Patent Publication Number: US-9410762-B2

Title: Firearm stock with folding bipod

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to firearms, and more particularly to a firearm stock having a bipod that folds flush into the stock when not in use. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     A bipod is a two-legged attachment for a firearm that provides stability along two axes of motion (side-to-side and up-and-down). Bipods are commonly used on rifles and machine guns to provide a forward rest and reduce motion. They are also found on other long-barreled weapons. Bipods permit users to easily rest a firearm on objects, like the ground or a wall, to reduce their fatigue and increase the firearm&#39;s accuracy and stability. Bipods can be of fixed or adjustable length. Some can be tilted and also have their tilting point close to the barrel&#39;s central axis, allowing the firearm to tilt left and right. There are three ways for bipods to be folded: away from the shooter, towards the shooter, or into a vertical foregrip. 
     A variety of prior art folding bipods attached to firearms stocks are known. However, these continue to protrude from the firearm stock even in the folded position. This makes the firearm more vulnerable to being snagged on plant life, articles of clothing, or other obstacles. The folded bipod also prevents a comfortable grip on the forend. 
     Therefore, a need exists for a new and improved firearm stock with folding bipod that allows the user to fold the bipod flush into the firearm&#39;s stock when not in use. In this regard, the various embodiments of the present invention substantially fulfill at least some of these needs. In this respect, the firearm stock with folding bipod according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in doing so provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of allowing the bipod to fold flush into the firearm&#39;s stock when not in use. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides an improved firearm stock with folding bipod, and overcomes the above-mentioned disadvantages and drawbacks of the prior art. As such, the general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide an improved firearm stock with folding bipod that has all the advantages of the prior art mentioned above. 
     To attain this, the preferred embodiment of the present invention essentially comprises a body including a forend. The bottom of the forend has an elongate slot. A bipod having a plurality of legs is pivotally attached at one end of the legs to the bottom of the forend. The bipod has an unfolded position in which an opposing end of the legs extends downwards beyond the exterior contour of the forend. The bipod has a folded position in which the opposing end of the legs is received within the elongate slot with the legs substantially within the exterior contour of the forend. The opposing end of the legs may each have a notch. There may be a latch having a cam surface that is spring biased to protrude into the slot. The notches may receive the cam surface when the bipod is in the folded position, thereby releasably securing the opposing end of the legs within the slot. There are, of course, additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims attached. 
     There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a rear isometric view of the current embodiment of the firearm stock with folding bipod constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention with the bipod in the unfolded position. 
         FIG. 2  is a bottom front view of the current embodiment of the firearm stock with folding bipod of  FIG. 1  with the bipod in the unfolded position. 
         FIG. 3  is an enlarged bottom rear partial view of the current embodiment of the firearm stock with folding bipod of  FIG. 1  with the bipod in the unfolded position. 
         FIG. 4  is an enlarged front isometric partial view of the current embodiment of the folding bipod removed from the firearm stock with folding bipod of  FIG. 1  with the bipod in the unfolded position. 
         FIG. 5  is an enlarged left side partial view of the current embodiment of the folding bipod of  FIG. 4  with the bipod in the unfolded position. 
         FIG. 6  is a bottom partial view of the current embodiment of the firearm stock with folding bipod of  FIG. 1  with the bipod in the unfolded position. 
         FIG. 7  is an enlarged bottom front isometric view of the current embodiment of the folding bipod of  FIG. 4  with the bipod in the ready to fold position. 
         FIG. 8  is an enlarged left side partial view of the current embodiment of the folding bipod of  FIG. 4  with the bipod in transition between the ready to fold position and the folded position. 
         FIG. 9  is an enlarged left side partial view of the current embodiment of the folding bipod of  FIG. 4  with the bipod in the folded position. 
         FIG. 10  is a bottom partial view of the current embodiment of the firearm stock with folding bipod of  FIG. 1  with the bipod in the folded position. 
     
    
    
     The same reference numerals refer to the same parts throughout the various figures. 
     DESCRIPTION OF THE CURRENT EMBODIMENT 
     An embodiment of the firearm stock with folding bipod of the present invention is shown and generally designated by the reference numeral  10 . 
       FIGS. 1 and 2  illustrate the improved firearm stock with folding bipod  10  of the present invention. More particularly, the firearm stock is an elongate element having a left side  14 , right side  16 , bottom  18 , and front  20 . The front of the stock forms a forend  12 . A folding bipod  50  extends downward from the bottom front of the forend when the bipod is in the unfolded position. In the current embodiment, the stock is made of plastic to reduce weight while still providing adequate strength to support a barrel, trigger group, and any additional accessories to form a complete firearm. 
     The bipod  50  has two leg bases  22  and two leg extensions  32  that are mirror images of one another, with one leg base and leg extension extending downwards to the right and one extending downwards to the left. The bottommost portion of the bipod is two outwardly protruding pads  42  formed by the bottoms  36  of the leg extensions. The pads are angled so that they are parallel to the bottom of the forend when the bipod is in the unfolded position. In the current embodiment, the bottom surfaces  46  of the pads have a traction surface pattern to prevent slippage of the leg extensions when the bipod is in use. The top surfaces  44  of the pads are connected to the bottoms  36  of the leg extensions, and are integral to the leg extensions in the current embodiment. The leg extensions  32  are elongate elements having fronts  38 , rears  40 , and tops  34 . The bottom front of the forend has an aperture  58 . In the current embodiment, the pads and leg extensions are made of plastic to reduce weight while still providing adequate strength to support the front of a fully assembled firearm that utilizes the firearm stock  10  of current invention. In the current embodiment, the leg bases are made of aluminum for additional strength. 
       FIG. 3  illustrates the improved firearm stock with folding bipod  10  of the present invention. More particularly, the bottom front  20  of the forend  12  and the top portions of the bipod  50  have been enlarged so that their features may be better appreciated. The tops  34  of the leg extensions  32  are received within bores  62  within the bottoms  26  of the leg bases  22 . The tops of the leg extensions are secured within the bores by pins  66  inserted through apertures  64  in the leg bases and through apertures (not visible) in the tops of the leg extensions. 
     Each leg base  22  has an aperture  68  above the aperture  64 . The apertures  68  receive the opposed ends (not visible) of a coil spring  48 . The spring  48  biases the leg bases outwards so that the tops  24  of the leg bases are pushed into the leg base slots  70 . As a result, the bipod forms a V-shape when in the unfolded position. 
     Each leg base  22  has a rectangular recess  52  located above the aperture  68 . Each recess has a bore  72  that receives one of the opposed ends of an axle  74 . The axle is received within, a central bore  80  of a block  76 . Additional details of these features will be discussed subsequently in the description of  FIGS. 4 and 5 . 
       FIGS. 4 and 5  illustrate the improved folding bipod  50  of the present invention. More particularly, the bipod is depicted removed from the forend  12 , and the block  76  and leg bases  22  have been enlarged so that their features may be better appreciated. The bores  72  located in the rectangular recesses  52  of the leg bases  22  are bored at an angle to permit the spring  48  to outwardly bias the leg bases and pivot the leg bases about the opposing ends of the axle  74 . The leg bases  22  each have a bore  106  in their fronts  30  that receives a pin  108  that pins the leg bases to the axle (visible m  FIG. 10 ). The block  76  has a front  110  and a rear  78 . A rear flange  82  extends rearward from the block  76  and has an aperture  84  (visible in  FIG. 5 ) that enables the attachment of the bipod to the forend. 
       FIG. 6  illustrates the improved forend  12  and folding bipod  50  of the present invention. More particularly, the bottom  18  of the forend and the bottom surfaces  46  of the pads  42  are clearly visible. Each pad has a latch slot  54  that receives the cam surface latch  102  when the bipod is in the folded position. The bottom front of the forend has a flange slot  86  that receives the block  76 . The front of the block is received inside of the front  20  of the forend, and the aperture  84  is aligned with a threaded aperture (not visible) within the flange slot that receives a bolt (not shown) to secure the block to the forend. 
     The bottom  18  of the forend  12  has a slot  60  located behind and encompassing the flange slot  86 . The slot  60  has a divider  88  and a rear divider  94  that divide the slot into two mirror image elongate channels that are shaped to closely receive the rears  40  of the leg extensions  32 . The rear most portion of the slot  60  terminates in two mirror image pad slots  96  that are shaped to closely receive the pads  42 . 
     Four screws  92  secure a lift assister  90  between the divider  88  and the rear divider  94 . The lift assister is an oblong spring-loaded button that is compressed when the leg extensions  32  are pressed into the slot  60 . The spring within the lift assister remains compressed because the latch  102  protruding from an aperture  104  located between the pad slots  96  is received within the latch slots  54  in the pads  42 . As long as the latch is engaged with the latch slots, the lift assister cannot push the leg extensions downwards. The latch  102  is connected to a latch lever  100  that protrudes from a latch slot  98  located behind the aperture  104 . A spring within the forend (not visible) biases the latch lever and latch forward. When the user slides the latch lever rearwards within the latch slot, the latch retracts from the latch slots into the aperture  104 . Once the latch has cleared the latch slots, the spring within the lift assister decompresses and pushes the leg extensions downwards so the user can easily grab the leg extensions and pivot the bipod  50  into the unfolded position. 
     The leg bases  22  can pivot about the axle forward and rearward with their forward movement limited by the leg base slots  70 , and their rearward movement limited by the depth of the slot  60 . Their outward pivoting movement about the pins  108  is limited by a combination of the apertures  72  contacting the axle  74 , the width of the leg base slots  70 , and the contact of the tops  24  of the leg bases within the rectangular bore  80  in the block  76 . 
       FIGS. 7-9  illustrate the improved folding bipod  50  of the present invention. More particularly, the bipod is depicted removed from the forend  12 , and the block  76  and leg bases  22  have been enlarged so that their features may be better appreciated.  FIG. 7  shows the position of the leg bases  22  when they are in the ready to fold position. The spring  48  is compressed into the apertures  68  in the leg bases. The leg bases have pivoted about the pins  108  so that the leg bases are substantially perpendicular to the axle  74  (not visible) and extend perpendicularly downward from the forend. The ability of the leg bases to assume this position on either side of the block  76  is because of the rectangular recesses  52 . 
       FIG. 8  shows the position of the leg bases  22  when they are in the partially folded position. The leg bases are pivoted rearwards about the axle  74 . The rectangular recesses  52  provide adequate clearance for the leg bases with respect to the block  76 . 
       FIG. 9  shows the position of the leg bases  22  when they are in the folded position. The leg bases have pivoted rearwards about the axle  74  until they are parallel with the bottom  18  of the forend  12 . One of the bores  114  in the opposing ends of the axle  74  that receive the pins  108  is visible through the aperture  72  in the right leg base. 
       FIG. 10  illustrates the improved forend  12  and folding bipod  50  of the present invention. More particularly, the bipod is depicted in the folded position. The rears  28  of the leg bases and rears  40  of the leg extensions  32  are closely received within the slot  60 . The slot  60  and the flange slot  86  have sufficient depth at the necessary locations that the fronts  30  of the leg bases, the fronts  38  of the leg extensions, and the block  76  are flush with the bottom  18  of the forend. As a result, when the bipod is in the folded position, nothing protrudes from the exterior of the forend that makes a firearm employing the stock  10  more vulnerable to becoming snagged than a firearm omitting a folding bipod. 
     In the context of the specification, the terms “down” and “downward,” “up” and “upward,” “rear” and “rearward,” and “front” and “forward” have the following definitions: “down” or “downward” means in the direction away from the bottom of the firearm, “up” and “upward” means in the direction toward the bottom of the firearm, “rear” or “rearward” means in the direction away from the muzzle of the firearm, while “front” or “forward” means it is in the direction towards the muzzle of the firearm. 
     While a current embodiment of a firearm with shell holder has been described in detail, it should be apparent that modifications and variations thereto are possible, all of which fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention. With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention. 
     Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.