Means For Coupling A Hand Gun To An Auxiliary Stock

Abstract

An automatic hand gun is attachable to and detachable from an auxiliary stock to convert the gun to a shoulder gun when desired by means of cooperating quick detachable coupling means, one of which is located on the bottom of a cartridge clip and the other of which is located at or on the end of the auxiliary stock.

Description

This invention relates to a cartridge clip for automatic hand guns and means for quickly and securely attaching the clip to an auxiliary stock thereby permitting conversion of a hand gun to a shoulder gun and back to a hand gun as desired by the user.

It is well known that the degree of accuracy normally achieved with a hand gun such as a revolver or automatic pistol is not as great as the accuracy obtainable with a rifle or shoulder gun since the latter can be steadied with both of the user's hands and receives the support provided by holding the gun against the user's shoulder.

Efforts have been made in the past to adapt hand guns for use as shoulder guns; however, the results of such efforts have left much to be desired so far as safety, simplicity and quickness of effecting the conversion are concerned. One technique involves, for example, a stock attached by screws and nuts to the hand gun handle which results in a more or less permanent attachment of the stock and gun to each other. Other proposed solutions to the problem involve the use of a stock member which has a socket or member for receiving the gun handle in a loose manner which requires the user to hold the gun in the socket at all times while the gun is being used in association with the stock.

Accordingly, the primary object of the present invention is to overcome these disadvantages and provide a cartridge clip for automatic hand guns which includes means on its bottom wall permitting a quick, detachable coupling or connection with cooperating means on an auxiliary shoulder stock device to convert the hand gun to a shoulder gun.

A further object of the invention is to provide a shoulder gun conversion arrangement for automatic hand guns which does not interfere with normal hand use of the gun.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an auxiliary stock for hand guns which is readily separable for storage when not in use, is light-weight and inexpensive to manufacture.

Another object of the invention is to provide a safe, positive connection between a hand gun and auxiliary stock which permits use and transport of the gun without the likelihood of accidental separation of gun and stock.

Still another object of the invention is to provide means for connecting and disconnecting a hand gun and an auxiliary stock in the field without the use of tools.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which may hereinafter appear, the invention consists of such parts and combination of parts as are more specifically described in the following specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation showing an automatic hand gun with a cartridge clip of the present invention housed within the gun handle and connected to the auxiliary stock.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the details of the clip and stock coupling means with parts of the clip and stock broken away.

FIG. 3 is a side elevation, partly in section, showing the coupling means of FIG. 2 in assembled position.

FIG. 4 is an end view, partly in section, taken on the line 4--4 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view, partly in section, showing the clip in position to be assembled with the stock coupling means.

FIGS. 6 through 9 each are exploded perspective views of modified forms of coupling means for the clip and stock.

Referring to the drawings in detail, FIG. 1 shows a typical automatic pistol 1 including a conventional hollow handle 2 adapted to receive a cartridge clip 3, the lower portion only of which is shown in FIGS. 2-9 of the drawings. The coupling means attached to the clip 3 comprises a base member 4 of generally U-shape in cross section including a bottom wall 5 and a peripheral upstanding wall 6 extending along both sides but only along one end of the base member leaving the opposite end open. The wall 6 of the base member is secured by welding, for example, to the bottom 7 of the clip 3 thus providing a space between the clip bottom and the bottom 5 of the base member for a purpose to be later described. The bottom wall 5 is provided at the open end of the base member 4 with an arcuate cut-out area 8 and keyhole slot 9 is located forwardly of the cut-out area 8.

The auxiliary stock designated generally as 10 is preferably formed of a light-weight metal and includes a shoulder engaging butt 11 at one end of an arm 12 extending angularly therefrom, the other end 13 of the arm having coupling means mounted thereon for cooperation with the coupling means on the base member 4 of the clip when the stock is assembled with the hand gun. One form of the aforementioned coupling means is shown to advantage in FIG. 2 and comprises essentially a saddle 14 of generally inverted U-shape provided with a pair of spaced threaded openings 15, 15 in its top wall 16. The spacing between these openings corresponds to that of openings 17, 17 in the arm 12 of the stock 10. Although only two openings are shown in the arm of the stock, additional appropriately spaced openings may be provided for adjustment of the distance between the gun and the shoulder butt so as to suit individual requirements.

To attach the saddle 14 to arm 12, it is placed over the arm so that the threaded openings 15, 15 and related openings 17, 17 are aligned and then headed threaded fasteners 18, 18 including collars 18', 18' are passed through the aligned openings and are fixed in the desired fastening position by means of nuts 19, 19. The fasteners 18, 18 are adjustable vertically with respect to saddle 14 so that the heads 20, 20 can project above the thickness of the bottom wall 5 whereby, when the base member 4 is placed on the saddle 14 with the larger portion of the keyhole slot 9 over the forwardmost fastener head 20, the cut-out area 8 will clear the head 20 of the rearmost fastener and upon sliding the clip rearwardly in the direction of the arrow R in FIGS. 1 and 5, the cut-out area 8 and the narrow throat portion 9a in bottom wall 5 of the base member will embrace the collars 18', 18' of the fasteners 18, 18 just beneath the heads 20, 20. This arrangement together with the friction fit between the upper surface of saddle 14 and lower surface of bottom wall 5 of base member 4 provides a positive attachment of the hand gun to the stock such that the assembled members can be safely carried without accidental separation, yet, they can readily be intentionally separated by holding the stock in one hand and giving the gun a quick jerk forward with the other hand. In addition to the built-in frictional engagement between the opposed surfaces just described, the direction of recoil always keeps the clip and gun forced back toward the butt 11 to insure a tight fit between the clip and stock. The threaded fasteners 18, 18 can be adjusted vertically in threaded openings 15, 15 if necessary to compensate for wear between parts so that it is possible to further provide for a proper fit between the connected members.

In the modification shown in FIG. 6, a tubular member 20 is secured to the bottom surface of the clip 3 and telescopically receives the finger 21 projecting from the end 13 of the stock 10 to provide a frictional fit between the clip and stock.

FIG. 7 illustrates a coupling means whereby the clip 3 has an inverted T-shaped member 21 secured to its bottom surface. This member 21 is inserted into a generally flat tubular socket 22 mounted at the end 13 of stock 10 to frictionally connect the clip and stock. The socket 22 is formed of a strip of sheet metal provided with a slot 23 in its top wall, one end of the slot being open to receive the vertical web 24 of the inverted T-shaped member, the other end of the slot being closed by stop members 25, 25.

FIG. 8 shows an embodiment wherein the base of the clip 3 is provided with a T-shaped groove 26 adapted to frictionally receive a tongue 27 formed on the end 13 of the stock 10.

FIG. 9 illustrates a further embodiment wherein the end 13 of stock 10 is provided with an elongated recess 28 in one side thereof which communicates with a slot 29 in the top wall of end 13. A lever 30 includes a nose 31 at its front end, an arm 32 medially thereof, a finger grip 33 at its rear end and is pivotally mounted in the recess 28 by means of a pin 34 passing through an opening in arm 32. A coil spring 35 has one end fixed in the side wall of recess 28 and its other end is attached to lever 30 along the inner edge opposite the finger grip 33 and in its extended or normal position the spring urges the lever to rotate around pivot pin 34 so that nose 31 is disposed within recess 28 and beneath slot 29. The bottom wall 5 of clip 3 is provided with an elongated plate 36 normal to and depending therefrom, said plate having an opening 37 large enough to accommodate the nose 31 of the lever. To connect the clip to the stock it is merely necessary to press the finger grip 33 inwardly against the tension of spring 35 which causes nose 31 of lever 30 to move out of recess 28. The plate 36 is then inserted into slot 29 so that bottom wall 5 of the clip is flush with the top surface of the stock 10. Upon release of pressure on finger grip 33, lever 30 will pivot under the urging of spring 35 causing nose 31 to pass through opening 37 thus locking the clip in position. If desired, cooperating camming surfaces would be provided at the bottom edge of plate 36 and at the inner edge of nose 31 whereby the nose would be cammed out of its inoperative position when initially engaged by the surface of plate 36 and the inner edge of the nose would snap into opening 37 when the clip and the end of the stock are in full contact position. The connected members could readily be separated by pressing the finger grip inwardly against the tension of the spring which would remove the nose 31 from engagement in opening 37.

In all of the embodiments described above and illustrated in the drawings, the connecting means attached to or forming part of the clip is such that it does not interfere with use of the clip in the automatic gun in the usual fashion apart from the auxiliary stock member. Said connecting means may, when appropriate, be formed integral with the clip or it may be attached thereto by welding techniques or by use of structural adhesives such as epoxy resins.

It is within the scope of the invention to dispense with the saddle member 14 as shown in FIGS. 1-5 and merely use fasteners 18 and nuts 19 as the coupling means on the end 13 of stock 10. In such a case, it would be preferable to have the openings 17, 17 threaded so as to provide vertical adjustment for the fasteners.

Claims

I claim:

1. The combination of an automatic hand gun of the type including a handle, a cartridge clip removably contained within the handle of the gun and an auxiliary stock for said gun, means for detachably connecting said gun to said stock when said cartridge clip is housed within said handle, said means comprising first coupling means on the bottom surface of said cartridge clip and second coupling means on said auxiliary stock.

2. The combination set forth in claim 1 wherein said first coupling means comprises a base member including a bottom wall, said bottom wall provided with at least one opening therein, said second coupling means including at least one male member adjustably mounted on said stock for insertion through said at least one opening, a portion of said male member frictionally engaging a surface of said bottom wall.

3. The combination set forth in claim 1 wherein said first coupling means comprises a female member and said second coupling means comprises a male member said female and male members frictionally engaging each other.

4. The combination set forth in claim 1 wherein said first coupling means comprises a male member and said second coupling means comprises a female member.

5. The combination set forth in claim 1 wherein said first coupling means comprises a base member including a bottom wall and a peripheral side wall, said bottom wall including a rear edge and a front edge, said rear edge provided with an arcuate cut-out area, said bottom wall having a keyhole slot located forwardly of said cut-out area, said auxiliary stock including at least a pair of spaced openings, said second coupling means including a pair of threaded headed fasteners the shanks of which pass through said spaced openings in said stock, the heads of which engage in said cut-out area and said keyhole slot and nuts threaded on the ends of said shanks to fix the fasteners in position.

6. The combination set forth in claim 1 wherein said first coupling means comprises a base member including a bottom wall and a peripheral side wall, said bottom wall including a rear edge and a front edge, said rear edge provided with an arcuate cut-out area, said bottom wall having a keyhole slot located forwardly of said cut-out area, said auxiliary stock including a plurality of spaced openings at one end and a shoulder butt at the opposite end, a saddle member including a top wall and side walls, said top wall having a pair of spaced threaded openings therein, a pair of threaded headed fasteners threadedly engaged in said spaced threaded openings in said saddle member and passing through selected related openings in said auxiliary stock to adjust the distance between the gun and shoulder butt, nuts threaded on the free ends of said fasteners to secure them in a predetermined position relative to said saddle with the heads thereof projecting above the upper surface of the top wall of said saddle whereby said gun and stock are assembled by engaging said fastener heads in said cut-out area and said keyhole slot in said clip and moving the gun rearwardly toward the shoulder butt.

7. The combination set forth in claim 1 wherein said first coupling means comprises a tubular member on the bottom of said clip and said second coupling means comprises a finger projecting from one end of said auxiliary stock, said tubular member and said finger providing a telescopic and frictional connection between said gun and stock.

8. The combination set forth in claim 1 wherein said first coupling means comprises an inverted T-shaped member on the bottom of said clip and said second coupling means comprises a generally flat tubular socket on one end of said auxiliary stock, said inverted T-shaped member and said generally flat tubular socket providing a telescopic and frictional connection between said gun and stock.

9. The combination set forth in claim 1 wherein said first coupling means comprises a T-shaped groove in the base of said clip and said second coupling means comprises a tongue on one end of said auxiliary stock said T-shaped groove and said tongue providing a telescopic and frictional connection between said gun and stock.

10. The combination set forth in claim 1 wherein said first coupling means comprises an elongated plate on the bottom wall of said clip normal to and depending therefrom, said plate having an opening therein, and said second coupling means comprises a first slot provided in the top wall of one end of said auxiliary stock, a second slot provided in a side wall of said stock and communicating with said first slot, a lever pivotally mounted in said second slot, said lever including a nose and spring means normally urging said nose into said second slot in an area beneath said first slot whereby when said elongated plate is placed through said first slot the nose of said lever is engageable in the opening in said plate to provide a positive connection between said gun and stock.