Sight eye marksmanship training aid

Abstract

A new apparatus for displaying and recording an image viewed by a marksman or shooter through a weapon sight is described. A beam splitter is mounted at the eye end of the weapon sight and bends part of the image intended for the shooter 900° to a righting prism which bends the image another 900°, for a total of 180°. The image from the righting prism is directed to the input of a miniature video camera mounted over and parallel with the weapon sight. The video camera transmits the image to a remote miniature video display and to a remote video recorder. By bending the image a total of 180°, the video camera can be mounted in a low profile position over the weapon sight such that the overall balance of the weapon is minimally upset.

We claim: 
     
       1. An optical system for displaying and recording the same image as viewed by a shooter through a weapon sight, the weapon sight having an optical axis and an eyepiece, comprising: (a) a housing for mounting at the weapon sight;   (b) a beam splitter, positioned inside the housing, for positioning at the eyepiece end of the weapon sight and for redirecting a percentage of the image intended for viewing by the shooter at a first angle from the optical axis of the weapon sight, wherein the redirected image includes the entire cross-sectional area of the image received from the eyepiece;   (c) a reflector, positioned inside the housing, for redirecting the redirected image from the beam splitter at a second angle from the optical axis of the weapon sight so that the redirected image is redirected 180° from the image intended for viewing by the shooter;   (d) a video camera, positioned inside the housing and having an optical axis, for receiving the redirected image from the reflector and aligned so that, when the optical system is mounted at the weapon sight, the optical axis of the camera is parallel with the optical axis of the weapon sight; and,   (e) a video output form the video camera for connecting the video camera to a remote video recorder and to a remote video display device.