbolt extended position to the shootbolt retracted position the first and second reset cam surfaces will contact one another and drive the shootbolt latch from the latched position to the released position.

4 . The automatic shootbolt assembly of claim 3 , further comprising a second biasing member biasing the actuation lever towards the actuation lever extended position.

5 . The automatic shootbolt assembly of claim 2 , wherein:

the latch abutment extends transversely relative to the shootbolt axis; and

the shootbolt abutment extends transversely relative to the shootbolt axis.

6 . The automatic shootbolt assembly of claim 2 , wherein the interaction of the guide projection with the portion of the frame defining the shootbolt latch guide slot prevents the shootbolt latch from moving parallel to the shootbolt axis when the latch abutment is engaged with the shootbolt abutment.

7 . The automatic shootbolt assembly of claim 5 , wherein:

the shootbolt abutment includes a shootbolt abutment face;

the latch abutment includes a latch abutment face, the latch abutment face abuts and faces the shootbolt abutment face when the shootbolt abutment is engaged with the latch abutment, the latch abutment face faces away from the shootbolt abutment face when the shootbolt is in the extended position.

8 . The automatic shootbolt assembly of claim 2 , wherein the cam surface includes a tapered region that extends along a cam axis that is angled relative to the shootbolt axis, the cam actuator sliding along the tapered surface to convert linear motion of the actuation lever between the extended state and retracted state to a lateral force driving the shootbolt latch transversely to the shootbolt axis from the latched position to the released position.

9 . An automatic shootbolt assembly comprising:

a frame;

a shootbolt slidably carried for linear motion along a shootbolt axis between a shootbolt retracted position and a shootbolt extended position, the shootbolt having a latch abutment;

a biasing member biasing the shootbolt in a first direction towards the extended position;

an actuation lever slidably carried for linear motion parallel to the shootbolt axis between an actuation lever retracted position and an actuation lever extended position, the actuation lever having a cam actuator;

a shootbolt latch slidable transverse to the shootbolt axis between a latched position and a released position, the shootbolt latch having a shootbolt abutment that engages the latch abutment when the shootbolt is in the shootbolt retracted position, the actuation lever is in the actuation lever extended position, and the shootbolt latch is in the latched position, the engagement between the latch abutment and the shootbolt abutment preventing the shootbolt from transitioning to the shootbolt extended position, the shootbolt latch having a cam surface that cooperates with the cam actuator to transition the shootbolt latch from the latched position to the released position when the actuation lever is transitioned from the actuation lever extended position to the actuation lever retracted position

wherein:

the cam surface includes a tapered region that extends along a cam axis that is angled relative to the shootbolt axis, the cam actuator sliding along the tapered surface to convert linear motion of the actuation lever between the extended state and retracted state to a lateral force driving the shootbolt latch transversely to the shootbolt axis from the latched position to the released position

the cam surface includes a compensation region that is parallel to the shootbolt axis; and

the cam actuator slidable relative to the compensation region, the cam actuator not actuating the shootbolt latch transversely to the shootbolt axis when sliding relative to the compensation region.

10 . The automatic shootbolt assembly of claim 1 , wherein:

the shoot bolt includes a second projection extending outward generally perpendicular to the shootbolt axis;

the first and second projections are spaced a part parallel to the shoot bolt axis forming a gap therebetween;

the spring projection being positioned external of the gap when the shootbolt is in the shootbolt retracted position and the spring projection being positioned within the gap between the first and second projections when the shootbolt is in the shootbolt extended position.

11 . The automatic shootbolt system of claim 1 , wherein the strike main body and the projection providing the actuation lever abutment are formed from a single continuous piece of material.