SUPPORT

Abstract

This invention relates to the field of firearms, and in particular, though not exclusively to a support for a firearm. One aspect provides a support for a firearm for supporting the firearm above a surface, the support comprising a support body and at least two surface-engaging support legs, the support further comprising a projection which is received within a recess defined by a connection element attached to or integral with the firearm to longitudinally restrain the firearm with respect to the support, in which the support further comprises a ball detent mechanism, the ball detent mechanism including at least one ball which is biased to engage a further recess defined by the connection element attached to or integral with the firearm, the ball detent mechanism being operated by a release mechanism to withdraw the said at least one ball from the further recess, and in which the release mechanism comprises a user grippable element which extends below the projection.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to the field of firearms, and in particular, though not exclusively to a support for a firearm.

BACKGROUND

A variety of supports are used for firearms including monopods, bipods, and tripods, as well as other supports like quad sticks. In relation to bipods, some designs such as the Harris bipod of U.S. Pat. No. 4,625,620, are semi-permanently mounted on the firearm. The applicant has developed a successful range of lightweight hunting bipods and tripods which can be rapidly connected to a firearm when needed to support the firearm, or detached from the firearm, when not needed. One bipod or tripod can be used with a range of firearms. See for example US2015/0204479.

An object of the invention may be to provide an alternative means for attaching a support for a firearm.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to one aspect of the invention there is provided a support, such as a bipod or tripod for a firearm according to claim 1. Preferably the support is a bipod. Some preferred features of the support are set out in claims 2 to 7.

The support may be advantageous in that it can be quickly attached to a firearm when needed or quickly disconnected from the firearm when not needed. In particular, the release mechanism may be operated by a user pulling down (or up according to the mechanism) on a locking collar to release the balls of the ball detent i.e., to unlock the ball detent's mechanism and so permitting easy connection or disconnection of the support and firearm. An element defining the recess and/or projection may be provided with a magnet which attracts the other of the element and projection to enhance insertion of the projection into the recess.

According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a combination of a support, such as a bipod or tripod, for a firearm according to the invention and a firearm according to claim 8. Some preferred features of the combination are set out in claims 9 to 12. For example, the firearm of claim 8 may be that of claim 1.

In the context of the invention, the term “firearm” typically refers to a gun such as a rifle which may be rested on a support to improve shooting accuracy.

In the context of the invention, the term “ball detent” includes similar mechanisms including biased elements which may not be spherical, which engage with correspondingly shaped recesses to lock and disengage from those recesses to unlock.

In the context of the invention, references to directions, such as “downward”, refer to the normal orientation of the item referred to in normal use. For example, in the context of a firearm supported above a horizontal surface by a bipod in accordance with the invention, “downward” means towards the surface.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Supports in accordance with the disclosure and combinations of such supports with firearms will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, FIGS. 1 to 8 in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a bipod in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a detail perspective view of the bipod of FIG. 1 and a connection element in a disconnected condition;

FIG. 3 is a transverse cross section of a portion of the bipod and connection element of FIG. 2 in a connected and locked condition;

FIG. 4 is a transverse cross section of a portion of the bipod and connection element of FIG. 2 in a connected and unlocked condition;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the bipod of FIG. 1 connected to a firearm;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a combination of a bipod of FIG. 1 and a firearm in an unconnected condition;

FIG. 7 is a detail perspective view of the bipod of FIG. 1 disconnected from a firearm; and

FIG. 8 is a detail perspective view of the bipod of FIG. 1 connected to a firearm.

DESCRIPTION

The bipod 10 shown in FIG. 1 comprises an aluminium support body 12 and carbon fibre legs 14 and 16 which depend therefrom. The legs 14, 16 are of conventional tubular construction and are pivotally connected to the support body so that they can be brought together in a convenient carrying condition or splayed apart in the deployed condition shown in FIG. 1. A cylindrical projection 17 extends above the support body 12. The projection 17 is tubular. The projection 17 houses a ball detent mechanism including balls B1, B2, B3, and B4 (obscured) and a ball detent release mechanism comprising annular knurled collar 18 which fits about the projection 17, spring 19 and locking rod LR (both of which latter elements are obscured in FIG. 1). The bipod projection 17 is shaped to be received within a connection element 20 which is fitted onto, or integral with or otherwise defined by, a firearm. The tubular connection element 20 defines a cylindrical recess 22 which is sized to receive the projection 17, the inner surface of the connector defining hemispherical recesses H1, H2, H3, and H4 which are sized to receive the balls B1, B2, B3, and B4 respectively when the bipod 10 is connected to the connection element 20 by the insertion of the projection 17 into the recess 22. In the unlocked condition shown in FIG. 2, the collar 18 has been moved downwardly (in the direction of arrow A shown in FIG. 2) and this operates the ball detent mechanism so that the balls B1-4 are withdrawn into the perimeter of projection 17 so that the projection 17 can be conveniently inserted into the recess 22, so connecting the bipod 10 and connection element 20 (and therefore the connected firearm).

The ball detent mechanism is shown in more detail in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4. In the locked and connected condition shown in FIG. 3, the projection 17 has been inserted into the connection element 20's recess 22 and the balls B1-B-4 have been received within the corresponding recesses R1-4 (with any necessary angular rotation of the projection 17 to permit the balls to engage the recesses). The balls B1-B-4 are held within the recesses R1-R4 by the extended compression spring 19 acting against locking rod LR which in turn acts against the balls B1-4 to maintain them in the corresponding recesses R1-4. In this way, the bipod is held in a fixed angular position with respect to the firearm. In the unlocked condition shown in FIG. 4, the locking collar 18 has been moved downwardly (in the direction of arrow A) which drives the locking rod LR downwardly against the compression spring 19, allowing the balls B1-B-4 to extract from the recesses R1-R4. In this unlocked condition, the bipod 10 and connection element 20 can easily be separated. It will be appreciated by the skilled addressee that it may be possible to insert the projection into the connection element 20, or correspondingly withdraw the projection 17 from the connection element 20 against, or overcoming, the ball detent mechanism which has been described by a suitable use of force.

FIG. 5 shows a combination comprising a firearm 30, which includes a fore stock 32 and barrel 34, in combination with a bipod 10 which is generally as described above. The connection element 20G differs from the connection element 20 described above, as will be described later. The combination of firearm 30 and bipod 10 is shown in a connected condition in FIG. 5. A corresponding disconnected condition for the combination of the firearm 30 and bipod 10 is shown in FIG. 6.

FIGS. 7 and 8 show in more detail how the bipod 10 is connected to the firearm 30 and attached connection element 20G. As can be seen, especially in FIG. 7, connection element 20G is fixed to the forestock 32 of the firearm 30 by fastenings (not shown, but such as screws extending into a wooden/synthetic forestock, or bolts connecting with a synthetic forestock). The connection element 20G defines a central cylindrical recess 20G, similar to the recess 22 of connection element 20 described above which receives the projection 17 of the bipod 10. The perimeter of cylindrical recess 20G defines an annular groove G which extends about the circumference of the recess which receives balls B1-4 of the detent mechanism. The lateral movement of the balls B1-4 in annular groove G allows the connected bipod 10 to rotate about axis X which may be advantageous in a practical shooting situation as it permits panning of the rifle on the bipod support.

The bipod 10 can be quickly and conveniently detached from the firearm 30 by pulling down on the knurled collar 18, which is especially easy for a user to operate even from a shooting position.

The connection elements 20 and 20G have described above as being mounted external to the firearm 30's forestock. It will be appreciated that connection elements may be fitted within a firearm's forestock (as with applicant's “gunsmith adapters—https://javelinbipod.co.uk/products/gunsmith-adaptors-) or even formed by the forestock itself e.g., a synthetic forestock is formed to define a recess to receive a bipod/tripod projection and an annular groove or hemispherical recesses to receive balls of a ball detent mechanism.

Whilst a number of embodiments of supports for a firearm and combinations of firearms have been disclosed in this specification and described above, the skilled addressee will appreciate that numerous modifications, changes or variants may be made to those embodiments or other embodiments devised without departing from the spirit of scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A support for a firearm for supporting the firearm above a surface, the support comprising a support body and at least two surface-engaging support legs, the support further comprising a projection which is received within a recess defined by a connection element attached to or integral with the firearm to longitudinally restrain the firearm with respect to the support, in which the support further comprises a ball detent mechanism, the ball detent mechanism including at least one ball which is biased to engage a further recess defined by the connection element attached to or integral with the firearm, the ball detent mechanism being operated by a release mechanism to withdraw the said at least one ball from the further recess, and in which the release mechanism comprises a user grippable element which extends below the projection.

2. A support for a firearm according to claim 1, in which the release mechanism is operated by a downward movement to withdraw the said at least one ball from the or each further recess.

3. A support for a firearm according to claim 1 in which the or each further recess is part-spherical whereby a ball is held laterally in such a part-spherical recess.

4. A support for a firearm according to claim 3 in which a plurality of further part-spherical recesses is provided whereby each associated ball of the ball detent mechanism is held laterally in each of such part spherical recesses.

5. A support for a firearm according to claim 1 in which the or each further recess is an elongate groove whereby a ball of the ball detent mechanism is able to move along such an elongate groove.

6. A support for a firearm according to claim 1 in which the user grippable element of the release mechanism includes a user grippable collar.

7. A support for a firearm according to claim 6 in which the collar extends about the projection and can be moved downwardly by a user to retract the ball detent mechanism to release the support from a connected firearm.

8. A combination comprising a firearm, and the support for a firearm according to claim 1.

9. A combination according to claim 8, in which the firearm is formed to define a connection element in the bottom portion of the fore stock of the firearm to receive the projection of the support to permit connection of the support to the firearm.

10. A combination according to claim 8, in which the firearm has an attached interconnection element which defines a recess formed in the bottom portion of the fore stock of the firearm to receive the projection of the support to connect the support to the firearm.

11. A connection comprising a firearm connected to a support for a firearm according to claim 1.

12. A connection according to claim 11 in which the support can be detached from the firearm by downward movement of the release mechanism of the support, to permit disengagement of the ball detent mechanism from the connection element.