Abstract:
A weapons rest provided with a pair of sand filled bags having a hinged attachment to a flexible panel which closes upon itself when the bags are moved away from each other.

Description:
This application claims priority based on Provisional Application, Ser. No. 60/188,850, filed Mar. 13, 2000 by the applicant herein, namely John W. Smith. 
    
    
     This invention relates generally to devices for supporting weapons while in use. More specifically it relates to improvements in so called “sand bags” upon which one using a rifle or a pistol may support the weapon and have it held securely in place. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     In the prior art there are numerous devices for supporting a weapon such as a rifle while it is aimed at a target. These devices range from the simple sandbag or metal support to one that attempts to hold a rifle securely. Such a device is shown in the patent to Shaw No. 5,233,779. 
     Denominated as rifle rests or sandbags these devices when formed from a sturdy fabric are filled with a granular material such as sand. Often they are carried empty to the place of intended use and there filled with sand or other granular material and then rested upon the ground or a bench and the barrel of a rifle supported thereon. To fill the bags, spouts may be provided into which a funnel may be inserted. After filling, the spout may be folded upon itself or sealed in some other way to keep the granular material in the bag. 
     The purpose of this invention is to provide a novel sandbag or weapon support that, when in use, firmly grips the weapon, be it a rifle or a pistol, thus increasing its accuracy when fired. 
     Another purpose of this invention is to provide a novel sandbag or weapon support that may be emptied easily or filled easily to facilitate its transport and use without the use of spouts or the like. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The weapons rest, in one of its embodiments, consists of at least one pair of bags containing sand or other granular material formed with somewhat flat bottoms to rest fixedly on a supporting surface so as to support and grip a weapon resting on top. Means are also provided to easily facilitate their loading and unloading. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective illustration of one embodiment of the invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective illustration of a second embodiment of the invention; and, 
     FIG. 3 is an illustration of a detail of the invention that may be used in any embodiment of the invention. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     In FIG. 1 the weapons rest comprises four bags,  2 ,  4 ,  6  and  8  attached by stitching or adhesive to a relatively thin panel  10 . Each bag  2  and  4  comprises a pair of end panels  12  and  14 . These are attached to side panel  16  and  18 , respectively, for the bags  4  and  2 . When the end panels  12  and  14  and the side panels  16  and  18  are attached to the bottom surface of the flat panel  10 , the pair of essentially closed bags  2  and  4  are formed. The bags are “essentially” closed except the portions  20 . As shown in FIG. 3, these portions are formed with hook and loop segments  22  and  24  which may be pulled apart to provide an opening through which sand or other granular material my be pored to empty or fill the bags. The hook and loop segments may be provided anywhere on the bags where two separate pieces of material touch each other. In this manner easy filling or emptying of the bags is achieved. 
     One feature of the invention is that the end panels  12  and  14  of the bags  22  are formed with substantially straight bottoms  26  so that when they rest on a supporting surface more than point contact with that surface is achieved. This ensures that the bags will remain where they are placed to provide stability for the weapon. 
     The bags  6  and  8  are formed similarly to the bags  2  and  4 . That is, end panels  12 ′ and  14 ′ are attached to side panels  16 ′ and  18 ′. However, the end panels  12  and  14  are formed as semi-circles so that when assembled with the side panels the bags  6  and  8  are semi-circular in cross section. 
     In use, the bags are filled with sand through the hook and loop fastener equipped openings  20 . A weapon is placed in the space  28  between the bags  2  and  4  and those bags moved outwardly about their lines of attachment to the flat panel  20 . This causes the bags  6  and  8  to move toward each other and to firmly grip the weapon, holding it steady. At the same time because edges  26  are formed with relatively straight bottoms a wide contacting surface with the support is provided to prevent further movement of the weapon rest on the supporting surface. 
     Straps  50  and  52  are provided on the rest and have confronting hook and loop portions  52  and  54 . When the portions  52  and  54  engage each other, a carrying handle is provided. 
     FIG. 2 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the invention. In this embodiment the rest has two bags  30  and  32  attached to flat panel  34 . End panels  36  and  38  are provided for each bag and are attached to side panels  40  which in turn are attached to the flat panel  34  to form the bags. As before, hook and loop closures  42  are used to facilitate the filling and emptying of the bags. 
     As may be seen in the drawing, the attachment of the bags to the flat panel  34  is on one side near the center of that panel and on the other side near its ends. The distance from the flat bottoms  44  of the end panels  36  and  38  to the attachment near the center of the panel  34  is less than the distance from that bottom to the ends. This forms the panel  34  into a curved shape forming a space  46  to receive and clamp a weapon. 
     The structure thus described is one that, when the bags  30  and  32  are moved outwardly the ends of the panel  34  are moved toward each other to clamp the weapon while the bags hold it steady on a supporting surface. Because of the relatively flat bottoms  44 , the end panels  36  and  38  form the bags with a wide supporting bottom to maintain them securely in place. 
     Various changes in the dimensions and design details of the rest, without departing from the scope of the claims appended hereto, and it is intended by the claims to cover all embodiments which come within their scope.