Gun stock with interchangeable cheek rest

A gun stock with interchangeable cheek rest, including a main body and a cheek rest removably associated with the body and including a supporting structure and a cheek pad that rests on an elastic member associated with the structure; the elastic member is constituted by a leaf spring that is associated with the structure and is easily interchangeable. The cheek rest is applied to the stock body by means of a quick coupling, with or without the use of tools.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a gun stock with interchangeable cheek rest.

Gun stocks provided with a part for the resting of the cheek with an adjustable position, known as cheek rest, have long been known.

The possibility to adjust the height of the cheek rest is a need that is strongly felt by shooters for a precise adaptation to the elevation and aiming conditions of the gun.

Generally, in the conventional stocks, the cheek rest is adjusted by acting on one or more adjustment screws. Such stock and adjustable cheek rest assembly is constructively complicated and expensive and the adjustment of the cheek rest is difficult.

US2011/016764A1 discloses a cheek rest strapped onto a firearm stock to allow the user to get a tighter cheek weld when using rifle scopes. The cheek rest can be altered to fit various manufactured stocks. An adjustable strapping system provides greater tension on the bottom of the rest ensuring it mates tightly with the stock.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,710,496 discloses a stock with a cheek rest the position of which can be adjusted both vertically and longitudinally by means of adjustment screws. The assembly constituted by the stock and the cheek rest is furthermore provided with elastic members adapted to absorb the forces generated by the recall of the firearm.

EP0708304 discloses a stock with a cheek rest that can be adjusted vertically by means of spacers of different thickness to be applied to posts arranged between the stock and the cheek rest, without using adjustment screws.

The manufacture and the systems for adjusting stocks with adjustable cheek rest described above and the other systems of the background art are generally constructively complicated, expensive and awkward to use.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

The aim of the present invention is to provide a stock with interchangeable cheek rest that is constructively simple and economical.

Within the scope of this aim, an object of the invention is to provide a stock with interchangeable cheek rest that offers superior comfort, ensuring soft resting of the cheek in all conditions in which the firearm is brought to firing position, which vary as a function of the style of each individual shooter.

Another object of the invention is to provide a stock with interchangeable cheek rest that allows to change easily and simply the elastic characteristics of the cheek rest.

A further object of the invention is to allow to replace the cheek rest with other cheek rests of different heights or having different shapes or different hardnesses.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an assembly which, by virtue of its particular constructive characteristics, is capable of giving the greatest assurances of reliability and safety in use.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This aim and these and other objects that will become better apparent hereinafter are achieved by a gun stock with interchangeable cheek rest, comprising a main body and a cheek rest removably associated with said body; said cheek rest comprising a supporting structure and a cheek pad that rests on an elastic member associated with said structure; said elastic member comprising a leaf spring; said leaf spring being removable from said structure and being replaceable with a leaf spring having different characteristics of elasticity.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

With reference to the cited figures, the stock with interchangeable cheek rest according to the invention, globally designated by the reference numeral100, includes a main body2and a cheek rest1detachably associated thereto.

According to the present invention, the cheek rest1is interchangeable and is associated with the main body2by means of a quick coupling.

The cheek rest1includes a supporting structure, globally designated by the reference numeral3, and a cheek pad4, which rests against an elastic member5associated with the structure3.

Advantageously, the cheek resting pad4is made of soft material, such as a gel or polyurethane.

The elastic member5is easily removable to be replaced with another member having different elastic characteristics.

The elastic member5is advantageously constituted by a leaf spring, which can be inserted and removed from the structure3when the cheek rest1is separated from the body of the stock2.

According to the present invention, the leaf spring5is an elastic blade, which has a first end51that can be engaged in a seat6formed in the structure3of the cheek rest, and a second end52that is adapted to abut against an abutment member7formed in the structure3in a position that is opposite to the position of the seat6.

FIG. 5is a view of the leaf spring5inserted in the structure3in the operating position, in which the cheek pad4substantially rests against the leaf spring5, which determines the degree of resistance to pressure on the part of the pad4at the cheek of the shooter.

If one wishes to vary the resting characteristics of the cheek rest, it is possible to replace the leaf spring5with another one having different elastic characteristics.

Replacement of the leaf spring5is performed by extracting the spring from the seat6, as can be seen inFIG. 6, enough to then pass the leaf spring5below the structure3, as shown in the sequence ofFIGS. 7 and 8.

The assembly of the leaf spring5in the structure3occurs by operating in reverse.

Replacement of the leaf spring5can occur when the cheek rest1is separated from the body of the stock2.

According to the present invention, the cheek rest1is interchangeable and is associated with the main body2by means of a quick coupling system.

The quick coupling system for coupling the cheek rest1to the body of the stock2includes a front tooth, which is constituted by the abutment member7described above, which can be inserted in a front recess, not visible in the figures, which is formed in the body of the stock2at a front edge81of an open region8that is formed in the body of the stock2and is adapted to accommodate the cheek rest1.

According to a first aspect of the invention, the quick coupling system further includes a mushroom head11that is formed in the rear region of the structure3of the cheek rest1, i.e., in a region that is substantially opposite the position of the abutment member7.

The head11may also have any other appropriately contoured shape.

The mushroom head11protrudes downwards from the structure3and can be inserted in a hole that is formed proximate to a rear edge82of the open region8that is formed in the body of the stock2and is adapted to accommodate the cheek rest1.

The insertion of the mushroom head11in the hole of the rear edge82occurs by snap action due to the presence of elastic members, constituted by a hairpin-shaped spring15, as can be seen inFIGS. 9 and 10.

The cheek rest1is associated with the body of the stock2by inserting the abutment member7in the front recess formed in the body of the stock2at the front edge81and by then pressing the cheek rest1against the body of the stock2so that the mushroom head11is inserted in the hole of the rear edge82, engaging the hairpin spring15, which locks by snap action the mushroom head11, locking the cheek rest1in position.

In the locking system having the hairpin spring15, shown inFIGS. 9 and 10, the cheek rest1can be assembled and disassembled with or without tools.

The snap acting engagement system described above is advantageously of the type described in EP1396697.

According to a further aspect of the invention, shown inFIGS. 11-13, the quick coupling system includes a flexible small plate17, which is visible inFIGS. 11-13.

The small plate17is provided with a fork-shaped front part171in order to allow coupling to the mushroom head11of the structure3of the cheek rest1.

A rear part172of the small plate17is conveniently shaped to allow easy grip and handling of the small plate on the part of the user.

The small plate17also has at least one slot173which engages protrusions33and34, formed in the structure3, acting as a stroke limiter and retention of the small plate17.

The small plate17is made to slide between a locked position, visible inFIG. 13, wherein the small plate17locks the mushroom head11, and an open position, visible inFIG. 12, in which the fork-shaped front part171releases the mushroom head11and the cheek rest can be raised and removed from the body of the stock2.

The cheek rest1can be assembled-disassembled even without tools.

Preferably, the structure3also includes a pair of hooks10, formed on the sides of the structure and adapted to engage respective lateral seats13formed on the lateral edges of the open region8of the body of the stock2.

The cheek rest1can be easily mounted on the body of the stock2by inserting the abutment member7in the front recess, formed in the body of the stock2, and simultaneously the lateral teeth10in the respective lateral seats13, formed on the lateral edges of the open region8of the body of the stock2, making the cheek rest perform a combined rotary and translational motion and finally pressing at the rear in order to engage by snap action the mushroom head11in the hole formed near the rear edge82of the open region8in which the cheek rest engages.

In practice it has been found that the invention achieves the intended aim and objects, a stock with interchangeable cheek rest having been provided which is constructively simple and at the same time extremely functional.

The stock with interchangeable cheek rest according to the present invention ensures high comfort by virtue of the fact that the surface covered by the soft material in the face resting region is very large and this allows soft resting in all firing positions, which vary as a function of the style of each individual shooter.

The aspect of absorbing recoil and the vibrations toward the face is fundamental, especially for shooters that produce large fire volumes with cartridges of considerable weight, for example in duck hunting, etc.

A further advantage of the present invention resides in the possibility to vary the elastic characteristics of the cheek rest, since the leaf spring can be replaced easily and rapidly with leaf springs having different elastic characteristics.

The cheek rest can in fact be marketed with multiple springs having different rigidity, by virtue of their low cost, so that the shooter can choose the most suitable one according to his requirements.

Another advantage of the present invention is the modularity of the stock and cheek rest assembly. The cheek rest can be disassembled easily from the stock and can be replaced with or without tools and this allows to replace the original cheek rest with cheek rests of different heights or different shapes or different hardnesses.

The materials used, as well as the dimensions, may of course be any according to the requirements and the state of the art.

This application claims the priority of Italian Patent Application No. UB2016A001190 (corresponding to No. 102016000021445), filed on 1 Mar. 2016, the subject matter of which is incorporated herein by reference.