Butt Stock With Accessory Mount

Abstract

A accessory mounting system for a butt stock having a body, a tube cylinder integrally formed with a top end of the body, and a butt plate mounted to a rear end of the body, including a support structure on the body and a bracket having a pair of flanges arranged to be received by the support structure and a pair of mounting tabs arranged to receive an accessory such as a handheld electronic device.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the priority of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/431,096, filed on Jan. 10, 2011, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

FIELD

The present disclosure relates to an adjustable length butt stock for a rifle, and particularly to an adjustable length butt stock having a removable butt plate and one or mechanisms for mounting accessories to the butt stock.

BACKGROUND

In the discussion of the background that follows, reference is made to certain structures and/or methods. However, the following references should not be construed as an admission that these structures and/or methods constitute prior art. Applicant expressly reserves the right to demonstrate that such structures and/or methods do not qualify as prior art.

The discussion in this background section and in the descriptions of the invention may use terms that correspond to the more common uses of the items being described, without intending to exclude other less common usage. For example, the term “rifle” is used because the butt stocks are described in relation to their more common usage on tactical rifles, but there is no intent to exclude the use of the same butt stock on a smooth bore weapon or other types of firearm. Likewise, the butt stocks are described in relationship to the more common usage on a weapon with adjustable length extender/buffer tubes, without intending to exclude their use on a solid or fixed length gun stock.

With the above qualification in mind, a variety of rifle butt stocks are known for use with an extender tube to adjust the length of pull (LOP), and are available as a replacement stock or as an original equipment stock, such as, for example, the Colt M4 sliding stock. The extender tube connects to a buffer tube (which may include internal recoil attenuating buffers) connected to the receiver, and has position locking holes spaced along the tube to move the butt stock toward or away from the receiver to select the LOP.

In most butt stocks, the rear face (or butt plate) of the stock is typically shaped in a shallow concave configuration common to most sporting rifle stocks, or in a straight configuration as found on many tactical rifles. However, both such configurations have a sharp bottom corner toe that can snag on armor webbing when a rifleman is wearing body armor, which tends to pull the butt plate away from shoulder contact. In recognition of the snagging problem, some recent stocks have used a rounded toe at the bottom corner.

Most often the butt stock used with extender/buffer tubes is a molded plastic piece with hollow interior portions that can be used to store cleaning supplies, batteries or other small items. The usual method of access to such storage areas is by removable butt plates, or by trapdoor type covers that pivot away from the stock to expose the storage compartment. There is, however, ample opportunity for improvement in storage compartment access.

There has also been a recognition that handheld electronic devices such as a GPS, cellular phone, or a combination of navigation and communications device would be better secured in tactical situations if they can be attached to the weapon, rather than kept in a belt holster or uniform pocket. If the rifleman is using the handheld device when a situation requires immediate shouldering of the weapon, wasting time to place the device back into its holster, or trying to hold the device while mounting the weapon, detracts from the attention that should be directed to evaluating and meeting the threat. Taping the device along the stock is a make-shift solution. A short accessory rail along the stock would be an improvement over taping, as would a waterproof pocket attached to or embedded into the stock. There is, however, ample opportunity for improvement in attaching handheld devices to a weapon.

SUMMARY

An embodiment of an accessory mounting system is described for a butt stock having a body, a tube cylinder integrally formed with a top end of the body, and a butt plate mounted to a rear end of the body. The accessory mounting system includes a support structure on the body and a bracket having a pair of flanges arranged to be received by the support structure and a pair of mounting tabs arranged to receive an accessory such as a handheld electronic device. The accessory may be received by clipping the accessory between the mounting tabs.

Another embodiment of an accessory mounting system is described for a butt stock having a body, a tube cylinder integrally formed with a top end of the body, and a butt plate mounted to a rear end of the body. The accessory mounting system includes a longitudinal slot in each side of the body substantially parallel to the tube cylinder, each slot having a front end terminating in the body and a rear end terminating in the butt plate, and a bracket having a pair of flanges arranged to be received respectively into the longitudinal slots and a pair of mounting tabs arranged to receive an accessory.

Another embodiment of an accessory mounting system is described for a butt stock having a body, a tube cylinder integrally formed with a top end of the body, and a butt plate mounted to a rear end of the body. The accessory mounting system includes a cage integrally formed with a bottom portion of the body, a bracket having a pair of flanges arranged to be received by the cage and a pair of mounting tabs arranged to receive an accessory, and a fastener for securing the bracket to the cage.

It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The following detailed description can be read in connection with the accompanying drawings in which like numerals designate like elements and in which:

FIGS. 1A and 1B are a side and rear view, respectively, of an embodiment of a butt stock.

FIGS. 2A and 2B are a side and rear view, respectively, of another embodiment of a butt stock.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a bracket for mounting an accessory to a butt stock as in one of FIGS. 1A and 2A.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an accessory mounted in the bracket of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a bracket for mounting an accessory to a butt stock as in FIG. 2A.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an accessory mounted in the bracket of FIG. 5.

FIGS. 7A and 7B are a side and perspective view, respectively, of an embodiment of a butt stock showing a hinged butt plate and storage compartment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIGS. 1A, 1B, 2A, and 2B show two similar but different embodiments of a butt stock 10 having a body 15 and a tube cylinder 12 at the top of the body 15 to receive the extender tube of a rifle (not shown) and a trigger latch 20 for engaging and disengaging the latch with position holes in the extender tube that are common to adjustable length stocks of this type. In the depicted embodiments, the body 15 of the butt stock 10 includes dual sling attachment bushings 22. The butt stock 10 is preferably made from a light-weight molded plastic, as commonly used in this type of adjustable stack, although other materials may be used.

The butt stock 10 further includes a butt plate 14 located at the rear of the butt stock 10. The butt plate 14 may function as a trap door covering a rear-opening storage compartment in the butt stock 10 that can be used to hold replacement batteries or other items. The butt plate 14 has a dual sloped shape, with a lesser slope above an inflection point 40 and a greater slope below the inflection point 40. The inflection point 40 is positioned below the main body of the butt stock 10. More particularly, the butt plate 14 includes an upper generally straight portion 44 that may slope slightly forward from its upper edge heel 45 to the inflection point 40, and a lower generally straight portion 42 at a greater forward slope from the inflection point 40 to its lower edge toe 43.

The slope angle of the lower portion 42 is greater than the slope angle of the upper portion 44 with respect to a vertical plane from the heel 45. The slope of the upper portion 44 may range from about 0° to about 10°, preferably about 4°. The slope of the lower portion 42 may range from about 25° to about 45°, preferably about 35°.

This dual sloped profile of the butt plate 14 enables a smooth and rapid mount to the aiming position even when a rifleman is wearing body armor. Instead of a sharp bottom corner toe that can snag on the armor webbing and pull the butt plate away from shoulder contact, as may occur with a conventionally shaped butt stock, the forward angled lower portion 42 of the butt plate 14 allows the rifleman to raise the weapon and draw it back into shoulder contact without snagging. If the toe 42 of the butt plate 14 contacts the armor padding, the forward angle of the lower portion 42 causes the butt stock 10 to rotate into shoulder contact rather than pull away.

The butt plate 14 is preferably made from a plastic piece over-molded with a synthetic rubber cover. The cover may include a pattern of horizontal grooves to provide a non-slip surface.

A hinge plate 46 extends forwardly from the toe 43 on each side of the butt stock 10. The hinge plates 46 supports the ends of a hinge pin 18 that extends through a lower end of the body 15, thereby enabling the butt plate 14 to pivot with respect to the body 15 of the butt stock 10.

As illustrated in FIGS. 7A and 7B, a spring loaded latch bolt 80 secures the butt plate 14 to a strike plate 82 in the butt stock 10 when the butt plate 14 is in a closed position, concealing a storage compartment cavity 84 within the butt stock 10. A button actuator 16 on a side of the butt plate 14 is provided to release the spring loaded latch bolt 80 to allow the butt plate 14 to pivot open on pivot pin 18. In the depicted embodiment, the button actuator 16 is recessed into the butt plate 14, and requires the button actuator 16 to be pushed in and downward to prevent accidental unlatching.

A gasket 86 may be provided on an inside surface of the butt plate 14 disposed to engage an outer edge of the storage compartment 84 to create a watertight seal when the butt plate 14 is closed and latched. The storage compartment may also contain a foam block 87 with a quick access tab 88 attached. The block may, for example, have cutouts 89 for batteries, such as 123A size lithium batteries, although other or additional cutout patterns can be used. The foam keeps items stored in the storage compartment from rattling, and the tab allows the foam block or the part itself to be extracted quickly.

When the latch is released by the button actuator 16, the butt plate 14 pivots downward and forward under the force of gravity. The forward slope of the lower portion 42 of the butt plate 14, combined with the forward extending hinge plates 46, place the hinge point 18 well in front of the heel 45 of the butt plate 14. This configuration enables the butt plate 14 to swing below the body 15 of the butt stock 10 and well out of the way when inserting or removing batteries or other small items in the storage compartment.

The body 15 of the butt stock 10 may also include an accessory attachment groove or slot 24, for example, a slot on each side of the body 15 having one end 27 that terminates in the body 15 and another end that opens onto a rear face 25 of the body 15. When the butt plate 14 is closed, the slot 24 extends slightly beyond a front face 47 of the butt plate 14 and terminates in the butt plate 14. In the depicted embodiment, the slot 24 is positioned near the top of the body 15, just below the tube cylinder 12 for the extender tube. Identical slots 24 are located on both sides of the body 15. The slots 24 can be used to attach an accessory bracket for holding a communication/navigation device to the butt stock 10, as described below, or to attach an adjustable position cheek rest or other accessory.

An exemplary accessory bracket 70 is shown in FIG. 3. The bracket 70 may be made from a resilient plastic material. The bracket 70 includes a curved body 72, a mounting flange 74 extending inwardly at each end of the curved body 72 toward the concave side of the curved body 72, and a lower accessory mounting tab 76 and an upper accessory mounting tab 78 extending outwardly from the convex side of body 72. Each mounting flange 74 may include an enlarged end 75.

To mount the bracket 70, the butt plate 14 is released and swung open to expose the open ends of the slots 24. The flanges 74 are slid into the slots 24 so that the mounting tabs 76, 78 extend over the cheek weld on one side or the other of the butt stock 10, as desired. The bracket 70 can be installed with the mounting tabs 76, 78 on either side of the butt stock 10. The butt plate 14 is then closed to prevent the bracket 70 from sliding back out of the slots 24. The optional enlarged ends 75 on the mounting flanges 74 increase the security of the mounting. Once the bracket 70 is installed, a device such as a communication/navigation device 100 can be mounted between the mounting tabs 76, 78, as shown in FIG. 4.

The butt stock 10 of the embodiment shown in FIG. 2A includes an integrally molded mounting cage 26 below the body 15. The cage 26 has a generally rectangular construction, including an upper member 58, a front member 54, a lower member 50, and a rear member 62 that together bound an opening 64. The cage 26 has slots for bolt and nut attachment of an accessory holder. In particular, the upper member 58 includes a slot 60, the front member 54 includes a slot 56, and the lower member 50 includes a slot 52.

FIG. 5 shows a bracket 30 configured to be mounted to the cage 26. The bracket is preferably made from a resilient plastic material, although other materials may be used. The bracket 30 includes a body 38. A straight flange 34 and an L-shaped flange 36 each extend outwardly from one side of the body 38, the L-shaped flange 36 having a leg 37 extending generally parallel to the body 38. Two accessory mounting tabs 31 extend outwardly from an opposite side of the body 38, each accessory mounting tab being located at or near the ends of the body 38. The body 38 also includes a threaded bushing 32 configured to receive the threaded barrel of an attachment bolt.

The flanges 34, 36 are spaced apart along the body 38 by a distance approximately equal to the size of the opening 64 between the upper member 58 and the lower member 50 of the cage 26. When the bracket 30 is mounted to the cage 26, an outer edge of the straight flange 34 rests on an inner edge of one of the members 50, 58, while an outer edge of the L-shaped flange 36 rests on an inner edge of the other of the member 50, 58 with the leg 37 extending over the other member 50, 58. The bracket 30 may be secured by a bolt through the slot 52, 60 that corresponds to the bushing 32 in the mounted orientation.

For example, as shown in FIG. 6, the L-shaped flange 36 is hooked over the lower member 50 and the straight flange 34 abuts the upper member 58. A bolt 80 inserted through the slot 60 is threaded into the bushing 32. Once the bracket 30 is installed on the cage 26, an accessory device 100 such as a handheld GPS, cellular phone, or similar electronic accessory can be mounted using the mounting tabs 31, as shown.

Although described in connection with preferred embodiments thereof, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that additions, deletions, modifications, and substitutions not specifically described may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A accessory mounting system for a butt stock having a body, a tube cylinder integrally formed with a top end of the body, and a butt plate mounted to a rear end of the body, the system comprising:

a support structure on the body; and

a bracket having a pair of flanges arranged to be received by the support structure and a pair of mounting tabs arranged to receive an accessory such as a handheld electronic device.

2. The accessory mounting system of claim 1,

wherein the support structure comprises a longitudinal slot in each side of the body substantially parallel to the tube cylinder, each slot having a front end terminating in the body and a rear end terminating in the butt plate; and

wherein the flanges of the bracket are arranged to be received respectively into the longitudinal slots.

3. The accessory mounting system of claim 2, further comprising a pivot pin at a lower end of the butt plate enabling the butt plate to be pivoted away from the butt stock to expose open ends of the slots such that the bracket can be installed into or removed from the slots by sliding the flanges through the open ends of the slots.

4. The accessory mounting system of claim 1,

wherein the support structure comprises a cage integrally formed with a bottom portion of the body; and

wherein the flanges of the bracket are arranged to be received by the cage;

further comprising a fastener for securing the bracket to the cage.

5. The system of claim 4,

the cage comprising an upper member and a lower member forming an opening therebetween, at least one of the upper member and the lower member including a slot; and

the bracket further comprising a bushing for receiving the fastener when the fastener is inserted through the slot.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein one of the flanges of the bracket is straight and the other of the flanges of the bracket is L-shaped, such that when the bracket is mounted to the cage, the L-shaped flange protrudes through the opening in the cage and fits over one of the upper member and the lower member of the cage, and the straight flange protrudes through the opening in the cage and abuts the other of the upper member and the lower member of the cage.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the accessory is received by clipping the accessory between the mounting tabs.

8. An accessory mounting system for a butt stock having a body, a tube cylinder integrally formed with a top end of the body, and a butt plate mounted to a rear end of the body, the system comprising:

a longitudinal slot in each side of the body substantially parallel to the tube cylinder, each slot having a front end terminating in the body and a rear end terminating in the butt plate, and

a bracket having a pair of flanges arranged to be received respectively into the longitudinal slots and a pair of mounting tabs arranged to receive an accessory.

9. The accessory mounting system of claim 8, further comprising a pivot pin at a lower end of the butt plate enabling the butt plate to be pivoted away from the butt stock to expose open ends of the slots such that the bracket can be installed into or removed from the slots by sliding the flanges through the open ends of the slots.

10. An accessory mounting system for a butt stock having a body, a tube cylinder integrally formed with a top end of the body, and a butt plate mounted to a rear end of the body, the system comprising:

a cage integrally formed with a bottom portion of the body;

a bracket having a pair of flanges arranged to be received by the cage and a pair of mounting tabs arranged to receive an accessory; and

a fastener for securing the bracket to the cage.

11. The system of claim 10,

the cage further comprising an upper member and a lower member forming an opening therebetween, at least one of the upper member and the lower member including a slot; and

the bracket further comprising a bushing for receiving the fastener when the fastener is inserted through the slot.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein one of the flanges of the bracket is straight and the other of the flanges of the bracket is L-shaped, such that when the bracket is mounted to the cage, the L-shaped flange protrudes through the opening in the cage and fits over one of the upper member and the lower member of the cage, and the straight flange protrudes through the opening in the cage and abuts the other of the upper member and the lower member of the cage.