US1821566A

US1821566A - Handcuff

Info

Publication number: US1821566A
Application number: US200466A
Authority: US
Inventors: Elmer E Neal
Original assignee: PEERLESS HANDCUFF Co
Current assignee: PEERLESS HANDCUFF Co
Priority date: 1927-06-21
Filing date: 1927-06-21
Publication date: 1931-09-01
Anticipated expiration: 1948-09-01

Description

Sept. 1, 1931. E. E. NEAL 1,821,566

HANDCUFF Filed June 21. 192% IN V EN TOR.

- A TTORNEYS.

hatented Sept. l,

. arr urn E. near, or CORAL eABLEs, Miami, FLORIDA, nssrsnon r0 rnnnnnss HAND-j police de cerned with SEEING-FIELD, MASSACHUSETES, 1. GQEIORATEON OF MASSA E-IANDGUFF Application filed. June 21,

This invention relates to an improvement in handcu'li, thumb cuti, leg cufi'and like police cuii constructions and particularly in handcuffs of a particular type. the prior background I refer to my Patent No. 1,531,451 of March 31, 1925 which shows the particular type improved. My said ear ier patent shows a type of handcufif const uction whichis now in extensive use in the partinents of this country and abroad. A shortconsideration of such use will help to give a complete understanding of the present invention.

Handcuffs put in use intermittently at e rather than frequent intervals. For

s most part they arecarried in the oiiicers pocket, forming-partof his equipment, in the same way a-revolver. The totalweight of an oilicefs e ment is considerable. As a atter of actual i actice in the sale of handcuffs. the weightot the structure is given in ounces because the buyers alu 'ays'want to know the Weight. They are also much conthe over-all dimensions of the handcu and the tacilitywitli Which they can be carried in the pocket for instant avail ability when needed. As such a time if any part of the structure can catch on the pocket corners and delay the operation of getting 4 them out and applied,"the delay is serious.

Such delay is quite apt to give the opportunity for an escape. The oi'iicers hands need to he tree from all possible structure that might cause him to bungle his job under the i: great variety of circumstances in Which he needs to apply the handcuffs.

A char-act L1 tic of the handcuff type improved by t .ni 'ention, is that it will not lock until it embraces the Wrist, or seine- '3 thing; equivalent, which p events further mow inent ot the locking arm in that cirection which would permit it to unlock it such movement VGPQ continued. According to one feature oi this inyentiointhe exterior form of that type of handcutf is changed. The purpose of this change in form is not alone to give a better appearance to thecuii,

although such an etiect is one of the general objects. A more specific ob iect for purely utilitarian purposes is to so change the form 1927. ser r no. 200,466,

and construction of the particular type of indent? as to render it lighter, simpler, and safer from the officers viewpoint.

According to another feature of the invention, the number ofparts in the completed ndcut? is less thanv iny prior construct i, Which'is an importantadvantage pro= rided that the new construction will tune as Well or better than the old. which it Will do. It true that the new details of construction are related to the lock parts,--but the purpose of the new details is related to the manufacture-and more particularly to the use or the handcuff -as a Whole, whereby the handcuff as a complete structure has iniproved characteristics.

The other features of the invention will be apparent from the detailed description and claims. In the draWings-' Fig. l is a plan View ofa pair of handcu'lis drawn to actual size so as to show the form and indicate the lack of excess weight of the completed structure when compared with prior art structures;

Fig. 2 is a detail View With one cheek plate of the lock casing removed and withthe locking mechanism: disclosed in position for operation Fig. 3 is a detailend View of the Gulf looking at the lock casing froin the left in the upper part of Fig. l;

r 4 is a side view'of the. latch forithe loo 1; i

Fi 5 is aplan View of the bolt strip'witlr the latch'spring forniecl'in the strip;

eral arrangement or two spaced arnis' l and 2 having an intermediate'arni 3 pivotedbetween one p..ir of ends at 4 and a lockcasing formed between the sidesoi'i the arins'land 2 at the opposite ends is old. It is also old generally to have the intermediate-"arm .3

free to rotate completely about its pivot 4 so as to be locked by engagement of the mechanism in the lock casing with the teeth 5 on arm 3 only when a wrist or its equivalent is embraced by the arms. This is brought about by the fact that the arm 3 is normally free to move by the lock casing in one direction only. Since these features are generally old, no particular emphasis will be placed on such structural features and their advantages will be assumed, except where they are important with relation to the new features.

As shown in the drawings, the new structure provides a lock casing A of shallow trough-like form. The depth of this trough is preferably just about equal to the width of the locking arms between the lock casing and the pivot for the intermediate arm. The bottom of this trough may be closed as shown by a skeleton closure piece 13 serving also to space the sides of the spaced arms 1 and 2 at the lock casing ends, and so that the general contour of the arms may follow smoothly into the contour of the lock casing. Thus the lock casing A is formed as a cres-' cent-shaped portion very closely allied to the curved form of the arms. The form as well as the greatly reduced size of my lock casing stands out in sharp contrast when compared with the heavy space-occupying bore like structures of lock casings shown in all the prior art structures of the Carney, VVCS son, and my own prior patents, all of which permit the characteristic operation of complete rotations of the locking arm past the lock casing until the embraced wrist is grasped by the cuff. Such box-like lock casings are the only ones that have been used with the handcuffs of this type in actual police use, and so far as I am aware, are the only forms known for the purpose of enclosing satisfactory locking mechanism up to the time of the present invention.

Within the shallow trough of my crescent shaped lock casing I provide an eflicient locking mechanism, preferably made of but two movable parts. A straight latch 15 is mounted so as to have its opposite ends engaged for a very sli ht see-saw movement about the pivot 16 intermediate itsends. This pivot pin is fastened between the cheek pieces of the lock casing and preferably in line with pivot 4 and the pivot of eye 20 of the chain connecting the pair of cuffs. Instead of the pivot pin, I may provide curved guides at the ends of the latch lever in the closure piece B which guides may have their curved surfaces respectively determined as arcs struck from the center where the pivot pin would other.- wise be located. By such an arrangement the necessity of the pivot pin may be avoided as the latch lever will tip or see-saw from the same center as if a pivot pin were used, but

the form shown in the drawings is the one preferred.

At one end of latch 15 I provide ratchet teeth to engage the ratchet teeth 5 on the outer curved edge of arm 3. As the arm 3 is moved pastthe lock casing, the toothed end of lever 15 must tip enough to let the arm 3 ratchet its way by the casing. This is a very small movement so that the trough of the lock casing on this side of the pivot 16 can be and is made of a shallow depth as shown, so as to accommodate only the necessary movement. Near the other end of latch 15 a slot is provided, wide enough to permit a key to enter, turn therein and engage the adjacent end of the lever to tip it in the direction desirable for the latch teeth to avoid the teeth 5 on arm 3. The necessary tipping movement at the key engaged end is less than that at the other end of the lever because of the difference in the distances from the ends of the latch to the pivot 16. As a consequence, when the key operates to tip the latch 15 by bearing on the short arm, more force is necessary than is used to tip the lever from the end of the long arm. This arrangement is preferable because as the member 3 moves to ratchet by the long arm of the latch, the movement should be easy, but when the lever 15 is tipped to unlock the member 3, the movement should be relatively hard so that it will require about all the force that can be applied by a key and be so made as to effectively resist the smaller force that can be applied by a lock picking wire.

The latch 15 has a spring, as will be later described, bearing against it near the end of its long arm which spring normally presses the lever to locking position for member 3. This spring and the key are the means for tipping the latch 15 from opposite ends through the very small see-saw action which is the only necessary movement for said latch. WVhen the ratchet teeth on the long arm of latch 15 are moved to unlocking position by tipping the latch on its pivot by the key, the short arm moves toward the path of the teeth on intermediate arm 3. To prevent any jamming action between the short armand such teeth, the adjacent edge of the short arm is cut away from a point near the pivot to the end of the short arm, as shown. This permits the whole of latch 15 to lie just as close to the edge of the intermediate arm as is possible without jamming. In fact the whole of latch 15 is arranged substantially tangent to the teeth of the intermediate arm 3, and the required tipping action of the latch 15 is a very small departure from such tangent. The above described arrangement for latch 15 is in part what permits a small size shallow lock casing for the handcuff.

It is quite desirable and almost a necessity from the policemans standpoint, to double lock a handcuif of this type. Thus the latch 15 should belocked to arm 3, not only by a I lever or latch 15.

teatime spring engagement in the first .instance, but by a bolted engagement afterthe handcufi's have been applied to a prisoner. This donble locking feature broadly is shown in my prior patent and its desirability in practice is one of the reasons why a rather costly and bulk producing contrivance has heretofore beenconsidered necessary in these handcufls. I show herein means to perform this locking operation by quite different means than shown in my prior and other patents. My new means in this regard is particularly designed to simplify the structure'of the cuff, .to occupy a very small. space, to add almost. nothing to the weight, and to cooperate with latch 15 not only to bolt the latter inlocking position to give the double look, but to serve such lever also in its single locking function.

To accomplish these results, I preferably provide a flat spring steel strip of thin metal 20. It resembles in plan View, Fig. 5, one common form of paper clip in that it has a generally rectangular shape with a longitudinally arranged spring finger or integral tongue piece 21 cut out of its surface by providing a U-shaped opening as shown. This tongue 21, however, is preferabl made in the metal strip so as to present in side view, Fig. 6, a slightly arched shape with its middle part slightly above one surface of the strip 20 and its free end slightly below the other surface of the strip. The tongue 21 is thus formed to present a spring finger and when formed, the metal is set witha spring temper so that the finger or tongue will perform its desired function with its end out of the plane of the bolt strip as a whole.

This thin strip 20 is received in grooves 23 provided in opposite sides of the cheek pieces of the lock casing. The grooves receive the strip so that the strip lies in substantially the same plane as the outer edge of thelocking In this position the spring finger 21 on the strip 20 bears against the outer edge of the latch 15 to press the long arm of the latch inwardly or to latching po-' sition. Normally the spring finger is the only part of the bolt strip 20 which contacts with the latch. This is so because the latch overlies the rectangular cut in the strip 20 in which the spring finger is provided. But when it is desired to double lock the handcuff, the bolt strip 20 is pushed inwardly by projection 25 on the key 26 inserted in the hole 27 provided at the side edge of the lock casing in line with the bolt or strip 20. This causes the strip at its outer part 28 t0 overlie the edge of the latch 15 when the teeth of the latter engage the teeth of arm 3. In this position the bolt strip 20 will rigidly stop any movement of the latch toward unlocking position. In this position ofthe bolt strip 20 its inner edge 29 is in position for engagement by theturning of the key26 in release a wrist and the handcuff is com.-

pletely unlocked. it is important to safeguard the lock against being picked. One means for this purpose which may beused, is a notch 30 at therear side bottom edge of the latch 15 opposite its teeth, into which notch theend ofthespring finger will drop whenthe handcuff is double locked, as shown in Fig.1 The engaged surfaces are preferably wedge shaped so that considerable force is required to slidethe bolt strip 20 back, particularly when the end .of the spring fingeris in the notch. The spring and the notch are preferably arrangedas indicated in Fig. :2 so that it will purposely require about allthe force that can be applied by the key to make the spring ride out of the-notch. VVhenthis arrangement is made, any other instrument thanthe key (usually a bendable wire) which cannot apply force against the end 29 of the bolt strip 20 as ciiiciently as the key 26, will not be capable of moving the bolt. Of course while thebolt is in looking positiom-it is impossible to tip the latch on itsgpivot by applying force to the, end ofthe latch-lever even by thekey. So'the latclris most elfectively double-lockedby thebolt and cooperates with the bolt to prevent lock picking operations. p v

Before the bolt is moved. to double lock the handcufi, thelatch lever 15' single locks it. by reason of the l spring 21,'provided the teeth: are .in engagement and. a Wrist is claspedby the arms, because arm 3 can turn in onedirectionuntil-it is stopped by the wrist or its;equi.valent. 1 In-this position of theparts whichoccurs when the arresting of ficer fails to double lock the cuffs, it might be possible to pick the look by slipping a thin strip like a Watch spring or a. wire between the intermediate arm 3 and the lock casing part B, so that the strip will pry the latch teeth outwardlyv and prevent their engage ment with the teeth .on the arm 3 as the latter is carefully drawn back to release the wrist- The structureshown in Fig. 9 is par: ticularly designed to :preventthis and as an extra precaution is adapted. to render the single look more effective if in practice. the oflificer at any time failsfto double lock the on The structure consists in the adaptation of, a type of escapement known in. watch. or clockworkas a Swiss verge. Its general operationis well understood by-watch mak-- ers. .The lever 40 is pivoted intermediate: its

ends and at each end is provided with a tooth 4.1/ The teeth on the edge of aria 3 successively engage first one and then the other of teeth 41 on the lever. At each engagement of one tooth e1 the lever is caused to tip the other tooth into engagement with a tooth on the arm 3, and the first tooth released from its engagement by the move ment of the arm which causes'the tipping. Thus, as arm 3 is turned past the verge or lever 40, the latter istipped upnand down and first one and then the other of its two teeth 41 is always approaching the teeth on the arm for engagement. The arm 3 cannot pass the'lever 40 without causing the latter to see-saw as it releases successive teeth on the arm.

lVith this mechanism, it should be clear that any attempt to reach the latch teeth by inserting athin flat spring or lock-picking instrument from the outside of the lock casing, will be stopped. If the picking spring is able to pass the first tooth 40 of the verge, it will prevent such tooth from engaging the teeth on the arm 3 and the second tooth 40 cannot leave its engagement with such teeth unless the first tooth can move to its engagement. Thus the picking instrument is eliectively boxed before it can reach the teeth of latch and the handcuif cannot be picked by the proposed method. The space occupied by the verge is not necessarily greater than would be desirable in any event for keeping the latch teeth engagement positioned at a distance from the place in the lock casing where the arm 3 must enter in its swinging movement. In fact the verge is a working means to block off the entrance to the casing where ordinarily an inert stationary block as part of spacer block B would otherwise be-desirable. And the close tit between the arm 3 and the lock casing is not so necessary for lock picking precaution when the verge is used as when it is not used.

f course'the two cnfls shown in the drawings are preferably made exactly alike to be locked in the same way and to be unlocked with the same key. The form of key, the key hole in the lock casin and the st are de- I as signed as shown in Figs. 1, 7, and 8, so as to safeguard the lock against the insertion of picking instruments having adequate strength to manipulate the lock mechanism.

' In the consideration of this invention, it should be kept in mind that the problem is not to get an improved lock mechanism per se butto provide an improved-lock related and combined with the cooperating parts of V, a handcuff for police use. There are adequate locks in the arts of all sorts of construction which are safeguarded against lock picking operations. But such locks are not feasible for handcuif combinations. The principal reason is that the attempted application of such prior art locks to handcuif use puts the raise combination completely out of balance as to relative size, weight, and form.

An important characteristic of the preferred type of handcuif to which the detailed description is directed as an illustration of the improvements, is that arrangement of arms and locking means which permits one arm to continue a rotary movement clear around the other one and to remain unlocked until the two arms embrace a wrist or its equivalent. This broad characteristic was first disclosed in the Carney Patent No. 1,017,955 and since it issued, there have been various developments of the type including my own earlier patent, and others, known as the *Wesson patent-s. But in all such prior developments, it has been thought necessary to provide a lock casing and lock mechanism which is in fact wholly out of proportion to the needs'of the combination with the embracing arms. In this invention I disclose the means of accomplishing a highly desirable combination of'embracing arms and lock mechanism in the desired type of h'andcull' structure without the great disproportion in size, weight, and form found in the prior art structures.

The new structure avoids the bungling size of the prior art handcuffs. It avoids the unnecessary weight. It avoids the protruding corners. It presents a handout? for police use which more closely approaches a simple bracelet in size, weight, appearance, and facility of handling. In other words, the present structure is a long development away from the ball and chain idea which has been characteristic of police equipment in the past. The otficer in actual practice constantly feels the need of a simpler form of equipment but one which will still function for his purpose when he needs it. The present invention supplies this need by the means herein described and-their reasonable equivalents.

hat I claim is:

1. A prisoners cuff for police use including in combination apair of curved arms pivoted together for clasping movements and looking mechanism on the normally free ends of said arms adapted to prevent unclasping movements of the arms, said locking mechanism comprising teeth on the edge of one arm, a straight latch pivoted on the other arm, provided with. one ormore teeth near one end to engage the teeth of the first arm, and provided with an engaging part near the other end to tip the latch for unlocking and a bolt operable to prevent the latch tipping, said bolt and latch arranged substantially parallel to each other and to a tangent ofthe arm to be locked and a key to operate sa d latch and bolt.

2. A nrisoners cuff for police use formed of curved. clasping arms pivoted together, the normally free ends of which are provided withlocking means, movable parts forsaid locking means comprising astraightlatch lever pivoted to one-arm andwith teeth to engage one or more teeth on the other arm, a bolt slidablein the first arm parallel to and adj acentthe lever and operableintoand out of position to hold said teeth in engagement,

said bolt and lever being operable by a single and means on the bolt and lever for operation by a single key tomove-them successivel-yto unlocking position.

4. A prisoners cufi' for police use comprising two parallel curved arms, a spacer means extending between said arms and from one end and adjacentthe outer'edges of the arms over asuflicient arc toward the other end to form withthe inner faces of the arms an elongated shallow lock casing, athird curved arm pivoted between-the twoends ofthe parallel arms opposite the lock casing and adapted to turnso as to bring its normally free end into closing position along the topof the lock casing, and elongated means within said lock casing adapted toengage theend of said arm and hold it inlocked'position. i

5. A prisoners cufl' for police use comprising a pairof parallel, spaced armsand an oppositely curved arm pivoted at one end between adjacent ends of the spaced arms,.the latter having at the other ends a lock casing formed. between them, said lockzcasing being arrangedas an. elongated shallow trough of a depth about equal tothe width ofthe arms, a

bottom closure forming with the sides of the arms thewalls of said trough, elongated lock mechanism in the trough arranged to engage and hold the end of the intermediate arm as it turns to'lockingposition.

' 6. A prisoners cufi for police use comprising two parallel spaced arms and an intermediate arm pivoted between two of the adjacent ends of the spaced arms for complete rotation, a lock casing at the opposite adj acent ends of the-spaced arms formed between the sides'ot the arms and of a depth about equalto the width of the arms between their ends, a bottom closure for the lock-casing,'a

straight latch arranged longitudinally of the lock casing and pivoted in the casing, said latch and intermediate arm having interengaging locking means adapted to prevent rotation of said arm in one direction and all arranged to permit complete rotation in the other direction.

casing adapted to permitcomplete rotation v 7 .t Aprisoners cufli' for police. use. comprising twoiparallel spaced armsand an intermediate armpivotedbetween two of the adj a-' cent endsof the spaced arms for complete rotation, a lock casing at the opposite adj acentg endsof the spaced arms formed between' the sides of the arms and'oi a depth about equal to the width of the arms between their ends, a bottom closure for the'lock casing, saidlock casing adapted to permit a complete passage of the intermediate arm, a straight latch! ar ranged longitudinally ofthe. lock casing and pivotedrin the casing, said latch andintermedia-te' arm having interengaging locking means adapted to prevent rotation of said arra in one direction, and a bolt operable to hold said latch in locking position.

8. Apri-soners end for police use comprising two parallel spaced arms and an intermediate arm pivoted between two of the ad: jacent ends ofthe spaced arms forcomplete rotation, a lock casing at the, opposite adja- 7 cent ends O-fltllG spaced arms formed between the sides of the; arms and "of a depth about equal to the width. of the arms between their ends, a bottom closure for the lockcasing, a straight latch arranged 'longitudinallyof the lockucasing and pivoted in the casing, said latch and intermediate armhaving interen gaging-locking meansadapted to prevent no 5 tation of said arm in one directiomand abolt operable to hold said latch in looking position, and key'operated means to throw said boltand releasevsaid latchfrom engagement with the intermediate arm. a r

9. A prisonerszcufl for police use comprising two parallel spaced arms and an intermediate arm pivoted between two of theadjacent .endsof the spaced. arms for complete rotation, a lock casing at the oppositeiadjacent ends of the spaced arms formed between the sidesot the, arms and'of a depth about equal to the width of the" arms between-their ends, a bottom closure for the lock casing, a

straight latch arranged longitudinally of the a lock casing and pivoted inthe casing, said latch and'intermediate. arm having interengaging locking means adapted; to prevent-rotation of saidarm in one directiomsaid lock of said arm in'the other direction, a bolt arranged to slide iILthe lock casing parallel. to

the latch and a spring carried bythe bolt operable to pressthe latch into locking position.

10. A prisoners end for police use comprising two parallel spaced arms and an intermediate arm pivoted between twoof the adjacent ends of the spaced arms for complete rotation, a lock casing at the opposite adjacent ends of thespaced armsformedbetween the sides ofthe arms and of a depth about equal to thewidth of the arms between their ends, abottom' closure for the loek casing, a straight latch pivoted intermediate 1ts ends and arranged longitudinally of the lock casing, said latch having adjacent one end interengaging locking means with corresponding means on the int rmediate arm and having key engaging means at the opposite end to release said latch.

11. A prisoners cuff for police use co1nprising two parallel spaced arms and an intermediate arm pivot-ed between two of the adjacent ends of the spaced arms, a lock casing at the oppositeadjacent ends of the spaced arms formed between the sides of the arms and of a depth about equal to the width of the arms between their ends, a bottom closure for the lock casing, a straight latch pivoted intermediate its ends and arranged longitudinally of the lock casing, said latch having adjacent one end interengaging locking means with corresponding means on the intermediate arm and having key engaging means at the opposite end to release said latch, and a spring bolt slidable in the casing parallel to said latch having a part to hold the latch rigidly in locking position and a part to hold the latch spring pressed into locking position, said bolt being operable by the same. key that operates the latch.

12. A prisoners cuff for police use ofthe character described comprising a plurality of swinging arms, one of which has locking teeth on the edge thereoi near its wnormally free end, a lock casing on another arm having locking means therein. to engage said teeth and lock the arm thereof against movement, said locking means comprising a pivoted latch member and a bolt made of spring steel, said bolt having a spring tongue normally bearing on the latch to press it to locking position and also having a shoulder to jam the latch against all movement, said bolt being movable in the casing for its spring to function alone or for its shoulder to function and completely dominate the position of the latch.

13. A prisoners cuff for police use comprising pivoted bracelet arms, locking means including teeth on the free end of one arm and a lock casing with lock mechanism therein adjacent and carried by the end of the other arm, said lock mechanism including mechanism comprising a small pivoted lever with ends adapted to he alternately engaged and the lever rocked by the passage of the said teeth on the first mentioned arm wherebv the latter will have one end or the other of sa d lever in constant engagement with the teeth thereon to prevent lock picking operations, said lever being located in the lock casing next to the entrance for the first mentioned arm as it swings with respect to the other arm.

14. A prisoners cuif for police use comprising bracelet arms movable to embrace the wrist, interengaging locking mechanism on said arms including a. rocking lever means, means operable by the movement of the arms and located to prevent picking operations in the space between the arms when theyare in overlapped position for locking on a wrist.

15. A prisoners out]? for police use comprising two parallel arms having a lockcasing between them at one end, an intermediate arm pivoted at the other end for complete rotation, teeth on the outer edge of the inter mediate arm adapted to pass across the top of the lock casing, a spring latchin the lock cas ing arranged to engage said teeth and prevent movement cf the intermediate arm in one direction and a rocking lever means in the casing operable by said teeth to prevent the insertion of a picking instrument trom with out the casing and between the teeth and the spring latch.

16. A prisoners cu'tl for police use of the kind described, including relatively rotatable arms, one of which carries a lock mechanism, and the other means to be engaged thereby, said lock mechanism having a latch arrangedtor pivotal movement and a bolt slidably mounted in close para lel relation to the latch with a cut-out portion to permit movement of the latch in one position of the bolt and cross-portion to prevent movement of the latch in another position of the bolt,

a spring bearing on thelatch through said cut-out portion, one end 01" said latch and bolt being positioned for unlocking operations by opposite movements of a key in the lock mechanism.

17. A prisoners cuff for police use of the kind described, including a lock casing with a pivoted latch. and slidable bolt therein, operable in one direction from without the easing, said bolt having guiding engagement with grooves in the opposite sides of the casing and adapted to overlie said latch, with a cut-out portion having a spring finger on the bolt centrally ot' the cut-out portion to bear on the latch and a rigid shoulder to also hear on the latch, depending on the position of the bolt, said latch having a hooked portion at one end within which a key may be positioned for turning, the end of said bolt being adapted to overlie the hook portion in the path of the key when in rigid engagement with the latch.

18. A prisoners cufl for police use formed of curved clasping arms pivoted together, one havingat its outer end a lock casing, said lock casing being arranged as an elongated shallow trough of a depth about equal to the width of either arm, elongated lock mechanismincluding a substantially straight latch and a bolt underlvin g the latch both parallel to the bottom of the lock casing in the trough on one arm arranged to engage and hold the outer end of the other arm as it turns to locking position, said last named arm forming a top closing wall for the trough-shaped casing when the arms are in locked position.

19. A prisoners cuff for police use comprising pivoted bracelet arms, locking means on the free end of one arm and a lock casing with lock mechanism therein adjacent and carried by the end of the other arm, said lock mechanism including a lever pivoted within the lock casing and having toothed ends alternately engageable by said locking means to rock the lever and adapted to entrap the end of a lock-picking blade forced between the lock casing and the said free end.

20. A handcufi' comprising a pair of: curved clasping arms with two ends pivoted together for complete relative rotation, the free ends of the arms being formed so as to overlap for locking engagement, an elongated shallow lock chamber carried by one of the arms and of a substantially uniform depth along a radius from the pivot, said depth being about equal to the width of the arms teeth on the other arm, and locking means located wholly within the lock chamber and including a substantially straight latch and a bolt underlying the latchboth parallel to the bottom of the lock casing engageable with the teeth to lock the arms together.

In testimony whereof I have afiixed my signature.

ELMER E. NEAL.