Abstract:
The invention is directed towards an elevation adjustment mechanism which has a mechanism for coarsely adjusting the pitch rotation comprising a lever actuated clamping assembly and a mechanism for finely adjusting the pitch rotation comprising a threaded rod mechanism.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    Not Applicable 
       STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH 
       [0002]    Not Applicable 
       FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    The present invention relates generally to an apparatus, such as a shooting bench, for shooting a firearm, taking photographs with a camera, or watching nature with an optical instrument such as binoculars or a telescope. More specifically, the invention concerns to an elevation adjustment mechanism that allows the user to quickly acquire a target with a firearm, camera or optical instrument. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    An apparatus to stabilize and aim a device is often used by marksman to improve their shooting accuracy, by photographers to obtain a desired photograph and by nature lovers to see an elusive animal. One example of such an apparatus is a shooting bench. In order to change the line of sight or aim of the device being supported by the apparatus, a means for changing the position of the device is required. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    The invention is directed towards an elevation adjustment mechanism which has a mechanism for coarsely aiming a device that comprises a coarse adjustment lever, a coarse adjustment rod and a clamping assembly. The coarse adjustment mechanism is constructed and arranged so that depression of the coarse adjustment lever lifts the clamping assembly away from the coarse adjustment rod thereby allowing the user to translate the coarse adjustment rod and to adjust the aim of the device. 
         [0006]    The invention is also directed towards elevation adjustment mechanism comprising a housing, a coarse adjustment lever, a coarse adjustment rod, a clamping assembly, a fine adjustment washer, a fine adjustment nut and a fine adjustment rod. The housing is comprised of a sleeve and a ram cylinder. The sleeve and the ram cylinder are hollow tubes with at least a portion of the sleeve being disposed within the ram cylinder. The coarse adjustment rod has a first portion extending into a first end of the housing so that the housing encircles at least a portion of the coarse adjustment rod. The clamping assembly is engaged to the coarse adjustment lever which is engaged to the housing. The clamping assembly is positioned at least partially within an opening defined by the housing so that it is releasably engaged to a portion of the coarse adjustment rod disposed within the housing. In some embodiments, the fine adjustment washer is slipped onto one end of the sleeve and the fine adjustment nut is slipped onto the other end of the sleeve before being engaged to one another and to the sleeve. In other embodiments, the fine adjustment nut is engaged to the sleeve by set screws. The fine adjustment rod has a first portion that extends through an end of the sleeve and a second portion that is disposed within the sleeve. 
         [0007]    In at least one embodiment, the invention is directed towards an apparatus, such as a shooting bench for example, that supports a device such as a firearm, a camera, or an optical device and that has an elevation adjustment mechanism to aim the device. The apparatus comprises a vertical support member, at least one leg, a platform to support a device such as a firearm, camera or binoculars, and an elevation adjustment mechanism. A portion of the at least one leg and a portion of the platform is engaged to the vertical support member. A portion of the elevation adjustment mechanism is engaged to a portion of the vertical support member and a portion of the elevation adjustment mechanism is engaged to a portion of the platform. The elevation adjustment mechanism is constructed and arranged to adjust the pitch rotation of the platform, thereby adjusting the pitch rotation of the device supported by the platform. The elevation adjustment mechanism comprises a mechanism for coarsely adjusting the pitch rotation comprising a lever actuated clamping assembly, and a mechanism for finely adjusting the pitch rotation comprising a threaded rod mechanism. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0008]      FIG. 1  is a view of an elevation adjustment mechanism. 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  is an exploded view of an embodiment of the elevation adjustment mechanism of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0010]      FIG. 3  is a view of the sleeve and the ram cylinder. 
           [0011]      FIG. 4  is an exploded view of another embodiment of the elevation adjustment mechanism of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0012]      FIG. 5  is the elevation adjustment mechanism, engaged to a platform and a vertical support of a bench, that has a single rod for both the coarse adjustment mechanism and the fine adjustment mechanism. 
           [0013]      FIG. 6  is a view of a bench with the elevation adjustment mechanism of  FIG. 1 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0014]    While this invention may be embodied in many forms, there are described in detail herein specific embodiments of the invention. This description is an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the particular embodiments illustrated. 
         [0015]    For the purposes of this disclosure, like reference numerals in the figures shall refer to like features unless otherwise indicated. 
         [0016]      FIG. 1  is a side view of an elevation adjustment mechanism  10  that has a coarse adjustment mechanism  16  and a fine adjustment mechanism  22 . As shown in the figures, portions of both the coarse adjustment mechanism  16  and the fine adjustment mechanism  22  are disposed within a housing  12 . In some embodiments, the housing  12  comprises a sleeve  13  and a ram cylinder  14 , shown in  FIG. 3 . At least a portion of the sleeve  13  is disposed within the ram cylinder  14 . Thus, the diameter of the sleeve  13  is smaller than the diameter of the ram cylinder  14 . When the sleeve  13  is disposed within the ram cylinder  14 , the sleeve  13  and the ram cylinder  14  are engaged to one another by any means, including, but not limited to, screws. In other embodiments, the housing  12  is a single cylinder, the ram cylinder  14 . 
         [0017]    In at least one embodiment, the coarse adjustment mechanism  16  is a linear slide mechanism. In this embodiment, the coarse adjustment mechanism  16  comprises a coarse adjustment lever  18 , a coarse adjustment rod  20  and a clamping assembly  34 . It is within the scope of the invention for the coarse adjustment rod  20  to have any length and diameter. In some embodiments, the coarse adjustment rod  20  is a threaded rod. In other embodiments, the coarse adjustment rod  20  is a smooth rod. It is within the scope of the invention for the clamping assembly  34  to be any means that releasably engages the coarse adjustment rod  20 . In some embodiments, the clamping assembly  34  is a half-nut assembly. In other embodiments, the clamping assembly  34  is a half-cylinder. Note that the clamping assembly  34  has a configuration that is complementary to the configuration of the coarse adjustment rod  20  so that the clamping assembly  34  can releasably engage the coarse adjustment rod  20 . 
         [0018]    In some embodiments, the coarse adjustment mechanism  16  comprises a clamping assembly  34  that is a half-nut assembly and a coarse adjustment rod  20  that is a threaded rod. In other embodiments, the coarse adjustment mechanism  16  comprises a clamping assembly  34  that is a half-cylinder and a coarse adjustment rod  20  that is a smooth rod. Both of these embodiments have the configuration shown in  FIG. 1 . In some embodiments, the clamping assembly  34  is a half-cylinder which is not threaded and which is lined with a high friction material. In other embodiments, the clamping assembly  34  is made of a high friction material. In at least one embodiment, the materials used to make the smooth rod and the half-cylinder provide adequate friction in order to eliminate translation of the smooth rod once the half-cylinder is engaged with the smooth rod. Examples of high friction material, include, but are not limited to, elastomer rubber compounds such as nitrile, silicone, neoprene, viton, and ethylene propylene diene monomer rubber (EPDM). In this embodiment, sufficient spring force on the coarse adjustment lever provides quick coarse adjustment. 
         [0019]    As shown in  FIGS. 2 and 4 , in some embodiments, one end of the coarse adjustment rod  20  is engaged to a clevis mount  32  by a cap screw  30   b . Thus, in this embodiment, end of the coarse adjustment rod  20  engaged to the clevis mount  32  has a threaded opening for the cap screw  30   b . The other end of the coarse adjustment rod  20  is within the housing  12  of the elevation adjustment mechanism  10 . Thus, at least a portion of the coarse adjustment rod  20  is disposed within the housing  12 . The coarse adjustment lever  18  is engaged to a clamping assembly  34  by a cap screw  30   a . In this embodiment, the coarse adjustment lever  18  is releasably engaged to the coarse adjustment rod  20  by the clamping assembly  34 . The coarse adjustment lever  18  is engaged to the ram cylinder  14  of the housing  12  by a spring  40  and by a mounting assembly  46 . In some embodiments, the clamping assembly  34  engages the coarse adjustment rod  20  through an opening in the housing  12 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , the opening in the housing  12  is comprised of an opening in the sleeve  13  that is aligned with an opening in the ram cylinder  14  when the sleeve  13  is disposed within the ram cylinder  14 . 
         [0020]    In other embodiments, the clamping assembly  34  engages the coarse adjustment rod  20  adjacent to the housing  12 . Note that any distance can separate the side of the clamping assembly  34  from the side of the housing  12  so long as the movement of the clamping assembly  34 , e.g. when the coarse adjustment lever  18  is depressed, is not hindered by contact with the housing  12 . In this embodiment, an interface guides the interaction between the coarse adjustment rod  20  and the clamping assembly  34 . 
         [0021]      FIGS. 2 and 4  are views of the component parts of the elevation adjustment mechanism  10  of  FIG. 1  showing two different methods of engaging the fine adjustment mechanism  22  to the housing  12 . In at least one embodiment, the fine adjustment mechanism  22  is a threaded mechanism. In this embodiment, the fine adjustment mechanism  22  comprises a fine adjustment rod assembly  24 , a fine adjustment nut  26  and a fine adjustment washer  28 , as shown in  FIG. 2 . In one embodiment, the fine adjustment washer  28  and the fine adjustment nut  26  are slipped over opposite ends of the sleeve  13  and engaged to one another by cap screws  30   d , as discussed in greater detail below. The fine adjustment rod  24  extends through the end of the sleeve  13  so that a first portion of the fine adjustment rod  24  is disposed within the sleeve  13  of the housing  12  and a second portion of the fine adjustment rod  24  extends from the sleeve  13 . In some embodiments, the second portion is engaged to a platform  108 , as discussed in greater detail below. It is within the scope of the invention for the fine adjustment rod  24  to have any length and any diameter. In some embodiments, the fine adjustment mechanism  22  has zero backlash adjustability. In one embodiment, tapered pin guides for the screws  42  provide the zero backlash adjustability. 
         [0022]    An alternative manner of engaging the fine adjustment mechanism  22  to the ram cylinder  14  is shown in  FIG. 4 . In this embodiment, the fine adjustment nut  26  is engaged to the ram cylinder  14  by set screws  42 . It is within the scope of the invention for two or more set screws  42  engage the fine adjustment nut  26  to the ram cylinder  14 . Thus, there can be two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight or more set screws  42 . Note that except for the manner of engaging the fine adjustment nut  26  to the ram cylinder  14 , the other aspects of the elevation adjustment mechanism  10  are the same as in  FIG. 2 . 
         [0023]    Assembly of the elevation adjustment mechanism  10  shown in  FIG. 2  is as follows: First the fine adjustment rod assembly  24  is inserted into the proximal opening of sleeve  13  so that it exits through the distal opening of the sleeve  13 . The fine adjustment nut  26  is threaded onto the fine adjustment rod  24  from the right or distal end of the fine adjustment rod  24  and the fine adjustment washer  28  is slid over the sleeve  13  from the left or proximal end until the fine adjustment nut  26  and the fine adjustment washer  28  are side by side at the right or distal end of the fine adjustment rod  24 . Note that the diameter of the distal end region of the sleeve  13  has a first diameter and a second diameter. The first diameter is greater than the second diameter and both diameters are greater than the diameter of the rest of the sleeve  13 . Thus, the first diameter corresponds to the diameter of the fine adjustment nut  26  and the second diameter corresponds to the diameter of the fine adjustment washer. The fine adjustment washer  28  and the fine adjustment nut  26  are then engaged to one another. Note that because the second diameter is less than the first diameter, the position of the fine adjustment washer  28  and the fine adjustment nut  26  is maintained. In one embodiment, cap screws  30  are used to engaged the fine adjustment washer  28  and the fine adjustment nut  26  together. 
         [0024]    Then the proximal end of the sleeve  13 /fine adjustment mechanism  24  is inserted into the distal opening of the ram cylinder  14 , as shown in  FIG. 3 . The sleeve  13  and the ram cylinder  14  are engaged to one another. In some embodiments, set screws  42  engage the sleeve  13  and the ram cylinder  14  together, as shown in  FIG. 1  for example. Spring  40  is inserted into a relief in the ram cylinder  14  then the clamping assembly  34  and coarse adjustment lever  18  are engaged to each other and to the ram assembly  14  with cap screws  30   a,c  and washers  38  and/or hex nuts  44 . Then the coarse adjustment lever  18  is engaged and the proximal end of the housing  12  is slid over the coarse adjustment rod  20 . 
         [0025]    Assembly of the elevation adjustment mechanism  10  shown in  FIG. 4  is as follows: First the fine adjustment rod assembly  24  is inserted into the proximal opening of sleeve  13  so that it exits through the distal opening of the sleeve  13 . The fine adjustment nut  26  is threaded onto the fine adjustment rod  24  from the proximal end of the fine adjustment rod  24  so that a portion of the fine adjustment nut  26  is disposed about an end region of the sleeve  13 . Then the fine adjustment nut  26  is engaged to the sleeve  13 . Then the proximal end of the sleeve  13 /fine adjustment mechanism  24  is inserted into the distal opening of the ram cylinder  14 . Assembly of the rest of the elevation adjustment mechanism  10  proceeds as described above. 
         [0026]    In at least one embodiment, the coarse adjustment mechanism  16  changes the pointing elevation, i.e. rotation about a horizontal pivot, otherwise known as the pitch, +/−20 degrees from horizontal. In some embodiments, the coarse adjustment mechanism  16  has a pointing resolution of approximately 1.0 degree. In at least one embodiment, the fine adjustment mechanism  22 , provides precision elevation alignment, either upwards or downwards. In some embodiments, the precision elevation alignment of the fine adjustment mechanism  22  is infinite. 
         [0027]    In at least one embodiment, the elevation adjustment mechanism  10  has a combined fine and coarse adjustment mechanisms  16 , 22  with one threaded rod  20 , 24  used for both the fine adjustment mechanism  22  and coarse adjustment mechanism  16  of the elevation adjustment mechanism  10 , as shown in  FIG. 5 . Thus, in this embodiment, the fine adjustment rod  24  and the coarse adjustment rod  20  are different regions of a single rod  20 , 24 . It is within the scope of the invention for the rod  20 , 24  to have any length and any diameter. In addition, it is within the scope of the invention for the different regions of the single rod  20 , 24 , i.e. the coarse adjustment rod  16  and the fine adjustment rod  24 , to have the same length or different lengths. In some embodiments, the clevis mount  32  forms a part of the housing  12 , as shown in  FIG. 5 . 
         [0028]    As shown, for example, in  FIG. 6 , in at least one embodiment, the elevation adjustment mechanism  10  is engaged to a bench  100 . In some embodiments, the elevation adjustment mechanism  10  is engaged to a vertical shaft  104  of a bench  100  and to the platform  108  of a bench  100 . It is within the scope of the invention for the elevation adjustment mechanism  10  to be engaged to the bench  100  in any manner, for example, but not limited to, a clevis mount  32 , a yoke, or other mounting configuration. 
         [0029]    A non-limiting example of an apparatus to which the inventive elevation adjustment mechanism  10  can be engaged is the bench  100 , shown in  FIG. 6 . The bench  100  has legs  102 , a vertical shaft  104  to which a seat  106  is engaged, a platform  108  and an elevation adjustment mechanism  10 . One portion of the elevation adjustment mechanism  10  is engaged to the vertical shaft  104  and a second portion of the elevation adjustment mechanism  10  is engaged to the platform  108 . It is within the scope of the invention for the elevation adjustment mechanism  10  to be engaged to the bench  100  by a clevis mount  32 , yoke and/or other mounting configuration. Thus, the two portions of the elevation adjustment mechanism  10 , e.g. the coarse adjustment rod  20  and the fine adjustment rod  24 , can be engaged in the same manner, e.g. a clevis mount  32 , or in different manners. 
         [0030]    In at least one embodiment, the seat  106  rotates 360 degrees about the vertical shaft  104 . It is within the scope of the invention for the platform  108  to support any device, for example, but not limited to, a weapon, a camera, or an optical device. Examples of optical devices include, but are not limited to, monoculars, binoculars, and telescopes. As shown in  FIG. 6 , the platform  108  is configured to support a firearm. In at least one embodiment, the platform  108  rotates 360 degrees. In some embodiments, the seat  106  and the platform  108  move in unison. In other embodiments, the seat  106  and the platform  108  move independently. 
         [0031]    To adjust the platform  108 , and thereby adjust the device supported by the platform  108 , the user pushes down on the coarse adjustment lever  18  so that the coarse adjustment lever  18  moves closer to the ram cylinder  14  of the housing  12 . In this movement the spring  40  is compressed and the clamping assembly  34  is raised away from the coarse adjustment rod  20  as the coarse adjustment lever  18  pivots about the cap screw  30   c  which engages the coarse adjustment lever  18  to the mounting assembly  46 . The cap screw  30   c  is kept in position by a hex nut  44 , as shown in  FIG. 2 . When the clamping assembly  34  is away from the coarse adjustment rod  20 , the coarse adjustment rod  20  can be moved into or out of the housing  12 . When the coarse adjustment rod  20  is moved into the housing  12  the platform  108  pivots vertically downwards. When the coarse adjustment rod  20  is moved out of the housing  12 , the platform  108  pivots vertically upwards. After the coarse adjustment mechanism  16  has been set to the desired position, the fine adjustment mechanism  22  can be used for precise positioning of the platform  108 , upwards or downwards. Thus, adjustment of the platform  108  by the elevation adjustment mechanism  10  allows the user to adjust the aim/line of sight of the device upwards or downwards and rotation of the platform  108  about the vertical shaft  104  of the bench  100  allows the user to adjust the aim/line of sight of the device about a vertical axis, otherwise known as yaw.