Scope tube adjusting and locking device

• US 5,771,595 A
• Filed: 06/13/1997
• Issued: 06/30/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Burris Company Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Burris Company Incorporated
• Inventors: Bell, Dennis L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jordan, Charles T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHELLIAH, MEENA A
• Application Number:
  US08/874,169
• Time in Patent Office: 382 Days
• Field of Search: 33/248, 33/245, 33/246, 42/101
• US Class Current: 42/122
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/14 Viewfinders for photographic apparatus G03B13/02

Abstract

A scope tube adjusting and locking device for adjusting the elevation and windage of sighting scope is comprised of a first adjusting means, a second adjusting means, a plurality of bias means, and a plurality of inner tube adjusting means. The adjusting means rotatably encompass the scope outer tube and have a bias means channel eccentrically formed therein. The plurality of bias means contact and track the base of the bias means channels and are rotatably cradled by the plurality of inner tube adjusting means which are laterally and movably disposed through the scope outer tube and which contact the inner guide tube. As the adjusting means are rotated around the scope outer tube, the plurality of inner tube adjusting means adjusts the elevation and windage of the inner guide tube. A locking means threadedly encompasses the scope outer tube and can be rotated to lock or unlock the adjusting means.

Claims

1. A scope tube adjusting and locking device for use in a sighting scope having a scope outer tube, the scope outer tube having an inner guide tube longitudinally disposed therein, the scope outer tube also having an enlarged portion, the enlarged portion having a non-threaded area and an adjacent threaded area, the scope tube adjusting and locking device providing vertical and horizontal adjustment of the inner guide tube comprising:

a. adjusting means having bias means channels eccentrically formed therein rotatably encompassing the non-threaded area of the enlarged portion of the scope outer tube;

b. a plurality of bias means disposed in the bias means channels contacting and tracking the bias means channels;

c. a plurality of inner tube adjusting means having an end and an opposite end laterally and movably disposed through the non-threaded area of the enlarged portion of the scope outer tube, the opposite end rotatably cradling the plurality of bias means, the end contacting and adjusting the longitudinally disposed inner guide tube; and

d. locking means threadedly encompassing the threaded area of the enlarged portion of the scope outer tube adjacent to the adjusting means, wherein the locking means rotatably locks the adjusting means when the inner guide tube has been adjusted to a desired position.

2. The scope tube adjusting and locking device as defined in claim 1 wherein the bias means channels are eccentrically formed in an inner surface of the adjusting means.

3. The scope tube adjusting and locking device as defined in claim 1 wherein the plurality of bias means contact and track a base of the bias means channels.

4. The scope tube adjusting and locking device as defined in claim 1 wherein the plurality of bias means are constructed from resilient material having an inherent memory.

5. The scope tube adjusting and locking device as defined in claim 4 wherein the inherent memory of the plurality of bias means produces biasing force against the plurality of inner tube adjusting means.

6. The scope tube adjusting and locking device as defined in claim 5 wherein the plurality of inner tube adjusting means transfer the biasing force against the inner guide tube.

7. The scope tube adjusting and locking device as defined in claim 1 wherein the locking means rotatably locks and unlocks the adjusting means, the adjusting means being rotated to adjust the vertical and horizontal position of the inner guide tube within the scope outer tube when the locking means is in an unlocked position.

8. A scope tube adjusting and locking device for use in a sighting scope, the sighting scope having an inner guide tube longitudinally disposed within a scope outer tube having an enlarged portion, the enlarged portion of the scope outer tube having a threaded portion, the scope tube adjusting and locking device providing vertical and horizontal adjustment of the inner guide tube, the scope tube adjusting and locking device comprising:

a. a first adjusting means, the first adjusting means rotatably encompassing a part of the enlarged portion of the scope outer tube and having a bias means channel eccentrically formed therein;

b. a second adjusting means, the second adjusting means rotatably encompassing another part of the enlarged portion of the scope outer tube adjacent to the first adjusting means and having a bias means channel eccentrically formed therein;

c. a plurality of inner tube adjusting means laterally and movably disposed through the scope outer tube, the inner tube adjusting means having an end and an opposite end, wherein the end contacts an outer surface of the inner guide tube;

d. a plurality of bias means rotatably disposed between the opposite end of the plurality of inner tube adjusting means and the bias means channel, the plurality of bias means tracking the bias means channel; and

e. locking means threadedly encompassing the threaded portion of the enlarged portion of the scope outer tube, wherein the locking means rotatably locks the first adjusting means and the second adjusting means when the inner guide tube has been adjusted to a desired position and rotatably unlocks the first adjusting means and the second adjusting means allowing re-adjustment of the inner guide tube.

9. The scope tube adjusting and locking device as defined in claim 8 wherein the first adjusting means provides vertical adjustment of the inner guide tube and the second adjusting means provides horizontal adjustment of the inner guide tube.

10. The scope tube adjusting and locking device as defined in claim 8 wherein the bias means channel of the first adjusting means is eccentrically formed in an inner surface of the first adjusting means and opens toward the scope outer tube, and the bias means channel of the second adjusting means is eccentrically formed in an inner surface of the second adjusting means and opens toward the scope outer tube.

11. The scope tube adjusting and locking device as defined in claim 8 wherein the plurality of bias means contact and track a base of the bias means channel formed in the first bias means channel and a base of the bias means channel formed in the second bias means channel.

12. The scope tube adjusting and locking device as defined in claim 8 wherein the plurality of bias means are constructed from resilient material having an inherent memory.

13. The scope tube adjusting and locking device as defined in claim 12 wherein the inherent memory of the plurality of bias means produces biasing force against the plurality of inner tube adjusting means.

14. The scope tube adjusting and locking device as defined in claim 13 wherein the plurality of inner tube adjusting means transfer the biasing force against the inner guide tube.

15. A scope tube adjusting and locking device for use in a sighting scope, the sighting scope having a scope outer tube having an inner guide tube longitudinally disposed therein, the scope outer tube also having an enlarged portion, the enlarged portion having a non-threaded area and an adjacent threaded area, the scope tube adjusting and locking device providing vertical and horizontal adjustment of the inner guide tube comprising:

a. a first adjusting means, the first adjusting means rotatably encompassing a part of the non-threaded area of the enlarged portion of the scope outer tube and having a bias means channel eccentrically formed therein;

b. expansion means rotatably encompassing part of the non-threaded area of the enlarged portion of the scope outer tube adjacent to the first adjusting means and contacting the first adjusting means;

c. a second adjusting means, the second adjusting means rotatably encompassing a part of the non-threaded area of the enlarged portion of the scope outer tube adjacent to the expansion means and contacting the expansion means, the second adjusting means having a bias means channel eccentrically formed therein;

d. a locking ring rotatably encompassing part of the non-threaded area of the enlarged portion of the scope outer tube adjacent to the second adjusting means and contacting the second adjusting means;

e. locking means threadedly encompassing the threaded area of the enlarged portion of the scope outer tube adjacent to the locking ring and contacting the locking ring;

f. a plurality of inner tube adjusting means laterally and movably disposed through the non-threaded area of the enlarged portion of the scope outer tube, the inner tube adjusting means having an end and an opposite end, the opposite end having cradle means formed therein, wherein the end contacts an outer surface of the inner guide tube; and

g. a plurality of bias means rotatably cradled by the cradle means, the plurality of bias means rotatably disposed in the bias means channel of the first adjusting means and in the bias means channel of the second adjusting means, the plurality of bias means tracking the bias means channel of the first adjusting means and the bias means channel of the second adjusting means, wherein rotation of the first adjusting means adjusts the vertical position of the inner guide tube within the scope outer tube and rotation of the second adjusting means adjusts the horizontal position of the inner guide tube within the scope outer tube, the first adjusting means and the second adjusting means being locked in place by the locking means when the desired vertical and horizontal position of the inner guide tube is achieved.

16. The scope tube adjusting and locking device as defined in claim 15 wherein the bias means channel of the first adjusting means is eccentrically formed in an inner surface of the first adjusting means and opens toward the scope outer tube, and the bias means channel of the second adjusting means is eccentrically formed in an inner surface of the second adjusting means and opens toward the scope outer tube.

17. The scope tube adjusting and locking device as defined in claim 15 wherein the plurality of bias means contact and track a base of the bias means channel formed in the first bias means channel and a base of the bias means channel formed in the second bias means channel.

18. The scope tube adjusting and locking device as defined in claim 15 wherein the plurality of bias means are constructed from resilient material having an inherent memory.

19. The scope tube adjusting and locking device as defined in claim 18 wherein the inherent memory of the plurality of bias means produces biasing force against the plurality of inner tube adjusting means.

20. The scope tube adjusting and locking device as defined in claim 19 wherein the plurality of inner tube adjusting means transfer the biasing force against the inner guide tube.