US3392450A - Telescope with rangefinding reticle - Google Patents

Description

33-21, 2,3%.,@50 5R July 16, 1968 G. HERTER ET AL 3,392,450

TELESCOPE WITH RANGEFINDING RETICLE Filed Jan. 2l.- 1965 #fram/Erf United States Patent Ofi-ice 3,392,450 Patented July 16, 1 968 3,392,450 TELESCOPE WITH RANGEFINDING RETICLE George L. Herter and Russell N. Hofmeister, Waseca,

Minn., assignors to Herters Inc., Waseca, Minn., a corporation of Minnesota Filed Jan. 21, 1966, Ser. No. 522,083 4 Claims. (Cl. 243-50) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A telescopic sight for a riile is provided with a rangefinding, transparent reticle having a plurality of target spanning devices of various sizes located thereon. Each of these spanning devices is centered on one of a plurality of vertically spaced horizontal, range compensating cross hairs, and the spanning devices are sized to span a target of predetermined size at a range corresponding to the range indicated by the horizontal cross hair on which they are located.

This invention relates to a reticle for a telescopic sight adapted to be used on rilies with such calibers as may be used in hunting, target shooting and the like.

It is frequently desirable to determine the range of the target so as to improve the possibilities of hitting the target with the bullet or projectile from the gun. Heretofore, adequate range nding means have not been provided in telescopes used as sights for hunting rilles.

An object of our invention is to provide a new and improved reticle of simple and inexpensive construction and operation for use in a telescopic sight of a hand held projectile-iiring gun. Another object of our invention is to provide a novel reticle for a telescopic sight to instantly indicate to the user of the sight, the range of the target and the point of impact of the projectile at the indicated range.

These and other objects and advantages of our invention will more fully appear from the following description made in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference characters refer to the same or similarl parts throughout the several views, and in which:

FIG. l `is an elevation view of a telescopic sight applied to a rifle of the type commonly used for hunting and target shooting.

FIG. 2 ris an enlarged view showing the reticle as it appears to the user of the telescopic sight.

The telescopic sight is indicated in general by numeral and is attached by a suitable mount 11 to arie 12.

The telescope has atransparent reticle disc 13, on which the vertical hairline orindicator 14 is carried. As is conventional in reticles for telescopic sights, the vertical hairline orindicator 14 indicates the windage alignment relative to the target. The reticle is also provided with a horizontal centering means orcross hair 15 which constitutes the primary sighting cross hair in the telescope. By adjusting the elevation andwindage alignment screws 16 and 17, the point of intersection between thevertical cross hair 14 and thehorizontal cross hair 15 will indicate the point of impact of the bullet from therifle 12 at a distance of two hundred (200) yardsD Additional horizontal centering means orhorizontal cross hairs 18, 19 and 20 intersect the vertical indicator or hairline so as to indicate the point of impact of the bullet or projectile at ranges of three hundred (300) yards, four (400) yards, and iive hundred (500) yards respectively. In other words, if the target is located at a distance of four hundred (400) yards from the rifle, a viewing through the telescope 10 will show the point of impact of the bullet at four hundred (400) yards distance at the intersection between thevertical hairline 14 and thecross hair 19.

The reticle also has a plurality oftarget spanning devices 21, 22, 23, and 24 each on arespective cross hair 15, 18, `19 and 20, to indicate the range at which the target spanning device is to be used effectively. It will be understood that certain targets are of known, or at least estimable size. For instance, it is a fairly accurate estimate that in deer or antelope, the distance between the top of the back at the shoulders and the bottom of the chest cavity is a distance of approximately 18 inches. The target spanning circles or devices 21-24 will span an 18 inch target at the range designated for each of the target spanning devices. For instance, when the target T-1 is successively viewed throughspanning devices 21, 22, 23 and 24, it will be found that the depth of the chest cavity is considerably less than the diameter of each of thespanning devices 21 and 22, and is considerably greater than the diameter of thespanning device 24. However the depth of the chest cavity of the target T-l is substantially identical to the diameter of thespanning device 23 disposed on the four hundred (400)yard cross hair 19. By merely keeping thecross hair 19 on the target and aligning thevertical hairline 14 on the target, hitting the target can be assured. The actual range designations are relatively unimportant for purposes of properly sighting and estimating the distance of the target and for properly shooting. The person holding and shooting the rie and viewing the target does not need to know the yardage figure of the range, but this yardage figure is provided as a matter of interest.

Likewise, if the target T-2 were to be red at, the target would be successively viewed in two or more of thespanning devices 23 and 24 to determine whether the spanning devices have the same diameter as the chest cavity of the target T2. It will be found that the depth of the chest cavity will be spanned by thespanning device 24, and because of the location of thespanning device 24 on thevertical hairline 14, no further adjustment of the sighting need be effected and the rille may be fired to strike the target with the projectile or bullet. It will be seen that we have provided a new and improved sighting reticle for telescopic sights on the riile whereby a target of known or estimable size can be -viewed through spanning devices each of which is disposed at a cross hair which will be used when it is found that the target fits the particular spanning device so as to assure that the point of the impact of the bullet from the rifle is at the target as viewed in the reticle.

Of course it will be understood that various changes may be made in the form, details, arrangement and proportions of the various parts without departing from the scope of our invention.

We claim:

1. A rangefnding and compensating telescope reticle for a target of estimable size comprising:

a vertical indicator ext-ending across the field of view of a telescope to indicate windage alignment on a target;

a plurality of horizontally extending centering means vertically spaced along said "vertical indicator to Iindicate at the intersection of said vertical indicator and each of said centering means a projectile impact at known distances;

a plurality of rangending devices, each centered on a respective one of said centering means and having spaced apart visible portions for spanning a target of known size at the distance indicated by the center ing means on which it is located, said rangefinding devices being dispersed on said centering means in non-overlapping relationship with each other.

The telescope reticle according to claim 1 wherein:

said rangefinding devices are randomly located in spaced apart relation to each other.

3. The telescope reticle according to claim 1 wherein at least some of said rangefinding devices are also centered on said vertical indicator to minimize sighting adjust ments to locate the point of impact on the target.

4. The telescope reticle according to claim 1 wherein said rangending de-vices are circular enclosures to facilitate spanning the target in imultiple directions between and including vertical and horizontal.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Critchett 33-50.5 Deming.

Karnes 33-50.5 X

Karnes 33--50.5 X

OBrien 33-50.5

1() HARRY N. HAROIAN, Primary Examiner.

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