SLING DEVICE FOR FIREARMS

Abstract: A sling device (4) for firearms and equivalent, which sling is attached to the barrel (3) and to the butt end of the weapon (2). The sling is provided with a lock device (1) and an auxiliary strap. The lock device comprises a flexible U-shaped member (11) and a stem member (12). Each bow shaft (11a, 11b) is provided with a bracket (13a, 13b). The stem is provided with a groove or a runner piece (14) whereto the bow can be fitted so that the members (11, 12) of the lock device are fastened together. When the sling strap (4) is jerked in the direction B, the lock is unfastened and the strap is lengthened by the auxiliary strap.

Description: SLING DEVICE FOR FIREARMS The present invention relates to a sling device for fire¬ arms and equivalent, preferably rifles or shotguns. While hunting, for instance, a rifle or equivalent weapon is traditionally carried in four different ways: suspended from a strap either on the back, on the shoulder or on the chest of the hunter, or in his hands, either in one hand or in both hands. If the weapon is carried constantly in the person's hands, it is naturally easy to lift into firing position. But it is a heavy task to carry a weapon in this fashion, and the hands cannot be used for other purposes. When the weapon is carried on the shoulder, the other hand is needed to maintain the weapon on its place on the shoulder. This makes skiing, for example, impossible. More- over, it takes time to shift the weapon from the shoulder into firing position. It is particularly tedious to prepare a weapon into firing position when the weapon is carried on the person's back. In this case the sling strap is slung over one shoulder, under the opposite underarm and over the chest. To carry a weapon in this fashion is specially difficult, even impossible, if the person carries another load, such as a knapsack, on his back. However, a pack on the back causes hardly any trouble at all if the weapon is carried on the chest so that the barrel points diagonally upwards and the strap is slung, in the case of righthanded persons, behind the neck over the left shoulder and under the right underarm. This position leaves both hands free, and for instance skiing is perfect- ly possible. Therefore this is the general fashion to carry weapons for example among soldiers. The drawback of the above mentioned arrangement with a conventional sling is the fact that it is difficult to lift the weapon into shooting position. The sling has to be sufficiently short so that the weapon rests firmly against the chest and is located high enough so as not to touch the legs and thus make moving inconvenient. In order to prepare the weapon for shooting, it is now necessary to loosen the strap from around the person who carries the weapon, which procedure naturally causes a delay in lifting the weapon into firing position. If the strap is made longer, the natural consequence is that the weapon dangles loose and disturbes moving. In the prior art there are several attempts to eliminate the aforementioned drawbacks, among them the arrangements suggested in the US Patent No. 4 182 469 and the German Publication Print No. 2 129 481. In these two suggestions the sling forms a kind of a loop, and the barrel-side strap end slides towards the butt end when the weapon is shifted into shooting position. The drawback of this arrangement is the fact that in order to ensure that the weapon is tightly pressed against the person's chest, the sliding strap end has to be locked into place, as is the case in the US Patent No. 4 182 469. Now the lock must be unfastened with one hand before shooting, which again causes a delay in the operation. Moreover, the above described sling arrangement is inconvenient to use because the strap must be slid along the person's back, " which is particularly troublesome when the person carries a load on his back. The sliding of the strap is difficult also because the strap is all the time tightly pressed against the person's body. Moreover, the E OMPI straps are easily spanned, in which case it is difficult to find the right shooting position. In order to prepare the weapon for firing, it is also important to use certain paths of movement defined by the sling arrangement, and these paths are not necessarily the quickest ones. Furthermore, the sling arrangements according to the aforementioned patents require that the whole sling system is replaced by a new one, if they are employed instead of a conventional sling. The sling according to the present invention brings forth an essential improvement with respect to the aforementioned drawbacks and problems. In order to realize this, the present invention is characterized by the novel features enlisted in the appended patent claims. In the sling of the invention the weapon can be carried on the chest, which makes it easy to lift into firing position without unfastening the strap from around the person's body. The above described sliding does not take place to any remarkable amount, because the strap is elongated and the elongation is located where the need is greatest, i.e. at the barrel end of the weapon. Such sling leaves both hands free for skiing, for example. Moreover, it is possible to carry a weapon irrespective of a pack on the back. An ordinary sling can easily be converted into the sling of the invention without changing the whole sling equipment. This is easily carried out by installing the lock in its place and by adding, if necessary, an auxiliary bit of strap to the original strap. In addition to this, the strap can without difficulty be secured to its conventional leght, if the weapon is carried for instance on the back. OMPl The invention is described below with reference to the appended drawings, where Figure 1 is an illustration of a weapon provided with the sling of the present invention in carrying position. Figure 2 is an illustration of the lock device of the sling a) seen from the top and b) seen in cross-section along the line A-A, Figure 3 is an illustration of the said lock device seen from the side, Figure 4 is an illustration of the said lock device in secured lock position, Figure 5 is an illustration of another lock device adjusted in the sling a) seen from the top and b) seen in cross-section along the line B-B, and Figure 6 is an illustration of the lock device of Figure 5 seen from the side. In figure 1 the weapon 2 is in carrying position, and consequently the detachable members 11 and 12 of the lock device 1 are fastened to each other. The bow member 11 of the lock is attached preferably to the barrel 3 or the fore end of the weapon 2 advantageously by means of a short strap 3'. The stem member 12 of the lock is attached to the sling strap 4. The strap 4 is attached, in addition to the lock 1, also to the barrel by means of the auxiliary strap 4a, which is a continuation of the strap 4. The auxiliary strap 4a comprises a suitable amount of loose strap, for example 70 cm, which can be attached to the main strap 4 for instance by means of a press button, an adhesive catch or a ring. The other end of the sling is fixed in normal fashion to the butt end 5 of the weapon. The structure of the lock device is illustrated in more detail in figures 2 and 3. The lock device 1 comprises the OMPI bow member 11 and the stem member 12. The bow member 11 consists of two shafts 11a and 11b which are provided with brackets 13a and 13b. The shafts are attached to each other by means of an auxiliary member 11c. The stem 12 is provided with a groove, runner piece, recess or cavity 14. The bow member 11 is preferably formed of a U-shaped steel string or equivalent flexible member, which can be fitted into .the groove 14 of the stem 12, so that the shafts 11a and 11b are pressed against the sides 12b, 12c of the stem. The lock device 1 remains locked by means of the friction between the shafts 11a and 11b and the stem 12. The locking is made more effective by the brackets 13a, 13b located at the end of the shafts 11a and 11b. The sides 12b, 12c of the stem 12 of the lock device 1 according to figures 4 and 5 are provided with special recesses, grooves 16a, 16b or equivalent arrangements. The brackets 17a, 17b of the bow shafts 11a, 11b can be fitted into the grooves 16a, 16b respectively as the lock members 11 and 12 are fastened to each other. It is advantageous that the said grooves 16a, 16b are at a sharp angle ς , for instance from 30° to 45°, with respect to the lock opening direction B and with respect to the C-C axis of the stem 12. In this preferred embodiment of the lock device the brackets 17a, 17b of the bow member shafts 11a, 11b are formed so that their ends are bent outward. The lock devide 1 according to figures 2 and 3 functions as follows. When the strap is jerked in the direction B, the members 11 and 12 are unfastened " from each other, the lock is opened and the strap is lengthened by the auxiliary strap 4a. This permits quick shifting of the weapon into shooting position without needing to shift, take off or unfasten the sling from around the shooter's body. The strap 4 is again shortened by the reverse operations, i.e. by fitting the bow 11 in the direction A into the groove 14 of the stem 12, until the shoulders 13a, 13b stick out of the groove 14. The lock device 1 according to figures 5 and 6 functions in the above described fashion. In locking position the brackets 17a, 17b of the bow member shafts 11a, 11b are pressed into the grooves 16b, 16c respectively. The lock device is opened by pulling the bow member 11 in the direction B and locked by the reverse operation, i.e. by pushing the bow member 11 in the direction A. In the above description the stem 12 is provided with a groove, runner piece or recess. This is advantageously realized so that the stem 12 comprises a straight and preferably uniform body 12a as well as sides 12b and 12c, which are joined to the edges of the body. These sides are bent outwards from the body 12a so that a groove or a recess 14 is formed between them. The length of the stem and/or the stem body and of the bow 11 as such are not essentially important. The essential thing is that the stem 12 and the bow 11 can be easily gripped, so that the lock device ' is rapidly unfastened and fastened. When it is desired that the lock device is secured into position, the bow 11 is pushed into the position illustrated in figure 4 or into the position illustrated in figure 5a by the dotted linen, i.e. deeper into the groove 14 of the stem 12. In this case the brackets are provided with cavities 15a and 15b, which are matched to the sides 12b and 12c of the stem 12. This can be realized, as is illustrated in figures 2-4, by bending the free ends of each shaft 11a and 11b outwards, preferably 180°, so that they are parallel to the bow, and further by forming separate outward loops at the bow ends, which loops serve OM as the brackets 13a, 13b. Between each free end of the bow and the bow stem there now remains the recess or cavity 15a, 15b, which can be matched to the sides 12b, 12c of the stem 12. In addition to the preferred embodiments described above, the sling and lock device of the invention can naturally be realized in other alternative ways without deviating from the inventional idea defined in the appended Patent Claims. The lock device 1 can be a quick-lock different from the types here described. However, the lock device 1 has a simple structure and it is easy to use, wherefore it is an advantageous choice in the arrangement of the invention. The brackets of the lock device 1 can be manufactured as separate pieces and joined to the shafts of the bow member for instance by welding. The bow member can also be V-shaped or X-shaped; in the latter case, for example, the two bow shafts are positioned crosswise. The sides 12b, 12c of the stem 12 can be joined at the free edges, so that there is formed a recess or a cavity in the stem whereinto the shafts of the bow member can be pushed. O \ A, W1P 3RN A

Claims: PATENT CLAIMS 1. A sling device (4) for firearms and equivalent preferably rifles or shotguns c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the sling (4) is provided with a lock device (1) and an auxiliary strap (4a) adjusted between the detachable members (11, 12) so that the sling (4) can be lengthened by the auxiliary strap (4a) by unfastening the lock (1). 2. The sling device of Claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the lock device (1) comprises a bow member (11) and a stem member (12), which bow member (11) is formed of the shafts (11a, 11b) and of the brackets or equivalent (13a, 13b; 17a, 17b) connected thereto, and that the stem (12) is provided with a groove, runner piece or recess (14) whereto the shafts (11a, 11b) of the bow (11) can be fitted. 3. The sling device of Claim 2, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the stem (12) comprises preferably a uniform body (12) and sides (12b, 12c) attached thereto, the sides being directed outwards from the body so that a groove or a runner piece (14) is formed between them. 4. The sling device of Claim 3, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the sides (12b, 12c) of the stem (12) are provided with grooves or recesses (16a, 16b) whereto the brackets or equivalent (17a, 17b) of the bow member shafts (11a, 11b) can be fitted. 5. The sling device of Claim 4, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the grooves or equivalent (16a, 16b) are located at a sharp angle ( °C ) with respect to the lock opening direction (B) . 6. The sling device of Claim 2, 3 or 4, c h a r a c t e ¬ r i z e d in that the brackets (13a, 13b) of the bow member shafts are formed of the shafts (11a, 11b) by bending them outwards. 7. The sling device of Claim 2, 3 or 4, c h a r a c t e ¬ r i z e d in that the brackets (13a, 13b) are provided with recesses (15a, 15b) which can be matched to the stem (12). 8. The sling devide of Claim 6, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that each free end of the two shafts (11a, 11b) is bent outwards, and the bending spot is further bent so that the bow member forms a separate outward loop which serves as the bracket (13a, 13b), and that between the free shaft end and the shaft there is left a cavity or a recess (15a, 15b) which can be matched to the sides (12a, 12b) of the stem (12). 9. The sling device of Claim 6, 7 or 8, c h a r a c t e ¬ r i z e d in that the bow member (11) is U-shaped. FfcE OMP

Inventors: HEISKANEN PAAVO, HEISKANEN, PAAVO
Applicants: KUUSAMON UISTIN PAAVO KORPUA, KUUSAMON UISTIN - PAAVO KORPUA JA PAAVO PUTILA
Application year: 1984
Main classification: F41C23
IPC codes: A44B11, F41C33, F41F3