INSTRUMENT MOUNT ASSEMBLY

• US 3,612,462 A
• Filed: 08/26/1969
• Issued: 10/12/1971
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/1969
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Howard Emmett Shelley, Paul C. Mooney
• Original Assignee: Howard Emmett Shelley, Paul C. Mooney
• Inventors: Mooney, Paul C., Shelley, Howard Emmett
• Primary Examiner(s): Harris, Chancellor E.
• Application Number:
  US04/853,099
• Time in Patent Office: 777 Days
• Field of Search: 248/346,187,25,154,361
• US Class Current: 248/316.4
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/041 Allowing quick release of the apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 13/00 Other supports for positioning apparatus or articles heads thereof F16M11/02 ; undercarriages thereof F16M11/20 ; adapted to be stuck in the ground A45F3/44 ; sockets or holders for poles or posts E04H12/22; Means for steadying hand-held apparatus or articles supports for measuring instruments G01D11/30; supports for casings of remote control switching devices H01H9/025
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 2200/02 Locking means

Abstract

An improved instrument mount assembly including a plate and base for securing a sighting or photographic equipment to a support, the assembly being characterized by a pivoted clamp bar in the base, which, when engaged by an instrument bearing the plate element thereon, automatically retracts to an instrument retaining position. A locking latch is associated with the clamp bar to lock the same to tightly clamp the plate and hold the instrument against any movement relative to the mount following emplacement of the sighting or camera instrument thereon.

Claims

1. A mounting assembly for releasably mounting an instrument to a supporting surface including:

a plate have opposed depending sidewalls, a top face, a bottom face and means in the plate for seCurement of the top face of the plate adjacent the underside of a sighting instrument with the opposed sidewalls of the plate projecting therefrom;

a securement base including a member having opposed wall surfaces positioned a distance apart generally corresponding to the distance between the opposed sidewalls of the plate to be received therebetween, one of said sidewall surfaces being a movable clamp member;

said clamp member being movable between an open position wherein the plate may be received therein or withdrawn therefrom, and a closed position wherein the plate is loosely embraced between the clamp member and an opposite wall surface, latch means in said base operably associated with said clamp member when said clamp member is in the retracted position including an engaging surface for engaging the clamp member, the latch means including a member movable from a release position, wherein the clamp member may be moved to an open position, to an initial locking position for engaging the clamp member when the clamp member is closed, to a firm locking position, said movement to said firm locking position causing said clamp member engaging surface to further move said clamp member to position the same in a position tightly embracing a plate held between said clamp member and an opposed wall surface.

2. The assembly of claim 1 including means in the base for normally urging the clamp member to an open position.

3. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the clamp member is pivoted between said open and closed positions and pivots downwardly towards said closed position.

4. The assembly of claim 3 wherein said latch member moves said clamp member further downwardly to tightly embrace a plate member therebetween.

5. The assembly of claim 1 wherein said latch member is a pinlike element received in aligned openings in the base.

6. The assembly of claim 5 wherein the latch member extends generally transversely to the longitudinal extent of the clamp member.

7. The assembly of claim 6 wherein portions of the latch member and base member have cooperating engageable surfaces for holding the latch member in the locking position and for causing said clamp member to tightly engage a plate between the clamp member and an opposing wall portion.

8. A mounting assembly for releasably mounting an instrument to a supporting surface including:

a plate having opposed depending sidewalls, a top face, a bottom face and means in the plate for securement of the top face of the plate adjacent the underside of a sighting instrument with the opposed sidewalls of the plate projecting therefrom;

a securement base including a member having opposed wall surfaces positioned a distance apart generally corresponding to the distance between the opposed sidewalls of the plate to be received therebetween, one of said opposed wall surfaces being a movable clamp member;

said clamp member being a barlike member having an interior surface including a first dovetail or plate sidewall mating surface which terminates in a second inwardly extending shoulder for receiving the plate bottom, and an inwardly extending shoulder below the first inwardly extending shoulder for receiving the latch member engaging surface;

said clamp member being movable between an open position wherein the plate may be received therein or withdrawn therefrom, and a closed position wherein the plate is loosely embraced between the clamp member and an opposite wall surface, latch means in said base operably associated with said clamp member when said clamp member is in the retracted position including an engaging surface for engaging the clamp member, the latch means including a member movable between a release position, wherein the clamp member may be moved to an open position, and a locking position for engaging the clamp member when the clamp member is closed, said movement to said locking position causing said clamp member engaging surface to further move said clamp member to position the same in a position tightly emBracing a plate held between said clamp member and an opposed wall surface.

9. The assembly of claim 8 wherein the engaging surface of the latch member comprises the lower surface of the forward end of a biased plunger which further is provided with an upper cam surface, with spring means normally urging the plunger towards the clamping member whereby, when the clamp member retracts to engage the cam surface of the latch member, the latch member is momentarily retracted in opposition to the biasing force so that the clamp member can ride therepast, following which the biasing force of the spring means advances the plunger so that the engaging surface thereof abuts the second shoulder on the clamp member to thereby prevent reverse pivotal movement thereof.

10. The assembly of claim 9 wherein the plunger has a hollow interior opening to the rear thereof with the forward end of the pinlike element being received within the hollow interior of the plunger and being axially movable relative thereto with means in the interior of the plunger and the exterior of the pinlike member to prevent withdrawal of the pinlike member from the interior of the plunger.

11. The assembly of claim 10 wherein the pin element has a screw thread on a portion of the exterior intermediate the ends thereof and the base has an aperture with a threaded interior for receiving the screw threaded exterior portion of the pinlike member for moving the plunger toward and away from the clamp member, whereby reverse threading of the pin element relative to the base aperture causes disengagement of the pin element relative thereto so that further withdrawal of the pin element in opposition to the biasing means permits retraction of the plunger from the clamp member.

12. The assembly of claim 11 including a second biased plunger which normally urges said clamp bar to the open position.

13. A mounting base for releasably mounting a sighting instrument having a plate with depending sidewalls secured to the underside of the sighting instrument, the mounting base including a clamping bar pivoted about a first axis for movement between an open and a closed position;

a latch member in the base movable toward and away from the clamp bar along an axis generally transverse thereto;

the clamp bar having a plate receiving and engaging surface including generally inwardly directed surfaces and further being provided with an inward extending leg including a latch member engaging surface below said plate receiving and engaging surfaces, the latch member having an upper cam surface and a lower clamp bar engaging surface, the upper cam surface being normally positioned in the path of movement of the leg of the clamp bar, the latch member being retractable responsive to movement of the clamp member between the open and closed position whereby the clamp member engages the latch member cam surface, with means for returning the latch member toward the clamp bar following movement of the clamp bar therepast.

14. The mounting base of claim 13 including means for moving the latch member towards the clamping bar.

15. The mounting base of claim 14 including a second plunger member normally urging said clamping bar to the open position.

16. The mounting base of claim 13 wherein said latch member and base include cooperative locking surfaces for holding the latch member in an extended position wherein the latch member and clamp bar engaging surfaces are in mutual engagement with each other.