Holster Safety Clasp

Abstract

A handgun holster of the type including a pair of side-by-side upstanding panels joined together along corresponding upstanding edges to form an upwardly opening recess for receiving all but the butt and trigger guard portions of a downwardly directed handgun inserted barrel first downwardly into said recess. A latch member is provided and includes a generally horizontally directed portion extending generally transverse of the panels and is supported from the holster for back and forth shifting between operative and inoperative positions. Spring structure is provided for yieldingly biasing the latch to a position with the horizontally directed portion in its operative position and a readily releasable latch retaining structure is operatively associated with the holder and latch member for retaining the latch member in the operative position thereof. The horizontally directed portion of the latch member extends through the planes of the panels adjacent the intersections of the upper ends of one pair of upstanding edge portions of the panels and the adjacent ends of the upper edges of the panels when the latch member is in its operative position and the horizontally directed portion of the latch member being horizontally retracted to one side of the planes of the panels when the latch member is in the inoperative position, the horizontally directed portion, when the latch member is in its operative position, passing through the area enclosed by a handgun trigger guard and thus preventing withdrawal of the handgun from the holster.

Description

The safety clasp of the instant invention has been designed primarily for use on handgun holsters and for the purpose of releasably securing the associated handgun in the holster.

There are many instances when law enforcement officers may be handling a suspect without drawn guns and it is possible for a suspect to gain momentary advantage for the purpose of withdrawing a handgun from the officer's holster. In addition, it is possible that during a running chase a holstered gun could be jarred loose from its holster and drop to the ground.

Accordingly, it is the main object of this invention to provide a safety clasp for handgun holsters that may be utilized to releasably secure handguns in the holsters.

Another object of this invention, in accordance with the immediately preceding object, is to provide a clasp of the readily releasable type whereby the person carrying a holstered handgun may gain rapid access to and withdraw his handgun with little difficulty.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a combined handgun holster and handgun clasp structure which may be utilized by substantially all law enforcement officers.

Another important object of this invention is to provide a handgun clasp which may be in the form of an attachment for attachment to existing holsters.

A final object of this invention to be specifically enumerated herein is to provide a handgun clasp for holsters and which will conform to conventional forms of manufacture, be of simple construction and easy to use so as to provide a device that will be economically feasible, long lasting and relatively trouble free in operation.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional form of holster supporting a revolver and with the safety clasp of the instant invention operatively associated with the holster and the trigger guard of the revolver;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of the safety clasp and adjacent holster portion illustrating the release by which the clasp may be shifted to an inoperative position;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line of 3--3 of FIG. 1 and with an inoperative position of the clasp being illustrated in phantom lines;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 4--4 of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the shiftable clasp latching member.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings the numeral 10 generally designates a conventional form of holster including upstanding opposite side panels 12 and 14 and a support panel 16. The panels 12 and 14 are integral and joined by a U-shaped forward portion 18. The rear upstanding marginal edge portions of the panels 12 and 14 as well as the panel 16 are secured together by stitching 20 and the support panel 16 is supported from the belt 22 of the user in any convenient manner (not shown). An upwardly opening recess is defined by the holster 10 for seatingly receiving the lower portions of a downwardly pointed revolver 24. When the revolver 24 is disposed in the holster 10 the downwardly facing forward portion 26 of the trigger guard 28 is abutted against the rear portions of the upper marginal edges of the panels 12 and 14.

The safety clasp of the instant invention is referred to in general by the reference numeral 30 and includes a U-shaped mounting bracket 32 including opposite side flanges 34 and 36 interconnected by means of a bight portion 38. The mounting bracket clampingly engages the rear marginal edge portions of the panels 12, 14 and 16 with the upper edges of the bracket 32 substantially flush with the adjacent upper marginal edges of the panels 12 and 14. The side flanges 34 and 36 include registered horizontal bores 40 and 42 and the panels 12, 14 and 16 include aligned horizontal bores 44, 46 and 48 with which the bores 40 and 42 are registrable. The bores 44, 46 and 48 may be cylindrical, but the bores or openings 40 and 42 are square in cross-sectional shape.

A latch member referred to in general by the reference numeral 50 is provided and includes a horizontally elongated shank 52 having an integral upstanding leg 54 at one end projecting both above and below the adjacent end of the shank 52 and whose upper end curves smoothly over the shank 52 and terminates in a horizontally directed position 56 generally paralleling the shank 52. The end of the shank 52 remote from the leg 54 includes an upwardly and outwardly facing generally quarter cylindrical cam surface 58 and also is relieved as at 60 on each of its four sides to define a peripherally extending groove.

The end of the shank 52 remote from the leg 54 is inserted through the registered bores and openings 44, 46, 48, 40 and 42 from the outer side of the flange 34 and a coiled compression spring 62 is disposed about the shank 52 between the leg 54 and the outer side of the flange 34 whereby the latch member 50 is yieldingly biased toward the phantom line position thereof illustrated in FIG. 3. The shank 52 is slotted as at 64 and has a U-shaped clip 66 engaged therewith whereby the limit position of movement of the latch member 50 under the biasing action of the spring 62 illustrated in FIG. 3 in phantom lines is defined by abutment of the U-shaped clip 66 with the inner side of the flange 34.

The shank 52 has a blind bore 68 formed therein opening outwardly through the cam surface 58 and an actuating pin 70 is provided and is reciprocal in the bore 68. The inner end of the pin 70 includes a diametrically enlarged head 72 held captive between the inner end of the bore 68 and the clip 66 and the outer end of the pin 70 projects outwardly of the cam surface 58 and is provided with a diametrically enlarged head 74.

A pivot pin 76 is secured through the flanges 34 and 36 and the panels 12, 14 and 16 and oscillatably supports a latching lever 78 on the outer side of the flange 36. The latching lever 78 includes a first finger engageable end portion 80 and a second notched shank engaging end portion 82 for releasably engaging the relieved portions 60 of the shank 52. Also, the end portion 82 includes a cam surface 84 which is engageable with the cam surface 58 and a compression spring 86 is connected between the lever 78 and the flange 36 and yieldingly biases the lever 78 in a counterclockwise direction to the position thereof illustrated in FIG. 2 of the drawings with the end portion 82 engaged with the relieved areas 60 of the shank 52. Further, it may be seen that the free end of the horizontally directed portion 56 includes a resilient covering 88 including a cam surface 90.

In operation, and assuming the handgun 24, holster 10 and safety clasp 30 to be relatively positioned as illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 3 of the drawings, it will be noted that the horizontally directed portion 56 of the latch member 50 projects into the area encompassed by the trigger guard 28 at a point spaced closely above the rear face of the forward portion 26 of the trigger guard 28. Therefore, it may be seen that the handgun 24 may not be withdrawn from the holster 10. When it is desired to remove the handgun 24 from the holster 10, the lower end portion 80 of the lever 78 is pushed toward the left as viewed in FIG. 2 of the drawings whereby the lever 78 will be slightly angularly displaced in a clockwise direction so as to disengage the portion 82 from the relieved area 60 of the shank 52. Upon disengagement of the end portion 82 from the shank 52, the compression spring 62 will automatically shift the latch member 50 from the operative position illustrated in solid lines in FIG. 3 of the drawings to the inoperative position illustrated in phantom lines with the U-shaped clip 66 abutted against the inner face of the flange 34. Of course, in this position of the latch member 50, the horizontal end portion 56 is withdrawn from within the trigger guard 28 and the handgun 24 may be readily lifted from the holster 10. Oscillatory movement of the lever 78 to the released position thereof will release the shank 52 for movement from the solid line position of FIG. 3 to the phantom line position of FIG. 3. However, the end portion 82 of the latch 78 will engage the head 74 of the pin 70 to extend the latter outwardly from the bore 70 as the latch member 50 is shifted toward the left in FIG. 3 of the drawings. Of course, the head 72 will abut the C-shaped clip 66 to limit outward movement of the pin 70 relative to the shank 52. However, with the pin 70 and head 74 thus extended, the head 74 may be readily grasped after the revolver 24 has again been replaced in the holster 10 in order to exert a pull on the head 74 and thus the shank 52 so as to return the latter to the solid line position of FIG. 3 of the drawings and thereby again lock the handgun 24 within the holster 10. Of course, the cam surface 90 will coact with the forward portion 26 of the trigger guard 28 to cam the handgun 24 down into its final seated position within the holster 10, in the event the handgun 24 is not fully seated within the holster prior to the shank 52 being returned to the solid line position thereof illustrated in FIG. 3. Of course, as the shank 52 is returned to the right as viewed in FIG. 3 of the drawings, the cam surface 58 engages the cam surface 84 so as to cam the latch lever 58 out of the way until the end portion 82 thereof is registered with the relieved areas 60. The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. In combination with a handgun holster including a pair of side-by-side upstanding panels having spaced apart upper edges and pairs of corresponding upstanding side edges joined together to form an upwardly opening recess defining receptacle for receiving all but the butt and trigger guard portions of a downwardly directed handgun inserted barrel first into said recess, latch means including an elongated generally horizontally directed portion extending and having a longitudinal axis generally transverse of said panels and supported from said holster for axial back and forth shifting between operative and inoperative positions, means yieldingly biasing said latch means to a position with said horizontally directed portion in said inoperative position, and readily releasable latch retaining means operatively associated with said holster and latch means for retaining said latch means in the operative position thereof, said horizontally directed portion being disposed slightly above one pair of corresponding ends of said upper edges inwardly of the terminal ends thereof and extending through the planes of said panels adjacent the intersection of the upper ends of one pair of upstanding edge portions of said panels and the adjacent ends of the upper edges of said panels when in said operative position for preventing withdrawal of the handgun from the holster and being horizontally retracted to said planes

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said latch means includes a supporting shank portion generally paralleling said horizontally directed portion and supported from said holster for lengthwise rectilinear

3. The combination of claim 2 including a U-shaped mounting bracket clampingly embracingly engaging and secured to said one pair of upstanding edge portions of said panels, said shank portion being reciprocally

4. The combination of claim 3 wherein said means yieldingly biasing said latch means to said operative position comprises a compression spring disposed about said shank portion and having one end thereof abutted against said mounting bracket and the other end thereof operatively

5. The combination of claim 4 wherein said latch retaining means comprises a latching lever pivotally supported from said U-shaped mounting bracket for oscillation about an axis generally paralleling said shank portion, said latching lever being oscillatable between first and second positions, means connected between said latching lever and said bracket yieldingly urging said latching lever to said first position, said latching lever and shank portion including coacting portions releasably engaged with each other when said latching lever is in said first position and said latch

6. In combination with a handgun holster including a pair of side-by-side upstanding panels joined together along corresponding upstanding edges to form an upwardly opening recess defining receptacle for receiving all but the butt and trigger guard portions of a downwardly directed handgun inserted barrel first into said recess, latch means including a generally horizontally directed portion extending generally transverse of said panels and supported from said holster for back and forth shifting between operative and inoperative positions, means yieldingly biasing said latch means to a position with said horizontally directed portion in said inoperative position, and readily releasable latch retaining means operatively associated with said holster and latch means for retaining said latch means in the operative position thereof, said horizontally directed portion extending through the planes of said panels adjacent the intersection of the upper ends of one pair of upstanding edge portions of said panels and the adjacent ends of the upper edges of said panels and being horizontally retracted to one side of said planes when in the retracted position, said latch means including a supporting shank portion generally paralleling said horizontally directed portion and supported from said holster for lengthwise rectilinear reciprocation relative thereto, a U-shaped mounting bracket clampingly embracingly engaging and secured to said one pair of upstanding edge portions of said panels, said shank portion being reciprocally supported from said mounting bracket, said means yieldingly biasing said latch means to said operative position comprising a compression spring disposed about said shank portion and having one end thereof abutted against said mounting bracket and the other end thereof operatively anchored to said latch means, said latch retaining means comprising a latching lever pivotally supported from said U-shaped mounting bracket for oscillation about an axis generally paralleling said shank portion, said latching lever being oscillatable between said first and second positions, means connected between said latching lever and said bracket yieldingly urging said latching lever to said first position, said latching lever and shank portion including coacting portions releasably engaged with each other when said latching lever is in said first position and said latch means is in said operative position, one end portion of said shank portion including a lengthwise extendable and retractable elongated pull rod, said latching lever and the outer end of said pull rod including coacting portions operable to automatically extend said pull rod relative to said shank portion upon actuation of said latching lever to release said shank portion for movement under the biasing action of said compression spring to a position thereof with said horizontally directed

7. In combination with a holster including opposite side portions between which an upwardly opening recess is defined for receiving all but the butt and trigger guard portions of a downwardly directed handgun inserted barrel first into said recess and including corresponding end marginal edges of said sides having one pair of corresponding end portions adapted to be engaged by the forward portion of the trigger guard of the handgun to limit penetration of the handgun into the holster, a latch structure for releasably retaining a handgun in said holster, said latch structure including an elongated and generally horizontally disposed latch portion, said latch portion having a longitudinal axis disposed transverse to said holster, means supporting said latch structure from said holster for axial reciprocation of said latch portion relative to the holster along a path spaced slightly outwardly of said corresponding end edge end portions between first and second operative and inoperative positions, said latch portions, when in the operative position, being disposed slightly outwardly of said corresponding end edge end portions for positioning behind said forward trigger guard portion whereby the handgun may not be withdrawn from the holster, said latch portion, when in the inoperative position, being retracted to one side of said corresponding end edge end

8. The combination of claim 7 including means yieldingly biasing said latch portion toward said inoperative position, and latch means releasably engageable with said latch portion for releasably retaining said latch portion in said operative position.