US1382409A - Bipod rest for firearms - Google Patents

Description

1. S; BUTLER.

BIPOD BEST FOR FIREARMS.

APPLICATION r1151) JAN. 30, I919.

Patented J1me 21, 1921-.

uummm 38 JOHN S. B'l'l'TLm, OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY, ASSIGNOR TO NEWTON D. BAKER, SECRETARY OF WAR, TRUSTEE.

BIPOD REST FOR FIREARMS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 21, 1921.

Application filed January 80, 1919. Serial No. 274,075.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, JOHN S. BUTLER, captain, Ordnance Department, U. S. A., a citizen of the United States, stationed at Washington, D. C., have invented an Improvement in Bipod Rests for Firearms, of which the following is a specification.

The invention described herein may be used .by the Government, or any of its oificers or employees in prosecution of work for the Government, or by any other person in the United States, without payment of an royalty thereon.

This invention relates to improvements in bipod rests for fire arms and refers more particularly to supporting rests for the forward end of a machine rifle for use when the operator is firing from a prone position with the butt end of the gun supported on the shoulder.

The principal object of the 1nvention 1s to provide a simple and Inexpensive device of the foregoing character, having means for detachable engagement with the barrel of the n, and which may be readily collapsed and folded against the gunwhen not in use.

With the foregoing and other important objects in view, my invention compr ses the new and useful details of construction and arrangement, which will be described herein, illustrated in the annexed drawings and pointed out more specifically in the appended claims.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of a machine rifle with my bipod rest attached thereto in its folded pos1tion.

Fig. 2 is a front elevatlon of my bipod in its unfolded or operating position, as detached from the gun.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of my invention, also shown in the unfolded position.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the folded device detached from the gun barrel.

Fi 5 is a vertical section of my bipod, the view being taken on line 5-5 of Fig 4.

Fig. 6 is a horizontal section of my dev ce, the view being taken on line 6-6 of 2.

Referring now to the drawings, 1t w1 ll be seen that I have provided my device with a clam ing head 5 ada ted to receive the barrel oithe mach n ri e A, a co-ac g clamp plate 6 being hinged to the head at 7 tosecure the barrel in place. Plate 6 is provided with a pivoted bolt 8 adapted to enter between bifurcations 9 formed on lip 10 of the head and a Wing nut 11 is provided on bolt 8 to draw the plate 6 firmly against the gun barrel in an obvious manner.

Clamping head 5 is centrally and vertically pivoted by means of a pin 12 to an inverted U-shaped traverse bracket 13, which in turn is transversely pivoted by pin 14 between a pair of up-standing ears 15 provided on central bracket 16, thus allowing the central bracket to swin about pin 14. The ears of the traverse racket are provided with stops 18 formed integral therewith in position to engage the upper face of the central bracket when the central bracket has been swung to the vertical or unfolded position shown in dotted lines in Flg. 1 and in full lines in Fig. 3.

Central bracket 16 is provided with spaced-apart transverse flanges 20 between which are pivoted at 22 a pair of normally diverging legs 21. Legs 21 are preferably formed of channel material with the flanges directed inwardly and are adapted in their open position to be swung outward at the bottom to support the gun laterally. Stop bridges 23 are formed on the flanges 20 to engage the legs to limit the spread thereof. As a means for holding the legs in the spread position, I provide a pair of similarfolding links 25 pivoted centrally of the legs at 32, the outer ends of said links being pivoted to the legs 21 at 33. It will be seen by reference to Fig. 6 that I have provided oppositely disposed thick washers 34 and thin washers 35 about pivotingpins 33 adjacent links 25 to properly space the links so that they will fold substantially parallel between the compressed legs. Stop lugs 30 on the outer ends of links 25 prevent the links from swinging downward at their inner ends beyond the horizontal, said lugs engaging the central section of the channeled legs when thelinks have been swung to such an extent. Feet are provlded on legs 21 to prevent the device from settling into soft ground and points are provided thereon to prevent slipping.

In order to bringmy device into the folded position shown in Figs. 1 and 4, theilegs 21 raised adjacent thereto. From the foregoing descrlptlon it will be and central bracket 16 are folded rearwardly about hinge pin. 14. The legs are likewise drawn together about pivoting p ms 22, the links 25 folding upward at their nner ends. As a means for engaging the legs in the compressed position, I provide a spring ch 36 riveted, or otherwise attached, to one o the legs 21, a lip being. provided thereon to spring into engagement with the other leg 21 when the legs are compressed. As a means for engaging the thus folded legs in the desired position adjacent to and parallel with the gun barrel, I provide an entension clip 37 fixed to clip 36, the samebemg provided with spring lips 38 in position to engage in an obvious manner about the. gas cylinder tube 0 of the machine rifle A, when readily seen that I have rovided a simple and inexpensive bipod or machine rifles, which may be detachably fixed to a gun barrel for use therewith, or compactl folded and held in such folded position w en not in use.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. In combination with a machine rifle, a rest therefor having a clamp detachably engageable with the rifle barrel, an inverted U- shaped traverse bracket vertically pivoted to said clamp, a transversely hinged bracket carried by the traverse bracket, a pair of normally diverging legs longitudinally pivoted to the hinged bracket, and foldable spacing links between said legs in position to normally hold the legs in a spread re lation.

2. In combination with a machine rifle, a rest therefor having a clamp detachably engageable with. the rifle barrel an inverted U-shaped traverse bracket vertlcally pivoted to said clamp, a transversely hinged bracket carried by the traverse bracket a air of normally diverging legs longitudina 1y pivoted to the hinged bracket, a pair of oppositely disposed normalllyi alined spacin links pivoted together at t e1r inner en s and having their outer ends pivoted to the legs and the outer ends of said links having stops positioned to contact with the legsto limit downward rotation of the links.

3. In combination with a machine rifle, a a

rest therefor having a clamp on a cable with the rifle barrel, an inverted 5-5 a d traverse bracket vertically pivoted to said clamp, a transversely hinged bracket carried by the traverse bracket, a pair of normally d verging legs longitudinally pivoted to the hinged bracket, a spring clip on one of said legs 'havlng a lip positioned to detachably engage the other legs when the legs are compressed together, and foldable spacing links between said legs in position to normally hold the legs in a spread relation.

4. In combination with a machine rifle a rest therefor having a clamp engageable with the rifle barrel, an inverted U-sha ed traverse bracket verticall pivoted to said clamp, a transversely hinge bracket carried by the traverse bracket, a ljair of normally diverg- 1ng legs longitudina 1y pivoted to the hinged bracket, a spring clip on one of said legs having a lip positioned to detachably engage the other leg when the legs are compressed together, and a second clip carried by the legs havingl lips in position to detachably engage t e gun when the compressed legs are folded upward adjacent the engage the rifle when the legs are folded.

ad acent thereto.

A bipod, consisting of a barrel engaging member, an intermediate member connected thereto, a pair of flanges formed on said intermediate member, twin supporting legs mounted between said flanges, and a clip carried by one of said legs and having means to engage the other leg and a portion of the gun for securing the legs in closed position. JOHN S. BUTLER.

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