U.S. patent application number 12/780589 was filed with the patent office on 2011-03-17 for attachment system used to mount accessory devices to a firearm.
This patent application is currently assigned to NiteScout LLC. Invention is credited to Robert Frank Cavallo, Santuccio Cavallo.
Application Number | 20110061283 12/780589 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 43729077 |
Filed Date | 2011-03-17 |
United States Patent
Application |
20110061283 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Cavallo; Santuccio ; et
al. |
March 17, 2011 |
ATTACHMENT SYSTEM USED TO MOUNT ACCESSORY DEVICES TO A FIREARM
Abstract
An attachment system for mounting an accessory device to a
longitudinal rail along the frame and forwardly of a trigger guard;
said rail configured with at least two longitudinal grooves, one
along each side of the rail, and further configured with a
transverse slot in the surface of the rail; an accessory including
a pair of longitudinal tongues, said tongues complimenting the
longitudinal grooves for retaining the accessory device on the
rail; a compression spring in a recess area formed in said
accessory upwardly biasing a latch, on the accessory device housing
and pivoting on a pivot pin; said latch containing a transversely
disposed elongated protuberance having a width slightly less than
the transverse slot of said rail for being received therein that
co-acts with the transverse slot in said rail to prevent further
longitudinal movement of the accessory device along the rail.
Inventors: |
Cavallo; Santuccio;
(Watertown, CT) ; Cavallo; Robert Frank;
(Prospect, CT) |
Assignee: |
NiteScout LLC
Watertown
CT
|
Family ID: |
43729077 |
Appl. No.: |
12/780589 |
Filed: |
May 14, 2010 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
61241653 |
Sep 11, 2009 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
42/72 ; 42/111;
42/114; 42/124; 42/90; 42/94 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F41G 11/003
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
42/72 ; 42/90;
42/114; 42/124; 42/111; 42/94 |
International
Class: |
F41C 27/00 20060101
F41C027/00; F41G 1/00 20060101 F41G001/00; F41G 1/387 20060101
F41G001/387; F41C 23/12 20060101 F41C023/12; F41A 23/12 20060101
F41A023/12 |
Claims
1. A firearm accessory device installation method comprising the
steps of: placing a rear end of the longitudinal tongues of a
housing of an accessory device to a firearm; engaging the forward
ends of at least two longitudinal grooves of a rail carried by the
firearm; depressing a latch to overcome the biasing force of a
compression spring causing the latch to enter a recess area formed
in the accessory device such that a protuberance of the latch lies
outside a plane of the firearm rail; urging the accessory device
rearwardly, thereby sliding the accessory device housing along the
rail while the accessory device housing is vertically retained by
the rail; contacting the protuberance of the latch to the bottom
surface of the rail with latch pivoting about a pivot pin against
the bias of a compression spring, until the transverse protuberance
of the latch enters a transverse slot as the compression spring
urges the latch upward.
2. A firearm attachment system comprising: a longitudinal rail
along the frame and forwardly of a trigger guard; said rail
configured with at least two longitudinal grooves, one along each
side of the rail, and further configured with a transverse slot in
the surface of the rail; an accessory device including a pair of
longitudinal tongues, said tongues complimenting the longitudinal
grooves for retaining the accessory device on the rail; a
compression spring in a recess area formed in said accessory
upwardly biasing a latch, on the accessory device housing and
pivoting on a pivot pin; said latch containing a transversely
disposed elongated protuberance having a width slightly less than
the transverse slot of said rail for being received therein that
co-acts with the transverse slot in said rail to prevent further
longitudinal movement of the accessory device along the rail when
the accessory device is at a predetermined position along the
rail.
3. The firearm attachment system of claim 2, whereby there are 2 or
more latches.
4. The firearm attachment system of claim 2, whereby the latch is
outfitted with a series (i.e. two, three, four, etc.) of
protuberances, such that the latch engages numerous transverse
slots along the weapons rail.
5. The firearm attachment system of claim 2, whereby the accessory
device comprises a laser.
6. The firearm attachment system of claim 2, whereby the accessory
device comprises an illuminator.
7. The firearm attachment system of claim 2, whereby the accessory
device comprises a scope.
8. The firearm attachment system of claim 2, whereby the accessory
device comprises an aiming device.
9. The firearm attachment system of claim 2, whereby the accessory
device comprises a hand-grip.
10. The firearm attachment system of claim 2, whereby the accessory
device comprises a tri-pod.
11. The firearm attachment system of claim 2, whereby the accessory
device comprises a computer device.
12. The firearm attachment system of claim 2, whereby the accessory
device comprises a non-lethal projectile device.
13. The firearm attachment system of claim 2, whereby the accessory
device comprises a lethal projectile device.
14. The firearm attachment system of claim 2, whereby the accessory
device comprises a spraying device.
15. The firearm attachment system of claim 2, whereby the accessory
device comprises an electroshock device.
16. The firearm attachment system of claim 2, whereby the accessory
device comprises a directed-energy device.
17. The firearm attachment system of claim 2, whereby the accessory
device comprises an electro-magnetic device.
18. The firearm attachment system of claim 2, whereby the accessory
device comprises a foam projectile device.
19. The firearm attachment system of claim 2, whereby the accessory
device comprises a bladed device.
20. The firearm attachment system of claim 2, whereby the accessory
device comprises a receiving device.
21. The firearm attachment system of claim 2, whereby the accessory
device comprises a transmitting device.
22. The firearm attachment system of claim 2, whereby the accessory
device comprises a camera.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This is application claims the priority benefit under 35
U.S.C. .sctn.119(e) of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/241,653,
Apparatus For Securing Accessories to a Firearm, filed on Sep. 11,
2009, each of the entire disclosures of which are hereby
incorporated by reference herein.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] This invention relates to an attachment system used to mount
accessory devices to a firearm including a handgun.
[0003] Handgun manufacturers have introduced various handgun models
having a longitudinal rail along the handgun's frame and forwardly
of the trigger guard, such rail being configured with two
longitudinal grooves, one along each side of the rail, and further
configured with a transverse slot in the surface of the rail. Such
rails are intended for accommodating accessories having a housing
configured with a pair of longitudinal tongues complimenting the
longitudinal grooves for retaining the accessory on the rail. The
latch on the housing of the accessory acts with the transverse slot
in the rail to prevent further longitudinal movement of the
accessory along the rail when the accessory device is at a
predetermined longitudinal position.
[0004] The longitudinal rails of handguns of some manufacturers may
be of a different configuration than the longitudinal rails of
handguns of other manufacturers. For example, some handguns include
a longitudinal rail commonly known as a Universal rail, while other
handguns include a rail commonly known as a Picatinny rail. The
width of the Universal rail is substantially less than the slot
width of the Picatinny rail. The present invention proposes an
attachment system, used to secure accessory devices to longitudinal
rails of different configurations, that facilitates the removal and
addition of accessories to a firearm.
[0005] Attaching accessory devices to a weapon typically requires
separate mechanical components or brackets, which may necessitate
tools, e.g. screwdrivers, wrenches, etc., for attaching the
accessory devices to a weapon or to the mechanical component.
Alternatively, attaching and detaching accessory devices or
mechanical components to the weapon may require partial disassembly
or modification of the weapon. Those attachment systems that
require neither partial disassembly nor modification of the weapon
require that the operator grip the forward part of the weapon with
one hand while using the other hand to attach or detach the
accessory. These requirements present a major disadvantage, in
that, they increase the difficulty and thus the amount of time
needed to attach or detach accessories from the weapon for whatever
reason the operator may have. For example, in the context of
handweapons this could present a problem by increasing the amount
of time it takes to put weapons back into their holsters or to
attach accessory devices to firearms after removing it from the
holster, since many holsters do not accommodate accessory devices.
In law enforcement and military applications, where time is of the
essence, time preservation may be crucial to the safety of the
weapon's operator or other individuals, as well as, the success of
a military or law enforcement operation.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] The present invention provides an attachment system used to
mount accessory devices to handguns and other firearms comprising
the steps of placing a rear end of the longitudinal tongues of a
housing of an accessory device to a firearm; engaging the forward
ends of at least two longitudinal grooves of a rail carried by the
firearm; depressing a latch to overcome the biasing force of a
compression spring causing the latch to enter a recess area formed
in the accessory device such that a protuberance of the latch lies
outside a plane of the firearm rail; urging the accessory device
rearwardly, thereby sliding the accessory device housing along the
rail while the accessory device housing is vertically retained by
the rail; contacting the protuberance of the latch to the bottom
surface of the rail with latch pivoting about a pivot pin against
the bias of a compression spring, until the transverse protuberance
of the latch enters a transverse slot as the compression spring
urges the latch upward.
[0007] The present invention further includes an attachment system
used to mount accessory devices to handguns and other firearms
comprising: a longitudinal rail along the frame and forwardly of a
trigger guard; said rail configured with at least two longitudinal
grooves, one along each side of the rail, and further configured
with a transverse slot in the surface of the rail; an accessory
device including a pair of longitudinal tongues, said tongues
complimenting the longitudinal grooves for retaining the accessory
device on the rail; a compression spring in a recess area formed in
said accessory upwardly biasing a latch, on the accessory device
housing and pivoting on a pivot pin; said latch containing a
transversely disposed elongated protuberance having a width
slightly less than the transverse slot of said rail for being
received therein that co-acts with the transverse slot in said rail
to prevent further longitudinal movement of the accessory device
along the rail when the accessory device is at a predetermined
position along the rail.
[0008] One object of the invention is to overcome the
aforementioned and other drawbacks of existing attachment systems.
At the heart of the present invention is the inventors' discovery
that existing attachment systems do not allow the operator to
attach or detach accessory devices while keeping one hand on the
weapon's grip (generally used by the hand that operates the
trigger). In addition, the inventors' have discovered that current
attachment systems require the operator to engage/disengage the
latching mechanism using two fingers; none permit the operator to
engage/disengage the latching mechanism using only one finger. As a
result, current attachment systems make it difficult, not only for
the operator to continue to hold the weapon via the weapon's grip
(generally used by the hand that operates the trigger) while adding
or removing an accessory device, but also to engage or disengage
the latching mechanism, all while on the move in combat. On the
contrary the present invention would allow operators to both,
maintain one hand on the weapon's grip while attaching or detaching
and accessory device and use only one finger to engage/disengage
the latching mechanism, allowing the operator to both
engage/disengage the latching mechanism and attach/detach the
accessory device while on the move.
[0009] Another object of the invention is to provide a mechanism
for attaching an auxiliary device to a weapon such that the
accessory device will maintain or better maintain boresight
alignment even after shocks of repeated weapon fire recoils.
[0010] Another object of the invention is to provide a mechanism
for mounting an accessory device to a weapon without temporary or
permanent disassembly or removal of any parts of the weapon to
which the accessory device is attached.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0011] The novel features believed to be characteristic of the
present invention, together with further advantages thereof, will
be better understood from the following description considered in
connection with the accompanying drawings in which preferred
embodiments of the invention are illustrated by example. It is to
be expressly understood, however, that the drawings are for the
purpose of illustration and description only and are not intended
as a definition of the limits of the invention.
[0012] FIG. 1 is a side elevation view of a firearm having a
longitudinal rail structure to which may be removably secured an
accessory device according to the present invention;
[0013] FIG. 2 is a front elevation view of the firearm of FIG. 1
according to the present invention;
[0014] FIG. 3 is a side elevation view of an accessory device
removably secured to the rail structure of the firearm of FIG. 1
according to the present invention;
[0015] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the auxiliary device
attached to the weapon frame and specifically depicting the
latching mechanism, pivoting on a pin, and being upwardly biased by
a compression spring according to the present invention;
[0016] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the auxiliary device's
transverse bar being upwardly biased by a compression spring and
engaging the transverse slot of the weapon rail according to the
present invention;
[0017] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the latch bar according to
the present invention;
[0018] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an alternate configuration
for the latch bar containing multiple engagement points according
to the present invention;
[0019] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a firearm to which is
attached a conventional accessory rail mount structure to which is
mounted an accessory according to the present invention;
[0020] FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the accessory rail mount
exemplified in FIG. 8, detached from the weapon according to the
present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0021] Turning first to FIG. 1, there is illustrated an example of
a firearm 1, specifically a handgun including a barrel 4 extending
along a longitudinal axis 3 from the handgun's frame 5. The handgun
1 includes a trigger guard 2 in front of the handgun's trigger.
[0022] As used herein, "longitudinal" describes a direction along
or parallel to the longitudinal axis 3 of the firearm's barrel 4;
"transverse" describes a horizontal direction perpendicular to the
axis 3 when the barrel 4 (or accessory device 9) is horizontally
positioned; "above" means vertically above and "upward" means
vertically upward when the firearm barrel 4 (or accessory device 9)
is horizontally positioned; "below" or "beneath" means vertically
below; "front" and "forward" describes the longitudinal direction
toward the muzzle of the barrel 4 or the accessory device 9 (i.e.,
to the right as shown in FIGS. 1 & 3); "rear" or "rearward"
describes the longitudinal direction opposite the front or forward
direction (i.e. to the left as shown in FIGS. 1 & 3);
"accessory device" includes any firearm accessory including, but
not limited to, lasers, illuminators, scopes, aiming devices,
hand-grips, tripods, computer devices, non-lethal projectile
devices, lethal projectile devices, spraying device, electroshock
weapons, directed-energy weapons, electro-magnetic weapons,
foam-projectile devices, bladed weapons, storage units, receiving
devices, transmitting devices, cameras, or any combination thereof;
"protuberance" describes the part of the latch 10 which engages the
transverse slot 7 of the rail; "outside" means not
intersecting.
[0023] The handgun 1 includes a longitudinal rail 21 along the
frame 5, below the barrel 4 and forwardly of the trigger guard 2.
Such rails are well known in the handgun art, for mounting
accessories thereto. The rail 21 is configured with two
longitudinal grooves 6a & 6b, one along each side of the rail
21, and is further configured with a transverse slot 7 in the
bottom surface of the rail 21. As is well known, such rails are
intended for cooperating with accessory devices having a housing
configured with a pair of longitudinal tongues (in this respect see
tongues 8a & 8b of the accessory device as shown in FIGS. 2, 3
& 4), with such tongues 8a & 8b complimenting the
longitudinal grooves 6a & 6b for securely retaining the
accessory device 9 on the rail 21. A latch 10 on the accessory
device housing co-acts with the transverse slot 7 in the rail 21 to
prevent further longitudinal movement of the accessory device 9
along the rail 21 when the accessory device 9 is at a predetermined
position along the rail 21.
[0024] Although the rail 21 is represented in FIG. 1 as being
integral with the frame 5 of the handgun 1, the rail 21 may also be
a separate structure that may be attached to the handgun beneath,
upward, and on the side of the barrel and forwardly of the trigger
guard. Such rails for handguns, both integral to the frame and
removable attachable to the handgun, as well as accessory devices
adapted for being removably attached to such rails as discussed
above.
[0025] Handgun manufacturers have introduced various handgun models
with integral rails having longitudinal grooves of the types shown
in FIG. 9. Although such longitudinal grooves among manufacturers
have been of substantially similar dimensions, the transverse slots
in the rails of the handguns of some manufacturers are of a
different width than the transverse slots in the rails of handguns
of other manufacturers. Specifically, the rails of some handguns
include a transverse slot of another predetermined width. For
example, some handguns include a rail commonly known as a Universal
rail, while other handguns include a rail commonly known as a
Picatinny rail; the slot width of the Universal rail is
substantially less than the slot width of the Picatinny rail. The
attachment system of the present invention accommodates both types
of rails, as well as other types of rails, known or unknown at this
time.
[0026] The attachment system includes two longitudinal tongues 8a
& 8b removably secured to the housing of the accessory device
9, for interfacing with the firearm rail 21 to enable the housing
of the attachment device 9 to be slid along the rail 21 (see FIGS.
2, 3 & 4). The longitudinal tongues 8a & 8b complimenting
the firearm's longitudinal grooves 6a & 6b for slidably
cooperating with the firearm's longitudinal grooves 6a & 6b
while being vertically retained by the rail 21 as shown in FIGS. 2,
3, 4 & 5.
[0027] An accessory device assembled with this attachment system
may be removably installed to the firearm 1. The accessory device 9
is placed to the firearm 1 with the rear end of the longitudinal
tongues 8a & 8b of the housing of the accessory device 9
engaging the forward ends of longitudinal grooves 6a & 6b of
the rail 21 carried by the firearm (see FIG. 4). The operator
depresses the latch 10 to overcome the biasing force of the
compression spring 12 causing the latch 10 to enter a recess area
11 formed in the accessory device (see FIGS. 3 & 4) such that
the protuberance of the latch 10 lies outside the plane of the
weapon rail 21. The accessory is then rearwardly urged, thereby
sliding the accessory device housing along the rail 21 while the
accessory device housing is being vertically retained by the rail.
The transverse protuberance of the latch 10 contacts the surface of
the rail 21 with the latch pivots about the pivot pin 13 against
the bias of the compression spring 12, until the transverse
protuberance of the latch 10 enters the transverse slot 7 as the
compression spring 12 urges the latch 10 upward (see FIG. 5).
[0028] It should be noted that the width of the protuberance of the
latch 10 is slightly less than the width of the transverse slot 7
such that the protuberance of the latch 10 fits into the transverse
slot 7. The engagement of the protuberance with the transverse slot
7 stops further longitudinal movement of the housing of the
accessory device 9 along the rail 21, longitudinally latching the
housing of the accessory device 9 in this position. The
longitudinal positions of the transverse slot 7 and of the
protuberance are preferably determined such that the rear end of
the accessory device 9 is situated forwardly of the handgun's
trigger guard 2 when the protuberance engages the transverse slot
7.
[0029] To remove the accessory device 9 from the firearm 1, the
operator depresses the latch 10 to overcome the biasing force of
the compression spring 12 causing the latch to enter a recess area
11 formed in the accessory device housing (see FIGS. 3 & 4)
such that the protuberance of the latch 10 is disengaged from the
transverse slot 7 and lies outside the plane of the weapon rail 21.
The operator thereupon forwardly urges the accessory device 9 to
slide along the rail until the accessory device 9 is removed from
the rail structure 21.
[0030] The present invention provides for an attachment system
where the operator may use one hand to remove or attach the
accessory device while using the other to grip the weapon. The
distinction between the present invention and other attachment
systems is that the latching mechanism only requires the use of
one, rather than two, of the operator's fingers to depress the
latch 10 to either disengage the protuberance of the latch 10 from
the transverse slot 7 or depress the protuberance of the latch
outside the plane of the weapon rail for either removal or
attachment. This facilitates the addition or removal of the
accessory device 9.
[0031] It has been noted that the latch 10 (see FIGS. 3, 4, 5, 6
& 7) contains a transversely disposed elongated protuberance
having a width w slightly less than the transverse slot 7 of the
firearm's rail 21 for being received therein. Different firearm
rails may have different slot widths, for example, two well known
types of rails (the Universal rail and the Picatinny rail) have
slots of respectively different standardized widths. In order to
accommodate both types of rails, the latch 10 may be provided
having a protuberance width w of approximately 0.125 inch for
accommodating the transverse in a Universal rail, while another
latch 10' (shown in FIG. 7) may be provided having a width of w' of
its transversely disposed elongate protuberance of approximately
0.205 inch for accommodating the transverse slot of a Picatinny
rail. Except for the differences in width of the transverse
protuberance shown as examples of the latch 10 and the latch 10',
the two latches 10 & 10' are substantially identical and one
may be substituted for the other in the accessory device 9
according to the present invention.
[0032] Accessory devices containing the attachment system,
presented for invention, may be removably secured to firearms other
than handguns, as well as to other types of firearms that do not
have integral rails but are adapted for having accessory rail mount
system devices secured thereto. Such rail mount system devices are
well known in the firearms art, and may be of the type 17
comprising a series of longitudinal spaced-apart ribs 19 separated
by transverse slots 7, such as a Picatinny rail (see FIG. 9).
According to one embodiment, the latch 10 may be outfitted with a
series (i.e. two, three, four, etc.) of protuberances such that the
latch engages numerous transverse slots along the weapons rail
providing for a more secure attachment for accessory devices. This
could be particularly useful when dealing with weapons where the
greater recoil force may cause the accessory device to
dislodge.
[0033] Such rail mount structures 17 may be secured to long arms,
for example a rifle or shotgun 20 as illustrated in FIG. 8.
[0034] As shown in FIG. 8 the accessory device may be removable
secured to such rail structures 17 secured to firearms other than
hand weapons. Where such rail structure 17 is of a type having
Picatinny rails, the latch 10' shown in FIG. 6 would be installed
in the accessory device 9, with the transverse protuberance having
a width w' for engaging any of the Picatinny rail slots 7. The
accessory device 22 may be removable secured to the rail structure
17 in substantially the same way as the accessory device 22 may be
removably secured to the rail 21 carried by the handgun 1. The
operator may adjust the longitudinal position of the accessory
device 22 on the rail by depressing the latch 10 until a selected
transverse slot 7 has been encountered by the protuberance.
[0035] Thus, there has been described a preferred embodiment of a
attachment system used to removably secure an accessory device,
without tools, to a longitudinal rail carried by a firearm, and
which accommodates the longitudinal rails of different
configurations carried by firearms. The attachment system allows
the operator to add or remove an accessory device, on the move, to
the different longitudinal rails carried by a firearm, by
maintaining one hand on the weapon's grip and holding the accessory
device in the other hand using only one finger to depress the
latching mechanism.
* * * * *