GB2456545A

GB2456545A - Pivotal firearm handhold

Info

Publication number: GB2456545A
Application number: GB0800852A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Karl Bruegger
Original assignee: Bruegger & Thomet AG
Current assignee: Bruegger & Thomet AG
Priority date: 2008-01-18
Filing date: 2008-01-18
Publication date: 2009-07-22
Also published as: GB0800852D0

Abstract

A handhold (9, Fig 2) for a firearm, which itself comprises a barrel having a longitudinal axis. The handhold (9) is characterised in that it comprises at least one leg 31, 32 that is pivotally connected to the firearm and extends at least substantially in parallel to the longitudinal axis in its rest state and extends at least substantially under an at least acute angle with regard to the barrel in its working state. Legs 31, 32 can be housed in sleeve 21 that itself is pivotally connected to plate 14, and extend from sleeve 21 when in full use. Damping device (41, 42), in the form of a spring or resilient pressure pin, causes boas between plate 14 and at least one of the legs 31, 32.

Description

2456545

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Handhold for a Firearm

The present invention relates to a handhold for a firearm, wherein the firearm comprises a barrel that has a longitudinal axis.

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Further, the firearm may comprise a handguard that surrounds the barrel. The handguard may a first handguard section, which in a mounted state is substantially disposed at least partly underneath the barrel, and a second handguard section, which in a mounted state is substantially disposed at least partly above the barrel of the firearm, wherein the 10 first and second handguard sections together enclose, in a mounted stale, at least portions of the barrel, wherein the first and second handguard sections are pivotally connected.

British Patent Application GB 0719096.0 discloses a handguard for a firearm, wherein the first and second handguard sections are pivotally connected to an end portion 15 of at least one of the handguard sections, which end portion points towards the muzzle of the barrel, and are connected to an at least partly separable security boll in a section pointing towards the user of the firearm.

It is, however, desirable lo enhance the targeted precision of the firearm and to 20 improve commodity of the firearm when used. Therefore, a handhold is used to fix the firearm with respect to any ground or basement, be it a wall or the soil.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a handhold for a firearm which provides for a stable support of the firearm.

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This object is solved by a handhold that comprises at least one leg that is pivotally connected to the firearm and extends at least substantially in parallel to the longitudinal axis in its rest stale and extends at least substantially under an at least acute angle with regard to the barrel in its working state.

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The handhold serves to fix the firearm with respect to any ground when it is swung downwards inlo a position that is more or less vertical wilh respect to the longitudinal axis of the barrel whereby the user's targeting precision is augmented when compared to offhand targeting.

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Preferred embodiments of such a handguard are the subject matter of the dependent claims.

In a preferred embodiment a pivotal connecting means is arranged between the

10 barrel or a handguard section bearing the barrel and the handhold, the connecting means being selected from a group comprising hinges, joints, bearings, plug connections, combinations thereof and the like. The connecting means may comprise fixing and/or securing means.

15 In another preferred embodiment the fixing means comprises a plate that permits a shifting motion of the handhold wilh respect to the barrel or the handguard. respectively, wherein the plate has a guiding channel and the barrel or the handguard, respectively, has a protrusion adapted to be guided by the guiding channcl.

20 In a further preferred embodiment the barrel or the handguard, respectively, has a channel or a groove at or in the proximity of its outside extending in a direction perpendicular to the shifting direction, wherein a bolt is slidably accommodated between side walls of the plate and one of the channels or the grooves to fix the plate with rcspect to the barrel or the handguard. respectively.

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In a particularly preferred embodiment a lever and/or a snap fastener or snap-on-lock and/or at least one separable security bolt is provided to fix the plate with rcspcct to the barrel or the handguard or the handhold with respect to the plate.

30 According to another preferred embodiment the at least one leg is pivotable with

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respect to the plate.

In another particularly preferred embodiment at least one abutment face between the plate and the at least one leg comprises at least one. preferably a multitude of damping 5 devices.

In the closed state, the damping device causes a bias between (he plate and the at least one leg. The damping device may be a spring, an elastic, a biased ball or pen, a resilient pressure pin, combinations thereof, or the like.

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In a further advantageous embodiment the at least one leg is arranged in a sleeve that is pivotally connected to (he plate.

Further, in another preferred embodiment, the sleeve has at least two locking 15 positions with respect to the plate wherein in the first locking position the sleeve is locked at least substantially in parallel to the barrel or the handguard, respectively, and wherein, in the second position, the sleeve is locked under an acute, a rectangular or an obtuse angle with respeel lo the barrel or the handguard. respectively.

20 According lo another preferred embodiment the sleeve comprises two legs that are at least substantially covered by the sleeve in their rest position and which are exlricable from the sleeve.

Preferably, the legs when pulled out from the sleeve, are pressed apart from each 25 other by an elastic means, particularly by a leg spring.

The present invention also includes using the above described handhold for long firearms, and particularly for an assault rifle such as an SA-80.

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The invention will now be explained based on a preferred embodiment. It should be

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noted that changes and modifications can be made lo the handguard of the present invention without departing from ils protective scope.

The drawings show different views of the embodiment wherein 5 Fig. I is a perspective view of a handguard.

Fig. 2 is an explosive view of a handhold according to the invention.

Fig. 3 is lateral view of the handhold.

Fig. 4 is a cross-seclion according line A-A of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a cross-section of the handhold according line B-B of Fig. 3, 10 Fig. 6 is a lop view on the handhold.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the handhold,

Fig. 8 is a first lateral view of the handhold in a position where it is aligned to the handguard.

Fig. 9 is a second lateral view of the handhold in the position shown in Fig. 8, 15 Fig. 10 is a first lateral view of the handhold in a position where it is in a rectangular position with respect to the handguard and wherein the legs of the handhold are pulled out of it,

Fig. 11 is a second lateral view of the handhold in the position shown in Fig. 10.

20 A handguard I (Fig. I) comprises pairs of rails 2, 3 and 4, 5 and 6, 7 wherein each pair of rails is suited to bear a plate 8 (Fig. 2) that can be moved on the rails 2. 3; 4, 5; and 6, 7, respectively, by sliding.

When fixed lo the underside of handguard I plate 8 makes part of a handhold 9 (Fig. 25 2). Inner contours 10, 11 of the plate 8 permit sliding the plate 8 along the rails 6. 7 in the direction of double sided arrow A.

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Plate 8 is fixed in any of recesses 12 between rails 6, 7 by means of a bolt 13 that is actuated by a lever 14. The bolt 13 has a shoulder 15 that locks the plate 8 in the shown orientation. When lever 14 is brought in a vertical orientation by turning it in the direction

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of arrow B the holt 13 is disengaged from its position in the recess 12, and plate 8 may be moved to another position.

On its underside plate 8 bears two recesses 16, 17 for pivot hinges 18 and 19 of a 5 cover part 20 of sleeve 21. A bolt 22 permits pivoting the sleeve 21 wilh respect to the handguard 1 or the handguard 1. Sleeve 21 is part of handhold 9 that may therefore be brought in a rectangular position wilh respect to handguard 1 or in a position in which sleeve 21 is in alignment to handguard I. Sleeve 21 comprises a gripping part 23. A leg spring 24 is positioned on the bolt 22 and generates a repellent force when the sleeve 21 is 10 in a rectangular position to align the handle 9 to 5 the handguard 1.

By means of a screw 25 and a spring 26 an element 27 is elaslically fixed to the underside of plale 8 by an upper cam 28. Element 26 comprises a protrusion 29 arranged to be connected to a notch or recess 30 in a lateral wall of cover part 20 of the sleeve 21. when 15 handle 23 is brought in the rectangular position with respect to the handguard 1.

Handhold 9 further comprises two pivotal legs 31, 32 positioned inside the sleeve 21 by means of hinges 33. 34, 35. 36 and a bolt 37. A leg spring 38 serves to press the legs 31, 32 apart from each other when the legs 31,31 are drawn out of the sleeve 21.

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Hinges 35, 36 make part of an insert 39 that is positioned inside sleeve 21. An anti-twist protection 40 al the lower end of sleeve 21 serves to hold the legs 31, 32 in a first rotational position to hold them inside sleeve 21 whereas legs 31, 32 are extricable from the inside in another rotational position and pressed apart from each other by means of spring 25 38. In the pulled-out position the legs 31, 32 can be rotated to 45° degrees. Two screws 41, 42 limit their rotation.

Damping elements 43, 44 are positioned on the upper side of cover part 20 to hold it elaslically with respect to underside of plale 8.

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Rings 45 made of rubber or any other elastic material support gripping the sleeve 21 by user's hand.

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Claims

1. A handhold (9) for a firearm, the firearm comprising a barrel, the barrel having a longitudinal axis, characterised in that the handhold (9) comprises at least one leg (31, 32)

5 that is pivotally connected lo the Firearm and extends at least substantially in parallel lo the longitudinal axis in its rest state and extends at least substantially under an at least acute angle with regard lo the barrel in its working state.

2. The handhold (9) of Claim 1, characterised in that a pivotal connecting means is

10 arranged between the barrel or a handguard (1) section bearing the barrel and the handhold (9), the connecting means being selected from a group comprising hinges, joints, bearings, plug connections, combinations (hereof and the like.

3. The handhold (9) of Claim 1 or 2. characterised in that the connecting means 15 comprises fixing and/or securing means.

4. The handhold (9) of any of the preceding claims, characterised in thai the fixing means comprises a plate (14) that permits a shifting motion of the handhold (9) with respect to the bane I or the handguard (1), respectively, wherein the plale (14) has at least one

20 guiding channel (10, II) and (he barrel or the handguard (1), respectively, has a protrusion adapted to be guided by the guiding channel.

5. The handhold (9) of Claim 4, characterised in that the barrel or the handguard (1), respectively, has a channel or a groove (12) at or in the proximity of its outside extending in

25 a direction perpendicular to the shifting direction, wherein a bolt (13) is slidably accommodated between side walls of the plate (14) and one of the channels or the grooves to fix the plate with rcspect to the barrel or the handguard. respectively.

6. The handhold (9) of any of the preceding claims, characterised in that a lever and/or 30 a snap fastener or snap-on-lock and/or at least one separable security bolt is provided to fix

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the plale wilh respect to the barrel or the handguard or the handhold with respect lo the plate.

7. The handhold (9) of any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the at least 5 one leg (31, 32) is pivotable with respect to the plate (14).

8. The handhold (9) of any of Claims 4 through 7. characterised in that at least one abutment lace between the plate and the at least one leg (31, 32) comprises at leasl one, preferably a multitude of damping devices (41, 42).

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9. The handhold (9) of Claim 8, characterised in that in the closed slate, the damping device (41,42) causes a bias between the plale and the ai least one leg.

10. The handhold (9) of any of Claims 8 or 9, characterised in that the damping device 15 (41,42 is a spring, an elastic, a biased ball or pen, a resilient pressure pin, combinations thereof, or (he like.

11. The handhold (9) of any of the preceding claims, characterised in thai Ihe al leasl one leg (31, 32) is arranged in a sleeve (21) that is pivotally connected lo (he plate (14).

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12. The handhold (9) of Claim 11, characterised in that the sleeve (21) has at least (wo locking positions with respect lo the plale (14) wherein in the first locking position the sleeve (21) is locked at least substantially in parallel to the barrel or the handguard (1), respectively, and wherein, in the second position, the sleeve (21) is locked under an acute, a

25 rectangular or an obluse angle with respect lo the barrel or the handguard (1), respectively.

13. The handhold (9) of Claim 12, characterised in that the sleeve (21) comprises two legs (31, 32) that are al least substantially covered by the sleeve (21) in their rest position and which are extricable from the sleeve (21).

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14. The handhold of Claim 13 or 14, characterised in that the legs (31, 32) being when pulled out from the sleeve (21), are pressed apart from each other by an elastic means, particularly by a leg spring (38).

15. Using the handhold (9) of any of the preceding Claims for a firearm such as an SA-80.