Mounting an article upon a support

• US 6,371,424 B1
• Filed: 09/10/1999
• Issued: 04/16/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: General Dynamics Canada Limited (General Dynamics Corporation)
• Original Assignee: General Dynamics Canada Limited (General Dynamics Corporation)
• Inventors: Shaw, Stephen David
• Primary Examiner(s): CHIN SHUE, ALVIN C
• Application Number:
  US09/393,892
• Time in Patent Office: 949 Days
• Field of Search: 248/187.1, 248/177.1, 248/222.12, 248/224.51, 248/224.41, 248/224.61, 248/221.11
• US Class Current: 248/222.12
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/041 Allowing quick release of the apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/10 around a horizontal axis F16M11/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/2014 around a vertical axis F16M11/2035 takes precedence
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 1/393 Mounting telescopic sights on ordnance; Transmission of sight movements to the associated gun
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 1/54 Devices for testing or checking ; Tools for adjustment of sights

Abstract

A mounting for mounting an article onto a support comprising upper and lower mounting members. Seating surfaces provided between the members retain the members in assembled relationship with the members immovably registered together in a first plane. Three spaced mounting member registration projections provide, in the assembly, contact between the mounting members in three spaced and staggered positions on opposite sides of one of the mounting members, and registration to hold the members immovably together in a second plane. Spring-loaded locking is provided to hold the members together when assembled. Preferably the registration projections are provided on one member upon guide surfaces which are converging and inclined towards a respective seating surface. Guide surfaces on the other member are correspondingly converging and inclined. The convergence and inclination causes the projections to force the seating surfaces together to hold the members in the first plane while the projections themselves hold the members together in the second plane. One or other of the seating surfaces may have seating projections to engage the other seating surface. The invention is particularly applicable for use on weapons for withstanding sudden violent or vibrational forces and for quick release while permitting reassembly and while ensuring that settings such as calibration and boresighting settings are not altered.

Claims

1. A mounting for mounting an article upon a support comprising:

first and second mounting members which are relatively movable into assembled relationship in which the second mounting member is held in a seating position by the first mounting member, each mounting member having a seating means, the seating means of the two mounting members lying in abutting relationship with the second mounting member immovably registered in a first plane relative to the first mounting member when the second mounting member is in the seating position, the mounting also comprising three spaced mounting member registration projections which are located to provide, in the seating position, contact between the mounting members in a three spaced position and staggered relationship from side to side of the second mounting member to register the second mounting member in a second plane relative to the first mounting member, the registration projections providing wiping action between the mounting members during their movement into assembled relationship; and

means for locking the mounting members together with the second mounting member remaining in the seating position,

wherein the locking means comprises a plurality of locking arms carried by one of the mounting members, each arm being spring-urged to move it into a position of locking engagement with the other mounting member when the second mounting member is in its seating position,

and wherein there are two locking arms carried by the first mounting member and pivotable about pivot axes, respectively, to engage opposing sides of the second mounting member when the second mounting member is in its seating position.

2. A mounting according to claim 1, wherein each locking arm is engageable within a respective slot defined in the second mounting member to engage a side of the slot and hold the second mounting member in its seating position.

3. A mounting according to claim 2, wherein the locking arms are quickly releasable by manual operation out of their locking positions.

4. A mounting for mounting an article upon a support comprising:

first and second mounting members which are relatively movable into assembled relationship in which the second mounting member is held in a seating position by the first mounting member, each mounting member having a seating means, the seating means of the two mounting members lying in abutting relationship with the second mounting member immovably registered in a first plane relative to the first mounting member when the second mounting member is in the seating position, the mounting also comprising three spaced mounting member registration projections which are located to provide, in the seating position, contact between the mounting members in a three spaced position and staggered relationship from side to side of the second mounting member to register the second mounting member in a second plane relative to the first mounting member, the registration projections providing wiping action between the mounting members during their movement into assembled relationship; and

means for locking the mounting members together with the second mounting member remaining in the seating position,

wherein the locking means comprises two locking arms carried by the first mounting member and pivotable about pivot axes, respectively, each locking arm being spring-urged into a position of locking engagement with the second mounting member when the second mounting member is in its seating position, each locking arm being engagable in a respective slot defined in the second mounting member to engage a side of the slot and hold the second mounting member in its seating position,

each locking arm has a latch end portion for engaging said side of the slot and the configuration and dimensioning of each latch end portion and its associated slot, and the position of the pivot axis, are such that, in use, any component of force tending to move the locking arm outwards from its locking position resulting from a force acting parallel to a direction of said movement into assembled relationship is less than the effect of friction between the latch end portion and the associated slot side and the action of the spring.

5. A mounting according to claim 4, wherein a face of the latch end portion disposed to contact said side of the slot to retain the members in the locked position is inclined at an angle of up to 99 degrees to a line joining the pivot to a corner of the slot side adjacent the latch end portion.

6. A mounting according to claim 5, wherein said angle is about 97.5 degrees.

7. A mounting according to claim 4, wherein the spring-urging of the locking arms is provided by compression springs.

8. A mounting for mounting an article upon a support comprising:

first and second mounting members which are relatively movable into assembled relationship in which the second mounting member is held in a seating position by the first mounting member, each mounting member having a seating means, the seating means of the two mounting members lying in abutting relationship with the second mounting member immovably registered in a first plane relative to the first mounting member when the second mounting member is in the seating positon, the mounting also comprising three spaced mounting member registration projections which are located to provide, in the seating position, contact between the mounting members in a three spaced position and staggered relationship from side to side of the second mounting member to register the second mounting member in a second plane relative to the first mounting member, the registration projections providing wiping action between the mounting members during their movement into assembled relationship; and

means for locking the mounting members together with the second mounting member remaining in the seating position,

wherein the locking means comprises a plurality of locking arms carried by one of the mounting members, each arm being spring-urged to move it into a position of locking engagement with the other mounting member when the second mounting member is in its seating position, wherein each locking arm is pivotable about a pivot axis for movement into said position of locking engagement and has its mass balanced about said pivot axis.

9. A mounting for mounting an article upon a support comprising:

first and second mounting members which are relatively movable into assembled relationship in which the second mounting member is held in a seating position by the first mounting member, each mounting member having a seating means, the seating means of the two mounting members lying in abutting relationship with the second mounting member immovably registered in a first plane relative to the first mounting member when the second mounting member is in the seating position, the mounting also comprising three spaced mounting member registration projections which are located to provide, in the seating position, contact between the mounting members in a three spaced position and staggered relationship from side to side of the second mounting member to register the second mounting member in a second plane relative to the first mounting member, the registration projections providing wiping action between the mounting members during their movement into assembled relationship; and

means for locking the mounting members together with the second mounting member remining in the seating position,

wherein the first mounting member has a base and two side flanges extending in opposition to each other from the base to defme with the base a receiving channel for the second mounting member, the base having a seating surface of the seating means facing into the channel, and the flanges having inwardly turned free ends which provide a first pair of guide surfaces which converge in a direction away from an entrance to the channel for receiving the second mounting member, the surfaces of the first pair being inclined, in a lateral direction, towards the seating surface of the first mounting member, the second mounting member having a seating surface of the seating means for abutting contact with the seating surface of the first mounting when the second mounting member is in the seating position, the second mounting member having a second pair of guide surfaces which converge and are inclined correspondingly to the first guide surfaces and each registration projection being provided as part of a respective guide surface whereby during movement of the two mounting members into assembled relationship, each guide surface of one pair moves longitudinally and laterally of a corresponding guide surface of the other pair until, with the second mounting member in its seating position, each of the registration projections on its respective guide surface engages a corresponding guide surface with the inclination of the guide surfaces retaining the abutting contact of the seating means to immovably register the second mounting member in the first plane,

and further comprising a pair of locking arms each pivotally mounted upon a respective flange of the first mounting member, the locking arms being spring urged to move through a slot in a respective flange and into another slot provided in the second mounting member so as to hold the second mounting member in its seating position.

10. A mounting for mounting an article upon a support comprising a first mounting member and a second mounting member, one of the first mounting member and the second mounting member for attachment to the article and the other of said first mounting member and the second mounting member for attachment to the support, the mounting members being relatively movable into assembled relationship in which the second mounting member is held in a seating position by the first mounting member, the mounting also including means for urging the second mounting member into its seating position, the urging means comprising a plurality of locking arms which are pivotally connected about pivotal axes to the first mounting member, each locking arm being resiliently moved towards a locking position in locking engagement with opposite sides of the second mounting member, each locking arm having its mass balanced about its pivotal axis.

11. A mounting for mounting a gun upon a support comprising:

a first mounting member and a second mounting member, one of the first mounting member and the second mounting member for attachment to the gun and the other of said first mounting member and the second mounting member for attachment to the support, said first and second mounting members being relatively movable into assembled relationship in which the second mounting member is held in a seating position by the first mounting member, each mounting member having a seating means, the seating means of the two mounting members lying in abutting relationship with the second mounting member immovably registered in a first plane relative to the first mounting member when the second mounting member is in the seating position, the mounting also comprising three spaced mounting member registration projections which are located to provide, in the seating position, contact between the mounting members in a three spaced position and staggered relationship from side to side of the second mounting member to register the second mounting member in a second plane relative to the first mounting member, the registration projections providing wiping action between the mounting members during their movement into assembled relationship; and

means for locking the mounting members together with the second mounting member remaining in the seating position,

wherein the locking means comprises two locking arms carried by the first mounting member and pivotable about pivot axes, respectively, to engage opposing sides of the second mounting member when the second mounting member is in its seating position, each locking arm being spring-urged to move it into locking engagement within a respective slot defined in the second mounting member to engage a side of the slot and hold the second mounting member in its seating position, and

wherein each locking arm has a larch end portion for engaging said side of the slot and the configuration and dimensioning of each latch end portion and its associated slot, and the position of the pivot axis, are such that, when the gun is in use, any component of recoil force tending to move the locking arm outwards from its locking position is less than the effect of friction between the latch end portion and the associated slot side and the action of the spring.