U.S. patent application number 10/829132 was filed with the patent office on 2004-11-04 for coiled disposable handcuffs and apparatus for coiling the same.
Invention is credited to Starrett, Paul D..
Application Number | 20040216281 10/829132 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 33309476 |
Filed Date | 2004-11-04 |
United States Patent
Application |
20040216281 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Starrett, Paul D. |
November 4, 2004 |
Coiled disposable handcuffs and apparatus for coiling the same
Abstract
The present invention relates to disposable police restraints
(hand cuffs), of both the single loop variety and the double loop
variety. Specifically, the present invention is directed to a
method and apparatus for coiling such cuffs, which are normally
carried in their open configuration, or in a partially closed loop,
into a small, easy to carry, and easy to use, coiled cuff form.
Other embodiments of the present invention are the coiled
disposable cuffs themselves, both in the single loop form and the
double loop form.
Inventors: |
Starrett, Paul D.; (Jaffrey,
NH) |
Correspondence
Address: |
BANNER & WITCOFF, LTD.
28 STATE STREET
28th FLOOR
BOSTON
MA
02109-9601
US
|
Family ID: |
33309476 |
Appl. No.: |
10/829132 |
Filed: |
April 21, 2004 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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10829132 |
Apr 21, 2004 |
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09410129 |
Sep 30, 1999 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
24/16R |
Current CPC
Class: |
Y10T 24/14 20150115;
E05B 75/00 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
024/016.00R |
International
Class: |
B65D 063/00 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A method of forming a compact disposable police restraint
comprising the steps of: (a) selecting a cuff device comprising at
least one elongated, substantially flat semi-rigid strap, connected
to a toothed socket clasp; (b) rolling the flat strap of the cuff
device into a coil; and (c) securing the coil with a plastic
banding device.
2. A compact disposable police restraint formed by the method of
claim 1.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the cuff device comprises a
single substantially flat, toothed strap and a single slot, toothed
socket clasp at one end thereof.
4. A compact disposable police restraint formed by the method of
claim 3.
5. The method of claim 3, wherein the flat strap is rolled so as to
leave the toothed socket clasp on the outside of the coil.
6. A compact disposable police restraint formed by the method of
claim 5.
7. The method of claim 3, wherein the flat strap is rolled so as to
place the toothed socket clasp on the inside of the coil.
8. A compact disposable police restraint formed by the method of
claim 7.
9. The method of claim 1, wherein the cuff device comprises two
substantially flat, semi-rigid toothed straps and a two slot,
toothed socket clasp at one about the midpoint of said straps.
10. A compact disposable police restraint formed by the method of
claim 9.
11. Apparatus for manufacturing a compact disposable police
restraint, said apparatus comprising two spaced apart, rotatable
mandrels, which when rotated will form coils from an elongated,
substantially flat strap of a cuff device attached thereto.
12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the mandrels are slotted
through the center, with the slots having the shape of a
radius.
13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the mandrels are counter
rotated using drive gears, such that they move toward one another
in order to coil the cuff sections tight against each other.
14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the drive gears which move
the counter rotating mandrels are powered by a motor.
15. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising a movable plate,
mounted over the two mandrels, so that the cuff, once it has been
tightly coiled and secured with a band, can be ejected from the
mandrels.
16. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising a yoke with a
handle, attached to the movable plate, which forces the plate
forward to eject the coiled and banded cuff.
17. A disposable handcuff comprising a single tightly coiled
semi-rigid toothed strap with a single slot, toothed socket clasp
at one end thereof.
18. A disposable handcuff comprising a single coiled semi-rigid
toothed strap with a single slot, toothed socket clasp at one end
thereof, further comprising a plastic banding device holding the
coil in place.
19. A disposable handcuff comprising two tightly coiled semi-rigid
toothed straps and a two slot, toothed socket clasp at about the
midpoint of said straps.
20. A disposable handcuff comprising two coiled semi-rigid toothed
straps and a two slot, toothed socket clasp at about the midpoint
of said straps, further comprising a plastic banding device holding
the coils in place.
21. A method of forming a compact disposable police restraint
comprising the steps of: (a) selecting a disposable police
restraint device comprising at least one semi-rigid strap connected
to a toothed socket clasp; (b) coiling the rigid strap of the
device into a small, tight coil having at least three concentric
coiled loops; and (c) securing the compact police restraint with a
plastic banding device capable of maintaining the coiled shape of
the device.
22. A disposable handcuff comprising a single tightly coiled
semi-rigid toothed strap with a single slot, toothed socket clasp
at one end thereof, further comprising a banding device holding the
coil in place, made by the method of claim 21.
23. The disposable handcuff of claim 22, wherein the semi-rigid
strap comprises Nylon.
24. The disposable handcuff of claim 23, wherein the Nylon is
impact enhanced Nylon 66.
25. A method of forming a compact disposable police restraint
comprising the steps of: (a) selecting a disposable police
restraint device comprising two semi-rigid straps, each connected
to opposite sides of a toothed socket clasp; (b) coiling the
semi-rigid straps of the device into individual small tight coils,
each having at least three concentric coiled loops; and (c)
securing the compact coiled police restraint with a banding device
capable of maintaining the coiled shapes of the straps.
26. A disposable handcuff comprising two tightly coiled semi-rigid
toothed straps and a two slot, toothed socket clasp at about the
midpoint of said straps, made by the method of claim 25.
27. The disposable handcuff of claim 26, wherein the semi-rigid
strap comprises Nylon.
28. The disposable handcuff of claim 27, wherein the Nylon is
impact enhanced Nylon 66.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of commonly
owned, copending application Ser. No. 09/410,129 filed 30 Sep.
1999, now ______. The disclosure of that application is hereby
incorporated herein by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to disposable handcuffs, of
both the single loop variety and the double loop variety. These
bulky products would find more use by police and other security
personnel if they could be carried in a more convenient manner.
[0003] Specifically, the present invention is directed to a method
and apparatus for coiling such cuffs, which are normally carried in
their open configuration, or in a partially closed loop, into a
small, easy to carry, and easy to use, coiled cuff form. Other
embodiments of the present invention are the coiled disposable
cuffs themselves, both in the single loop form and the double loop
form.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0004] Temporary police restraints are those which are used once
and disposed of after use. The restraint is typically made of a
semi-rigid polymeric material such as nylon with a permanent
locking head. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,193,254, the
disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference. In
order to release such restraints, the strap cut apart, as otherwise
the strap cannot be manually released from the locked engagement
with the head. Temporary restraints of this type have been used for
many years and in many forms, both as a single loop restraint and
in recent years as a double loop restraint. See for example U.S.
Pat. Nos. 4,910,831, 5,159,728 and 5,398,383, the disclosures of
which are hereby incorporated herein by reference.
[0005] Single loop cuffs are typically made from an elongated,
substantially flat strap having a toothed socket clasp located at
one end. Double loop cuffs are typically made from two elongated,
substantially flat straps having a toothed socket clasp located at
the midpoint. The cuffs are used by inserting the free end(s) into
the opening(s) in the socket clasp. The strap(s) also have a
toothed surface, and the teeth allow forward movement which makes
the loop(s) smaller and tighter, but do not permit withdrawal of
the strap(s) from the clasp(s).
[0006] The problem with such temporary restraints, whether single
loop or double loop, is that they are very bulky, and are thus
awkward to store and carry. The cuffs are a semi-rigid,
substantially unbreakable polymeric material that generally lies
flat, extending from about 15 to 25 inches in length for the single
cuffs and about 40 to 60 inches in length for the double cuffs. The
police officer needs to have ready availability of these restraints
when they are needed. Often such restraints are employed in crowd
and/or riot situations, where a number of such restraints are
required. Disposable restraints would be much more useful if the
police officers could carry a number of the restraints on their
person in a convenient manner.
[0007] Some manufacturers have tried to solve the bulkiness problem
by making one or more "folds" or using hinges in the cuffs, thereby
allowing the cuffs to be carried in a more compact manner. See for
example the Monadnock EZ fold cuff, available from Monadnock
Lifetime Products, Inc. of Fitzwilliam, N.H., and the ASP Tri-fold
cuff, available from Armament Systems & Procedures, Appleton,
Wis. The ASP cuff is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,669,110, the
disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference.
When a cuff of this type is folded, you must pinch the
cross-section of the cuff material (e.g., Nylon) taking strength
away from it. By pinching the cross-section, the cross-section is
kinked, often making the cuff more difficult to use than if it were
not kinked. Hinges introduce a weak spot in the cuff, which defeats
the purpose of using the cuff as a restraint. Even when folded,
disposable cuffs of both the single loop and especially the double
loop variety are still quite bulky and awkward to carry.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] The present invention solves the problems of the prior art
disposable cuffs, of both the single loop variety and the double
loop variety, by providing a method and apparatus for coiling these
cuffs into a small, easy to carry, and easy to use, coiled cuff
form. Other embodiments of the present invention are the coiled
disposable cuffs themselves, both in the single loop form and the
double loop form.
[0009] The term "coiled" as used herein, describes a wound version,
preferably a tightly wound version, of the strap portion of the
cuff device, wound in a clockwise and/or counterclockwise manner,
to significantly reduce the size of the otherwise very bulky cuff,
to permit easy carrying of the same.
[0010] Disposable cuffs have a head member (a locking socket) and
one or more strap members. Once the strap and is properly inserted
into the locking socket of the head member, the strap cannot be
removed, and it must be cut to be released. To coil a disposable
cuff according to this invention, the end of each strap is wound in
a circular manner toward the head member a number of times,
producing a number of concentric loops of the strap material.
Preferably at least three such concentric loops are formed by the
coiling of the strap. More preferably at least four concentric
loops are formed during the coiling process. If desired, a band
member may be employed to secure the coil(s) against the head of
the cuff.
[0011] In the single loop form, the locking socket can be wound
inside the strap, or the strap can be wound leaving the socket on
the outside of the coil. In the double loop form, the two straps
are normally wound separately, such that the coils are gathered
about the central socket member.
[0012] Bingold, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,159,728, teaches a semi-rigid
disposable cuff in which the straps can be inserted into two
non-locking apertures located in the central head member, thereby
forming one or more loose loops. The head apertures are only wide
enough to permit a single passage of the straps there through. Such
wide open loops (forming at most-two concentric circles) are
specifically excluded from the definition of the term "coiled" as
used herein.
[0013] In the preferred embodiments of the present invention, the
coiled cuffs are prepared by rolling or coiling the free end(s) of
two commercially available temporary restraints manufactured by
Monadnock Lifetime Products, Inc., and currently sold under the
trademarks SPARE CUFF.TM. and DOUBLE CUFF.TM. for the single loop
variety and the double loop variety, respectively. These products
are both manufactured from 1/2 inch wide; {fraction (3/32)} inch
thick (minimum) impact enhanced Nylon 66. These cuffs each have a
1/8 inch thick edge and a tensile strength of over 350 lbs. Once
placed on a detainee's wrist(s) or ankles, the cuffs can only be
removed by cutting them off. Monadnock sells a Cuff Cutter, but
other cutting devices suitable for cutting Nylon 66 can be used.
See for example the cuff cutter of U.S. Pat. No. 6,532,669.
[0014] In accordance with the preferred method of the present
invention, the cuffs are coiled into a compact mass by rolling or
coiling the free end(s) of the cuff into a very tight, compact
package, and securing the coil(s) with a band around the perimeter
of the coil. The free end of the single loop cuff is coiled into a
single coil unit. The two free ends of the double loop cuff are
coiled into a two coil unit, both preferably being held together by
a single band of plastic material (e.g., a cable tie) looped around
the periphery of the coil or coils. The Monadnock products are
especially amenable to this coiling and banding, because the 1/8
inch thick outer edges of the cuffs provides a central depression
where the band can easily be secured.
[0015] As described above, after the end(s) of the cuff have been
rolled into the desired compact configuration, the coil must be
stabilized by banding it with a material strong enough to hold it
in place, but flexible enough to allow it to be easily removed when
needed. The banding material preferably used in this invention is a
small plastic, e.g., Nylon loop, which easily slips onto the coil,
and which can also be easily pushed or pulled off of the coil,
freeing the cuff for use. While Nylon is preferred, other types of
similar polymeric materials may likewise be employed. Conventional
cable ties are useful for this purpose, as they have a locking head
which makes the banding easy to accomplish.
[0016] The rolling or coiling of the free end(s) of the cuffs
requires special tooling, which is described in detail below. This
tooling and method of the present invention thus permit the
formation of a compact disposable hand cuff, which retains the full
strength of the materials used in the construction, and introduces
no weak points, as are typically found in the folded or hinged
cuffs of the prior art.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0017] FIGS. 1A-1E show the prior art version of a preferred double
loop variety of disposable handcuff used in the present
invention.
[0018] FIG. 2 shows the preferred apparatus for coiling single loop
or double loop disposable handcuffs according to the method of the
present invention.
[0019] FIG. 3 shows the starting position for coiling a double loop
disposable handcuff in the apparatus of FIG. 2.
[0020] FIG. 4 shows a close-up view of the drive gears in the
apparatus of FIG. 2.
[0021] FIG. 5 shows the end position of a coiled double loop
disposable handcuff, formed in the apparatus of FIG. 2.
[0022] FIG. 6 shows the overwrapped and secured coiled double loop
disposable handcuff, separated from the apparatus of FIG. 2.
[0023] FIGS. 7A, 7B, and 7C show the preferred single loop cuff of
the present invention in its uncoiled form (A), banded coiled form
(B), and alternate banded coiled form (C).
[0024] FIGS. 8A, 8B, and 8C show the preferred double loop cuff of
the present invention in its uncoiled form (A), banded coiled form
(B), and alternate banded coiled form (C).
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0025] FIGS. 1A-1E show the prior art version of a preferred
disposable double loop handcuff 10 used in the present invention,
namely the Monadnock DOUBLE CUFF.TM.. This cuff has two straps 12
and 14 and a central locking head member 16. See also, U.S. Design
Pat. No. 347,156, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated
herein by reference. The preferred prior art single loop handcuff
used in the present invention is the Monadnock SPARE CUFF.TM..
Similar disposable handcuffs from other manufacturers are likewise
amenable to being coiled according to the method of the present
invention into a compact and easy to use form, as taught
herein.
[0026] FIGS. 2-6 best illustrate the apparatus used to coil a
double loop cuff according to the method of the present invention.
The same apparatus may be used for coiling a single cuff, but one
end of the cuff, advantageously the socket clasp end, is either
held in place by hand, or it is mounted into a holder (not
shown).
[0027] As described in FIGS. 2-6, the apparatus which is used in
the coiling of the cuffs according to the method of the present
invention comprises two 0.750 inch diameter mandrels 26 & 28
which are spaced apart at a precise distance so as to allow the
coils of the cuff material form, in a tight and compact manner, and
in the double loop version, advantageously having the two coils be
at the same time compressed together for maximum compactness.
[0028] The mandrels are advantageously slotted through the center
with a slot in the shape of a radius in order to hold the two
sections being rolled tight to the mandrels. The two mandrels are
counter rotated using drive gears 42 & 44, such that they move
toward one another in order to coil the strap cuff sections 12
& 14 tight against the middle section 16. The radius slots also
assist in allowing the coiled cuff to be stripped off of the
mandrels in tact and not unrolled.
[0029] As best illustrated in FIGS. 2-4, the drive gears which move
the counter rotating mandrels are advantageously powered by a motor
22, because of the force needed to compact the Nylon material
employed in the manufacture of the cuffs. If other materials are
used in the manufacture of such cuffs, hand power could be
sufficient to allow the coiling.
[0030] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 6, a movable plate 24 is used,
placed over the two mandrels, so that the cuff, once it has been
tightly coiled and secured with a band, can be ejected from the
mandrels. This may be accomplished by applying a yoke with a
handle, attached to the plate, which forces the plate forward to
eject the coiled and banded cuff. Another feature of the Monadnock
cuff which allows the cuff to stay together once it is rolled
together and not to unroll, is the width of the cuff in combination
with the high ridges on the sides cuff.
[0031] FIGS. 7A and 7B show the preferred single loop cuff of the
present invention in its uncoiled form (A) and coiled form (B) held
in the coiled form by an outside plastic loop. FIG. 7C shows the
outside plastic loop with a separate locking head member 74 (e.g.,
a plastic cable tie).
[0032] FIGS. 8A and 8B show the preferred double loop cuff of the
present invention in its uncoiled form (A) and coiled form (B) held
in the coiled form by an outside plastic loop. FIG. 8C shows the
outside plastic loop with a separate locking head member 86 (e.g.,
a plastic cable tie).
[0033] This method for rolling a single or double cuff to compact
it for easy storage and carrying convenience has very important
advantages. It does not weaken the cuff cross-sectional strength as
do pinching methods. It also does not kink the cross-section, which
makes it difficult to open and use. Finally, the coiling method
produces a disposable cuff, in either a single loop version or a
double loop version that is much smaller in length than comparable
cuffs folded or hinged. By virtue of this invention, police
officers and other security personnel (e.g., airport and airline
security, building security, and the like) can carry any number of
these disposable cuffs on their person, or in a small bag, ready
for immediate use.
[0034] The present invention has been described in detail,
including the preferred embodiments thereof. However, it will be
appreciated that those skilled in the art, upon consideration of
the present disclosure, may make modifications and/or improvements
on this invention and still be within the scope and spirit of this
invention as set forth in the following claims.
* * * * *