Abstract:
A gun mount for use in sighting-in long guns having or not having a large bottom feed, clip magazine, belt, drum or other bottom loaded ammunition feed system includes a base to be mounted on a table top or other suitable surface and that supports a rotatably mounted gun holder on which a long gun is placed. The gun holder allows the gun barrel to be adjustably fixed in each of a horizontal and vertical position. An aligned sight picture is set into the gun sights and is maintained or reset after the gun is fired by shock absorbers that keep recoil shock from changing the sight settings, or return the gun to the position at which the sights have been set.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     Not Applicable. 
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     Not Applicable. 
     REFERENCE TO MICROFICHE APPENDIX 
     Not Applicable. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to gun sighting mounts and is concerned with gun mounts used in the sighting of long barrel guns having a magazine or other under gun ammunition feed system. 
     The invention is more particularly concerned with the sighting-in of high powered and/or semi-automatic and/or automatic long barrel weapons. 
     Many different types of gun mounts have been used, in the past, to aim and sight-in long guns. Recently, however, there have been many more gun owners desiring to sight-in high powered, automatic weapons. 
     Because high powered, extremely fast firing long guns discharge rounds at a very rapid rate, the weapons often have large bullet holding magazines, clips or belts that project beneath the weapon during use. It is therefore necessary that any gun mount used in sighting-in such weapons provide clearance beneath the supported weapon for such bullet holding and feed structures. At the same time, because of the explosive power of the bullets fired through the weapons, it is highly desirable that the weapon be mounted on structure that will absorb much of the shock resulting from the rapidly fired rounds used in aiming and sighting-in the weapon. 
     Additionally, many features found on known gun sighting mounts still need to be incorporated into a gun mount that will accommodate sighting of long guns having a bullet feed mechanism extending beneath the gun. 
     Consequently, a gun mount used for sighting long guns with bullet holding magazines, or the like, must also provide for vertical and horizontal adjustments to allow accurate sighting and locking in of a sight picture. It is also desirable to minimize recoil shock, and particularly recoil shock that may change the sight picture between successive shots. 
     Even though many gun mount devices have been proposed in the past for securing long guns during aiming and sighting-in, there remains a need for such a mount that will hold rapid firing, high powered long guns in a secured set position, during aiming and sighting-in. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Objects of the Invention 
     Principal objects of the present invention are to provide a gun mount that can be conveniently positioned on a shooting table top or other suitable surface and that will receive and hold long guns during the aiming and sighting-in of such weapons. 
     Other objects of the invention are to provide a gun mount having ample clearance for a bottom loading magazine or other bullet holding and feed mechanism inserted into and projecting from the underside of a gun being aimed or sighted-in. 
     Another object of the invention is to provide a gun mount that is stable during aiming and sighting-in procedures and that will at least partially absorb and minimize the recoil shock occurring as rounds are fired and discharged from the muzzle of the weapon. 
     Still another object of the invention is to provide a weighted mount for aiming and sighting-in of rapid firing, high caliber long guns that can be easily setup, on a table, for example, to permit a user to raise, lower and horizontally rotate the barrel of a gun while aiming and sighting-in the weapon during single shot firing, semi-automatic firing, and fully automatic firing. 
     Yet another object is to provide a gun mount that will permit rotation of the gun being sighted in a horizontal plane as well as vertical pivoting of the gun muzzle when setting up a sight picture. The gun is locked in place to maintain the sight picture and shock absorbers are provided to prevent or reduce the possibility of the sight picture at any selected range will be lost due to recoil action of the weapon. 
     Features of the Invention 
     Principal features of the invention include a gun mount having a base with legs that are adjustable to permit leveling of the base. The base also has trays that can be readily filled with bags of sand, or other weights to further stabilize the base during use of the gun mount. 
     The gun mount further include a gun holder rotatably mounted on the base to permit horizontal alignment of a long gun positioned on the gun holder and a vertical adjustor to adjust and secure the gun sights for vertical position on a target. 
     The gun holder positions the gun to have clearance beneath the gun to accommodate a bottom ammunition feed system of the gun. 
     Shock absorbers acting between the base and the gun holder at least partially absorb recoil to minimize repositioning of the gun being sighted, and particularly to absorb torque forces that might otherwise occur if the gun being sighted-in is offset with respect to the pivot axis through a base bottom plate and an overlying central plate of the gun holder. 
     Additional objects and features of the invention will become apparent from the following drawings and detailed description. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES OF THE INVENTION 
       In the Drawings 
         FIG. 1  is a top plan view of a gun mount of the invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a side elevation; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view taken from a front upper corner, of the invention, and showing the gun mount without shock absorbers; 
         FIG. 4 , a perspective view taken from a rear corner of another embodiment of the invention and showing an automatic rifle positioned on the gun holder; 
         FIG. 5 , a perspective view of the gun mount of the invention shown in  FIG. 4 , but with the automatic rifle removed and with the view being taken from a front corner and slightly above the mount; 
         FIG. 6 , a top plan view of an embodiment of the invention shown in  FIGS. 1-3  and including shock absorbers; 
         FIG. 7 , a side elevation view of the embodiment of the invention having a straight support arm positioned over the axis on which the gun holder rotates; and 
         FIG. 8 , a side elevation view of the embodiment of the invention shown in  FIG. 7 , but showing shock absorbers connected between the base and the gun holder to absorb recoil shock of the weapon being fired while using the gun mount. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring Now to the Drawings 
     In the illustrated preferred embodiment shown in  FIGS. 1-3 , the gun mount of the invention is shown generally at  10 . Gun mount  10  includes a base  12  having a bottom pivot plate, shown generally at  14  and a gun holder, shown generally at  16 . Bottom pivot plate  14  has tripod legs, comprising front legs  18 ,  20  and a rear leg  22 , each fixed to and projecting outwardly and downwardly from the bottom pivot plate  14 . 
     Gun holder  16  is mounted on a pivot shaft formed by a bolt  26  that extends downwardly through the central pivot plate  32  through bottom pivot plate  14  and leg  22 . Rotation of the gun holder  16  and a gun positioned thereon will rotate a bottom face  30  of the central pivot plate  32  of the gun holder  16  around pivot shaft  26  and on a top surface  34  of bottom plate  14 . A nut  27  on the pivot shaft  26 , beneath the top surface of leg  22  holds the pivot shaft  26  in place. 
     A threaded post  36  is fixed to the top surface  34  of plate  14  of the base  12  and extends upwardly through an arcuate slot  38  formed through the bottom pivot plate  14  of the gun holder. The ends  40  and  42  of the arcuate slot  38  serve as stops to limit rotation of the central pivot plate  32  and the gun holder  16  supported thereon, relative to the bottom pivot plate  14 . 
     A knob  46 , threaded onto the upper end of threaded post  36  that projects through the arcuate slot  38 , can be turned downwardly on the threaded post  36  to clamp the bottom pivot plate  14  and central pivot plate  32  together. This prevents undesired rotation of the central pivot plate on the bottom pivot plate and horizontally sets a sight picture. 
     Gun holder  16  includes a pair of spaced apart upstanding plates  50  and  52  fixed to and projecting upwardly from the top surface of central pivot plate  34 . 
     A support arm  54  has a straight central portion  56  that extends between and beyond the upright plates  50  and  52 . A bolt pivot  58 , having an end cap  60  thereon, is inserted through plate  50 , support arm  54  and plate  52 . Thus, the support arm will rotate in a vertical plane on the pivot bolt  58 . 
     A vertical adjustment bolt  62  is threaded through the support arm  54  and into a foot member  64  that rests on top of the central pivot plate  32 . A knob  66  is fixed to the top of bolt  62  and is used to turn the bolt  62  through support arm  54  and to move the foot member  64  into engagement with a leading edge  68  of central pivot plate  32 . A coil spring  70  extends between a pocket  72  formed in the bottom of the support arm  54  and the top surface  34  at a trailing edge  76  of the plate  32 . 
     The front legs  18  and  20  each have an adjustable foot  78  on the end thereof remote from the bottom plate  14 . Each foot  78  is on the bottom end of a bolt  80  threaded through the end of the leg and a knob  82  is provided on and is affixed to the top of each bolt  80  so that turning of the knob will thread the bolt through and change the position of the foot relevant to the leg. A foot  84  is provided on the bottom surface of rear leg  22 , at the end of leg  22  remote from bottom plate  14 . 
     A weight receiving tray  86  is formed between each of the front legs  18  and  20  and the rear leg  22 . The trays each include a flat surface  88  on which sand bags or other weights (not shown) may be placed. A peripheral rim  90  is provided around each tray  86 , between a front leg  18  or  20  and the rear leg  22  to better hold the weights in place. 
     A front portion  98  of the support arm  54  extends beyond the knob  66  and is angled at  100  to extend angularly from one end of the central portion  56  of arm  54 . A barrel support  102  is attached to and extends upwardly from the free end of the forward angled portion  98  of arm  54 . The barrel support includes a U-shaped receiver  104  having spaced apart wings  106  extending upwardly from a web  108 . A threaded post  110  is attached to and extends from beneath web  108  and through a nut  112  and the free end of forward portion  98  of arm  54 , and is threaded into a nut  114 . The elevation of barrel support  102  is set by adjusting the position of nuts  112  and  114  on post  110 . 
     A rear portion  118  of support arm  54  is also angled at  119  from the central portion  56  of arm  54  to the same side of the central portion  56  as is the forward portion  98 . A stock support  120  is mounted on the free end of rear portion  118  of support arm  54 . Stock support  120  includes a receiver  122  for the butt of a long gun stock and has spaced apart wings  124  and  126  projecting upwardly from a platform  128 . The wings and platform are connected by a rear plate  130 . A bolt  129  extends downwardly from platform  128  and through rear portion  118 . A nut  131  threaded on bolt  129  secures the receiver  122  to the portion  118  of arm  54 . A cushion  132  is positioned on a back, shoulder engaging surface of rear plate  130 . 
     The front portion  90  and rear portion  118  of support arm  54  may extend outwardly to have the free ends an equal distance from the axis through the central portion  56 . Thus when a gun is positioned with the gun barrel in the barrel support  102  and the gun stock is positioned in the stock support  120  with the butt of the stock, against the rear plate  130 , the gun axis is on the dotted line axis shown at  134 . The gun axis is offset from and substantially parallel to the central portion  56  of arm  54 . With gun  28  so positioned, and offset from being above the plates  14  and  34  there is ample room for a magazine, or other bottom feed ammunition system extending beneath the gun as it is fired and sighted-in, using the gun mount  10 . 
     Whenever a long gun and particularly a high-powered gun, or a very fast firing automatic gun is fired on a gun mount, the recoil from firing may change a sighting picture both horizontally and vertically. Such recoil naturally tends to change the sighting picture even if the gun holder is positioned directly above a base structure on which the gun holder is positioned. When the gun barrel is positioned to be on a line that is offset from the base structure supporting the gun being fired from a gun mount, the recoil force may also result in a torque force that can also change the horizontal sight picture of a sighted-in gun. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 4-8 , a pair of parallel extending shock absorbers  136  and  138  are provided with a shock absorber on each opposite side of and extending parallel to the support arm  54 . The shock absorbers serve to minimize the effects of recoil shock. Each shock absorber includes a cylinder  140  having a rear tab  142  through which a shaft  144  is inserted. Each shaft  144  is fixed to and projects from one of the upstanding plates  50  or  52 . A rod  146  projecting from each cylinder  140  has a free end  148  pivotally connected at  150  to a shaft  152  that is fixed to and projects from the arm  54 . 
     A pivot link  154  is provided at each side of the arm  54 . Each pivot link  154  has one end  156  pivotally mounted on a shaft  158  that extends through the links and the arm  54 . Nuts  160  threaded on the ends of shaft  158  hold the shaft in place. Opposite ends  162  of the links  154  are pivotally connected on a shaft  164 . Shaft  164  extends through the upstanding plates  166  and  168  that are welded to the central pivot plate  32 . Nuts  172  threaded on opposite ends of the shaft hold the shaft in place. 
     Each pivot link  154  has an impact edge  176  that is slightly spaced away from a rear edge  178  of the adjacent upright plate  50  or  52 . A lower end of the impact edge has a curved corner  180  interconnecting the impact edge with a bottom edge of the pivot link  154 . 
     In use of the gun mount  10 , the mount is positioned on a table or other suitable stable surface with the legs  18 ,  20  and  22  resting on the surface. 
     A gun  186 ,  FIG. 4 , to be fired and sighted-in is placed in the gun holder  16  with the barrel supported in the barrel support  102  and the butt of the gun in the receiver  122  of stock support  120 . 
     As previously described and shown in  FIGS. 1-3 , the support arm has angled front and rear ends  98  and  118 , respectively, extended such that gun axis of a gun placed on the gun holder  16  that is pivotally mounted on the base  12  will be parallel to the dotted line axis  184 . With the gun so positioned, recoil force is directed along the gun axis to the rear plate  130  of stock support  120 . The recoil force, with the gun axis positioned as shown in  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2  creates a torque force to pivot the gun in a horizontal axis around the pivot shaft  26 . 
     As the gun is rotated on the gun support  16 , around the pivot shaft  26 , the projecting lengths of the rods of the shock absorbers  126  and  138  individually change as the shock absorbers absorb the force of arm  54  moving rearward and absorb torque force around the pivot shaft  26 . 
     If the gun axis is over the pivot shaft  26 , the shock absorber rods  136  and  138 , fixed to the arm  54 , will move substantially together to absorb all or part of the recoil shock as the recoil shock acts on the butt plate  130 . 
     Whether the gun holder has an arm  54  with a central arm portion  56  and angled front and rear portions  98  and  118 , respectively in straight alignment with an axis  190  overlying the pivot shaft  26 , as shown in  FIG. 6 ; or has an arm  54  with front and rear angled portions  98  and  118  to form a gun holder having a gun axis offset from and parallel to the central portion  56  of arm  54  as shown in  FIGS. 1-3 ; or has an arm  54  with one front or rear portion forming a straight connection with central portion  56  and the other front or rear portion angled from the central portion  56  of arm  54 , as shown in  FIGS. 4-6 , the shock absorbers will receive recoil shock transmitted from a gun being fired through the butt of the stock of the rifle and end plate to move the arm  54  rearwardly. 
     As the arm  54  moves rearwardly it pivots upper ends  154  of links  156  and rotates the lower end  162  of the links  156  about pivot shaft  164 . Pivot shaft  164  extends through spaced apart plates  166  that are welded to central pivot plate  32 . The lower curved edges  180  of links  156  are then rotated into engagement with upstanding plate  50  and  52  to stop further rearward movement of arm  54 . The shock absorbers then return the links  156  and the arm  54  to their start positions, ready to modulate recoil from the next round fired from the gun. 
     Although a preferred embodiment of our invention has been herein described, it is to be understood that the present disclosure is by way of example and that variations are possible without departing from the subject matter coming within the scope of the following claims, which subject matter we regard as our invention.