Patent Application
20160238345
This disclosure is generally directed to boresight alignment of a weapon. More specifically, this disclosure is directed to a boresight insert for alignment of an aiming system with a firing system of a weapon.
A weapon that fires projectiles typically includes (i) a firing system having a barrel through which the projectiles are fired and (ii) an aiming system used to aim the weapon. The aiming system often includes a sight through which a user can observe the direction that the barrel is pointing or see the point at which the barrel's muzzle is aimed. The sight of the weapon may sometimes include a scope with crosshairs.
Boresighting refers to the process of calibrating an aiming system, such as by calibrating the sight of a weapon so that the crosshairs of the scope align with a spot where the barrel muzzle is pointing. In some conventional approaches, a user can install a boresighter device into the discharge end of the barrel. The boresighter emits a laser beam that identifies where a projectile would hit if fired through the muzzle, and the user can adjust the sight until the crosshairs mark the same spot.
Unfortunately, the boresighting process for in-field weapon systems often requires heavy and cumbersome equipment, and multiple people are typically needed to carry the equipment. Also, the equipment often requires considerable time to install, use, orient, calibrate, and tear down in the field. In addition, equipment installation is often complex because the equipment typically includes mechanical, electrical, and optical components requiring setup.
This disclosure provides a boresight insert for alignment of an aiming system with a firing system of a weapon.
In a first embodiment, a system includes a boresight insert configured to be partially inserted into a barrel of a weapon. The boresight insert includes an optics section configured to generate light that identifies an impact point for a projectile from the weapon. The boresight insert includes a mechanical section coupled to the optics section. The mechanical section is configured to engage an inner surface of the barrel to secure the boresight insert in place and to disengage the inner surface of the barrel to allow insertion and removal of the boresight insert.
In a second embodiment, an apparatus includes a mechanical coupler configured to be inserted into a barrel of a weapon. The mechanical coupler is also configured to be coupled to optics that generate light to identify an impact point for a projectile from the weapon. The mechanical coupler comprises first, second, and third shells. The first shell is configured to be coupled to the optics. The second shell is disposed between the first shell and the third shell. The third shell is configured to be moved towards the first shell in order to cause the engagement device to engage the inner surface of the barrel. The mechanical coupler also includes multiple wedges positioned between angled surfaces of the shells.
In a third embodiment, a method includes partially inserting a boresight insert into a barrel of a weapon. The method includes engaging the boresight insert to secure the boresight insert in the barrel. The method includes generating light using the boresight insert to identify an impact point for a projectile from the weapon. The method includes disgaging the boresight insert to remove the boresight insert from the barrel. The boresight insert comprises first, second, and third shells. The second shell is disposed between the first shell and the third shell. The third shell is configured to be moved towards the first shell in order to cause the engagement device to engage the inner surface of the barrel. The boresight insert also comprises multiple wedges positioned between angled surfaces of the shells.
Other technical features may be readily apparent to one skilled in the art from the following figures, descriptions, and claims.
For a more complete understanding of this disclosure, reference is now made to the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
The boresight insert 100 represents a device used to calibrate the aiming system of a weapon. The boresight insert 100 fits inside the bore of the weapon's barrel and identifies a path from the barrel to an impact point for a projectile. This enables a user to adjust an aiming system (such as a scope or other type of sight) of the weapon to identify the same impact point. In some embodiments, the boresight insert 100 represents a one-piece assembly that encases all optical, electrical power, and mechanical equipment inside one cylindrical shell (such as an aluminum shell).
In this example, the boresight insert 100 and its components are generally cylindrical in shape to easily slide through an opening at the front end of a weapon barrel and fit within the bore of the barrel. Here, the boresight insert 100 includes an optics section 105 mounted to a mechanical section 110 (which includes a front portion 110a and a rear portion 110b). The boresight insert 100 allows a user to align the optics section 105 with the muzzle of the weapon barrel simply by engaging the rear portion 110b of the mechanical section 110 within the bore of the weapon. In particular embodiments, the boresight insert 100 could be relatively lightweight compared to conventional systems, such as approximately 15-20 pounds, allowing the boresight insert 100 to be carried or handled by a single person.
The optics section 105 houses one or more sources (such as one or more laser light sources) that generate and emit light indicating a point at which the weapon muzzle is aimed A beam of light emitted from the source(s) creates a target dot on an object. For example, the source(s) can emit light through one or more orifices 155 in a front face of the optics section 105. In some embodiments, the boresight insert 100 is self-powered without using an external power source, and the optics section 105 generates the light using a power source internal to the boresight insert 100.
The rear portion 110b of the mechanical section 110 engages with the bore of the weapon (such as via compression), while the front portion 110a of the mechanical section 110 controls the engagement with the bore of the weapon. The rear portion 110b of the mechanical section 110 may be referred to as a mechanical coupler since it actually engages the barrel of a weapon to secure the boresight insert in place. In some embodiments, the rear portion 110b of the mechanical section 110 engages with the bore of the weapon at six points of contact to restrict the boresight from moving according to six degrees of freedom (6 DoF). The six degrees of freedom can represent translational 6 DoF (forward, backward, up, down, left, and right) or rotational 6 DoF (pitch, yaw, and roll).
The mechanical section 110 is configured to attach to the optics section 105. For example, the mechanical section 110 could be physically separate from the optics section 105 until the optics section 105 is bolted or otherwise connected to the mechanical section 110. The process of attaching the optics section 105 to the mechanical section 110 can be performed during manufacture of the boresight insert 100 or in the field before use.
During use, a user slidably inserts the rear portion 110b of the mechanical section 110 into the muzzle of a weapon, causing the boresight insert 100 to slide inside the bore of the weapon barrel. The optics section 105 can remain in front of the muzzle and outside of the barrel since the boresight insert 100 includes a portion that controls the depth of insertion into the bore, which is described more fully below. Additionally, the user may orient the top of the boresight insert 100 with the top of the bore using a clocking feature of the boresight insert 100. For instance, the user can rotate or spin the boresight insert 100 until the user feels the clocking features mate. The clocking feature is also described more fully below.
The user can use his or her hand to actuate an engagement device that transitions the rear portion 110b of the mechanical section 110 from a disengaged position to an engaged position. While engaged with the bore of the weapon barrel, the rear portion 110b of the mechanical section 110 maintains a rigid constraint of the degrees of freedom of movement of the boresight insert 100. This attaches the boresight insert 100 to the weapon barrel in a fixed position within the bore.
The user can also use his or her hand to actuate the engagement device that transitions the rear portion 110b of the mechanical section 110 from the engaged position to the disengaged position. While disengaged, the annular clearance space between the rear portion 110b of the mechanical section 110 and the interior surface of the barrel enables the mechanical section 110 to be easily removed from the bore. This detaches the boresight insert 100 from the weapon barrel so that the boresight insert 100 is free to move within the clearance space between the interior surface of the barrel and the outer surface of the boresight insert 100 or to slide into or out of the bore longitudinally.
In this example, the rear portion 110b of the mechanical section 110 includes a front shell 115, a center shell 120, a rear shell 125, multiple locking wedges 135a-135f, and multiple tension springs 140. Note that locking wedges 135c and 135f are hidden from view in
The front shell 115, center shell 120, and rear shell 125 are generally circular and are aligned with each other such that a longitudinal center axis of the front shell 115 is collinear with a longitudinal center axis of the center and rear shells 120-125. That is, all of the shells 115-125 share a common center longitudinal axis, which is the center line through the longitudinal center of the mechanical section 110.
The cam handle 130 allows a user to engage and disengage the rear portion 110b of the mechanical section 110 within the bore of a weapon barrel. The cam handle 130 includes an arm portion configured such that a person may grasp and exert force on the cam handle 130 to lower or lift the cam handle 130.
The cam handle 130 is contoured to further include a disengage flat surface portion 145, an engage flat surface portion 150, and a round rocker portion that separates the flat surface portions 145-150. When the cam handle 130 is up, the mechanical section 110 is in the disengaged position, and the disengage flat surface portion 145 is in physical contact with and flush to the front face of the optics section 105. When the user pushes down on the cam handle 130, the mechanical section 110 is in the engaged position, and the engage flat surface portion 150 is in physical contact with and flush to the front face of the optics section 105. In
The rear portion 110b of the mechanical section 110 is configured to be inserted into the muzzle or front end of the bore 305. An engagement device enables a user to easily control the engagement or disengagement of the rear portion 110b of the mechanical section 110 with the bore 305 of the barrel 200.
As shown in
The cross-sectional shape of the center shell 120 varies based on proximity to the locking wedges. For example, the center shell 120 could have angled surfaces 330-335 that engage angled surfaces of the locking wedges 135a-135f in some locations and perpendicular surfaces 337-338 in other locations between adjacent locking wedges. The perpendicular surfaces help to prevent the locking wedges 135a-135f from moving annularly around the mechanical section 110. The rear shell 125 can include angled surfaces 340 that engage angled surfaces of the locking wedges 135d-135f.
The shells 115-125 therefore collectively form separate slots for receiving the locking wedges. The slots allow each locking wedge to move radially inward and outward with reference to the center axis of the boresight insert 100. The slots also limit axial movement of the locking wedges to the boundaries of the slots and prevent annular movement of the locking wedges.
For simplicity, features of the locking wedges 135b and 135e will be described, although the same description can apply to all locking wedges. The locking wedge 135b includes a front angled surface that contacts the angled surface of the longitudinal portion 320 of the front shell 115. The locking wedge 135b also includes a rear angled surface that contacts the angled surface 330 of the center shell 120. An outer axial surface of the locking wedge 135b can contact a surface 325 of the bore 305 when the boresight insert 100 is placed in the engaged position. Similarly, the locking wedge 135e includes a front angled surface that contacts the angled surface 335 of the longitudinal portion 320 of the front shell 115. The locking wedge 135e also includes a rear angled surface that contacts the angled surface 340 of the rear shell 125. An outer axial surface of the locking wedge 135e can contact the surface 325 of the bore 305 when the boresight insert 100 is placed in the engaged position. The same operations could be performed by other locking wedges. Note that the locking wedges could have any suitable angular distribution around the boresight insert 100, such as a 120° separation.
The center shell 120 enables the locking wedges 135a-135f to maintain contact with the angled surfaces of the front and rear shells 115, 125. The contours of the outer surface of the center shell 120 also produce forces against the locking wedges 135a-135f that hold the front set of locking wedges 135a-135c between the front and center shells 115, 120 and that hold the rear set of locking wedges 135d-135f between the center and rear shells 120, 125. The center shell 120 also forms an open-ended hollow tube between the front shell 115 and the rear shell 125 and extends the majority of the length of the rear portion 110b of the mechanical section 110. The front shell 115 and the rear shell 125 provide barriers that prevent the center shell 120 from sliding forward or backward out of the mechanical section 110.
The rear shell 125 is attached to an engagement device, enabling the engagement device to compress the length of the rear portion 110b of the mechanical section 110. In this example, the rear shell 125 includes an opening through which a cam rod 355 is fitted in order to connect to a mounting bracket 360 on a rear surface 350 of the shell 125. The cam handle 130 is attached to the rear shell 125 by the cam rod 355 such that rotating the cam handle 130 to the engaged position pulls the rear shell 125 toward the front shell 115, which remains stationary. This causes the rear shell 125 to press against the locking wedges 135d-135f. This also causes the rear shell 125 to press against the center shell 120, which then presses against the locking wedges 135a-135c.
The cam rod 355 holds tension while the cam handle 130 is actuated. For example, the cam rod 355 can represent a tension rod that extends from a rear-facing flat surface of a cam pivot 370 to the back surface 350 of the rear shell 125. The cam rod 355 can be rigidly attached to the rear shell 125 and to the cam pivot 370 in any suitable manner, such as by using threaded bolts.
Using this structure, the rear portion 110b of the mechanical section 110 has a compressed length and the locking wedges 135a-135f are placed into physical contact with the bore 305 of the weapon barrel 200 when the mechanical section 110 is in the engaged position. When the mechanical section 110 is in the disengaged position, the rear portion 110b of the mechanical section 110 has a longer length, and the locking wedges 135a-135f are not placed into physical contact with the bore 305 of the weapon barrel 200. Note, however, that the locking wedges 135a-135f could alternatively contact the barrel 200 when disengaged but not apply significant force against the barrel 200.
Although
As shown here, the cam handle 130 includes the cam pivot 370 and a pin 405. The cam handle 130 also includes an outer member having a central portion 410 that contacts a front surface 415 of the optics section 105 and an arm portion 420 that extends from the central portion 410. The front surface 415 of the optics section 105 exerts a normal force 425 (perpendicular to the plane of contact) on the outer member of the cam handle 130. The outer member is pivotally connected to the cam pivot 370 by the pin 405, such as a shear pin. The pin 405 therefore functions as an axis of rotation about which the outer member and cam pivot 370 rotate.
The disengage flat surface portion 145 is hidden from view by the cam pivot 370 here. The flat surface contour of the disengage flat surface portion 145 prevents the cam handle 130 from releasing from the disengaged position without user intervention. The engage flat surface portion 150 is disposed away from the front surface 415 of the optics section 105 in
Although
The center shell 120 here includes radial protrusions 610-615 near the front and back to form slots and boundaries for the locking wedge 135a-135f. The front protrusions 610 include the perpendicular surfaces 337 that block the locking wedges 135a-135c from moving annularly, and the back protrusions 615 include the perpendicular surfaces 338 that block the locking wedges 135d-135f from moving annularly. Note that the protrusions 610-615 are different here, although they alternatively have the same shape.
The protrusions 615 include openings configured to receive bolts 625 or other mechanisms for mechanically coupling the center shell 120 and the rear shell 125. The bolts 625 here include non-threaded portions and threaded portions configured to twist into threaded bolt holes 630 in the rear shell 125. The non-threaded portions of the bolts 625 permit a small amount of movement of the center shell 120 independent of the rear shell 125. Moreover, the depth that the threaded portions of the bolts 625 are installed into the bolt holes 630 of the rear shell 125 controls or otherwise sets the maximum amount of separation allowed between the center and rear shells 120-125. In some scenarios, the insertion depth of the bolts 625 into the bolt holes 630 can also limit the amount of compression or limit the length of the rear portion 110b of the mechanical section 110.
As noted above, an internal power source could be used to supply power to the optics section 605. In some embodiments, the rear portion 110b of the mechanical section 110 houses a power source, such as a battery pack 605. An end portion of the battery pack 605 extends from the back surface of the rear shell 125 here. Power can be provided to the optics section 105 using wires that pass from the mechanical section 110 to the optics section 105 through a bulkhead 635.
As shown in
A clearance space is disposed between the outer axial surface 705 of the locking wedge 135b and the surface 325 of the bore 305 in
When engaged, the compressive forces and friction between the locking wedges and the barrel 200 prevent the rear portion 110b of the mechanical section 110 from rolling within the bore 305 and from moving into or out of the bore 305. Note that while two sets of three locking wedges with an angular spacing of 120° are shown here, any number of locking wedges and any angular spacing could be used (such as two wedges at a 180° spacing or four wedges at a 90° spacing). However, it may be desirable to include at least two sets of locking wedges (such as one at the front and one at the back of the rear portion 110b) to keep the boresight insert 100 properly aligned with the barrel 200.
As shown in
The rear portion 110b of the mechanical section 110 also includes multiple threaded bolt holes 905, which can be used to couple the rear portion 110b of the mechanical section 110 to the optics section 105. In some embodiments, the same rear portion 110b could be coupled to various types of optics sections 105.
Although
Moreover, in this example, the surface 725 includes a clocking feature 1010 that corresponds to a clocking feature 1020 on the front face of the weapon barrel 200. When the two clocking features 1010-1020 meet, the boresight insert 100 is oriented properly with the weapon. Here, the front surface of the barrel 200 includes an indentation forming a recess, while the surface 725 of the front shell 115 includes a corresponding protrusion that can fit within the recess.
Although
It may be advantageous to set forth definitions of certain words and phrases used throughout this patent document. The terms “include” and “comprise,” as well as derivatives thereof, mean inclusion without limitation. The term “or” is inclusive, meaning and/or. The phrase “associated with,” as well as derivatives thereof, may mean to include, be included within, interconnect with, contain, be contained within, connect to or with, couple to or with, be communicable with, cooperate with, interleave, juxtapose, be proximate to, be bound to or with, have, have a property of, have a relationship to or with, or the like. The phrase “at least one of,” when used with a list of items, means that different combinations of one or more of the listed items may be used, and only one item in the list may be needed. For example, “at least one of: A, B, and C” includes any of the following combinations: A, B, C, A and B, A and C, B and C, and A and B and C.
While this disclosure has described certain embodiments and generally associated methods, alterations and permutations of these embodiments and methods will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the above description of example embodiments does not define or constrain this disclosure. Other changes, substitutions, and alterations are also possible without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure, as defined by the following claims.
To aid in the interpretation of the claims appended hereto, none of the appended claims or claim elements invoke 35 U.S.C. §112(f) as it exists on the date of filing hereof, unless the words “means for” or “step for” are explicitly used in the particular claim.
