REMOVABLE AIMING SIGHT AND SIGHT MOUNTING SHOE WITH PITCH AND YAW ADJUSTMENT FOR PISTOLS AND OTHER WEAPONS

• US 20150198421A1
• Filed: 01/13/2015
• Published: 07/16/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Leupold & Stevens Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Leupold & Stevens Incorporated
• Inventors: Crispin, Quint
• Granted Patent: US 9,574,853 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 1/16 Adjusting mechanisms therefor; Mountings therefor
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 11/006 the device being rotated in a horizontal plane
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 11/007 the device being tilted in a vertical plane

Abstract

A sight mount system for preserving adjustment settings of a removable aiming sight so as to avoid disturbing the point of aim of the aiming sight when the aiming sight is removed and subsequently reinstalled on a projectile weapon. The system includes an aiming sight foot supporting the aiming sight and a sight mount shoe for receiving the aiming sight foot. The sight mount shoe includes a non-adjustable datum surface, and pitch and yaw adjustment mechanisms that cooperate with the datum surface to establish the pitch and yaw of the aiming sight when the aiming sight foot is secured in the sight mount shoe. A foot retainer urges the aiming sight foot into contact with the datum surface and the pitch and yaw adjustment mechanisms, the foot retainer being manually operable to enable removal and reinstallation of the aiming sight foot without disturbing the pitch and yaw adjustment mechanisms.

Claims

1. A system for aligning a removable aiming sight for a projectile weapon to a selected mounting adjustment preserved in a sight mount, the system comprising:

an aiming sight foot for supporting an aiming sight;

a sight mount shoe configured for being secured to a projectile weapon and adapted to receive the aiming sight foot, the sight mount shoe including a non-adjustable datum surface, and the sight mount shoe including pitch and yaw adjustment mechanisms that cooperate with the datum surface for establishing the pitch and yaw of the aiming sight relative to the sight mount shoe when the aiming sight foot is secured in the sight mount shoe and for selectively adjusting the pitch and yaw of the aiming sight; and

a foot retainer operably interposed between the aiming sight foot and the sight mount shoe to urge the aiming sight foot into contact with the datum surface and the pitch and yaw adjustment mechanisms, the foot retainer manually operable to enable the aiming sight foot to be removed and reinstalled on the sight mount shoe without disturbing the pitch and yaw adjustment mechanisms, to thereby preserve the aiming alignment established by the pitch and yaw adjustment mechanisms.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the foot retainer urges the aiming sight foot against a front of the sight mount shoe so that the aiming sight is retained during recoil of the weapon.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the sight mount shoe includes an undercut toe wall with which the aiming sight foot slidably engages when the foot is secured in the sight mount shoe.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the pitch adjustment mechanism is spaced apart from and cooperates with a toe sliding surface included in the sight mount shoe to selectively define a pitch orientation of the aiming sight foot about a pitch axis when the aiming sight foot is installed on the sight mount shoe.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the yaw adjustment mechanism that is spaced apart from and cooperates with a toe sliding surface included in the sight mount shoe to selectively define a yaw orientation of the aiming sight foot about a yaw axis perpendicular to the pitch axis when the aiming sight foot is installed on the sight mount shoe.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the datum surface protrudes from a sidewall of the sight mount shoe.

7. The system of claim 1, further including a spring that biases the foot retainer against the datum surface.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the foot retainer is carried on the aiming sight foot.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the foot retainer threadably engages with the aiming sight foot, and wherein a convex shaped distal end of the foot retainer mates with a concave shaped datum surface.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the sight mount shoe further includes a cam mechanism, and an adjustment knob for driving the cam mechanism to adjust the pitch of the aiming sight.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the cam mechanism includes a first cam lobe with a first contour surface and a second cam lobe with a second contour surface, the first contour surface having a radius of curvature different than the second contour surface, and wherein the sight mount shoe further includes a projection arm riding against one of the first or second cam lobes, wherein a rate of adjustment of the aiming sight changes based on whether the arm is riding against the first cam lobe or the second cam lobe.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the adjustment knob is further operable to move the projection arm between the first and second cam lobes.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the aiming sight is mounted on a grenade launcher.

14. A system for aligning a removable aiming sight for a projectile weapon to a selected mounting adjustment preserved in a sight mount, the system comprising:

an aiming sight foot for supporting an aiming sight, the aiming sight foot including a pitch bearing surface and a yaw bearing surface, the aiming sight foot further including a toe at one end;

a sight mount shoe configured for being secured to a projectile weapon and adapted to receive the aiming sight foot, the sight mount shoe including;

a baseplate having an outer surface that faces away from the weapon and at least one toe wall protruding from the outer surface, the toe wall having a non-adjustable toe sliding surface facing toward the outer surface of the baseplate and slidably contacted by the toe when the aiming sight foot installed on the sight mount shoe,

a pitch adjustment mechanism that is spaced apart from and cooperates with the toe sliding surface to selectively define a pitch orientation of the aiming sight foot about a pitch axis when the aiming sight foot is installed on the sight mount shoe, and

a yaw adjustment mechanism that is spaced apart from and cooperates with the toe sliding surface to selectively define a yaw orientation of the aiming sight foot about a yaw axis perpendicular to the pitch axis when the aiming sight foot is installed on the sight mount shoe; and

a foot retainer operably interposed between the aiming sight foot and the sight mount shoe to apply a force that urges the toe of the aiming sight foot into contact with the toe sliding surface and urges the yaw bearing surface against the yaw adjustment mechanism when the aiming sight foot is installed in the sight mount shoe, the orientation of the toe sliding surface relative to a vector of the force applied by the foot retainer causing the pitch bearing surface to be driven against the pitch adjustment mechanism, the retainer manually operable to enable the aiming sight foot to be removed and reinstalled on the sight mount shoe while preserving the aiming alignment established by the pitch adjustment mechanism and yaw adjustment mechanism.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the foot retainer is carried on the aiming sight foot.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the sight mount shoe includes a force-bearing surface that bears the reaction to the force that urges the toe into contact with the toe sliding surface.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the baseplate includes one or more sidewalls protruding from the outer surface, and wherein the force-bearing surface is recessed into at least one of the sidewalls.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the baseplate includes one or more sidewalls protruding from the outer surface, and wherein the force-bearing surface protrudes from one of the sidewalls.

19. The system of claim 14, further comprising a spring that generates the force, the spring being oriented perpendicular to the pitch axis and interposed between the foot retainer and the aiming sight foot.

20. The system of claim 14, wherein the foot retainer threadably engages with the aiming sight foot, and where a convex-shaped distal end of the foot retainer mates with a concave-shaped, force-bearing surface.