Shooting support for rifles and handguns
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to supports for rifles and handguns to aid in aiming and firing. More particularly, this invention relates to such supports that are intended for use when field and bench shooting. 
     2. Brief Description of the Prior Art 
     This invention is an improvement over the shooting support described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,026,057 to Wayne Cady. The shooting support described in that patent was primarily intended for use when field shooting, although it was also useful when bench shooting. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention improves the portability and adjustability of shooting supports of the type described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,026,057. Portability is enhanced by providing a base that has both front and rear legs that are pivotable to either a collapsed storage position or to an extended operating position, and by providing a forearm rest connection that enables a forearm rest to be easily collapsed to a storage position or extended to an operating position. Portability and adjustability are enhanced by providing for a telescoping base connection between a rear-mounted rifle butt support and a front-mounted forearm rest, and by providing for the front legs to be mounted on the base between the butt support and the forearm rest. 
     The gun support of this invention comprises a base having a front end and a rear end, a front leg support assembly longitudinally movable between the front end and the rear end and having a pair of front support legs, and a rear leg support assembly at the rear end having a rear support leg. A gun forearm rest assembly is mounted to the front end of the base, and a gun butt support assembly is mounted to the rear end of the base. The front leg support assembly is so constructed that the front legs are longitudinally movable relative to the rear leg support assembly and the gun forearm rest assembly, and so that the front legs are pivotable between downward and outward support positions and inward collapsed positions. The base is so constructed that the rear leg support assembly is longitudinally movable so that the rear leg is longitudinally movable relative to the gun forearm rest assembly, and so that the rear leg is pivotable between a downward and outward support position and an inward collapsed position. 
     The front leg support assembly comprises a first elongated member having a front end to which the gun forearm rest assembly is mounted, and the front legs are mounted by the first elongated member so that said front legs are longitudinally movable with respect to said gun forearm rest assembly and with respect to said rear leg support assembly. The rear leg assembly comprises a second elongated member telescopically connected to the first elongated member to enable the rear leg to longitudinally move toward and away from the gun forearm rest assembly. 
     The gun forearm rest assembly comprises a transverse hollow cylinder attached to the front end of the first elongated member. The cylinder has multiple cutouts notched into a first end thereof. Positioning means are rotatably contained by the cylinder and include a positioning member displacable into and out of the cutouts and locking means for securing the positioning member into the cutouts. A forearm elevating rod is attached to the positioning member so that the rod can be pivoted between vertical and horizontal positioned by rotating the positioning means within the cylinder and so that the rod can be locked into vertical and horizontal positions by the locking means. A gun forearm rest assembly is adjustably mounted by said forearm elevating rod. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the gun support of the invention taken from the rear of the gun support, with a rifle shown in dashed line positioned in the gun support and with the gun support adjusted for that rifle; 
     FIG. 2 is a side elevation view of the FIG. 1 gun support; 
     FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the FIG. 1 gun support; 
     FIG. 4 is an expanded view of the FIG. 1 gun support&#39;s forearm rest assembly; 
     FIG. 5 is an enlarged detail view taken along the line 5--5 of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 6 is an enlarged perspective view of the FIG. 1 gun support&#39;s rear leg and gun butt support assembly as it would be positioned for supporting a rifle butt; and 
     FIG. 7 is a side elevation view of the FIG. 1 gun support re-configured to support a hand gun, with the gun support&#39;s rear leg and gun butt support assembly adjusted to eliminate interference between the assembly and a shooter&#39;s forearm and elbow, a hand gun shown in dashed line positioned in the gun support and with the gun support adjusted for that hand gun. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     The shooting support of this invention is herein termed a &#34;gun support&#34; to signify that is can be used with a long gun such as a rifle or shot gun, and with a hand gun or pistol. The term &#34;gun support&#34; is not intended to encompass other types of firearms inasmuch as the it is intended for use by the sportsman/hunter; such as for sighting rifles, shot guns and pistols, target shooting the same, stationary hunting of varmints and the like, testing ammunition, sighting-in scopes, and so forth. The gun support of this invention is an apparatus that is not attached to the gun, but rather is an apparatus that is set in place and then the gun positioned in the apparatus for shooting. 
     The gun support illustrated in the drawings, the preferred embodiment, comprises a rear leg assembly 10, a front forearm rest assembly 12, a front leg assembly 14, and a gun butt support assembly 16. The front leg assembly 10 comprises an elongated hollow tube 20 that is fitted at its front end with a transverse hollow cylinder 22 and at its rear end with a locking screw collar 24 through which is threaded a locking thumb screw 26. The front leg assembly 14 further comprises two front legs 50, 52 and a front leg mounting bracket 54 that is adapted to slidably fit over tube 20 and to be fixed in a desired location on tube 20 by a thumb screw 56 threaded through bracket 54, and that pivotably mounts legs 50, 52. The rear leg assembly 10 comprises an elongated tube 30 adapted to slidably fit within tube 20, a rear leg 38, and a rear leg mounting bracket 39 attached to tube 30 opposite to bracket 34 and pivotably mounting rear leg 38. The front leg assembly and the rear leg assembly comprise a longitudinally adjustable base for the forearm assembly 12 and the gun butt support assembly 16. The front forearm rest assembly 12 comprises a cushioned forearm rest 40, a vertically-adjustable forearm rest bracket subassembly 42, a vertical forearm rest support leg 44 which carries subassembly 42, and a support leg mounting subassembly 46 that pivotably mounts leg 44 to cylinder 22. The gun butt support assembly 16 comprises a gun butt cradle 32, comprised of a V-shaped bracket 34 attached to tube 30 opposite to bracket 39, and a gun recoil strap 36 attached to bracket 34. 
     Front leg mounting bracket 54 comprises a sleeve 54a that slidably contains tube 20, and two leg-mounting receptacles 54b, 54c. Each front leg is inserted into one of the receptacles and retained therein by a pivot pin 54d, 54e that extends through the receptacle side walls. Each receptacle has a closed front edge that limits the forward pivotal movement of the front leg and upper and lower side walls that guide the front leg in its pivotal movement. The upper and lower side walls of each receptacle also support and stabilize the front leg against downward forces that might tend to spread or collapse the front legs. The side walls project downwardly from the sleeve 54a at an acute angle from the horizontal and the front edge projects forwardly at an acute angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of tube 20. Therefore, the legs 50, 52 can project forwardly and downwardly at those acute angles as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. Also, with the side walls defining cavities opening rearward for the respective front legs, those legs can be pivoted to extend rearwardly, approximately parallel to the longitudinal axis of tube 20, for storage and shipping, as shown in dotted line in FIG. 3. 
     The rear leg mounting bracket 39 is rigidly attached to tube 30 and provides a leg-mounting receptacle 39a for leg 38. The rear leg is inserted into the receptacle and retained therein by a pivot pin 39b that extends through the receptacle side walls. The receptacle has a closed front edge that limits the forward pivotal movement of the rear leg. The front edge projects forwardly at an acute angle from the longitudinal axis of tube 30 so that leg 38 can project forwardly at that acute angle as shown in FIG. 2. Also, with the side walls defining a cavity opening rearward for the rear leg, the leg can be pivoted to extend rearwardly, approximately parallel to the longitudinal axis of tube 30, for storage and shipping, as shown in dotted line in FIG. 2. 
     Because of the structure of the base, the rear leg 38 and its mounting bracket 39 are longitudinally adjustable with respect to the forearm assembly 12, and the front legs 50, 52 and their mounting bracket 54 are longitudinally adjustable with respect to both the forearm assembly 12 and the rear leg 38. Furthermore, the front leg mounting bracket 54 is rotatable about the longitudinal axis of tube 20 so as to effect any desired rotated attitude for the front legs that might be required by the terrain upon which the gun support is to be positioned. Therefore, for any particular location where the gun support is to be positioned, the rear leg 38 and the front legs 50, 52 may be independently positioned longitudinally, and the attitude of the front legs with respect to the rear leg and with respect to the forearm assembly may be independently adjusted. In so far as the base for the gun support is concerned, the forearm rest assembly 12 is stationary. The rear leg assembly 10 is longitudinally movable relative to the forearm rest assembly. The front leg assembly 14 is also longitudinally movable relative to the forearm rest assembly. In order for the purposes of the invention to be accomplished, it is necessary that the longitudinally movable front leg assembly be located between the forearm rest assembly and the rear leg assembly and that the front-mounted forearm rest assembly be the stationary element in the system. 
     The forearm rest bracket subassembly 42, as shown in detail in FIG. 4, includes a clip 42a through which leg 44 extends, a threaded adjustment rod 42b and a forearm rest-carrying bracket 42c mounted atop rod 42b. Clip 42a may be vertically moved along leg 44 to position the forearm rest 40 to the approximate elevation desired. Clip 42a mounts fine elevation adjusting disk 42d, disk 42d in turn mounting threaded rod 42b in a threaded bore, so that a finer elevation adjustment of the forearm rest 40 may be effected by turning disk 42d so as to incrementally raise or lower bracket 42c. 
     The forearm rest support leg mounting subassembly 46, as shown in detail in FIGS. 4 and 5, comprises a cylinder 46a through which a perpendicular leg aligning rod 46b is inserted and fastened therein by a set screw 46c. Cylinder 46a has a longitudinally-extending threaded bolt 46d long enough to extend through cylinder 22. Cylinder 46a fits within cylinder 22 so that aligning rod 46b, extending through cylinder 46a, may fit into the semicircular cutouts 22a in the rim adjacent rim of cylinder 22. The rim of cylinder 22 is provided with two pairs of cutouts 22a arranged perpendicular to one another; one pair oriented vertically and the other pair oriented horizontally. Cylinder bolt 46d mounts a bearing cap 46e and a wing nut 46f at its outer end so that cylinder 46a may be drawn into or loosened from cylinder 22 by tightening or loosening wing nut 46f on bolt 46d. When wing nut 46f is tightened, the aligning rod 46a will be drawn toward the rim of cylinder 22 and into a pair of cutouts 22a if aligned thereto to lock the rod 46a into the cutouts. When wing nut 46f is loosened, the aligning rod 46a can be pulled out of a pair of cutouts 22a and released from locking engagement with the cutouts. When aligning rod 46a is placed in the horizontal pair of cutouts 22a, the forearm rest support leg 44 will be positioned in its vertical position--its operating position, shown in solid line in FIG. 1 and in dashed line in FIG. 5. When aligning rod 46a is placed in the vertical pair of cutouts 22a, the forearm rest support leg 44 will be positioned in its horizontal position--its storage and shipping position. The combination of the two cylinders 22, 46a, their interrelated tightening/loosening mechanism, and the relationship of the aligning rod 46b to the cutouts 22a provides a simple, positive locking arrangement to enable the forearm rest support rod 44 to be easily and positively locked into an upright operating position or to be quickly pivoted to and locked into its horizontal storage position. 
     FIG. 7 illustrates the gun support adapted for use with a hand gun. In this adaptation, the front leg locking thumb screw 26 is replaced by a hand gun butt support plate 60 to which is mounted a depending bolt 62. Bolt 62 is threaded into the threaded bore in the top of the front leg mounting bracket 54 in place of thumb screw 26. In order to enable this adaptation, it is necessary that the front legs 50, 52 and their mounting bracket 54 be longitudinally movable relative to the stationary forearm rest assembly 12. It is also necessary that the rear leg assembly 10 be rotatable in tube 20 so that the gun butt support assembly 16 can be rotated to a position below the rear leg 38 and its mounting bracket 39. When the gun butt support assembly is rotated into the position shown in FIG. 7, the V-shaped bracket 34 becomes the rear support for the base. To complete the adaptation for use with a hand gun, the rear leg 38 is rotated to its horizontal storage position as shown in FIG. 7 so that it is out of the way of the shooter&#39;s arm and shoulder. When the plate 60 is positioned for supporting the hand gun butt, the plate may be turned to tighten its bolt 62 into the front leg bracket 54, thereby stabilizing the plate 60 and setting the position of the front leg bracket 54 relative to tube 20. 
     While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been described herein, variations in the design may be made. The structure of the legs and their mounting brackets can be varied as can the structures of the gun butt support and the forearm rest without departing from the scope of this invention. The scope of the invention, therefore, is only to be limited by the claims appended hereto.