Patent Publication Number: US-2017350671-A1

Title: Vehicle antenna mast cleaning rod conversion system for firearm cleaning

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates generally to cleaning equipment that is conventionally used for cleaning and lubricating the bore of firearms such as rifles and shotguns. More particularly, the present invention concerns antenna mounts and antenna masts that permit the mast and spring mechanism of vehicle antennas to be temporarily converted simply and efficiently for use as a firearm cleaning rod and after cleaning rod use is then simply and easily restored for use as a vehicle antenna. Even more specifically, this invention concerns conversion components that are employed to convert a vehicle antenna mast for use as a firearm cleaning rod. 
     Description of the Prior Art 
     Many different types of firearm cleaning kits and devices have been provided over a long period of time to enable firearm users to clean their firearms after use or periodically during periods of non-use. In the case of long barreled guns such as shotguns and rifles, it is generally considered preferable to use a long non-jointed cleaning rod having a freely rotatable handle at the rear end and having a fitting at the forward end for support of bore cleaning and lubricating attachments such as metal of polymer brushes and cleaning and lubricating patches. However, it is well known that long, non-jointed cleaning rods are cumbersome to store and transport, and thus are typically not available for use in the field. For that reason, most gun cleaning kits have cleaning rods that are composed of a number of thread connected rod sections. 
     Jointed cleaning rods are problematic as well, because the thread connections of the rod joints are typically subjected to considerable wear and damage during use, especially if they are composed of a soft and lightweight metal such as aluminum or a soft metal such as brass. It is desirable, therefore, to provide a cleaning rod system having a rod-like mast that is employed on a daily basis as an antenna mast for a vehicle, and is adaptable through the use of conversion attachments, for use as a bore cleaning rod for long barreled firearms such as rifles, shotguns and the like. Serving primarily as an antenna mast on a vehicle, the thin spring steel mast is readily available for use as the basic component of a gun bore cleaning rod in virtually any field conditions where a vehicle, such as a pickup truck or SUV is employed. After use a gun bore cleaning and lubricating rod, the antenna mast is readily restored to its use as a vehicle mounted antenna by removing the handle and bore cleaning implements and by again connection the antenna mast to its vehicle mount. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is a principal feature of the present invention to provide novel adapter components that facilitate the use of an elongate antenna mast as a component of a bore cleaning rod assembly for use in cleaning and lubricating the bore of a firearm barrel; 
     It is another feature of the present invention to provide a novel firearm cleaning kit having various attachments for cleaning and lubricating firearms and incorporating conversion attachments for converting a conventional vehicle radio antenna mast for use as a gun cleaning rod and, following gun cleaning use, restoring the mast for use as a radio antenna. 
     Briefly, the various objects and features of the present invention are realized through the provision of a small compact and easily transportable and storable gun cleaning kit for use in accordance with the teachings of the present invention. The gun cleaning kit incorporates various attachments for cleaning and lubricating the bore or a long gun, such as a rifle or shotgun. According to the present invention, the gun cleaning kit also incorporates various conversion attachments for converting the conventional small diameter typically spring steel radio antenna mast for use as the elongate rod component of a gun cleaning rod for long guns, such as rifles and shotguns. After using the converted cleaning rod assembly for gun cleaning, the cleaning rod assembly is disassembled, by removing the conversion attachments. The antenna mast component is then reassembled to the antenna mount of a vehicle for continued use as a radio antenna. 
     While the present invention generally describes using a vehicle antenna mast and mount as a firearm bore cleaning rod, numerous other uses of a vehicle antenna mast are envisioned. For example, a fishing rod tip implement structure may be adapted for mounting to an antenna mast, thereby converting the mast to a simple fishing rod. Various other types of tip and handle implements may be provided in the portable kit as well. For example an antenna mast may be converted in similar manner for use as a vehicle unlocking device, which is typically referred to as a “slim jim” or for use as a lenghty grappling tool. Conversion members or devices are contained in readily transportable kit form and can be simply and efficiently employed via the use of simple tools to achieve conversion of a radio antenna mast for other uses in field conditions where vehicle service tools are not readily available. 
     Many heavy duty radio antenna systems have been developed, such as for commercial trucks, that employ helical springs in association with the vehicle mounts. The helical springs, which are typically tapered to each spring end, permit the antenna masts to be pushed over when struck by an object, thus preventing any antenna damage. These helical springs can be effectively employed as a handgrip or rod handle when the antenna mast is to be employed as a firearm bore cleaning rod. Conversion members may be provided in the form of antenna mast conversion kits that can be easily and efficiently transported in a firearm servicing container and, when needed, can be used to convert a radio antenna mast for use as a bore cleaning rod, fishing rod, slim-jim or other suitable tool or device for use particularly in a remove environment where other tools are typically not readily available. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       So that the manner in which the above recited features, advantages and objects of the present invention are attained and can be understood in detail, a more particular description of the invention, briefly summarized above, may be had by reference to the preferred embodiment thereof which is illustrated in the appended drawings, which drawings are incorporated as a part hereof. 
       It is to be noted however, that the appended drawings illustrate only a typical embodiment of this invention and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope, for the invention may admit to other equally effective embodiments. 
       In the Drawings: 
         FIG. 1  is an elevation view having parts thereof broken away and showing the lower portion of a vehicle radio antenna representing the prior art and being mounted to a vehicle; 
         FIG. 2  is a top plan view showing a gun cleaning rod handle being mounted to the base fitting of a radio antenna mast by means of a mounting adapter; 
         FIG. 3  is a top plan view showing assembly of the components of  FIG. 2  to define a bore cleaning rod for firearm cleaning; 
         FIG. 4  is a partial side elevation view having parts thereof shown in section and having an end fitting attached to an end portion of an antenna mast and forming a cleaning and lubricating patch holder for gun bore cleaning; 
         FIG. 5  is a partial side elevation view showing a wire brush type gun bore cleaning member being mounted to the end fitting member of  FIG. 4  for wire brush cleaning of the bore of a gun barrel; 
         FIG. 6  is a partial side elevation view showing a fishing rod tip member being mounted to the end fitting member of  FIG. 4  for conversion of an antenna mast for use as a fishing rod; 
         FIG. 7  is a partial section view showing the upper portion of a conventional vehicle radio antenna mast representing the prior art; 
         FIG. 8  is a partial section view showing an antenna mast having a mast tip member representing a second conversion member mounted thereto and further showing an implement connected with a threaded mast tip in preparation for use of the rod assembly to do mechanical work; and 
         FIG. 9  is a side elevation view showing the handle structure of a converted firearm bore cleaning rod being defined by a helical tapered spring such as is typically employed with a radio antenna mount to provide additional protection against antenna damage in the event the antenna should be caused to hit an object during handling of the vehicle. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring now to the drawings and first to  FIG. 1 , a radio antenna mechanism representing the prior art is shown generally at  10  and is secured to a vehicle structure  12  by an antenna mount having a mount base  14 . The mount base is weather sealed to a sheet metal panel vehicle structure by means of a weather seal grommet  16  that is composed of an elastomer or polymer material. The antenna mechanism  10  has a bolt or other attachment defining a threaded section that projects upwardly and receives an internally threaded mount connector  18  that secures the base portion  20  of an antenna mast  22  to the antenna mount. 
     The antenna mast  22  is typically in the form of a thin rod-like structure of circular cross-section that is composed of spring steel or any other suitable material that will not readily become permanently bent and deformed by the force of wind resistance as the vehicle is being driven or when impacted by other objects. The thin antenna mast is intended to yield to a curved configuration by wind resistance when the vehicle is being moved. When the vehicle is passed through a car wash mechanism, personnel will typically unthread the internally threaded mount connector  18  from the upstanding externally threaded mounting post of the antenna mount and remove it to ensure that it will not be damaged by the rotating brushes of the car wash mechanism. Thus, an antenna mast is often disengaged from its vehicle mount and if it should become damaged it is easily replaced. Replacement antenna masts are typically accompanied by a number of threaded mount connectors that are made to fit the thread arrangement of various brands of vehicles. 
     As mentioned above, the spirit and scope of the present invention generally concerns the method and apparatus for conversion of vehicle antenna masts to serve other uses on a temporary basis, thus taking advantage of the fact that the antenna masts are virtually always present and readily available, being a component of a vehicle that is used for travel particularly to remote environments where outdoor activities take place. According to the present invention, as shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the internally threaded mount connector  18 , after having been removed from the antenna mount of the vehicle, can be threadedly connected with an externally threaded conversion member, permitting a handle device, such as a cleaning rod handle to be connected with the antenna mast. This feature permits the antenna mast to serve an elongate non-jointed component of a tool or device having a different purpose, such as serving as a non-jointed cleaning rod for firearm bore cleaning. This feature is accomplished as shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3  by using a threaded conversion member for connecting a cleaning rod handle  23  to the internally threaded mount connector  19  that is located at a first or lower end of the antenna mast  22  by means of a first conversion member  21  and by connecting a firearm bore cleaning and lubricating attachment  56  to a second or upper end of the vehicle antenna mast by means of a second conversion member  58  that is connected to or mounted at the second end of the vehicle antenna mast  22 . Typically a generally spherical tip member  24  of a prior art antenna is secured to the antenna mast  22  by means of soldering or braising as shown in  FIG. 7 . The spherical tip is removed from the antenna mast and the upper end of the mast is externally threaded, as shown in  FIGS. 4  and  8 , thus enabling a second conversion member shown generally at  30  to be temporarily or permanently mounted to the second end  32  of the antenna mast  22  as desired. 
     As shown in  FIG. 8 , the upper end  32  of the antenna mast  22  can be externally threaded, as shown, for attachment of a spherical or tubular antenna tip  34 , thus providing for temporary removal of the antenna tip. The tubular tip member  34  represents the second conversion member  40  and is shown in  FIG. 8  as being provided with an internally threaded section  36  which receives the upper externally threaded end  32  of the spring steel antenna mast  22 . If desired, the thread connection  32 / 36  may be eliminated and the tubular tip may be soldered or braised to the upper end  32  of the antenna mast to provide for permanent mounting of the tip member  34  to the vehicle antenna mast and simplify conversion of the mast. The tubular tip member  34  is shown to be provided with an internally threaded section  38  that receives the externally threaded section  40  of an attachment or implement member  42  that is designed for doing desired work. When the antenna mast is employed as a component of a firearm cleaning rod or is intended for other use, an externally threaded shaft  40  of a gun cleaning implement  42  is threaded into the internally threaded section  38  of the tubular tip member  34 . The implement  42  may have any suitable design or character for accomplishment of intended work, such as gun bore cleaning for example. 
     With reference to  FIGS. 4-6  a vehicle antenna mount representing the prior art is shown at  44  having a portion  46  that projects upwardly through an opening  46  in the sheet metal structure  48  of a vehicle. The mount section  46  has an externally threaded mounting post  50  that is received within the internally threaded portion  52  of an antenna mount connector  54  that provides support for the vehicle antenna mast  22 . 
     In the performance of the present invention the antenna mount connector  54  is unthreaded from the externally threaded mounting post  50  and the first conversion member  21  of  FIG. 2  is threaded into the threaded receptacle  52 . The handle  23  is then connected in threaded engagement with the lower threaded end of the conversion member  21 . To provide for mounting of an implement to the upper end of the antenna mast  22  as shown in  FIG. 4 , a second conversion member  58  is mounted to the antenna mast. For example, a firearm bore cleaning and lubricating patch retainer  56  shown in  FIG. 4  has a blade-like tip  55  of a dimension to pass easily through the bore of a firearm barrel  57 . The blade-like tip  55  defines a longitudinal slot  59  within which a replaceable bore cleaning patch  61  is positioned to enable the patch to be forced through the bore for cleaning away gunpowder residue, metal fouling, etc. The cleaning and lubricating patch  61  may be saturated with a cleaning fluid or a lubricant for cleaning and lubricating the barrel bore. 
     The character of mounting of the second conversion member  58  can be temporary, such as by means of a releasable threaded connection as shown or by means of a soldered, braised or bonded connection to provide for its permanent mounting. When the antenna is again installed on the vehicle antenna mount, a replacement tip member of spherical or other desired configuration may be installed, such as by threading, to provide a substantially weather-resistant antenna tip. The second conversion member  58  is of tubular configuration having an internally threaded receptacle  60  within which the upper end of the antenna mast  22  is secured. An upwardly facing internally threaded receptacle  62  is defined by the tubular second conversion member within which the externally threaded section  64  of the slotted bore cleaning and lubricating patch retainer  56  is received. 
       FIG. 5  is a partial side elevation view showing an implement  66  having a wire brush of generally cylindrical geometry that is passed through the bore of a firearm for cleaning away gunpowder residue and other debris that might cause fouling of the bore. 
       FIG. 6  is another partial side elevation view showing an implement having a fishing rod tip  68  supporting a circular grommet  70  that defines a central hole  72  through which fishing line will pass. This feature enables a vehicle antenna mast to be employed as a component of a fishing rod. 
       FIG. 9  is a side elevation view showing a rod handle structure  74  that is defined by a helical spring  76  having tapered ends. The helical spring is typically mounted between the antenna mount and the antenna mast to provide additional protection against damage to the mast in the event the mast should contact an object during travel of the vehicle to which it is mounted. 
     OPERATION 
     Typically the user of the present invention will travel by vehicle, typically a truck or SUV, to a desired location, particularly a remote location in the field where a task is to be carried out. To the vehicle is mounted a radio antenna such as is shown in  FIG. 1 . When the task to be accomplished involves the use of firearms, such as rifles or shotguns, when shooting activities have been completed, many firearm users will want to clean and lubricate the bore of the firearm as soon as practicable to remove gunpowder fouling and other debris from the bore and minimize the potential for chemical deterioration of the barrel material at the bore. Typically the firearm user will have in possession a gun cleaning kit having a number of different gun and bore cleaning implements that are connected with a gun cleaning rod. To minimize the size of the gun cleaning kit, the cleaning rod will virtually always be of the jointed variety, requiring the user to assemble the cleaning rod and then selectively assemble desired bore cleaning and lubricating implements to the cleaning rod. Though jointed cleaning rods are typically used, most firearm users prefer the use of non-jointed cleaning rods because of the inherent weakness and instability of the threaded cleaning rod joints. However, as mentioned above, non-jointed bore cleaning rods are seldom carried to the field because of the difficulty of transporting and storing them at times when they are not being used. 
     According to the present invention, the presence of a vehicle radio antenna and conversion members to convert it for use as a bore cleaning rod or to form other useful tools, serves as a solution to the problems that arise when using jointed gun cleaning rods. By using a simple tool, such as an adjustable wrench, the antenna is unthreaded from the upstanding threaded post of the antenna mount. A conversion member is selected which has an external thread at a first end that fits the internal thread of the mount connector  19  of the antenna mast and an external thread at a second end that is received by an internal thread of the mount connector  19 . A second conversion member is mounted either temporarily or permanently to the upper or forward end of the antenna mast is internally threaded for connection of an implement, such as a slotted holder for bore cleaning patches or a wire bore cleaning brush. The antenna mast serves temporarily as a cleaning rod and is reciprocated within the barrel bore to accomplish cleaning and/or lubrication. The implement that is mounted to the antenna mast by the conversion member may have a variety of different forms to permit the antenna mast be employed as a component of a tool to accomplish a desired task. 
     The antenna mast is restored to its original purpose simply by unthreading the first conversion member from the handle and the antenna mast and unthreading and removing the implement from the second conversion member. The second conversion member may be left in place on the upper end of the antenna mast to enable its future use, or may be removed and replaced by a threaded antenna end that may be spherical or of any other desired configuration. The conversion members will typically be placed in the firearm cleaning kit for future use as desired. The vehicle radio antenna is then restored for use by disassembling the converter members from the antenna mast and then connecting the antenna mast to the antenna mount by threading the mount connector member with the upstanding threaded post of the mount. 
     In view of the foregoing it is evident that the present invention is one well adapted to attain all of the objects and features hereinabove set forth, together with other objects and features which are inherent in the apparatus disclosed herein. 
     As will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, the present invention may easily be produced in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. The present embodiment is, therefore, to be considered as merely illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the claims rather than the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalence of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.