Mount for firearm sight

For connecting known sight means such as scope sights to known rib firearms, there is provided a mounting means which has an upper portion having sight supporting surfaces adapted to cooperate with mounting surfaces formed on a lower portion of a sight, a lower portion comprising jaw members adapted to surround and grasp the rib, and a central portion therebetween of such dimensions and strength as to exhibit substantial ductility, the upper, lower, and central portions comprising an integral extrusion made of suitable metal such as aluminum, and the mounting device further comprising a plurality of fastener members adapted to urge the jaw members towards each other, with the lower portion of the extrusion piece having such dimensions and strength as not to be substantially deformed upon tightening of the fastener members.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
The present invention relates to the art of mounting a sight upon a 
firearm, for example, a telescopic or rifle sight, and in particular, it 
relates to the art of providing for the mounting of a scope or sight upon 
a firearm which is provided with a rib like member such as a raised 
ventilated rib for a shotgun a solid frame part for a pistol, or a metal 
barrel part of a muzzleloader, in which a mounting device has a body and 
some connecting members, columns or stanchions that maintain the body with 
respect to the top of the firearm. 
The invention more particularly relates to providing firearms of the well 
known types indicated above, with a telescope or other sight means, also 
of a well known type, the scope or sight having mounting structure 
including a lower gripping portion for allowing the mounting structure to 
be connected to the firearm, and in which the scope mounting structure and 
mounting device have a cooperative construction for interconnecting these 
two members in a supportive relationship. 
2. Description of the Prior Art 
Although it is true, as indicated above, that there are well known in the 
prior art various firearms (shotguns, pistols or muzzleloaders) of the 
kind indicated above, containing as to the two former a rib or like member 
and as to the latter the metal upper part of the barrel, a rib or like 
member, and although it is likewise true that there are well known in the 
prior art various sight means such as telescopic sights and slug sights, 
which are provided with downwardly extending gripper members having either 
interior concave V-shaped grooves or dove tail slots which extend 
longitudinally or transversely, respectively, of the barrel of the 
firearm, the prior art has not provided, prior to the present invention, 
satisfactory means enabling the latter to be mounted upon the former. The 
known ribs or like members do not necessarily, or even at all usually, 
have in their upper portions an exterior geometry to permit a satisfactory 
direct attachment, so that it has accordingly been necessary, in 
accordance with the prior art, to provide some sort of scope-mounting 
means between a rib or like member and a sight intended to be mounted 
thereon. 
Of the known prior mounting means, all have exhibited certain drawbacks. 
Some are useful only with a particular one or two models of ribbed 
shotguns or pistols, or only with a certain one or two models of known 
sights. Some of them require for their use actual machining operations 
upon the barrel of the firearm, or the portion of it which receives the 
barrel, and it is desirable to avoid such machining operations, not only 
because of the inconvenience thereof, but also because of what they may do 
to the performance characteristics of the firearm. Some of the known 
mounting means are not sufficiently sturdy and secure to keep a sight, 
such as a telescopic sight, properly mounted, especially after the firearm 
is discharged, and in the case where a sturdier structure was attempted, 
the gripping action between the rib or frame and the mounting means tended 
to deflect the scope out of its desired mounting position. Moreover, some 
guns require that the scope be mounted on the receiver of the gun, for 
example, shot guns, which is then subject to the inherent relative 
movement between the receiver and barrel during firing. 
Even more commonly, in the art of providing mounts for sights for firearms, 
there is provided a structure which is relatively complicated, being 
composed of several parts which must be separately manufactured and 
assembled, which lends to greater expense in manufacture and greater 
inconvenience in the process of assembly. 
Examples, in general, of previous efforts in the art of providing mountings 
for sights for firearms may be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,837,290; 
3,040,433; 3,835,565; 3992,782; 4,026,055; 4,383,371; 4,429,468; 
4,531,321; and 4,567,683. The above-mentioned patents, while not 
specifically addressing the problem of dealing with various kinds of 
firearms having a ventilated rib or rib like member illustrate 
nevertheless the various other above-mentioned disadvantages, i.e., the 
need to drill into the barrel, complicated structure, limited 
applicability and the inability to maintain the scope in the proper 
position due to the gripping force being exerted between the firearm and 
mounting means. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
For connecting known sight means to known firearms, having a rib or rib 
like member there is provided a mounting means which has in an upper 
portion either a longitudinally extending opposed lateral exterior 
V-shaped holding surfaces, adapted to be gripped by a lower portion of a 
sight which has opposed interior V-shaped grooves extending longitudinally 
therein, or alternatively, transversely arranged cooperative supportive 
surfaces in the upper and lower portions, respectively, a lower portion 
comprising jaw members adapted to surround and grasp the rib, rib like 
member or metal part of the barrel and a central portion therebetween of 
such dimensions and strength as to exhibit substantial ductility, the 
upper, lower, and central portions comprising an integral extrusion made 
of suitable metal, such as aluminum, and the mounting device further 
comprising a plurality of fastener members adapted to urge the jaw members 
towards each other, with the lower portion of the extrusion having such 
dimensions and strength as not to be substantially deformed upon 
tightening of the fastener members, and permitting a range of straight 
parallel fastening positions by the jaw members. Such a mounting means is 
relatively inexpensive to manufacture and easy to use, and it solves the 
problem of satisfactorily mounting any of several kinds of known and 
commercially available sights to any of several types of firearms having a 
rib, rib like member, or metal barrel part.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
With reference first to FIG. 1, which is an end view of a mounting device 2 
according to the invention, the device being particularly suitable for use 
with a shotgun or pistol. It has an upper portion 4, a lower portion 6 
having jaws or legs 7 and 8, and between them, a central portion 10 which 
is of such dimensions of characteristics as to have a certain requisite or 
necessary substantial degree of flexibility. The above-described mounting 
device 2 is also, according to the invention, a unitary and integral piece 
of metal, preferably an extrusion of aluminum type 6061 with a heat 
treated temper of T6. The upper portion 4 has exterior V-shaped ridges 12 
and 14 with surfaces 16, 18, 20, and 22, which are adapted to receive the 
corresponding surfaces 24, 26 of the bottom or gripper members 28, 30 of a 
bottom part 32 of a telescopic sight means. FIG. 1 also indicates the 
raised ventilated rib 31 and a firearm barrel 33, as viewed from the 
trigger end of the mounting device 2. 
Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 3, it can be seen that the upper portion 4 has 
therein a pair of transversely extending hemicylindrical slots 34 and 36. 
Figure also shows the heads 38, 40, 42 of cap screw fasteners received in 
jaw member 7 for securing together the jaw members 7 and 8 by their 
threaded connection with threaded holes 43 drilled and tapped in the jaw 
member 8, these screws not being shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, where only their 
holes are shown. 
The present invention is addressed to the fact that there now exists on the 
market in the United States and other parts of the World, ceratin number 
of kinds of vent and non-vented ribbed firearms and a certain number of 
types of scope sights of a kind having downwardly extending gripper 
members having interiorly thereof some surfaces meeting at a solid angle 
of 90 degrees for grasping onto something which is on said firearm or a 
mounting means attached thereto. Accordingly, as noted, it is an object of 
the present invention to provide a mounting means which is capable of use 
for attaching most or all of the former or most or all of latter, by a 
construction and arrangement of having a sight mount means in the form of 
a unitary extrusion with a top part of the correct geometry. 
The mount means also has a bottom part with sufficient strength to resist 
substantial deformation when fastener means 38, 40, 42 are used to urge 
the same toward each other to grasp a vent rib, and between them, a 
central portion thick enough to have adequate strength but thin enough to 
have a certain degree of flexibility which at a minimum is just enough to 
keep the set sight properly held when subject to the shock of having the 
firearm fired, and not disturb the resistance to deformation of the top 
part and still allow the opposed fastening faces of the jaws 7 and 8 to 
fasten a number of different thickness ribs. In this arrangement the 
material of construction and the adherence to certain dimensional 
characteristics assure the optimum results which characteristics will be 
now set forth as to one particular example. 
One of the important aspects is the selection of the material of 
construction of the mount of aluminum alloy of the 6061 type with a heat 
treated temper of T6, which as a type of material is generally well known 
in the art. 
In this given case, with the understanding the state parameters are 
approximate, the aluminum may be an extrusion which has a top flat surface 
of 5/8 inch by 41/4 inches. The slots 34 and 36 as viewed from FIGS. 2 and 
3, may have an overall width of 5/32 inch, a depth of 3/32 inch, and a 
radius of 5/64 inch, being spaced apart by 15/8 inches. The upper portion 
4 as viewed from FIG. 1, has an overall thickness of 9/32 inch, the side 
portions with the shaped surfaces 16, 18, 20, and 22 having a vertical 
extent of 0.220 inch, below which, there is an annularly extending portion 
with a radius of 0.030 inch. As noted, the upper portion 4 is constructed 
to have sufficient strength to resist substantial deformation during 
fastening. 
The central portion, also viewed from FIG. 1, is dimensioned to provide 
sufficient strength but yet substantial ductility and hence provide a 
required pre-determined flexibility, having an overall vertical thickness 
of 0.065 inch. The downwardly extending jaw members, as viewed in FIG. 1, 
each have a horizontal thickness of 5/16 inch and a vertical thickness of 
5/16 inch, as to the extreme opposite facing ends thereof, wherein the 
construction will resist substantial deformation upon tightening of the 
jaw members. In this case the jaws may be suitable to effectively grasp, 
for example, three difference thickness rib members, in which the thinnest 
may be 0.270 and the thickest 0.385 inches. The cap screws 38, 40, and 42 
may have an overall length of 1.25 to 1.75 inches, in which the outside 
dimensions of the mounting device as viewed in FIG. 1 are 13/8 inches wide 
and 1-1/32 inches high. 
While in many cases the embodiment of FIG. 1 may be very successfully used 
for both shot guns and pistols, for some forms of pistols it may be 
desired to add some additional rigidity with reference to high recoil 
conditions by adding a recoil pin, as illustrated in FIGS. 4A, 4B, and 5. 
The pin consists of a knurl end 44 having a reduced center portion 46 and a 
rounded opposite end 48, the 46 portion having a flat lower surface at 50. 
The pin passes through a drilled hole 52 shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B. It is 
to be understood, as to the embodiment of FIGS. 4A and 4B, aside from the 
overall difference in shape of the lower portion of the jaw members 7 and 
8 and the difference in the particular shape of the inside portion of the 
lower portion of the jaw member the parts correspond to similar parts 
shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3 and therefore will not be identified again. The 
two noted differences in the jaw portions are designed particularly for 
use with a pistol where the mounting device is attached to the top of the 
frame of the pistol and there is provided a downwardly extending member 
having its lower end received in a horizontal slight slot machined in the 
top of the pistol frame. 
Turning now to FIGS. 6 and 7, as noted in regard to FIGS. 4A and 4B the 
main differences when compacted to FIG. 1 is the overall shape of the 
lower portions of the jaw members and particularly the lower inside 
portions, which as in the case of FIGS. 4A and 4B, relate to the 
particularly type of firearm to which the mounting device is to be used, 
namely, a double barrel shot gun. In the case of FIG. 6 embodiment, the 
mounting device is designed to be employed with a shot gun having a solid 
raised rib instead of the ventilated rib 31 of FIG. 1, and in the use of 
the FIG. 7 mounting device, the device is designed for us with a 
muzzleloader, for example, a pistol or muzzleloader rifle. As in the case 
of FIGS. 4A and 4B, and for the reasons stated with respect thereto, in 
FIGS. 6 and 7, only the jaw members 7 and 8 have been identified. In FIG. 
7 there is indicated a center post 47 for registering a mounting device 
for alignment of the scope and barrel by a screw received in a threaded 
hole 49. Also it is to be noted that the mounting device is secured to the 
octagonally shaped barrel of the muzzleloader. There are two other 
important features of the FIG. 6 embodiment. The lower outside portions of 
the mounting device have special curved surfaces 51 that match the 
adjacent upper surfaces of an associated barrel 53 of a double barrel 
shotgun. This construction permits the formation of a substantial cut-out 
portion 55 at the center portion of the mounting device to receive a 
sufficient part of the rib R to firmly hold the mounting device to the 
rib. 
With reference now to FIGS. 8, 9, and 10, it may be assumed that the parts 
of the mounting device are similar to the earlier embodiments so that only 
the important differences will be noted. This mounting device is designed 
for a pistol where maximum rigidity against movement of the sight relative 
to the barrel is required. As noted, pistols have a top frame member of 
the shape shown at 54 in FIG. 8 having a clearance between its lower 
surface and the barrel 33 permitting rotation of the latter. FIGS. 8, 9, 
and 10 give a more complete showing of the holes 52 for the recoil pin 
44-48 shown in FIGS. 4A, 4B, and 5. 
In the embodiment of FIG. 8 the jaw members are formed to accommodate the 
particular shape of the top part of the frame 54 of the pistol and has one 
additional feature of providing a centrally downwardly projecting member 
60 designed to have its lower end engage the upper adjacent surface of the 
existing sight slot in the frame 54. 
A bored hole is provided in the member 60 for the purpose of receiving a 
gun screw, not shown, that threadedly engages a tapped hole in the member 
50, the member is indicated in FIG. 9 extends the full length of the 
mount. While not indicated in the drawings, it is to be understood that 
the recoil pin 44-48 passes in front of the member 50 and also to one side 
of the cap screw 42, thus requiring no machining of the parts of the cap 
screw 42, thus requiring no machining of the parts of the pistol. As 
viewed from the trigger end of the firearm, in this embodiment the 
improved design of the mounting device, including the function of the 
central portion in allowing the jaw members to move parallel and forcibly 
engage the member 54, in which the inherent resistance of the jaws against 
deformation coupled with the use of the recoil pin and gun screw will 
allow for the maximum holding effect for the gun sight in those cases 
where the pistol requires this. 
Turning now to FIGS. 11, 12, and 13 which relates to a mounting device for 
mounting, for example, a rifle type sight on a ribbed barrel shotgun, that 
may be easily changed by employing the mounting device of the present 
invention. Again only the difference in construction when compared with 
the earlier embodiments will be noted by additional reference numbers, 
when necessary. In order to receive the lower part of a standard rifle 
sight a transversely arranged dove tailed slot 62 is provided at the 
surface 63 of the upper member 4 of the mounting device 2, the slot being 
best shown in FIGS. 12 and 13. This slot takes the place of the slots 34 
and 36 shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. The mounting device as shown in FIGS. 12 
and 13 due to the longitudinal dimension of the usual rifle sight is made 
much shorter than the mounting devices of the earlier described 
embodiments, being secured to the rib of the firearm by a single cap screw 
64 which functions the same as the screws 38, 40, and 42 of the embodiment 
of FIG. 1. In FIG. 11, the rib section of a shot gun is shown to take the 
form of a T-shaped member 64 when viewed from the trigger end. 
While the present invention has been described in connection with the 
preferred embodiments of the various figures, it is to be understood that 
other similar embodiments may be used or modifications and additions may 
be made to the described embodiments for performing the same function of 
the present invention without deviating therefrom. Therefore, the present 
invention should not be limited to any single embodiment, but rather 
construed in breadth and scope in accordance with the recitation of the 
appended claims.