Patent Publication Number: US-6336285-B1

Title: Sighting apparatus

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to open sights for a firearm and more particularly, to apparatus for mounting open sights atop a firearm mounted telescope. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art and Objects 
     A traditional firearm includes so-called “iron sights” or open sights mounted atop a firearm barrel. To improve shooting accuracy, telescopic sights, sometimes referred to as telescopes and/or scopes, have been mounted on firearms to improve shooting accuracy over long ranges. Initially, when telescopes were mounted atop firearms, the mounts interfered with the line of sight for the gun mounted open iron sights. In order for the shooter to have access to the iron sights, the scope had to be raised and the height of the mounts was increased to elevate the scope. This height increase created a problem for scope sighting because the shooter had to raise his cheek on the gun stock thereby causing control problems when viewing through the scope. Horizontal openings were provided in the mounts, in longitudinal alignment with the iron sights, to aid viewing, however, the limited breadth of view through these openings restricted the shooter&#39;s scope of vision. Moreover, a disadvantage of this type prior art scope mount is that the scope is normally the primary sighting system, and when the scope is mounted a greater distance away from the barrel, the shooting accuracy is decreased. By lowering the scope and installing the sight bar constructed according to the present invention, the cheek-to-gunstock contact area is greatly increased. The cheek to gunstock contact area is so important that some gun manufacturers build up this area for a more comfortable shooting condition. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a sighting system which will improve shooting accuracy. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide new and novel apparatus for mounting sights on a firearm. 
     Yet another object of the present invention to provide a sighting system of the type described which will mount the primary telescopic sight closer to the firearm than the open sights that are mounted in vertically spaced relation above the telescope. 
     There is another type of mount which mounts the scope to a side of the firearm barrel. A disadvantage of this type mount, as well as the aforementioned mount which raises the scope a substantial distance above the iron sights, is that the shooter must move his head and eyes sidewisely and/or vertically from its normal shooting position. This adjustment can be uncomfortable and is not the normal position one would assume for shooting. This change of posture detracts from the accuracy of shooting. Accordingly, it is another object of the present invention to provide a scope mount which will minimize any change in the shooter&#39;s posture required for the shooter to sight through the scope. 
     The use of iron sights is normally used for shooting at very short distances, however, it is very difficult for the shooter, under field conditions, to “find the target” when one is viewing through the “holes” in the mount. It is advantageous to have open iron sights for shooting at short ranges or fast moving targets. 
     The sighting problem is particularly exacerbated with a hand gun because the scope is normally a substantial distance away from the user&#39;s eye and any movement of the scope tends to cause one to “lose the target”. Scope mounts, having tubular openings therethrough and disposed below the telescope, are illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,688,345 issued to Norman G. Kilgour on Aug. 25, 1987 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,875,675 issued to Robert J. Krisay on Apr. 8, 1975. A scope mounted on a pistol is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,742,635 issued to William B. Ruger et al on May 10, 1988. 
     Attempts have heretofore been made to mount the open sights above a sighting telescope, such as that illustrated U.S. Pat. No. 4,841,659, issued to Paul D. Williams on Jun. 27, 1989; U.S. Pat. No. 374,202, issued to R. C. Rice on Dec. 6, 1887; U.S. Pat. No. 3,626,597, issued to Chester R. Darrah on Dec. 14, 1971; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,777,730, issued to Edward R. Huggins on Oct. 18, 1988. These prior art, front and rear, open sights are mounted independently of each other. If the scope sights in the aforesaid patents are removed from the scope for any reason, it is difficult to realign the sights. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide new and novel apparatus for mounting open sights atop a telescope which will overcome the problems of the prior art. 
     Still another object of the present invention to provide a new and novel common mount for mounting both front and rear open sights on a sighting telescope. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide new and novel open sight mounting apparatus which will maintain the relative relationship and orientation of the sights even though removed from the firearm to keep and maintain the sighting relationship of the front and rear sights relative to each other. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide open sight mounting apparatus for mounting open sights on a sighting telescope and maintaining the orientation and alignment when the sights are removed from the telescope. 
     It is a further object of the present invention to provide new and novel sight mounting apparatus including a longitudinally extending sighting bar which is mounted above a scope for mounting front and rear open sights. 
     A still further object of the present invention to provide apparatus for mounting front and rear, longitudinally spaced apart open sights in vertically spaced relation with an underlying telescope. 
     The prior art mounting devices are adapted for a particular scope and would be ineffective with another scope having an enlarged front eye piece, for example, because the front eye piece would interfere with the viewing. Accordingly, it is a further object of the present invention to provide new and novel open sight mounting apparatus of the type described which is adaptable for use with a wide variety of scopes and is not of singular purpose. 
     The problem of sighting with or without a scope mounted on a pistol is further exacerbated. The front and rear sights on a conventional pistol are longitudinally spaced a relatively short distance which tends to decrease the shooting accuracy. It has been generally found that the further apart the front and rear sights can be separated, the more shooting accuracy will improve. In apparatus constructed according to the present invention, a longitudinal bar is provided for mounting the front and rear open iron sights. The bar can be made of sufficient length that the front and rear sights can be mounted forwardly and rearwardly, respectively, of the scope, and forward and rearwardly, respectively, of the mounts for mounting the bar on the scope. Accordingly, it is another object of the present invention to provide open sight mounting apparatus which will separate the front and rear open sights further apart than the mounts for the scope are separated, further apart than the mounts for mounting the bar on the scope are separated, and further apart than the open iron sights on the pistol are separated. 
     It is a further object of the present invention to provide sighting apparatus of the type described including a sighting bar which includes longitudinally adjustable sections that are slidably mounted relative to each other to selectively extend and contract the length of the sighting bar and selectively position the sights at any selected one of a plurality of longitudinally spaced apart variable distances. 
     When shooting a firearm at dusk or dark with open sights, it can be difficult to properly align the front and rear sights. It has been traditional heretofore to utilize optical sights on or in connection with a bow utilized to propel an arrow. Such optical sights are utilized when the bowman is shooting at dusk or dark. The optical sights include a light emitting diode (LED) selectively coupled to a battery with a switch. The bowman merely aligns the LED of a front, bow mounted optical sight with a rear bow mounted sight which may also comprise an LED. 
     Such optical sights have not been utilized on a firearm barrel. Accordingly, it is another object of the present invention to provide new and novel apparatus for mounting an optical sight on a firearm. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and novel apparatus for mounting a light emitting diode and/or an optical sight on or in connection with a firearm. 
     It is a further object of the present invention to provide a mechanism for mounting a light emitting sight atop a firearm. 
     Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art as the description thereof proceeds. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Open sight mounting apparatus for mounting front and rear open sights atop an elongate sighting telescope comprising: an elongate sighting bar having a front end portion for mounting a front open sight, and a longitudinally rearwardly spaced rear end portion for mounting a rear open sight longitudinally rearwardly spaced from the front open sight; and mechanism for mounting the sighting bar atop a sighting telescope. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The invention may be more readily understood by referring to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a side elevational view generally illustrating sighting apparatus constructed according to the present invention mounted atop a sighting telescope which, in turn, is mounted atop a firearm; 
     FIG. 2 is a greatly enlarged side elevational view of sighting apparatus constructed according to the present invention; 
     FIG. 3 is a top plan view thereof, taken along the line  3 — 3  of FIG. 2; 
     FIG. 4 is a front sectional view thereof, taken along the section line  4 — 4  of FIG. 2; 
     FIG. 5 is a rear elevational view, taken along the section line  5 — 5  of FIG. 2; 
     FIG. 6 is a side elevational view, similar to FIG. 2, illustrating a slightly modified embodiment; 
     FIG. 7 is a rear elevational view, taken along the section line  7 — 7  of FIG. 6; and 
     FIG. 8 is a greatly enlarged sectional side view, illustrating another slightly modified optical sighting system; part of the front sight being broken away to better illustrate an enclosed battery and light emitting diode. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Sight mounting apparatus, generally designated  10 , is particularly adapted for use with a telescopic sight, generally designated  12 , mounted on the barrel  16  of a firearm  14  having a hand grip  18 . Firearms typically include front and rear sights  22  and  24 , respectively, mounted on the firearm barrel  16 . The sighting telescope  12  is illustrated as including a central tubular body  20  coupling enlarged diameter front and rear, cylindrical, magnifying lens portions  32  and  34 , respectively. Right angularly related cross hairs  25  are centrally mounted in the tubular body  20  between the lens portions  32  and  34 , as usual. Cross hair adjusting mechanism (not shown) may be provided for adjusting the position of the cross hairs, if desired, to aid in the sighting in the weapon. 
     The scope  12  is mounted on the gun barrel  16  via a pair of longitudinally spaced adjustable scope mounting rings, schematically illustrated at  26  and  28 , of conventional construction coupled to the tubular scope body  20 . The apparatus  10  constructed according to the present invention is adapted for use on a wide variety of telescope sights and firearms of various and differing constructions. 
     The sighting apparatus  10  constructed according to the present invention is more particularly illustrated in FIGS. 2-5 and includes a sighting bar, generally designated  36 , which is mounted on the tubular body  20  of the scope  12  via rear and front, adjustable bar mounting rings, generally designated  38  and  38 ′, respectively. The parts of the front bar mounting ring  38 ′ which are identical to the parts of rear bar mounting ring  38  will be identified by identical reference characters followed by a prime subscript. 
     The sighting bar  36  comprises front and rear sighting bar slides  42  and  44 , respectively, which are slidably interconnected for to-and-fro longitudinally adjusted movement between anyone of a plurality of longitudinally adjusted positions relative to each other. As illustrated in FIG. 4, the front bar slide  42  includes a pair of longitudinally extending, laterally outwardly opening side grooves  46 . The rear slide  44  is generally U-shaped in vertical cross section and includes a pair of upstanding legs  50  having longitudinally extending, laterally inwardly disposed, opposing flanges  48  which are slidingly received in the side grooves  46 . The rear slide  44  includes an upwardly opening, longitudinal slot  49  between the opposed flanges  48  which slidably receives a central upstanding web  51  that provides the base for each of the grooves  46 . 
     The rear bar mounting ring  38  includes a pair of upper and lower scope receiving sections  50  and  52  (FIGS.  2  and  5 ), respectively, having distal ends  53  releasably interconnected by a pair of diametrically opposed bolts  54 . The scope receiving sections  50  and  52  include opposing semi-cylindrical grooves  56  and  58  which are complimentary to the central, cylindrical, tubular body  20  of the scope  12 . 
     The upper scope receiving section  50  of bar mounting ring  38  includes an integral upper sighting bar mounting block portion  60  having a top flat surface  62  for receiving the rear bar section  44 . The upper mounting block portion  60  includes, along one lateral upper edge, an anvil flange  64  against which one side  66  of the rear bar section  44  is detachably clamped via a clamp, generally designated  68 , provided on the laterally opposite side  67  of block portion  60 . 
     The clamp  68  includes a bore therethrough slidably receiving a laterally outwardly extending screw  69  extending laterally outwardly from the opposite side  67  of block  60 . The clamp  68  has a lower portion  74  which is received in a longitudinally extending V-shaped slot  76  in the side  67  of block portion  60 . The clamp  68  also includes an upper flange  78  for engaging the opposite side wall  80  of the rear sighting bar  44 . By turning a nut  70  threaded on the screw  69  about its axis in opposite directions, the clamp  68  can selectively engage and disengage the rear mounting bar  44  to selectively clamp and release the position of the bar  44  relative to the telescopic sight  12 . 
     The front clamp ring  38 ′ is generally similar to the rear clamp ring  38  and will be identified by identical reference characters followed by a prime subscript. The rear mounting flange, will engage the side wall  80 ′ of the front bar slide  42 . 
     The position of the rear bar slide  44  relative to the front bar slide  42  and to the rear mounting ring  38  is detachably fixed via a vertically disposed screw  84  which is received in mounting block  60 . The front bar slide  42  is fixed to front ring  38 ′ via a pair of screws  84 ′ which are slidingly received in an elongate slot  86  that extends through the front sighting bar slide  42  and is threadedly received in the front mounting block  60 ′. 
     The front nut  70 ′, of course, detachably clamps the clamp  68 ′, the front sighting bar slide  42  and the front sighting bar receiving mount  60 ′ together. 
     The front end portion  88  of the front sighting bar slide  42  mounts a front open iron sight, generally designated  90 , and the rear portion  92  of the rear sighting bar slide  44  mounts an open iron sight, generally designated  94 , of conventional construction. The front sight  90  is illustrated as an upstanding blade  96  mounted on a laterally adjustable dove tail slide  98  which is slidably, snuggly received in a complimentary groove  100  disposed transversely in the front portion  88  of the elongate front sighting bar slide  42 . 
     Generally, the rear sight  94  includes a rear sight ramp  102  having an upper inclined surface  104  which mounts a sighting block  106 . A longitudinally extending dove tail slide  108  (FIG. 3) is slidably received in a complementally formed slot in sighting block  106  which mounts a peep sight, generally designated  110 , having a circular sight opening  111 . The rear sight  94  is commercially available and is illustrated with particularity in U.S. Pat. No. 4,841,659 which is incorporated herein by reference as though fully set forth herein word for word. The upper end of the front sight blade  96  includes an integral circular sighting bead  113  which the shooter centrally aligns with the rear, circular sight opening  111 , as illustrated in FIG.  5 . 
     The Operation 
     In operation, the user can selectively sight along a sighting axis A through the telescopic sight  12  or along a sight line B aligning the rear peep sight  111  with the front sight bead  113  provided on the upper end of front sight blade  96  (FIG.  5 ). The firearm, generally designated  14 , may suitably comprise a hand gun, rifle or shot gun. If the sighting bar  36  is utilized on a pistol, it may be desirable to spread the front and rear open sights  90  and  110  farther apart than the conventional sights provided on the pistol. It has been found that sighting shooting accuracy improved with sights which are spread. 
     The scope can be sighted in by adjusting the scope mounting rings  26 ,  28 , and/or the position of the cross hairs  25 , as usual. 
     The relative positions of the front and rear sights  90  and  94 , respectively can be adjusted by adjusting either the sighting bar mounting rings  38 ,  38 ′ or by adjusting the lateral position of dove tail slide  98  and/or the vertical and horizontal positions of sighting block  106  on rear sight ramp  102  until the user is satisfied with the shooting accuracy. The clamping members  68 ,  68 ′ and nuts  70  and  70 ′ may be set once the desired positions of the slides  42 ,  44  and the sights  90  and  94  are finally determined. 
     Alternate Embodiment 
     Referring now to FIGS. 6 and 7, an alternate embodiment, constructed according to the present invention, generally designated  10 A, is similar in many respects to the open sight mounting apparatus  10  and generally similar parts will be identified by generally similar reference characters followed by the letter subscript A. The sighting bar  36 A differs from the sighting bar  36  in that, rather than having front and rear independently adjustable sight mounting slides, the sighting bar  36 A is one piece. Although the front and rear sight mounting portions  88 A and  92 A respectively, are not longitudinally moveable relative to each other, the sight bar  36 A is still longitudinally moveable relative to the sighting rings  38 A and  38 ′A by selectively adjusting nuts  84 A,  84 ′A, and set screws  70 A and  70 ′A. 
     Instead of a peep sight, the rear sight  94 A includes a V-shaped sight  110 A having an upwardly opening V-shaped slot  111  having downwardly converging surfaces  115  which meet at a central groove  117  that is aligned with a front bead sight  113 A. 
     Second Alternate Embodiment 
     Referring now to FIG. 8, another embodiment, generally designated  10 B, is generally similar to the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1-6 and generally similar reference parts are identified by generally similar references characters followed by the letter B subscript. 
     The sighting apparatus  10 B illustrated in FIG. 8 differs in that, rather than a blade sight  90  being mounted on the front sight bar mount portion  88 B, an optical sight, generally designated  118 , is provided and includes a lower cylindrical housing  120  mounting a power supply such as a cadium battery, schematically designated  122 . The cylindrical housing  120  includes a reduced diameter upper hollow cylindrical stem portion  124  which is received in a bore  126  provided in the front portion  88 B of the sighting bar  36 B. The upper end of the reduced diameter stem  124  is threaded and is detachably coupled to the sighting bar  36 B via a nut  130  which is threaded thereon. 
     The upper end  131  of the upper stem  124  has a reduced diameter, rearwardly, opening, elbow  131  which mounts a light emitting diode  132 . A counter bore  134  of enlarged diameter is provided in the lower surface  136  of sighting bar  36 B for receiving the enlarged diameter cylindrical housing  120 . By threading the nut  130  onto the upper cylindrical housing  124 , the power supply housing stem  12 D is clamped in position on the underside of sighting bar  36 B. 
     The light emitting diode  132  is coupled to the power supply  124  via suitable electrical connections  138  received in the housing  124  to couple the light emitting diode  132  in circuit with the power supply  122 . A switch, not shown, selectively interrupts the circuit and is activated by turning the cylindrical housing  120  about its vertical axis  140 . 
     The construction of the optical sight  118  is of conventional construction and is routinely utilized on bows for propelling arrows. A suitable sight is one distributed by Sight Master Inc., 1093 Highway 12 East, Townsend, Mont. 59644 under the trademark SIGHTMASTER. 
     If desired, the vertical position of the light emitting diode  132  can be adjusted by placing a washer around the threaded portion of stem  124  below the nut  130 . 
     It is to be understood that the drawings and descriptive matter are in all cases to be interpreted as merely illustrative of the principles of the invention, rather than as limiting the same in any way, since it is contemplated that various changes may be made in various elements to achieve like results without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.