Firearm Support

Abstract

Firearm support for steadying a firearm during field and target shooting. Features include a pointed shaft having a firearm support member slidably mounted thereon. The latter has a firearm support surface and can be swung from a position in which the support surface is substantially at a right angle to the shaft to a raised position. Friction devices on the support member grip the shaft when the support surface is at the right angled position to prevent movement of the support member axially of the shaft. Raising the support member disengages the friction means to permit axial movement of the support member along the shaft. Adjustable damping devices restrict axial movement on the shaft. A hand grip and a special locking device lock the support member in the raised position.

Description

This invention relates to a support, and more particularly to a device used for supporting an instrument or article such as for supporting the barrel of a rifle, handgun or the like in order to steady the weapon during field or target shooting.

A special feature of the invention lies in the provision of an adjustable device which can be used to support a firearm at the required height while firing, thereby providing for steadier and more accurate aiming. The device is designed so that when not being used as a support, it is quickly and easily convertible into a walking or hiking stick.

Although firearm supports of various kinds have been available from time to time, these have not possessed the facility for ready adjustment once the shooter has assumed the required position. Thus, when he gets into position, takes aim and prepares to fire, the position of the target may not be where the shooter estimated it to be, and with these known prior devices he must get out of position, adjust the support and then resume his shooting position. All devices of this kind of which I am aware are ones which provide a support mounted on a shaft and held in axial position along the shaft by means of a hand tightened wing nut or other mechanical fastening device.

Among the important objects of the invention is the provision of a firearm support which is readily convertible into a walking or hiking stick.

Another important object of the invention lies in the provision of a shooter's support which is readily and rapidly adjustable to the required position, both vertically and laterally, by the touch of the hand or by the application of slight pressure with the barrel of the firearm.

A related object of the invention is the provision of a shooter's support which can be easily adjusted to the required position from the sitting, kneeling, or prone shooting positions.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a firearm support which is simple to use and manufacture, has a minimum of moving parts, and is settable in the desired position without the need for mechanical adjustments.

According to the invention, the various objects noted above, as well as others implicit in the disclosure, are achieved by a laterally extending firearm support member mounted on a shaft having a sharpened point so that it can be pressed into the ground. The support member is fashioned so that in one position the shaft nests within a groove running lengthwise of the support. The support member has the facility of swinging movement to a lateral or horizontal position relative to the shaft, and axial movement along the shaft to the desired position. Frictional gripping devices on the support member are so arranged that when the support member is in the laterally swung position, they clamp the support member on the shaft. Raising of the support member away from the laterally swung position, as by swinging it upwardly slightly with the barrel of the rifle, releases the grip of the frictional devices and allows for axial adjustment to whatever desired position the shooter selects. Damping screws on the support member are constantly in engagement with the shaft and control the rate of axial movement along the shaft.

Turning now to the illustrative embodiment of the invention, reference will be made to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 shows the device with the support in the retracted position;

FIG. 2 shows device in the position in which the support is adapted to support a firearm;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view with portions of the structure broken away for clarity, and further showing the support twice; one in broken lines and again in full lines for illustrative purposes; and

FIG. 4 is a plan sectional view on the same scale as FIG. 3.

Attention is first directed to FIGS. 1 and 2. As shown therein, the illustrative form of the device comprises a shaft 10 which is typically formed of tubular steel or like material and which is provided with a machined spike 11 secured to the lower end as by swaging or the like. The upper end of the shaft is provided with a cap 12 which may be press fitted into the open end of the shaft. A threaded opening 13 is located in the cap 12 for purposes which will become apparent hereinafter.

A support member or slide 14 which functions to support the barrel of a rifle at any desired position is provided on the shaft. Support member or slide 14, also shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, is preferably cast of aluminum or similar material and is provided with a depression 15 running lengthwise thereof. The slide is formed so that it can be moved up to the top of the shaft and then swung upwardly against the shaft, as shown in FIG. 1, and in this position the end of the shaft fits or nests within the depression. The end portion 16 of the slide fits against the end of the shaft when the shaft is nested within the depression in order to restrain relative movement of the slide along the shaft.

I prefer to use a suitable hand grip or knob 17 on the end of the slide as can be seen in the drawings, especially FIGS. 3 and 4. A screw or other fastener 18 is fixed within knob 17 and fits through a hole 19 in the end 16 of the slide.

The fastener in the hand grip thus serves to lock the parts in nested relationship when the device is not in use, thus allowing it to serve as a walking stick when desired. When the hand grip 17 is rotated to unscrew the fastener 18 from the cap 12, the slide is then free to be laterally swung relatively to the shaft into rifle-supporting position. The barrel of the rifle or other firearm is intended to be supported during aiming on a firearm support surface 20 which is preferably provided with a protective layer of a plastic, rubber or like material in order to prevent scratching or other damage to the barrel of the firearm.

A straplike retainer portion 22 is formed integrally with the slide at the end opposite the hand grip 17. Retainer portion 22 extends around the shaft 10 and as can be best seen upon reference to FIGS. 3 and 4, it is both laterally displaced from and raised with respect to the terminal portion 23 of the depression 15, so that both swinging movement and thereafter sliding movement with respect to the shaft are permitted when the slide is laterally swung as illustrated in FIG. 3.

An important feature of the invention lies in the provision of means for releasably holding the slide at any desired position along the shaft. Preferably, this means comprises frictional or clamping devices which are located at the terminus of the depression 15 and in the wall of the retainer portion 22. Although a variety of frictional materials can be used, I prefer to employ setscrews 25 and 26 which are secured in holes drilled in the slide. In carrying out this aspect of the invention, the holes are located so that the threads of the setscrews project into the opening through which the shaft fits so that they contact the shaft 10 when the slide is in the laterally swung position. It can be seen that the weight of the slide including the hand grip, plus downward pressure applied by the barrel of the rifle causes the screws 25 and 26 to bite into the walls of the shaft, thus, in effect, clamping or gripping the slide on the shaft, no matter how much pressure is applied. Nevertheless, when the slide is pivoted slightly with respect to the shaft, as by lifting with the barrel of a firearm as is illustrated in phantom lines in FIG. 3, the frictional devices are easily disengaged from the shaft sidewalls and the slide is free to move up and down the shaft.

Preferably, three point contact of the frictional devices on the shaft is employed, as can be best seen in FIG. 4, as by this arrangement wobbling of the slide of the shaft is eliminated.

In practice, it has been found that damping means should be employed in order to retard slippage of the support member along the shaft when the frictional gripping devices 25 and 26 are not pressed against the shaft as well as to prevent uncontrolled bouncing between the top and bottom friction points. For this purpose, according to the preferred form of the invention, I provide a pair of screws 27 which are threaded into transversely extending diametrically opposed openings in the support member at points located slightly offset with respect to the centerline of the shaft 10. These screws are provided with tips of rubber or other material having a relatively high coefficient of friction and the tips of these screws press into engagement with the shaft with the desired amount of pressure by advancing the screws 27. The amount of pressure applied by these tips can be adjusted by the sportsman and will vary with individual desires, with the amount of moisture on the shaft and like considerations. As a generality, it might be said that when the frictional devices 25 and 27 are out of engagement with the shaft, the tips should permit the support member to move slowly down the shaft.

It should be noted that even though one damping screw would work satisfactorily, the slide may be positioned on either side of the shaft and the single damping screws would thus, at times, be inaccessible. Accordingly, for convenience and speed of operation, as indicated above, the preferred form of the invention envisages the use of two damping screws.

The reason for the slight offset with respect to the shaft centerline will be best appreciate if it is considered that the screws are not intended to hold the slide, but to restrict uncontrolled motion. With the tips 28 just forward of center, that is, on the same side as the knob of the slide, lifting of the slide decreases the pressure applied by the tips and with about a twenty degree lift of the slide, the tips are clear of the shaft and the slide can unrestrictedly move.

In use, as should be apparent from the above explanation of the structure, the shooter presses the pointed end of the shaft into the ground and unscrews fastener 18 from the cap 12 by rotating the hand grip 17. The slide is then swung down with respect to the shaft and may be set by the shooter by pivoting it slightly to release the frictional devices and then moving it axially of the shaft by hand into the approximate position desired. Thereafter, when he has assumed the shooting position and desires to shift the slide axially of the shaft, he lifts the slide gently with the barrel of his weapon, as can be seen in the phantom line view in the upper part of FIG. 3. This releases the gripping devices 25 and 26 and when the slide is so lifted, it can be raised or allowed to slip downwardly as desired. As indicated above, the damping screws 27 control the rate of slippage along the shaft, thereby preventing sudden movements. When the slide is at the desired height, the shooter merely stops pressing on it and its own weight instantly locks the slide in position on the shaft. Thereafter, when the barrel or forearm is rested on the support surface 20, the weight of the barrel or forearm presses the gripping devices more tightly against the shaft.

From the foregoing, it should be evident that I have provided a support which is simple in function, easy to use and applicable for use in all manner of shooting and other sports. Due to the unique construction of devices formed according to the invention, the structure serves as a comfortably held walking or hiking stick when not being used as a support. The facility for rapid adjustability is of prime importance since the movement of game necessitates quick adjustment without resorting to undue body movement of the shooter.

Claims

I claim:

1. A firearm support comprising a shaft having a pointed end for penetration of the ground, a support member mounted on said shaft having a support surface for steadying the barrel of a firearm or the like, said support member having an opening therein through which said shaft is adapted to fit, said opening being dimensioned to allow for movement of the support member lengthwise of the shaft and further to permit swinging movement of the support member from a position in which the support surface is substantially at a right angle to the shaft and a raised position in which the surface is at a more acute angle with respect to the shaft, gripping means on said support member positioned on opposite sides of the shaft and adjacent thereto to grip said shaft when the support surface is at said right angled position thereby preventing movement of the support member relatively to the shaft and to be moved away from the shaft when the support member is in said raised position, thereby permitting axial movement of the support member along the shaft, and damping means engageable with the shaft for retarding movement of the support member along the shaft when the support member is in said raised position.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said damping means comprises a pair of screws each having a tip of resilient material engageable with said shaft, said screws each having a handgrip for adjusting the pressure applied against said shaft by said resilient tips.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1, the damping means comprising tips of resilient material in face-to-face aligned relationship with the center of contact of each tip on the shaft being offset with respect to the longitudinal axis of the shaft and on the side of said axis adjacent the support surface.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said support member has a groovelike depression running lengthwise thereof, the upper end of said shaft being adapted to rest within the depression when the support member is near the top of the shaft and swung upwardly relatively thereto, means for locking the support member in the position in which the shaft is nested in the depression and a handgrip on the end of said support member for facilitating use of the apparatus as a walking stick when the shaft and support member are locked in said nested relationship.