Abstract:
A gun sight mount is provided that enables the accurate and secure positioning of an optical sighting device onto a weapon or other equipment. The mount includes a base and a front and rear ring assemblies. The base is attached at at least two points to the weapon or equipment. The separate front and rear ring assemblies capture the weapon or equipment. The ring assemblies are secured to the base, whereby a secure mounting is acheived.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO OTHER APPLICATIONS 
     The application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/034,078 filed Jan. 24, 1997. 
    
    
     FIELD OF INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to the design and implementation of devices used to mount and secure telescopic and laser sights to firearms, measuring systems, parametric data collection systems, navigation systems, locating systems and other direction orientable equipment. 
     BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 
     The development of reliable and convenient devices for mounting telescopic, laser and other sights onto firearms and various scientific and military equipment is of interest to a wide section of the public. A great deal of attention has been paid in particular to the mounting of telescopic sights onto firearms. The invention of Lapier et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,756,111, is offered as being representative of general trends found in the prior art. 
     Much of the conventional art in the field of telescopic mounts has clearly been driven in view of a need for simplicity in device design, as made explicit in both Zeh, U.S. Pat. No. 5,353,539, and in Williams, U.S. Pat. No. 4,862,624. 
     Commercially available telescopic sight mounts are often frustrating to install for a novice weapons user. It is not unusual for a weapons user to actually damage a telescopic sight by undisciplined manipulation of the sight itself during installation onto a weapon. 
     Police force, military personnel and numerous civilian and scientific agencies view improvements in the convenience, ease and speed of the installation of reliable and accurate telescopic or directional mounts onto firearms and measuring or beam generating equipment to be of significant value. 
     Furthermore, devices used to mount telescopic sights onto weapons are often especially adaptable to wider applications in the areas of scientific, medical, police and military equipment. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a device that mounts a sighting mechanism onto direction specific equipment. In keeping with this objective, the present invention provides a rear assembly and a front assembly. 
     The rear assembly comprises a rear base and a rear assembly ring. The rear base is attached to a direction specific equipment, and the rear assembly ring secures a sight. The rear assembly ring is detachable from the rear base. The rear assembly ring splits into two parts that are used to capture the body of the sight. The two parts of the rear assembly ring are attached together around the sight. 
     The front assembly comprises a front base and a front assembly ring. The front base is attached to the direction specific equipment, and the front assembly ring secures the sight. The front assembly ring is detachable from the front base. The front assembly ring splits into two parts that are used to capture and secure the body of the sight. The two parts of the rear assembly ring are attached together around the sight. 
     The rear and front assembly rings are respectively inserted into the rear and front bases. In certain preferred embodiments of the present invention set screws are used to rigidly secure the rear and assembly rings to the rear and front bases. 
     In alternate preferred embodiments of the present invention the rear and front assembly rings are of identical manufacture. This design feature, when implemented, reduces the costs of manufacture, distribution and maintenance. 
     In alternate preferred embodiments of the present invention the entire rear and front assemblies are of identical manufacture. The costs of manufacture, distribution and maintenance are thus even further reduced in those preferred embodiments wherein this design feature implemented. 
     Certain alternate preferred embodiments of the present invention comprise a single unified base wherein all of the key features of the rear and front bases are included and provided. 
     The preferred embodiment is constructed of stainless steel, plastic, metal or metal alloy, or other suitable material known in the art. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 illustrates a preferred embodiment of the present invention installed onto a receiver of a rifle and securing a telescopic site. 
     FIGS. 2A and 2B depicts individual front views of a preferred embodiment of a rear assembly ring and a front assembly ring of the preferred embodiment of FIG. 1. 
     FIGS. 3A and 3B disclose two sides views of the rear assembly ring of the preferred embodiment of FIG. 1 attached to the telescopic sight and unattached to a rear base. 
     FIGS. 4A and 4B present two sides views of the front assembly ring of the preferred embodiment of FIG. 1 attached to the telescopic sight and unattached to a front base. 
     FIGS. 5A and 5B illustrate two side views of the rear base of the preferred embodiment of FIG. 1. 
     FIGS. 6A and 6B depict two side views of the front base of the preferred embodiment of FIG. 1. 
     FIG. 7 is a detailed illustration of the preferred embodiment of the present invention of FIG. 1 installed onto the receiver of the rifle and securing the telescopic site. 
     FIG. 8 discloses an alternate preferred embodiment of the rear and front bases wherein the key features of the two bases are provided by means of a single unified base. 
     FIG. 9 is a CAD generated description of a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     FIG. 1 illustrates a preferred embodiment of the present invention 8 installed onto the receiver 6 of a rifle 2 and securing a telescopic site 4. The preferred embodiment of FIGS. 1 through 7 includes a rear assembly 7 and a front assembly 9. The rear assembly 7 is mounted onto the receiver 6 closer to the trigger 3, and the front assembly 9 is mounted further away from trigger 3. As shown in the Figures, the rear assembly comprises a rear base 80 and a rear assembly ring 10. The front assembly 9 includes a front base 100 and a front ring assembly 40. 
     FIG. 2A depicts a front view of a preferred embodiment of a rear assembly ring 10 of the preferred embodiment of FIG. 1. The rear assembly ring 10 comprises a first side 12 and a second side 26. 
     The first side 12 of the rear assembly ring 10 comprises a body 20, a tongue 14, a set screw hole 16, a ledge 18, and a top tapped hole 22. 
     The second side 26 of the rear assembly ring 10 comprises a body 34, a tongue 28, a tapped hole 30, a ledge 32, and a top tapped hole 36. 
     FIG. 2B depicts a front view of a front assembly ring 40 of the preferred embodiment of FIG. 1. The front assembly ring 40 comprises a third side 42 and a fourth side 44. 
     The third side 42 of the front assembly ring 40 comprises a body 46, a tongue 48, a set screw hole 50, a ledge 52, and a top tapped hole 54. 
     The fourth side 44 of front assembly ring 40 comprises a body 60, a tongue 62, a tapped hole 64, a ledge 66, and a top tapped hole 68. 
     FIGS. 3A and 3B disclose two sides views of the rear assembly ring 10 of FIG. 2A attached to a telescopic sight and unattached to a rear base. The top tapped holes 22 and 36 are attached together by means of a screw 70. The body 20 of the first side 12 and the body 34 of the second side 26 fit snugly around the telescopic sight 4. 
     FIGS. 4A and 4B present two sides views of the front assembly ring 40 of FIG. 2B attached to the telescopic sight 4 and unattached to a front base. The top tapped holes 54 and 68 are attached together by means of a screw 72. The body 46 of the third side 42 and the body 60 of the fourth side 44 fit snugly around telescopic sight 4. 
     FIGS. 5A and 5B illustrate two side views of the rear base 80. The rear base 80 comprises a body 82, threaded holes 84, a bushing 86, a shoulder 88, a thru hole 90 and a threaded set screw hole 92. 
     Threaded holes 84 are used to attach rear base 80 to the rifle receiver 6. The bushing 86 accepts the rear assembly ring tongues 14 and 28. The shoulder 88 presents a reliable support plane for the ledges 18 and 32 of the rear assembly ring 10. 
     The shoulder 88, the thru hole 90 and the threaded set screw hole 92 are used to repeatably, reliably and rigidly maintain the desired orientation of the rear assembly ring 10 when the rear assembly ring 10 is mounted into the rear base 80. 
     FIGS. 6A and 6B illustrate two side views of a front base 100. The front base 100 comprises a body 102, threaded holes 104, a bushing 106, a shoulder 108, a thru hole 110 and a threaded set screw hole 112. 
     The threaded holes 104 are used to attach the front base 100 to the rifle receiver 6. The bushing 106 accepts the rear assembly ring tongues 48 and 62 of the front assembly ring 40. The shoulder 108 presents a reliable support plane for the ledges 52 and 66 of front assembly ring 40. 
     The shoulder 108, the threaded hole 110 and the threaded set screw hole 112 are used to repeatably, reliably and rigidly maintain the desired orientation of the front assembly ring 40 when the front assembly ring 40 is properly mounted into the front base 100. 
     FIGS. 7A and 7B are detailed side views of a preferred embodiment of the present invention 8 installed onto the receiver 6 of the rifle 2 and securing the telescopic site 4. The attachment screws 120 thread directly through threaded holes 84 and 108, and thereby mount and secure the rear and front bases 80 and 100 to the receiver 6. 
     Tongues 14 and 28 of the rear assembly ring 10 are inserted into the bushing 86. The ledges 18 and 32 of the rear assembly ring 10 are resting against the shoulder 88 of the rear base 80. 
     Attachment screw 122 secures the second side 26 of the rear assembly ring 10 to the rear base 80 by threading through the thru hole 90 and into the tapped hole 30 of the second side 26. Furthermore, set screw 124 is threaded into the threaded set screw hole 92 of rear base 80 and fully towards the set screw hole 16 of the first side 12 of the rear assembly ring 10. 
     The additional pressure applied by the set screw 124 against the first side 12 increases the ruggedness and effectiveness of the present invention 8. In certain alternate preferred embodiments of the present invention the set screw hole 16 of the first side 12 is intentionally located slightly off center from set screw hole 92 so as to cause a slight jamming between set screw 124 and first side 12. 
     The first and second sides 12 and 22 fit snugly around the telescopic sight 4 and are secured together by the attachment screw 70, and as described above in reference to FIGS. 3A and 3B. 
     The tongues 48 and 62 of the front assembly ring 40 are inserted into the bushing 106. The ledges 52 and 66 of the front assembly ring 40 are resting against shoulder 108 of front base 100. 
     An attachment screw 126 secures the fourth side 44 of the front assembly ring 40 to the front base 100 by threading through the thru hole 110 and into the tapped hole 64 of the fourth side 44. Furthermore, a set screw 128 is threaded into the threaded set screw hole 112 of the front base 100 and fully towards the set screw hole 50 of the third side 42 of the front assembly ring 40. 
     The additional pressure applied by the set screw 128 against the third side 42 increases the ruggedness and effectiveness of the present invention 8. In certain alternate preferred embodiments of the present invention set screw hole 50 is intentionally located slightly off center from the threaded set screw hole 112 so as to cause a slight jamming between the set screw 128 and the third side 42. 
     The third and fourth sides 42 and 44 fit snugly around the telescopic sight 4 and are secured together by the attachment screw 72, and as described above in reference to FIGS. 4A and 4B. 
     FIG. 8 presents a view an alternate preferred embodiment of the rear and front bases 80 and 100 wherein the key features of the two bases are provided by means of a single unified base 130. 
     FIG. 9 is a CAD generated description of a preferred embodiment of the present invention.