Abstract:
A portable rifle maintenance center is disclosed which includes a rectangular tray having gun support forks attachable to the rectangular tray for temporarily storing the rifle in a horizontal position. The rectangular tray has slidable covers attached adjacent to an open upper face of the rectangular tray which slide to access storage compartments within the rectangular tray. The gun support forks are removable from the rectangular tray and profiled to be stored within one of the compartments. The bottom face of the rectangular tray is profiled for temporarily resting upon a cover member of an enclosed accessory case. The rectangular tray includes a central opening therethrough, which provides access to a carrying handle of the accessory case, such that both the tray and the accessory case can be carried as a single unit.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a portable work station and support apparatus for a long barrelled rifle. 
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART 
     U.S. Pat. No. 3,964,613 discloses a rifle support having vertical uprights for positioning the rifle, and further including an integral storage compartment for such items used with the rifle. Although U.S. Pat. No. 3,964,613 indicates that the support can be used in the home, in the field or at the rifle range, and includes a nylon cord as a carrying sling for that purpose, the above support appears to be quite cumbersome and awkward for such use. It should be noted that the storage area is not conveniently separated into individual compartments and the support is constructed of wood pieces which would add to the weight of the support and burden the user when carrying such support, particularly if the user was to carry the apparatus into the rifle range or into the field is proposed. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,815,593 shows a similar structure having vertical supports for retaining a long barrelled rifle in a horizontal position and further includes a storage compartment as shown in either of FIGS. 1 or 2 of the disclosure. The gun support shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,815,593 is similarly cumbersome having only slots at the end walls of the support for carrying purposes. This apparatus too, would not appear to be suitable for carrying the case onto the rifle range or into the field. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An object of the instant invention then is to provide for a rifle support and maintenance assembly which is convenient for the user to carry; a further object of the invention is to provide for a gun support where the support is somewhat modular in nature which will prevent the gun support from being cumbersome and awkward; a further object of the invention is to provide for a gun support and maintenance assembly where the gun support can also be used as a shooting rest for the user; and another object of the invention is to provide for a gun support and maintenance assembly having a plurality of compartments for the organization of the items to be carried and used with the rifle. 
     These and other objects of the invention are accomplished by designing a long barrelled gun holder having a rectangular box including a bottom, two opposed long sides and two opposed short sides. A pair of gun support forks include base portions and top portions where the top portions have open top slots for receiving a section of a gun barrel and where the base portions are insertable into the box. The box includes wall members located adjacent to the short sides and dimensioned to receive the base portions of the forks. The remainder of the box provides storage for gun maintenance accessories. 
     In a second embodiment of the invention, a portable rifle maintenance assembly comprises an accessory box and a gun support assembly, where the accessory box comprises a lower section and an upper section hinged to the lower section, the lower section including accessory storage compartments and the upper section including a carrying handle mounted thereto for the manual transport of the accessory box. The assembly further comprises a gun support assembly which is receivable over the accessory box where the gun support assembly includes a rectangular tray having a bottom section, long side sections, and short side sections, thereby defining an open upper face of the tray. The bottom section has a wall extending downwardly from each of the long side sections thereby cooperating with the bottom section to define a receiving nest for the upper section of the accessory box. The rectangular tray includes a central opening therethrough for the passage of a carrying handle of the accessory box. Gun support forks are attached to the rectangular tray and have open top slots for the receipt of a section of a rifle barrel. 
     Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description, the accompanying drawings and the appended claims. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the rifle maintenance assembly in accordance with the invention, showing in phantom, a rifle perched between the two gun support forks. 
     FIG. 2 is an upper plan view of the assembly shown in FIG. 1, showing the assembly placed on the top of an accessory carrying case. 
     FIGS. 3 and 4 are side plan views of the gun support forks. 
     FIG. 5 is a side plan view of the assembly showing in phantom, the accessory carrying case. 
     FIG. 6 is an end view of the assembly showing in phantom, the accessory carrying case. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     With reference first to FIG. 1, the rifle maintenance assembly is generally designated by reference numeral 10 and generally includes a rectangular tray 12, identical slidable top covers 40a and 40b, and removable gun support members 60a and 60b. 
     With reference still to FIG. 1, the rectangular tray 12 includes a bottom wall 14, long side sections 16 and short side sections 18. The wall portions 14, 16 and 18 cooperate to define an open upper face 20 of the tray 12. Wall portions 24 extend downwardly from the long side sections 16 and below the bottom wall 14 of the tray thereby defining a nest section. At the top of the long and short side walls 16, 18 respectively, is a peripheral rim 22 which extends circumferentially around the tray 12 and is preferably integral therewith. 
     As shown in FIG. 2, the tray 12 includes two end slots or sockets 30 adjacent to the short side walls 18, the end slots being profiled for the receipt of the gun support members 60a and 60b, as described more fully herein. With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, the tray 12 also includes dividing wall sections 32a and 32b which are parallel to the short side walls 18, and extend between the two long sidewalls 16. The wall section 32a and one of the short side walls 18 thereby define an inner compartment 34a, (as viewed in FIG. 2), and wall section 32b and the opposite short side wall section 18 define an inner compartment 34f, (as viewed in FIG. 2). 
     Two further wall sections 32c and 32d (FIG. 1) extend between the wall sections 32a and 32b, and together with wall sections 32e and 32f, subdivide the remainder of the tray into compartments 34b-34e, as best seen in FIG. 2. It should also be noticed that the wall sections 32a-32d, cooperate to form a passage 28 which extends completely through the central portion of the tray. 
     With respect to FIG. 1 again, the assembly 10 comprises two identical covers 40a and 40b. The covers 40a and 40b include upper cover plate portions 42a and 42b having gripping side rails 44a and 44b extending downwardly from their respectively plate portions, the side rails 44a and 44b being profiled to grip the tim 22 of the rectangular tray 12, yet allow the covers 40a and 40b to be slidable relative to the tray 12. The covers 40a and 40b further include inner edges 46a and 46b and outer edges 48a and 48b, where the outer edges 48a and 48b, each include a notch section 50a and 50b. 
     As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the first and second gun support forks 60a and 60b include upper gun rest sections 62a and 62b, and lower base sections 64a and 64b, respectively. The gun rest section 62a is defined by an elongate slot 66a profiled to receive a rifle stock. The gun rest section 62b (FIG. 4) includes a slot 66b having a lower narrow portion 66c and an upper wide section 66d, the gun rest section 62b being so profiled to support a variety of rifle configurations. The gun rest sections 62a and 62b each include padding 68 along the major portion of their slots 66a and 66b, such padding could be in the form of either felt or foam padding having double backed adhesive applied thereto, or encapsulating injected rubber and vinyl padding. 
     As mentioned above, the slots 30 of the rectangular tray 12 are profiled to receive the base portions 64a and 64b. The base portions 64a and 64b are profiled with a slight angle, approximately 5°, which locks the first and second gun rest portions 60a and 60b into the rectangular tray 12, and also allows the gun rest portion to be easily removed for disassembly and storage. It should also be noted that the gun rest portions 60a and 60b are retractable from the respective slots or sockets 30 and are profiled for receipt within either of the compartments 34a or 34f for storage, as shown in FIG. 2, where the gun rest 60b is shown in phantom in compartment 34f. It should also be noted that both gun rest members 60a and 60b are receivable in the same compartment, while still allowing the cover 40a or 40b to be closed over the respective compartment. 
     The gun supports 60a and 60b further include upper slots 70a and 70b, and lower slots 72a and 72b; the slots 70a and 70b, and 72a and 72b, cooperating to form holding sections for barrel cleaning rods, shown for example as 170 in phantom in FIG. 1, thereby preventing the cleaning rods from being contaminated with dirt or other debris. 
     The rifle maintenance assembly 10 is profiled for use with known types of accessory boxes. By way of example, a typical accessory box is shown generally at 100 in FIGS. 5 and 6, where the box includes an upper section 102 which is hingedly mounted to a lower section 104 and where the upper section 102 includes a carrying handle 106. It should be noted that the accessory box 100 may be similar in nature to a fishing tackle box having storage compartments and internal trays located within the box. 
     To carry the rifle maintenance assembly 10, the rectangular tray is inserted over the accessory box 100 such that the central opening 28 overlies the accessory box handle 106 of the accessory box 100, as shown in FIG. 2. It should be noted from FIG. 2, that the opening 28 is slightly off center, being offset somewhat towards the top of the page, as viewed in FIG. 2. The reason for such, is that in most cases, when an accessory box such as 100 is placed in a resting position, and the handle released, the handle will rotate to a position where it lays flat against the upper surface of the accessory box. Thus, with the off center opening 28, the tray section 12 can be placed over the top of the box 100, without having to first stand the handle 106 up. The user can then simply place his hand into the opening 28, grasp the handle 106 and carry both the rifle maintenance assembly 10 and the accessory box 10 together as a single unit. 
     The apparatus 10 is prepared for use by inserting the gun supports 60a and 60b into one of the compartments 34a or 34f, the remaining compartments being used for such articles as shells, cleaning fluids, cleaning rags, and the like. It should also be noted that the walls 32a and 32b include slots 36 which can be used for retaining an extra rifle sight or any elongate tools. 
     When the user arrives at the rifle range or at a suitable location within the field, the unit 10 can be assembled by sliding the cover 40a to the left (as viewed in FIG. 1) to expose the compartment which holds the gun support members 60a and 60b. The gun support members 60a and 60b are then removed from the carrying compartment and inserted into the slots 30 within the rectangular tray 12. The gun support members can then accept the rifle 150 such that the stock 152 of the rifle is inserted into the slot 66a while the opposite end of the rifle 154 rests within the slot 66b, as shown in phantom in FIG. 1. In this manner, the rifle can be fully assembled, and the rifle is also suitably secure for maintenance and cleaning. 
     The gun support members 60a and 60b should be inserted into the slots 30 such that the open slots 70a, 72a; and 70b, 72b are on the same side in order that the barrel cleaning rods 170 can be temporarily held in place in the slots. It should be noted that the cover 40b can also be slid to the right (as viewed in FIG. 1) to access items within the compartment 34a. 
     The rifle maintenance assembly 10 can also be used as a rifle rest by removing the rifle support 60a and by sliding the cover 40a to the left (as viewed in FIG. 1) until the inner edge 46a of the cover 40a abuts the inner edge 46a of the cover 40b. The rifle end 154 can then be placed within the opening 66b and the user can utilize the upper plate portions 42a and 42b as an arm rest, for example for the left arm. 
     In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the tray 12 and the upper covers 40a and 40b, are made from polypropylene, which provides for a rugged yet relatively light weight structure. It s also preferred that the upper covers 40a and 40b are transparent in order to provide for visibility into the tray 12. 
     While the form of apparatus herein described constitutes a preferred embodiment of this invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to this precise form of apparatus, and that changes may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention which is defined in the appended claims.