GB2303432A - Push button controlled police baton - Google Patents

Description

PUSH BUTTON CONTROLLED POLICE BATON INTRODUCTION This invention relates to a new and improved multi stage positive lock tubular expandable police baton.

Police batons are used by police for crowd control and other police duties in place of the conventional wooden billy clubs.

Expandable police batons are shown for example in U.S. Patents 5,320,348 and 5,160,140.

The present invention provides a new and improved positive lock quick release police baton. In particular, the collapse of the extended sections into the larger tubular section is accomplished by the use of a single axially positioned push button mechanism.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION This invention discloses a positive lock button release police baton preferably having three sections. Each section successively gets smaller in diameter with the smaller sections telescoping into and out of larger section in which they are slidably positioned.

In this baton, the middle section and the smaller inner section are moved outwardly until they are locked in place by locking means when each of the sections are fully extended. To cause the collapse of the sections into one another, a push button is depressed to cause an axially positioned cam member to disengage the lock holding the middle section to permit it to telescope into the larger end section. While the middle section is telescoping into said larger diameter end section, the lock holding the smaller section in place relative to said middle section is caused to disengage by a second camming surface of said cam member so that the smaller end section may telescope into said middle section.

The baton may be made out of metal such as steel, aluminum or any combination of same.

The preferred steel is an alloy steel such as 4130. The steel may be hardened of desired to 38 to 44 Rockwell C using conventional heat treating process which produce martensite or bainite steel. The preferred aluminum is 6061-T6.

BRIEF DESCR=ION OF THE DRAWINGS Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the expandable police baton of this invention in a collapsed (closed) position; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the police baton in an expanded (telescoping) position; Fig. 3 is a sectional view (partially broken away) of the tubular police baton when in the collapsed position as shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a sectional view (partially broken away) when the baton is in an expanded condition as shown in Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a sectional view (partially broken away) as the baton is being closed (collapsed) and the middle (intermediate) section moves into the larger tubular section; Fig. 6 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 5 with the smallest section also beginning to collapse into the intermediate section as its lock is moved in a direction to permit this to occur;; Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken along line 7-7 in Fig. 4; and Fig. 8 is a sectional view taken along line 8-8 in Fig. 4.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Reference now should be had to Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings.

Fig. 1 shows the baton in a collapsed condition and Fig. 2 shows the baton in a fully extended (telescoping) condition.

The baton 20 has a first tubular (main) section 21, a second (middle) tubular section 22 and a third (inner) tubular section 23.

A rear cap is provided at 24 which is preferably threaded to section 21.

A tip is provided at 26 which has a threaded shaft for screwing into threads of the tube 23. A button 25 is provided at the base of the cap which is depressed by the user to permit the baton to collapse from the extended position as shown in Fig. 2 to the collapsed condition shown in Fig. 1.

Reference should now be had to figures 3 to 8 for a further description of the operation of the baton.

Fig. 3 illustrates, the first, second and third tubular sections in the collapsed position as shown in Fig. 1. In this position, the cam member (in the shape of a rod) 28 having two cam surfaces 28-1 and 28-2 are shown. The cam member 28 is fixedly coupled to the button 25 for movement therewith and a spring 29 and a platform 31 fixedly supported by the cap 24 (e.g., by welding, threading, press fit or bonding etc.) causes the spring to be in compression to force the button 25 to project outwardly from the cap 24. An O-ring 30 is provided between the threaded cap and the tube 21 as shown.

Threadedly coupled to the middle tubular section, 22 is a cylindrical block 32 supporting a locking mechanism including a cavity 33-1 in which there is positioned a slidabley mounted pin (cylindrical in shape) 33-2 with a locking tip 33-2A and a center bore 33-8 having two camming surfaces 33-2C and 33-2D. A spring 33-3 is used to urge said pin 33-2 against the inside of the tubular member 21. An O-ring is positioned between the block 32 and the tube 22.

A second block 40 is threadedly coupled to said outer smaller section 23 and supports a second locking mechanism having a cavity 41-1, a pin 41-2 (in the form of a plate), a spring 41-3 and having a bore 41-8. An O-ring is positioned between the block 40 and the tubular member 23.

Reduced diameter portions 28-4 and 28-5 are provided in the rod 28 for positioning and holding the locking pin in place and thus the baton in a collapsed position. A quick throw out (flick) of baton or slow passive draw, overcomes the hold back effect of the reduced diameter section 28-4 by the pin rising over the cam shaped shoulder of the reduced section.

In Fig. 4, there is shown the batons in the fully telescoped (extended) position.

In this position, the locking mechanism pins 33-2 and 41-2 are shown positioned in place to positively lock the baton for use. The pin 33-2 has a portion 32-2A which snaps in place against a threaded bushing 47. This bushing may be threaded, bonded or welded. The bushing may have a slip fit OD retained by rolling, swaging, or crimping options.

The pin 41-2 is positioned in a cavity 22-3 formed in the interior of the section 22. The smaller section 23 moves against a metal bushing 48 e.g., of metal e.g., 4130 or 1020 steel which can be either threaded in as with bushing 47 or force fit and then having the tube 22 end peaned over to hold it in place as shown. This bushing may be threaded, bonded or welded. The bushing may have a slip fit OD retained by rolling, swaging or crimping of the edge of the tubular section within which is positioned e.g., 21 or 22.

An O-ring 49 is provided between the cylindrical block 40 and the tube 23.

Fig. 5 illustrates the collapsing of the baton and in particular, the button 25 being depressed (see arrow) which causes the camming surface 28-1 to engage the pin cam surface 33-2C to force the pin portion 32-2A to disengage from the member 47.

In this way, the baton section 22 can collapse into the section 21 by being pushed by the user to the left of Fig. 5.

Fig. 6 illustrates the camming surface 28-2 engaging the pin 41-2, bore 41-3 and edge 41-4 to disengage it from the inner locking slot in Fig. 4 so that the section 23 can collapse into the section 22 as shown in Fig. 3.

As may be observed, the present invention provides a new and improved positive lock mechanism which uses an axial cam push baton positive lock mechanism which makes for easy use by the police officer by merely pushing a single button to effect the collapse of the three section baton.

It is also clear from the above that the mechanism herein is also applicable to two section batons.

Claims (5)

CLAIMS:

1. A baton comprising a tubular end section, a tubular middle section, said middle section adapted to move back and forth in said first tubular section, an outer section adapted to move back and forth within said middle section, means for locking said middle section to said first end section when extended for use and said second end section to said middle section when extended for use, and rod means extending axially into said first section and into said middle section to cause said lock means to disengage so that the sections can move to a collapsed position after being fully telescoped.

2. A baton comprising first and second telescoping tubular members, telescoping tubular members, spring loaded locking means for retaining said second member in a telescoping position with respect to said first member, and an axially positioned spring loaded push button member having a camming surface for engaging when actuated to cause said locking means to disengage to permit said second member to telescope into a portion of first member.

3. The baton according to claim 2 in which a third telescoping member is positioned for movement back and forth within a portion of said second member, said third member including means for locking it in place when telescoping from said second member, and second camming means on said push button member for disengaging said locking means of said third member as said second member is being collapsed into said first member.

4. The baton of claim 3 in which said baton tubular members are of steel or aluminum.

5. The baton of claim 3 in which said locking means includes spring loaded means.