Patent Application
20140190059
The present invention relates to firearms, and more particularly to a firearm stock having a bipod that folds flush into the stock when not in use.
A bipod is a two-legged attachment for a firearm that provides stability along two axes of motion (side-to-side and up-and-down). Bipods are commonly used on rifles and machine guns to provide a forward rest and reduce motion. They are also found on other long-barreled weapons. Bipods permit users to easily rest a firearm on objects, like the ground or a wall, to reduce their fatigue and increase the firearm's accuracy and stability. Bipods can be of fixed or adjustable length. Some can be tilted and also have their tilting point close to the barrel's central axis, allowing the firearm to tilt left and right. There are three ways for bipods to be folded: away from the shooter, towards the shooter, or into a vertical foregrip.
A variety of prior art folding bipods attached to firearms stocks are known. However, these continue to protrude from the firearm stock even in the folded position. This makes the firearm more vulnerable to being snagged on plant life, articles of clothing, or other obstacles. The folded bipod also prevents a comfortable grip on the forend.
Therefore, a need exists for a new and improved firearm stock with folding bipod that allows the user to fold the bipod flush into the firearm's stock when not in use. In this regard, the various embodiments of the present invention substantially fulfill at least some of these needs. In this respect, the firearm stock with folding bipod according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in doing so provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of allowing the bipod to fold flush into the firearm's stock when not in use.
The present invention provides an improved firearm stock with folding bipod, and overcomes the above-mentioned disadvantages and drawbacks of the prior art. As such, the general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide an improved firearm stock with folding bipod that has all the advantages of the prior art mentioned above.
To attain this, the preferred embodiment of the present invention essentially comprises a body including a forend. The bottom of the forend has an elongate slot. A bipod having a plurality of legs is pivotally attached at one end of the legs to the bottom of the forend. The bipod has an unfolded position in which an opposing end of the legs extends downwards beyond the exterior contour of the forend. The bipod has a folded position in which the opposing end of the legs is received within the elongate slot with the legs substantially within the exterior contour of the forend. The opposing end of the legs may each have a notch. There may be a latch having a cam surface that is spring biased to protrude into the slot. The notches may receive the cam surface when the bipod is in the folded position, thereby releasably securing the opposing end of the legs within the slot. There are, of course, additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims attached.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated.
The same reference numerals refer to the same parts throughout the various figures.
An embodiment of the firearm stock with folding bipod of the present invention is shown and generally designated by the reference numeral 10.
The bipod 50 has two leg bases 22 and two leg extensions 32 that are mirror images of one another, with one leg base and leg extension extending downwards to the right and one extending downwards to the left. The bottommost portion of the bipod is two outwardly protruding pads 42 formed by the bottoms 36 of the leg extensions. The pads are angled so that they are parallel to the bottom of the forend when the bipod is in the unfolded position. In the current embodiment, the bottom surfaces 46 of the pads have a traction surface pattern to prevent slippage of the leg extensions when the bipod is in use. The top surfaces 44 of the pads are connected to the bottoms 36 of the leg extensions, and are integral to the leg extensions in the current embodiment. The leg extensions 32 are elongate elements having fronts 38, rears 40, and tops 34. The bottom front of the forend has an aperture 58. In the current embodiment, the pads and leg extensions are made of plastic to reduce weight while still providing adequate strength to support the front of a fully assembled firearm that utilizes the firearm stock 10 of current invention. In the current embodiment, the leg bases are made of aluminum for additional strength.
Each leg base 22 has an aperture 68 above the aperture 64. The apertures 68 receive the opposed ends (not visible) of a coil spring 48. The spring 48 biases the leg bases outwards so that the tops 24 of the leg bases are pushed into the leg base slots 70. As a result, the bipod forms a V-shape when in the unfolded position.
Each leg base 22 has a rectangular recess 52 located above the aperture 68. Each recess has a bore 72 that receives one of the opposed ends of an axle 74. The axle is received within a central bore 80 of a block 76. Additional details of these features will be discussed subsequently in the description of
The bottom 18 of the forend 12 has a slot 60 located behind and encompassing the flange slot 86. The slot 60 has a divider 88 and a rear divider 94 that divide the slot into two mirror image elongate channels that are shaped to closely receive the rears 40 of the leg extensions 32. The rear most portion of the slot 60 terminates in two mirror image pad slots 96 that are shaped to closely receive the pads 42.
Four screws 90 to secure a lift assister 90 between the divider 88 and the rear divider 94. The lift assister is an oblong spring-loaded button that is compressed when the leg extensions 32 are pressed into the slot 60. The spring within the lift assister remains compressed because the latch 102 protruding from an aperture 104 located between the pad slots 96 is received within the latch slots 54 in the pads 42. As long as the latch is engaged with the latch slots, the lift assister cannot push the leg extensions downwards. The latch 102 is connected to a latch lever 100 that protrudes from a latch slot 98 located behind the aperture 104. A spring within the forend (not visible) biases the latch lever and latch forward. When the user slides the latch lever rear words within the latch slot, the latch retracts from the latch slots into the aperture 104. Once the latch has cleared the latch slots, the spring within the lift assister decompresses and pushes the leg extensions downwards so the user can easily grab the leg extensions and pivot the bipod 50 into the unfolded position.
The leg bases 22 can pivot about the axle forward and rearward with their forward movement limited by the leg base slots 70, and their rearward movement limited by the depth of the slot 60. Their outward pivoting movement about the pins 108 is limited by a combination of the apertures 72 contacting the axle 74, the width of the leg base slots 70, and the contact of the tops 24 of the leg bases within the rectangular bore 80 in the block 76.
In the context of the specification, the terms “down” and “downward,” “up” and “upward,” “rear” and “rearward,” and “front” and “forward” have the following definitions: “down” or “downward” means in the direction away from the bottom of the firearm, “up” and “upward” means in the direction toward the bottom of the firearm, “rear” or “rearward” means in the direction away from the muzzle of the firearm, while “front” or “forward” means it is in the direction towards the muzzle of the firearm.
While a current embodiment of a firearm with shell holder has been described in detail, it should be apparent that modifications and variations thereto are possible, all of which fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention. With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.
