Patent Publication Number: US-7584568-B1

Title: Collapsible firearm support

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention relates to firearm accessories and more particularly pertains to a new collapsible firearm support for supporting a firearm on a surface at a user-adjustable height. 
   2. Description of the Prior Art 
   The use of supports for firearms is generally known in the prior art. For example, the tripod gun handle disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,487,807, of which I am a co-inventor, includes many useful features but lacks some features that could result in a more useful device. For example, the tripod gun handle described in the &#39;807 patent does not allow for any significant height adjustment between the surface on which the tripod gun handle is rested and the gun that is being supported. The gun handle thus supports the gun at only one elevation above the surface, which does not provide the user with the ability to set the optimal height for the user&#39;s preferences and the particular conditions of use of the handle. 
   In these respects, the collapsible firearm support according to the present invention provides many of the features of the aforedescribed devices as well as providing additional features, such as height adjustment. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   In view of the foregoing limitations in the known firearm accessories present in the prior art, the present invention provides a new collapsible firearm support wherein the same can be utilized for supporting a firearm on a surface at a user-adjustable height. 
   To attain this, the present invention generally comprises a collapsible firearm support for supporting a firearm above a support surface. The firearm support may comprise an elongate stanchion having an upper end and a lower end. The firearm support further includes a mount mounted on the stanchion and configured to mount to a firearm. The support further includes a leg assembly mounted on the stanchion, with the leg assembly including a plurality of legs, and each leg is pivotable between a stored position in which the leg is oriented substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the stanchion and a deployed position in which the leg is oriented at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the stanchion. The leg assembly is slidably movable with respect to the stanchion between the upper end and the lower end of the stanchion to adjust a vertical height of the upper end of the stanchion above a support surface when the leg assembly is rested on the support surface. 
   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. There are additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. 
   In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. 
   As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention. 
   One significant advantage of the present invention is the capability to adjust the height that the collapsible firearm support supports the firearm above a surface with a positive locking structure, while permitting rotational movement and swivel movement of the firearm. 
   Further advantages of the invention, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be made to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated preferred embodiments of the invention. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The invention will be better understood and objects of the invention will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein: 
       FIG. 1  is a schematic perspective view of a new collapsible firearm support according to the present invention. 
       FIG. 2  is a schematic side view of the present invention. 
       FIG. 3  is a schematic side view of the present invention shown rotated from the position in  FIG. 2 . 
       FIG. 4  is a schematic sectional view of the present invention with the section taken along a plane including a central longitudinal axis of the firearm support. 
       FIG. 5  is a schematic bottom view of the present invention. 
       FIG. 6  is a schematic sectional view of the present invention with the section taken along a plane oriented perpendicular to the central longitudinal axis of the firearm support. 
       FIG. 7  is a schematic side view of the present invention showing the leg assembly in the stored position, and also showing an optional mount configuration. 
       FIG. 8  is a schematic top view of the present invention shown with the mount removed to reveal detail of the stanchion and the leg assembly. 
       FIG. 9  is a schematic top view of the lock member isolated from other components of the present invention. 
       FIG. 10  is a schematic top view of the support member isolated from other components of the present invention. 
   

   DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to  FIGS. 1 through 10  thereof, a new collapsible firearm support embodying the principles and concepts of the present invention and generally designated by the reference numeral  10  will be described. 
   The collapsible firearm support  10  of the invention may generally include a stanchion  12 , a mount  30  for mounting the stanchion  12  to the firearm, and a leg assembly  52  mounted on the stanchion. 
   In general, the leg assembly  52  is movable with respect to the stanchion  12 , and the leg assembly is movable between a stored position (see  FIG. 7 ) and a deployed position (see  FIG. 1 ). The stored position of the leg assembly  52  is characterized by the legs  76  being positioned in a stored orientation with the legs nested in the guide grooves  20  and the deployed position of the leg assembly is characterized by the legs being positioned in a deployed orientation with the legs inclined outwardly from the stanchion  12 . In the stored position of the leg assembly  52 , the leg support  54  is positioned in the primary positioning groove  26  and in the deployed position, the leg support  54  is positioned in one of the secondary positioning grooves  28 . 
   In greater detail, the stanchion  12  of the collapsible firearm support  10  may be elongate with an upper end  14  and a lower end  15 , with an outer surface  16 . For the purposes of this description, the terms “inward” and “inboard” will be used to refer to the direction toward the central longitudinal axis of the stanchion  12  and the terms “outward” and “outboard” will be used to refer to the direction away from the central longitudinal axis of the stanchion  12 . 
   The stanchion  12  may include a swivel mount portion  18  for engaging the mount  30  which is further described below. The swivel mount portion  18  may be located toward the upper end  14  of the stanchion, and may have an outer surface at least a portion of which is substantially spherical. 
   The outer surface  16  of the stanchion  12  may be generally cylindrical, although this is not critical to the invention. The outer surface  16  of the stanchion  12  may also include at least one guide groove  20  that may extend substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the stanchion. The guide groove  20  may extend between the upper  14  and lower  15  ends of the stanchion. In some preferred embodiments of the invention, the outer surface  16  includes a plurality of the guide grooves  20 . The plurality of guide grooves  20  generally corresponds to the number of legs  76  that are present on the firearm support  10 , and illustratively includes three of the guide grooves (for a tripod lag arrangement) but may also include four or more grooves  20 . The plural guide grooves  20  may be substantially uniformly spaced from each other about a perimeter of the outer surface  16  of the stanchion  12 . 
   The outer surface  16  of the stanchion  12  may also include a deploying groove  22  that is positioned in at least one of, and preferably in all of, the guide grooves  20 . The deploying groove  22  is located in an interior surface of the associated guide groove  20 , and receives the deploying tab  84  of one of the legs  76 , which is described below. 
   The outer surface  16  may also include at least one positioning groove  24 , and illustratively includes a plurality of positioning grooves  24  that are spaced from each other along the length of the stanchion  12 . The positioning groove  24  may comprise an annular groove that extends about the stanchion  12 , although the positioning grooves may not be continuous about the stanchion, but may comprise, for example, a plurality of segments. The annular positioning groove  24 , or the segments of the same positioning groove  24 , may be located in a plane oriented substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the stanchion  12 . The plurality of positioning grooves  24  may include a primary positioning groove  26  that is associated with the stored position of the leg assembly  52 . The primary positioning groove  26  may be located toward or at the upper end  14  of the stanchion  12 . The plurality of positioning grooves  24  may also include at least one secondary positioning groove  28  that is associated with the deployed position of the leg assembly  52 . Each of the secondary positioning grooves  28  may be associated with a deployed position of the leg assembly  52  at a different height of the mount  30  above a surface on which the leg assembly is rested. The secondary positioning grooves may be located between the primary positioning groove  26  and the lower end  15  of the stanchion  12 . 
   The mount  30  of the firearm support  10  is mounted on the stanchion  12 , and may be rotatable with respect to the stanchion  12 . The mount  30  may also be swivelable with respect to the stanchion  12 . The mount  30  may be located on the upper end  14  of the stanchion  12 . The mount  30  may define a receiver channel  32  for receiving the mounting structure  2  of the firearm  1 . The rotation of the mount  30  with respect to the stanchion  12  provides adjustment of the orientation of the receiver channel  32  (and a firearm positioned thereon) with respect to the stanchion  12 . The swivelability of the mount  30  with respect to the stanchion  12  provides swivelability of the stanchion  12  with respect to the firearm when the firearm is mounted on the receiver channel. The mount  30  may also define a cavity  34  that receives the swivel mount portion  18  of the stanchion  12 . 
   The mount  30  of the firearm support  10  may comprise a mount assembly, and the mount assembly may comprise a primary member  36  that defines the cavity  34 , an abutment ring  38  for selectively securing the firearm in the receiver channel  32 , and a pressure member  40  for applying an adjustable amount of pressure on the swivel mount portion  18  of the stanchion located in the cavity  34 . The primary member  36  has a top  42  and a bottom  44 , and the cavity  34  is formed in the bottom  44  of the primary member. The receiver channel  32  is located on the top  42  of the primary member  36 . Illustratively, the primary member  36  may include a pair of grip structures  46 ,  47  that are positioned in opposition to each other and spaced apart, with the receiver channel  32  being located between the grip structures. Each of the grip structures  46 ,  47  may have a base end  48  and a free end  49 . The grip structures  46 ,  47  define a channel width therebetween. The channel width may be relatively larger at a central location between the respective free ends  48  and the respective base ends  49  than at the free ends  48  and the base ends  49 . 
   The abutment ring  38  of the mount  30  may be configured to selectively apply pressure to a firearm positioned in the receiver channel  32  to resist sliding of the mount  30  with respect to the firearm. In the illustrative embodiment, the abutment ring  38  may be rotatably mounted on the primary member  36 , although other manner for mounting the abutment ring on the primary member may be employed. The abutment ring  38  may include threads that engage threads formed on the outer surface of the primary member  36  such that rotation of the abutment ring in a first direction moves the abutment ring toward the receiver channel  32  and rotation of the abutment ring in a second direction moves the abutment ring away from the receiver channel. 
   The pressure member  40  of the mount  30  may be mounted on a passage  50  formed in the primary member  36 . The pressure member  40  includes threads that engages threads formed on the passage of the primary member  36  such that rotation of the pressure member  40  in a first direction moves the pressure member toward the swivel mount portion  18  of the stanchion  12  and rotation of the pressure member in a second direction moves the pressure member away from the swivel mount portion of the stanchion. 
   Optionally, as shown in  FIG. 7 , the mount may comprise an upstanding ear  100  that connects to a mounting ear  4  of a firearm that is so equipped. 
   The leg assembly  52  of the firearm support  10  provides a support structure for the stanchion  12 , and in turn the firearm when attached, that is movable with respect to the stanchion a stored position, in which the legs  76  are substantially retracted with respect to the stanchion, and a deployed position, in which the legs  76  extended with respect to the stanchion and may be splayed away from the stanchion. In the most preferred embodiments of the invention, the leg assembly  52  may be placed in the deployed position at least two degrees of extension of the leg assembly  52 , to thereby set the height of the supported position of the firearm. 
   In greater detail, the leg assembly  52  may comprise a leg support  54 , and the leg support may be movable along at least a portion of the stanchion  12 . The leg support  54  may be slidable along at least a portion of the length of the stanchion  12  between the upper  14  and lower  15  ends. The leg support  54  may comprise a support member  56  and a lock member  58 . The support member  56  may define an aperture  60  that receives a portion of the stanchion  12 , and permits sliding of the support member with respect to the stanchion. The support member  56  may include a guide tab  62  that extends into the aperture  60 , and further extends into the guide groove  20  of the stanchion  12  to resist rotation of the support member with respect to the stanchion. In some embodiments, the number of guide tabs  62  that are mounted on the support member  56  corresponds to the number of guide grooves  20  that are formed on the stanchion  12 , so that a guide tab of the support member  56  is positioned in each of the guide grooves. 
   The lock member  58  is provided for releasably locking the support member  56  in a selected position on the stanchion  12 . The lock member  58  may be mounted on the support member  56 , and may be rotatable with respect to the support member. The lock member  58  may have a locking position (see  FIG. 7 ) and a releasing position. The lock member  58  may be rotated with respect to the support member  56  between the locking position and the releasing position. Illustratively, the lock member  58  may be positioned above the support member  56 . The lock member  58  may comprise a body portion  64  which may define an aperture  66  that receives a portion of the stanchion  12 . The lock member  58  may further comprise a lock tab portion  68  for engaging one of the positioning grooves on the stanchion  12 . The lock tab portion  68  may be located on the body portion  64 . The lock tab portion  68  may extend inwardly from the body portion  64 , and may extend into the aperture  66  defined by the body portion. In some embodiments, the number of lock tab portions  68  that are mounted on the body portion  64  corresponds to the number of guide grooves  60  that are formed on the stanchion  12 , so that a lock tab portion of the lock member  58  is positioned in each of the guide grooves for selectively engaging one of the positioning grooves. 
   The lock member  58  may further comprise a positioning tab portion  70  for positioning the lock member  58  with respect to the support member  56 . The positioning tab portion  70  may extend outwardly from the body portion  64 , and may further extend downwardly with respect to the body portion, so that the positioning tab portion  70  is positioned adjacent to the support member  56 . The lock member  58  may include two or more positioning tab portions  70  which are spaced about the outer perimeter of the body portion to position the lock member  58  with respect to the support member such that the aperture  60  and the aperture  66  are substantially axially aligned. 
   As a preferred option, the lock member  58  may feature one or more abutting tabs  82  for holding the mount  30  in a position when the leg assembly  52  is in the stored position and the leg  76  is in the retracted position. The abutting tabs  82  may each extend into one of the guide grooves  20  of the stanchion  12  from the lock member  58 , and may thus extend inwardly from the body portion  64  into the aperture  66  in the body member The abutting tab  82  may extend beyond the upper end  14  of the stanchion  12  when the leg  76  is in the retracted position, so that the tab or tabs  82  contact the bottom  44  of the mount  30  and thereby restrict swivel movement of the mount. 
   The leg assembly  52  may further comprise structure for biasing the lock member  58  into the locking position and the lock tab portions  68  into engagement with one of the positioning grooves  24 . The biasing structure may comprise a spring  72  that bears or presses against the support member  56  and the lock member  58 . The spring  72  may bear against a structure mounted on the lock member  58 , such as, for example, a screw that is mounted on the lock member  58  and moves in a slot  74  formed in the support member  56 . 
   The leg assembly  52  further includes a plurality of legs  76  that are mounted on the leg support  54 . The plurality of legs  76  may be pivotable with respect to the leg support  54 . Each of the legs may have an inboard end  78  and an outboard end  80 , and the inboard end  78  may be pivotally mounted on the support member  56 . The legs  76  may be movable between a stored orientation (see, for example,  FIG. 7 ) and a deployed orientation (see, for example,  FIG. 1 ). 
   Each leg  76  may also include a deploying tab  84  for deploying the leg  76  when the leg assembly  52  is moved from the stored position to the deployed position. The deploying tab  84  may be located on an inward surface of the leg  76 , and may extend into the deploying groove  22  in the stanchion  12  when the leg is in the retracted position. The length of the deploying groove  22  may be such that any significant movement of the leg assembly  52  from the stored position toward the deployed position causes the deploying tab  84  to move out of the deploying groove  22  to thereby pivot the leg  76  with respect to the leg support  54 . In the illustrative embodiment, the deploying groove  22  tapers shallower toward the lower end  15  of the stanchion, so that the deploying tab  84  is accommodated in the deploying groove  22  when the leg assembly  54  is in the stored position, but is forced outwardly as the leg assembly is moved toward the lower end  15  of the stanchion and the deploying groove becomes shallower. 
   The leg assembly  52  may include a retainer magnet  86  on each leg  76 . The retainer magnet  86  may be positioned on an inward surface of the leg  76 , and may be positioned adjacent to a magnetically receptive material  88  mounted on the stanchion  12  when the leg  76  is in the retracted position. The magnet  86  may thus function to provide a biasing force for biasing the leg  76  toward the retracted position. 
   It will be noted that in some embodiments of the invention, each of the legs  76  is at least partially nestable in one of the guide grooves  20  of the stanchion  12 , and preferably the legs are each substantially fully nestable in the guide groove. 
   The firearm support  10  may further include a deploying structure  90  for moving the legs  76  toward the deployed orientation when the leg assembly  52  is moved from the stored position toward the deployed position. The deploying structure  90  may be mounted on the stanchion  12 , and may be positioned toward the lower end  15  of the stanchion  12 . The deploying structure  90  may have an inclined surface  92 . The inclined surface  92  may be inclined with respect to the central longitudinal axis of the stanchion  12 . The inclined surface may be in communication with each of the guide grooves  20  of the stanchion  12 . 
   In use, the user of the collapsible firearm support  10  may engage the support  10  in the collapsed condition by grasping the stanchion  12  or the mount  30  with one hand, and grasping the leg assembly  52  with the other hand, and the leg assembly may be rotated slightly to move the lock tab  68  of the lock member  58  out of primary positioning groove  24  and against the pressure of the spring  72 . The leg assembly  52  is then slid on the stanchion  12  toward the lower end  15  of the stanchion. The deploying tab  84  on the each of the legs  76 , which are initially positioned in the deploying groove  22 , are forced out of the deploying groove by the movement of the leg assembly  52  relative to the stanchion  12 . The leg assembly  52  is moved along the stanchion  12  until the effective length of the stanchion and the leg assembly is at the desired height, and the nearest secondary positioning groove  28  is selected. The rotating force applied by the hand on the lock member  58  may be released so that the spring biases the lock tab  68  into the selected positioning groove  28 . Movement of the lack tab  68  into the positioning groove serves to resist movement of the leg assembly  52  with respect to the stanchion  12  until further rotational force is applied to the lag assembly and the lock member that releases the lock tab from the positioning groove. 
   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 in light of the foregoing disclosure, 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.