Firearm Adjustable Cheek Piece

Abstract

Gunstock having a movable cheek piece carried on the side thereof which is adjustable to variably accommodate the gunstock in cradled position against a user's face.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention has to do with gunstocks and the provision of a movable face engaging portion or cheek piece thereon to enable variable, preset accommodation of the gunstock in cradled position against a user's face to enable ready sighting alignment.

2. Prior Art

Gunstocks conventionally are configured to be comfortably accommodated against the user's face when sighting down the barrel or when aligning the gun sights. The upper portion of the gunstock, or comb, is sized and contoured for the average user and typically no provision is made for differences among prospective users, so that an individual sighting adjustment must be made each time in cradling the gunstock to achieve both comfort and targeted alignment of the sights. A given user will cradle the gunstock in the same manner time after time so that an appropriately dimensioned gunstock could be thrown to the shoulder and be sighted upon cradling against the face. Custom turning of gunstocks for each user would be economically prohibitive, of course.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is accordingly a major objective of my invention to provide an adjustability in the comb portion of gunstocks enabling variable accommodation of the gunstock in cradled position suited to the particular user, generally by provision of a movable cheek piece or face engaging means on the side of the gunstock which is adjustable vertically, horizontally and angularly for a particular gun user, so that upon personalized adjustment thereof, the gun is appropriately positioned for sighting merely upon being brought to the cradle position.

Specifically, the invention provides a gunstock supporting a gun mechanism and a gun barrel and adapted to be cradled against a user's face, which includes a movable face engaging means carried on the side and top thereof and adjustable to variably accommodate the gunstock in cradled position. The face engaging means is mounted to have multiple degrees of freedom including vertical front or rear, or front and rear, movement; horizontal or transverse front and rear, or front or rear, movement; and angular transverse movement of the lower portion relative to the upper portion thereof. Structure for thus mounting the face engaging means is provided including a plurality of distributed spacer elements supporting the face engaging means in adjusted spaced relation with the gunstock body and an elongated frame secured lengthwise to the gunstock body and adapted to anchor the spacer elements onto the gunstock body. The face engaging means typically will comprise a curved molding of rigid synthetic organic plastic saddled on the gunstock body over the frame which molding may be resiliently supported by springs compressed between the face engaging means and the gunstock body to dampen recoil forces transmitted to the face engaging means, the assembly typically being accommodated in the comb portion of the gunstock body which has been relieved for such accommodation substantially within the plane of the comb. The spacer elements include vertically disposed elements and horizontally disposed elements each being individually adjustable to correspondingly adjust that portion of the face engaging means which it supports respectively vertically or horizontally, and an additional spacer element adjusting the spacing of the lower portions of the face engaging means relative to the upper portions thereof generally radially of the gunstock body.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be further described as to illustrative embodiments thereof in connection with the attached drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a view taken in longitudinal section through a typical form of movable face engaging means, according to the invention and illustrating one form of securement to the gunstock;

FIG. 2 is an expanded, perspective view illustrative of the mounting structure frame and its assembly for attachment to the gunstock;

FIG. 3 is a plan view taken along line 3--3 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a cross-section taken on line 4-4 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary view in section taken on line 5--5 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary view in section taken on line 6--6 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary view in section taken on line 7--7 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 8 is a view similar to FIG. 1 showing a variational form of the invention;

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary view in section taken on line 9--9 in FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is an enlarged fragmentary view in section taken on line 10--10 in FIG. 9; and

FIG. 11 is a view similar to FIG. 4 showing a variational form of the invention.

Referring now to the drawings, and particularly to FIGS. 1 and 3 which show the attachment of a cheek piece generally indicated at 1 to the comb 2 of a gunstock 3 carrying recoil pad 3a, it will be understood that the cheek piece broadly comprises a wood structure, metal stamping, casting or molding of a suitably rigid plastic material such as styrene polymer, rubber modified styrene polymer or acrylonitrilebutadiene-styrene polymer, or other synthetic organic polymer, thermoplastic or thermosetting, which can be molded or formed into a longitudinally bowed and generally U-shaped cross-section wall 4 (see FIGS. 4-7) having a suitable thickness, e.g. varying from one-sixteenth inch to one-half inch in various sections and adapted to be saddled over the comb of the gunstock and engaged against a user's face without distortion.

The gunstock comb 2 is relieved at 5 below the cheek piece arch 6 to accommodate the cheek piece 1 generally in the plane of the comb and to provide for a mounting structure indicated at 7 which mounts the cheek piece on the gunstock body 8. The cheek piece 1 includes a relatively long face engaging side panel 9 below the arch 6 and overlying the gunstock body surface portion 8a normally opposite the user's cheek and terminating in a rolled edge 49 approximately one-half inch in thickness and a relatively short side panel 10, preferably terminally feathered, e.g. to approximately one-sixteenth inch at 11 (see FIG. 4) overlying the opposite surface 8b of the gunstock body 8.

Attachment of the cheek piece 1 to the gunstock body 8 in the embodiment of FIGS. 1-7 is by means of the mounting structure 7 and particularly by frame 12, an elongated member, rectangular in cross-section as shown or as a channel or U-shape metal extrusion, stamping or die casting or plastic molding, which is sized to interfit the vertically relieved section 5 of the gunstock body. Screw fasteners 13 in frame holes 14 secure the frame 12 to the gunstock body 8 at suitable longitudinally spaced locations forwardly, centrally and rearwardly on the frame. Recoil dampening is provided by front and rear recoil springs 141 conveniently secured by fasteners 13. The cheek piece 1 is adjustably mounted on the gunstock body 8 by spacer elements comprising vertically disposed adjustment bolts 15 and 16 respectively forwardly and rearwardly positioned on the frame 12. Bolts 15, 16 are inserted through the cheek piece arch portion 6 at recesses 17 and 18 therein respectively to have bolt heads 15a and 16a engage the cheek piece arch 6 below the general plane of the arch. Snap rings 19 and 20 are provided below the arch portion 6 on the bolts 15, 16 cooperating with bolt heads 15a, 16a to clamp the cheek piece 1 to the bolt while permitting axial bolt rotation. The bolts 15, 16 respectively, are anchored to the frame 12 by means of nuts 21 and 22 threaded onto the bolts, the nuts being captured against rotation in nut cages 23 and 24 below the bolt passing slots 25 and 26 in the frame; see FIG. 2. The nut cages 23,24 secured to frame 12 by screw fasteners 27 are located respectively in recesses 28 and 29 in the gunstock body 8 to permit full length engagement of the frame with the body. Rotation of the bolts 15, 16 moves bolt heads 15a, 16a inwardly or outwardly and correspondingly varies the spacing relation of the cheek piece 1 to the gunstock body 8 to provide for vertical adjustment of the cheek piece. Bolts 15 and 16 are individually adjustable enabling the same vertical adjustment of front portion 1a and rear portion 1b of the cheek piece 1 or a different adjustment of each portion, e.g. front portion 1a downward, rear portion 1b upward, or vice versa, according to a user's requirements.

Adjustment transverse to the gunstock longitudinal axis 30 is provided by horizontally disposed spacer elements shown in the form of forward and rearward bolts 31 and 32 respectively, threaded through frame 12 at threaded bores 33 and 34 respectively. As best shown in FIG. 5, forward horizontal bolt 31 comprises a fully threaded shank 35, a head 36 having an internal hexagonal wrench opening 36a and engaging cheek piece short side panel 10 opposite opening 37 therein to provide access through the cheek piece 1 for adjustment of the bolt, and a foot pad 38 which may be a metal hemisphere welded to the bolt, to engage shoulder 39; see FIG. 3. Rotation of bolts 31, 32 moves their bolt heads 36 inwardly or outwardly relative to the frame 12 and moves foot pads 38 oppositely with respect to the frame, to thus adjust the cheek piece 1 toward the left or right side of the gunstock body 8. Bolts 31, 32 are individually adjustable, enabling the same transverse adjustment of cheek piece front portion 1a and rear portion 1b or a different transverse adjustment of each portion, e.g. front portion 1a left and rear portion 1b right, or vice versa, according to the user's requirements.

It will be noted that the transverse adjustments described are independent of the vertical alignment of the cheek piece portions 1a and 1b which is determined by the setting of bolts 15, 16 and that vertical and transverse adjustments are separately accomplished. Vertically disposed bolts 15, 16 pass through slots 25, 26 in the frame 12 as described, to enable lateral frame movement transversely of the gunstock body longitudinal axis 30.

Horizontally disposed bolts 31, 32 are locked against maladjusting rotation by a resilient locking arrangement best shown at 40 in FIGS. 1 and 2 and comprising for each bolt an assembly of a nylon plug 41, a compression spring 42 and an adjustment screw 43 all receivable in a terminally threaded longitudinal bore 44 extending from their respective frame ends 45, 46 to the front and rear transverse bores 33, 34 in which the horizontal bolts 31, 32 are threaded. The plug 41 and spring 42 are inserted in the bore 44 to bear against the adjacent horizontally disposed bolt 31 or 32 with a force adjustable by threaded adjustment of screw 43 within the bore, prior to completing mounting of the frame 12 on the gunstock body 8 with front or rear fastening screws 14.

A further adjustment is provided to vary the cant or angular relation of the cheek piece long side panel 9 to the gunstock body 8. As best shown in FIG. 4, adjustment bolt 47 passing through vertical slot 48 in the panel lower portion 49 is threaded into nut 50 fixed in the gunstock body 8 at a location approximately intermediate the top and bottom of the body with its bolt head 51 outwardly exposed within recess 52. O-ring 53 is on the bolt 47 beneath the lower panel portion 49 and between interior shoulder 54 thereof and the recess 55 in gunstock body 8 to afford resilient support for the lower panel portion in various adjustment conditions. Adjustment of cheek piece cant is achieved by rotating bolt 47 for inward or outward movement and corresponding movement of the cheek piece long side panel lower portion 49. Because of the overall rigidity of the cheek piece 1 the upper portion 56 thereof is caused to move also although to a lesser extent as the cheek piece in effect pivots on mounting structure 7.

A variational form of mounting structure is depicted in FIGS. 8-10 wherein like parts to FIGS. 1-7 are given like numerals. As in the previous embodiments cheek piece 1 is mounted on gunstock body 8 having a longitudinal bore 8c, and a relieved section 5 of the comb portion 2 of the body. In this embodiment, the comb portion 2 has been relieved in a somewhat different manner so that the cheek piece 1 may be entirely within the top plane of the gunstock body 8. The mounting structure 71 utilizes the gunstock body 8 above and below body bore 8c as the support for all mounting and adjustment bolts; the frame and its screw fasteners having been dispensed with.

The gunstock body 8 is provided with tapped horizontally disposed transverse front and rear bores 57 and 58 respectively drilled thereinto which threadedly receive horizontal adjustment screws 59 and 60. The horizontal adjustment screws 59, 60 are each provided with a transverse threaded bore 61 and 62 for purposes now to be explained.

As most clearly shown in FIG. 10, the cheek piece is supported vertically by spacer elements in the form of front and rear vertical adjustment bolts 63 and 64 which pass through the arch 6 of cheek piece 1 at recesses 65 and 66 respectively, and slots 67 and 68 in the gunstock body 8 therebelow and are threaded into horizontal adjustment screws 59, 60 respectively, at their transverse bores 61, 62. Springs 69, 70 are centered on vertically disposed bolts 63, 64 respectively, to serve as recoil absorbers and spacers of the cheek piece above the gunstock body 8 while also serving to prevent unwanted rotation of adjustment screws 59, 60.

Vertical and horizontal adjustment of the cheek piece 1 in the present embodiment is secured by rotation of the horizontal adjusting screws 59, 60 to vary the relation of their transverse bores 61, 62 to the gunstock longitudinal axis 30, and threading the vertically disposed bolts 63, 64 with the cheek piece 1 attached thereto into these bores a variable distance for a desired adjustment.

As in the earlier embodiment, a cant adjustment is provided, best shown in FIG. 9, by means of adjustment bolt 72 threaded into fixed nut 73 with bolt head 74 and lock washer 75 in engagement with vertically slotted retainer 76 embedded in recess 77 in the cheek piece long side panel lower portion 49. The retainer slot 78 permits vertical adjustment of the cheek piece 1 relative to the cant adjustment bolt 72. As indicated by the different longitudinal positionings of adjustment bolt 72 in the FIG. 1 and FIG. 8 embodiments, this adjustment element may be variously placed relatively forwardly or rearwardly in the cheek piece lower portion 49 as desired.

A further variational form of transverse adjustment is shown in FIG. 11, wherein like parts to FIGS. 1-10 are given like numerals. A modified form of transverse adjustment assembly is provided comprising a threaded sleeve 80 which is fixed in transverse bore 58. Sleeve 80 has a longitudinal central slot 81 to receive vertical adjustment bolt 64. Nut 82 slides into sleeve 80 to engage bolt 64. The position of nut 82 is adjustable to correspondingly vary the transverse positioning of cheek piece 1 on the gunstock body 8 by opposed set screws 83 which cooperate to fix nut 82 in a desired position within bore 58, the sleeve slot 81 accommodating the necessary transverse movement of bolt 64. Also shown in FIG. 11 is a modified form of resilient mounting for the panel lower portion 49 comprising a coil spring 84 centered on adjustment bolt 72 and received in annular recess 85 about nut 73.

Claims

We claim:

1. Gunstock for supporting a gun mechanism and a gun barrel, said gunstock being adapted to be cradled against a user's face, and including movable face engaging means carried on the side and top of said gunstock, structure mounting said face engaging means on the gunstock in adjustably spaced relation for variable accommodation of the gunstock in cradled position, said mounting structure including a plurality of distributed spacer elements supporting the face engaging means in adjustable spaced relation to the gunstock body, and a frame secured to the gunstock and adapted to anchor said spacer elements, said frame having a horizontally disposed transverse bore for receiving a spacer element.

2. Gunstock according to claim 1 in which said mounting structure spacer elements include a spacer element supporting said face engaging means to be vertically adjustable on the gunstock.

3. Gunstock according to claim 2 in which said mounting structure spacer elements include forward and rearward vertically disposed spacer elements supporting said face engaging means to have forward and rearward positions relatively differently adjustable vertically on said gunstock.

4. Gunstock according to claim 1 in which said mounting structure spacer elements include a spacer element supporting said face engaging means to be adjustable transversely on the gunstock.

5. Gunstock according to claim 4 in which said mounting structure spacer elements include forward and rearward horizontally disposed spacer elements supporting said face engaging means to have forward and rearward positions relatively differently adjustable transversely on said gunstock.

6. Gunstock according to claim 1 including also a spring compressed between the face engaging means and the gunstock body to dampen firing recoil forces transmitted to the face engaging means.

7. Gunstock for supporting a gun mechanisn and a gun barrel and adapted to be cradled against a user's face, said gunstock including movable face engaging means carried on the side and top thereof and mounted to have upper and lower portions of the face engaging means relatively differently transversely adjustable on said gunstock.

8. Gunstock for supporting a gun mechanism and a gun barrel and adapted to be cradled against a user's face, said gunstock including movable face engaging means on the top and side thereof, mounting structure for said face engaging means, said mounting structure including an elongated frame secured lengthwise to the gunstock body and provided with plural vertical apertures and horizontal apertures, a plurality of distributed spacer elements supporting the face engaging means in adjusted spaced relations with the gunstock body, said spacer elements including a longitudinally spaced pair of vertically disposed spacer elements and a longitudinally spaced pair of horizontally disposed spacer elements, said spacer elements being anchored at the frame apertures, and each individually adjustable to correspondingly adjust the spacing of that portion of the face engaging means it supports in relation to the gunstock body.

9. Gunstock according to claim 8 including also an additional spacer element adapted to adjust the spacing from the gunstock body of the lower portion of the face engaging means relative to the upper portion thereof.

10. Gunstock according to claim 9 including also compression springs extending between the face engaging means and said horizontally disposed spacer elements, said springs being centered on vertically disposed spacer elements.

11. Gunstock according to claim 8 including also spacer element engaging means between the frame and the gunstock body and accessible through the frame apertures, said vertically disposed spacer elements being received in said apertures and secured by said spacer element engaging means.

12. Gunstock according to claim 8 in which said horizontally disposed frame apertures comprise plural threaded transverse bores longitudinally spaced along said frame and each adjustably receiving one of said spacer elements in threaded engagement.

13. Gunstock according to claim 12 in which said vertically disposed spacer elements are terminally threaded and including also nut means between the frame and the gunstock body accessible through said frame apertures for threaded engagement with said spacer elements.

14. Gunstock according to claim 13 including also an additional spacer element adjustably threaded into said gunstock body below said frame and opposite said face engaging means for varying the spacing of the lower portion thereof relative to its upper portion.

15. Gunstock according to claim 14 including also a pair of longitudinally spaced springs compressed between the face engaging means and the gunstock body to dampen recoil forces transmitted to the face engaging means.

16. Gunstock according to claim 8 in which said face engaging means comprises a curved molding of rigid synthetic organic plastic saddled on the gunstock body over said frame.