US3040433A - Telescope sight mount for firearms - Google Patents

Description

June 26, 1962 J. A. HEINZEL TELESCOPE SIGHT MOUNT FOR FIREARMS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 9, 1960 doJep/i A. #6/02 6/ INV EN TOR.

ATTORNEY June 26, 1962 J. A. HEINZE L 3,040,433

TELESCOPE SIGHT MOUNT FOR FIREARMS Filed Dec. 9, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 a/oJe o/ 7 A. fle/flze/ INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY 3,640,433 TELESCOPE SIGHT MOUNT-FOR FIREARM Joseph A. Heinzel, Weaver Manufacturing, Inc, 1800 E. 1st St., El Paso, Tern, assignor to William R. Weaver, El Paso, Tex.

Filed Dec. 9, 196b, Ser. No. 75,039 7 Claims. (Cl. 33-50) This invention relates to a telescope sight mount for firearms and particularly to a pivoted type mount by means of whiohthe sight as a whole is angularly adjustable to a limited extent horizontally and vertically with respect to the longitudinal axis of the mount.

The present invention is directed to a mount for the form of telescope sight in which the sight barrel is shifted bodily about a pivot to adjust for windage and elevation. In sights of this type, one end of the sight barrel is ordinarily mounted to swing about a pivot in response to the lateral or vertical movement of the other end of the sight barrel produced by the pressure of conventional adjusting screws disposed at 90 to each other.

In sights of the described type, it is important not only that the adjusting movements be precise and accurate but that the sight be held firmly in its adjusted positions so as to efiectively resist the forces of recoil and handling generally which might tend to jar the sight out of its sighted-in position.

It is, therefore, a primary object of this invention to provide an improved sight mount for telescope sights which is simple in construction, accurate and precise in its adjustments, resistent to recoil shock and handling, and easy to mount and dismount from a firearm.

An importantobject is to provide in a sight mount of the general type described a forward mount bracket or support having an improved construction of a pivot means about which the sight is pivoted.

*A more specific object is to provide a forward pivot mount bracket comprising a mounting saddle and a sight barrel-embracing ring separably secured to the saddle, said saddle and ring having cooperating pivoting surfaces enabling angular movement of the sight relative to the longitudinal axis of the mount in both substantially horizontal and substantially vertical planes.

Other and more specific objects and advantages of this invention will become more readily apparent from the vfollowing detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing which illustrates a useful embodiment in accordance with this invention.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a scope supported on a firearm by means of a mount in accordance with this invention, the broken lines indicating angular movement of the scope in the vertical plane about the pivot provided in the forward mount bracket;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the scope, the broken lines indicating angular movement of the scope in a horizontal plane about the pivot in the forward mount bracket;

FIG. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view through the rearmount bracket taken along line 3-3of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view through the forward mount bracket taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a horizontalcross-sectional view taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 4; and

3dl33 Patented June 26, lfi'tiz FIG. 6 is a vertical, longitudinal sectional view taken along line 66 of FIG. 4.

Referring to the drawing, there is shown in broken lines the receiver or rear barrel portion R of a rifle or like firearm on which is shown mounted a telescope sight S of generally conventional construction by means of a mount structure in accordance with this invention. It will be understood that the details of sight S do not form a part of this invention, but the sight is generally illustrated as having the tubular b-arrelT, objective 0 and ocular E. It will be understood, also, that sight S will have the usual internal erector system (not shown) and a conventional sighting reticle such as the crosshair reticle X (FIG. 3).

The sight mount comprises the base plate '11, the rear mount bracket A and the forward mount bracket l5. Base plate 11 comprises an elongate body having its lower surface generally concave in cross-section adapted for seating on top of the gun barrel or the receiver R. It will be understood that any suitable and conventional fastening means such as screws or the like (not shown) may be employed to removably or permanently secure the base plate to the receiver. The longitudinal edges of base plate 11 are shaped to form upwardly extending laterally projecting V-shaped ribs 12-12 having upper and lower converging seating faces 13 and i4, respectively, the space between the ribs forming the longitudin-a1 groove Ma.

Rear mount bracket A comprises an annular body 15 having a cylindrical bore -16 of substantially larger diameter than the external diameter of barrel T which extends through bore 16. Body 15 is provided with conventional elevation and windage adjusting screws 1'] and 18, respectively, which are threaded radially through the Wall of body 15 at right angles to eachother, the ends of screws 17 and 18 being adapted to bear against the top and side, respectively, of barrel T at right angles to each other. The adjusting screws are provided with the usual knurled heads 19 (one shown) which are protectively enclosed, when not in use, by the hollow screw caps 21, 21 which are adapted to be screwed into threaded'sockets 23, 23 in the exterior of body 15' surrounding the respective adjusting screws.

A spring-pressed plunger 24 is mounted in the wall of body 15 to project radially into bore in into engage ment with barrel T at a point generally opposite the adjusting screws and intersecting the angular distance between the screws. The screws 17 and 18 and plunger 24 thus provide a balanced three-point support for barrel T of the scope as is generally conventional. Plunger 2-4 is hollow and closed at its outer end by means of the end wall 24a and is telescopically received for reciprocation in a cylinder 25 provided in the wall or" body 15 and closed at its outer end by means of the end wall 25a. A'coil spring 26 is disposed in the bores of plunger 24 and cylinder 25 in compression between the respec tive end walls 24a and 25a to thereby continuously urge the-plunger inwardly of bore 16 into thrusting engagement with the-adjacent portion of the barrel T. Plunger 24 thus serves always to maintain barrel T in tightengagement with the other two points of contact represented. by the ends of adjusting screws 17 and 18 throughout all movements occasioned by the adjustments of these screws.

The lower end of body 15 is formed to provide integrally therewith a mounting saddle comprising a pair of laterally spaced depending seating legs 27 and 28 extending longitudinally of the body. Leg 27 is longer than leg 28 and is provided on its inner surface with a longitudinal V-shaped groove having the upper and lower walls 29 and 30, respectively, complementing the related upper and lower surfaces 13 and 14, respectively, of one of the ribs 12. The inner face of leg 28 tapers downwardly and outwardly to define the seating surface 31 complementary in slope to, and adapted to seat on, upper surface 13 of the other rib 12. To secure mount bracket A to base plate 11, body 15 is provided witha longitudinally extending generally V-shaped groove 32 located in the exterior of body 15 vertically above leg 28. A clamping plate 33 has the inwardly turned upper and lower lips 34 and 35, respectively, extending longitudinally thereof and at angles adapted to seat respectively against the lower wall of groove 32 and lower surface 14 of the related leg 12. A clamping bolt 36 extends transversely of the lower end of body 15 passing through an opening 37 in legs 27 and 28 and through a transverse groove 38 in the upper ends of ribs 12. One end of bolt 36 carries the head 39 which seats in leg 2'7 and the opposite end has the threaded section 40 which projects through a suitable opening in clamping plate 33 and is adapted to receive the clamping nut 41 which, when tightened up sufl'iciently, will urge lips 34 and 35 of clamping plate,33 tightly against the lower wall of groove 32 and surface 14, respectively, to thereby clamp mount bracket A tightly to base plate 11. When nut 41 is loosened sufficiently, clamping plate 33 may be pulled back sufficiently so that lip 35 will clear rib 12 and allow bracket A to be tipped up and lifted off of the base plate.

Whereas rear bracket A is integrally formed with the mounting saddle comprising the seating legs by which it is secured to the base plate, forward bracket B comprises two separable elements, the mounting saddle D and the barrel clamping ring C.

Saddle D is an angular structure comprising the horizontal arm 45 and the vertical arm 46, the arms being disposed substantially at right angles to each other and merging at an apex comprising the thickened portion 47. The lower end of horizontal arm 45 is shaped identically to the lower end or saddle portion of body 15 of mount bracket A and is provided with identical clamping legs 27 and 28, bolt 36, clamping plate 33 and clamping nut 41. Instead of groove 32, arm 45 is provided along its upper outer edge with the downwardly tapering surface 48 corresponding generally in slope to the lower wall of groove 32 and adapted to be engaged in the same mannor as the latter by upper lip 34 of the clamping plate. Obviously arm 45 may be provided with a groove 32 instead of surface 48, if desired. Thus, saddle D can be effectively secured to base plate 11 and removed therefrom in exactly the same manner as rear bracket A, as previously described.

Clamping ring C is of longitudinally split construction adapted to surround barrel T, the split being defined by the laterally extending flanges 4949 having registering perforations 50-5tl adapted to receive clamping screws 51, which pass through the upper perforation 50 and are threadedly received in the lower perforation 50, whereby the flanges 4949 may be drawn toward each other to tightly clamp ring C about barrel T. On a side generally opposite the split in the ring, the latter is provided with a generally cylindrical boss 52 extending radially from the ring. Boss 52 is adapted to be received co-axially in a cylindrical socket 53 provided in thickened section 47 which defines the juncture of arms 45 and 46. When thus received in socket 53, boss 52 will be disposed substantially at an angle of 45, that is, substantially bisecting the angle between arms 45 and 46 of the saddle. A counterbore 54 extends from the bottom of socket 53 to the exterior of thickened section 47 and a clamping screw 55 having the kerfed head 56 extends from the exterior of section 47 through bore 54 into socket 53. Counterbore 54 is enlarged relative to the diameter of screw 55 to permit a limited degree of wobble or oscillation in the counterbore. The end of screw 55 is reduced in diameter to form the annular shoulder 57 and the threaded end 58 which is adapted to be threadedly received in a correspondingly threaded bore 59 extending axially through boss 52. A washer 6G is mounted about threaded end 58 of the screw between shoulder 57 and the end of boss 52. A second washer 61 is positioned about the outer end of screw 55 between head 56 and the outer end of section 47. Washer 61 is a spring washer or similar resilient spacer means in order that when screw 55 is made up, the resiliency of the washer will assure maintenance of close rocking contact of the engaging surfaces of ring C and arms 45 and 46. By tightening screw 55, it will be seen that clamping ring C may be drawn toward the inner faces of arms 45 and 46, while the cylindrical shapes of boss 52 and socket 53 will permit some rotative movement of the ring and a small amount of osculatory movement by reason of the clearance between screw 55 and counterbore 54. The degree of tightness to which screw 55 is made up against spring washer 61 will determine the degree of freedom permitted for movement of ring ,0.

To permit pivotal movement in the substantially vertical and horizontal planes of the end of the sight barrel which is supported in the forward mount bracket, the exterior surface of ring C is machined or otherwise shaped to provide curved surfaces apart and extending longitudinally of the ring surface. The portion of the surface of ring C engaged with the inner surface 62 of arm 46 is convexly curved longitudinally of the ring on a relatively large radius to provide the curved surface 63 best seen in FIG. 5, which thereby can rock on surface 62 of arm 46 angularly in proportion to lateral movements of the opposite end portion of barrel T in response to the movements of windage adjusting screw 18. The center of curvature of surface 63, indicated at 64, thus forms a pivot point on the relative flat surface 62. It will be understood, of course, that surface 62 may be convexly curved longitudinally while surface 63 may be flat and the same result will be accomplished.

Similarly, the lower portion of clamping ring C, which is engaged with the upper surface 65 of arm 45, will be provided with a convexly curved surface 66 extending longitudinally of clamping ring C, as best seen in FIG. 6, and will thereby provide a pivot at the center of curvature 67 by which the barrel may be rocked in a substantially vertical plane in response to adjustments of the elevation adjusting screw 19. In this instance, also, it will be understood that the surface 65 may be convexly curved while surface 66 is flat. Either arrangement will be suitable for providing the necessary degree of pivotal movement in the vertical plane of the sight barrel.

It will be seen that the structure comprising the forward mount bracket B thus provides means for pivoting the forward end of the sight in both generally vertical and generally horizontal planes with respect to the longitudinal axis of the sight in response to adjustment of the windage and elevation adjusting screws mounted in the rear sight bracket. Moreover, the arrangement described assures a close, secure contact between the pivoting surfaces which will effectively maintain the scope in itssighted-in position under recoil and handling shocks to which the firearm may be subjected.

The distance between brackets A and B may be varied as desired, depending upon the specific construction of the scope and the range of adjusting movement desired.

The radius of curvature of the surfaces 63 and 66 may likewise be varied. In one example wherein forward bracket B is located about 5 inches in front of bracket A, the radius of curvature was 10% inches.

It will be understood that various alterations and changes may be made in the details of the illustrative embodiment within the scope of the appended claims but without departing from the spirit of this invention.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A mount for telescope sights for firearms, comprising, a base plate attachable to a firearm, a rear mount bracket carrying means for selectively and adjustably shifting vertically and horizontally the rearward end portion of a telescope sight mounted therein, and a forward mount bracket carrying means for pivotally supporting a forward portion of said telescope sight, means carried by the respective brackets for releasably securing the same at longitudinally spaced points along said base plate, said forward mount bracket comprising a saddle portion and a clamping ring separably secured to said saddle por tion and carrying means adapted to tightly secure the same about a forward portion of the telescope sight, said saddle portion including a body comprising a pair of arms disposed substantially at right angles to each other between which said clamping ring is receivable, means disposed between said arms and rotatably connected to the ring to permit limited rotation of the ring about an axis bisecting the angle between said arms, said arms having inner surface portions engageable by surface portions of the ring disposed at right angles to each other, at least one of each pair of engaged surface portions being con- 'vexly curved in a plane extending longitudinally of the mug.

2. A mount according to claim 1, wherein the convexly curved surfaces of both said pairs are on said ring.

3. A mount for telescopic sights for firearms, comprising, a base plate attachable to a firearm, a rear mount bracket and forward mount bracket, means carried by the respective brackets for releasably securing the same at longitudinally spaced points along said base plate, said rear mount bracket including an annular body having a longitudinal bore to receive a rearward end portion of a telescope sight, and means mounted on the body for adjustably and selectively shift-ing said rearward portion of said sight substantially vertically and substantially horizontally relative to the longitudinal axis of the sight, said forward mount bracket comprising a saddle portion ineluding said means for releasably securing the forward mount bracket to said base plate, and a longitudinally split clamping ring separably secured to said saddle portion and carrying means adapted to tightly secure the same about a forward portion of the telescope sight, said saddle portion including a body comprising a pair of arms disposed substantially at right angles to each other between which said clamping ring is receivable, the juncture of said arms merging into an integral thickened apex portion, an inwardly facing cylindrical socket in said apex portion having its axis bisecting the angle between said arms, a radially extending cylindrical boss on said ring receivable in said socket, means securing said boss in said socket and adapted to permit limited rotation of the ring about said axis of the socket, said arms having inner surface portions engagea-ble by surface portions of the ring disposed at right angles to each other, at least one of each pair of engaged surface portions being convexly curved in a plane extending longitudinally of the ring.

4. IA mount for telescope sights for firearms, comprising, a base plate attachable to a firearm, a rear mount bracket and a forward mount bracket, means carried by the respective brackets for releasably securing the same at longitudinally spaced points along said base plate, said rear mount bracket including an annular body having a longitudinal bore to receive a rearward end portion of a telescope sight, adjusting screws extending through the wall of the body into said bore positioned at right angles to each other, a plunger slidably mounted in the wall of said body to project radially into said bore at an angle bisecting the angle opposite the angle between said adjusting screws, and means resiliently biasing said plunger inwardly of the bore, said forward mount bracket comprising a saddle portion including said means for releasably securing the forward mount bracket to said base plate, and a longitudinally split clamp-ing ring carrying means adapted to tightly secure the same about a forward portion of the telescope sight, said sadd-leportion including a body comprising a pair of arms disposed substantially at right angles to each other between which said clamping ring is receivable, the juncture of said arms merging into an integral thickened apex portion, an nwardly facing cylindrical socket in said apex portion having its axis bisecting the angle between said arms, a radially extending cylindrical boss on sa1d ring receivable in said socket, means securing said boss 11'! said socket and adapted to permit limited rotation of the ring about said axis of the socket, said arms having inner surface portions engageable by surface portions of the ring disposed at right angles to each other, at least one of each pair of engaged surface portions being convexly curved in a plane extending longitudinally of the ring' 5. A mount for telescope sights for firearms, comprising, a base plate attachable to a firearm, a rear mount bracket and a forward mount bracket, means carried by the respective brackets for releasably securing the same at longitudinally spaced points along said base plate, said rear mount bracket including an annular body havmg a longitudinal bore to receive a rearward end POIUOH of a telescope sight, and means mounted n the body for ad justably and selectively shifting said rearward portion of said sight substantially vertically and substant ally horizontally relative to the longitudinal axis of the sight, said forward mount bracket comprising a saddle portion including said means for releasably securing the forward mount bracket to said base plate, and a split clamp ng ring separably secured to said saddle portion and carrying means adapted to tightly secure the same about a forward portion of the telescope sight, said saddle portlon including a body comprising a pair of arms disposed substantially at right angles to each other between which said clamping ring is receivable, the juncture of said arms merging into an integral thickened apex portion, an mwardly facing cylindrical socket in said apex portion having itsaxis bisecting the angle between said arms, a radially extending cylindrical boss on said ring receivable in said socket, means securing said boss in said socket and adapted to permit limited rotation of the ring about said axis of the socket, said arms having inner surface portions engageable by surface portions of the ring disposed at right angles to each other, at least one of each pa r of engaged surface portions being convexly curved 1n a plane extending longitudinally of the r ng, said means securing said boss in said socket comprising a screw hav ing its shank extending through said apex portion 1nto said socket portion along said axis, said shank having a threaded end of reduced diameter defining an annular shoulder between the shank and said threaded end, said boss having an internally threaded bore to receive said threaded end, and a bearing washer positioned about said threaded end between said shoulder and the opposed end of said boss.

6. A mount for telescope sights for firearms, comprising, a rear mount bracket carrying means for selectively and adjustably shifting vertically and horizontally the rearward end portion of a telescope sight mounted therein, and a forward mount bracket carrying means for pivotally supporting a forward portion of said telescope sight, means carried by the respective brackets for releasably securing the same at longitudinally spaced points along the firearm, said forward mount bracket comprising a saddle portion and a clamping ring separably secured to said saddle portion and carrying means adapted to tightly secure the same about a forward portion of the telescope sight, said saddle portion including a body comprising a pair of arms disposed substantially at right angles to each other between which said clamping ring is receivable, means disposed between said arms and rotatably connected to the ring to permit limited rotation 4 of the ring about an axis bisecting the angle between said arms, said arms having inner surface portions engageable by surface portions of the ring disposed at right angles to each other, at least one of each pair of engaged surface portions being convexly curved in a plane extending longitudinally of the ring.

7. In a mount for telescope sights for firearms, a mount bracket for supporting the sight for pivotal movement relative to the firearm, comprising, a saddle portion carrying means for releasably securing the same to the firearm, a clamping ring separably secured to said saddle portion and carrying means adapted to tightly secure the same about the sight, said saddle portion including a body 10 tudinally of the ring.

No references cited.

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