Abstract:
The invention relates to an apparatus for mounting a sighting mechanism on a handgun, with a bracket ( 2 ), comprising at least a fixed bracket element and a rotatable bracket element ( 5 ) opposite thereto that is rotatable on an axis ( 20 ) relative to the bracket ( 2 ), which is adjustable by an operating element ( 19 ) opposite the fixed bracket element ( 3 ). To enable a precisely repeatable and low-wear mounting, the operating element ( 19 ) is rotatable relative to the rotatable bracket element ( 5 ) on the axis ( 20 ) thereof.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119 to German Patent Application No. 10 2012 014 075.4 filed 12 Jul. 2012, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
       FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The invention relates to an apparatus for mounting a sighting mechanism on a handgun. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    A mounting apparatus of this kind is disclosed in DE 42 29 089. Therein, on the front and back ends of a bridge-shaped bracket are respectively deployed, as bracket elements: on one side, a fixed clamp, and on the opposite side, an adjustable clamp. The adjustable clamp is implemented as a single unit with an operating element implemented as a swing arm, and connected to the bracket via a threaded connection. The mounting apparatus is fitted to a handgun in such a way that only the fixed clamp can be engaged with the corresponding blind holes in the handgun. Subsequently, the clamp is rotated via the swing arm from a release position to a clamping position. Due to the threaded connection, the clamp thus moves along with the shaped swing arm in the direction of the handgun, and comes into contact with the corresponding cut-outs of the handgun. By a further rotation of the clamp, the apparatus is locked to the handgun. Wear and tear or signs of use may occur due to frictional wear, especially in the case of delicate surfaces, due to the rotation of the clamp across the cutouts of the handgun that occurs during fastening. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    One aspect of the invention is to furnish an apparatus for the mounting of a sighting mechanism of the above-described kind, which enables the mounting to be done with repeat accuracy and low wear. 
         [0005]    In the case of an embodiment of the apparatus of this invention, the operating element is implemented so as to be rotatable relative to the rotatable bracket element, around the rotational axis thereof. Such an embodiment enables relative movement between the operating element and the bracket element, which has the advantage that the bracket element can be decoupled from the rotation of the operating element when locked to the handgun. During clamping, the initially rotatable clamping element can only be pressed in without further rotation, so that there is no abrasion of the clamping element and handgun. This efficaciously enables the reduction of wear on the contact points and ensures a precise connection with repeat accuracy. 
         [0006]    In a preferred embodiment, the operating element is connected to the rotatable bracket element in such a way that when the operating element is rotated, the rotatable bracket element is initially rotated along with it into a clamping position, and after reaching a locking position, can only be pushed in the direction of the axis of rotation, unless it is rotated further. The locking position should preferably be selected in such a way that in this position, either the rotatable bracket element no longer has any contact with the handgun, or the rotatable bracket element has only just come into contact with the handgun. After reaching the locking position, the rotatable bracket element undergoes no further rotation when the operating element is rotated into clamping position, but is only pushed against the fixed bracket element. 
         [0007]    In order to define the locking position and a release position of the rotatable bracket element, the rotation of the bracket element can be restricted with respect to the bracket. The rotation of the bracket element together with the operating element can thus take place by means of a snap fitting. A snap fitting has the advantage that it can be released non-destructively, as soon as the rotation of the operating element is continued beyond the limit of the bracket element in locking position. 
         [0008]    An especially precise and robust restriction of the rotation of the rotatable bracket element with respect to the bracket can be achieved by engaging a projection deployed on the rotatable bracket element with a cam furnished on the bracket. 
         [0009]    In a further preferred embodiment, the snap fitting is configured as a locking ball deployed on the operating element and a running groove with a locking recess on the rotatable bracket element. By applying sufficient force against the spring tension, the ball can be lifted out of the locking recess. 
         [0010]    To ensure robust mounting of the rotatable bracket element, it can be deployed on a threaded pin deployed on the bracket such that it is rotatable around the axis thereof. 
         [0011]    The rotation of the operating element together with adjustment can be advantageously accomplished by a threaded connection of the operating element to the threaded pin. 
         [0012]    An especially space-saving configuration is realized by an operating element with a swing arm and a folding grip. When folded out, the grip affords a good lever arm for the operation of the swing arm, and when folded closed, on the other hand, the operating element needs little room and the risk of damage due to protruding parts is reduced. 
         [0013]    It is also preferred that an additional projection be furnished on the rotatable bracket in order to be caught by the operating element. By this additional projection, the relative rotation between the operating element and bracket element can be restricted with precision. 
         [0014]    In an especially robust and easily assembled embodiment, the bracket mechanism is implemented in the form of a mounting bridge with a fixed bracket and an opposing adjustable bracket on a front and back end. The bracket can however also be realized as a unitary assembly. Also, by means of two, e.g. ring-shaped, unitary assemblies, a sighting scope or other sighting mechanism can be fastened to a handgun. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0015]    Further characteristics and advantages of the invention are presented in the following description of a preferred embodiment, with reference to the drawings. These are: 
           [0016]      FIG. 1 : an apparatus for mounting a sighting mechanism on a handgun without adjustable bracket elements, from one perspective; 
           [0017]      FIG. 2 : one part of the mounting apparatus of  FIG. 1  with an adjustable bracket element and an arm in folded-out position, from one perspective; 
           [0018]      FIG. 3 : the part of the mounting apparatus shown in  FIG. 2 , with the adjustable bracket element in a sectional view; 
           [0019]      FIG. 4 : a sectional view of the adjustable bracket element in the released position; 
           [0020]      FIG. 5 : a sectional view of the adjustable bracket element in an intermediate position; 
           [0021]      FIG. 6 : a sectional view of the adjustable bracket element in the clamped position and 
           [0022]      FIG. 7 : a part of the mounting apparatus of  FIG. 1  with an adjustable bracket element and closed arm, from one perspective. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0023]    The apparatus  1  shown in  FIG. 1  for mounting a sighting mechanism on a handgun comprises a bracket  2 , formed here as a mounting bridge, that has a fixed bracket element  3  and an opposing receiver  4 , at both its front and back ends, for the rotatable bracket element  5  shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 . The two receptacles  4  contain inclined exterior faces  6 , with a cam  7  and a threaded hole  8  for an operating mechanism depicted in  FIGS. 2 and 3  and described in greater detail hereinbelow for rotating and pushing the rotatable bracket element  5 . Both the fixed bracket elements  3 , which are formed as fixed jaws, and also the rotatable bracket elements  5 , which are implemented as adjustable jaws, possess, as shown in  FIG. 6 , a clamping area  9  or  10  furnished with inclined faces for engaging with a receiver housing of the handgun at corresponding depths. 
         [0024]    As is also evident from  FIG. 1 , there are furnished, at the front and rear ends on the underside of the arch-shaped bracket  2 , inclined seat-engaging surfaces  11  that seat onto the roof-shaped seating surfaces on the mounting bases of the receiver housing. Within the bracket, holes  12  and  13  are deployed for accommodating screws, etc., for fastening, e.g. ring brackets or other brackets for a sighting scope or other sighting mechanism. In one of the holes  13  on the underside of the bracket  2  there is additionally installed a recoil lug  14  with two protruding engagement elements  15 , spaced apart from one another, to afford a form-locking engagement with the two spaced-apart groove-shaped recesses in the receiver housing  1 . 
         [0025]    The operating mechanism for adjusting the rotatable and slidable bracket element  5  comprises: a threaded pin  16  inserted within the threaded hole  8  of the bracket  2 , and an operating element  19 , here realized as a swing arm  17  with a folding grip  18 , by the clockwise rotation whereof the bracket element  5 , which is rotatable on an axis  20 , is carried along, and after being rotated by 90°, unless it is rotated further, it is only pushed against the fixed bracket element  3 . 
         [0026]    The rotatable bracket element  5 , as shown in  FIG. 2 , thus possesses on its outer periphery a running groove  21  running over an angle of 90° in the circumferential direction with a locking recess  22  at the end for receiving a locking ball  23  deployed in the swing arm  17  and depicted in  FIGS. 4-6 . 
         [0027]    From  FIGS. 4-6 , it is evident that the first locking ball  23  is deployed in a radial hole  24  of the swing arm  17 , and is pushed into the running groove  21  by means of a first spring  25 . For adjustment of the pressing force of the locking ball  23 , the first spring  25  is gripped between the first locking ball  23  and an adjustment screw  26 . The rotatable bracket element  5  is implemented in the form of a disk with a flattened part  27  and a clamping area  10  offset in a circumferential direction with respect to the flattened part  27 . The inclined clamping area  10  is offset by 90° with respect to the flattened part  27 , so that the clamping area  10  can be rotated by rotating the bracket element  5  by 90° between a release position shown in  FIG. 4  and a locking position shown in  FIG. 5 . In order to restrict rotation of the bracket element  5  to 90° between the release position and the locking position, the adjustable bracket element  5  has on its internal side, facing the outer surface  6  of the bracket  2 , a projection  28  that projects inward to engage with a cam  7  that runs in an arc over an angle of 90°. On the outer side of the rotatable bracket element  5  is additionally furnished a projection  29  that projects outward, visible in  FIGS. 3 and 7 , which extends by a 90° rotation from the clamp position shown in  FIG. 7  to the contact with the swing arm  17  when the swing arm  17  is opened, and carries the bracket element  5  along in a further rotation of 90°. 
         [0028]    The rotatable bracket element  5 , realized in the form of a disk, is rotatably seated around the axis  20  on the threaded pin  16 , which, as shown in  FIG. 3 , comprises a fine pitch thread  30  at its internal end, deployed within the threaded hole  8  of the bracket  2 , and a metric thread  31  for connecting with the swing arm  17  on its opposite, outer end, which projects outward against the bracket  2 . By means of an Allen screw, not shown, within a cross hole  32  in the bracket  2 , shown in  FIG. 2 , the threaded pin  16 , which is rotatable via a hexagonal socket  33  for mounting and adjustment, can be fixed within the bracket  2  after adjustment. The swing arm  17  can be rotated more simply via the fold-out grip  18 . 
         [0029]    As is evident from  FIG. 3 , the grip  18  is hinged on the swing arm  17  in such a way that it can swing by means of a cross pin  34  for folding and unfolding. The grip  18  has a rounded inner end with a cross hole  35  for the cross pin  34 , and an angular outer end. On the outer side of the rounded internal end there are furnished two locking recesses  36  for a second locking ball  39  that is deployed within a blind hole  37  of the swing arm  17  and is pushed outward by a second spring  38 . The grip  18  has a pin  40 , shown in  FIG. 2 , on the inside of its angular outer end, which, in the folded position of  FIG. 7 , engages with a recess  41  in the inclined outer face  6  of the bracket  2 . Accidental opening of the swing arm  17  can thus be averted. 
         [0030]    In the following, the operation of the above-described mounting apparatus will be described with reference to  FIGS. 4-6 . 
         [0031]    In the release position shown in  FIG. 4 , the rotatable bracket element  5  is pivoted in such a way that the flattened part  27  points to the clamping area  9  of the fixed bracket element  3 . In this release position, the bracket  2  can readily be attached to the handgun or removed therefrom. In the release position, the swing arm  17  is deployed in such a way that the locking ball  23  is seated in the locking recess  22  of the running groove  21 . 
         [0032]    After the attachment of the bracket  2  to the handgun, the swing arm  17  is rotated 90° clockwise as shown in  FIG. 5 . The rotatable bracket element  5  is thus carried along clockwise by the ball lock. The projection  28  that projects from the reverse side of the adjustable bracket element  5  is thus guided frictionlessly into the cam  7  of the bracket  2 . As soon as the bracket element  5  carried along by the swing arm  17  reaches the position shown in  FIG. 5 , further rotation of the bracket element  5  is averted by the reverse-side projection  28 . The adjustment of the operating mechanism thus occurs in such a way that the bracket element  5  does not touch the receiver housing of the handgun when the swing arm  17  is swiveled inward into the intermediate position of  FIG. 5 . 
         [0033]    Not until the swing arm  17  is rotated another 90° to the clamping position of  FIG. 6  is the bracket element  5  pushed against the pitch of the thread  31  and up to the fixed bracket element  3 , without further rotation of the swing arm  17 . Because the bracket element  5  does not undergo rotation when actually clamped, but is only pushed transversely to the receiver housing, damage to the handgun due to frictional wear can be prevented.