Abstract:
A sighting apparatus includes a ring attached to a base, a first vertical element extending upward from the base, the first element having a first end attached to the base, and a second vertical element suspended within the ring by a first end. The apparatus is configured such that aligning a second end of the first vertical element with a second end of the second vertical element provides sighting for a weapon.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]    This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/531,309 filed Mar. 20, 2000. 
     
    
     
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    This invention relates generally to sighting of weapons, and more specifically to, sights for weapons.  
           [0003]    Weapon sights have been around for a long period of time. Most known sighting combinations employ a pin and a slot. The pin and slot are normally mounted a distance apart in a front sight and rear sight combination that makes up a sighting apparatus. The pin may be circular or rectangular in cross section and in elevation it may be tapered towards the top. The pin may also be used end on, i.e. in silhouette to appear as a disk or rectangle.  
           [0004]    The pin is normally used with one of the following shapes, a wedge shape, a rectangular slot, a symmetrical open shape functioning in a similar manner to the wedge and slot, and a disk. The disk may either be ring shaped or a sighting hole in an opaque surface.  
           [0005]    A commonality among all the above described elements is that they share the same datum or base, i.e., the barrel of the weapon. The aiming point on the wedge and the rectangle occurs on the upper surface. However the aiming point for the disk is within the disk.  
         BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
         [0006]    In one aspect, a sighting apparatus is provided which comprises a ring attached to a base, a first vertical element extending upward from the base, the first element having a first end attached to the base, and a second vertical element suspended within the ring by a first end. The apparatus is configured such that aligning a second end of the first vertical element with a second end of the second vertical element provides sighting for a weapon.  
           [0007]    In another aspect, a method of sighting a weapon is provided which comprises aligning an end of a first element with a target and adjusting a horizontal position of the weapon until an end of a second element aligns with the end of the first element.  
           [0008]    In still another aspect, a sighting element is provided which comprises a ring mounted on a base, a sighting element suspending vertically downward within the ring, and an elevation adjust within the ring. The adjust is configured with an adjusting member to raise and lower the sighting element within the ring. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0009]    [0009]FIG. 1 illustrates a gun with a traditional two element iron sight.  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 2 illustrates several known iron sight front elements.  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 3 illustrates several known iron sight back elements.  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 4 illustrates a two element sighting apparatus.  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 5 illustrates an alternative two element sighting apparatus.  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 6 illustrates a further alternative two element sighting apparatus.  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 7 illustrates one element of a sighting apparatus.  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 8 illustrates an adjustable sighting apparatus element.  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 9 is a side view of the ring of the sighting apparatus of FIG. 7 and  8 .  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the sighting elements of FIGS. 7 and 8. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0019]    [0019]FIG. 1 illustrates a gun  10  with a traditional two element iron sighting apparatus. A back sight  12  or element is typically mounted at or near a stock  14  of gun  10 . A front sight  16  or element is mounted at or near the front of barrel  18 . Iron sights are silhouettes and aligning one silhouette, for example, front sight  16  within a second silhouette, for example, back sight  12 , is one way to aim gun  10 . To aim gun  10 , the aligned silhouettes are viewed when optically aligned with a target. With such known sighting systems the target either sits on top of a surface or is contained within a surface. Attempting to contain the target within a surface inevitably leads to diameter dimensional problems in poor light conditions.  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 2 shows several known front sight elements. Front sight elements include, in various known embodiments, a pin element  30 , a disk element  32 , and a wedge element  34 . FIG. 3 shows several known back sight elements. Back sight elements include a V-notch element  40 , a U-notch element  42 , a ring  44 , and a hole  46 . Both front and back elements are mounted on a base (not shown) and aligned as a shooter looks through the sights. For example, pin element  30  may be configured to fill in notch  48  of U-notch element  42 , as gun  10  is aimed at a target, notch  48  and pin element  30  being optically aligned with the target.  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 4 illustrates a two element sighting apparatus  100 . Sighting apparatus  100  includes a pin element  102  including a first end  104  for mounting, and a second end  106  for sighting. Sighting apparatus  100  also includes a pointed element  108  suspended by a first end  110  within a ring  112 . Pointed element  108  also includes a second end  114  for sighting. Pointed element  108 , in one embodiment is tapered and second end  114  is in the form of a pointed tip. Silhouette  116  is a view presented to a shooter when apparatus  100  is properly aimed. When properly aimed, second end  106  of pin  102  and second end  114  of pointed element  108  appear to meet and “squeeze” the target.  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 5 illustrates another two element sighting apparatus  130 . Sighting apparatus  130  includes a blunt point element  132  including a first end  134  for mounting, and a second end  136  for sighting. Sighting apparatus  100  also includes a pointed element  108  as described in FIG. 4. Silhouette  138  is a view presented to a shooter when apparatus  100  is properly aimed. When properly aimed, second end  136  of pin  132  and second end  114  of pointed element  108  appear to meet.  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 6 illustrates still another two element sighting apparatus  150 . Sighting apparatus  150  includes two pointed elements  108  including first end  110  for mounting and second end  114  for sighting. Silhouette  138  is a view presented to a shooter when apparatus  100  is properly aimed. When properly aimed, second ends  114  of pins  108  appear to meet.  
         [0024]    Referring to FIGS. 4, 5, and  6 , and in one embodiment, the element within ring  112  is mounted at the front of gun  10 . In an alternative embodiment, the element within ring  112  is mounted at the back of gun  10 . In addition, it is to be understood that embodiments exist where both sighting elements are mounted within rings similar to ring  112 , one element “pointing up” in a first ring, and a second element “pointing down” within a second ring.  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 7 illustrates a portion  170  of a sighting apparatus mounted on a base  172 . Portion  170  includes element  132  (shown in FIG. 5) and is shown to illustrate mounting of a sighting element with respect to a base, for example barrel  16  of gun  10 .  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 8 illustrates an adjustable portion  190  of a sighting apparatus. Portion  190  includes a ring  192  mounted on a base  194 . At a top  196  of ring  192 , element  108  is mounted at first end  110  to an elevation adjust  198 . An adjusting member  200  is configured to raise and lower element  108  within ring  192 , causing an accurate range of a gun to be adjusted. In alternative embodiments, adjusted member  200  is configured to raise and lower element  108  using one of a threaded member, a set screw mechanism, a pin and sleeve, and an placement of notches within member  200  that are configured to retain element  108  in place. It is important to note that portion  170  (shown in FIG. 7) and portion  190  are interchangeable with respect to a mounting location on a gun. That is, either can operate as a front or rear sight as long as the other is in the opposite location.  
         [0027]    [0027]FIG. 9 is a side view  210  of the ring  112  of the sighting apparatus of FIG. 7. A side view of ring  192  is similar except that elevation adjust  198  and adjusting member  200  are visible. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view  220  of the sighting elements of FIGS. 7 and 8 taken along line x-x. View  220  illustrates that the elements described herein may have a circular cross section, shown by element  222 , or a rectangular cross section, shown by element  224 .  
         [0028]    The sighting apparatus described herein consists of two elements, one used for the foresight and the other used as a back sight. One of the elements is suspended or hung within a ring mounted on a weapon and points downward, the other points upward. The elements are situated a distance apart and therefore one element is in front of the other when used to aim a weapon towards a target. In such a configuration, neither element obscures or hides the other. In use, the target is “squeezed” between the elements, and provided an advantage over known sights in that the target is effectively contained between the sighting elements.  
         [0029]    The simple shape and orientation of the sighting elements enables the target to be contained within an area defined by the ring. If necessary, elements within the ring can be illuminated by known methods. While the invention has been described in terms of various specific embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the invention can be practiced with modification within the spirit and scope of the claims.