US1280304A - Gun-mount. - Google Patents

Description

PATENT FFICE.

WILLIAIM A. ROBERTS, 0F MONTREAL, QUEBEC, CANADA.

GUN -MO UN T.

ToaZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM A. RoBER'rs, a subject of the King of Great Britain, and resident of the city of Montreal, in the Province of Quebec, Dominion of Canada, suV perintendent, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gun-Mounts; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates particularly to mounts `for machine guns but may also be used in supporting a rifle, Carbine or the like in the tuition of shooting.

With machine gun mounts which have been used up to the present time the gun had to be traversed in a plane parallel to the plane of its base, and consequently if a machine gun Awas positioned on a hillside or embankment and it was desired to traverse in a horizontal plane the supporting member had to be sunk in the ground until the plane of the base corresponded with the desired traversing plane. This has proved very undesirable in many respects and ,particularly where the hurried positioning or removal of `a gun isof vital importance and as very often the nature of the ground prevents the embedding of the supporting member considerable time is wasted 'in seeking a desirableposition. i

Then again in the tuition of shooting, the

instructors `have been seriously hindered in their work owin to lackl of a support for fthe rifle or carbine which will enable the marksman to. cant or traverse the firearm at able support of the required height and the unstable qualities of the sand have proved very unsatisfactory.

The objects of my invention are therefore to produce a mount which when use d as a support for a machine gun can be positioned on either an incline or horizontal surface without necessitating the embeddin of the supporting members and which wil enable the gun to have universal movement thereon; and when used as a support for a rifle i or like firearm in the tuition of shooting,

will enable the rifle to be ca nted or traversed at will and the aimed position maintained.

`More specifically stated the invention may Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 1, 1918.

Application led April 7, 1916. Serial No. 89,594.

be said to consist of a gun-mount comprising a base member, a gun carrier, and an positions in which the gun mount may be used; o

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary elevation of the upper portion of one of .the legs of the tripod;

v Fig. 3 is a detail vertical sectional view of the universal hinge drawn to a larger scale; Fig. 4 is a plan view of the universal hinge; and v Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view of one of the legs of the mount.

My improved gun mount comprises a base .member or tripod 2, a gun seat 3 and a balLand-socket ljoint 4: effecting a universal connection between the carrier and base member, means offering a yielding resistance to the -Inovement of the ball in the socket and means rigidly maintaining tlie ball in the socket in any position.

The base member consists of a socket 5 pivotally supported j upon preferably three legs 6 each consisting of two parts 7 and 8 joined togetherV at their ends by a pivotal connection V9.

This joint 9 between the upper and lower parts of the legs is adapted to provide an extended foot for the gun when firing with the operator in prone position. The joint consists of a two-part casting With intermeshing knuckles. One of these joint parts 92, is forked to `receive the other part 93 between itsV prongs, the body of the part 92 being chambered to present a beveled face 94 with which the beveled face 95 of the other part engages when the knuckles are hinged together and the leg is extended. In this latter position the engaging parts 94 and 95 are locked by a slidable sleeve 96.

It will be seen that the gun may be operated by a marksman lying prone or kneelglhe carrier 3 is of the usual construction employed in machine gun mounts and consists of a seat proper 15 having a downward projection 16 upon its underside adapted to iio be seated in an axial boringj in: theA upper end' of a. shank 17?; This shank constitutesa; part ofthe ballfanttsocket joint -il effecting a universal connection between the gun e carrier and base member or tripod.1 Relative axial displacement betweeny the projection andv shank is prevented byV a. set-screwl 18 in the latter and. adapted. to entera circumferential groove 1'9" in the formen. A.

clamping screw 50 is mounted inx the shank and is' adapted tobear: upon the projection 1G for the purpose of.- preventing relative movement. between the two members;

The universal' joint consists. of a ball'. 2.0y mounted in. a. spherical chamber in the -socket 5 which isf also of substantial-ly sphericall form andV madein twoy partsY G5? and 66fsecured1i-rigidlfy' together. The pivotal. connection. between the'v legs and. thel lowerl member1 6.6 of they socket consists of a series of' spaced. radially projecting; lugs- 22 on' the lower member,. the upperl end of: each leg; beingv forked as at 2.3 to straddle thelug 221 and; a lug 24 on this forked! end? of the leg; engages a. stop 25y onk the" lug' 22;. Hinge pins- 222. join the legs to thef socket.. The ball is-liollow' and. formed in halves 201'. and. 200 the lower' hal'ff having the. lower end .ofr the'r shank; 17 carried therein and', formed integrally therewith.. From this point thel shank. projects: upwardlythrong-lt an. open ing 25l in the upper half 20.0 of.'y the,L ball..

In order toV offer a yielding resistznice'f tor the movement of the ball. the socket for thel purpose of yielding-ly maintaining the gun. or: riie in the aimed position, a helical spring 7 5 encircling the shank. 11.7 is located between the halves of the ball and. it tends to separate them thus' producing. the? desired. friction between the ball and the Awall of the socket. A K

Toprovide. meansfor rigidly maintainingtheiball the socket in: the` aimed posi-- tiony the lower member is offset downwardly to provide a circular: chamber4 30S.. Within the chamber isJ carried a friction. block. 31 of liberA or any suitable. friction. material, having a concaved surface adapted toy beary .upon the ball. Thisl frictionblock is caused to bear upon'. the ball by az. bearing disk 32 accommodated in ai recess 300 in the bottom` i of the chamberv andi acted; upon bythe screw-threaded. shank of a. handle 34.. The: pressure onthe ball is varied. by' the turn-l ingoff this handle..

It will be seen that with the above uni"- versal connection. between the tripod or sup-v .ortingf member andthe gun, the; latter may le canted. to either the right or: left, trav'-V ersed in a complete circle or elevated' or depressed to an extent of. 455 above'y orI below the horizontal plane.V

In order to lengthen-f the' legsof the supporting member for the purpose of1 employing the mount in the` tuition: of shooting. the

lower part ofv each leg is' constructed in.

sleeve form as indu-:ated inf llig.. 5 and n telescopic member 250. slida-bly mounted therein. 'lhis member is maintained in eX- tended` position by a. gra-vity pawl 2.51 and.

inthe telescoped position by a set-screw 252'..

lVhati I claim isas follows;

11. A. guna-mount consisting of a supporting member, a gun-seat having; a downwardly extending; shank, a ball-and-socket' joint effecting a. universal connection between tlie supporting memberA andi seat, said. ball consisting' of twov members and a heli.- cal'r spring located between the mer'nbers and adapted tof offer yielding resistance to. the movement of Jdiev ball in; the. socketi,.the said shank. providing means: for: supporting the. pivoted gun-seat. L

2.. A gun-mount consisting of` a. supporting member, a gun-seat having a downward?, projection, a ballandfsocket joint effecting a: universal'y connection: between the supportA ing'member and seat,. said ball consisting of two members one of' which has anv internal. integral. shank projecting through a, hole in the otherl member, and ahelical sp1-ingl lo:- cated: between tile members and. encircling;l the shank and bearingbetween theZ interior surfacesl of the said' members and adapted. t0. offer a yielding' resistance toI thev move:- mentr of,V the ball in the socket, the Said .shank providing means. for supporting the;

pivoted gun-seat..

A gun-mount consisting of a, supporting member, a gun-seat having a downward. projection, a ball.'and'socketi joint effecting a universali connecti'onbetween the support ing' member and seat, said ball consisting, of"

two members one of whichhas' an, internal integral shank protruding through a hole in the other member, and. a. helical. spring. located. between@y the members:` and. adapted. to oder a; yielding resistance.y to the mover ment' o f the ball inthe socket the said shank being 1n the form of a socketY and receiving.V

lower,7V part in extended position; and meansfor limiting outward movement Vot' the leg; a gun seat and a. universaly connection between the seat andi the supporting member.

5. A gun mount consisting of au support;-- ing or base memberl comprising a socket having a plurality ofy radially projecting lugs; a. plurality of. legs supporting said socket each leg consisting of two parts thel ends of the upper part being forked and thev upper end thereof stradcrlling and being pivotally connected to one of the radially projecting lugs on the socket; a lug on said forked upper end adapted to engage the lug on the socket;V for the purpose of limiting outward movement of the upper part, the lower end of the upper part being adapted to straddle the upper end of the lower, part and being pivotally connected thereto, such lower part being adapted to act as a' shoe for the upper part in one position and as an extension of the latter in another position, the upper` end of the lower, part andthe lower end of the upper part presenting beveled faces adapted to come into contact when the lower member is in extended position, and a collar on the upper part adapted to encircle the overlapping ends for the purpose of preventing elative displacement between the two memers;

slidably mounted therein; means for limiting outward movement of the telescopic member; means for rigidly maintaining the said main member in telescoped position; and means for maintaining such member in extended position.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two Witnesses.

WILLIAM A. ROBERTS.

Witnesses z WILLIAM HEWETsoN, DAVID ROBERGE.

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