Firearms – Implements – Sight devices
Reexamination Certificate
2000-02-15
2001-10-02
Jordan, Charles T. (Department: 3644)
Firearms
Implements
Sight devices
Reexamination Certificate
active
06295753
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to techniques for calibration of gun sights and, more particularly, to a laser precision bore sight assembly.
2. Prior Art
Previously, several different systems have been used for calibration of gun sights. To obtain an accurate alignment of a weapon bore sight or of a training device attached to a weapon, the first step in using a bore sight device is to rotate the bore sight device a minimum of 360 degrees to confirm that the alignment of the bore sight is concentric to the bore of the weapon. If the laser point that is projected from the bore sight device onto a target 10 meters away traces a circle on the target, then the axis of the bore sight device is not concentric with the bore of the weapon.
One type of alignment device, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,825,258, uses a light source, such as a laser, which is coaxially mounted outside of the gun barrel on the outer end of a hollow cylindrical metal rod, the inner end of which extends into the bore of a gun barrel. The outer end of the hollow cylindrical rod is a larger cylinder which engages the inside wall of the gun barrel. The inner end of the hollow rod is smaller in diameter than the bore of the gun barrel and has an expandable, split end formed into a number of longitudinal metal fingers. The free ends of the longitudinal fingers are expanded outwardly using a cone-shaped mandrel which is drawn into the metal fingers with a screw which extends out through the hollow rod mechanism to force the cone-shaped mandrel into the fingers. In this manner, the ends of the metal fingers are pushed outwardly to engage the inner wall of the bore of the gun barrel. This arrangement is supposed to fix the inner end of the rod in position in the bore of the gun barrel and to maintain the axis of the rod in alignment with the axis of the bore of the gun barrel.
Note that, this type of a system can be rotated prior to the metal fingers engaging the walls of the gun barrel, but the fit of the fingers is too loose to maintain concentric alignment. If the metal fingers fully contact the barrel, the fingers catch upon the rifling grooves making it difficult to rotate the device while maintaining concentric alignment of a laser beam. When this arrangement is axially rotated in the gun barrel, some of the metal fingers engage the rifling grooves formed in the inside walls of the gun barrel while other metal fingers directly engage the walls of the gun barrel, which causes the inner end of a rotated rod to change its alignments in the gun barrel. The type of metal material used for the fingers also has an effect of the performance of such an arrangement. Use of a material, which is softer than the hard steel of a gun barrel, such as brass, results in wear of the metal fingers and uneven alignment of the metal fingers within the gun barrel so that the inner end of the rod does not remain coaxially aligned with the gun barrel. On the other hand, use of a harder material for the metal fingers results in wear and damage to the rifling within the gun barrel.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,365,669 discloses another system which uses a laser light source mounted in a cartridge-shaped housing that is contained in a cartridge chamber of a gun. This system is not adjustable and is subject to the axial offsets and misalignments between the axis of the cartridge chamber and the axis of the bore of the gun barrel.
What is needed is a system which maintains direct coaxial alignment of a laser light source along the axis of the bore of a gun barrel, particularly when that laser light source is axially rotated.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a bore sight assembly which is used for aligning optical scopes, mechanical firearm sights, laser sighting devices, firearm training systems, or other devices that are aligned with a target point, such that a projectile or a simulated projectile fired from a weapon or a training device strikes the target point. The present invention provides a precision bore sight alignment assembly which remains in coaxial alignment with the axis of the bore of a gun barrel, particularly when the rod is rotated within the gun barrel, to thoroughly maintain concentric alignment of an alignment laser beam.
The present invention provides a laser precision bore sight system for bore sight alignment of a laser beam along the longitudinal axis of a gun barrel. As mentioned above, this system is suitable for alignment of various types of weapon sights. This system is also suitable for simulating firing of a weapon in a training system using a laser beam to simulate the path of an actual projectile or bullet.
A system according to the invention includes an elongated bore shaft with a longitudinal axis. The bore shaft is adapted to having its proximate end inserted into the bore of the gun barrel. At the proximate end of the elongated shaft is rotatably mounted a compressible barrel insert which has a continuous outer surface. The barrel insert is adapted to be inserted in the gun barrel so that the outer surface thereof resiliently engages the inside wall of the gun barrel. In this way the longitudinal axis of the proximate end of the bore shaft is coaxially aligned with the longitudinal axis of the gun barrel.
The distal end of the bore shaft is also coaxially aligned with the axis of the gun barrel. One embodiment of the invention includes an alignment cone which is fixed to the distal end of the bore shaft. The surface of the alignment cone increases in diameter as it extends distally away from the bore shaft. Depending on the caliber of the gun, a certain area of the conical surface of the alignment cone engages the distal inner edge of the gun barrel. In this way the distal end of the shaft is aligned with the longitudinal axis of the gun barrel.
Coaxially mounted adjacent to the alignment cone is a battery/switch housing which contains a switch assembly. A laser housing assembly is coaxially mounted adjacent to the battery/switch housing and contains a laser subassembly having a laser source which provides a laser beam in a direction coaxial with the longitudinal axis of the shaft. The battery/switch housing and the laser housing assembly have longitudinal end bores formed therein to provide an enclosure for a battery. The battery/switch housing and the laser housing assembly also have corresponding matching threads formed thereon to provide for relative longitudinal axial movement therebetween when they are rotated with respect to each other such that a terminal of the battery engages the switch assembly to activate the laser source.
In one preferred embodiment of the invention, the compressible barrel insert is a cylinder formed of a machined acetal material. In one preferred embodiment, the compressible cylindrical barrel insert is rotatably mounted on the cylindrical bearing surface of a barrel insert retainer shaft which is coaxially screwed to the end of the elongated shaft.
To accommodate a number of gun barrel sizes, the compressible barrel insert is selected from a group of cylindrical barrel inserts, corresponding to a particular gun-barrel caliber.
The laser housing assembly also includes a three point laser alignment mechanism for adjusting the alignment of the laser subassembly so that the laser beam is directed along the longitudinal axes of the shaft and the bore of the gun barrel when the shaft is rotated. One preferred embodiment of the three-point alignment mechanism includes fixed adjustments made at a factory or a service station. Another preferred embodiment of the three-point alignment mechanism is manually adjustable by a user in the field and includes two manually adjustable screw mechanisms, the ends of which contacts the laser subassembly and a spring-loaded bushing, which is fixed to a set screw and which biases the laser subassembly against the first and the second manually adjustable adjustment screws. The two manual adjustment screw mechanisms each includes a fine adjustment screw which moves radially with respect to t
Jordan Charles T.
King Patrick T.
Laser Devices, Inc.
Shaw Elizabeth
LandOfFree
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