Aiming Device with adjustable height mount and auxiliary equipment mounting features

• US 6,295,754 B1
• Filed: 10/21/1999
• Issued: 10/02/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Leupold & Stevens Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Leupold & Stevens Incorporated
• Inventors: Peters, Victoria J., Williams, Gary R., Otteman, Rodney H., Perley, Wayne
• Primary Examiner(s): Jordan, Charles T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Thomson, Michelle
• Application Number:
  US09/425,279
• Time in Patent Office: 712 Days
• Field of Search: 332/45, 332/46, 421/00, 421/01, 421/03, 421/11, 421/12, 421/24, 421/48
• US Class Current: 42/124
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 1/38 Telescopic sights specially adapted for smallarms or ordnance telescopic sights in general G02B; Supports or mountings therefor
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 11/003 Mountings with a dove tail element, e.g. "Picatinny rail systems"

Abstract

A telescopic sight is provided that includes an integral mounting bar for connection to a barrel of a firearm and integral auxiliary equipment mounting features for mounting auxiliary equipment onto the telescopic sight. The auxiliary equipment mounting features facilitate the mounting of multiple devices that allows for quickly alternating between different aiming devices or to simultaneously use multiple aiming devices. Clamp assemblies cooperate with the mounting bar to secure the telescopic sight to the firearm and provide adjustment of the height position of the telescopic sight. The clamp blocks are adapted to fit onto a mounting rail of a firearm. The mounting features are universal and require no post-mounting adjustment to accurately align the auxiliary equipment.

Claims

1. An aiming device detachably mountable to a firearm for aiding a shooter in aiming the firearm, comprising:

an elongate housing having a longitudinal axis;

multiple optical elements supported within the housing; and

a set of auxiliary equipment mounting features integrally formed in the housing and suitable for mounting auxiliary equipment to the aiming device without interfering with the operation of the aiming device or the firearm when the aiming device is mounted to the firearm, the auxiliary equipment mounting features including a dovetail rail in alignment with the longitudinal axis of the housing.

2. The aiming device of claim 1, further comprising an adjustment knob extending from the housing in a direction transverse of the longitudinal axis.

3. The rifle scope of claim 2 in which the adjustment knob is sized and positioned so that it is manually operable when auxiliary equipment is mounted to the set of auxiliary equipment mounting features.

4. The aiming device of claim 1 in which:

the aiming device has an eye relief distance and the auxiliary equipment has an auxiliary eye relief distance; and

the set of auxiliary equipment mounting features includes one or more slots formed in the dovetail rail, the slots being aligned transversely of the longitudinal axis and positioned at a location along the aiming device that allows the auxiliary equipment to be mounted on the aiming device such that the auxiliary eye relief distance corresponds to the eye relief distance of the aiming device, to thereby minimize the head movement of the shooter when using both the aiming device and the auxiliary equipment.

5. The aiming device of claim 1 in which the set of auxiliary equipment mounting features comprises multiple dovetail rails for mounting multiple auxiliary equipment units.

6. The aiming device of claim 5, further comprising a windage adjustment knob and an elevation adjustment knob, the windage and elevation adjustment knobs extending from the housing in a direction transverse of the longitudinal axis and sized so that they are manually operable when auxiliary equipment is mounted to the dovetail rails.

7. The aiming device of claim 6 in which the windage and elevation adjustment knobs are substantially recessed within the dovetail rails.

8. The aiming device of claim 1 in which the housing includes a smooth outer side surface to prevent the aiming device from snagging clothing worn by the shooter.

9. The aiming device of claim 1, further comprising an optical path and a set of threads formed in the housing and adapted for mounting an image enhancing attachment in the optical path.

10. The aiming device of claim 1 in which the aiming device is a rifle scope.

11. The aiming device of claim 1, further comprising an elongate mounting bar integrally formed in the housing and extending from the housing, the mounting bar positioned in alignment with the longitudinal axis for detachably mounting the aiming device to the firearm.

12. The aiming device of claim 1 in which the auxiliary equipment mounting features include first and second dovetail rails angularly spaced about the longitudinal axis and in alignment with the longitudinal axis.

13. The aiming device of claim 12 in which the first and second dovetail rails each includes at least one slot aligned transversely of the longitudinal axis.

14. The aiming device of claim 12 in which the first and second dovetail rails are spaced 90 degrees apart about the longitudinal axis.