US3253361A

US3253361A - Mounts for telescope sight

Info

Publication number: US3253361A
Application number: US393331A
Authority: US
Inventors: Clark W Kingsbury
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1964-08-31
Filing date: 1964-08-31
Publication date: 1966-05-31
Anticipated expiration: 1983-05-31

Description

May 31, 1966 w, KlNGsBURY 3,253,361

MOUNTS FOR TELESCOPE SIGHT Filed Aug. 31, 1964 (Ya/A W. finyJu/y INVENTOR.

A TTO/F/VE x United States Patent 3,253,361 MOUNTS FOR TELESCOPE SIGHT Clark W.Kingshury, El Paso, Tex., assignor to William R. Weaver, El Paso, Tex. Filed Aug. 31, 1964, Ser. No. 393,331 8 Claims. (Cl. 4-2-1) This invention relates to improvement in mounts for supporting telescope sights on firearms and more particularly to mounts of ring-like construction.

Among the conventional forms of mount structures employed for supporting a telescope sight mount on firearms are ring-like bracket members adapted to encircle the sight barrel and provided with various forms of clamping members for securing the bracket members to the top of the firearm in parallel relation to the barrel. Many of the more conventional mounting brackets re quire substantial disassembly in order to receive the telescope sight because the latter generally carries enlargements or projections, such as the turret carrying the windage and elevation screws, which prevent the sight barrel from being inserted axially through the bracket rings.

The present invention has for its principal object the provision of an improved mount bracket in which the sight-supporting ring is of segmental construction employing novel form of connection means for securing the segments together; which may be opened readily to receive the sight by lateral placement in the brackets.

An important object is the provision of a bracket construction in which the leg members for clamping the bracket to the firearm are equipped with buttress-type teeth or tangs disposed to oppose the dis-placement of the sight longitudinally of the firearm which may tend to occur in inertial response to recoil of the firearm.

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

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of one side of a sight mount in accordance with this invention, showing the brackets shown with the segments in closed position about a telescope sight barrel and mounted on a firearm;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the mount bracket with the segments opened in the position for receiving a telescope sight;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the separable leg member forming one of the mounting legs for clamping the bracket member to a firearm.

In the drawing, the numerals designate generally the ring-like brackets in accordance with this invention, adapted to encircle and grip the barrel of a generally conventional telescope sight, shown in broken lines in FIG. 1 and designated generally by the numeral 11. Each of the brackets 10 is of generally tubular form and composed of a pair of complementary

arcuate segments

12 and 13. Segment 12 will sometimes be referred to herein as the base segment and segment 13 as the closure segment. First and second connecting means are provided for securing the ends of the segments to each other to close the ring about the sight barrel in a gripping engagement. The first of these connecting means com- 3,253,361 Patented May 31, 1966 prises a T-shaped tongue 14 which projects centrally from one end of segment 13 into a corresponding shaped slot 15 in the facing end of segment 12. Tongue 14 and the cooperating slotted end portion of segment 12 are curved at substantially the same radius of the ring as a whole so that when tongue 14 is received in slot 15 and closed about the barrel of sight 11, the exterior of the connection will be in flush relation with the outer periphery of the bracket.

The second connection means, which is angularly spaced from the first by approximately is formed bya pair of

mating flanges

16 and 17 which project radially outwardly from the adjacent ends of

segments

12 and 13, respectively. Flange 16 is provided with one or more internally threaded openings 18, while flange 1'7 is provided with openings 19 registering with openings 18 and adapted to receive screws 26 which pass through openings 19 and screw into threaded openings 18 in order to clamp the segments together about the barrel of sight 11 when the first connection means formed by tongue 14 and slot 15 have been engaged. Flange 16 has integrally formed with its outer margin an extension 21 which extends throughout the length of the flange and projects inwardly and downwardly at an angle to the plane of flange 16. The lower or outer margin of extension 21 is bevelled rearwardly from its upper face so as to provide a clamping edge 23, which is generally triangular in cross-section and projecting inwardly toward the center line of the mount. Flange 16 and extension 21 comprise one mounting leg, designated generally by the numoral 22, which depends from base segment 12 of the bracket on one side of the vertical center line of the bracket.

A longitudinal channel 24 is provided in the exterior surface of segment 12 and is located in the lower quadrant of the bracket on the opposite side of the center line from mounting leg 22. Channel 24 is made gen erally triangular in cross-section. An elongated clamping plate 25 is disposed to extend generally parallel to mounting leg 22. on the opposite side of the vertical center line of the bracket with respect to leg 22. Plate 25 forms a second depending mounting leg for bracket 10 which is separately connected to the bracket. The upper and lower margins of plate 25 are formed to provide upper and lower inwardly turned

lips

26 and 27, respectively, each of which is generally triangular in cross-section, upper lip 26 being adapted to enter channel 24 and seat therein. A clamping bolt 28 having a head 29 at one end passes through an opening 25a in plate 25 and extends transversely below bracket 19 and is provided at its opposite end with a threaded portion 30 which is receivable in a threaded socket 31 located in mounting leg 22 at the juncture of flange 15 and extension 21. By means of bolt 28, the mounting legs of the bracket may be drawn or urged toward each other.

The sight mount may be mounted directly on the barrel B of a firearm or on the receiver thereof which is provided with a pair of grooves 33-34 disposed longitudinally of the upper portion of the barrel or receiver and spaced apart transversely on opposite sides of the longitudinal center line thereof. Grooves 33-34 are made generally triangular in cross-section, one of the grooves 33 receiving clamping lip 23 and groove 34 receiving clamping lip 27.

With mounts of the general form described, which are adapted to be secured in grooves on the upper portion of a firearm, there is sometimes a tendency for the sight somounted to slide forwardly under recoil of the firearm by reason of inertia of the sight. To combat this condition, one or both of the

lips

23 and 27 on the lower margins of the respective clamping legs will be provided with means such as buttress-type teeth or tangs 35, which are formed in the margins of the lips, preferably so as to project slightly upwardly from the surface thereof, as shown in somewhat exaggerated dimensions in FIG. 5. These teeth may be formed by striking the metal at the margin of lip 27, for example, by means of a suitable tool in a direction to push the metal upwardly and form the tangs or teeth sloping at an angle to the longitudinal margin of the lip. It will be understood that when the bracket is mounted on the firearm and clamped in

grooves

33 or 34, these teeth will be disposed so as to face forwardly of the firearm and will tend to bite into the upper surface of groove 34 (in the illustrative embodiment) and anchor the bracket and the sight supported thereby against any tendency to slide forwardly in response to recoil of the firearm.

The above-described mount is employed in the following manner Screws 20 will be removed allowing closure segment 13 to be lifted away from segment 12, tongue 14 being swung out of, or drawn directly from, slot 15, as indicated particularly in FIG. 3. The sight will then be laid laterally in the concave socket or cradle formed by segment 12. Thereafter, segment 13 will be dropped in place about the sight barrel, tongue 14 being inserted in groove 15 and swung down around the sight barrel placing flange 17 in closely spaced relation to flange 16. Thereupon screws 20 will be inserted through openings 19 into openings 18 and screwed down, drawing the segments together tightly about the sight barrel.

It will be understood that two of the bracket members will normally be mounted about the sight barrel, being disposed in longitudinally spaced relation at any suitable distance and generally on opposite sides of the turret, usually present on the exterior of the sight barrel. The sight carrying the brackets may now be mounted on the firearm, clamping plate 25 being released sufficiently by unscrewing bolt 28 so that lip 23 on leg 22 may be seated in groove 33, after which

lips

26 and 27 will be inserted in channel 24 and groove 34, whereupon bolt 29 will be tightened to effectively clamp the bracket legs in the grooves. This clamping action will urge teeth 35 into the adjacent face of groove 34, thereby eflectively locating and anchoring the sight on the firearm. It will be obvious that the bracket may first be clamped to the firearm, and the sight therafter put in place in the brackets.

It will be evident that instead of two separate rings, the mount bracket may be of the elongate form illustrated in Weaver U.S Patent No. 2,803,907, in which base segment 12 may be an elongate continuous member together with both the fixed and separable leg members. Two closure segments 13 may be employed to effect clamping about the sight at spaced points along the bracket member. While the angular length of

segments

12 and 13 may be varied, the generally preferred arrangement is that illustrated, namely, one in which the segments are approximately 180 in length. With this arrangement, it will be seeen that the T-shaped tongue-andslot connection will be off-set slightly at the center line of the bracket; also, by this arrangement and the flush ar rangement of the tongue-and-slot construction previously described, the periphery of the bracket members about the upper portions of the sight will be free of any obstructions with might otherwise tend to distract or interfere with sighting by the user, or which might become entangled in the users clothing or with underbrush when being carried therethrough.

It will be understood that various changes and modifications 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. In a telescope sight mount for detachable mounting on a firearm having a pair of spaced-apart longitudinally extending grooves disposed on an upper portion thereof,

4 wherein said mount comprises a generally tubular sightencircling bracket member having first and second depending clamping legs for engaging said grooves in clamping said mount to said firearm, the improvement, wherein said bracket member comprises two complementary arcuate segments, angularly spaced apart first and second connecting means separably connecting the adjacent ends of said segments, said first connecting means comprising a generally T-shaped tongue projecting from the end of one segment and a slot of complementary shape in the facing end of the other segment adapted to receive said tongue in substantially flush relation to the outer periphery of said bracket member, said second connecting means comprising mating flanges projecting radially outwardly in parallel relation from the opposite ends of said segments, and screw means extending between said flanges for drawing the segments together about the telescope sight when said first connection means has been engaged.

2, In a telescope sight mount for detachable mounting on a firearm having a pair of spaced-apart longitudinally extending grooves disposed on an upper portion thereof, wherein said mount comprises a generally tubular sightencircling bracket member having first and second depend ing clamping legs for engaging said grooves in clamping said mount to said firearm, the improvements wherein said bracket member comprises two complementary arcuate segments, first and second connecting means separably connecting the adjacent ends of said segments, said connecting means being spaced about apart, said first connecting means being located in the upper portion of said bracket member and comprising a generally T-shaped tongue projecting from the end of one segment and a slot of complementary shape in the facing end of the other segment adapted to receive said tongue in substantially flush relation to the outer periphery of said bracket member, said second connecting means comprising mating flanges projecting radially outwardly in parallel relation from the opposite ends of said segments, and a secrew means extending between said flanges for drawing the segments together about the telescope sight when said first connection means has been engaged.

3. In a telescope sight mount for detachable mounting on a firearm having a pair of spaced-apart longitudinally extending grooves disposed on an upper portion thereof, wherein said mount comprises a generally tubular sightencircling bracket member having first and second depending clamping legs provided with inturned lips on the lower margins thereof for engaging said grooves in clamping said mount to said firearm, the improvements wherein said bracket member comprises two complementary arcuate segments, angularly spaced apart first and second connecting means separably connecting the adjacent ends of said segments, said first connecting means comprising a generally T-shaped tongue projecting from the end of one segment and a slot of complementary shape in the facing end of the other segment adapted to receive said tongue in substantially flush relation to the outer periphery of said bracket member, said second connecting means comprising mating flanges projecting radially outwardly in parallel relation from the opposite ends of said segments, screw means extending between said flanges for drawing the segments together about the telescope sight when said first connection means has been engaged, and a plurality of upwardly projecting buttress-type teeth formed in said lip on at least one of said legs.

4. In a telescope sight mount for detachable mounting on a firearm having a pair of spaced-apart longitudinally extending grooves disposed on an upper portion thereof, wherein said sight mount comprises a generally cylindrical bracket member adapted to be positioned substantially parallel to said firearm, the improvement wherein said bracket member comprises two complementary arcuate segments adapted to grippingly encircle a telescope sight, means including hingedly interlocking tongue-and-slot means separably connecting said segments in substantially flush relation to the outer periphery of said bracket member, -a first mounting leg integral with and depending from one of said segments and longitudinally thereof, an inturned lip on the lower margin of said first mounting leg receivable in the adjacent one of said grooves, a longitudinal channel in said one of said segments on the opposite side thereof from said first mounting leg, a second mounting leg extending longitudinally of and separably connected to said one of said segments, said second mounting leg having inturned lips along its upper and lower margins receivable respectively in said channel and in said other one of said grooves, and releasable means compressibly engaging said mounting legs to urge said mounting legs toward each other to thereby clamp said bracket member to said firearm and whereby when said releasable means is released said bracket member may be removed by lateral movement relative to said upper portion of said firearm, said lip along the lower margin of at least one of said mounting legs having a series of upwardly projecting buttress-type teeth formed therein arranged to engage a contiguous wall of the related groove.

5. In a telescope sight mount according to claim 4 wherein said buttress-type teeth are in said lip along the lower margin of said second mounting leg.

6. In a telescope sight mount for detachable mounting on a firearm having a pair of spaced-apart longitudinally extending grooves disposed on an upper portion thereof, wherein said mount comprises a generally tubular sightencircling bracket member having first and second depending clamping legs for engaging said grooves in clamping said mount to said firearm, the improvements wherein said bracket member comprises two complementary arcuate segments, angularly spaced-apart first and second connecting means separably connecting the adjacent ends of said segments, said first connecting means comprising a generally T shaped tongue projecting from the end of one segment and a slot of complementary shape in the facing end of the other segment adapted to receive said tongue in substantially flush relation to the outer periphery of said bracket member, said second connecting means comprising mating flanges projecting radially outwardly in parallel relation from the opposite ends of said segments, screw means extending between said flanges for drawing the segments together about the telescope sight when said first connection means has been engaged, a first mounting leg integral with and depending from one of said segments and longitudinally thereof, an inturned lip on the lower margin of said first mounting leg receivable in the adjacent one of said grooves, a longitudinal channel in said one of said segments on the opposite side thereof from said first mounting leg, a second mounting leg extending longitudinally of and separably connected to said one of said segments, said second mounting leg having inturned lips along its upper and lower margins receivable respectively in said channel and in said other one of said grooves, and releasable means compressibly engaging said mounting legs to urge said mounting legs toward each other to thereby clamp said bracket member to said firearm and whereby when said releasable means is released said bracket member may be removed by lateral movement relative to said upper portion of said firearm, said lip along the lower margin of one of said mounting legs having a series of upwardly projecting buttress-type teeth formed therein and directed when in clamping position to oppose inertial movement of said sight in response to recoil of said firearm.

7. In a telescope sight mount according to claim 6, wherein said buttress-type teeth are for-med in said lip along the lower margin of said second mounting leg.

8. In a telescope sight mount for detachable mounting on a firearm having a pair of spaced-apart longitudinally extending grooves disposed on an upper portion thereof, wherein said mount comprises a generally tubular sight encircling bracket member having first and second depending clamping legs provided with inturned lips on the lower margins thereof for engaging said grooves in clamping said mount to said firearm, the improvements wherein said bracket member comprises two complementary arcuate segments separably connected on their uppermost adjacent ends by a first connecting means comprising complementary hingedly interlocking tongue-and-slot means disposed in substantially flush relation to the outer periphery of said bracket member, and second releasable con nection means carried by the lowermost adjacent ends of said segments for drawing the segments together about the telescope sight when said first connecting means has been engaged.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,002,115 8/1911 Barnes 42-86 2,115,618 4/1938 Carl 421 2,449,551 9/ 1948 Garand 42-1 2,803,907 8/ 1957 Weaver 42l FOREIGN PATENTS 322,727 7/1902 France. 1,125,315 3/1962 Germany.

1 0,968 7/ 1915 Great Britain.

BENJAMIN A. BORCHELT, Primary Examiner. R. V. LOTTMANN, Assistant Examiner.

Claims

8. IN A TELESCOPE SIGHT MOUNT FOR DETACHABLE MOUNTING ON A FIREARM HAVING A PAIR OF SPACED-APART LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING GROOVES DISPOSED ON AN UPPER PORTION THEREOF, WHEREIN SAID MOUNT COMPRISES AS GENERALLY TUBULAR SIGHT ENCIRCLING BRACKET MEMBER HAVING FIRST AND SECOND DEPENDING CLAMPING LEGS PROVIDED WITH INTURNED LIPS ON THE LOWER MARGINS THEREOF FOR ENGAGING SAID GROOVES IN CLAMPING SAID MOUNT TO SAID FIREARM, THE IMPROVEMENTS WHEREIN SAID BRACKET MEMBER COMPRISES TWO COMPLEMENTARY ARCUATE SEGMENTS SEPARABLY CONNECTED ON THEIR UPPERMOST ADJACENT ENDS BY A FIRST CONNECTING MEANS COMPRISING COMPLEMENTARY HINGEDLY INTERLOCKING TONGUE-AND-SLOT MEANS DISPOSED IN SUBSTANTIALLY FLUSH RELATION TO THE OUTER PERIPHERY OF SAID BRACKET MEMBER, AND SECOND RELEASABLE CONNECTION MEANS CARRIED BY THE LOWERMOST ADJACENT ENDS OF SAID SEGMENTS FOR DRAWING THE SEGMENTS TOGETHER ABOUT THE TELESCOPE SIGHT WHEN SAID FIRST CONNECTING MEANS HAS BEEN ENGAGED.