Variable power riflescope with tilting reticle and erector tube

• US 3,161,716 A
• Filed: 02/19/1962
• Issued: 12/15/1964
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/1962
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Donald J. Burris, John L. Maulbetsch
• Original Assignee: Donald J. Burris, John L. Maulbetsch
• Inventors: Burris, Donald J., Maulbetsch, John L.
• Application Number:
  US04/173,922
• Time in Patent Office: 1,030 Days
• US Class Current: 356/247
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/145 Zoom viewfinders

Claims

1. A RIFLESCOPE WHICH COMPRISES, AN ELONGATE TUBULAR BARREL, OBJECTIVE LENS MEANS MOUNTED IN THE FORWARD END OF THE BARREL ADAPTED TO REPRODUCE AN INVERTED AN REVERSED IMAGE OF A REAL OBJECT IN A FIRST IMAGE PLANE LOCATED INERMEDIATE THE ENDS OF SAID BARREL, A SECOND TUBULAR ELEMENT OF SMALLER DIAMETER THAN THE BARREL MOUNTED THEREIN FOR LIMITED UNIVERSAL TILTING MOVEMENT RELATIVE THERETO, MEANS ADAPTED TO RECEIVE THE IMAGE FROM THE OBJECTIVE LENS MEANS AND REPRODUCE SAME IN ERECT UNREVERSED FORM AT VARYING DEGREES OF MAGNIFICATION IN A SECOND IMAGE PLANE LOCATED A FIXED DISTANCE BEHIND THE FIRST IMAGE PLANE, SAID MEANS COMPRISING A PAIR OF ERECTOR LENS ELEMENTS CARRIED BY THE SECOND TUBULAR ELEMENT FORWARDLY OF THE CENTER OF UNIVERSAL MOVEMENT THEREOF THAT COOPERATE TO DEFINE AN OPTICAL AXIS AND ARE MOUNTED FOR LONGITUDINAL ADJUSTMENT RELATIVE TO ONE ANOTHER, OCULAR LENS MEANS LOCATED IN THE REAR EXTREMITY OF THE BARREL AND ADAPTED TO FOCUS UPON THE ERECT UNREVERSED IMAGE IN THE SECOND IMAGE PLANE, FIRST EXTERNAL ADJUSTMENT MEANS CARRIED BY THE BARREL AND OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO THE SECOND TUBULAR ELEMENT IN LONGITUDINALLY SPACED RELATION TO ITS CENTER OF LIMITED UNIVERSAL TILTING MOVEMENT, SAID ADJUSTMENT MEANS INCLUDING CONTROL MEANS ADAPTED UPON ACTUATION TO TILT THE SECOND TUBULAR ELEMENT AND SHIFT THE OPTICAL AXIS DEFINED BY THE ERECTOR LENS ELEMENTS SO AS TO INTRODUCE CORRECTIONS FOR WINDAGE AND ELEVATION, SECOND EXTERNAL MEANS LOCATED ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE BARREL CONNECTED TO THE ERECTOR LENS ELEMENTS AND OPERABLE UPON ACTUATION TO CHANGE THE SPACING THEREBETWEEN, SAID SECOND EXTERNAL MEANS INCLUDING A COUPLING EXTENDING INTO THE BARREL AND ACCOMMODATING THE TILTING MOVEMENT OF THE SECOND TUBULAR ELEMENT, A RETICLE CARRIED BY THE SECOND TUBULAR ELEMENT WITHIN THE SECOND IMAGE PLANE WHICH INCLUDES MEANS DEFINING A AIMING POINT LOCATED ON THE OPTICAL AXIS DEFINED BY THE ERECTOR LENS ELEMENTS, AND A DIAPHRAM CARRIED BY THE SECOND TUBULAR ELEMENT FOR MOVEMENT THEREWITH, SAID DIAPHRAGM HAVING AN APERTURE THEREIN DEFINING A FIELD OF VIEW WHICH REMAINS SUBSTANTIALLY UNOBSTRUCTED AT MAXIMUM DEFLECTIONS OF THE SECOND TUBULAR ELEMENT RELATIVE TO THE BARREL.