Gunsight mount with spring biased jaw
United States Patent Ward Apr. 15, 1975 GUNSIGHT MOUNT WITH SPRING BIASED Primary Examiner-Benjamin A. Borchelt J AW Assistant Examiner-C. T. Jordan [76] Inventor: William A. Ward, 35 S. Arcadia zggi fi 0r Firm-James Cannon James Rd.,&#39;l-1ackensack, NJ. 07601 22 Filed: Jan. 14, 1974 [57] ABSTRACT Appl. No.: 433,124  
 A gunsight mount composed of two support members, an upper sight support member and a lower attaching post member, is disclosed. One of the members has a recess, the other a projection fitting into the recess. A spring biased cam operated jaw is slidably mounted in the recess member transverse the recess. Operating the cam forces the jaw into the recess against the projection securing the sight support to the attaching post. Releasing the cam frees the jaw which is biased away from the projection and out of the recess allowing the sight mount to be removed or reinserted without interference from the jaw.  
 2 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures GUNSIGIIT MOUNT WITH SPRING BIASED JAW BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention:  
  The invention pertains to gun sight mounts and more particularly to mounts easily removed and reattached to a gun barrel which are especially suitable for telescopic sights.  
 2. Description of the Prior Art:  
  A variety of sight mounts including telescopic sight mounts easily removed at attached to a gun barrel. exist in the prior art.  
  In particular U.S. Pat. No. 2.491.431 discloses a telescope mounting utilizing a dovetail jaw which is clamped against a similarly shaped projection attached to a gun barrel. The jaw is operated by a knob attached to a threaded rod which screws in and out of the mount assembly.  
  Also U.S. Pat. No. 3.579.840 shows a mount designed for quick removal or attachment to a barrel by spring clips which grip an undercut support somewhat analagous to a dovetail joint.  
  The present invention is an improvement in gunsight mounts of the type described above arranged for easy removal and reattachment to a gun barrel.  
 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention may be summarized as a gun sight mount composed of two support members, an upper sight support member and a lower attaching post member. One of the members has a recess, a dovetail shaped recess in the preferred embodiment and the other a projection fitting into the recess. A spring biased cam operated jaw is slidably mounted in the recess member transverse the recess.  
  Operating the cam forces the jaw into the recess against the projection securing the sight support to the attaching post. Releasing the cam frees the jaw which is biased away from the projection out of the recess allowing the sight mount to be removed or reattached without interference from the jaw.  
  The mount requires no tools to remove. a distinct advantage when quick removal or attachment is required under varying hunting conditions. In the preferred embodiment. a short throw lever-operated cam is used to move the jaw inward allowing the sight to be easily mounted even with a heavily gloved hand. Additionally the spring biased jaw renders the mount in condition for immediate attachment since the gripping portion of the mount is positioned away from the recess at all times the cam is released. Thus the mount may always be slid on to the attaching post without interference from the jaw.  
  As will be seen the recess may be in either the upper or lower members of the device with the mating projection found in the opposite member.  
  Further. the mount is not limited to telescopic sights but may also be employed to attach a variety of iron sights at the option of the user. These and other advantages of the invention will become more clear from&#39;the description of the preferred embodiment and drawings which follow.  
 DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the invention:  
  FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a component&#39; of FIG. 1:  
 FIG. 3 is a side view of the component of FIG. 2;  
  FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 3, along line AA;  
 FIG. 5 is a bottom view of the component: and  
  FIG. 6 is a perspective view ofa component of the invention.  
 DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring first to FIG. I. there is shown in perspective view. a preferred embodiment of the invention. Sight support member 10 comprised of mating halves 12 and 14 held together by joining&#39;screws 16, I8. and is shown holding telescopic sight 22 illustrated broken away. Dovetail recess 24 is formed in the bottom of the support and mates with projection 26 extending from second support member 28. Second support member 28 comprising at attaching post mounts on a gun barrel not shown with appropriate screws also not shown through holes 30. Finger activated lever 32 hiases jaw 34 transversely against projection 26 as will be described in further detail below. Step 36 prevents lever 32 from rotating beyond a position sufficient to release the jaw. Groove 38 traverses projection 26 and receives an additional rotatable arm component 42 of lever 32 as shown in FIG. I and FIG. 2.  
  FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the sight support described above. Like numbers refer to like components. Shown in addition to the structure already discussed are compression springs 44 fitting into wells 46 in inner wall 50 of support section 14 and wells 48 in jaw 34 respectively. Jaw 34 fits snugly into recess 52 of section I4 and is biased away from wall 50 and dovetail recess 24 by springs 44. Threaded rod 42 extends through hole 54 in jaw 34, through groove 56 in sections 14 and 12 and into threaded hole 58 in section 12 as shown in FIG. 4. Rotating lever 32 rotates rod 42 moving face 60 of lever 32 in contact with jaw 34 in and out transverse section 14. As lever 32 is rotated in a direction to move the lever outward jaw 34 is biased away from wall 50 and recess 24 by springs 44. The direction of rotation is arbitrary and depends on the direction of the threads of rod 42 and hole 58.  
  Referring to FIG. 3, a side view of the sight support is shown. Lever 32 shown in solid lines is in the position locking the support. Lever 32 in dotted lines shows the released position in which the jaw is biased away from the dovetail recess.  
  FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of-FIG. 3 along line A-A further clarifying the structure of the invention. Lever 32 is shown in the released position. the jaw biased away from recess 24.  
  FIG. 5 is a bottom view of the sight support further illustrating the invention. The jaw is shown released.  
  FIG. 6 is a perspective view of lever 32 and threaded rod 42. The rod is shown as half round. the flat portion mounted at an angle such that the rod clears the surface of projection 26 when the lever is in the released position. When the lever is in the secure position, biasing the jaw against projection 26, the rounded portion 62 fits into groove 38 in the projection. preventing recoil induced lateral movement of the sight support relative to support member 28 when the gun is fired. Stop 36 illustrated in the previous figures fixes the mechanical limit at which the rounded portion 62 of the rod is free of the groove so that sight support may be slid free of the support member without interference from the rod.  
  A number of variations in the above described structure will be obvious to those skilled in the art. Accordingly. the novel features of the invention are defined by the following claims.  
 What is claimed is:  
  l. A gunsight mount mountable on a gun barrel comprising in combination:  
 a. a first support member having a dove tail shaped recess;  
 b. a second support member;  
 c. a dovetail shaped projection extending from said second member communicating with said recess;  
 (1. a moveable jaw slidably mounted in said first support member to slide in a direction transverse to said recess for engaging said projection, said jaw and said first support member having mutually facing walls each of said walls having two opposed spring receiving wells;  
 . a pair of compression springs one each disposed in said spring receiving wells for biasing said jaw away from said projection;  
 f. finger activated cam means mounted on said first member in connection with said jaw for biasing said jaw against said projection to secure said first and second members;  
 g. means for supporting a gun sight on one of said members: and  
 h. means for attaching the other of said members to a gun barrel.  
  2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said first member has a threaded hole with a longitudinal axis oriented transverse to said recess disposed opposite said jaw. said jaw has a hole with a longitudinal axis oriented transverse to said recess aligned with said threaded hole and said cam means comprises:  
 a. a rotatable threaded rod extending through said jaw hole and communicating with said threaded hole; and  
 b. a lever arm attached to said rod opposite said threaded end. said lever arm arranged to bear against said jaw whereby said jaw is biased into said recess upon rotating said lever arm.