Patent Publication Number: US-8522468-B2

Title: Easy connect forend assembly

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This is a continuation-in-part application of U.S. Utility patent application Ser. No. 11/551,271, filed Oct. 20, 2006 now abandoned, which was based upon a U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/729,145, filed Oct. 20, 2005 (“Applicants&#39; provisional application”). Applicants hereby claim under 35 U.S.C. §§119(e), 120 the benefit of priority from those prior applications. Applicants hereby incorporate the disclosures of those prior applications by reference in their entireties. 
    
    
     FIELD OF INVENTION 
     This invention relates generally to firearms. More specifically, it relates to forends in long guns, such as shotguns. 
     BACKGROUND 
     A long gun is a firearm with an extended barrel, usually designed to be fired braced against the shoulder. Barrels of such weapons commonly extend to around 50 cm or longer, giving considerable accuracy and range. Most modern long guns fall into one of two categories, rifles or shotguns, distinguished by their design and type of projectile they fire. 
     Shotguns are designed primarily to fire small pellets, called shots. Some shotguns can be adapted to fire a single projectile, called a slug. 
     There are several major components of shotguns: the barrels, stocks, and forends or forearms. Shotguns are distinguished by the length of their barrels, and by their barrel diameters, or bores. The barrels, stocks, and forends vary according to the gun&#39;s design and intended use. 
     By far the most common gauges for barrels are 12 (0.73 in, 18.5 mm diameter) and 20 (0.614 in, 15.6 mm), although 4, 8, 10, 14, 16, 24, 28, 32 gauges and the .410 calibre (10 mm) have also been produced. 
     Chokes on the barrels can control the exiting spread, or pattern of shot. Therefore, shotgun gauges and choke patterns are selected based on the type of shooting to be done. 
     The proper fit for a user of a shotgun depends largely on the length and shape of the gun&#39;s stock. The selection of the proper stock and forend will have a bearing on the user&#39;s comfort, accuracy, and control when shooting. 
     The gauge of a barrel and the type of game are factors in determining what ammunition is to be used. Pump shotguns intended for private defensive use have barrels as short as 18 inches. “Small game” barrels, for hunting game like rabbits and squirrels with buckshot, are often 22 to 24 inches in length. Larger barrels, about 28-29 inches, are used to hunt quails, pheasants, and doves in semi-open wooded or farmland, where dense brush is less of a hindrance and the ability to have more reach is important. Still other barrels, designed for single shot, are used for hunting larger game. 
     The advent of interchangeable barrels made the shotgun a more versatile firearm, especially in the field. Hunters often swap out barrels for different game. 
     Shotguns also are used for sports such as skeet, trap, and sporting clays. These involve shooting clay disks, known as clay pigeons, thrown in various ways. Shorter stocks are used for greater maneuverability. 
     Often, shooters will want to change the forend and/or stock to create the proper fit. This happens, sometimes, when there are two shooters (e.g., a husband and wife) sharing the same shotgun. One of the shooters will, more than likely, have an improper fit with the shotgun. 
     Another instance is with hunters. Often, the hunter will want to switch out the forend and stock to create the proper fit for different game or sporting activity. 
     Changing the stock or forend, or both, is a time-consuming process. The user has to disassemble portions of the shotgun by using tools when in the field. 
     The average woman typically uses a shorter stock than the average man. Forearms have an ergonomic design for comfort, fit and control. Shotgun stocks and forends come in a variety of designs and materials. Selections of the stock and forend will depend upon what the shooter is comfortable with and the use. 
     Forends currently are either slid onto the magazine tube or over both the magazine tube and barrel. Some shotgun designs have a screw or another form of locking mechanism for the forend. In such instances, the shooter typically has to use a tool to swap out forends. For example, the shooter has to remove Philips head screws with a screwdriver. Once the forends are swapped, the screwdriver is reused to put the screws back. Sometimes, a shooter loses a screw and has to search for it. 
     Accordingly, it is a general object of the present invention to provide an improved method and apparatus which permit the quick and easy change of shotgun forends without the use of tools in the field. 
     It is another general object to provide an improved connect/disconnect system which permits the quick and easy change of forends, for any long gun, without the use of tools in the field. 
     It is another specific object to provide an easy connect/disconnect system for long-gun forends that permits a shooter to attach a different forend without the use of tools. 
     SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
     An easy connect/disconnect apparatus is disclosed for replacing a forend (a.k.a. forearm) in a long gun without the use of tools in the field. Applicants&#39; preferred forend is spring-biased and can be mounted or replaced by a pushbutton release. In the preferred embodiment, Applicants&#39; preferred apparatus comprises: (a) a long gun having a fixed forend carrier; (b) a forend; and (c) a tool-less means for removably attaching the forend onto the carrier and, if desired, later removing the forend off the carrier, without the use of tools, wherein the release means comprises: (i) a tongue-and groove arrangement in the forend and carrier; and (ii) a releasable lock contained, at least in part, within the carrier. 
     Applicants&#39; preferred method comprises: (a) attaching a forend onto a fixed forend carrier of a long gun by a tongue-and-groove arrangement in the carrier and forend; (b) removably securing the forend, in place, to the carrier by a releasable lock located, at least in part, in the carrier; and (c) wherein steps (a) and (b) are performed without the use of tools by a user in the field. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
       The above and other objects will become more readily apparent when the following description is read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  shows a long gun (here, a pump shotgun) modified with Applicants&#39; alternate embodiment of the “Easy Connect Forend Assembly”; 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded view of the forend carrier and forend forming the alternate “Easy Connect Forend Assembly”, with action bars attached to the carrier; 
         FIG. 3  is a top perspective view of the alternate carrier and forend assembly, nested together; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of that forend carrier affixed to the front end of a shotgun, with the forend removed; 
         FIG. 5  is an exploded view of the forend carrier and forend forming the preferred embodiment of Applicants&#39; “Easy Connect Forend Assembly;” 
         FIG. 5A  is an enlarged view of an encircled portion in  FIG. 5 ; 
         FIG. 6  is a top perspective view of that preferred carrier and forend assembly, nested together, with portions broken away for clarity; 
         FIG. 7  is a top perspective view looking into Applicants&#39; preferred forend; 
         FIG. 8  is an end perspective view also looking into Applicants&#39; preferred forend; 
         FIG. 9  is a bottom perspective view of the preferred carrier and forend assembly, nested together; 
         FIG. 10  is a top perspective view of the preferred carrier and forend assembly, nested together; and 
         FIG. 11  is a perspective view of Applicants&#39; preferred forend carrier affixed to the front end of a shotgun, with the forend removed. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Applicants have a pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/551,271, entitled “EASY CONNECT STOCK AND FOREND SYSTEM”, and filed Oct. 20, 2006. That “parent” application, published as U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2007/0089347, discloses a prior model. The current application depicts both the prior forend model and an improved forend embodiment. O.F. Mossberg and Sons, Inc. (“Mossberg”) is the Assignee of both applications. 
       FIGS. 1-4  illustrate the prior embodiment  200  of Applicants&#39; “Easy Connect Forend Assembly”, shown in the parent application, for easily connecting and disconnecting a forend in a long gun (e.g., shotgun  10 ), without the use of tools in the field. Applicants consider that to be an alternate embodiment. 
       FIGS. 5 ,  5 A,  6 ,  7 ,  8 ,  9 ,  10 ,  11  illustrate Applicants&#39; now-preferred embodiment  300 . 
     Both of Applicants&#39; “Easy Connect Forend” embodiments  200 ,  300  (in their broadest sense) are designed for use on any long gun, such as a rifle or shotgun. They are shown being used on a pump shotgun. 
     Applicants&#39; two embodiments  200 ,  300  share similar structure to some extent. Like elements in the now-preferred embodiment  300  carry the same reference numbers but with the “prefix”  300 , rather than the “prefix”  200 . For example, the forend carrier  212  is labeled  312 . 
     O.F. Mossberg &amp; Sons, Inc., which manufactures the MOSSBERG® 500® pump shotguns, is the Assignee of the current invention. As used herein, the term “standard” refers to parts found in a MOSSBERG 500® shotgun; the term “modified” refers to parts changed from those found in a 500® shotgun. 
       FIG. 1  shows a MOSSBERG® 500® pump shotgun  10  with the “Easy Connect Stock and Forend System” described in Applicants&#39; parent application. It contains the alternate embodiment  200 . 
       FIG. 1 , for the sake of completeness, also shows Applicants&#39; “Easy Connect Stock” embodiment  100 , from the parent application, for easily connecting and disconnecting a stock  114  to a receiver  112  in a long gun (e.g., shotgun  10 ), without the use of tools in the field. 
       FIGS. 2-4  best disclose Applicants&#39; alternate “Easy Connect Forend Assembly”  200 . Assembly  200  comprises: a forend or forearm carrier  210  secured to the receiver assembly  112  (see  FIG. 1 ); a modified forend or forearm  212  removably attachable to the forend carrier  210  by two front locks (e.g., two tongue-and-groove arrangements)  214   a ,  214   b ; and a pair of rear locks (e.g., two slide locks)  216   a ,  216   b  to removably lock the forend  212  onto the carrier  210 . 
     Forend carrier  210  is a modified version of O.F. Mossberg &amp; Sons, Inc.&#39;s standard carrier for its 500® pump action shotgun. The modifications are best shown in  FIG. 2 : two identical rear lock protrusions (e.g., one shown at  218   b ) located on opposite sides of the carrier, near its rear; and two identical front lock protrusions (e.g., one shown at  220   b ) on opposite sides of the carrier, near its front. 
     Rear lock protrusions (e.g.,  218   b ) have flat tops and exposed sides. The tops are tipped forward. They decline from rear to front. 
     Front lock protrusions (e.g.,  220   b ) resemble the human tongue, but are flat on their exposed sides. They are generally flat on top; have flat bottoms which incline from rear to front; and, have a rounded tip. 
     Applicants&#39; forend (a.k.a. forearm)  212 , as mentioned above, is a modified version of O.F. Mossberg &amp; Sons, Inc.&#39;s standard forend for its 500® pump action shotgun. As best shown in  FIG. 2 , the modifications are: two identical L-shaped pockets  222   a ,  222   b  inside the forend (one on each side), which form two identical front “pocket” protrusions  223   a ,  223   b  (one on each side) at the leading edge of the forend, are designed to slip off or snugly onto the front lock protrusions (e.g.,  220   b ); and two spring-biased slide bars  224   a ,  224   b  inside the forend (one on each side), with attached slide lock releases (e.g., one shown at  226   b ) outside of the forend, are designed to slide off or snugly onto the tops of rear lock protrusions (e.g.,  218   b ). 
     Forend lock springs (e.g., one shown at  228   a ) normally bias respective slide bars  224   a ,  224   b  into a locked position (see  FIG. 2 ). In that position, rear ends of the bars ride onto the carrier&#39;s rear lock protrusions (e.g.,  218   b ). Because of a tight fit, the bars stay in place until the knurled slide releases (e.g.,  226   b ) are pushed forward, thereby sliding the bars  224   a ,  224   b  forward and off the protrusions (e.g.,  218   b ). 
     Paragraph [0067] in the parent application talks about “hollow spacers  229   a ,  229   b ” (see present  FIG. 2 ). The description of those parts is inaccurate. Parts  229   a ,  229   b  are an integral part of the carrier geometry and actually provide the bearing blocks which support the carrier assembly  210  on the magazine tube  384 . One bearing block  229   a  is located just rear of the slide bars  224   a ,  224   b ; the other bearing block  229   b  is just rear of L-shaped pockets  222   a ,  222   b.    
       FIGS. 2 and 3  show standard actions bars  230   a ,  230   b  attached to the forend. They form no part of this invention. 
     There are two vertical stops (e.g., one shown at  232 ) on the front and rear ends of the carrier  210 . They are located on the bottom of carrier  210 . As the action is closed, the forend  212  pushes on rear stop  232 . As the action is opened, the forearm pushes on the front stop. 
     To attach the forend or forearm  212 , slide the rear of the forend over the carrier&#39;s front lock protrusions (e.g.,  220   b ). Continue pushing forward until the carrier&#39;s front lock protrusions slip into the L-shaped pockets  222   a ,  222   b . Then push up on the rear of the forend  212 . Once the forend is level, the front locks  214   a ,  214   b  and rear locks  216   a ,  216   b  will snap into place. 
     When the forend  212  is attached, it is held in place by four locks, two per side. Front forend lock protrusions (e.g.,  223   b ) respectively engage front forend carrier lock protrusions (e.g.,  220   b ) to form the front locks  214   a ,  214   b . Spring-loaded slide bars  224   a ,  224   b  respectively engage the carrier&#39;s rear lock protrusions (e.g.,  218   b ) to secure the rear locks  216   a ,  216   b.    
     To remove forend  212 , push both slide lock releases (e.g.,  226   b ) forward. Holding those knurled releases forward, pull down the rear of the forend and then slide the forend forward and down . . . until it is off the carrier. At that point, the user can swap out another forend by reversing the process. 
       FIGS. 5-11  show Applicants&#39; now-preferred embodiment  300 . 
     While the basic concept has stayed the same, the “Easy Connect Forend” design has been improved since Applicants&#39; parent application. Referring to the earlier embodiment  200  (see  FIG. 2 ), the two releasable slide locks  216   a ,  216   b  have been replaced by one releasable slide lock  340  (see  FIGS. 6 ,  9 ) with different structure. The components that comprised the slide locks  216   a ,  216   b  have all been removed. The removed parts included: rear lock protrusions  218   a ,  218   b  (see  FIG. 4 ), forend slide bars  224   a ,  224   b  (see  FIG. 2 ), and slide lock releases with springs  226   b  (see  FIGS. 2 ,  4 ). 
     In the new embodiment  300 , the releasable slide lock  340  (a.k.a. slide release) preferably comprises: a spring-loaded latch  342 , extending from forend carrier  310 ; and a pocket or recess  344 , in a new forend  312 , which stores an end of the latch  342  when the forend  312  and carrier  310  are nested together. See  FIG. 6 . 
       FIG. 5  shows an exploded view of the following components of the latch mechanism: the latch  342 ; a latch spring  348 ; and a cross pin  350 . It also shows a protrusion  352 , in the bottom of carrier  310 , with a recessed channel  354  (see also  FIGS. 5 ,  6 A) having an open bottom. 
     When assembled, the latch  342  is part of carrier  310 . One end of latch  342  fits into the carrier&#39;s channel  354  and is constrained vertically and laterally by its rounded protrusions  356   a ,  356   b  (i.e., preferably flat tops with rounded shoulders), which engage a correspondingly shaped surface  358  in the channel. See  FIG. 5A . Another end of the latch  342  protrudes outside the carrier  310 . See  FIGS. 5 ,  11 ,  11 A. 
     Latch  342  is biased outwardly by spring  348  (here, a coil spring). Cross pin  350  engages a slot  360  in the latch. Slot  360  is wide enough to allow enough travel for the latch  342  to engage and disengage the forend  312 , while preventing the latch  342  from sliding out of the channel  354 . 
     New forend  312  preferably has no moving parts, as there is no need. Latch  342  is housed by the forend carrier  310 . 
     The “tongue-and-groove” attachment method, at the front of the prior forend  212 , has not changed. However, the “front latch protrusions” (see, e.g.,  220   a  in  FIGS. 2 ,  4 ) are now round bosses (see, e.g., boss  364   a    FIGS. 5 ,  11 ) with reinforcing ribs (see, e.g., rib  366   a  in  FIGS. 5 ,  11 ). Previously they were described as “flat on top; have flat bottoms which incline from rear to front; and, have a rounded tip.” The descriptions of the forend L-shaped pockets  222   a ,  222   b  (see  FIGS. 2 ,  4 ) and protrusions  223   a ,  223   b  (see  FIG. 2 ) are still valid. 
     The forend  312  is attached to the carrier assembly  310  in a similar manner to the original design  200 . After engaging the new carrier&#39;s front protrusions (i.e., bosses) (e.g., 364   a ) in the forend&#39;s L-shaped pockets  322   a ,  322   b  pockets, the forend  312  is slid rearwards and rotated upwards. As the forend  312  is rotated upwards, a surface  367  on a forend rib  368  cams the latch  342  back against latch spring  348 . When the forend  312  reaches the horizontal position the latch  342 , pushed by latch spring  348 , travels into the pocket or recess  344  in the forend rib  368 . The forend  312  is now fully constrained on the carrier  310 . A contoured bottom of latch  342  protrudes through an opening  370  in the bottom of forend  312 . 
       FIG. 6  shows the latch  342  engaging the forend  312 .  FIGS. 7 ,  8  best show the interior of forend  312 , including surface  367 , rib  368 , and opening  370 . 
     To remove the forend  312 , the latch  342  is slid back against spring  348  and the forend  312  is rotated downwards. When the forend rib  368  clears the latch  342 , the forend is pushed forward and removed. 
     When the forend  312  is mounted on the carrier assembly  310 , protrusion  352  on the carrier  310  fits snuggly into a recess  372  in the forend. Recess  372  is formed by surfaces  374   a ,  374   b  on rib  368  and surface  376  on another forend rib  378  (see  FIGS. 7 ,  8 ). The carrier protrusion  352  has two ends with surfaces  380 ,  382 . When the forend is pulled backwards to open the gun action, forend surface  376  pushes on carrier surface  382 . When the forend is pushed forward to close the gun action, surfaces  374   a ,  374   b  push on carrier surface  380 . 
     The carrier assembly  310  slides over the shotgun magazine tube  384  (see  FIG. 11 ), just like a conventional forend tube. Orientation is maintained by the action bars  330   a ,  330   b  (see  FIG. 5 ), which engage in a standard manner the bolt slide (not shown) in the receiver. 
     Bearing blocks  329   a ,  329   b  of the carrier  310  (see  FIGS. 5 ,  10 ) are contoured to provide clearance on the barrel  390  as the carrier assembly  310  traverses forwards and backward. The bearing blocks  329   a ,  329   b  (see  FIG. 10 ) support the carrier assembly  310  on the magazine tube  384 . 
     O.F. Mossberg &amp; Sons, Inc. currently manufactures Applicants&#39; preferred forend assembly embodiment  300  in conjunction with an improved “Easy Connect Stock” disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/625,785, for “METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR EASY CONNECT STOCKS”, filed Nov. 25, 2009. That application was published on Jun. 3, 2010. 
     Applicants&#39; forend assembly embodiments  200 ,  300  therefore are designed to be used in the field or anywhere, allowing the user with quickness and ease to change out a forend (e.g.,  212 ,  312 ) without the use of tools. No tools are needed to replace an “Easy Connect Forend” (e.g.,  212 ,  312 ) after its associated forend carrier (e.g.,  210 ,  310 ) is mounted onto the shotgun by tools beforehand. 
     Each of Applicants&#39; forend assembly embodiments  200 ,  300  can be thought of as a tool-less means for (selectively) removably attaching the forend onto or removing the forend off a fixed carrier. For example, the combination of a tongue-and-groove arrangement (e.g.,  214   b ,  314   b ) and a releasable lock (e.g., slide lock  216   b , slide lock  340 ) can be thought of as a tool-less means for easily connecting or disconnecting a forend in a long gun. 
     Applicants&#39; invention allows for easy adjustment and reduction in time when interchanging the forend (e.g.,  212 ,  312 ) for different users and/or different types of game or sporting activities. 
     Applicants&#39; preferred embodiment is used with the “Easy Connect Stock” assembly shown in 
     In its broadest sense, Applicant&#39;s invention can be thought of as a method for removably attaching the forend onto or removing the forend off a fixed carrier of a long gun, comprising:
         a. sliding a forend onto a forend carrier secured to a long gun;   b. removably locking the forend in place without the use of tools; and   c. unlocking the forend, and removing it off the carrier, without the use of tools.       

     More narrowly, Applicants&#39; preferred method comprises:
         a. attaching a forend onto a fixed forend carrier, of a long gun, by a tongue-and-groove arrangement in the carrier and forend;   b. removably securing the forend, in place, to the carrier by a releasable lock located at least in part in the carrier; and   c. wherein steps (a) and (b) are performed without the use of tools by a user in the field.       

     It should be understood by those skilled in the art that obvious structural modifications can be made to the Easy Connect Forend Assembly, beyond those noted above, without departing from the spirit of the invention. Accordingly, reference should be made primarily to the accompanying claims rather than the foregoing description to determine the scope of the invention.