U.S. patent number 3,863,354 [Application Number 05/434,272] was granted by the patent office on 1975-02-04 for mirror sight for small firearms.
Invention is credited to Toivo Johannes Karppinen.
United States Patent |
3,863,354 |
Karppinen |
February 4, 1975 |
MIRROR SIGHT FOR SMALL FIREARMS
Abstract
The invention relates to a mirror sight for small firearms, such
as pistols and rifles. The mirror sight comprises two mirrors
placed within a casing which may be mounted on a firearm behind the
sights thereof in such a way that it does not interfere with direct
aiming. The casing is provided with a turnable cover plate having
one of the mirrors secured to the inside thereof. By turning the
cover plate to a predetermined open position the target is
reflected through the mirrors into a backward and downward
direction, thus allowing the shot to aim and fire the firearm from
full cover.
Inventors: |
Karppinen; Toivo Johannes
(01900 Nurmijarvi, SF) |
Family
ID: |
23723556 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/434,272 |
Filed: |
January 17, 1974 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
42/118; 359/859;
356/254; 42/114; 42/132 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F41G
1/30 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
F41G
1/30 (20060101); F41G 1/00 (20060101); F41g
001/40 () |
Field of
Search: |
;33/233,235,242,252,256
;350/301,302 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
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|
|
78,115 |
|
Sep 1919 |
|
OE |
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21,627 |
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Oct 1916 |
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DK |
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103,382 |
|
Jan 1917 |
|
GB |
|
Primary Examiner: Martin, Jr.; William D.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Jordan; Frank J.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A mirror sight for small firearms, comprising a casing having
two opposite side walls, a rear wall connecting said side walls, a
cover plate turnably mounted on said side walls adjacent to said
rear wall and extending along the upper edges of said side walls,
and an open bottom, means in said side walls at the front ends
thereof for mounting said casing on a small firearm behind the
sights thereof with said cover plate in closed position situated at
a level below said sights, a first mirror secured between said side
walls adjacent to the front ends thereof in a position
substantially perpendicular to a straight line through said sights,
a second mirror secured to the inside of said cover plate, and
means for arresting said cover plate in an open position with
respect to said first mirror to reflect a lightbeam from a target
through said sights from said second mirror to said first mirror
and from said first mirror in a downward and backward direction,
thus allowing aiming and firing of the firearm from full cover.
2. A mirror sight as in claim 1, comprising a transversal partition
between said side walls adjacent to the front ends thereof, said
first mirror being secured to the inside of said partition.
3. A mirror sight as in claim 1, wherein the central portion of
said second mirror being in line with said sights in said open
position of said cover plate is a different type of mirror than the
remaining portion of said mirror.
4. A mirror sight as in claim 3, wherein said second mirror is a
convex mirror, and said central portion thereof is a plane
mirror.
5. A mirror sight as in claim 3, wherein said second mirror is a
convex mirror, and said central portion thereof is a concave
mirror.
6. A mirror sight as in claim 3, wherein said second mirror is a
plane mirror, and said central portion thereof is a concave mirror.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Mirror sight for rifles are known which comprise two mirrors
carried by bars secured to a frame which may be mounted on a rifle
in such a position that one of the mirrors will be placed behind
the conventional sights of the rifle, and the other in a more
forward position at the side of the rifle, either at the same level
as the first mirror or at a lower level. In the firstmentioned case
the inclination of the mirrors is adjusted such that a light beam
through the sights of the rifle is reflected in a backward and
downward direction. In the lastmentioned case the inclination of
the mirrors is adjusted such that a lightbeam through the sights of
the rifle is reflected backwards substantially in a parallel but at
a lower level. In both cases it is thus possible to aim and fire
the rifle from cover.
These known mirror sights have certain drawbacks. Firstly, because
the mirrors are carried on protruding bars, the mirror sight is
very vulnerable to mechanical shocks and must be handled with care.
It is therefore hardly possible to have the mirror sight
permanently mounted on the rifle. Secondly, because one mirror is
right behind the conventional sights of the rifle, it is not
possible to aim directly through the sights, but either the whole
mirror sight or at least the mirror behind the sights must first be
removed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore the object of the present invention to produce a
mirror sight which may be used on various types of small firearms,
such as pistols, rifles, submachine guns, and may be permanently
mounted on the firearm without interfering with a direct aiming
through the normal sights. It is a further object of the invention
to produce a mirror sight having a compact construction, and
wherein the mirrors are effectively protected both for mechanical
shocks and atmospheric conditions, such as rain.
A mirror sight according to the invention comprises a casing having
two opposite side walls, a rear wall connecting said side walls, a
cover plate turnably mounted on said side walls adjacent to said
rear wall and extending along the upper edges of said side walls,
and an open bottom, means in said side walls at the front ends
thereof for mounting said casing on a small firearm behind the
sights thereof with said cover plate in closed position situated at
a level below said sights, a first mirror secured between said side
walls adjacent to the front ends thereof in a position
substantially perpendicular to a straight line through said sights,
a second mirror secured to the inside of said cover plate, and
means for arresting said cover plate in an open position with said
second mirror in a redetermined inclined position with respect to
said first mirror to reflect a lightbeam from a target through said
sights from said second mirror to said first mirror and from said
first mirror in a downward and backward direction, thus allowing
aiming and firing of the firearm from full cover.
According to one embodiment of the invention the central portion of
said second mirror being in line with said sights in said open
position of said cover plate is a different type of mirror than the
remaining portion of said mirror.
According to a preferred embodiment of the invention there is a
transversal partition between said side walls adjacent to the front
end thereof, said second mirror being secured to the said
partition. In the mirror sight according to the invention the
mirrors are thus effectively protected from all sides when said
cover plate is closed. The design of the mirror sight may be very
compact, the overall length being less than 2.5 inches. The mirror
sight may therefore be permanently mounted on the firearm, if
desired, and since the upper level of the mirror sight below the
level of the conventional sights of the firearm when the cover
plate is in closed position, it does not interfere with direct
aiming. If desired the mirror sight may however be easily removed
from and again mounted on the firearm according to need. In order
to aim through the mirror sight, it is only necessary to turn the
cover plate to the predetermined open position. Since the mirror
sight according to the invention is easily adjustable to a great
variety of small firearm types, it is well suited for both field
service and police service purposes.
SHORT DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
In the accompanying drawing FIG. 1 shows an elevational view of a
mirror sight according to one embodiment of the invention together
with a partial view of a pistol on which it is intended to be
mounted.
FIG. 2 shows in the same manner the mirror sight in ready for use
condition.
FIG. 3 shows the mirror sight as viewed from above.
FIG. 4 shows in a smaller scale an automatic rifle having a mirror
sight according to the invention mounted thereon.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
FIG. 1 shows a mirror sight intended to be mounted on a Parabellum
type pistol. The mirror sight comprises a casing generally
designated by 1 which comprises two opposite side walls 2 and 3, a
rear wall 4 connecting said side walls to each other at one end
thereof, and a cover plate 5 extending along the upper edges of
said side walls and turnably connected between said side walls at 6
adjacent to rear wall 4. In FIGS. 1 and 2 side wall 3 has been
omitted to show the interior of casing 1. The bottom of casing 1 is
open. At the front end the thickness of side walls 2 and 3 is
greater, as is best seen in FIG. 3, and adjacent to the front end
there are vertical grooves 7 and 8 inside of side walls 2 and 3 and
restricted between said thicker portions of the side walls and thin
ridges 9 and 10 extending along the front edges of the side walls
and terminating at a distance from the upper edges of the side
walls. Grooves 7 and 8 are dimensioned to fit on corresponding
ridges 21 at the rear end of pistol 20, and casing 1 is mounted on
the pistol from below by fitting said grooves 7, 8 on said ridges
21 and pushing upwards until the upper ends of ridges 9 and 10 hit
the curved portion at the upper end of ridges 21 on the pistol,
thus defining the correct position of casing 1. Casing 1 is then
secured in place by tightening a clamp screw 12 passing through a
hole in side wall 3 and co-operating with a threaded hole 11 in
side wall 2. This clamp screw 12 is shown in FIG. 3.
At the front end of cover plate 5 a transversal partition 13 is
secured between side walls 2 and 3, and to the inside of this
partition a first mirror 14 is secured in any convenient manner,
such as be adhesive, guide rails, clamps or the like. A second
mirror 15 is secured to the inside of cover plate 5 in a similar
manner. Cover plate 5 is further provided with an arresting device
comprising in the embodiment shown a spring lever 16 extending with
its free end adjacent to the inside of side wall 2 as seen in FIG.
3, and a pair of projections 17 on the inside of side wall 2. On
opening cover plate 5, spring lever 16 will snap between
projections 17 and thus arrest cover plate 5 in a preselected open
position. In that open position of cover plate 5 a light beam T
coming from a target and passing through the sights 22 of the
pistol will be reflected from second mirror 15 to first mirror 14
and since the latter is in a position substantially perpendicular
to the lightbeam T through the sights, lightbeam T will be further
reflected from second mirror 15 in a downward and backward
direction, as shown in FIG. 2. It will thus be possible to aim and
fire the pistol holding it overhead so that the shot can stand or
otherwise be in full cover. Likewise, by turning the pistol
sideways, it will be possible to aim and fire around a corner.
Mirrors 14 and 15 may both be conventional plane mirrors. However,
in order to increase the field sight through the mirror sight,
second mirror 15 may be a convex mirror. In both cases the central
portion of second mirror 15 being in line with the sights 22 of the
pistol in the preselected open position of cover plate 5 may be of
a different type, viz. a concave mirror giving an enlarged view of
the sights of the pistol when second mirror 15 is a plane mirror,
and a concave or plane mirror when second mirror 15 is a convex
mirror. This can be achieved either by appropriate grinding of
second mirror 15, or by fastening a small piece of mirror of the
type concerned to second mirror 15, as indicated by dotted line 15'
in FIG. 2.
FIG. 4 illustrates a mirror sight in accordance with the invention
mounted on an automatic rifle. The casing 101 of the mirror sight
is of a somewhat other shape than in the embodiment shown in FIGS.
1 to 3 in order to fit on the sights 122 of the rifle 120. In other
respects the mirror sight is of the same construction as the
embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 wherefore it is not described in
detail here. The mirror sight is shown with its cover plate 105 in
open position. The butt 123 of the rifle is pivoted at 124 so that
the butt can be supported on the shoulder of the shot when aiming
and firing overhead from full cover. For that purpose the first
mirror of the mirror sight may be slightly inclined in the sideward
direction in order to reflect the light beams slightly to the left
in order to facilitate the aiming.
The embodiments shown and described are intended only to illustrate
the invention and not to restrict the scope thereof. Thus various
details of the mirror sight may be modified in a manner obvious to
one skilled in the art. For example the shape of the casing and of
the means for mounting the mirror sight are depending on the type
of the firearm concerned. Also the means for arresting the cover
plate in the predetermined open position may be of any convenient
type. One obvious modification for example is to provide the spring
lever 16 with a projection at the free end thereof which will snap
into a corresponding notch in the inside of the adjacent side
wall.
* * * * *