US2452592A - Telescopic sight - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 2, 194s, C, H, MEYER 2,452,592

TELEscoPIc SIGHT l Filed Feb. 5, 1944 s sheets-sheet 1 INVENTOR. @fa/awww 56., 91241 fa,

ATTORNEYS Nov. 2, 1948. c. H. MEYER 2,452,592 I TELESCOPIC SIGHT Filed Feb. s, 1944 3 sheets-sheet 2 f2 :Fr 2.-.. E 77 75 74 /4 T' ETE-mfr., di@ I "E A rrpR/VE ys Nov. 2, 1948. c. H. MEYER TELEscoPIc SIGHT 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Feb. 3, 1944 INVENTOR. #mba/gew,

Patented Nov. 2, 1948 UNHTED S'iA'i'ES PATENT @Fiih TELESCOPIC SIGHT Clarence H. Meyer, Ann Arbor, Mich., assigner to Argus, Incorporated,.al corporation -of Michigall Application February 3, 1944, Serial No. 520,935

The present invention relates to optical apparatus and more particularly to telescopes and yother instruments embodying retioules which are vgeneral character have been heretofore proposed,

and severalof them have gone into use in gun scopes, they are open to several disadvantages., In some of the prior art scopes, the adjusting screws are threaded directly into the reticule holder, which makes it necessary to provide enlarged openings in the telescope barrel or other casing to provide for substantial transverse motion of one screw when the other screw is being adjusted, which makes it impossible to seal the openings, while in other devices the adjusting screws are mounted yfor rotation about xed axes at all times but the screws merely slidingly engage the reticule holder or other assembly, which is backed up by springs aligned with the respective screws, with the result that the reticule is not given adequate support to stand the recoil of firing nor do they provide vthe accuracy of adjustment desired, especially in gun scopes and the like in which a relatively small movement of the reticule is reflected as a relatively `serious change in the angle of sight. Other reticule adjusting mechanisms of the prior art are of such complicated costly construction as to render them impractical Afor commercial adoption.

It, accordingly, is the major object of this invention to provide a novel adjusting mechanism for 4the reticule or other sighting device of tele-i scopes and ,the like, `which positively guides the Areticule vfor movement transversely of the sighting axis both vertically and horizontally, and is associated with guiding devices which perform 'both the guiding function and the additional iunction of adjusting the sighting device along its twopaths of guided movements.

Another important object is to provide an adjusting mechanism for a reticule or other sighting device -in which the vreticule is disposed between, and is slidably connected'to, a pair of guiding devices, and the latter are mounted Vfor movement along lpaths which are mutually perpendicular to each otherand to theirsldable connection with the reticula obviating the necessity of engaging lthe reticule holder with the adjusting screws.

Another object is lto provide a novel reticule adjusting mechanism embodying a reticule holder 12 Claims. (Cl. 33-50) disposed between two guide members and a pair of screws for positively adjusting the guide members Vin both directions of movement and lspring means for taking up any backlash that may be present in the screws and the sliding connection between the reticule holder and its guide members.

A further object is to provide novel indent or ratchet assemblies for the adjusting screws y01 a reticule adjusting mechanism.

Another object isto provide anovel sealing assembly for the screws of a reticule adjusting mechanism, embodying means for establishing and maintaining a predetermined sealing action 'between the parts and also setting up a yielding resistance of predetermined magnitude to rotation of the adjusting screws, to prevent the inadvertent rotation thereof.

A further object is to provide an adjusting mechanism for retcules or the like embodying a collar structure which is operable to ysupport the reticule adjusting screws and which also may be used as a mount for one end of the telescope or other apparatus in which the vmechanism is installed.

Further objects will become apparent as the specication proceeds in conjunction with the annexed drawings, and from the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a side elevational view of a scope embodying the reticule adjusting mechanism of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a top plan view, showing the forward end of the scope shown in Figure l;

Figure 3 is a front elevational View oi the scope shown in Figure l;

Figure 4 is a fragmental horizontal sectional View on an enlarged scale, taken substantially on the line fl-li of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows; y

Figure 5 is a transverse vertical sectionalview on an enlarged scale, taken substantially on the line 5-5 of Figure 2;

Figure 6 is a vertical sectional view on an enlarged scale, taken substantially on the line 6-6 of Figure 2;

Figure 7 is a disassembled or exploded view of theparts making up the reticule guiding and adjusting assembly;

Figure 8 isa perspective exploded-view showing the parts-of the elevational adjusting screw iassembly, with the parts in disassembled condition; and,

Figure 9 is a fragmental sectional View showing an alternative form oi adjusting screw ratchet assembly also forming part of the invention.

With continued reference to the drawings, in which like reference characters have been employed to designate similar` parte throughout the several views, the invention has been illustrated as applied to a gun scope, but it is to be understood that while it is particularly advantageous when embodied in gun scopes, it is not limited thereto and may be advantageously employed in theodolites, transits, or in any other optical equipment in which it is desired to impart exact adjusting movements to a reticule or the like.

The gun scope shown comprises a cylindrical barrel or tube ii carrying an objective assembly I2 at its forward end, and an eye piece I3 at its rear end, it being understood that no novelty is claimed for the telesco-pe per se which may be of any desired construction, and may embody a prism or the like to offset the eye piece from the axis of the barrel, if desired. The scope is provided with front and rear collar or sleeve elements i4 and l5 having dove-tails, bases IS and I1, respectively, provided thereon, which are snugly received in correspondingly shaped recesses in the fro-nt and rear arms of a mounting plate I8, the latter having pad portions i9 and 2l which are adapted to be secured to suitably faced surfaces on the gun (not shown) by means of screws or the like. Referring to Figure 3, dove-tail I seats in a dove-tail shaped socket 22 in mounting plate I8, and the latter is provided with a slot 23 opening into recess 22. A screw` 24 threaded into the mounting plate and having an operating handle 25 may be rotated into the position shown in Figures l and 3 to cause the walls of socket 22 to rmly grip dove-tail i6. An identically similar assembly is associated with the rear end of the mounting plate for clamping dove-tail portion l1 of collar l5, and the adjusting screw is provided with a handle 26 for tightening the parts in place. Preferably the iront and rear screws are leftand right-handed, respectively, so that when the parts are in operative clamped position handles 25 and 26 assume the out-o-the-way position shown in Figure l. Mounting plate i8 is illustrative of but one form of assembly which may be used to support the scope operatively upon a gun or the like, and it is to be understood that various forms of mounting assemblies may be used, depending upon the service to which the scope is to be put.

However, collar lli is preferably constructed in accordance with the disclosure when the reticule adjusting mechanism is used on a gun sco-pe or the like, because collar i4 constitutes a combined support for the front end of the scope and also supports the adjusting knobs and pointers of the reticule adjusting mechanism which will now be described. While I prefer to employ a scope supporting collar which also is operative to carry the reticule adjusting knobs and pointers, because it provides a simple unitary,` inexpensive construction, it is to be understood that the novel reticule adjusting mechanism of the invention is not limited to such use I have found that, by providing a horizontal reticule guide mounted for vertical transverse movement, and mounting the reticule holder for transverse sliding movement in a horizontal direction with respect thereto, and connecting the reticule holder to a further vertical reticule guide mounted for vertical movement with respect thereto, and providing screws or other means for shifting the horizontal reticule guide vertically and for shifting the vertical reticule guide horizontally, any desired transverse adjusting movement of the reticule may be readily carried out without the necessity of slidably or threadedly connecting either of the screws to the reticule holder. Such a reticule mounting structure is superior to those heretofore proposed since the axes of the adjusting screws remain in fixed position with respect to each other and to the barrel, whereby they may be eiiectively sealed against the entrance of dirt and other extraneous material. This novel structure will now be described in detail.

Mounted for snug sliding introduction into barrel H is a reticule guide support 28 having longitudinal recesses 29 and 3i in its periphery which are intersected by transverse slots 32 and 33, respectively. The recesses and slots receive reticule springs, as will be later described. It is to be understood that tube il may be oi square, octagonal or elliptical cross-section and support 28 given a similar shape.

Support 28 is of a shellor sleeve-like form and is provided at its rear end with a dove-tail socket 35, which in the illustrated embodiment ci the invention extends vertically, and guides the dovetail portion 35 of a horizontal reticule guide 31. Threaded into guide 3l is an adjusting screw 38, which when rotated in the manner that will be later set forth, adjusts the reticule vertically in -either direction.

Referring to Figure 6, the rear end of guide 31 is provided with a transverse dove-tail groove or guide 3S which extends horizontally or at right angles with respect to the dove-tail guide 35 of support 23. Snugly guided in dove-tail guide 39 is the dove-tail 4i of a reticule holder 42, which is also of generally cylindrical shell-like form. The reticule may be of any desired form and secured in the holder in any suitable way. In the present instance the reticule is being shown as made up of a pair of cross hairs 43, secured in notches in the iront face oi the holder. In my co-pending application Serial No. 544,092, iiled July 8, 1944, for Reticule cell, I have shown a preferred manner of supporting the reticule in the holder, but as it forms no part oi the present invention it will not be disclosed herein.

The rear face of the reticule holder is provided with a dove-tail guide 44, which extends substantially vertically, and snugly cooperates with a dove-tail 45 provided on a vertical reticule guide 45, which as seen in Figure 4 is of substantially ring-like form and has a lug or ear 41, into which an adjusting screw 38a is threaded. Lug 41 extends longitudinally so as to overlie the outer face of the reticule holder, and this makes it possible or the adjusting screws to be located close to each other, and to materially shorten collar I4.

In order to prevent backlash in the screw from being effected as uncontrollable movements of the reticule holder, and also to compensate for any possible lost motion in the dove-tail guides, I have provided a leaf spring 5l, which seats in recess 3l and bears against a side of reticule holder 42 and reacts against the internal wall of barrel Il; The spring is retained in place by means of an inturned portion 52 seating in cross slot 33. A similar spring 54, of the same length as spring 5|, but oiset slightly longitudinally therefrom, seats in recess 29 and bears against a side of reticule holder 42. Springs 5I and 54 urge the reticule holder in such directions as to take up lost motion in the threads of screw 38 and 38a, respectively, and also any lost motion that may be present in thedove-tailslides'between the reticule holder and'its two guide members 3i and d5, respectively.

The. preferred forms of mechanism forrotating the adjusting screws are identical in constructionv andtherefore only the one associated with vertical adjusting screw S8 will be described in detail, similar reference characters with the subscript a being applied to corresponding parts of windage adjusting. screw 38d.

Referring to Figures 6 and.8, screw. 38 is'provided with stepped diametered portions 5.5 and 51, asmooth cylindrical portion 58; and aflatsided shank portion 5S. A resilient ring 6I. of Corprene, or any other suitable durable sealing material, seats on the bottom 58 of a deep cup provided by a iiange 62' projecting upwardly from collar` I 4^ and snugly engages thev periphery. of stepped portion 5,6 and. lies under the shoulder provided by stepped portion 5l of the screw. A

retaining nut 63, threaded inside of the recess, has a ange 813 for applying pressure to seal 6i and also a shoulder 65 which engages behind stepped portion 57, so as to cause the latter to bear tightly against the upper face of the seal. Nut

63 is adapted to be locked in adjusted position by means of a set screw Se threaded in the wall ofA the cup.

Preferably nut 63 is tightened down suiciently to exert a sealingV pressure adequate to exclude moisture and other. extraneous material, and the pressure exert-edA by the nut also functions to establish -auniform yielding resistance toturning movement of the screw, so as to prevent inadvertent turning movement thereof incident to handling the gun or scope. Cylindrical portion 58 of the screw is snugly journalled in the body of nut 63. and the screw is adapted to be rotated by the novel assembly that will now be described.

Slidably fitting over the. flat sided shank portions 59 is a knob 68, having aknurled skirt 69. Also locked to shank portion 59 is a ratchet disk ll, having serrations i2 on its lower face engaging the serrations oi` a ratchet plate 13 journalled on portion 58 of screw 38. Plate 'i3 is provided with diametrically opposed lugs or ears 'I4 slidably received in slots i5 provided ink flange 62, and is resiliently urged upwardly into engagement with ratchet disk 'il by means of a spring washer 16, which-loosely ts over cylindrical portion- 58 of the screw. By employing a disk and plate which both embody a multiplicityof serrations, it is possible to achieve a readily adjustable device and yet one in which a minimum amount of wear occurs, by reason of thetooth pressure being distributedamong the several serrations.

From the structure so far described, it is apparent that screw 38 may be rotated by rotating knob'68, and that rotation thereof is resisted by the seal 6| and also the interengaging serrations of the disk 7| and plate 13. The serrations, as they ride over one another, provide a denite audible click, which is advantageous in determiningwhen the parts are in properly adjusted position.

Referring to Figure 2, a dial' Tl is rigidly securedv to. the upper face of knob de and the dial andv knob are held in place by a screw Sii. Dial 'i7 carries suitable indicia i8 to denote the amount of vertical movement of the reticule. For instance, the dial may denote the degree of vertical displacement in terms of minutes of angle of sight. Secured to a flat face 'i9 on collar I4, by screws 79' or the like, is a plate 8| carrying a. pointer 82 coacting with dial 17', and. a second pointer 82a which coacts. with dial 77a: The windage dial 71a. may carry suitable` indicia denoting the angle of sight or other measure as may be desired depending upon the use to which the apparatus is put. Preferably each ratchet assembly is provided with seventy-two serrations, so as to yieldingly retain the screws in any one of seventy-two positions for each full revolution of the screws.

Dials 'Il' and 17a, arepreferabbly arcuate and made of'springmetal, so that they provide spring tension for locking screws 80 and 80a against accidental loosening during rotation of the knobs. The counterbore on knobs 68 and 68a is provided chiefly to bring the topI of dials TI and 11a, respectively, flush with the knobs.

If desired, the dials may be mounted for angular adjustment on the knobs, so that screws 8l) and 86a may be loosened and the device calibrated with respect to pointers 82 and 32a. Y

In Figure 9 there is shown a modified form of adjusting screw actuating mechanism which may be employed for adjusting screw 38 or 38a, the parts in Figure 9 being shown as being associated with the horizontal reticule guide 3i. Parts which are similar to those previously described have been given the same reference character with the sub-script 11, it being ob served that seal 6 Ib is clamped under flange 5'lb of the screw 3811 and nut 63h, in the manner previously described. In this form of the invention ats. Si are provided on cylindrical portion 58h of the screw and extend down approximately to the level of the upper side of'nut 63h, and keyed thereon is operating knob 68h. Its associated dial Hb is secured to reduced shank portion 59h by means of a screw 39h in a manner similar to those previously described.

Mounted for synchronous rotation with the screw, by means of elongated slots engaging flats 9| of the screw, is a leaf spring 92 and a ratchet plate Q3, the latter havi g serrations on its under face. Plate 93 'is constantly urged downwardly by spring $22, and the serrations on its under face cooperate with serrations provided on the rim of cup 6G17, it being understood that serrationsv are suitably spaced to provide the desired indent action.

From the foregoing detailed disclosure, it is app-arent that by mounting the reticule holder between al pair of guide members, and guiding it for movement relatively to the guide members in mutually perpendicular directions, and mounting the guide members for movement in direcwv tions perpendicular to their guiding connections with the reticule holder, a construction is achievedy in which it is possible to accurately adjust the` retcule holder in both directions of movement by rotating the knobs in the proper direction, without threadedly connecting either of the screws to the holder, with the result that the adjustment' screws may be mounted for rotation about fixed axes in the barrel of the scope or other optical instrument and eifeetively sealed by the novel sealing means, which is operable to bothseal the reticule chamber against ingress of moisture or other extraneous material, and that novel indent devices have been provided forr yieldingly resisting rotation of theadjusting screws.

The invention may be embodied in other specic forms without departing from the spiritr or essential characteristics thereof. ent embodiments are therefore to be The presconsidered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description.

What is claimed and desired to be secured by United States Letters Patent is:

l. In an optical sighting device having a tube providing a longitudinal sighting path, a. hollow support disposed in said tube and having a iirst guideway at one end thereof, a first adjustment member mounted for sliding movement along said guideway and having a second guideway at right angles to said rst guideway, means on said tube for positively moving said member along said nrst guideway, a reticule holder mounted for sliding movement at one end thereof along said second guideway and having a third guideway parallel to said first guideway at its other end, a second adjustment member having a slide connection with said third guideway, and means for positively moving said second member in a direction perpendicular to said third guideway whereby movements of said reticule holder in directions at right angles to each other may be effected solely by moving said iirst and second adjustment members.

2. In .an optical sighting device having a hollow tube, a support member snugly mounted and non-rotatable within said tube, a rst reticule adjustment member having a transverse slide guide connection with said support member, a second reticule adjustment member axially spaced from said support member, a reticule holder between said adjust-ment members and having transverse slide guide connections with each of them, one at right angles to the other, the slide guide connection .between the second adjustment member and the reticule holder being parallel to the slide guide between the i'lrst reticule adjustment member and said support member, and spaced means on said tube connected to the respective adjustment members independently of said support and accessible externally of the tube for independently adjustingr said two adjustment members at right angles to each other for displacing said reticule holder in a plane normal to the axis of said tube.

'3. In an optical apparatus having a barrel providing a longitudinal sighting path, a hollow support disposed in said barrel and having a vertical guideway at one end thereof; a pri-mary guide device mounted for sliding movement along said guideway and having a horizontal guideway; means for positively moving said guide device along said vertical guideway; a sighting device mounted for sliding movement at one end thereof along said horizontal guideway and having a vertical guideway at its other end, a secondary guiding device having a slide connection with said last-named guideway, and means for positively moving said secondary guiding device in a direction perpendicular to said last-named guideway; whereby vertical and horizontal movements of said sighting device may be effected solely by moving said primary and secondary guiding devices.

4. The optical apparatus dened in claim 3, wherein said primary and secondary guiding devices are slidably connected to said sighting device by means of dovetail shaped guideways, whereby relative axial displacement thereof is precluded.

5. The optical apparatus delined in claim 3, together with resilient means carried .by said support and coacting with said sighting device to urge the latter along the guideway of said primary and secondary guiding devices.

6. The optical apparatus defined in claim 3, together with spring means carried by said support and reacting against the interior of said barrel and operable to urge said sighting device along the guideways of said primary and secondary guiding devices.

7. The optical apparatus dened in claim 3, wherein said secondary guiding device is provided with a longitudinally disposed projection olset from the sighting path and overlying the periphery of said sighting device, and said means for moving said secondary guiding device comprises a screw threaded into said projection and restrained against endwise movement.

8. In an optical apparatus having a sighting tube and a sighting device mounted within said tube for adjustment transversely oi the sighting path, a screw for adjusting said sighting device projecting outwardly through an opening in said tube; means on said tube providing an outwardly facing cup having an annular bottom wall encircling the projecting end of said screw; sealing means coacting with said annular wall and said screw for preventing ingress of extraneous material into said tube; pressure means for establishing a predetermined degree of seating pressure `between said screw and said sealing means; and means for rotatingr said screw.

9. The optical apparatus defined in claim 8, wherein said sealing means comprises a seal ring seating on said annular surface and cooperating with a ange on said screw.

10. The optical apparatus dened in claim 8, wherein a screw is provided with a flange overlying said annular wall and said sealing means comprises a seal ring frictionally clamped between said ilange and said annular wall.

1l. The optical apparatus dened in claim 8, wherein said screw is provided with an outwardly directed shoulder and said pressure means comprise a nut encircling said screw, engaging said shoulder and threaded into said cup.

12. The optical apparatus defined in claim 8, wherein said screw is provided with a iiange having an inner small-diameter portion and an outer large-diameter portion; and said sealing means comprises aseal ring seating against said annular wall and sealingly coacting with the periphery of said small diameter portion of said flange and sealingly coacting with a side face of the large diameter portion of said flange.

CLARENCE H. MEYER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 618,161 Brightmore Jan. 24, 1899 2,078,858 Kuhn Apr. 27, 1937 2,150,629 Mossberg Mar. 14, 1939 2,189,766 Unertl Feb. 13, 1940 2,281,772 Klemperer May 5, 1942

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