Mount for firearm sighting device having throw-lever clamp and lever safety latch

Abstract

For firearms, particularly tactical firearms such as the AR-15 tactical rifle, a throw-lever actuated rail clamp is provided for support of various accessories such as optical sighting devices, laser sighting devices, target lighting devices on various part of a firearm to provide for use of the firearm in variable field conditions, during the day or at night. A mount clamp is releasably secured to a firearm rail by a pivotal throw-lever having an eccentric locking component. A safety latch mechanism is mounted for linear movement on the actuating arm of the throw-lever and is moveable to a latched position engaging a latching element of the clamp base to retain the throw-lever at its clamping position. The safety latch is linearly moveable from its latched position to a release position that permits rotational movement of the throw lever toward its release or non-clamping position.

1 . An accessory mount for releasable attachment to the mount rail of a firearm, comprising: 
 a mount base having a rail engaging clamp member;    at least one throw-lever mechanism having a clamping plate being mounted to said rail engaging clamp member and being rotatable to a clamping position establishing clamping engagement with the mount rail and to a release position releasing clamping engagement with the mount rail;    a lever arm projecting from said throw-lever mechanism;    a latch projection being provided on said mount base; and    a safety latch selectively engaging said latch projection when said throw-lever mechanism is at said clamping position and securing said throw-lever against rotation from said clamping position and being selectively separated from said latch projection permitting rotation of said throw-lever from said clamping position.    
   
   
       2 . The accessory mount mechanism of  claim 1 , comprising: 
 said safety latch being mounted on said lever arm and having a latch receptacle receiving said latch projection therein when said throw-lever mechanism is at said clamping position and being separated from said latch projection when said safety latch is moved from said clamping position.    
   
   
       3 . The accessory mount mechanism of  claim 1 , comprising: 
 said safety latch being mounted on said lever arm and being linearly moveable to latched and release positions relative to said lever arm, said safety latch having a latch receptacle receiving said latch projection therein when said throw-lever mechanism is at said clamping position and said latch receptacle being separated from said latch projection when said safety latch is moved linearly from said latched position to said release position.    
   
   
       4 . The accessory mount mechanism of  claim 1 , comprising: 
 said safety latch defining a receptacle receiving said lever arm in linearly moveable guided relation therein; and    said safety latch and said lever arm establishing latch movement control and limiting linear movement of said safety latch relative to said lever arm to said latched and released positions of said safety latch.    
   
   
       5 . The accessory mount mechanism of  claim 4 , comprising: 
 said safety latch defining an elongate movement control slot of defined length; and    a movement control member being fixed to said lever arm and being received within said elongate movement control slot and being linearly moveable within said elongate movement control slot within limits established by said defined length.    
   
   
       6 . The accessory mount mechanism of  claim 5 , comprising: 
 said movement control member being a movement control pin projecting from said lever arm and being engaged within said elongate movement control slot, said movement control pin limiting linear movement of said safety latch and establishing said latched and released positions thereof.    
   
   
       7 . An accessory mount for releasable attachment to the mount rail of a firearm, comprising: 
 a mount base having a rail engaging clamp member;    at least one throw-lever mechanism being mounted to said mount base and being moveable to a clamping position establishing clamping engagement with the mount rail and to a release position releasing clamping engagement with the mount rail; and    safety latch means being positionable at a latched position securing said throw-lever mechanism at said clamping position and being positionable at a release position permitting rotation of said throw-lever from said clamping position.    
   
   
       8 . The accessory mount mechanism of  claim 7 , comprising: 
 said throw-lever mechanism having a clamping plate being mounted on said mount base for rotation to a clamping position for clamping said mount base to said mount rail and being rotatable to a release position permitting separation of said mount base from said mount rail;    a lever arm projecting from said clamping plate; and    said safety latch means being a safety latch member having a latched position securing said lever arm at said clamping position and having a release position permitting rotational movement of said lever arm and said throw-lever from said clamping position.    
   
   
       9 . The accessory mount mechanism of  claim 8 , comprising: 
 said safety latch member being supported by said lever arm and being linearly moveable to said latched and release positions relative to said lever arm;    a latch projection being located on said mount base; and    said safety latch member defining a latch projection receptacle receiving said latch projection therein at said latched position and being clear of said latch projection at said release position.    
   
   
       10 . The accessory mount mechanism of  claim 7 , comprising: 
 said safety latch being mounted on said lever arm and being linearly moveable to latched and release positions relative to said lever arm, said safety latch having a latch receptacle receiving said latch projection therein when said throw-lever mechanism is at said clamping position and said latch receptacle being separated from said latch projection when said safety latch is moved linearly from said latched position to said release position.    
   
   
       11 . The accessory mount mechanism of  claim 7 , comprising: 
 said safety latch defining a receptacle receiving said lever arm in linearly moveable guided relation therein; and    said safety latch and said lever arm establishing latch movement control and limiting linear movement of said safety latch relative to said lever arm to said latched and released positions of said safety latch.    
   
   
       12 . The accessory mount mechanism of  claim 11 , comprising: 
 said safety latch defining an elongate movement control slot of defined length; and    a movement control member being fixed to said lever arm and being received within said elongate movement control slot and being linearly moveable within said elongate movement control slot within limits established by said defined length.    
   
   
       13 . The accessory mount mechanism of  claim 12 , comprising: 
 said movement control member being a movement control pin projecting from said lever arm and being engaged within said elongate movement control slot, said movement control pin limiting linear movement of said safety latch and establishing said latched and release positions thereof.    
   
   
       14 . An accessory mount for releasable attachment to the mount rail of a firearm, comprising: 
 a mount base having a rail engaging clamp member;    at least one throw-lever mechanism being mounted to said mount base and being moveable to a clamping position establishing clamping engagement with the mount rail and to a release position releasing clamping engagement with the mount rail; and    a safety latch having a latched position securing said throw-lever mechanism at said clamping position and having a release position permitting rotation of said throw-lever from said clamping position.    
   
   
       15 . The accessory mount mechanism of  claim 14 , comprising: 
 said throw-lever mechanism having a clamping plate being mounted on said mount base for rotation to a clamping position for clamping said mount base to said mount rail and being rotatable to a release position permitting separation of said mount base from said mount rail;    a lever arm projecting from said clamping plate; and    said safety latch member having a latched position securing said lever arm at said clamping position and having a release position permitting rotational movement of said lever arm and said throw-lever from said clamping position.    
   
   
       16 . The accessory mount mechanism of  claim 15 , comprising: 
 said safety latch member being supported by said lever arm and being linearly moveable to said latched and release positions relative to said lever arm;    a latch projection being located on said mount base; and    said safety latch member defining a latch projection receptacle receiving said latch projection therein at said latched position and being clear of said latch projection at said release position.    
   
   
       17 . The accessory mount mechanism of  claim 15 , comprising: 
 said safety latch being mounted on said lever arm and being linearly moveable to latched and release positions relative to said lever arm, said safety latch having a latch receptacle receiving said latch projection therein when said throw-lever mechanism is at said clamping position and said latch receptacle being separated from said latch projection when said safety latch is moved linearly from said latched position to said release position.    
   
   
       18 . The accessory mount mechanism of  claim 15 , comprising: 
 said safety latch defining a receptacle receiving said lever arm in linearly moveable guided relation therein; and    said safety latch and said lever arm establishing latch movement control and limiting linear movement of said safety latch relative to said lever arm to said latched and released positions of said safety latch.    
   
   
       19 . The accessory mount mechanism of  claim 15 , comprising: 
 said safety latch defining an elongate movement control slot of defined length; and    a movement control member being fixed to said lever arm and being received within said elongate movement control slot, said safety latch being linearly moveable relative to said lever arm within limits established by said defined length of said elongate movement control slot.    
   
   
       20 . The accessory mount mechanism of  claim 19 , comprising: 
 said movement control member being a movement control pin projecting from said lever arm and being engaged within said elongate movement control slot, said movement control pin limiting linear movement of said safety latch and establishing said latched and released positions thereof.