US2420267A - Support for rifles and other shoulder firearms - Google Patents

Description

17 1947- H. H. SEFRIED, 2D

SUPPORT FOR RIFLES AND OTHER SHOULDER FIREARMS Filed April '19, 1945 s Sheets-Sheet 1 H D m RR F M. MH m R A H May 6, 1947. H. H. SEFRIED, an 2,420,267

SUPPORT FOR RIFLES AND OTHER SHOULDER FIREARMS Filed April 19, 1945 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 l .2. l I [L N l I a; Q Q 9| I I MI W I w N I L Q a j 1 a i I 51 Q 7 2. ho N m Q w "um! I v M a 2 11% Q Q} \I 2% 0 7 6 W 1% h. a '5 a;

V as] m n/W012 HARRY H. Samuel; 11 BJW,MYM

ATTORNEYS May 6, 1947. H. H. SEFRlED, 20

SUPPORT FOR RIFLES AND OTHER SHOULDER FIREARMS 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed April 19, 1945 j 1, is 4 x //vv/v1"0/E HARRY H. SEFRIED II ATTORNEY? Patented May 6, 1947 SUEPPORT FOR RIFLES AND OTHER SHOULDER FIREARMS Harry H. Sefried, II, New Haven, Conn, assignor to Olin Industries, Inc., New Haven, Conn, a

corporation of Delaware Application April 19, 1945, Serial No. 589,127

Claims.

The present invention relates to improvements in supports for firearms and relates more particularly-to improvements in supports designed to support the muzzle-end of rifles and other shoulder firearms to enable the marksman to more readily keep the firearm on target especially during rapid or automatic fire.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a superior support of the character referred to which is simple to manufacture and is strong, reliable and convenient in use.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a superior support for rifles and the like and having one or more pivotal legs which may be rapidly and conveniently shifted from a retired position substantially paralleling the barrel of the firearm into an active position in which the leg extends substantially perpendicular to the barrel, and vice versa, combined with readilyreleasable locking-means for holding the leg in either of the two positions referred to.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a firearm-support having one or more pivotal legs movable into either an active or re' tired position and in which is embodied a superior construction and arrangement of parts whereby such legs may be locked in the chosen position without danger of the unintentional unlocking thereof by reason of recoil and vibrations incident to the discharge of the firearm.

With the above and other objects in view, asv

will appear to those skilled in the art from the present disclosure, this invention includes all features in the said disclosure which are novel over the prior art.

In the accompanying drawings, in which certain modes of carrying out the present invention are shown for illustrative purposes:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a bipod firearmsupport embodying the present invention and shown as attached to the muzzle-end of a rifle and with its two legs locked in their vertical or active positions;

Fig. 2 is a broken perspective view of the upperportion of the bipod firearm-support shown as detached from the rifle;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. l but showing the two legs as locked in their retired position;

Fig. 4 is a broken view in vertical central-longitudinal section taken on the line tl of Fig. 5 but including the forward-portion of the rifle;

Fig. 5 is a broken view in front elevation of the upper-portion of the bi-pod firearm-support, detached from the rifle;

Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 4 but omitting the rifle;

Fig, '7 is a View partly in front elevation and partly in section corresponding to the line 6-& of Fig. 4 but omitting both the flash-guard and rifle, and showing both legs pulled axially-downwardly into their unlocked position;

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the frame detached;

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of one of the locking-heads, together with a portion of its complemental legs; and

Fig. 10 is a top or plan view of one of the locking-heads,

The particular firearm-support herein chosen for purposes of making clear one form of the present invention, is of a general type commonly referred to in the art as a bipod, inasmuch as it is provided with two legs.

The bipod firearm-support illustrated in the accompanying drawings includes a frame generally designated by the reference character as and formed with two corresponding downwardly-directed but diverging bifurcated arms I I--I I. The said frame may be conveniently formed of a strong aluminum alloy and each of its bifurcated arms I I-l I includes two downwardly-extending and laterally-spaced-apart fingers IZ-I2 spaced from each other by a recess I3, which latter opens through the bottom of the arm II in which it is formed, as well as through the respective front and rear faces thereof.

The frame II] above referred to is formed centrally in its upper-portion with a cylindricallycontoured socket It which extends therethrough from front to rear and receives with freedom for relative rotary movement, a shank I5 which is cylindrically contoured exteriorly. The said shank I5 forms a feature of a flash-guard generally designated by the reference character Hi and which is preferably formed of a highstrength aluminum alloy. The said flash-guard it also includes a rear-wall I'I located at the rear of the shank I5 and provided with an axial barrel-receiving passage I8, for purposes as will hereinafter appear. The said barrel-receiving passage I8 extends through the rear-wall I! from the front face to the rear face thereof, and at its forward end communicates with a forwardlyand-outwardly-fiaring conical passage I9 which opens through the relatively-large-diametered forward end of the flash-guard I6.

The flash-guard I6 is formed at the forward end of its hollow shank I5 with an annular radially-projecting collar 20 adapted to have its rear face engaged by the forward face of the upper-portion of the frame If) to limit the forward displacement of the latter. The said shank I5 projects beyond the rear face of the frame I and this projecting-portion is externally threaded and tightly fitted into a threaded opening formed in the vertical arm 2| of an Lshaped attaching-bracket generally designated by the reference character 22 and including also a rearwardly-extending horizontal arm 23. The forward face of the vertical arm 2i of the attaching-bracket 22 extends in position to be engaged by the rear face of the central-upper-portion of the frame In so as to hold the latter against relative rearward displacement with respect to the flash-guard It.

The horizontal arm 23 of the attaching-bracket 22 is adapted to extend beneath the cylinder-tube 24 of a Garand-type military rifie which also includes a barrel 25. The said cylinder-tube 24 is formed a short distance back of its front end, with a depending bayonet-lug 25 having the usual horizontal groove 27 therein. As shown particularly well in Fig. 4, the rear end of the horizontal arm 23 of the attaching-bracket 22 extends into the forward-portion of the groove 2'! in the bayonet-lug 26, and is adapted to be locked therein against forward displacement by a pivotal latch 28. The said latch is pivoted adjacent its forward end, upon a transverse pivot-pin 29 carried by and extending transversely through the said arm 23. The rear-portion of the latch 28 is adapted to engage with the rear face of the bayonet-lug 25 to hold the rear end of the arm 23 in the groove 2?, against forward displacement relative to the cylinder-tube 2d and the remainder of the rifle.

As will be apparent from Fig. l, the forward end of the barrel 25 projects forwardly beyond the forward end of the cylinder-tube 2 1 and is adapted to fit within the barrel-receiving passage I 8 in the rear-Wall I! of the flash-guard I6 to thus hold the firearm-support against lateral displacement relative to the said barrel.

When the biped firearm-support is mounted on the firearm structure as shown in Figs. 1, 3 and 4, the attaching-bracket 22 and its rigidly-connected flash-guard I6 will, as before noted, be held in place against turning movement and against displacement longitudinally with respect to the firearm. The frame It however, while held against displacement to either the front or rear, will be free to turn on the shank I of the flash-guard It, for purposes as will more fully hereinafter appear.

Fitting into the respective recesses E3. of each of the arms I Il| of the frame I0, is the tongueportion 39 of one of two corresponding lockingheads 3I-3I. It will thus be apparent that two similar locking-heads 3| are provided, one of which is associated in the manner described, with each of the two said arms II-II. Inasmuch as the detail features of each arm II correspond to the other, as does also the features carried thereby, a description of one of the said arms together with the leg and other parts carried thereby, will serve for both.

The locking-head 3I above referred to is generally speaking, of cylindrical form save Where it is cut away on its respective opposite sides of its upper-portion to produce the fiat-sided tongue-portion 3.9, as is especially well shown in Figs. 9 and 10. Extending upwardly from the the tongue-portion of the locking-head 3| is an integral cylindrically-contoured locking-lug 32- which is adapted to be entered into a cylindrically-contoured locking-socket 33 leading upwardly from the upper end of the recess I3 in the com plemental arm II of the frame ID. The lockinghead 3| is also formed on each of the respective opposite flat side-faces of its tongue-portion 30 with one of two locking-lugs 34-34 respectively adapted to enter either downwardly-opening locking-notches 3535 or rearwardly-opening locking-notches 3636 respectively formed in the edges of the fingers I2-l2 of a given arm II of the frame I0, as is especially well shown in Fig. 8.

Thus, it will be seen that each arm II is provided with two locking-notches 3.535 respectively located in its complemental fingers l2 l2 in transverse alignment with each other. It will also be seen that each arm I I is also formed with the two locking-notches 35-36 also respectively formed in its complemental fingers I2--I2 in alignment with each other transversely of the structure but extending at substantially with respect to the first-mentioned locking-notches 3535.

Extending transversely through each of the lower-portions of the two complemental fingers Iii-I2 is one Of two corresponding aligned passages 3'l31 through which extends a pivot-pin 38. The central-portion of the pivot-pin 33 extends across the recess I3 in the arm I I in which it is located. The said pivot-pin also extends through a transverse slot 39 formed in the tongueportion 36 of the locking-head 3i. The said slot 39 has its major dimension extending vertically so as to permit the locking-head 3| to be moved to a limited degree and in an axial direction with respect to the arm II in which it is mounted, all for purposes as will more fully hereinafter appear.

Threaded into the lower end of the lockinghead M is the upper end of a tubular leg 40 having a foot or pad M rigidly attached to its lower end. Encircling the upper-portion of the leg t!) is the apertured cross-reach 42 of a U- shaped stirrup generally designated by the reference character 33. The said stirrup may be conveniently folded up from sheet metal and also includes two laterally-spaced-apart side-arms E i- M respectively extending upwardly along each of the respective opposite sides of the locking-head 3!, as well as along the respective inner and outer faces of the lower-portion of the arm II with which it is associated. At its free or upper end, each of the side-arms 44 l4 is formed with an opening 25 havin a diameter slightly larger than the diameter of the adjacent projecting end of the pivot-pin 33 before referred to. Normally, the material of a given side-arm 4-4 forming the upper boundary of its opening 45, is adapted to fit in the adjacent one of two annular retaining-grooves 4646 formed in the pivot-pin 38. The said retaining-grooves 66-46 are respectively formed in the pivot-pin 38 adjacent the opposite ends thereof, as is especially well shown in Figs. 6 and 7.

The engagement of the complemental sidearms ll l4 respectively with the retaininggrooves 46-46 of the pivot-pin 38, serves not only to hold the said side-arms against outward flexure and to hold the stirrup 43 against bodily displacement toward the foot or pad 4|, but also serves to hold the Divot-pin 38 against axial displacement. By registering the aligned openings 45- 35 of a given pair of side-arms 4244 with the aligned passages 3'I-3'I in the fingers I'2-I2 with which the said side-arms are associated, the

pivot-pin 33 may be readily installed or removed.

Interposed between the lower face of the locking-head 3! and the upper face of the crossreach A2 of the stirrup 63, is a helical latch-spring ll. The said helical latch-spring is accommodated between the respective lower-portions of the side-arms M- i l and encircles the upper-portion of the leg 30.

As thus constructed and arranged, the latchspring M exerts a constant-but-yielding effort to move the locking-head 3i (and hence, also, its complemental leg 40) toward the pivot-pin 38. Thus, when the given leg 45 and its complemental locking-head 35 are swung into a position wherein they extend substantially perpendicularly with respect to the longitudinal axis of the firearm, the said latch-spring serves to yieldingly hold the end lockingdug 32 in the locking-socket 33 of the adjacent arm l, as well as to hold the respective opposite side locking-lugs 34--3d, in the respective downwardly opening lockingnotches 25-35 in the respective fingers l2-l2.

Considering a given leg 45) as being locked in its perpendicular position, as just above described, the marksman may, by drawing downwardly on the said leg, withdraw the upper locking-lug 32 from its locking-socket 33 and coincidentally withdraw the lower side locking-lugs 3i34 from the locking-notches 35-35 against the tension or" the latch-spring 41, so that the parts will assume the positions in which they are shown in Fig. 7. When held in the position just referred to, the leg, together with its locking-head 3i, stirrup 33, and associated features, may be swung rearwardly into substantial parallelism with the firearmstructure. Upon releasing outward draft upon the leg Cit, the latch-spring 4'? will assert itself and cause the side locking-lugs 3435 of the locking-head to respectively enter the rearwardly-opening locking-notches 36-36 in the respective fingers l2l2, as is shown in Fig. 3. In this manner, the given leg and its associated features will be locked in this retired or inoperative position. When it is desired to again swing a given leg 39 into its active position, the said leg may be pulled axially away from the frame H), to thereby again unlock it and permit it to be swung into a perpendicular position and again locked therein as is illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, 4, 5 and 6.

When both legs sa-se are in their active positions as particularly well shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the weight of the firearm will not oppose the tension of the respective latch-springs 41-41 of the said legs but, on the other hand, will assist the same though such assistance is not required. Under the circumstances just describzed, the rifleman may turn the firearm about the longitudinal axis of its barrel 25, to correct for tilting conditions which would arise when the foot or pad M of one leg sinks into the ground to a greater extent than the foot or pad of the other leg. The turning movement of the firearm is, of course, permitted by the fact that the shank E5 of the flash-guard i5 i free to turn in the socket M of the frame Id.

The invention may be carried out in other specine ways than those herein set forth without departing from the spirit and essential characteristics, of the invention, and the present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and all changes coming within the meaning and equivalency range of the appended claims are intended to be embraced therein.

I claim:

1. A firearm support, including in combination: a frame-unit constructed and arranged for attachment to the muzzle-end of a shoulder firearm and having an arm provided with locking-means; a pivot-pin extending crosswise of the arm of the said frame-unit; a U-shaped stirrup having an apertured cross-reach and two side-arms respectively connected at their free ends to the said pivot-pin; a leg-unit having locking-means engageable with and disengageable from the said locking-means of the frame-unit by a lengthwise axial movement of the said leg-unit; and a latchp g engaged at one end with the said stirrup and at its opposite end with the said leg-unit and yieldingly urging the said leg-unit axially toward the arm of the said frame-unit to engage the locking-means of the leg-unit with the lockingmeans of the said arm.

2. A firearm-support, including in combination: a frame-unit constructed and arranged for attachment to the muzzle-end of a shoulder firearm and having an arm provided with locking-means; a pivot-pin extending crosswise of the arm of the said frame-unit; a U-shaped stirrup having an apertured cross-reach and two side-arms respectively connected at their free ends to the said pivot-pin, the said cross-reach being located outwardly with respect to the lower end of the arm of the said frame-unit; a leg-unit having lockingmeans engageable with and disengageable from the said locking-means of the frame-unit by a lengthwise axial movement of the said leg-unit, a portion or the said leg-unit extending through the apertured cross-reach of the said stirrup with capacity for sliding movement therein; and a latch-spring interposed between a portion 01" the said leg-unit and the cross-reach of the said stirrup and encircling a portion of the said le unit, the said latch-spring yieldingly urging the said leg-unit axially toward the arm of the said frame-unit to engage the locking-means of the leg-unit with the locking-means of the said arm.

3. A firearm-support, including in combination: a frame-unit constructed and arranged for attachrnent to the muzzle-end of a shoulder firearm and having a bifurcated arm provided with locking-means; a pivot-pin extending crosswise of the bifurcated arm of the said frame-unit; a U- shaped stirrup having an apertured cross-reach and two side-arms respectively extending along the opposite faces of the said bifurcated arm into pivotal engagement with the respective opposite ends of the said pivot-pin; the said cross-reach being located outwardly with respect to the lower end of the bifurcated arm of the said frame-unit; a leg-unit having a portion extending into the opening in the bifurcated arm and having a transverse passage receiving the said pivot-pin and larger in size than the same to permit the leg-unit to be moved axially with respect to the said bifurcated arm, the said leg-unit also having a portion extending through the cross-reach of the said stirrup, the said leg-unit also having locking-means engageable with and disengageable from the locking-means of the said bifurcated arm by a lengthwise axial movement of the said leg-unit; and a latch-spring interposed between a portion of the said leg-unit and the cross-reach of the said stirrup and encircling a portion of the said leg-unit, the said latch-spring yieldingly urging the said leg-unit axially toward the bifurcated arm of the said frame-unit to engage the locking-means of the leg-unit with the lockingmeans of the said bifurcated arm.

4. A firearm-support, including in combination: a frame-unit constructed and arranged for attachment to the muzzle-end of a shoulder firearm and having an arm provided with lockingmeans; a pivot-pin extending crosswise of the arm of the said frame-unit and provided with a retaining-groove; a spring-holding member having an apertured upper-portion entered into the retaining-groove of the said pivot-pin; a leg-unit associated with the arm of the said frame-unit and having a transverse passage receiving the said pivot-pin but larger in diameter than the same to permit the leg-unit to be moved axially with respect to the said pivot-pin; and a latchspring engaged at one end with the said springholding means and engaged at its opposite end with a portion of the said leg-unit and constructed and arranged to yieldingly urge the said legunit axially toward the arm of the said frameunit to engage the locking-means of the leg-unit with the locking-means of the said arm.

5. A firearm-support, including in combination: a frame-unit constructed and arranged for attachment to the muzzle-end of a shoulder firearm and having a bifurcated arm provided with locking-means; a pivot-pin extending crosswise of the bifurcated arm of the said frame-unit and projecting beyond the respective opposite sides of the said bifurcated arm, the said pivot-pin being formed in each of its projecting opposite ends with a retaining-groove; a U-shaped stirrup having an apertured cross-reach and two side-arms respectively extending along opposite faces of the said bifurcated arm, the said sidearms each being provided with an apertured end fitting over the adjacent end of the said pivotpin and fitting in the retaining-groove therein, the cross-reach of the said stirrup being located g outwardly with respect to the lower end of the bifurcated arm of the said frame-unit; a legunit having a portion extending into the opening in the bifurcated arm and having a transverse passage receiving the said pivot-pin and larger in size than the same to permit the leg-unit to be moved axially with respect to the said bifurcated arm, the said leg-unit also having a portion slidably extending through the cross-reach of the said stirrup, the saidleg-unit also having locking-means engageable with and disengageable from the locking-means of the said bifurcated arm by a lengthwise axial movement of the said leg-unit; and a latch-spring interposed between a portion of the said leg-unit and the cross-reach of the said stirrup and encircling a portion of the said leg-unit, the said latch-spring yieldingly urging the said leg-unit axially toward the bifurcated arm of the said frame-unit to engage the locking-means of the said leg-unit with the locking-means of the said bifurcated arm.

HARRY H. SEFRIED, II.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,666,568 Jackson Apr. 17, 1928 1,772,096 Diamond Aug. 5, 1930 1,836,321 Graham Dec. 15, 1931 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 637,421 German Oct. 28, 1936 337,164 Italian Feb. 27, 1936

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