US2504369A

US2504369A - Holster

Info

Publication number: US2504369A
Application number: US22789A
Authority: US
Inventors: Hugh D Adair
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1948-04-23
Filing date: 1948-04-23
Publication date: 1950-04-18
Anticipated expiration: 1967-04-18

Description

H. D. ADAIR April 18, 1950 HOLSTER Filed April 23, 1948 Patented Apr. 18, 1950 UNITED srrss Ji;:-

HOLSTER Hugh D. Adair, College Park, Ga.

Application April 23, 1948, Serial No. 22,789

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to a holster, and more particularly to holsters of the type used for carrying pistols and revolvers.

According to my invention, the holster has a stiffening portion running along the back side of the holster which not only serves for holding the holster against upward movement when the weapon is withdrawn, but which also serves for supporting the holster from a belt. The method of attaching the holster to the belt is such that the holster may be removed from the belt without unbuckling the belt or removing the belt from the waist. This type of holster is particularly designed for use by detectives, deputy sheriifs and other peace ofiicers who must wear a heavy service type revolver under a coat, but it is also quite advantageous for use by all persons who must carry a weapon of this type.

The holster which I have invented also includes a novel cartridge pocket preferably located on the lower portion of the holster, and formed as an integral part of the holster, thus permitting the wearer to have readily at hand a full reload for his weapon, without the necessity for carrying extra cartridges in belt loops or pockets separately attached to the belt which supports the holster, or in the pockets of his coat.

It is a primary object of the invention to provide a holster for revolvers or pistols which has a stiffening back which serves not only to hold the holster against upward movement when the weapon is withdrawn, but also serves for attaching the holster to a belt.

A further object of'the invention is to provide a holster having a stiffening back portion which also serves for attaching the holster to the belt. The arrangement is such that the holster may be mounted on or removed from the belt without removal of the belt from the wearer, or unbuckling of the belt.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide a holster having a novel reload pocket located on the lower portion of the holster.

These and other objects of the invention will be apparent from the following specification and the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a holster made according to a preferred form of the invention, the stiffening back of the holster being integral with the body of the holster;

Figure 2 is a front elevational view of the holster shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 but showing a modified form of the invention; and

Figure 4 is a back view of the holster shown in Figure 3.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in Figures 1 and 2, the holster has a body portion In which is formed of a single piece of leather bent back upon itself at the front edge II and stitched along the rear edge I2. The back wall [3 of the body of the holster is bent downwardly upon itself at M, and extends substantially the entire length of the body of the holster, as is shown clearly in Figure 2. This downwardly extending portion l5 of the rear wall M- of the body of the holster forms a stiffening back, and it is also obvious that a bolt passed beneath the bend M will support the holster.

In order to define a path for the belt, and to assure that the holster is maintained in substantially a fixed position relative to the belt, two snaps l6 and I! located near the front and rear edges of the holster provide means for attaching the stiffening flap I5 to the rear wall l3 of the body of the holster. When these snaps are fastened together, the passage above the snaps and below the fold M accommodates a belt, and the snaps i8 and H are placed along a line substantially parallel with the fold I4 so that little if any leeway is provided for swinging of the holster about the belt. The snaps hold the .holster against upward movement relative to the belt when the weapon is withdrawn.

Another snap I3 is provided on the inner surface of stifiening back 15, and a flap I9 attached to the inner surface of the lower end of the holster body is passed around the lower end of the stiffening portion 15 to fasten on to snap l8. Flap It, when engaged with snap l8, maintains the holster body substantially coextensive with the stiffening flap l5 and therefore close tothe body of the wearer. An extra layer 20 of leather or other suitable material may be attached to the flap IE to impart additional stiffness to flap 15 which maintains the holster body in against upward movement when the weapon is withdrawn. The surface of layer 2t may be roughened to provide a frictional anchorage of the holster against the adjacent layer of clothing.

The need for such layer 26 will depend upon the degree of natural stiffness of the flap l5, since a naturally stifi flap IE will need no additional stilfening to perform efficiently its function of holding the holster against upward movement and against flapping movement.

It will be clear that the holster may be quite simply placed on a belt when the belt is being worn by simply disengaging snaps l6, l1 and I8,

sliding the stiffening flap l5 downwardly inside the belt until the belt rests against the inner surface of fold I4, and then fastening the snaps together. Removal is accomplished by merely disengaging the snaps and sliding the holster upwardly until the flap I5 is withdrawn from the inner surface of the belt. Thus the belt need not be unbuckled or removed when the holster is to be placed on the wearer or removed.

The holster also has the additional feature of a reload pocket 22 which is formed by a piece of leather which is attached at the rear edge of the holster body at 23, and is passed about the front edge of the body at 24. A second piece of leather provides an inner wall for the pocket, and also provides flaps 2'5 and 21 at the upper and lower openings of the pocket. By means of the upper flap 2G, cartridges may be readily inserted into the pocket, while the lower flap 2! permits ready removal of the cartridges by simply flipping the flap open with the thumb and permitting the cartridges to drop into the palm of the hand.

The forward edge of inner piece 25, as well as the forward edge of outer pocket piece 2 pass about the front edge ll of the lower portion of the holster body, and are attached to the inner surface of the body by stitches which are not shown. As shown in Figure 2, the two pieces 24 and 25 may pass over flap l9, and a single row of stitches may pass through the two

pieces

26 and 25, as well as the flap I9, thus making a unitary structure which is manufactured with a minimum of sewing.

By placing the pocket 22 at the lower end of the holster, the over-all thickness of the holster at the position of the pocket is maintained at a minimum as will be obvious from Figure 2. Attachment of the pocket to the upper portion of the holster body would bring the pocket to a position adjacent the thickest part of the revolver, so that an unnecessary bulge would be caused in the clothing of the wearer.

A modified form of the invention is shown in Figures 3 and 4. In this embodiment, the holster body 30 has a back portion 3| which provides stiffening, while at the same time providing means for attaching the holster to a belt. The back 3|, instead of being integral with the holster as in the embodiment of Figures 1 and 2, is separate and is attached along its upper edge to the upper edge of the holster body by means of a row of stitches, staples, or other attaching means 32. In this embodiment, the stiffening back 3| is provided with two snaps 33 and 34, and terminates a short distance below the flaps, instead of extending the entire length of the holster. This modification provides a slightly lighter and less bulky construction than the modification of Figures 1 and 2, and the flap or stiffening back 3| serves quite well for retaining the holster against upward movement when the weapon is withdrawn, as well as serving for attachment of the holster to a belt without necessitating removal or unbuckling of the belt when the holster is to be attached or removed from the wearers belt. Obviously, the construction of Figures 1 and 2, in which the stiffening back I5 is integral with the body of the holster, could be made as in Figures 3 and 4, with the back terminating at a point just below snaps l6 and I1. Also, the embodiment of Figures 3 and 4, in which the back 3| is a separate piece from the holster body 30, could be made with the stiffening back 3| extending the full length of the holster, and with a snap similar to the snap l8 holding a bottom flap member similar to flap l9.

The holster which I have described above is susceptible to numerous modifications without departing from the inventive concept, and it is my intention to cover all forms of such modifications falling within the scope of the appended claim, and outside the scope of the prior art.

I claim:

A holster for side arms to be carried on a belt comprising a body portion for receiving the weapon; a relatively still back member joined to the extreme upper end of the holster body, said back member extending substantially the entire length of the holster; disengageable fastening means spaced below said upper end for rcmovably joining said back member to said holster body and for defining a belt-receiving space only wide enough to receive the belt between the fastening means and the upper end of the holster; means for removably attaching the lower end of the holster body to the lower end of the back member to increase the stiffening action; a strap attached to the inner surface of the lower end portion of the holster body; a fastener on the inner surface of said back member for engagement by said strap; a piece of leather positioned about the bottom portion of the holster body to form a cartridge pocket, and stitching attaching both said strap and pocket piece to the holster body.

HUGH D. ADAIR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,230,043 Shelton June 12, 1917 1,603,861 Mundis Aug. 26, 1925 1,696,708 Brauer Sept. 2, 1927 2,037,132 Hoyt Aug. 28, 1933