WO2009057175A1

WO2009057175A1 - Quick-attach precision mount for securing a telescopic sight to a weapon

Info

Publication number: WO2009057175A1
Application number: PCT/IT2008/000356
Authority: WO
Inventors: Fabio Freddara
Original assignee: Fabio Freddara
Priority date: 2007-10-29
Filing date: 2008-05-29
Publication date: 2009-05-07
Also published as: ITRM20070566A1

Abstract

A quick-attach precision mount for securing a telescopic sight to a weapon comprises a main body (1) having first clamping means (6) to clamp the main body (1) to a mounting rail (4) of the weapon; and a locking element (14), which is side by side with the main body (1) and is provided in its lower part with second clamping means (15), so that the first and the second clamping means co-operate to attach and remove the precision mount to and from the mounting rail (4). A cam lever (16) has as a cam follower the locking element (14), and comprises a cam holder portion (29) and a control handle (30) and supporting a roller (36) rotatable about a roller holder pin (35) in order to form a cam for approaching the locking element (14) to the main body (1) when the cam lever (16) is rotated downward.

Description

QUICK-ATTACH PRECISION MOUNT FOR SECURING A TELESCOPIC SIGHT TO A WEAPON

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a quick-attach precision mount for securing a telescopic sight to a weapon. BACKGROUND ART

Mounts of this kind are known in the art. US patent No. 6,442,883 can be considered as the closest prior art. Said patent discloses a cam operated attachment device that serves to fasten a first device, a telescopic sight in this case, to a mounting rail of a second device, here a rifle mount. In the attachment device, an upper part for mounting the first device extends between two flanked side members that are adapted to removably clamp the mounting rail. A clamping member in the form of a rod crosses the attachment device in the two flanked side members, by extending through a first side member and being coupled with a second side member. A first portion of the clamping member is coupled with a single cam member that is mounted with the first side member for drawing the first and the second side members closer together in order to mate them with the sides of the mounting rail.

In the patent above mentioned, the attachment device, even if it is able to be retained to the sides of the mounting rail, has a drawback that its construction is compulsory provided with only one clamping member. Therefore, although there are sliding guides for drawing the first and the second sides closer together, a high precision coupling is not allowed. Some drawbacks are the consequence of a choice of using a cam rotating about an axis orthogonal to the mounting rail, cam that is not comfortably operable. Further, the cam has a profile provided with a groove that allows the cam to rotate about the clamping member, which maintains its transversal position.

Furthermore, the cam is integral with an handle and the only means to avoid a casual operation of the cam is a shaped projection extending on the side member in front of the handle when the handle is in its closed position.

Therefore, a main object of the present invention is to provide an attachment device with a higher precision than that achievable by the patent above mentioned.

Another object of the invention is to make quick fastening and removing of the attachment device more comfortable and friendly. Yet another object of the invention is to avoid a casual unlocking of the attachment device. DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

This invention provides a quick-attach precision mount for securing a telescopic sight to a weapon, comprising a main body carrying in its upper part a fastening means of a telescopic sight or similar device useful for weapon aiming, and in its lower part a positioning means for locating the main body on a mounting rail that is fixed to a weapon mount and a first clamping means to clamp the main body to the mounting rail; and a locking element, which is side by side with, and movable on guides with respect to, the main body by manual operation of a cam lever against a counteracting elastic effect, the locking element being provided in its lower part with a second clamping means, so that said first and second clamping means co-operate for attaching and releasing the precision mount to and from the mounting rail, precision mount in which the cam lever has as a cam follower the locking element, said locking element being provided at its ends with guiding pins that are slidable in correspondent coaxial holes transversally made in the main body, said locking element being provided between said guiding means with a couple of through holes that are coaxial respectively to a couple of supporting and guiding shafts, which are transversally mounted on the main body and are lightened in their facing external end sections by parallel vertical cuts, and further said locking element being equipped with at least a spiral spring that is abutted between the locking element and the main body in respective coaxial seats; and the cam lever comprises a cam holder portion and a control handle, the cam holder portion having generally a C-shaped profile, that is pivoted, on a side opposite to the control handle, to the end of the facing end sections of the couple of the supporting and guiding shafts, and supporting a roller rotatable about a roller holder pin in order to form a cam for approaching the locking element to the main body when the cam lever is rotated downward.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will be now described with reference to a preferred embodiment thereof, although it should be understood that structural modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention, referring to the figures of the enclosed drawing, in which:

Figure 1 shows a diagrammatic exploded perspective view of a precision mount according to the invention, including a sight holder ring and a mounting rail;

Figure 2 shows a perspective view of the precision mount in Figure 1, in an opened position; Figure 3 shows an axial cross-sectioned perspective view of the precision mount in

Figure 2; and

Figure 4 shows in plan the cross-sectioned view in Figure 3. BEST MODE OF CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

With reference to the drawings, parts constituting the quick-attach precision mount for securing a telescopic sight to a weapon are shown in Figure 1 in an exploded perspective view. Therein a main body of the precision mount is indicated as 1. On an upper part of the main body 1 the attachment of supporting members for a telescopic sight or similar aiming devices is provided in a known way. For example, a ring 2 is depicted which by means of a screw not shown can be fastened to a prismatic seat 3 in the upper part of the main body 1. A mounting rail, indicated as 4, is shown under the main body 1, and is designed to be fixed to a weapon mount (not shown).

The main body 1 has a lower face that is provided with recessions, which are generally indicated as 5 and are designed to receive inserts 6, 6. The inserts 6, 6 are fixed by screws 7, 7, to the main body 1. Each insert 6, 6 has in its lower part a first clamping means in the form of claw projections 8, 8, which are designed to fit in a profile groove. This profile groove is correspondent to an identical profile groove indicated as 9, but it is formed on a longitudinal side (not shown) of the mounting rail 4.

Further, a positioning means for locating the main body 1 on the mounting rail 4 is provided on the lower face of the main body 1. Such a positioning means is for example a couple of pins 10 that are connected to the main body 1 and act as an abutment for an end 1 1 of the mounting rail 4. Furthermore, a pin 12, that is also connected to the main body 1 and designed to be fitted in a blind slot 13 of the mounting rail 4, when the main body 1 is located on the mounting rail 4.

A locking element 14, which is side by side with the main body 1, is designed to approach the main body 1. The locking element 14 has a side facing the main body 1, in which side the locking element 14 has a second clamping means in the form of a claw projection 15. The claw projection 15 is designed to be fitted in the groove 9 of the mounting rail 4, when the locking element 14 approaches the main body 1.

For this purpose, the locking element 14 is movable on guides with respect to the main body 1 by a manual operation of a cam level 16 as will be described below. In each end of the locking element 14 a hole 17 for a guiding pin 18 is provided. Each guiding pin 18 is slidable in a coaxial correspondent bore 19 that is made in the main body 1. A couple of through holes 20, 20 are made in the locking element 14 near the holes 17, 17 for the guiding pins 18, 18. The through holes 20, 20 are coaxial to a couple of supporting and guiding shafts 21, 21 respectively, which are mounted transversally on the main body 1 in relevant coaxial holes 22, 22. Every supporting and guiding shaft 21, 21 is retained oppositely in the main body 1 by a screw 23 and a respective abutment spacer 24 with a set of Belleville washer 25 being interposed. The Belleville washers 25 on one hand are abutted to the abutment spacer 24 and on the other to a seat (not shown) inside the main body l.

The supporting and guiding shafts 21, 21 are lightened in their mutually facing external end sections 26 by parallel vertical cuts. The end sections 26 pass respective through holes 20, 20 of the locking element 14. A cam lever 16 is pivoted by a pin 28 in opposite holes 27 that are drilled in the end sections 26. In particular, the cam lever 16 comprises a cam holder portion 29 and a control handle 30. The cam holder portion 29 has generally a C-shaped profile, as it is formed by two small opposite plates 31, 31 that are connected by a transversal piece 32. The pin 28, which is pivoted in the opposite holes 27, 27 of the supporting and guiding shafts 21, 21, is fitted in coaxial holes 33, 33 that are provided in the small opposite plates 31, 31. A roller holder gudgeon 35, sustaining a roller 36 between the small plates 31, 31 is fitted in holes 34, 34. This arrangement above described forms a cam for approaching the locking element to the main body, when the cam lever 16 is rotated downward by means of the control handle 30 against a counteracting spiral spring 37 that is abutted between the locking element 14 and the main body 1 in a seat 38 therefor. The control handle 30 is pivoted by means of a pin 39 passing through holes 40, 40 in the small plates 31 between which a bored protuberance 41 of the control handle 30 is interposed. A wire spring 42 is mounted on the pin 39, as best shown in the following Figures 3 and 4, which represent perspective and orthogonal cross sections of the precision mount generally shown in the opened mounted position in Figure 2. In Figure 2 the main body 1 is shown being mounted on the mounting rail 4, with the end 11 of which the main body 1 abuts by means of the couple of pins 10. The locking element 14, which is provided with the claw projection 15, is sustained on the main body 1 by the couple of guiding pins 18, 18 and the supporting and guiding shafts 21, 21. The cam lever 16 is pivoted in the facing end sections 26, as best shown in Figures 3 and 4.

In particular, there is clearly shown that the cam lever 16 is pivoted by means of the pin 28, which is supported by the opposite small plates 31 of the cam holder portion 29, with the external end sections 26 of the supporting and guiding shafts 21, 21. The roller holder pin 35 sustains the roller 36, which rotates on the locking element 14 when the cam lever 16 rotates downward in the direction of an arrow F shown in Figure 4. The locking element 14 moves toward the main body 1 on the respective guides that are formed by the guiding pins 18, 18 and supporting and guiding shafts 21, 21, until the claw projection 15 is fitted in the groove 9 of the mounting rail 4. The wire spring 42, which is arranged in a coaxial relationship with the pin 39 of the control handle 30, prevents the control handle 30 to be released upward in case of a casual contact with it. In fact, the wire spring 42 causes the control handle 30 to be idly rotated upward (as shown in the figure). During this rotation of the control handle 30, the cam roller 36 is not displaced downward and consequently the locking element 14 does not release away from the main body 1 due to the spiral spring 37 that is abutted between the seat 38 in the main body 1 and the seat 43 in the locking element 14. By virtue of the arrangement above described, the locking element 14 slides on a greater number of guides with respect to the prior art and its movement is more precise and uniform. Thanks to the roller cam, the rolling contact is more effective than that of a profile cam. Further, as the locking element is a cam follower, a displacement effect that is caused by the cam is directly applied to the locking element so that the latter moves in a uniform and precise way. Further the control handle is rotated in a transversal plane, and then with an easy and friendly operation.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. A quick-attach precision mount for securing a telescopic sight to a weapon, comprising: a main body carrying in its upper part a fastening means of a telescopic sight or similar device useful for weapon aiming, and in its lower part a positioning means for locating the main body on a mounting rail that is fixed to a weapon mount and a first clamping means to clamp the main body to the mounting rail; and a locking element, which is side by side with, and movable on guides with respect to, the main body by manual operation of a cam lever against a counteracting elastic effect, the locking element being provided in its lower part with a second clamping means, so that said first and second clamping means co-operate for attaching and releasing the precision mount to and from the mounting rail, characterised in that: the cam lever has as a cam follower the locking element, said locking element being provided at its ends with guiding pins that are slidable in correspondent coaxial holes transversally made in the main body, said locking element being provided between said guiding means with a couple of through holes that are coaxial respectively to a couple of supporting and guiding shafts, which are transversally mounted on the main body and are lightened in their facing external end sections by parallel vertical cuts, and further said locking element being equipped with at least a spiral spring that is abutted between the locking element and the main body in respective coaxial seats; and the cam lever comprises a cam holder portion and a control handle, the cam holder portion having generally a C-shaped profile, that is pivoted, on a side opposite to the control handle, to the end of the facing end sections of the couple of the supporting and guiding shafts, and supporting a roller rotatable about a roller holder pin in order to form a cam for approaching the locking element to the main body when the cam lever is rotated downward.

2. The precision mount according to claim 1, characterised in that the control handle is mounted rocking about a handle gudgeon that is parallel to the roller holder pin on the cam holder portion at an end opposite to its pivoting on the couple of supporting and guiding shafts.

3. The precision mount according to claim 2, characterised in that the control handle has a wire spring that is mounted about said handle gudgeon and abutted between said control handle and said cam holder portion.

4. The precision mount according to claim 1, characterised in that each shaft of said couple of supporting and guiding shafts is retained on the main body with Belleville washers being interposed.

5. The precision mount according to claim 1, characterised in that the positioning means of the main body on the mounting rail comprises an end abutment designed to engage an end of the mounting rail and a pin designed to be fitted in a slot miide on the mounting rail.