U.S. patent application number 15/178546 was filed with the patent office on 2016-12-15 for firearm stand.
The applicant listed for this patent is Peter Hanington. Invention is credited to Peter Hanington.
Application Number | 20160363407 15/178546 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 57515818 |
Filed Date | 2016-12-15 |
United States Patent
Application |
20160363407 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Hanington; Peter |
December 15, 2016 |
Firearm Stand
Abstract
A firearm stand includes a base having a bottom surface capable
of resting on a substantially horizontal support surface and
providing lateral and longitudinal stability, and a coupler
attached to the base and having a cavity for receiving and holding
a lower end portion of a firearm magazine extending from the
firearm. With the magazine of the firearm held in the coupler, the
firearm is held by the magazine in a desired position above the
substantially horizontal surface so it is not resting directly on
or against a surface, but is being held by the magazine above the
stand. The firearm can be easily removed from the said when desired
to be fired and easily replaced in the stand during periods when it
is not being fired.
Inventors: |
Hanington; Peter; (Elko,
NV) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Hanington; Peter |
Elko |
NV |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
57515818 |
Appl. No.: |
15/178546 |
Filed: |
June 9, 2016 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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62173192 |
Jun 9, 2015 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F41A 23/04 20130101 |
International
Class: |
F41A 23/02 20060101
F41A023/02 |
Claims
1. A firearm stand for supporting a firearm having a magazine
extending from the firearm comprising: a base, wherein the base is
capable of resting upon a substantially horizontal surface and
providing lateral and longitudinal stability for the firearm
supported by the stand; and a coupler attached to the base, wherein
the coupler is adapted to receive and hold a tower portion of a
magazine extending from the firearm.
2. The firearm stand of claim 1, wherein the coupler comprises a
substantially vertical member with a cavity therein, the cavity
open at the top of the vertical member and adapted to receive the
lower portion the firearm magazine therein.
3. The firearm stand of claim 2, wherein the cavity is of a size
and shape to receive and hold the lower portion the firearm
magazine therein without substantial loose side to side and back
and forth movement of the firearm magazine in the cavity.
4. The firearm stand of claim 3, wherein the cavity is oriented in
the coupler to receive and hold the lower portion of the firearm
magazine therein when the lower portion of the firearm magazine is
inserted into the cavity, in a position that will hold the firearm
above the substantially horizontal surface in a desired
position.
5. The firearm stand of claim 4, wherein the desired positioned is
the natural firing position.
6. The firearm stand of claim 5, wherein the coupler has a top
surface and wherein the top surface is sloped and the cavity
extends into the coupler perpendicularly to the top surface.
7. The firearm stand of claim 4, wherein the coupler has a top
surface and wherein the top surface is sloped and the cavity
extends into the coupler perpendicularly to the top surface.
8. The firearm stand of claim 3, wherein the firearm has a
longitudinal axis, wherein when the firearm is in the upright
natural firing position the firearm longitudinal axis is
substantially parallel to the supporting surface, wherein the lower
end portion the firearm magazine extends at an angle to the firearm
longitudinal axis, and wherein the cavity is oriented in the
coupler to hold the lower end portion of the firearm magazine when
inserted into the cavity at an angle to the supporting surface
whereby the firearm is held in upright natural firing position.
9. The firearm stand of claim 8, wherein the coupler has a top
surface and wherein the top surface is sloped and the cavity
extends into the coupler perpendicularly to the top surface.
10. The firearm stand of claim 1, wherein the coupler is removably
attached to the base.
Description
PRIORITY CLAIM
[0001] Priority is claimed copending U.S. Provisional Patent
Application Ser. No. 62/173,192 filed Jun. 9, 2015, which is hereby
incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Firearms are used for a variety of purposes, including
hunting, sport, and self-defense. Because firearms are, by their
very nature, capable of inflicting damage and deadly harm, it is
important that they function properly and accurately. Consequently,
it is important that dirt, dust, debris, and moisture be kept out
of the barrel and mechanical action in order to avoid malfunction,
misfire, and reduced accuracy.
[0003] During transport and storage, firearms are generally kept in
gun safes, gun racks, gun cases, or gun bags--this is intended not
only to secure the firearm from unauthorized use, but also to
protect the firearm from dirt, dust, debris, and moisture. However,
when the firearm is being used at a range, it is often inconvenient
to return the firearm to its case when reloading, checking targets,
adjusting the firearm, or at times actual shooting of the firearm
is not taking place. At such times, the firearm is normally placed
on its side on the firing line table or bench. However, many
firearm owners do not like to rest their firearms on their sides on
the table or bench.
[0004] Additionally, a large variety of accessories have been
developed for use in combination with firearms, tools, and other
related devices for the purposes of improving firearm accuracy.
Such accessories may include lights, sights, scopes, and lasers.
The accessories are generally mounted directly to the firearm,
often through use of a rail system. These accessories are often
calibrated so that they function properly and provide maximum
accuracy. The calibration sometimes takes place on the range. For
example, a sighting device such as a scope or laser is intended to
predict the flight of a bullet. The user fires several bullets at a
target at a known range. Based on where the bullets strike the
target relative to where the sighting device had predicted they
would, the user can adjust the sighting device to improve its
accuracy. It is often necessary to use both hands to perform the
calibration. It is therefore beneficial if the firearm is
positioned in its natural firing position to allow easy access to
and calibration of the firearm accessories. Further, once an
accessory is calibrated, is critical that the accessory remains
fixed and that it is not bumped or jostled in a manner that might
disturb the accessory's position on the firearm and cause the
accessory to become misaligned. This can happen when a firearm is
placed on its side.
[0005] It would therefore be advantageous that there be a means to
conveniently hold a firearm in its natural firing position and away
from any environmental factors, such as dirt and moisture, that
might damage or compromise the firearm's effectiveness. It is also
advantageous not to have to place the firearm on its side on a
surface such as the firing line table or bench.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] According to the invention, a firearm stand includes a base,
such as a base plate, having a bottom surface capable of resting
upon a substantially horizontal surface and providing lateral and
longitudinal stability, and a coupler attached to the base for
receiving and holding a lower end portion of a magazine extending
from the firearm to be held by the stand. With the lower end
portion of the magazine held in the coupler, the firearm is held by
the magazine in a desired position above the substantially
horizontal surface so it is not resting on its side. In one
embodiment of the invention, the coupler includes an open cavity
capable of receiving and holding the lower end portion of the
firearm magazine extending from the firearm to thereby hold the
firearm above the substantially horizontal surface and in a natural
firing position. This allows the firearm to be easily removed from
the stand when desired to be fired and easily replaced in the stand
during periods when it is not being fired. It also holds the
firearm in a position for easy attachment of and adjustment of
accessories.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0007] Various example embodiments of the present invention are
shown and described in reference to the numbered drawings
wherein;
[0008] FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a firearm stand with a firearm
mounted in the stand, in accordance with the illustrated embodiment
of the invention.
[0009] FIG. 2 is a rear left side perspective view of the firearm
stand and firearm of FIG. 1.
[0010] FIG. 3 is a rear left side perspective view of the firearm
stand of the invention without a firearm mounted in the stand.
[0011] FIG. 4 is a side elevation of the firearm stand of FIG.
3.
[0012] FIG. 5 is a rear elevation of the firearm stand of FIG.
3.
[0013] FIG. 6 is a bottom plan view of the firearm stand of FIG.
3.
[0014] FIG. 7 is a top rear perspective view of the stand of the
invention with a different base embodiment.
[0015] It will be appreciated that the drawings are illustrative
and not limiting of the scope of the invention that is defined by
the claims. The embodiments shown accomplish various aspects and
objects of the invention. It is appreciated that it is not possible
to clearly show each element and aspect of the invention in a
single figure, and as such, multiple figures are presented to
separately illustrate the various details of the invention in
greater clarity. Similarly, not every embodiment need accomplish
all advantages of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENTS
[0016] The invention, and accompanying drawings will now be
discussed in reference to the numerals provided therein so as to
enable one skilled in the art to practice the present invention.
The drawings and descriptions are exemplary of various aspects of
the invention and are not intended to narrow the scope of the
appended claims.
[0017] The firearm stand of the invention, as shown generally by
reference number 10 in FIGS. 1 and 2, includes a coupler 12
attached to a base 14. The base 14 is adapted to rest on a
substantially horizontal supporting surface 16 and provides lateral
and longitudinal stability for the coupler 14 to hold the coupler
14 in a substantially vertical position extending from base 14 and
the substantially horizontal supporting surface 16 upon which base
14 rests. The coupler 12 includes a cavity 18 therein sized and
shaped to receive and hold the bottom end portion of a firearm
magazine 20 extending from a firearm indicated generally as 22.
With the bottom end portion of firearm magazine 20 received in
coupler 12, the firearm 22 is held in a desired position, such as a
substantially upright natural firing position, above the
substantially horizontal supporting surface 16 as shown in FIGS. 1
and 2. The example firearm stand illustrated in the drawings is
sized and adapted to hold an AK type firearm and the firearm 22
shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is a general representation of an AR type
firearm. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the firearm 22 is held by the
firearm magazine 20 extending from the firearm in normal manner so
that the firearm is held and supported without any portion of the
firearm resting on or against any surface.
[0018] The firearm stand of the invention is shown in more detail
in FIGS. 3-6. Base 14 may take the form of a flat plate, as shown,
or other form having a flat bottom surface or other structure, such
as legs, to rest on the substantially horizontal supporting
surface. The base may be a metal or plastic plate, with a metal
plate, such as a steel plate, being advantageous to pinned weight
to the stand. Coupler 12 may be permanently attached to base 14 or,
as shown, may be removably attached to base 14, such as by screws
24 extending through screw openings 26 in base 14 and being screwed
into threaded screw receiving openings 28 in coupler 12. FIGS. 3-6.
However, base 14 and coupler 12 can be attached though a wide
variety of other commonly known attachment means, including bolts,
rivets, magnets, welding, glue, epoxy, or snaps. Coupler 12 can be
made of various materials such as plastic or metal, and can be
advantageously molded of a plastic or resin material. Coupler 12 is
a substantially vertical member and includes cavity 18 which opens
through the top surface 30 of coupler 12. Cavity 18 is adapted to
receive and hold the bottom end portion of a firearm magazine 20
extending from the firearm 22 to be held by the firearm stand.
Cavity 18 is sized and shaped to easily receive and hold the lower
end portion of the firearm magazine, and to hold the lower end
portion of the firearm magazine in the cavity without substantial
loose side to side and hack and forth movement of the firearm
magazine in the cavity. This means that the firearm magazine is
held in a substantially stationary state with very little if any
side to side and back and forth movement allowed.
[0019] The size, shape, and orientation of cavity 18 will depend
upon the particular firearm magazine to be received by the cavity
and the particular type of firearm the coupler is to be used with.
For example, cavity 18 will be sized and shaped to receive the
lower end portion of the firearm magazine used with the particular
type of firearm with which the stand is to be used. Different
firearms use different sized and shaped magazines. As indicated,
for explanation purposes, the figures illustrate an AR type of
firearm and the type of magazine used with AR type firearms, and
illustrate a cavity 18 sized and shaped to receive the lower end
portion of AR type magazines. However, the coupler may be adapted
for use with other types of firearms, such as for example, AK or HK
types of firearms, and in such cases the cavity 18 in the coupler
will be sized and shaped to receive and hold the lower end portion
of the particular magazine used with such other type of firearm.
FIGS. 1 and 2 show firearm 22 with magazine 20 extending therefrom
received in the coupler cavity of the firearm stand 10 so that
firearm 22 is held by the firearm stand.
[0020] In the illustrated example embodiment of FIGS. 1-6, and in
the embodiment of FIG. 7, the coupler 12 includes a front end 32
and a rear end 34. Front end 32 is taller than the rear end 34 so
that the top surface 30 of coupler 12 is sloped downward from the
front end 32 to the rear end 34. In addition, cavity 18 extends
into coupler 12 perpendicularly to cavity top surface 30. This
results in cavity 18 being oriented, in coupler 12 at an angle with
respect to the base and to the substantially horizontal supporting
surface upon which the base is adapted to rest, see FIG. 4. The
firearm being held will usually have a longitudinal axis which,
when in this upright natural firing position, is substantially
parallel to the supporting surface, and perpendicular to the
vertical. As indicated, this illustrated embodiment is adapted to
be used with AR type firearms, and as shown in FIG. 1, the lower
end of the AR type magazines are angled forwardly at an angle 36 to
the vertical when the firearm is in a substantially upright natural
firing position as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. In the illustrated
embodiment for use with AR type firearms, the cavity 18, as shown
in FIG. 4, is oriented at the same angle 36 from the vertical so
that when the lower end portion of the magazine is inserted into
the cavity 18, the firearm is positioned in the substantially
upright natural firing position as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, with the
longitudinal axis of the firearm substantially parallel to the
supporting surface. The angled orientation of the cavity 12 can be
provided regardless of whether or not the top surface of the
coupler is sloped or regardless of the degree of slope of the top
surface, however, the slope of the top surface 30 of the coupler,
as shown, including the cavity extending substantially
perpendicularly to the top surface, is advantageous for more easily
receiving the angled lower end portion of firearm magazine 20 when
inserting the lower end portion of the magazine 20 into the angled
recess 18 or for releasing the lower end portion of magazine 20
when removing the lower end portion of the magazine 20 from the
angled recess 18. Different types of firearms with different
magazine configurations may have different angles and require
different cavity orientations to hold such firearms in desired
positions. For example, if a magazine extends vertically downwardly
from a firearm, the cavity 18 would extend vertically into the
coupler to hold such firearm in a substantially upright natural
firing position and the coupler would probably have a horizontal
top surface. The orientation of the cavity 18 will also change if
the desired position for holding the firearm is other than in the
substantially upright standard firing position. The cavity
orientation and the top surface orientation may change as best
suited to secure different types, styles, and shapes of firearm
magazines in desired positions. Further, the size of the coupler
may vary for use with different firearms and firearm magazines. A
coupler size of approximately 3.82 inches long and 2.25 inches wide
at the widest point has been found satisfactory far AR type
firearms.
[0021] The size and shape of the base 14 of the firearm stand can
vary greatly. In the illustrated example embodiment of FIGS. 1-6,
the base plate includes a front end 40, a rear end 42, and sides
44, FIGS. 3 and 6. The front end 40 has a concave circular edge 46
and the rear end 42 has a convex circular edge 48. The concave
circular edge 21 and the convex circular edge 23 may provide
additional longitudinal stability. When the firearm stand 10 is
placed on a planar surface, the concave circular edge 46 can also
rest against an anchor that is compatible in shape to the concave
circular edge 46 to provide additional stability and keep the
firearm stand 10 from sliding on the planar surface. The front end
40 may be of any shape that promotes stability and that may be
compatible with an anchor on a planar surface, if used. A size for
the illustrated base plate 14 of approximately 4.9 inches wide at
its roar end 42, approximately 2.5 inches wide at its front end 40,
and approximately 5.6 inches long has been found satisfactory. The
convex circular edge 48 may have a radius of 3.8 inches and the
concave circular edge 46 may have a radius of 1.75 inches.
[0022] In use, the base 14 is placed on a substantially horizontal
supporting surface 16, which when used in a firing range can be the
firing line table or bench, to provide both lateral and
longitudinal stability to the coupler 12. The firearm 22 is placed
in the firearm stand 10 by inserting the lower end portion of the
firearm magazine 20 into the cavity 18 in coupler 12 so that the
firearm 22 is held upright in natural firing position. In this
position, the firearm itself does not make any contact with the
supporting surface 16 and is completely supported by the firearm
stand 10, and any attachments are also held off the supporting
surface and are easily accessible. The firearm can remain in this
position in the firearm stand until it is to be fired or otherwise
moved, at which time a user will lift the firearm to remove the
lower end of the magazine 20 from the cavity 18 in coupler 12. In
this illustrated example embodiment of the invention where the
coupler 12 is adapted to receive the lower end portion of the
magazine 20 extending from an AR type firearm 22, the coupler 12 is
positioned toward the rear 42 of the base 14 to balance the firearm
22 in upright position. By positioning the coupler 12 towards the
rear of the base 14, there is increased longitudinal stability at
the front of the base 14 to accommodate the weight of firearm 22
with a barrel that extends well past the from of the base 14. The
placement of the coupler on the base will depend upon the firearm
and the positioning of the magazine with respect to the firearm to
be received by the coupler. The positioning of the magazine with
respect to the firearm will determine the forces exerted by the
lower end of the magazine when received in the coupler that need to
be countered by the base of the stand when positioned on the
supporting surface. If, for example, the magazine is positioned on
the firearm with approximately equal weight of the firearm ahead of
(in front of) the magazine and behind the magazine, the coupler can
be mounted approximately centered on the base. If more weight of
the firearm is ahead the magazine, the coupler may be positioned
towards the rear of the base plate 14 to hold the firearm 22 in
upright position lo accommodate the weight of the firearm 22 that
would extend past the front of the base plate 22. Conversely, if
more weight of the firearm is behind the magazine, the coupler may
be positioned towards the front of the base plate 14 to hold the
firearm 22 in upright position to accommodate the weight of the
firearm 22 that would extend past the rear of the base plate
22.
[0023] FIG. 7 shows a firearm stand similar to that of FIGS. 1-6,
but with a different shaped base 50. The coupler 12 is the same as
in FIGS. 1-6. Any shape and size base can be used as long as it
provides sufficient lateral and longitudinal stability for the
particular firearm to be held in the firearm stand. The base can be
made in many different decorative shapes and designs, or in the
design of various logos.
[0024] As indicated, the coupler can be either permanently attached
to the base or can be removably attached to the base. If
permanently attached and a user has several different types of
firearms, a separate firearm holder of the invention comprising
both the base and the coupler will be needed for each different
type of firearm. If removably attached, a single base can be used
and the appropriate coupler for the particular firearm being used
on an outing can be attached to the base. When a different firearm
is to be used, the appropriate coupler is attached to the base.
[0025] The foregoing detailed description describes the invention
with reference to specific exemplary embodiments. However, it will
be appreciated that various modifications and changes can be made
without departing from the scope of the present invention as set
forth in the appended claims. The detailed description and
accompanying drawings are to be regarded as merely illustrative,
rather than as restrictive, and all such modifications or changes,
if any are intended to full within the scope of the present
invention as described and set forth herein.
* * * * *