Accessory mounting apparatus and system
View Patent ↗Apparatus and system for mounting accessories to firearms and the like. More specifically, an apparatus and system for mounting accessories such as optics, sighting telescopes, lasers, thermal imaging devices, night vision devises, knives, cameras, flashlights and the like to firearms that have been fitted with a Picatinny mounting rail. The mounting apparatus is quickly secured to and removed from a Picatinny rail and provides a highly secure and stable mount for accessories. The apparatus and the accessories that are attached to it may be removed and replaced from the Picatinny rail repeatedly without affecting the preset sighting zero of the device.
1. Apparatus for mounting an accessory to a weapon rail, comprising:
a main body having an upper surface adapted for mounting the accessory to the main body, and the main body having a lower surface with a first weapon rail retaining member along one side of said main body lower surface and a second weapon rail retaining member along an opposite side of said main body lower surface, said second weapon rail retaining member defining an elongate resilient clip having an upper portion attached directly to said main body, wherein the direct attachment of said resilient clip to the main body defines a resilient hinge, and wherein a lower portion of said resilient clip is movable from a resting position in which a lower portion is retained adjacent the main body and a second position in which said lower portion may be spaced away from the main body; and
a securing member defined by
a bolt fixed to the main body and extending transverse to the first and second weapon rail retaining members, said bolt having a threaded portion extending outward from the main body and through the resilient clip;
a gear knob threaded onto the threaded portion of the bolt and having an inner edge facing the resilient clip and plural gear lobes on the end of the gear knob opposite the inner edge;
a spring-loaded slip barrel with an internal cavity for housing the gear knob, the slip barrel having plural gear lobes:
wherein the slip barrel is selectively movable from a first position in which the slip barrel plural gear lobes are disengaged from the gear knob plural gear lobes, and a second position in which the slip barrel plural gear lobes are engaged with the gear knob plural gear lobes;
wherein said securing member is adapted for securing the resilient clip in the resting position and to thereby prevent the resilient clip from moving to the second position, said securing member movable between a first position in which the securing member may be adjusted to selectively lock and unlock the resilient clip and a second position in which the securing member may not be adjusted, said securing member normally in the second position.
2. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the weapon rail includes first and second elongate spaced apart and wedge shaped side rails and plural spaced apart ridges extending transverse to the side rails, and wherein the first weapon rail retaining member defines an elongate wedge shaped member that is configured to cooperatively engage the first wedge shaped side rail of the weapon rails.
3. The apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the second weapon rail retaining member is configured to cooperatively engage the second wedge shaped side rail of the weapon rails.
4. The apparatus according to claim 3 in which when the second weapon rail retaining member is in the second position the second weapon rail retaining member may be disengaged from the second wedge shaped side rail of the weapon rails.
5. The apparatus according to claim 2 including centering stud mounted to the lower surface of the main body and extending transverse to the longitudinal axis of the main body, said centering stud comprising a resilient and elongate member adapted for cooperative engagement between spaced apart ridges of the weapon rail and having a substantially U-shaped cross sectional configuration with opposed arms that define a width that is greater than the space between adjacent ridges.
6. The apparatus according to claim 5 wherein the opposed arms are compressed together when the centering stud is engaged between spaced apart ridges.
7. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the securing member is in the second position when the slip barrel is in the first position.
8. The apparatus according to claim 7 wherein when the securing member is in the first position the slip barrel may be rotated to move the inner edge of the gear knob against the resilient clip and away from the resilient clip.