Rail attachment mounting tool and locking bar
The locking bar mechanism addresses the issue of loose hardware in rail attachment systems by mechanically securing thumb hex fittings, ensuring tool-free and durable mounting of gun accessories.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- US19/313681
- Authority / Receiving Office
- US · United States
- Patent Type
- Applications(United States)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Priority Date
- 2024-08-28
- Filing Date
- 2025-08-28
- Publication Date
- 2026-03-05
AI Technical Summary
Existing rail attachment systems for gun accessories face issues with hardware loosening due to recoil and vibrations, and thread locking compounds fail over time, requiring tools for secure mounting.
A locking bar mechanism that prevents rotation of thumb hex fittings by using a main body with opposing sidewalls and lips, along with a retaining device, to maintain secure attachment without tools.
The locking bar ensures secure and tool-free mounting of gun accessories by preventing rotation and loosening of thumb hex fittings, enhancing durability and reliability.
Smart Images

Figure US20260063393A1-D00000_ABST
Abstract
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims priority to and hereby incorporates by reference in its entirety U.S. Provisional Ser. No. 63 / 688,282 entitled “RAIL ATTACHMENT MOUNTING TOOL AND LOCKING BAR” filed Aug. 28, 2024.
[0002] A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material that is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the reproduction of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
[0003] Not ApplicableBACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0004] The present invention relates generally to mounting accessories to guns or firearms. More particularly, this invention pertains to accessory rail mounting systems and methods.
[0005] Prior art rail attachment systems for gun or firearm accessories typically require tools for attaching the accessory to the rail system (e.g., picatinny or weaver rail system). Thumb hex bolts (or nuts) are available to enable mounting an accessory without tools, but many users use wrenches to sufficiently tighten the bolts (or nuts). The mounting hardware (e.g., screws, bolts, or nuts) also tends to back out or loosen up under operation of the firearm due to recoil and vibrations. Thread locking compounds can be used, to reduce the tendency of the hardware to back out, but these compounds break down and fail with time and use. Heat generated by the gun can also damage and reduce the useful life of such thread locking compounds.SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] Aspects of the present invention provide a locking bar to mechanically prevent rotation of thumb hex fittings (e.g., nuts or bolts) of an accessory mount system for a rail of a gun or firearm. The locking bar may also include a wrench hole for use in tightening or loosening the thumb hex fittings.
[0007] In one aspect, an accessory mount system for a rail of a gun includes a locking bar. The locking bar has a main body, a pair of opposing sidewalls, a pair of lips, and a retaining device. The locking bar is configured to prevent rotation of a pair of thumb hex fittings of the accessory mount system when the locking bar is installed on the pair of thumb hex fittings. The main body is configured to extend longitudinally when the gun is assembled and in an upright position. The pair of opposing sidewalls extend laterally from the main body when the gun is assembled an in an upright position. Each lip of the pair of lips extends from a sidewall of the pair of opposing sidewalls. The pair of lips extend toward one another. The retaining device is configured to prevent longitudinal movement of the main body when the locking bar is installed on the pair of thumb hex fittings.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0008] FIG. 1 is a front isometric view of an accessory mount system mounting an accessory to a rail of a gun according to one embodiment of the invention.
[0009] FIG. 2 is a front isometric view of the system of FIG. 1 with the locking bar partially mounted on the thumb hex fittings of the accessory mount system.
[0010] FIG. 3 is a front isometric view of the accessory mount system of FIG. 1 with the locking bar retaining device engaged (i.e., the locking bar is fully installed on the thumb hex fittings).
[0011] FIG. 4 is a side perspective view of the locking bar and thumb hex fittings of the system of FIG. 1 with the locking bar shown partially transparent.
[0012] FIG. 5 is a rear isometric view of a wrench hole of the locking bar of FIG. 1 interacting with a thumb hex fitting of the accessory mount system of FIG. 1.
[0013] Reference will now be made in detail to optional embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in accompanying drawings. Whenever possible, the same reference numbers are used in the drawing and in the description referring to the same or like parts.DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0014] While the making and using of various embodiments of the present invention are discussed in detail below, it should be appreciated that the present invention provides many applicable inventive concepts that can be embodied in a wide variety of specific contexts. The specific embodiments discussed herein are merely illustrative of specific ways to make and use the invention and do not delimit the scope of the invention.
[0015] To facilitate the understanding of the embodiments described herein, a number of terms are defined below. The terms defined herein have meanings as commonly understood by a person of ordinary skill in the areas relevant to the present invention. Terms such as “a,”“an,” and “the” are not intended to refer to only a singular entity, but rather include the general class of which a specific example may be used for illustration. The terminology herein is used to describe specific embodiments of the invention, but their usage does not delimit the invention, except as set forth in the claims.
[0016] As described herein, an upright position is considered to be the position of apparatus components while in proper operation or in a natural resting position as described herein. As used herein, the upright or vertical position of a gun or firearm is when assembled and held by a shooter, ready to shoot (i.e., fire or discharge), with the bore of the barrel of the gun extending generally horizontally or level along a longitudinal axis and the trigger extending generally downward. Vertical, horizontal, above, below, side, top, bottom and other orientation terms are described with respect to this upright position during operation unless otherwise specified. The term “when” is used to specify orientation for relative positions of components, not as a temporal limitation of the claims or apparatus described and claimed herein unless otherwise specified. The terms “above”, “below”, “over”, and “under” mean “having an elevation or vertical height greater or lesser than” and are not intended to imply that one object or component is directly over or under another object or component.
[0017] The phrase “in one embodiment,” as used herein does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, although it may. Conditional language used herein, such as, among others, “can,”“might,”“may,”“e.g.,” and the like, unless specifically stated otherwise, or otherwise understood within the context as used, is generally intended to convey that certain embodiments include, while other embodiments do not include, certain features, elements and / or states. Thus, such conditional language is not generally intended to imply that features, elements and / or states are in any way required for one or more embodiments or that one or more embodiments necessarily include logic for deciding, with or without operator input or prompting, whether these features, elements and / or states are included or are to be performed in any particular embodiment.
[0018] The terms “coupled” and “connected” mean at least either a direct electrical or mechanical connection between the connected items or an indirect connection through one or more passive or active intermediary devices.
[0019] Referring now to FIGS. 1-5, in one embodiment, an accessory mount system 100 for a rail 102 of a gun 101 includes a locking bar 103. The locking bar 103 is configured to prevent rotation of each thumb hex fitting 117 of a pair of thumb hex fittings of the accessory mount system 100 when the locking bar 103 is installed on the pair of thumb hex fittings 117. In this way, the locking bar 103 prevents the thumb hex fittings 117 from loosening or backing out, keeping a mount 115 of the accessory mount system 100 tight, aligned, and fixed to the rail 102 of the gun 101. The main body 105 is configured to extend longitudinally when the accessory mount system 100 is assembled on the rail 102 and the gun 101 is in an upright position. The pair of opposing side walls 107 extend laterally from the main body 105 when the accessory mount system 100 is installed on the rail 102 and of the gun 101 is assembled and in an upright position. Each lip 109 of the pair of lips extends from a side wall 107 of the pair of opposing side walls. Each lip 109 of the pair of lips extends toward one another. Thus, the pair of lips 109 are spaced apart from the bain body 105 by the pair of sidewalls 107. The retaining device 113 is configured to prevent longitudinal movement of the main body 105 when the locking bar 103 is installed on the pair of thumb hex fittings 117. In one embodiment, the accessory mount system 100 further includes the mount 115 which is configured to support an accessory (e.g., a scope) for the gun 101. In one embodiment, the accessory mount system 100 further includes the pair of thumb hex fittings 117 which are configured to clamp the mount 115 to the rail 102 of the gun 101. In one embodiment, the locking bar 103 further includes an end wall 119 extending between the pair of opposing side walls 107 the first end of the main body 105, and the retaining device 113 is at a second end of the main body 105 opposite the first end.
[0020] In one embodiment, each thumb hex fitting 117 of the pair of thumb hex fittings is a thumb hex head nut configured to thread onto corresponding threads of the accessory mount system 100 when the system 100 is installed on the rail 102 of the gun 101. Alternatively, each thumb hex fitting 117 of the pair of thumb hex fittings can be a hex head bolt configured to thread into corresponding threads of the accessory mount system 100 when the system 100 is installed on the rail 102 of the gun 101.
[0021] Each thumb hex fitting 117 of the pair of thumb hex fittings has a first diameter 301 from a corner to an opposing corner and a second diameter from one flat to an opposing flat. A distance 307 between the pair of opposing sidewalls 107 is less than the first diameter 301 and greater than the second diameter 303 such that the sidewalls 107 and main body 105 can slide over the hex fittings 117 when they are aligned with one another, and the hex fittings 117 cannot become unaligned while the main body 105 and sidewalls 107 are fitted about the hex fittings 117. In one embodiment, each thumb hex fitting 117 has a hex portion 315 and a spacer portion 317. The spacer portion 317 is positioned between the mount 115 and the hex portion 315 when the accessory mount system 100 is installed on the rail 102 of the gun 101. The spacer portion 317 defines a third diameter 305 of the thumb hex fitting 117. A distance 309 between the pair of lips 109 is greater than the third diameter 305 and less than the second diameter 303.
[0022] In one embodiment, at least one thumb hex fitting 117 includes a spring pin detent 350. The spring pin 350 may be a pin or a ball. The retaining device 113 is a hole through the main body 105 corresponding to and complementary to the spring pin detent 350. When the hole 113 is aligned with the spring pin detent 350, the locking bar 103 is prevented from lateral movement relative to the thumb hex fitting 117, and the thumb hex fittings 117 cannot tighten or loosen (i.e., rotate) until the locking bar 103 is removed from the thumb hex fittings 117.
[0023] In one embodiment, the main body 103 includes a wrench hole 355 therethrough. The wrench hole 355 has a profile complementary to the profile of the hex portion 315 of the thumb hex fitting 117 such that the wrench hole 355 of the locking bar can be used to loosen or tighten the thumb hex fitting 117. In one embodiment, the locking bar 103 further includes a protrusion 357 having the wrench hole. The protrusion 357 extends from the main body 105 opposite the sidewalls 107.
[0024] In one embodiment, a height or thickness of the sidewalls 107 corresponds to (i.e., is slightly larger than) a height or thickness of the hex portion 315 of the thumb hex fitting 117. A height or thickness of the lips 109 corresponds to (i.e., is slightly less than) a height or thickness of the spacer portion 317 of the thumb hex fitting 117. In one embodiment, the locking bar 103 is formed of aluminum, and the main body 105, sidewalls 107, lips 109, and end wall 119 are integral with one another.
[0025] This written description uses examples to disclose the invention and also to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the invention, including making and using any devices or systems and performing any incorporated methods. The patentable scope of the invention is defined by the claims, and may include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they have structural elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims, or if they include equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differences from the literal languages of the claims.
[0026] It will be understood that the particular embodiments described herein are shown by way of illustration and not as limitations of the invention. The principal features of this invention may be employed in various embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention. Those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize numerous equivalents to the specific procedures described herein. Such equivalents are considered to be within the scope of this invention and are covered by the claims.
[0027] All of the compositions and / or methods disclosed and claimed herein may be made and / or executed without undue experimentation in light of the present disclosure. While the compositions and methods of this invention have been described in terms of the embodiments included herein, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that variations may be applied to the compositions and / or methods and in the steps or in the sequence of steps of the method described herein without departing from the concept, spirit, and scope of the invention. All such similar substitutes and modifications apparent to those skilled in the art are deemed to be within the spirit, scope, and concept of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
[0028] Thus, although there have been described particular embodiments of the present invention, it is not intended that such references be construed as limitations upon the scope of this invention except as set forth in the following claims.
Examples
Embodiment Construction
[0014]While the making and using of various embodiments of the present invention are discussed in detail below, it should be appreciated that the present invention provides many applicable inventive concepts that can be embodied in a wide variety of specific contexts. The specific embodiments discussed herein are merely illustrative of specific ways to make and use the invention and do not delimit the scope of the invention.
[0015]To facilitate the understanding of the embodiments described herein, a number of terms are defined below. The terms defined herein have meanings as commonly understood by a person of ordinary skill in the areas relevant to the present invention. Terms such as “a,”“an,” and “the” are not intended to refer to only a singular entity, but rather include the general class of which a specific example may be used for illustration. The terminology herein is used to describe specific embodiments of the invention, but their usage does not delimit the invention, excep...
Claims
1. An accessory mount system for a rail of a gun, said system comprising:a locking bar configured to prevent rotation of a pair of thumb hex fittings of the accessory mount system when installed on the pair of thumb hex fittings, said locking bar comprising:a main body configured to extend longitudinally when the accessory mount system is installed on the rail and the gun is assembled and in an upright position;a pair of opposing sidewalls extending laterally from the main body when the accessory mount system is installed on the rail and the gun is assembled and in an upright position;a pair of lips, each lip of the pair of lips extending from a sidewall of the pair of opposing sidewalls, wherein the pair of lips extend toward one another; anda retaining device configured to prevent longitudinal movement of the main body when the locking bar is installed on the pair of thumb hex fittings.
2. The accessory mount system of claim 1, wherein:the accessory mount system further comprises a mount configured to support an accessory for the gun;the accessory mount system further comprises the pair of thumb hex fittings, said pair of thumb hex fittings configured to clamp the mount to the rail of the gun.
3. The accessory mount system of claim 1, wherein:an endwall extending between the pair of opposing sidewalls at a first end of the main body; andthe retaining device is at a second end of the main body opposite the first end.
4. The accessory mount system of claim 1, wherein:each thumb hex fitting of the pair of thumb hex fittings is a thumb hex head nut configured to thread onto corresponding threads of the accessory mount system when the system is installed on the rail of the gun or a hex head bolt configured to thread into corresponding threads of the accessory mount system when the system is installed on the rail of the gun.
5. The accessory mount system of claim 1, wherein:each thumb hex fitting of the pair of thumb hex fittings has a first diameter from a corner to an opposing corner and a second diameter from one flat to an opposing flat.
6. The accessory mount system of claim 1, wherein:each thumb hex fitting of the pair of thumb hex fittings has a first diameter from a corner to an opposing corner and a second diameter from one flat to an opposing flat; anda distance between the pair of opposing sidewalls is less than the first diameter.
7. The accessory mount system of claim 1, wherein:each thumb hex fitting of the pair of thumb hex fittings has a first diameter from a corner to an opposing corner and a second diameter from one flat to an opposing flat;a distance between the pair of opposing sidewalls is less than the first diameter; andthe distance between the pair of opposing sidewalls is greater than the second diameter.
8. The accessory mount system of claim 1, wherein:each thumb hex fitting of the pair of thumb hex fittings comprises a hex portion and a spacer portion, said spacer portion positioned between a mount of the accessory mount system and the hex portion when the accessory mount system is installed on the rail of the gun;each thumb hex fitting of the pair of thumb hex fittings has a first diameter from a corner to an opposing corner of the hex portion, a second diameter from one flat to an opposing flat of the hex portion, and a third diameter of the spacer portion; anda distance between the pair of lips of the locking bar is greater than the third diameter and less than the second diameter of each thumb hex fitting of the pair of thumb hex fittings.
9. The accessory mount system of claim 1, wherein:the pair of lips are spaced apart from the main body by the pair of opposing sidewalls.
10. The accessory mount system of claim 1, wherein:a thumb hex fitting of the pair of thumb hex fittings comprises a spring pin detent; andthe retaining device is a hole through the main body configured to receive the spring pin detent of the thumb hex fitting such that the locking bar is prevented from lateral movement relative to the thumb hex fitting when the locking bar is installed on the pair of thumb hex fittings.
11. The accessory mount system of claim 1, wherein:the main body comprises a wrench hole therethrough, said wrench hole having a profile complementary to that of a hex portion of the thumb hex fitting of one of the pair of thumb hex fittings.
12. The accessory mount system of claim 1, wherein:the locking bar further comprises a protrusion extending from the main body opposite the pair of opposing sidewalls, said protrusion having a wrench hole therein having a profile complementary to that of a hex portion of the thumb hex fitting of one of the pair of thumb hex fittings.
13. The accessory mount system of claim 1, wherein:the locking bar is formed of aluminum.
Citation Information
Patent Citations
Mount assembly with bolt head lock plate(s)
US10941675B2
Nut-lock.
US1095928A
Nut-lock.
US1099292A
Nut-lock.
US1136234A
Firearm accessory mounting assembly
US11874086B2