Combined reflex and laser sight with elevation macro-adjustment mechanism

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9752853-B2
Application number	US-201514881779-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 13, 2015
Priority date	Oct 13, 2014
Publication date	Sep 5, 2017
Grant date	Sep 5, 2017

Abstract

A combined reflex and laser sighting device is provided. In one aspect, the reflex sight and one or more laser elements are coaligned, such that both the reflex sight and the laser sight can be sighted in or boresighted to a weapon together in a single operation. In another aspect, one or more laser elements are mounted within a laser bench and aligned with a reflex sight attached to the laser bench. In yet another aspect, a plurality of laser elements are provided within the laser bench and are coaligned with each other and the reflex sight. In another aspect, a mounting block with yielding vertical and horizontal webs is provided to allow windage and elevation adjustments to be made to the reflex sight and laser elements together. In still another aspect, an elevation macro-adjustment mechanism is provided to provide a simple adjustment that that realign the sight to a weapon to accommodate different shooting scenarios, such as different velocity rounds, different target distances, and elevational differences of the shooter's vantage point.

First claim

Having thus described the preferred embodiments, the invention is now claimed to be:

1. A weapon sight comprising:
a housing;
a fastener for providing a rigid connection of the housing to a weapon;
a visual sight disposed within the housing, the visual sight having a movable portion that is vertically adjustable in relation to the housing; and
an elevation adjustment mechanism for selectively moving the movable portion up and down, the elevation adjustment mechanism contacting the housing and a first surface of the movable portion of the visual sight and comprising:
(a) an elevation macro-adjustment mechanism comprising at least one pair of rings, each pair comprising:
(1) a first ring fixed to a portion of the housing; and
(2) a second ring having an external lever, the second ring coaxially coupled to the first ring about an adjustment axis and capable of rotating relative to the first ring by moving the lever in an arc; and
(b) an elevation micro-adjustment assembly coupled to the elevation macro-adjustment mechanism and configured to selectively alter the elevation micro-adjustment assembly position along the adjustment axis, wherein the elevation micro-adjustment assembly is adjustable independently of the elevation macro-adjustment assembly and the elevation micro-adjustment assembly is disposed within the first and second rings of the elevation macro-adjustment mechanism such that rotation of the second ring relative to the first ring results in displacement of the elevation micro-adjustment assembly along the adjustment axis of the first and second rings, thereby causing a vertical adjustment of the movable portion of the visual sight within the housing; and
(c) a spring disposed between an internal surface of the housing and a second surface of the movable portion of the visual sight, the first surface and the second surfaces being on opposite sides of the movable portion of the visual sight.

2. The weapon sight of claim 1 , wherein the visual sight is selected from the group consisting of a reflex sight, a laser sight, and a combined reflex and laser sight.

3. The weapon sight of claim 1 , wherein the elevation micro-adjustment assembly comprises:
(a) a barrel having an axis coincident with the adjustment axis of the first and second rings of the elevation macro-adjustment mechanism, the barrel comprising:
(1) a first section in contact with the movable portion of the visual sight;
(2) a second section adjacent to the first section, the second section having a thread running circumferentially on an outer surface of the second section;
(3) a third section adjacent to the second section, the third section having two openings positioned diametrically in an outer surface of the third section;
(4) a spring and a ball bearing disposed in each of the openings of the outer surface of the third section, the spring disposed between the ball bearing and the axis of the barrel;
(5) a fourth section comprising at least one feature enabling rotation of the barrel;

(b) a sleeve capable of receiving the barrel, the sleeve comprising:
(1) a first section having a thread running circumferentially on an inner surface of the first section and capable of engaging the thread on the second section of the barrel; and
(2) a second section having a scalloped surface defining a plurality of axially extending grooves on an inner surface of the second section.

4. The weapon sight of claim 3 , wherein rotation of the barrel of the micro-adjustment assembly by one turn results in vertical adjustment of the movable portion of the visual sight by a first increment.

5. The weapon sight of claim 4 , wherein rotation of the second ring by a specified amount with respect to the first ring results in vertical adjustment of the movable portion of the visual sight by a second increment, wherein the second increment is greater than the first increment.

6. The weapon sight of claim 1 , wherein the arc of lever movement is essentially perpendicular to a surface of the housing.

7. The weapon sight of claim 6 , further comprising:
a first stop adjustably positioned to extend from the surface of the housing into the arc of lever movement to contact the lever at a first point in its arc, thereby blocking rotation of the second ring in a clockwise orientation relative to the first ring; and
a second stop adjustably positioned to extend from the surface of the housing into the arc of lever movement to contact the lever at a second point in its arc, thereby blocking rotation of the second ring in a counterclockwise orientation relative to the first ring, wherein the first and second points in the arc of the lever can be altered by adjusting the positions of the first and second stops in the housing.

8. The weapon sight of claim 7 , wherein the first and second lever stops are positioned to limit the degree of rotation of the second ring relative to the first ring to a prespecified range of lever movement along the arc, the prespecified range of travel corresponding to a desired change in elevation.

9. The weapon sight of claim 1 , wherein the arc of lever movement is essentially parallel to a surface of the housing.

10. The weapon sight of claim 9 , further comprising:
a first lock that adjustably extends from the surface of the housing into the arc of lever movement, wherein movement of the lever in a clockwise orientation forces the lock toward the surface of the housing, thereby allowing the lever to pass the lock, and movement of the lever in a counterclockwise orientation is blocked by the lock; and
a second lock that adjustably extends from the surface of the housing into the arc of lever movement, wherein movement of the lever in a counterclockwise orientation forces the lock toward the surface of the housing, thereby allowing the lever to pass the lock, and movement of the lever in clockwise orientation is blocked by the lock.

11. The weapon sight of claim 1 , wherein the first and second rings are removable.

12. The weapon sight of claim 11 , comprising first and second interchangeable pairs of first and second rings, wherein rotation of the second ring relative to the first ring in the first pair by one turn results in displacement of the elevation micro-adjustment assembly along the adjustment axis of the first and second rings by a first increment, thereby causing a first vertical adjustment of the movable portion of the visual sight within the housing, and rotation of the second ring relative to the first ring in the second pair by one turn results in displacement of the elevation micro-adjustment assembly along the adjustment axis of the first and second rings by a second increment, thereby causing a second vertical adjustment of the movable portion of the visual sight within the housing.

Assignees

• Wilcox Ind Corp

Inventors

• Teetzel James W
• Lemire Gary M

Classifications

• F41G11/003

  Mountings with a dove tail element, e.g. "Picatinny rail systems" · CPC title

• F41G1/30 Primary

  Reflecting-sights specially adapted for smallarms or ordnance (reflecting-sights in general G02B) · CPC title

• F41G1/36

  with infrared light source · CPC title

• F41G1/35 Primary

  for illuminating the target {, e.g. flash lights} · CPC title

• F41G11/00

  Details of sighting or aiming apparatus; Accessories {(tools for adjustment of sights F41G1/545)} · CPC title