Abstract:
A shotgun mounting system includes a shotgun having a receiver provided with a firing chamber adapted to receive and eject shotgun cartridges therefrom, a shell mounted on and at least partially covering the receiver and a rail arrangement located on the shell and adapted to mount a shotgun accessory to the shell in an adjustable position on the rail arrangement.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present disclosure relates generally to firearms and, more particularly, pertains to a mounting system added to the receiver of a shotgun for selectively attaching ancillary equipment thereto. 
     Various types of devices are useful as accessories for being mounted to firearms, such as shotguns. Examples of such accessories include scopes and other sighting equipment, illuminating devices, and shotgun shell or cartridge holders. Such accessories are conventionally mounted to an interface apparatus descriptively referred to as an accessory mount which has been variously secured to the shotgun. The accessory mount may include a rail interface system well known in the art pertaining to firearms. For example, it is known to attach one or more rails using fasteners that secure the rail longitudinally along a surface of a shotgun receiver. 
     There remains a need for an accessory mount capable of securing accessories to a receiver of a shotgun that conforms to the shape and size of the receiver, and provides mounting surfaces adjacent the top and side surfaces of the receiver. There is an additional need for such an accessory mount that is constructed with a dovetail rail arrangement having a frictional interface for slidably receiving and retaining accessories thereon. Further, there is a need for an accessory mount which will not add significant weight to the shotgun, and will provide reduction of heat generated by the receiver during firing of cartridges therein. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present disclosure relates to a shotgun mounting system including a shotgun having a receiver provided with a firing chamber adapted to receive and eject shotgun cartridges therefrom. A shell is mounted on and at least partially covers the receiver. A rail arrangement is located on the shell and is adapted to mount a shotgun accessory to the shell in an adjustable position on the rail arrangement. 
     The shell is sized and shaped similar to the size and shape of the receiver. The shell has an inverted, generally U-shape defined by an upper wall that connects a pair of sidewalls depending from the upper wall. The upper wall of the shell lies adjacent an upper portion of the receiver, and the sidewalls of the shell lie adjacent side portions of the receiver. The shell has a front edge that, in use, extends to a front end of the receiver, a back edge that extends to a back end of the receiver and a pair of bottom edges that lie adjacent a bottom end of the receiver. The upper wall extends rearwardly from the front edge and includes a tapered portion that slopes downwardly toward the back edge. The upper wall has a substantially solid surface along one portion thereof, and a substantially reticulated surface along another portion opposite the one portion. One of the sidewalls has a generally solid planar surface depending from the solid surface of the upper wall. The one sidewall is formed with an opening designed to be shaped similarly to and be aligned with an ejection port in the receiver, and has a mounting hole configured to receive a retainer that passes transversely through the receiver to secure the shell thereto. The other of the sidewalls has a reticulated surface along upper and lower portions thereof, and is formed with a mounting hole aligned with the mounting hole formed in the one sidewall. The rail arrangement has a dovetail cross section and a grooved outer surface. The rail arrangement includes a top rail extending longitudinally along the upper wall, and a side rail extending longitudinally on each of the sidewalls. 
     The present disclosure further relates to a shotgun accessory mount including an inverted, generally U-shaped shell adapted to be slip fit over a receiver of the shotgun. The shell has a pair of sidewalls connected by an upper wall. A rail arrangement is located on the shell and formed with a dovetail cross section adapted to slidably mount a shotgun accessory to the shell. The rail arrangement includes a top rail running longitudinally along the upper wall, and a side rail extending longitudinally on each of the sidewalls. The top and side rails have varying lengths with one of the side rails being longer than the top rail, and the top rail being longer than the other side rail. The top rail runs centrally along the upper wall, while the side rails are positioned generally medially between the upper wall and the bottom edges of the sidewalls. The top and side rails form mounting surfaces designed to receive and retain shotgun accessories, such as scopes and other sighting peripherals, lighting or laser devices, and shotgun shell or cartridge holders to enhance the capability and performance of the shotgun. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The drawings illustrate the best mode presently contemplated in carrying out the disclosure. In the drawings: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a shotgun provided with an exemplary embodiment of an accessory mount for enabling the attachment of accessories thereto as viewed from one side of the shotgun; 
         FIG. 2  is a fragmentary perspective view of the accessory mount of  FIG. 1  as viewed from an opposite side of the shotgun shown with an over the top stock pivoted to an extended position; 
         FIG. 3  is a side elevational view of the accessory mount shown in  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a top plan view of the accessory mount shown in  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the accessory mount of  FIG. 1  shown removed from the shotgun; and 
         FIG. 6  is a front end view of  FIG. 5 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     In accordance with the present disclosure,  FIG. 1  illustrates an accessory mount  10  removably mounted to and substantially covering a receiver  12  of a shotgun  14  for enabling the attachment of accessories thereto. The receiver  12  includes a bottom loading port  16  for receiving live shotgun cartridges, and a side ejection port  18  for ejecting spent shotgun cartridges from an internal firing chamber. The shotgun  14  includes a barrel  20  having a cover  22 , a gripping, slidable forend  24 , a trigger guard  26  and a trigger  28 . The shotgun  14  shown also includes a cartridge-storing magazine tube  30  that extends longitudinally from the receiver  12  and below the barrel  20  with a forward portion of the mounting tube  30  engaging a barrel lug  32  and held thereto by a magazine cap  34 . In addition, the shotgun  14  is equipped with a pistol grip  36  connected via a mounting device  38  below and at the rear end of the receiver  12 . An over the top stock  40  can be pivotally moved on the shotgun  14  from a retracted position over the accessory mount  10  and barrel cover  22  to an extended portion for engagement with a shooter&#39;s shoulder. 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 2-6 , the accessory mount  10  includes an inverted generally U-shaped shell  42  integrally formed with an arcuate upper wall  44  and a pair of opposed sidewalls  46 ,  48  depending downwardly from the upper wall  44 . The shell  42  is suitably sized and shaped so as to be slipped over and carried in aligned relationship by corresponding upper and sidewall portions of the receiver  12 . The upper wall  44  and sidewalls  46 ,  48  define a front edge  50  extending to a front end of the receiver  12  adjacent the barrel cover  22 , a back edge  52  extending to a back end of the receiver  12  adjacent the mounting device  38  and a pair of bottom edges  54 ,  56  that lie adjacent a bottom surface of receiver  12  when the mount  10  is disposed thereon. Using fabrication methods well known in the art, the shell  42  is manufactured preferably of rigid materials including lightweight metals, polymers and composites. 
     As seen best in  FIGS. 5 and 6 , the upper wall  44  of shell  42  has a tapered portion  58  that slopes downwardly towards the back edge  52 . The tapered portion  58  of upper wall  44  is formed with an elongated aperture  60  for receiving a protruding member  62  ( FIG. 2 ) of the receiver  12  when the shell  42  is in use. As seen in  FIGS. 2 and 4 , the upper wall  44  has a substantially solid surface along one half side thereof, and a substantially reticulated surface along a half side opposite the solid surface. The reticulated surface includes a number of differently sized and shaped materially-relieved apertures  64  designed for weight reduction of the upper wall  44 . In addition, the apertures  64  provide for reduction of heat from the fired explosions of cartridges in the receiver  12  lying beneath the upper wall  44 . 
     The sidewall  46  has a generally solid planar surface depending from the solid surface of upper wall  44  except for an opening  66  formed in a forward portion thereof, and a mounting hole  68  formed in a rearward portion thereof. The opening  66  is designed to be shaped similarly to and be aligned with the ejection port  18  of the receiver  12 . The mounting hole  68  is configured to receive a retainer  70  that passes transversely through the receiver  12  to secure the shell  42  thereto. Similar to the reticulated surface of upper wall  44 , upper and lower portions of the sidewall  48  are formed with a plurality of differently sized and shaped materially-relieved apertures  72  for providing weight and heat reduction. Sidewall  48  is provided with a mounting hole  74  that is aligned with the mounting hole  68  on sidewall  46 . 
     The exemplary embodiment of the accessory mount  10  includes a rail arrangement that is provided longitudinally on and extends outwardly from the shell  42 . More specifically, the rail arrangement is defined by a top rail  76  on upper wall  44 , a side rail  78  on sidewall  46  and a side rail  80  on sidewall  48 . Each of the rails  76 ,  78 ,  80  is commonly constructed with a dovetail cross section having a grooved outer surface  82 . The rails  76 ,  78 ,  80  have varying lengths with the side rail  80  being longer than the top rail  76  which is longer than the side rail  78 . The top rail  76  runs centrally along the upper wall  44 , while the side rails  78 ,  80  are positioned generally medially between the upper wall  44  and the bottom edges  54 ,  56  of sidewalls  46 ,  48 , respectively. Although not illustrated, the grooved outer surfaces  82  of the rails  76 ,  78 ,  80  may be provided with a series of holes used in receiving fasteners employed in further securing shotgun accessories to the rails. 
     The rails  76 ,  78 ,  80  form mounting surfaces designed to receive and retain firearm accessories, such as scopes and other sighting peripherals, lighting or laser devices, shotgun shell or cartridge holders, etc. to enhance the capability and performance of the shotgun  14 . While the exemplary embodiment describes the rails  76 ,  78 ,  80  as having the structure described above, it should be understood that the disclosure contemplates using rails that provide a different mounting structure or configuration on the shell  42 . Although the rail arrangement described has single rails along the upper wall  44  and sidewalls  46 ,  48  of the shell  42 , it should be appreciated that multiple rails could be provided on the upper wall  44  and sidewalls  46 ,  48 , if desired. 
     To install the accessory mount  10 , a user simply pivots the over the top stock  40  to the retracted position shown in  FIG. 2  to fully expose the receiver  12 . Shell  42  is then disposed over the receiver  12  so that the opening  66  is aligned with the ejection port  18  on the receiver  12  after which the retainer  70  is passed transversely through a passageway formed in the receiver  12  and the holes  68  and  74 . Shotgun accessories can then be slidably mounted in an adjustable position along one or more of the rails  76 ,  78 ,  80  on the shell  42 . Removal of the accessory mount  10  is quickly accomplished by removing the retainer  70  and lifting the shell  42  from the receiver  12 . 
     Various alternatives are contemplated as being within the scope of the following claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter regarded as the invention.