Information
-
Patent Grant
-
6792711
-
Patent Number
6,792,711
-
Date Filed
Monday, June 17, 200222 years ago
-
Date Issued
Tuesday, September 21, 200420 years ago
-
Inventors
-
Original Assignees
-
Examiners
Agents
-
CPC
-
US Classifications
Field of Search
US
- 042 112
- 042 114
- 042 115
- 042 117
- 042 142
- 042 146
- 042 90
-
International Classifications
-
Abstract
A firearm rail adapter system for mounting accessories on a firearm. The system comprises a first mount, a second mount, and an adapter rail. The first mount is adapted to be mounted to the firearm and has rail attachment sections thereon. The second mount is adapted to be mounted to the firearm and has other rail attachment sections thereon. The adapter rail is adapted to be removably mounted to at least one of the rail attachment sections of the first mount, and to at least one of the other rail attachment sections of the second mount. The rail attachment sections and the other rail attachment sections are disposed respectively on the first mount and second mount so that when the first mount and second mount are mounted to the firearm, the first mount and second mount provide a number of different selectable mounting stations for mounting the adapter rail to the firearm.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to firearms and, more particularly, to a firearm adapter rail system for mounting accessories to the firearm.
2. Brief Description of Earlier Developments
The original M16 rifle was developed in the 1960's. During the original development, the hand guard system employed on the rifle, was merely that, a hand guard, the forward hold for the weapon including its mounting configuration to the weapon. The original accessories for the M16 included scope mounting to the handle portion, carry sling and bayonet mounting to the front sight casting. The devices and attachments used today simply did not exist at the time of the rifle design. Therefore, no consideration was given to supplemental device mounting.
As technology has progressed since the time of first development of the M16 rifle, supplemental devices and accessories have been developed in order to enhance the use of the rifle. Presently, the M4 type rifles and carbines (the current descendents of the original M16 type rifle) may be integrated with numerous supplemental devices and accessories such as cameras, lasers, lights and a host of other electronic and mechanical gear. Also, secondary weapon system integration may be performed with the M4 such as grenade launchers, shot gun type devices for lethal and nonlethal deployment and other such means. The supplemental devices may be integrated with the M4 type rifle and carbine by military, police, and civilian users (in the case of civilian users possibly with the exception of the secondary weapon systems and using restricted law enforcement and military versions of the M4 type rifle). Furthermore, in the hands of the military, the M4 type firearm has morphed into an M4 type weapon system. This versatility has been demonstrated through the U.S. Army's “Land Warrior System” mounting several pieces of electronics to the M4 including cameras, digital compasses and specific electronics. This “state of the art” use of an M16 type weapon has given rise to the desire for mounting several pieces of apparatus at once onto the weapon.
As the number of different types of supplemental devices has proliferated, creating a suitable mounting platform for the devices to M16 types has been an on going pursuit of the government and manufacturers. The government has standardized the actual mounting surface between devices ad mounting adapter through Military Standard 1913 (MIL-STD-1913) which depicts and describes the “Piccatiny Rail” configuration. This rail configuration has been merged into recent M16 designs such as the M16A4 flat-top rail on the upper receiver handle portion, allowing the handle to be removed and attachments to be placed. This rail position alone is not sufficient to satisfy the ever growing desire of users to further mount supplemental devices. For example with an optical scope or camera mounted on the integral rail on the upper receiver, the user may further desire to mount a flash light and laser pointer to the M4 weapon. All these devices however, cannot be mounted at the same time utilizing only the integral rail. Accordingly, various schemes have been devised to provide the M4 type weapon with additional mounting rails.
A number of the schemes for mounting supplemental devices involve using the hand guard system of the M4 in some way with a deleterious over all effect to the M4 firearm. The current M16 type rifle derivation, the M4 manufactured by Colt's Manufacturing for example, has become the standard weapon of choice for many police and military groups because of its compact design, accuracy and feature level. One of its hailed features is the double heat shield hand guard system, which is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,663,875. Not only does it create superior barrel heat shielding in burst and full auto, it has a ergonomic hold of the rifle due to the natural grasp shape. The M4 hand guard has become an integral look as well as a standard hold of the M4 rifle. However, the present M4 style hand guard mounting system was never intended to carry supplemental devices, especially heavy electronics that require exact repeatable placement with forced centerline geometry to the barrel. The original intent of the design was merely an ingenious and fast way to affix the hand guard to the rifle and nothing else. The present construction including the rear cap urged by its extension spring into the taper of the plastic in the rear of the hand guard and its corresponding forward stationary metal stamped cup docking the front portion of the hand guard, cannot create an adequate foundation for supplemental device mounting. Present rail type devices using the existing hand guard mounting technique prove inadequate for repetitive mounting and unmounting of supplemental devices. Also, combination rail and hand guard devices of a “free floating” concept compound the geometry considerations with an unsupported beam creating a completely unsatisfactory situation.
One example of a rail adapter hand guard system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,826,363 which provides a replacement hand guard, replacing the original hand guard on M16 type rifles and carbines. The replacement hand guard has accessory adapter rails affixed directly to the hand guard, and the replacement hand guard is mounted on the weapon using the mounting configuration of the original hand guard which it replaces. The replacement hand guard has four fixed rail portions equally distributed around the circumference of the hand guard with one rail portion located at the top most section of the hand guard.
The current rail type devices or systems, such as exemplified by the device in U.S. Pat. No. 5,826,363, suffer from several deficiencies. First is the simple matter of choice, in that in order to use a forward rail system the user has to abandon the M4 hand guard and replace it with one of the replacement units. This adds extreme cost to the basic weapon price and permanently alters its configuration. The operator also loses the intended barrel heat shielding characteristics of the double heat shield design of the original hand guard. Generally, the replacement hand guard rail type systems are constructed from aluminum which conducts heat from the barrel and brings the hand guard to the operating temperature of the barrel rapidly, creating discomfort for the operator.
Manufactured from an aluminum extrusion the mounting portion of the replacement hand guard comes in direct contact with the barrel conducting or convecting heat directly to the users hand, creating an undesirable situation. Aluminum has very fast heat transfer properties, which only permit a short time of use before the aluminum hand guard approaches the operating temperature of the barrel. Because of aluminum's heat properties, it is slow to dissipate the heat, rendering the use of the weapon in an inefficient manner. To compound this problem, the replacement rail type hand guards do not provide an ergonomic grip for the operator. When grasping the hand guard, the operator's hand grips the corners and edges of the rails which are part of the hand guard.
Accuracy of the placement of the supplemental devices in relation to the centerline of the barrel is also an issue when employing the present rail type hand guards. As can realized, the accuracy of the placement of the supplemental devices is directly dependent on how accurately the mounting rail on the rail type hand guard is placed in relation to the barrel centerline. This in turn depends on the placement of the rail type hand guard on the firearm. However, the rail type hand guard systems, as noted before, merely employ the same mounting configuration as the original hand guard. The mounting configuration of the original hand guard on the M4 type firearms is intended only for mounting the hand guard on the M4. Hence, the placement accuracy of the hand guard mounting configuration is sufficient for mounting the hand guard itself to the firearm, but not for accurately locating supplemental devices on the firearm. For example, the hand guard on M4 type firearms has radial locating ridges which engage gas tube clearance slots of the barrel nut to rotationally position the hand guard of the firearm. Hence, at least the rotational position of the rails on a rail type hand guard is established by the position of the barrel nut gas tube clearance slots on the firearm. The rotational position of the gas tube clearance slots however can vary rotationally up to 3° due to tolerance stack up. Thus, the rails of the hand guard type rail systems can be out of square to the true sight plane of the weapon by up to 3 full degrees either clockwise or counter clockwise by the simple random event of where the barrel nut finds home. This variance is detrimental to having the supplemental devices accurately aligned or true to the sight plane of a firearm as well as to repeatability of installation between firearms. The rail type hand guard systems which employ a “free floating” mounting configuration also suffer certain deficiencies. For instance, a basic problem with the free floating concept is that nothing supports the rail system, and the rail system regardless of how rigid acts as a tuning fork every time the weapon is fired. The free floating rail type hand guards have proven deficient when deployed with scope or camera type devices. In use with a bipod, they can bend on the weapon. Hence, the free floating rail type hand guard is not desired for mission critical equipment.
The present invention overcomes the problems of the present supplemental device mounting systems as will be described in greater detail below.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
It is one object of the invention to integrate a rail mounting firearm type such as for example a M4 type firearm without replacing the hand guard. Also rapid assembly of a rail system onto any M4 type rifle with use of the new front and rear orbiting rail carriers and the existing hand guard.
A further object of the invention is to create a modular rail system so that a rail could have from one to eight rotational placements in 45 degree increments but also be used for any existing M16 or M4 hand guard length by simply using a longer rail with the pre mounted orbiting rail carriers on any derivation rifle or carbine.
Another object of the invention is that the rear orbiting rail carrier replaces the standard M4 hand guard cap but integrates all of the existing mounting features and does not disturb the present hand guard mounting scenario.
Yet another object of the invention is to enable M16 type and M4 type firearms to easily be retrofitted with a firearm adapter rail system using the present invention, using ordinary tools.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention, a firearm rail adapter system for mounting accessories on a firearm is provided. The system comprises a first mount, a second mount, and an adapter rail. The first mount is adapted to be mounted to the firearm. The first mount has rail attachment sections thereon. The second mount is adapted to be mounted to the firearm and has other rail attachment sections thereon. The adapter rail is adapted to be removably mounted to at least one of the rail attachment sections of the first mount, and to at least one of the other rail attachment sections of the second mount. The rail attachment sections and the other rail attachment sections are disposed respectively on the first mount and second mount so that when the first mount and second mount are mounted to the firearm, the first mount and second mount provide a number of different selectable mounting stations for mounting the adapter rail to the firearm.
In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, a firearm rail adapter system for mounting accessories on a firearm is provided. The system comprises a first mount, a second mount, and an adapter rail. The first mount is adapted to be mounted to the firearm and has rail attachment sections thereon. The second mount is adapted to be mounted to the firearm and has other rail attachment sections thereon. The adapter rail is adapted to be removably mounted to at least one of the rail attachment sections of the first mount and to at least one of the other rail attachment sections of the second mount. The rail attachment sections and the other rail attachment sections are disposed respectively on the first mount and second mount so that the adapter rail can be mounted in a position on the firearm selected from a number of different selectable positions on the firearm. The selectable positions are different relative to the predetermined reference datum of the firearm.
In accordance with still another embodiment of the present invention, a firearm rail adapter system for mounting accessories on a firearm is provided. The system comprises a first mount, a second mount, and an adapter rail. The first mount is adapted to be mounted to the firearm. The first mount has rail attachment sections thereon. The second mount is adapted to be mounted to the firearm and has other rail attachment sections thereon. The adapter rail is adapted to be removably mounted to at least one of the rail attachment sections of the first mount, and to at least one of the other rail attachment sections of the second mount. The rail attachment sections and the other rail attachment sections are disposed respectively on the first mount and second mount to allow the adapter rail to be mounted on the firearm in a number of different selectable positions. The different selectable positions are different relative to a predetermined reference datum of the firearm.
In accordance with yet another embodiment of the present invention, a firearm rail adapter system for mounting accessories on a firearm is provided. The system comprises at least one adapter rail, a front mount, and a rear mount. The adapter rail is adapted for removably mounting firearm accessories thereon. At least one rail has front and rear rail attachment sections for attaching the rail to the firearm. The front mount is disposed proximal to a front end of a barrel of the firearm. The rear mount is disposed proximal to the rear end of the barrel. The front and rear mounts mount the at least one rail to the barrel of the firearm. The front mount is adapted to removably mate with the front rail attachment section, and the rear mount is adapted to removably mate with the rear rail attachment section. The rail is removably mountable in a number of different selectable positions on the front and rear mounts.
In accordance with still another embodiment of the present invention, a firearm is provided. The firearm comprises a receiver, a barrel connected to the receiver, a hand guard connected to the barrel, and an adapter rail mounting system. The adapter rail mounting system is adapted for mounting accessories to the firearm. The system comprises mounts with a number of different adapter rail attachment sections for attaching an adapter rail to the firearm. The different attachment sections allow the adapter rail to be mounted to the firearm in a number of different positions around the barrel of the firearm.
In accordance with yet another embodiment of the present invention, a kit is provided. The kit comprises an adapter rail, a first mount element, and a second mount element. The adapter rail is adapted for mounting accessories to a firearm. The first mount element is adapted for connecting the adapter rail to the firearm. The second mount element is adapted for connecting the adapter rail to the firearm.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The foregoing aspects and other features of the present invention are explained in the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
FIG. 1
is a schematic partial elevation view of a firearm incorporating features of the present invention;
FIG. 2
is perspective view of a front portion of the firearm in
FIG. 1
including a handguard assembly, front sight assembly and adapter rail system in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention (the barrel being omitted for clarity);
FIG. 3
is another perspective view of the front portion in
FIG. 2
seen from the opposite direction;
FIG. 4
is another schematic partial elevation view of the firearm with the adapter rail system removed and handguard removed;
FIGS. 5A-5B
respectively are a front perspective view and an end perspective view of the front sight assembly of the firearm in
FIG. 1
;
FIG. 6
is a perspective view of a front mount of the adapter rail system shown in
FIG. 2
;
FIG. 6A
is a perspective view of a catch used with the front mount in
FIG. 6
;
FIG. 7
is a perspective view of a rear mount of the adapter rail system in
FIG. 2
;
FIGS. 8-8A
respectively are an exploded perspective view, and an end view of an adapter rail of the adapter rail system shown in
FIG. 2
; and
FIG. 9
is a perspective view of an adapter rail system for a firearm in accordance with another embodiment of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring to
FIG. 1
, there is shown an exploded perspective view of a firearm
10
incorporating features of the present invention. Although the present invention will be described with reference to the single embodiment shown in the drawings, it should be understood that the present invention can be embodied in many alternate forms of embodiments. In addition, any suitable size, shape or type of elements or materials could be used.
The firearm
10
is shown in
FIGS. 1-3
as being an M4 type firearm (such as an M4 rifle or carbine) for example purposes. The present invention, although described below with respect to an M4 type firearm, is equally applicable to any M16 type firearm or any other suitable firearm. Referring now also to
FIGS. 2 and 3
, which respectively show perspective views of a portion
11
of the firearm
10
, the firearm
10
generally comprises a receiver
12
(only the upper portion of which is shown in
FIG. 1
for example purposes), a barrel
14
, a front sight assembly
16
, a hand guard assembly
18
, and an adapter rail assembly or system
20
.
The adapter rail assembly
20
generally comprises an adapter rail
22
, a front rail carrier or mount
24
, and a rear rail carrier or mount
26
. The front and rear mounts
24
,
26
are mounted to the barrel
14
in front and behind the hand guard assembly
18
. The adapter rail
22
is mounted to the front and rear mounts
24
,
26
. The adapter rail assembly
20
is arranged around the hand guard assembly
18
and does not alter the hand guard in any way. The adapter rail
22
of the rail assembly
20
is aligned true to the barrel centerline axis C and to the sight plane CY (defined by centerline axis C and normal axis Y intersecting the centerline axis C as shown in
FIG. 1
) as will be described in greater detail below. The adapter rail
22
has a portion configured in accordance with MIL-STD-1913 for mounting firearm supplemental devices and accessories such as for example, electronic devices, scopes, lights, lasers and any other desired gear. Referring now to
FIG. 4
, there is shown another schematic elevation view of the firearm
10
with the hand guard assembly
18
and adapter rail assembly
20
omitted for clarity. The handle
12
H (see
FIG. 1
) on the receiver
12
has also been omitted, revealing a rail
12
R integrated to the top of the receiver. As seen in
FIG. 4
, the end of the barrel
14
is mounted into the receiver
12
. A barrel nut
28
on the barrel
14
is threadably engaged to the receiver
12
to hold the barrel in the receiver. A gas tube
30
extends alongside the barrel
14
. The gas tube
30
is connected to the barrel
14
and receiver
12
to return barrel gases to the firing mechanism in the receiver. Wave springs
32
are located around the barrel nut
28
. The wave springs
32
are used to bias the hand guard assembly and hold the hand guard assembly in its installed position as will be described further below. The barrel nut
28
has a raised front radial flange or lip
28
L as seen in FIG.
4
. The lip
28
L has a number of equally distributed scallops (not shown) around the outer lip circumference providing clearance passages for the gas tube
30
over the lip
28
L.
The barrel
14
has the front sight assembly
16
fixedly mounted thereon proximate the front end of the barrel. A hand guard end cap
34
is mounted on the barrel
14
adjacent the front sight assembly
16
as seen in FIG.
4
. The hand guard end cap
34
is substantially similar to conventional hand guard end caps generally used on M4 type firearms. Accordingly, the end cap, which may be a one-piece aluminum stamping, defines a shallow receptacle or cup
35
to receive a mating portion of the front end of the hand guard assembly. The hand guard assembly conforms with the hand guard assemblies generally used with M4 type firearms. One suitable example of a hand guard used with M4 type firearms is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,663,875, which is incorporated by reference herein. The hand guard end cap
34
has a through bore for mounting the cap on the barrel, and a gas tube porthole allowing the gas tube
30
to extend through the end cap. The end cap may be seated in an annular groove or shoulder formed into the exterior of the barrel
14
to hold the end cap fixed axially on the barrel.
The front sight assembly
16
, positioned on the barrel immediately in front of the end cap
34
as noted before, generally comprises a sight frame
36
, a sight pin
38
, and dowel or locating pins
33
. The dowel pins are used to hold the sight assembly
16
precisely located on the barrel as will be described below. Referring now to
FIGS. 5A-5B
, there is shown respectively a perspective and an end view of the sight frame
36
. Except as otherwise noted below, the sight frame is generally similar to frames of conventional front sight assemblies used generally with M4 type firearms. The sight frame is thus a one piece member which is formed or cast from suitable metal. The sight frame
36
may include a mounting section
36
B with front and rear mounting rings
36
B
1
,
36
E
2
for mounting the sight frame on the firearm barrel as shown in FIG.
4
. As can be realized, the bores in the rings
36
B
1
,
36
E
2
are aligned along centerline axis C
1
which is substantially coincident with the centerline axis C (see
FIG. 1
) of the barrel
14
when the sight frame
36
is mounted on the barrel. Each mounting ring has passages (not shown) extending transverse to the centerline C
1
for inserting dowel pins
33
(See
FIG. 4
) through the rings. The passages are located to allow the dowel pins
33
, when inserted into the rings, to engage positioning slots (not shown) on the firearm barrel
14
extending through the rings thereby locking the sight frame
36
to the barrel both rotationally and longitudinally. As seen in
FIG. 5A
the sight frame
36
has an upper section
36
U extending from the base section
36
B. The upper section
36
U in this embodiment has the recognizable triangular shape (when viewed in elevation) of conventional sights for M4 type firearms. The triangular shape of the upper section
36
U is defined by a front upright leg
36
U
1
, a rear brace leg
36
U
2
, and a lower leg
36
U
3
spanning between the front and rear legs as shown in FIG.
5
A. The upper section
36
U terminates in a sight groove
36
G (see
FIG. 5B
) in which the sight assembly
34
is mounted on the barrel. The sight pin
38
(see
FIG. 1
) positioned in the sight frame
36
is aligned in the same plane (i.e. plane C
1
Y which is coincident with sight plane CY when the sight is on the firearm) with centerline C
1
. As seen in
FIGS. 5A-5B
, the upper section
36
U of the frame has a key
40
which is aligned with the sight plane, and may be formed as described below. In this embodiment, the front leg
36
U
1
has a datum surface S
1
and the rear leg has another datum surface S
2
(see
FIGS. 5A
,
5
B). The front datum surface S
1
is formed by machining, or any other suitable process, the as forged or cast face of the front leg to form a sufficiently flat datum surface which may be used as a locating surface for further machining or forming of the sight frame as will be described below. The datum surface S
1
is oriented substantially perpendicular to plane C
1
Y. The datum surface S
2
on the rear leg
36
U
2
, seen best in
FIG. 5B
, is also formed by machining, or other suitable process, the rear surface of the rear leg. Datum surface S
2
is substantially perpendicular to plane C
1
Y and angled with respect to datum surface S
1
. The datum surfaces S
1
and S
2
cooperate to provide a forced geometry to the sight frame in a holder (not shown) such as a machining jig for example, to allow formation of a key
40
(see
FIGS. 5A-5B
) in the sight frame which is aligned with plane C
1
Y (and hence the sight plane CY) of the firearm and true to the barrel centerline C when the sight assembly is mounted to the barrel. By way of example, when the sight frame
36
is placed in a machine tool holder (not shown), the angled datum surfaces S
1
, S
2
seat the frame in the holder true to a reference plane coincident with plane C
1
Y Key
40
may then be machined or formed by any other suitable means into the frame
36
in alignment with the aforementioned reference plane. As seen best in
FIG. 5B
, in this embodiment the key
40
is formed into the rear leg
36
U
2
. The key
40
may be located proximate the base of the rear leg, though in alternate embodiments the key may be formed on any suitable portion of the sight frame. In alternate embodiments, the sight frame may have any other suitable locating feature aligned with the firearm sight plane, formed by any other suitable means. In still other alternate embodiments, the sight frame may not have any locating features aligned precisely with the sight plane of the firearm.
As seen best in
FIGS. 5A-5B
, the key
40
has two portions
40
A,
40
B in this embodiment. The vertical portion
40
A has a seating surface
40
S. Both portions
40
A,
40
B have flat edges
40
E which are substantially parallel to the reference plane C
1
Y (and hence the sight plane CY when the sight frame
36
is mounted to the barrel). The lateral edges
40
E extending along the angled portion
40
B of the key help align the adapter rail assembly
22
with the firearm sight plane CY as will be described in greater detail below.
As noted before, the adapter rail system
20
has front and rear mounts
24
,
26
used to mount the adapter rail
22
the firearm (see FIGS.
1
-
3
). Referring now to
FIG. 6
there is shown a front end perspective view of the front mount
24
. The front mount
24
in this embodiment has a frame
25
that is a one piece member which may be forged, cast, extruded or formed by any other suitable means from metal such as aluminum alloy, steel, or from non-metallic materials such as ceramics or plastics if desired. In alternate embodiments, the mounting frame may be made up of a number of parts that are assembled to form the mount. As seen in
FIG. 6
, in this embodiment frame
25
has a general circular ring shape, though in alternate embodiments the front mount frame may have any suitable shape. The frame
25
has an inner bore with a wall
44
located therein. The bore defines an inner seating surface
42
which extends from the wall
44
to the rear face
25
R of the frame. The bore is sized so that the seating surface
42
forms a close fit with the lip extending around the hand guard assembly end cap
34
(see FIG.
4
). In this embodiment, the wall
44
is offset to the rear from the front face
25
F of the mount frame
25
. The rear surface
48
of the wall
44
is disposed to abut the front face of the end cap
34
(see FIG.
4
). As seen in
FIG. 6
, the wall
44
has an opening
46
formed therein. In this embodiment, the opening
46
has a generally rectangular shape, though the opening may have any suitable shape. Opening
46
is sized to provide a clearance hole for the rear mounting ring
36
B
2
of the front sight frame
36
to pass through wall
44
. In other embodiments, the frame of the front rail mount may have an inner annular lip in place of the inner wall, or may have a hollow inner bore. As seen in
FIG. 6
, the frame
25
has a keyway
52
formed into the front face
25
F. The keyway
52
is sized to conformaly receive the key
40
(see
FIG. 5B
) on the front sight frame
36
. The side walls
52
W of the keyway
52
are oriented so that when the rail mount
24
is installed on the firearm, the walls
52
W are aligned with the sight plane CY (see
FIG. 1
) of the firearm. As seen in
FIG. 6
a fastener hole
56
is formed into frame
25
generally diametrically opposite the keyway
52
. In this embodiment, the fastener hole
56
is threaded to engagingly receive a threaded fastener, such as a machine screw, or bolt.
Still referring to
FIG. 6
, the front mount frame
25
has attachment sections
54
A-
54
H disposed around the outer circumference
56
of the frame. The attachment sections
54
A-
54
H may be used to mount the rail
22
to the mount
24
as will be described further below or may be used for attaching suitable supplemental devices directly to the mount. In this embodiment, the frame has eight (8) attachment sections
54
A-
54
H distributed equally around the frame circumference. In alternate embodiments, the frame may have any suitable number of attachment sections. In the embodiment shown in
FIG. 6
, one attachment section
54
A (the “first” attachment) is located at the top of the frame
25
, over the keyway
52
, so that when the mount is on the firearm, the sight plane CY substantially bisects the attachment
54
A. In other embodiments, the “first” attachment section may be offset from the top of the frame by any desired angle. In still other embodiments, attachment sections may be distributed in any desired pattern or placed at any desirable locations on the outer circumference or anywhere on the mount frame. As seen in
FIG. 6
, the attachment sections
54
A-
54
H in the embodiment are substantially similar to each other and will be described in detail below with specific reference to one attachment section
54
C. In other embodiments, the mount frame may have different kinds of attachment sections. As seen in
FIG. 6
, the attachment section
54
C projects radially outwards from the base section
58
of the frame. Channels
60
A,
60
B separate the attachment section
54
C from adjacent attachment sections
54
A,
54
D. As seen in
FIG. 6
, the attachment section
54
C has a head or seating portion
62
connected by a neck portion
64
to the base section
58
. The head portion
62
has a curved outer surface
66
(which may be disposed along an arc of a major diameter D of the frame). The ends
70
of the head portion
62
overhang the neck portion
64
, as seen in FIG.
6
. The ends
70
may have a generally elliptical profile which transitions into the outer surface
66
. The lower surfaces
70
I of the ends
70
on the head section
62
provide seating surfaces for the rail clamps as will be described in greater detail below. As shown in
FIG. 6A
, a channel
68
is formed into the outer surface of the head section
62
to allow placement of a clamping fastener when the rail
20
is attached. In this embodiment, the channel
68
generally bi-sects the outer surface
66
. As also seen in
FIG. 6
, the frame
25
may have a passage
50
formed through the base section
58
of the ring. The passage
50
provides access to the dowel pin
33
(see
FIG. 4
) in the rear mounting ring
36
B
2
of the front sight frame.
As seen in
FIG. 2
, a catch
23
may be used to lock the front mount
24
to the front sight assembly
16
. Catch
23
is shown in FIG.
6
A. Catch
23
is a one piece member which may be cast, forged or formed in any other suitable way. The catch
23
may be made from metal or ceramic material for example. In this embodiment, the catch
23
has a general inverted “L” shape with a block
23
B and extension tab
23
E cantilevered from the block. The block
23
B is sized to be received in a clevis
37
extending from the rear mounting ring
36
B
2
of the front sight frame
36
as seen in FIG.
5
A. The clevis is generally provided on sights as a strap attachment joint. A fastener through-hole
23
F extends through the block section
23
B to align with the fastener hole
37
H in the clevis. A second fastener hole
23
H is formed through the tab
23
E to allow insertion of a fastener
100
(see
FIG. 2
) through the tab into threaded holes
56
in the mount frame
25
.
A perspective view of the rear mount
26
is shown in FIG.
7
. The rear mount
26
is generally similar to the front mount
24
except as otherwise noted below. The rear mount
26
has a frame
27
which is also a one piece member in this embodiment. The frame may be formed for example by forging, casting, extruding or any other suitable shaping or forming process, from metal such as aluminum alloy, or from any suitable non-metallic materials. As seen in
FIG. 7
, the frame
27
of the rear mount has a general ring shape similar to frame
25
of the front mount
24
. Accordingly, the frame
27
has an inner bore
70
with a front portion
70
F and a rear portion
70
R. The front and rear portions
70
F,
70
R of the inner bore are separated by annular flange
76
as shown in FIG.
7
. The rear bore portion
70
R is sized in length and diameter to cover the wave washers
32
installed on the barrel nut
28
(see FIG.
4
). The inner surface
72
may form a clearance fit with the outer surface of wave washers. The annular flange
76
of the rear mount provides a rest surface for the front most wave washer. The opening
76
O defined by the inner surface
76
I of the annular flange
76
may be sized to form a close sliding fit over the region of barrel nut
28
holding the wave washers, but is otherwise smaller in diameter than the forward lip
28
L (see
FIG. 4
) of the barrel nut. Accordingly, when the rear mount
26
is installed on the firearm, the mount is located with the flange
76
behind the retention lip
28
L on the barrel nut
28
. This allows the rear mount
26
to slide freely rearwards over the barrel nut
28
but not forwards. The wave washers
32
, which are located inside the rear portion
70
R of the bore, engage the inner flange
76
of the mount biasing the mount
26
forward against the retention lip
28
L of the barrel nut
28
which holds the mount over the barrel nut. The front portion
70
F of the inner bore
70
in the rear mount frame
27
is sized to complementarily receive therein the rear end of the hand guard assembly
18
. Thus, the front portion
70
F of the bore in the rear mount
26
provides a holder for the rear of the hand guard assembly
18
as will be described further below. As seen in
FIG. 7
, the inner flange
26
has a slot
76
G which is cut or otherwise formed therein. The slot
76
G provides a clearance passage for the gas tube
30
to extend through the inner flange
76
in the rear mount
26
when the rear mount is installed on the firearm
10
.
As seen in
FIG. 7
, the exterior of the rear mount
26
is substantially similar the exterior of the front mount
24
described before and shown in FIG.
6
. Attachment section
78
A-
78
H project radially outwards from the frame exterior. The rear mount in this embodiment has the same number eight (8) of attachment sections
70
A-
78
H as the attachment sections
54
A-
54
H on the front mount
24
. The attachment sections
78
A-
78
H are located on frame
27
of the rear mount is substantially the same locations as the attachment sections
54
A-
54
H on the frame
25
of the front mount. Accordingly, as can be seen best in
FIGS. 2-3
, when the front and rear mount
24
,
26
are mounted on the firearm, the mounts provide corresponding pairs of attachment sections (e.g.
54
C and
78
C,
54
D and
78
D,
54
E and
78
E) at opposite ends of the hand guard assembly
18
. In this embodiment, the front and rear mounts
24
,
26
form eight (8) attachment section pairs distributed equally around the centerline axis C of the firearm barrel. As seen in
FIG. 7
, the shape of the attachment sections
78
A-
78
H on the rear mount
26
are substantially the same as the shape of attachment sections
54
A-
54
H on the front mount
24
. In alternate embodiments, the attachment sections on the rear mount may have a different shape than the attachment sections of the front mount. In this embodiment, each attachment section, such as for example, attachment section
78
A has a head portion
80
connected to the mount frame
27
by neck portion
82
. The head portion
80
has the generally elliptical profile of the head portion
62
on the attachment sections of the front mount described before and shown in FIG.
6
. Head portion
80
has upper seating surface
84
and lower seating surface
86
I for the mounting clamps of the rail.
Referring now to
FIGS. 8-8A
there is shown respectively a perspective view and an end view of the supplemental device mounting rail
22
of the adapter rail assembly
20
. The rail
22
shown in
FIGS. 8-8A
is merely an example of a suitable adapter rail which may be used with the adapter rail assembly
20
and in alternate embodiments, any suitable rail may be used. As seen in
FIG. 8
, the rail
22
is an elongated member sized to span across the length of the hand guard assembly on the firearm. Accordingly, in the event the adapter rail system is to be installed on a M4 carbine, the rail is sized for the shorter hand guard assembly used on the carbine. In the embodiment shown in
FIGS. 8-8A
, the rail
22
includes frame
23
, stiffening rod
88
, and articulated clamp portions
120
. Frame
23
may be a one-piece member, or may be an assembly formed from a number of parts. The frame
23
may be extruded from metal or formed in any other suitable manner from a suitable metal or suitable non-metallic material. Forming the rail by a continuous extrusion process allows the rail to be cut to suit to any desired length for use with any desired firearm. The rail frame
23
has an adapter portion
90
and a base or mounting portion
96
(see FIG.
8
A). In this embodiment, the adapter portion
90
has a profile in accordance with MIL-STD-1913 for dimensioning of accessory mounting rails for small arms weapons. The adapter portion
90
also has recoil grooves
92
according to MIL-STD-1913. In alternate embodiments, the adapter section of the mounting rail, to which the supplemental devices are mounted, may have any other suitable configuration, including non MIL-STD configurations. As seen best in
FIG. 8
, the rail frame
23
has extended end section
94
,
96
at opposite ends of the rail frame. The extended end sections
94
,
96
are without recoil grooves. Each extended section may have a threaded through hole
95
formed therethrough for a set or locking screw
103
(see FIG.
2
). As seen best in
FIG. 8A
, in this embodiment, the base portion
96
extends below the adapter portion
90
. The base portion
96
has two base clamps
96
A,
96
B at opposite ends of the rail frame
23
(see FIG.
8
). In this embodiment, a longitudinal gap
97
separates the base clamps
96
A,
96
B from each other in order to reduce the weight of the rail frame. However, in alternate embodiments, the longitudinal sides of the rail frame may be extended to connect the opposing base clamps to each other. As can be realized from
FIG. 8
, the base clamps
96
A,
96
B are substantially similar to each other, and hence, will be described below with specific reference to clamp
96
A. Base clamp
96
A has a grip portion
98
as shown in FIG.
8
A. The grip portion
98
has a general “J” or hook shape which defines an inner seating surface
10
. The inner surface
110
of the grip portion
98
generally conforms to the profile (in this case a right hand end portion) of the head portion
62
,
84
on any attachment section
54
A-
54
H,
78
A-
78
H of the corresponding mount
24
,
26
. As can be recognized from
FIG. 8
, rail
22
may be mounted with either base clamp
96
A,
96
B located forwards (the head portion
62
on sections
54
A-
54
H,
78
A-
78
H being symmetric so that grip portion
98
may be placed on the left hand portion of the head portion). As seen in
FIG. 8
, a fastener slot
112
is formed through the grip portion which results in the grip portion
98
being divided into two grip fingers
98
A,
98
B. The slot is spot faced locally, in this embodiment, to form a seating surface
112
S for the head of a clamping fastener placed into slot has an abutment surface
114
located at the opposite edge of the rail from the grip portion
98
. A channel
116
is formed as shown in
FIG. 8A
into the base portion of the rail frame. In this embodiment, the channel
116
has a generally circular cross-section with an opening
1160
at the bottom. The channel
116
has open ends
116
A,
116
B at opposite ends of the rail which allows the stiffening rod
88
to be inserted into the channel
116
. The channel
116
also provides a reliable and simple attachment for the articulated clamp portions
120
to the rail frame
23
.
As seen in
FIG. 8
, stiffening rod
88
is an elongated substantially cylindrical member. In alternate embodiments, the stiffening rod need not have a circular cross-section. The rod
88
may be made of high strength metal or high strength and stiff non-metallic materials such as composites. The rod
88
is sized to form a close fit inside channel
116
in the frame
23
. The rod
88
may be inserted into the channel and positioned in a region of maximum stress (i.e. the mid-section of the substantially simply supported rail). The rod
88
may then be tacked or otherwise joined or staked, to the rail frame
23
, to form a composite section with the frame
23
. As can be realized, an advantage to having a continuous channel
116
, is that the continuous channel
116
may be formed in one step during the extrusion process (if such a process is used) of the rail frame
23
. This reduces, or eliminates altogether, further machining of slots in the rail frame for mounting the articulated clamping portions
120
to the rail frame. Rod
88
, which is made readily at a much lower cost than machining special slots into the rail frame after extrusion, may then be used if desired to strengthen and stiffen the rail longitudinally.
As noted before, the channel
116
in the rail frame
23
provides a reliable and simple means for attaching the articulated claiming portions
120
to the rail frame
23
. As can be realized from
FIG. 8
, one articulated clamping portion
120
is mounted on the rail frame
23
at each base clamp
96
A,
96
B of the rail, opposite grip portions
98
as will be described further below. The two articulated clamping portions
120
are substantially identical. Each clamping portion
120
may be a one-piece member, cast, forged or otherwise formed from any suitable metal or non-metallic material. The clamping portion
120
has a pin section
122
and a clamping arm
124
extending from the pin section
122
(see FIG.
8
). The pin section
122
is generally cylindrical, sized to form a close running fit with the bore of channel
116
in the rail frame. The clamping arm
124
, as seen in
FIG. 8
, has a general hook or “J” shape. The inner surface
126
of the hook shaped arm
124
has a somewhat elliptical shape which generally complements the contour of the top and end surfaces on the head portion
62
,
84
on any attachment section of the mounts
24
,
26
. The inner surface
126
of the clamping arm thus has both an upper seating surface
126
U and a lower seating surface
126
L to contact corresponding upper and lower seating surfaces
66
,
70
I,
84
,
86
I on the attachment sections
54
A-
54
H,
78
A-
78
H of the mounts
24
,
26
.
As noted before, the articulated clamping portions
120
are readily mounted on the rail frame
23
by inserting the pin section
122
of each clamping portion
120
into channel
116
through the opposite end openings
116
A,
116
B of the channel
FIG. 8A
shows part of the one clamping portion
120
(in phantom) when the clamping portion
120
is mounted on the rail frame
23
. Pin section
122
in the channel
116
operates as a hinge allowing the clamping portion
120
to rotate relative to the rail frame
23
in the direction indicated by arrow R in FIG.
8
A. As can be realized from
FIGS. 8-8A
, the articulated clamping portion
120
mounted at each base clamp
96
A,
96
B cooperates with the corresponding grip portion
98
to form a clamp
130
which can be closed around the head portion of any attachment section
54
A-
54
H,
78
A-
78
H of mounts
24
,
26
. As seen in
FIG. 8A
, rotation of the clamping portion
120
in the direction to open clamp
130
is limited by abutment surface
114
. Surface
114
is angled as desired as shown in
FIG. 8A
in order to provide adequate rotation to the articulated clamping portion
120
to sufficiently open clamp
130
and allow placement over the head portion of a mount attachment section. Each clamping portion
120
has a threaded hole formed therein to allow engagement of a locking fastener inserted through slot
112
in the grip portion (see FIG.
8
).
The adapter rail system
20
is assembled on the M4 type firearm as shown in
FIGS. 1-3
(in
FIGS. 2-3
, the barrel of the firearm is omitted for clarity). The front sight assembly
16
is mounted on and locked to the barrel in the conventional manner so that the sight frame
36
is disposed in the sight plane CY aligned with the centerline C of the barrel. Hence, the key
40
on the sight plane is also aligned to the sight plane CY and with the barrel centerline C (see FIGS.
2
-
3
). The front mount
24
is positioned over the hand guard assembly end cap
34
(see FIG.
4
). It is noted that it may be desirable to mount the front and rear mounts
24
,
26
of the adapter rail system
20
to the barrel
14
with the barrel disassembled from the firearm. Furthermore, it may be desirable to place at least the front mount
24
over the barrel with the front sight assembly
16
removed from the barrel. When installed, the front mount
24
may be seated with surface
42
against the outer surface of the end cap
34
as noted before. The inner wall
44
of the mount
24
is abutted against the front end of the end cap. As seen in
FIGS. 2-3
, the rear mounting ring
36
B
2
of the sight frame
36
is located at least in part into opening
46
of the mount
24
. The key
40
on the sight frame
36
is complementingly received into the mount keyway
52
in the mount
24
. The interface between key
40
and keyway
52
fixes the front mount
24
in rotational alignment (i.e. about the centerline C) with the sight plane CY and laterally aligned to the barrel centerline C. The attachment sections
54
A-
54
H on the mount
24
, which are formed true to the mount
24
, are thus fixed on the firearm true relative to the sight plane CY and to the barrel centerline C. The alignment of the front mount
24
to the sight plane CY (rotationally) and to the centerline C (laterally) may vary within a tolerance range corresponding to machine tool accuracy. This is in sharp contrast to conventional adapter rail systems such as rail type hand guards which have an alignment variance that is roughly an order of magnitude larger than the variance of the adapter rail system
20
in this embodiment (e.g. ±3.0° for conventional rail in comparison to about ±0.2° for the instant system). As seen best in
FIGS. 2-3
, catch
23
is used to lock the lower part of the front mount to the front sight assembly
16
. This helps stabilize the front mount
24
in an orientation substantially orthogonal to the sight plane CY. The front latch
23
prevents the mount
24
from becoming canted relative to the barrel centerline C. As seen in
FIG. 2
, block section
23
B of the latch
23
is placed in clevis
37
depending from the rear mounting. A pin
101
is inserted through the clevis
37
and block
23
B to hold the latch in the clevis. The extensions member
23
E on the catch (see
FIG. 6A
) abut the front mount with fastener hole
23
H in the catch aligned with fastener hole
56
in the mount (see also FIG.
6
). Fastener
100
is used to secure the latch
23
to the front mount. The position and orientation of the front mount
24
is thus fixed to the front sight assembly
16
and consequently to the barrel
14
to which the front sight assembly is fixed. Once positioned, the front mount
24
is both accurately aligned to the sight plane CY and barrel centerline C, and also remains locked in this position through use of the firearm. This is not so with conventional rail type hand guard systems which not only are not accurately aligned as noted before, but are also free to “float” relative to the barrel. A further advantage of the adapter rail system
20
in this embodiment is that by locking the front mount
24
to the front sight assembly
16
in the above described manner, the front mount
24
, and hence the entire rail system
20
, may be accurately aligned to the sight plane CY and barrel centerline C each and every time the mount is installed on the firearm
10
or any other M4 type firearm. The consistency or repeatability in the positioning of the rail system
20
does not exist with conventional adapter rail systems.
Still referring to
FIGS. 1-3
, the rear mount
26
is located over the barrel nut
28
mounted to the barrel. The wave washers
32
(see
FIG. 4
) are inside the rear portion
70
R of the mount, biased against the inner flange
76
(see also
FIG. 7
) of the rear mount. This in turn urges the mount flange
76
forwards against the retention lip
28
L of the barrel nut shown in FIG.
4
. The rear mount
26
is positioned so that the slot
76
G (see
FIG. 7
) in flange
76
is aligned with the gas tube
30
, thereby allowing the gas tube to extend through the rear mount
26
. As noted before, in this position the attachment sections
78
A-
78
H on the rear mount are generally aligned with corresponding attachment sections
54
A-
54
H on the front mount thereby forming respective attachment section pairs (e.g.
54
A and
78
A,
54
B and
78
B) around the barrel.
Moreover, the front portion
70
F (see also
FIG. 7
) of the rear mount
26
provides a holder for the rear end of the hand guard assembly
18
. With the adapter rail system
20
in this embodiment, the hand guard assembly
18
may be mounted and removed from the firearm
10
in a conventional manner. By way of example, to install the hand guard assembly
18
, the front end of the upper hand guard
18
U is inserted into the end cap
34
. The rear mount
26
may then be biased to the rear (in the direction of arrow M in
FIG. 1
) and the hand guard half may be positioned against the barrel
14
. The rear mount
26
may then be released, the wave washers
32
urging the mount forwards. When the rear mount
26
is urged forwards by the wave washers, the front portion
70
F of the mount captures the rear end of the hand guard half
18
U, trapping the hand guard half
18
U between the front end cap and rear mount
26
. It is desirable to have the rails
22
disconnected from the rear mount
26
when installing the hand guard. The lower hand guard half
18
L of the hand guard assembly is installed in a similar manner to the upper hand guard half
18
U described above. Removal of the hand guard halves
18
U,
18
L is performed in a reverse manner to the installation by first sliding the rear mount
26
rearwards (in the direction indicated by arrow M in
FIG. 1
) to release the rear ends of the hand guard halves and then removing the halves from the front end cap
34
. Thus, the front and rear mounts
24
;
26
do not interfere with the firearm hand guard assembly
18
. The attachment section pairs (e.g.
54
A-
78
A,
54
B-
78
B,
54
C-
78
C etc.) of the front end rear mounts
24
,
26
allow mounting of the rail
22
to the firearm without interference with the hand guard assembly
18
.
As seen in
FIGS. 2-3
, the rail
20
is installed by clamping the base clamps
96
A,
96
B with the articulated clamp portion
120
onto a desired pair (e.g.
54
A-
78
A) of attachment sections of the front and rear mounts
24
,
26
.
FIGS. 2-3
show the adapter rail system
20
with one rail
20
mounted for example purposes only. The adapter rail system
20
, however, is capable of mounting a rail similar to rail
22
at every attachment section pair (
54
A-
78
A through
54
H-
78
H) on the front and rear mounts
24
,
26
. Rail
22
is shown in
FIGS. 2-3
as being mounted on the top most attachment section pair
54
A-
78
A also for example purposes only. Rail
22
, or other rails similar to rail
22
may be mounted on any desired attachment section pair of the front and rear mounts. Hence, the position of one or more rails (similar to rail
22
) on the adapter rail system
20
may be selected by the operator as desired. As seen in
FIGS. 1-3
, the attachment sections of the front and rear mounts are disposed radially from the barrel, so that when rail
22
is mounted to any attachment section pair, the rail
22
is located off from the hand guard assembly
18
. A rail or rails mounted to the front and rear mounts
24
,
26
does not interfere with the hand guard assembly. Also, as can be realized from
FIGS. 2-3
, a user may install the rail or rails in positions around the front and rear mounts
24
,
26
of the adapter rail system in order to leave a desired portion of the hand guard assembly
18
exposed so that the user may have an unencumbered grasp of the hand guard. By way of example, a right handed user, may grasp the hand guard assembly with the left hand. Accordingly, the user may desire to mount a rail or rails similar to rail
22
on the mounts
24
,
26
away from a left side portion of the hand guard assembly
18
so that the user may grab and hold the hand guard assembly from the left side portion without encumbrances from the rails. A left handed user may desire to mount the rails on the mounts
24
,
26
in order to grab and hold the hand guard assembly from another desired portion. The rail
22
may be readily mounted to the desired attachment section pair. Such as for example, attachment sections
54
A-
78
A (as shown in
FIGS. 2-3
) by opening the hinged clamp portion
120
, as described before, and placing the base clamps
96
A,
96
B and clamp portions
120
around the corresponding attachment section. The base clamps
96
A,
96
B and clamp portions
120
are then closed by inserting fasteners
200
through the slot in the base clamp into the threaded hole
128
(see
FIG. 8
) of the corresponding clamp portion
120
. This draws the clamp portion
120
towards the base clamp
96
A,
96
B thereby clamping the head portion on the attachment section of the mount in between. The generally elliptical seating surface
126
U,
126
L and
110
U,
110
L on the clamp portion
120
and base clamp
96
A,
6
B respectively are seated against the generally elliptical surfaces
66
,
70
I,
84
,
86
I on the head portions
62
,
80
of the front and rear mounts
24
,
26
. As noted before, the elliptical shape of the respective seating surfaces on both the rail and mounts helps ensure that contact between the base clamp/clamp portion of the rail
22
and corresponding head portion
62
,
80
exists at least at two opposing locations along the upper surface
66
,
80
and at two more opposing location s on the inner surface
70
I,
86
I of the he ad section
62
,
80
to which the rail is mounted. The result is that the rail
22
is always stably held on the mounts. To further secure the rail to the mounts
24
,
26
lock fasteners
103
(see
FIG. 2
) are engaged against the hinged clamp portion
120
.
Referring now to
FIG. 9
, there is shown a respective view of an adapter rail system kit
20
A which may be mounted to an M4 type firearm in this embodiment. The kit
20
A includes the front mount
24
A, the rear mount
26
A, adapter rail
22
A, articulated clamp portions
120
A and catch
23
A. The components of the kit
20
A (i.e. the front mount
24
A, the rear mount
26
A, adapter rail
22
A clamp portion
120
A, catch
23
A) are substantially the same as the corresponding parts of the rail system
20
described before and shown in
FIGS. 1-8A
. Similar parts are similarly numbered.
The adapter rail system
20
provides significant advantages over the conventional rail systems used for securing supplemental devices to that firearm as described before. Rail system
20
allows for the mounting of a number of rails
22
as selected by the user. The rail or rails may be mounted in a number of positions as selected by the user. The rails when mounted do not interfere with the conventional hand guard assembly
18
of the firearm. The rail or rails are held in a fixed geometry which is aligned with the sight plane CY and centerline C of the firearm barrel. The rail or rails may be installed with ease. The rail or rails may be repeatedly installed with consistent alignment accuracy far superior to conventional rail systems.
It should be understood that the foregoing description is only illustrative of the invention. Various alternatives and modifications can be devised by those skilled in the art without departing from the invention. Accordingly, the present invention is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications and variances which fall within the scope of the appended claims.
Claims
- 1. A firearm rail adapter system for mounting accessories on a firearm, the system comprising:a first mount adapted to be mounted to the firearm, and having rail attachment sections thereon; a second mount adapted to be mounted to the firearm and having other rail attachment sections thereon; and an adapter rail adapted to be removably mounted to at least one of the rail attachment sections of the first mount and to at least one of the other rail attachment sections of the second mount, the rail attachment sections and the other rail attachment sections being disposed respectively on the first mount and second mount so that when the first mount and second mount are mounted to the firearm, the first mount and second mount each provide a number of different selectable mounting stations for mounting the adapter rail to the firearm with the adapter rail positioned in different selectable positions around the firearm.
- 2. The system as in claim 1, wherein the different selectable mounting stations are in different positions with respect to a reference datum of the firearm.
- 3. The system as in claim 1, wherein the first mount and second mount are mounted to a barrel of the firearm, the first mount and second mount being spaced apart longitudinally along the barrel.
- 4. The system as in claim 2, wherein the first mount has a frame which is a one-piece member, and the second mount has a frame which is a one-piece member.
- 5. The system as in claim 1, wherein when the first mount and second mount are mounted on the firearm, the first mount and second mount bracket a handguard on a barrel of the firearm.
- 6. The system as in claim 1, wherein the first mount and second mount support the adapter rail off a handguard on a barrel of the firearm.
- 7. The system as in claim 2, wherein the first mount has a frame that has a general ring shape, and the second mount has a frame that has a general ring shape.
- 8. The system as in claim 7, wherein the frame of the first mount has at least one projecting member projecting radially outwards from the frame, the at least one projecting section forming at least one of the rail attachment sections of the first mount.
- 9. The system as in claim 8, wherein the at least one projecting member has a seating section at a distal end of the projecting member for seating a mounting surface of the adapter rail when the adapter rail is mounted on the first mount.
- 10. The system as in claim 9, wherein the seating section has generally opposed outer and inner seating surfaces which are generally curved to effect contact between the mounting surface of the adapter rail and the seating section at least at opposing ends of the outer seating surface and opposing ends of the inner seating surface for stably holding the adapter rail on the first mount.
- 11. The system as in claim 7, wherein the frame of the first mount has an inner surface adapted to be seated on a front handguard cap of the firearm.
- 12. The system as in claim 7, wherein when the first mount is mounted to the firearm, the frame of the first mount is interlocked with a predetermined fixture of the firearm, said predetermined fixture being aligned with a firearm barrel centerline and sight plane to a predetermined accuracy, and wherein the interlock between the first mount and predetermined fixture aligns the first mount and the adapter rail mounted to the first mount to the barrel centerline and sight plane.
- 13. The system as in claim 1, wherein, the at least one rail is an elongated member having an accessory mounting section in accordance with MIL-STD-1913 for mounting firearm accessories, and wherein the rail is an extrusion.
- 14. A firearm rail adapter system for mounting accessories on a firearm, the system comprising:a first mount adapted to be mounted to the firearm, and having rail attachment sections thereon; a second mount adapted to be mounted to the firearm and having other rail attachment sections thereon; and an adapter rail adapted to be removably mounted to at least one of the rail attachment sections of the first mount and to at least one of the other rail attachment sections of the second mount, the rail attachment sections and the other rail attachment sections being disposed respectively on the first mount and second mount so that when the first mount and second mount are mounted to the firearm, the first mount and second mount provide a number of different selectable mounting stations for mounting the adapter rail to the firearm, wherein the first mount has a frame that has a general ring shape, and the second mount has a frame that has a general ring shape, andwherein the first mount has eight rail attachment sections disposed around a circumference of the frame of the first mount.
- 15. A firearm rail adapter system for mounting accessories on a firearm, the system comprising:a first mount adapted to be mounted to the firearm, and having rail attachment sections thereon; a second mount adapted to be mounted to the firearm and having other rail attachment sections thereon; and an adapter rail adapted to be removably mounted to at least one of the rail attachment sections of the first mount and to at least one of the other rail attachment sections of the second mount, the rail attachment sections and the other rail attachment sections being disposed respectively on the first mount and second mount so that when the first mount and second mount are mounted to the firearm, the first mount and second mount provide a number of different selectable mounting stations for mounting the adapter rail to the firearm, wherein the first mount has a frame that has a general ring shape, and the second mount has a frame that has a general ring shape, andwherein the second mount has eight rail attachment section disposed around a circumference of the frame of the second mount.
- 16. A firearm rail adapter system for mounting accessories on a firearm, the system comprising:a first mount adapted to be mounted to the firearm, and having rail attachment sections thereon; a second mount adapted to be mounted to the firearm and having other rail attachment sections thereon; and an adapter rail adapted to be removably mounted to at least one of the rail attachment sections of the first mount and to at least one of the other rail attachment sections of the second mount, the rail attachment sections and the other rail attachment sections being disposed respectively on the first mount and second mount so that when the first mount and second mount are mounted to the firearm, the first mount and second mount each provide a number of different selectable mounting stations for mounting the adapter rail to the firearm, wherein when the first mount is mounted to the firearm, the frame of the first mount is interlocked with a predetermined fixture of the firearm, said predetermined fixture being aligned with a firearm barrel centerline and sight plane to a predetermined accuracy, and wherein the interlock between the first mount and predetermined fixture aligns the first mount and the adapter rail mounted to the first mount to the barrel centerline and sight plane, and wherein the predetermined fixture is a front sight piece of the firearm, and wherein the frame has a keyway formed therein, the keyway being engaged to a portion of the front sight piece to interlock the first mount to the front sight piece.
- 17. The system as in claim 16, wherein the portion of the front sight piece is a key formed on the front sight piece.
- 18. A firearm rail adapter system for mounting accessories on a firearm, the system comprising:a first mount adapted to be mounted to the firearm, and having rail attachment sections thereon; a second mount adapted to be mounted to the firearm and having other rail attachment sections thereon; and an adapter rail adapted to be removably mounted to at least one of the rail attachment sections of the first mount and to at least one of the other rail attachment sections of the second mount, the rail attachment sections and the other rail attachment sections being disposed respectively on the first mount and second mount so that when the first mount and second mount are mounted to the firearm, the first mount and second mount provide a number of different selectable mounting stations for mounting the adapter rail to the firearm, wherein when the second mount is mounted to the firearm, the second mount is spring biased against a handguard of the firearm to hold the handguard on the firearm.
- 19. The system as in claim 18, wherein the second mount has a frame with an annular recess for receiving therein an end of the handguard.
- 20. A firearm rail adapter system for mounting accessories on a firearm, the system comprising:a first mount adapted to be mounted to the firearm, and having rail attachment sections thereon; a second mount adapted to be mounted to the firearm and having other rail attachment sections thereon; and an adapter rail adapted to be removably mounted to at least one of the rail attachment sections of the first mount and to at least one of the other rail attachment sections of the second mount, the rail attachment sections and the other rail attachment sections being disposed respectively on the first mount and second mount so that the adapter rail can be mounted in a position on the firearm selected from a number of different selectable positions around the firearm, said selectable positions being different relative to a predetermined reference datum of the firearm.
- 21. A firearm rail adapter system for mounting accessories on a firearm, the system comprising:a first mount adapted to be mounted to the firearm, and having rail attachment sections thereon; a second mount adapted to be mounted to the firearm and having other rail attachment sections thereon; and an adapter rail adapted to be removably mounted to at least one of the rail attachment sections of the first mount and to at least one of the other rail attachment sections of the second mount, the rail attachment sections and the other rail attachment sections being disposed respectively on the first mount and second mount to allow the adapter rail to be mounted on the firearm with the adapter rail selectably positioned in one from a number of different selectable positions, the different selectable positions being located around a predetermined reference datum of the firearm.
- 22. The system as in claim 21, wherein the first mount has locating surfaces for interlocking the first mount when mounted to the firearm with a predetermined fixture of the firearm, the interlock between the first mount and predetermined fixture aligning at least one of the rail attachment sections of the first mount with a predetermined reference datum of the firearm to which the predetermined fixture is aligned.
- 23. The system as in claim 21, wherein the second mount has a receptacle formed therein for conjugally receiving therein an end of a handguard of the firearm.
- 24. The system as in claim 22, wherein the adapter rail has an accessory mounting section in accordance with MIL-STD-1913, and includes mounts adapted to affix to rail attachment sections of the first mount and second mount, and wherein at least one of the mounts of the adapter rail is relative to the accessory mounting section so that when the at least one of the mounts is affixed to the at least one rail attachment section the accessory mounting section is substantially aligned to the predetermined reference datum.
- 25. A firearm rail adapter system for mounting accessories on a firearm, the system comprising:at least one adapter rail adapted for removably mounting firearm accessories thereon, the at least one rail having front and rear rail attachment sections for attaching the rail to the firearm; a front mount disposed proximal to a front end of a barrel of the firearm; and a rear mount disposed proximal to a rear end of the barrel; wherein the front and rear mounts mount the at least one rail to the barrel of the firearm, the front mount being adapted to removably mate with the front rail attachment section and the rear mount being adapted to removably mate with the rear rail attachment section, the at least one rail being removably mountable, in a number of different selectable positions around the barrel, on the front and rear mounts.
- 26. The system as in claim 25, wherein the at least one adapter rail is an elongated member having a mounting section in accordance with MIL-STD-1913 for mounting firearm accessories.
- 27. The system as in claim 25, wherein the front mount has attachment members at different positions on the front mount, a number of the attachment members being removably mateable to the front rail attachment section so that the at least one adapter rail can be mounted in different selectable positions on the front mount.
- 28. The system as in claim 25, wherein the rear mount has attachment members at different positions on the front mount, a number of the attachment members being removably mateable to the rear rail attachment section so that the at least one rail can be mounted in different selectable positions on the rear mount.
- 29. A firearm comprising:a receiver; a barrel connected to the receiver; a handguard connected to the barrel; and an adapter rail mounting system for mounting accessories to the firearm, the system comprising mounts with a number of different adapter rail attachment sections for attaching an adapter rail to the firearm, the different attachment sections allowing the adapter rail to be mounted to the firearm with the adapter rail placed in a number of different selectable positions around the barrel of the firearm.
- 30. A kit comprising:an adapter rail adapted for mounting accessories to a firearm; a first mount element for connecting the adapter rail to the firearm; and a second mount element for connecting the adapter rail to the firearm, wherein the adapter rail can be selectably mounted in a number of different positions around the first mount element.
- 31. The kit as in claim 30, wherein the adapter rail has an accessory mounting portion conforming to MIL-STD-1913.
- 32. The kit as in claim 30, further comprising a locking bracket adapted to be connected to the first mount element and lock the first mount element to a predetermined portion of a firearm when the first mount element is mounted on the firearm.
- 33. The kit as in claim 30, wherein the first mount element has a frame which is a one-piece member, and the second mount element has a frame which is a one-piece member.
- 34. The kit as in claim 33, wherein the frame of the first mount element is an extrusion made of metal.
- 35. The kit as in claim 33, wherein the frame of the first mount element has multiple rail attachment areas for attaching the adapter rail to the first mount element, the multiple rail attachment areas allowing the rail to be mounted in a number of different positions on the first mount element.
- 36. The kit as in claim 33, wherein the frame of the second mount element has multiple rail attachment areas for attaching the adapter rail to the second mount element, the multiple rail attachment areas allowing the rail to be mounted in a number of different positions on the second mount element.
US Referenced Citations (8)
Foreign Referenced Citations (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
40 26 483 |
Nov 1991 |
DE |