Patent Document

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     Not applicable.  
       STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT  
       [0002]     Not applicable.  
       REFERENCE TO A MICROFICHE APPENDIX  
       [0003]     Not applicable.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0004]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0005]     This invention relates to shooting chairs used by persons firing guns, and particularly, shooting long guns.  
         [0006]     2. Prior Art  
         [0007]     Shooting chairs have been used for years. Generally, the chairs have supporting legs, a seat, and a support arm that will support the muzzle end of a gun being fired. The known shooting chairs are generally made of heavy metal or wood materials, so that they will remain very stable during firing. For the most part, such shooting chairs have been used on shooting ranges and at target practice areas to allow a shooter to “sight-in” his gun. While any gun can be fired while sitting on the shooting chair, the chair is most often used during the firing of rifles or other long guns.  
         [0008]     Known shooting chairs have not been easily transported from one area of use to another area of use. Consequently, the stable shooting chairs have generally not been used in the field when hunting animals, or they have been placed in a field location and left at that location. This is due not only to the weight and bulkiness of the shooting chairs, but also because they often do not include any means for easily changing the height and direction of the support arm for the muzzle end of the gun when it is used in the field, to shoot at an animal.  
       THE INVENTION  
       [0009]     While the known shooting chairs may be very successfully used for competition shooting, target practice and for sighting in a gun, they are not suitable to be moved from one target practice area to another or to a position in the field. This is particularly true when the user cannot use a vehicle to carry the shooting chair and must carry the shooting chair, by hand, into the field for use in the shooting of game. The shooting chair of the invention is particularly adaptable to provide a stable chair that is easily folded and carried from area to area and that, when set up for use, will allow for a wide field of fire and ready adjustability of the height of the muzzle of a gun.  
       OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION  
       [0010]     Principal objects of the present invention are to provide a shooting chair that will be stable, easily transported, even carried by hand, and that can be set-up for use at a target range or in the field in a minimum amount of time and with a minimum amount of effort.  
         [0011]     Another object of the invention is to provide a shooting chair that when folded to be carried, has handle means that will provide for balanced carrying, even as a person carrying the shooting chair travels over irregular terrain.  
         [0012]     Other objects of the invention are to provide a shooting chair that is foldable to be compactly carried by hand and that, when set-up, will provide a stable sitting base with an adjustable shooting arm that can be raised or lowered and rotated to allow the shooter to have a large field of fire.  
       FEATURES OF THE INVENTION  
       [0013]     References herein to “upper,” “top”, “lower”, and “bottom” areas and components, as used throughout the specification, refer to locations existing when the foldable shooting chair  10  is set up for use.  
         [0014]     Principal features of the shooting chair of the invention include a stool having a padded seat rotatably mounted with respect to tripod legs and a support arm having a seat back and an arm rest. A shooting arm is mounted to the padded seat and rotates with the seat, relative to the legs of the stool.  
         [0015]     The shooting arm is mounted to be raised and lowered relative to the padded seat and the shooter sits on the padded seat and straddles the shooting arm. The shooter raises or lowers the shooting arm to provide the desired height support for the muzzle end of the gun to be fired.  
         [0016]     The support arm is mounted on a back support post on which the seat back is mounted and extends outwardly and forwardly of the padded seat. A cushioned arm rest is mounted to be positioned along one side or an opposite side of a forwardly extending portion of the support arm. The choice of positioning of the cushioned arm rest is determined by whether the shooting chair is set up for a right handed shooter or a left handed shooter. The support arm is removed from a set-up shooting chair and is repositioned to become a carrying handle that will balance the load weight of the folded shooting chair, as it is carried.  
         [0017]     The tripod legs are mounted beneath the cushioned seat and are mounted to swing together during folding movement of the shooting chair and to be spread apart and rigidly locked into place when positioned to support the padded seat. The padded seat has a central fixed nut on a base thereof and a hole through the seat, allowing insertion of a threaded bolt into the nut. The legs are secured to the interiorly threaded shaft by a bolt threaded into the shaft. The bolt extends through upper and lower washers and through a central tube, to which one leg is affixed, before being threaded into the nut on the seat base. Each of the other legs is connected to the central tube by top and bottom flanges that have holes therein through which the bolt is passed.  
         [0018]     The upper flange of each other leg is positioned between the central tube and the upper washer and the lower flanges of the other legs each extend to between the lower washer and the bottom of the central tube. The flanges of the other legs swing into engagement with the one leg when the shooting chair is folded. The folding legs are thus positioned to be at a side of the central tube opposite to a leg, having a support foot, that projects from the central tube.  
         [0019]     The support foot projects from the central tube at the side of the central tube opposite to the connection of the one leg to the central tube to rest upon the ground when the shooting chair is in its folded condition. When resting on the support foot, the repositioned support arm has a bend therein that extends upwardly to serve as a carrying handle, to be easily grasped by a user.  
         [0020]     Additional objects and features of the invention will become apparent to persons skilled in the art to which the invention pertains from the following detailed description, drawings and claims. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0021]     In the Drawings:  
         [0022]      FIG. 1 , is a perspective view of a foldable shooting chair of the invention set up for use;  
         [0023]      FIG. 2 , a perspective view of a person using the foldable shooting chair;  
         [0024]      FIG. 3 , a perspective view of a person carrying the foldable shooting chair of the invention, the chair having been folded for carrying;  
         [0025]      FIG. 4 , an enlarged perspective view of the shooting chair and with alternate positions of the shooting arm and of the arm rest on the support arm as set up for a right handed user, shown in phantom;  
         [0026]      FIG. 5 , a top plan view of the shooting chair set up for a right handed user, and with an alternate use position of the arm rests on the support arm and the support arm shown in phantom, set up for a left handed user;  
         [0027]      FIG. 6A , an exploded perspective view, showing the underside of the shooting chair;  
         [0028]      FIG. 6B , a perspective view of the bottom of the shooting chair;  
         [0029]      FIG. 7A , a fragmentary, further enlarged perspective view showing the latch structure for holding the legs of the shooting chair open;  
         [0030]      FIG. 7B , a fragmentary perspective view of the leg assembly and showing the seat padding removed and a nut fixed to a top surface of a seat base;  
         [0031]      FIG. 7C , a perspective view showing the support arm removed and being repositioned to be a carrying handle for the folded shooting chair; and  
         [0032]      FIG. 7D , a perspective view of the folded shooting chair with the support arm positioned as a carrying handle. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0033]     Referring now to the Drawings:  
         [0034]     In the illustrated preferred embodiment of the invention, the shooting chair, shown generally at  10  includes a stool, shown generally at  12  and a tripod leg assembly  14 .  
         [0035]     A support arm  16  includes a back rest  18  and an arm rest  20 . The support arm  16  is removably mounted on an upright extending support post  22 .  
         [0036]     Support post  22  projects upwardly from one end of a seat brace  24  connected to the undersurface  25  of seat  26  (preferably padded) of the stool  12 .  
         [0037]     Support arm  16  extends from the support post  22  on one side of the padded seat  26  and then is curved a full ninety degrees to extend alongside the seat. Support arm  16  has the back rest  18  secured thereto at an end of one straight extension  30  of the support arm  16 . The support arm has straight extensions  30  and  32  extending from opposite ends of a right angle curved bend  34 . The support arm  16  curves to extend alongside a user person  38  sitting on the padded seat cushion  26  while straddling a shooting arm  36  and includes the armrest  20  that is adjustable along the length of the extension of the support arm extending alongside the user person  38  sitting in the shooting chair  10 . The support arm extensions  30  and  32  extend equi-distantly from the angle bend  34 . A sleeve  21  is fixed to the armrest  20  and the sleeve telescopes on the extension  30 . A bolt  23  having a knob  25  on one end is threaded through the sleeve  21  to secure the armrest in position on the extension  30 . It will be apparent that merely by turning the support arm  16  over and repositioning the armrest  20  from one side of straight extension  30  to the other side of the extension, the support arm can be used for either a right or left handed user person  38  sitting on the padded seat  26 .  
         [0038]     A padded surface  40  is fixed to back rest  18  and the back rest has a sleeve  42  on a back surface  44  thereof. A bolt  50  is threaded through a wall of sleeve  42  and knob  25  is provided on the end of the bolt. Thus, bolt  23  is threaded out of the wall of sleeve  42  to allow the back rest  18  to slide onto and into position on the support post  22 . Bolt  50  is threaded into the sleeve  42  to engage the support post and to secure the back rest  18  in place on the support post  22 .  
         [0039]     With the back rest  18  lifted off the support post  22 , post  22  can be rotated to extend downwardly from the padded seat  26 . Support post  22  is released for rotation by first unthreading bolt  46  that is threaded into one end  50  of the seat support brace  24  on the bottom of the padded seat  26 . Support post  22  is separated from the end of brace  24  and support post  22  swings from the position extending above the seat cushion to a position extending downwardly from the seat cushion. When support post  22  is rotated to its downwardly extending position, bolt  46  can be tightened to secure the support post  22  in its lowered position.  
         [0040]     The shooting arm  36  has a receiver length  54  that is pivotally connected to an upturned end  58  of seat brace  24 , which seat brace extends from beneath the padded seat  26 . A bolt  60 , serving as the pivot connection allows the receiver length  56  of the shooting arm  36  to pivot upwardly towards a user person  38  sitting in the shooting chair  10  and/or downwardly away from such user person. The bolt  60  is tightened to provide a pivot connection that is sufficiently tight that once the receiver length  56  is forcefully positioned by the user person, a set position will be maintained until forcefully changed by the user person. A generally U-shaped, padded cradle end  64  is pivotally mounted to a free end of a telescoping extender  68  that telescopes into and out of the receiver length  56  of the shooting arm  36 . The telescoping extender  68  is set relative to the receiver length  56  by a bolt  70  threaded through the receiver length  54  to engage the telescoping extender  68 . A knob  72  is provided for turning bolt  70 .  
         [0041]     The padded seat  26  and the support arm  16  and shooting arm  36  affixed thereto rotate together with respect to the unfolded tripod legs  76 ,  78  and  80  of the tripod leg assembly  14 . The legs  76 ,  78  and  80  are held in an open or spread position by a latch spring steel arm  82  having a catch  81  on a free end thereof that releasably engages a side of leg  76 . The other end  83  of the latch arm is fixed to leg  80 . The legs  76 ,  78  and  80 , respectively, have flat feet  84 ,  86  and  88  projecting from lower ends of the legs.  
         [0042]     An interiorly threaded central tube  90  is welded to and extends downwardly from the seat brace  24  on the undersurface  25  of the padded seat  26 . A threaded bolt  92  extends through a pair of spaced apart upper and lower washers  94  and  96  and is threaded into the tube  90 . The upper and lower washers  94  and  96  are separated by a sleeve  100 .  
         [0043]     A web  102  is welded to upper and lower ends of leg  78  and to the sleeve  100 . The web  102  holds the leg  78  to project outwardly from the sleeve  100  and at a suitable angle.  
         [0044]     Leg  76  has a web  104  affixed to an upper end thereof. Web  104  has a top flange  106  projecting therefrom and a hole  108  extends through the flange  106 . A similar bottom flange  112  having a hole  114  therethrough projects from web  104  at a lower end of the web.  
         [0045]     Leg  80 , has a web  118  fixed to and projecting from an upper end of the leg. A flange  120  with a hole  122  therethrough projects from the top of web  118 . Another flange  124  having a hole  126  therethrough projects from a bottom of the web  118 .  
         [0046]     As shown best in  FIG. 2 , a user person  38  of the assembled and set up shooting chair  10  will straddle the shooting arm  36 , will place his back against the seat back rest  18 , his firing arm on the armrest  20  and his other hand grasping the support arm  16  beneath the U-shaped cradle end  64 . The user will telescope extender  68  into or out of receiver length  54  and then raise and lower the pivoting support arm  16  until a good sight picture is obtained with a target. The user person may then fire as many rounds as desired, with the position of the gun held at the same assigned height.  
         [0047]     It will be apparent that either a right handed or a left handed shooter can use the shooting chair  10  equally well. To change the shooting chair, as shown set up for use by a right handed shooter, to fit a left handed shooter, it is only necessary to move the armrest  20  to the opposite side of support arm  16  and to then reposition the support arm  16  with the support arm extending to an opposite side of the padded seat  26 .  
         [0048]     When a user person is ready to fold the shooting chair  10 , the legs  76 ,  78  and  80  are released from the latch arm  82  and are swung together by pivoting the webs of legs  76  and  80  around the sleeve  100 . The legs  76 ,  78  and  80  are thus pivoted together; the shooting arm  36  is pivoted to be angled over the padded seat  26 ; and the support arm is removed from the support post  22 . The support post  22  is released to swing downwardly towards the leg and then is secured in its downwardly extending position. The support arm  16  is attached to a receiver portion of the shooting arm by inserting the angled finger  130  of a pivot pin  132 , through a hole  134 . Hole  134  extends through the end of the support arm  16  being secured to the shooting arm, intermediate the length of the shooting arm. The end of the finger  130  is inserted through the hole  134  of the support arm  16  such that the end of the portion of the support arm having the back rest  18  thereon engages the leg  78 . A flexible strap  136 , affixed to the back rest  18  is wrapped tightly around the legs  76 ,  78  and  80  and the support arm  16  and is then locked into place with a fastener, such as a hook and loop fastener known by the trademark “VELCRO” on the strap. When the legs  76 ,  78  and  80  are folded together, the leg  138  can extend downwardly from sleeve  100  to terminate in a foot  140 .  
         [0049]     When the shooting chair  10  is in a folded condition, the foot  140  and the ends of legs  76 ,  78  and  80  having feet  84 ,  86  and  88 , respectively thereon will rest on the ground and the shooting chair  10  will be supported above. In this condition, the curved right angle bend  34  of the support arm  16  becomes a handle to be grasped by the user in picking up the foldable shooting chair  10 . The support arm  16 , has one end affixed to the shooting arm  36  and extends over the top of the shooting chair and is secured to the legs  76 ,  78  and  80 . With the extensions  30  and  32  of the support arm extending respectively downwardly towards the shooting arm and downwardly towards the legs, the shooting chair  10  is balanced to make carrying of the chair easier. By sliding a carrying hand forward or reverse with respect to the curved right angle bend  34  of the carrying handle, the weight of the assembly can be changed to be heavier in front or heavier in back and this will facilitate carrying as a user person traverses irregular ground.  
         [0050]     Although preferred forms of my invention have been herein disclosed, it is to be understood that the present disclosure is by way of example and that variations are possible without departing from the subject matter coming within the scope of the following claims, which subject matter I regard as my invention.

Technology Category: 1