Abstract:
A rifle holder device for supporting a rifle in a position that is easy to grab for taking a shot is described. The holder device lets a hunter or shooting enthusiast carry a rifle with its weight supported on either his right or left hip. Rifles are rather heavy weapons. Should the hunter or shooting enthusiast carry one in his hands or arms for an extended period of time, his muscles can get fatigued. This makes it more difficult to get off an accurate shot in a timely manner. However, the present holder device puts most of the rifle&#39;s weight on the hunter&#39;s hip, thereby freeing his hands and arms from having to carry the rifle until it&#39;s time to take a shoot. Further, the present holder device is adjustable for carrying rifles of many different sizes.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims priority from U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 61/129,116, filed Jun. 5, 2008. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention generally relates to a device for helping a hunter or shooting enthusiast carry a rifle. More particularly, the present invention relates to a holder device that can be worn on either the right or the left hip for cradling a rifle in a horizontal carrying position. Then, when the hunter or shooting enthusiast wants to shoot at a target, he can easily reach the rifle and remove it from the holder device for taking aim. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present rifle holder comprises a hip plate that is adjustable worn by a hunter or shooting enthusiast on either his right or left hip. The holder device comprises a hip plate that rests against the hip. A pair of protrusions extends outwardly from the hip plate, each adjustably connected to a cradle portion. The protrusions and their associated cradles form spaced apart U-shaped recesses for supporting the rifle therein. The connections between the protrusions and the cradles are spring biased to hold the rifle in a firm manner. Further, the distance between each cradle and protrusion is adjustable for carrying rifles of different sizes. 
     With the holder secured to the hunter&#39;s or shooting enthusiast&#39;s hip by a waist belt and a shoulder belt, the shooter can walk or stand for an extended period of time without having to touch the rifle. Then, when the hunter or shooting enthusiast wants to take a shot at a target, he can easily reach the rifle and remove it from the holder to assume a shooting position. In that respect, the shooter&#39;s arms and hands don&#39;t become fatigued from holding the rifle for a long period of time. Rifles are rather heavy weapons. Should a hunter or shooting enthusiast carry one in his hands or arms for an extended period of time, his muscles can get fatigued. This makes it more difficult to get off an accurate shot in a timely manner. However, the present rifle holder puts most of the rifle&#39;s weight on the hip, thereby freeing his hands and arms from having to carry the rifle until it&#39;s time to take a shoot. 
     These and other objects of the present invention will become increasingly more apparent to those skilled in the art by reference to the following detailed description read in conjunction with the appended drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a hunter  14  carrying a rifle  12  on his right hip cradled in the gun holder  10  of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the hunter  14  carrying the rifle  12  on his left hip using the present gun holder  10 . 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the gun holder  10 , looking outwardly from behind the hip plate  16 . 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the present gun holder  10 , looking inwardly from in front of the hip plate  16 . 
         FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view along line  5 - 5  of  FIG. 4 . 
         FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view along line  6 - 6  of  FIG. 4 . 
         FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional view along line  7 - 7  of  FIG. 4 . 
         FIG. 8  is a side, cross-sectional view showing the cradle  50  adjusted inwardly toward the hip plate  16 . 
         FIG. 9  is a side, cross-sectional view showing the cradle  50  adjusted outwardly away from the hip plate  16 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Turning now to the drawings,  FIGS. 1 and 2  illustrate the present gun holder  10  being used with a rifle  12  (shown in dashed lines) by a hunter  14 . The gun holder  10  is interchangeably capable of supporting the rifle  12  on the right ( FIG. 1 ) or left hip ( FIG. 2 ) of the hunter. 
     As shown in  FIG. 3 , the gun holder  10  is comprised of a hip plate  16  having a thickness defined between a curved inner surface  18  and a curved outer surface  20 . Both the inner and outer surfaces  18 ,  20  extend from spaced apart first and second ends  22  and  24  to upper and lower edges  26  and  28 . 
     A first protrusion  30  extends outwardly from the hip plate  16  adjacent to the first end  22 . The first protrusion  30  has a first planar face  32  that extends substantially the entire height of the hip plate  16  from the upper edge  26  to the lower edge  28  thereof. Similarly, a second protrusion  34  extends outwardly from the hip plate  16  adjacent to the second end  24 . The second protrusion  34  has a second planar face  36  that extends between the upper and lower edges  26 ,  28  thereof. The first and second planar faces  32 ,  36  of the respective first and second protrusion portions  30 ,  34  are co-planar. 
     A first pair of spaced apart legs  38  and  40  protrudes outwardly from the first planar face  32  of the first protrusion portion  30 . Similarly, a second pair of spaced apart legs  42  and  44  protrudes outwardly from the second planar face  36  of the second protrusion portion  34 . As shown in  FIG. 6 , a pair of spaced apart bores  46  and  48  communicates through each of the first pair of legs  38  and  40 . The leg bores  46  and  48  are aligned with each other with their longitudinal axes being parallel to the planar face  32  of the first protrusion portion  30 . The bores  46  through each of the legs  38 ,  40  are closer to the second planar face  32  than the bores  48 . 
     The second protrusion  34  is provided with a similar structure as the first protrusion  30 . In that respect, the second protrusion  34  comprises a pair of spaced apart bores (not shown) that communicate through each of the second pair of legs  42 ,  44 . These bores are aligned with each other. Their longitudinal axes are parallel to the planar face  36  of the second protrusion  34 , with one bore being closer to the face than the other. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 3 to 5  and  7 , a first cradle  50  is adjustably supported by the first protrusion  30 . The first cradle  50  is an L-shaped member comprising an upstanding portion  52  extending from a lower fork  54 . The fork portion  54  has three fingers  54 A,  54 B and  54 C, each having four bores  56 ,  58 ,  60  and  62  extending there through and aligned with each other. The longitudinal axes of the bores  56 ,  58 ,  60  and  62  are parallel to the face of the upstanding portion  52  of the first cradle  50 . 
     The first cradle  50  is adjustably connected to the first protrusion  30 . That is done by moving the cradle fingers  54 A,  54 B and  54 C into engagement with the protrusion legs  38  and  40 . When properly aligned, the first finger  54 A is immediately adjacent to the outer surface of the first leg  38 , the second finger  54 B is intermediate the first and second legs  38  and  40  and the third finger  54 C is immediately adjacent to the outer surface of the second leg  40 . In this position, at least one of the bores  56 ,  58 ,  60  and  62  in the fingers  54 A,  54 B and  54 C is aligned with at least one of the bores  46 ,  48  in the legs  38  and  40 . A hinge pin  64  is received in the aligned bore in the legs  38 ,  40  and in the fingers  54 A,  54 B and  54 C. In  FIGS. 3 to 6 , the hinge pin  64  resides in the bore  48  in legs  38  and  40  and in the bore  58  of the fingers  54 A,  54 B and  54 C, thereby securing the first cradle  50  to the first protrusion  30 . 
     A second cradle  66  is adjustably supported by the second protrusion  34 . In a similar manner as the first cradle  50 , the second cradle  66  is an L-shaped member comprising an upstanding portion  68  extending from a lower fork  70 . The fork portion  70  has three fingers  70 A,  70 B and  70 C, each having four bores  72 ,  74 ,  76  and  78  extending there through and in alignment with each other. The longitudinal axes of the bores  72 ,  74 ,  76  and  78  are parallel to the face of the upstanding portion  68  of the second cradle  66 . 
     In a similar manner as the first cradle  50  is adjustably connected to the first protrusion  30 , the second cradle  66  is adjustably connected to the second protrusion  34 . That is done by moving the cradle fingers  70 A,  70 B and  70 C into engagement with the protrusion legs  42  and  44 . When properly aligned, the first finger  70 A is immediately adjacent to the outer surface of the first leg  42 , the second finger  70 B is intermediate the first and second legs  42  and  44  and the third finger  70 C is immediately adjacent to the outer surface of the second leg  44 . At least one of the bores  72 ,  74 ,  76  and  78  in the fingers  70 A,  70 B and  70 C is aligned with at least one of the bores in the legs  42  and  44 . A hinge pin  80  is received in the aligned bore in the legs  38 ,  40  and in the fingers  70 A,  70 B and  70 C of the fork  70 . In  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the hinge pin  80  resides in bore  74  of the fingers  70 A,  70 B and  70 C and one of the bores in the legs  42  and  44 , thereby secures the second cradle  66  to the second protrusion  34 . 
     It should be pointed out that while the present invention has been described with the protrusions  30 ,  34  each having two legs, that is the minimum number required. If desired, the protrusions  30 ,  34  can have three or more legs, and the protrusions need not necessarily have the same number of legs. Also, the protrusion legs need not necessarily have two bores there through. There can be one or more that two protrusion bores. Similarly, the cradles  50 ,  66  need not have three fingers. Instead, they can have one, two or more than three fingers. Further, there need not be four bores through each of the cradle fingers. Rather, there can be one, two, three or more than four bores as a particular design may dictate. However, it is preferred that either there is one more leg than fingers, or vice versa. The number of aligned bores provided in each leg is preferably the same. Similarly, the number of aligned bores provided in each finger is preferably the same. 
     In order to adjust the stiffness between each of the protrusion/cradle pairs  30 ,  50  and  34 ,  66 , a tensioning structure is provided.  FIGS. 5 and 6  illustrate the tensioning structure comprising a threaded bolt  82  protruding through an opening  84  in the protrusion  30  adjacent to the lower edge  28  of the hip plate  16 . The head of the bolt  82  is captured in a recess  86  in the plate  16  with the threaded shaft  88  extending outwardly toward the cradle  52 . The bolt  82  is fastened in this position by a nut  90  threaded thereon to abutting the face  32  of the protrusion  30 . A threaded washer  92 , preferably having a knurled surface for ease of manipulation, is threaded onto the bolt  82  abutting the nut  90 . 
     The cradle  50  further includes a depending portion  94  provided with an oval-shaped slot  96  therein. The long axis of the oval is aligned generally normal to the longitudinal axis of the hinge pin  94 . A coil spring  98  of a relatively stiff tension is fitted on the free end of the bolt  82 . 
     A threaded sleeve  100  comprising a cylindrical portion having internal treads connected to knurled washer portion  102  as a unitary member is threaded onto the bolt  82 . The sleeve  100  extends through the oval-shaped slot  96  in the depending portion  94  of the cradle  50  residing inside the coil spring  98 . In this position, the knurled washer  102  abuts the depending cradle portion  94 . That way, the coil spring  98  is captured between the depending cradle portion  94  and the threaded washer  92 . 
     In an alternate embodiment of the present rifle holder, the nut  90  and the washer  92  can be combined as one member. All that is needed is for a threaded member to reside on the shaft  88  of the bolt  82  abutting the hip plate  16  to secure the bolt  82  in place. 
     In still another alternate embodiment of the present rifle holder, the bolt  82  extends through the oval-shaped opening  96 . In that position, the threaded sleeve  100  has its washer portion  102  received in the opening  84  with the cylindrical portion of the threaded sleeve  100  extending toward the cradle  50  from the hip plate  16 . The threaded bolt  82  has its head received in the oval-shaped slot  96  in the depending portion  94  of the cradle  50 . The threaded shaft  88  of the bolt  82  is then threadingly received in the threaded cylindrical portion of the sleeve  100  with the coil spring  98  captured between the depending cradle portion  94  and the threaded washer  92  abutting the nut  90  seated against the inner surface of the depending cradle portion  94 . 
       FIG. 5  shows an alignment where the planar face  32  of the first protrusion  30  is substantially parallel to the face of the upstanding portion  52  of the cradle  50 . This constant distance between the upstanding portion  52  and the planar face  32  is designated by “x”. 
       FIGS. 8 and 9  illustrate two adjusted positions of the connection between the protrusion  30  and the cradle  50 . This enables the hunter  14  ( FIGS. 1 and 2 ) to adjust the distance between the planar face  32  and the upstanding portion  52  to accommodate a rifle  12  of different sizes. In  FIG. 8 , the distance between the upstanding portion  52  and the planar face is designated “y&lt;x”. This is done by unthreading the washer  102  and sleeve  100  from the bolt  82 . As the washer moves away from the bolt  82 , the coil spring  98  biasing against the depending cradle portion  94  causes the cradle  50  to pivot on the hinge pin  64  with respect to the protrusion  30 . As the depending cradle portion  94  moves away from the bolt  82  and, consequently, the protrusion  30 , the upstanding portion  52  moves closer thereto. 
     Conversely, as shown in  FIG. 9  the distance between the upstanding portion  52  and the planar face is designated “z&gt;x”. This is done by threading the washer  102  and sleeve  100  into tighter engagement with the bolt  82 . As the washer moves toward from the bolt  82 , the coil spring  98  biasing against the depending cradle portion  94  is compressed. This causes the cradle  50  to pivot on the hinge pin  64  with respect to the protrusion  30 . As the depending cradle portion  94  moves toward the bolt  82  and, consequently, the protrusion  30 , the upstanding portion  52  moves away from the protrusion. 
     Accordingly, the present gun holder  10  is easily adjusted to fit rifles of many different sizes and makes. As previously described, the gun holder  10  can be worn by both right and left handed hunters  14 . The hip plate  16  includes cut-out portions  104 A,  104 B behind the first and second protrusions  30 ,  34 . An adjustable waist belt  106  ( FIGS. 1 to 4 ) received in these openings lets the hunter wear the gun holder at a comfortable position on either his right side ( FIG. 1 ) or his left side ( FIG. 2 ). A shoulder strap  108  has its opposite ends secured to spaced apart openings  110 A and  110 B adjacent to the respective protrusions  30 ,  34  near the upper edge  26  of the hip plate. The shoulder strap  106  is worn across the shoulder opposite the side hip against which the plate  16  rests. That way, the shoulder strap helps secure the gun holder  10  in position, especially when it is being used to carry a heavy rifle  12 . 
     Thus, it can be seen that the present gun holder  10  is a device that is comfortable to wear by hunters who are either right or left handed. Further, the gun holder  10  is readily adjustable to holds virtually any size rifle  12  in a position where it can be easily reached for aiming and firing. In that respect, while the adjustable cradles  50  and  66  are designed to firmly hold the rifle, that firmness is not so great that the hunter can&#39;t easily remove the rifle from the holder  10  to take aim and fire at a target. 
     The present invention is not intended to be limited by the described embodiments, but by the herein appended claims.