Weapon mount

Abstract

A weapon mount includes a platform with a weapon mounted thereto and a swing arm subsystem attached to a port wall. The swing arm subsystem moves the platform between a concealed position within the port and a deployed position through the port. The preferred swing arm subsystem includes an axle, a bracket for the axle mounted to the port wall, at least one coupling about the axle, and a rotating strut extending between the coupling and the platform to swing the platform and weapon forward through the port and rearward back into the port.

Description

RELATED APPLICATIONS AND PRIORITY CLAIM

This application claims benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/839,951, filed Aug. 24, 2006.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This subject invention relates to mounting systems for weapons and non-lethal devices.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A large weapon such as a 50 caliber machine gun is typically mounted in a weapon mounting station such as a remote operated small arms mount (ROSAM) on a tripod. Moving such a large and heavy weapon from a concealed position within a port (a window, for example) to a deployed position through the port is generally not done. The tripod would have to be repositioned from a location distant from the port to a location proximate the port. Given that a 50 caliber machine gun mounted to a weapon mounting station can weigh in excess of 450 lbs, the repositioning effort between a concealed and deployed position would be cumbersome and time consuming. And, even if the weapon was repositioned so the barrel of the weapon is now outside the port, its spatial coverage would be limited.

There is often a need to keep a weapon concealed and/or protected until its use is required. In but one example, it is desirable that any weapons associated with an embassy or cruise ship not be viewable from public spaces. The idea is a non-threatening posture while maintaining protective capability. In another example, it is desirable that certain weapons on a naval or coast guard vessel be kept both protected and concealed until needed. Often, the mere act of deploying a concealed weapon is sufficient to prevent an act of violence. Known weapon mounts do not lend themselves to concealment and then rapid and easy deployment.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a new more versatile mount for weapons and/or non-lethal devices.

It is a further object of this invention to provide such a mount which deploys a weapon easily and quickly.

It is a further object of this invention to provide such a mount which increases the coverage of a weapon.

It is a further object of this invention to provide such a mount which is fairly simple in design and is easy to use.

It is a further object of this invention to provide such a mount which is stable and adequately supports a weapon in both the concealed mode and the deployed mode and while firing.

It is a further object of this invention to provide such a mount which can be set up in different locations.

It is a further object of this invention to provide such a mount which can be easily tailored for different installations.

It is a further object of this invention to provide such a mount which is reliable even in corrosive and rugged environments.

It is a further object of this invention to provide such a mount which meets dynamic loading and support accuracy requirements.

It is a further object of this invention to provide such a mount which can be engineered to deploy automatically especially in cases where sensors are used to detect potential threats.

The subject invention results from the realization that a more versatile mount which deploys even a large weapon easily and quickly and which provides full weapon coverage in a stable manner is effected by a swing arm subsystem for a weapon which conceals the weapon within a port to provide protection and/or a non-threatening posture and which then deploys the weapon through the port thus maintaining protective capability.

The subject invention, however, in other embodiments, need not achieve all these objectives and the claims hereof should not be limited to structures or methods capable of achieving these objectives.

The subject invention features a mount comprising a platform, a station mounted to the platform, and a swing arm subsystem which moves the platform between a concealed position within a port and a deployed position through the port.

The preferred swing arm subsystem includes an axle, a bracket for the axle, at least one coupling about the axle, and a strut extending between the coupling and the platform. Typically, there are two spaced couplings and two spaced struts. There may be a lock (e.g., an electromagnetic lock) for releasably fixing the platform relative to the port. There may also be a motor for driving the axle.

One typical weapon station is a remote small arms mount.

The bracket may include a bulkhead plate and opposing journals fixed to the bracket for receiving opposite ends of the axle therein. Also, the platform includes a stop which rests against a wall of the port.

One preferred mount includes a platform with a weapon or non-lethal device mounted thereto and a swing arm subsystem attached to a port wall which moves the platform between a concealed position within the port and a deployed position through the port. The swing arm subsystem preferably includes an axle, a bracket for the axle mounted to the port wall, at least one coupling about the axle, and a rotating strut extending between the coupling and the platform to swing the platform forward through the port and rearward back into the port.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

Other objects, features and advantages will occur to those skilled in the art from the following description of a preferred embodiment and the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGS. 1A-1B are schematic three-dimensional views showing a typical prior art weapon mount;

FIGS. 2-4 are schematic three-dimensional views showing, in one example, the primary components associated with a weapon mount in accordance with the subject invention;

FIG. 5 is a schematic three-dimensional top view showing how the weapon mount of the subject invention provides weapon firing yaw angle of a 180°; and

FIG. 6 is a schematic view of an example of a motor mechanism for the weapon mount of the subject invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Aside from the preferred embodiment or embodiments disclosed below, this invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or being carried out in various ways. Thus, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangements of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. If only one embodiment is described herein, the claims hereof are not to be limited to that embodiment. Moreover, the claims hereof are not to be read restrictively unless there is clear and convincing evidence manifesting a certain exclusion, restriction, or disclaimer.

FIGS. 1A-1B show 50 caliber weapon 10 within weapon mounting station 12 supported by tripod 14 in accordance with the prior art. Tripod 14 positions weapon 10 with respect to port 16. Port 16 may be a window in an embassy, a cruise ship, or a naval or coast guard vessel.

As described in the Background section above, it is difficult to provide a non-threatening posture while maintaining protective capability in accordance with such prior art weapon mounting systems. Tripod 14 is not easily or quickly moved. Typically, tripod 14 is not positioned sufficiently rearwardly of port 16 to completely conceal and/or protect weapon 10 and weapon mounting station 12. And contrarily, even were tripod 14 brought as close as possible to port 16 and weapon 10 deployed as shown in FIG. 1B, coverage is limited to a total yaw angle of 117°. Any repositioning effort of tripod 14 is cumbersome and time consuming.

The mount of the subject invention, in one preferred embodiment, includes platform 20, FIG. 2 with weapon station 12 (e.g., a ROSAM) mounted thereto for holding weapon 10. Swing arm subsystem 26 moves platform 20 alternately between a concealed or protected position within port 16 and a deployed position through port 16 as shown in FIG. 3. Platform stop ledge 27 rests against wall 29 of port 16 for stability.

The result in any embodiment is a more versatile weapon mount which deploys the weapon easily and quickly in a way such that a coverage of the weapon is increased. The weapon mount is relatively simple in design and easy to use. Existing components like weapon station 12 can be utilized reducing the cost of the system. The weapon mount is stable and adequately supports the weapon in both the concealed mode and in the deployed mode while firing. The weapon mount can be set up in different locations and typically without adversely affecting the port to which it is mounted. The weapon mount can be easily tailored for different installations, (e.g., ports or windows of different heights and configurations). The weapon mount is reliable even in corrosive and rugged environments and adequately meets dynamic loading and support accuracy requirements.

As shown in FIGS. 2-4, the preferred version of a swing arm system includes axle 30 mounted as shown to the port wall, bulkhead bracket 31, couplings 32a and 32b, and struts 34a and 34b extending between couplings 32a and 32b, respectively, and platform 20. The ends of axle 30 are received in journals 38a and 38b fixed to opposite ends of bulkhead plate 36.

Axle 30 can be static in which case couplings 32a and 32b are configured as bearings which rotate about the longitudinal axis of axle 30. Or, axle 30 can rotate in which case journals 38a and 38b are configured as bearings and couplings 32a and 32b are fixed to axle 30. In this embodiment, axle 30 can be driven by motor 40 or it can be manually rotated. Motor 40, FIG. 6 may include shaft 41 engaged with axle 30 as shown. As shown in FIG. 5, weapon 10 when fully deployed outside of port 16 enjoys full 180° yaw angle coverage.

In any embodiment, the weapon mount of subject invention deploys a weapon easily and quickly from a concealed and/or protected position (FIG. 2) to a firing position (FIGS. 3-5). When concealment, protection, and/or servicing of weapon 10 is desired, struts 34a and 34b swing inwardly as shown in FIG. 2 to position weapon 10 within station 12 inside port 28. When desired, however, weapon 10 in mounting station 12 is deployed through port 16 as shown in FIGS. 3-5 by rotating struts 34a and 34b forward.

Platform 20, FIG. 3 can include an electromagnetic lock 50 for releasably securing platform 20 to port sill 51. Or, platform 20 could include a pin which can be pushed down into a socket in sill 50 to releasably fix platform 20 to sill 51.

Various weapons can be mounted in station 12, FIG. 3. Also, non-lethal devices such as hailing devices, signaling devices, long range acoustic devices, and the like may be mounted in station 12. Station 12 can vary in design as well to accommodate the particular weapon or non-lethal device used for the application or mission.

Although specific features of the invention are shown in some drawings and not in others, this is for convenience only as each feature may be combined with any or all of the other features in accordance with the invention. The words “including”, “comprising”, “having”, and “with” as used herein are to be interpreted broadly and comprehensively and are not limited to any physical interconnection. Moreover, any embodiments disclosed in the subject application are not to be taken as the only possible embodiments. Other embodiments will occur to those skilled in the art and are within the following claims.

In addition, any amendment presented during the prosecution of the patent application for this patent is not a disclaimer of any claim element presented in the application as filed: those skilled in the art cannot reasonably be expected to draft a claim that would literally encompass all possible equivalents, many equivalents will be unforeseeable at the time of the amendment and are beyond a fair interpretation of what is to be surrendered (if anything), the rationale underlying the amendment may bear no more than a tangential relation to many equivalents, and/or there are many other reasons the applicant can not be expected to describe certain insubstantial substitutes for any claim element amended.

Claims

1. A mount comprising:

a platform;

a weapon station mounted to the platform; and

a swing arm subsystem which moves the platform between a concealed position within a port and a deployed position through the port.

2. The mount of claim 1 in which the swing arm subsystem includes:

an axle,

a bracket for the axle,

at least one coupling about the axle, and

a strut extending between the coupling and the platform.

3. The mount of claim 2 in which there are two spaced couplings and two spaced struts.

4. The mount of claim 1 further including a lock for releasably fixing the platform relative to the port.

5. The mount of claim 4 in which the lock is electromagnetic.

6. The mount of claim 1 further including a motor for driving the axle.

7. The mount of claim 1 in which the weapon station is a remote operated small arms mount.

8. The mount of claim 2 in which the bracket includes a bulkhead plate and opposing journals fixed to the bracket for receiving opposite ends of the axle therein.

9. The mount of claim 1 in which the platform includes a stop which rests against a wall of the port.

10. A mount comprising:

a platform with a weapon or non-lethal device mounted thereto; and

a swing arm subsystem attached to a port wall and which moves the platform between a concealed position within the port and a deployed position through the port, the swing arm subsystem including: an axle, a bracket for the axle mounted to the port wall, at least one coupling about the axle, and a rotating strut extending between the coupling and the platform to swing the platform forward through the port and rearward back into the port.

11. The mount of claim 10 in which there are two spaced couplings and two spaced struts.

12. The mount of claim 10 further including a lock for releasably fixing the platform relative to the port.

13. The mount of claim 12 in which the lock is electromagnetic.

14. The mount of claim 10 further including a motor for driving the axle.

15. The mount of claim 10 in which the weapon station is a remote small arms mount.

16. The mount of claim 10 in which the bracket includes a bulkhead plate and opposing journals fixed to the bracket for receiving opposite ends of the axle therein.

17. The mount of claim 10 in which the platform includes a stop which rests against a wall of the port.