Variable magnification telescopic sight having reticle centering mount

Abstract

A telescopic sight for a rifle or an optical instrument is described having an improved reticle centering mount apparatus. A reticle centering sleeve is provided around a reticle mounting ring mounted within an outer housing tube containing erector lenses supported within an inner lens holder tube in axial alignment along an optical axis. The reticle centering sleeve has a longitudinal cross-section of tapered shape which is wedged between the housing tube and the mounting ring to center the sight point of the reticle on the optical axis. When the erector lenses are longitudinally adjusted within the lens tube to change the magnification of the telescopic sight, the reticle sight point is maintained centered on the image transmitted through such telescopic sight by the centering sleeve. The reticle centering sleeve is made of synthetic plastic material such as nylon and includes a plurality of inward projections spaced around the circumference of the sleeve which are of uniform height and deform under compression to reduce the radial pressure applied to the reticle mounting ring which enables the reticle wires to be maintained in a taut condition.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.