US443263A

US443263A - Policeman s club

Info

Publication number: US443263A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1890-12-23
Anticipated expiration: 1907-12-23

Description

(No Model.)

A. W. SMITH. POLIGEMANS CLUB.

' No. 443,263. Patented Deo..23, 1890.

M QMM UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALFRED XV. SMITH, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

POLICEMANS CLUB.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 443,263, dated December 23, 1890.

Application filed October 13, 1890.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED W. SMITH, of Boston, county of Suffolk, State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Policemens Clubs, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the drawings accompanying and forming a parthereof, in which Figure 1 is a central longitudinal section of my improved club. Fig. 2 is a section on line 2 2, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a section on line 3 3, Fig.1.

Policemen are usually armed with short clubs orbillies in addition to a revolver, which they commonly carry. In quelling disturbances and making arrests it not infrequently happens that when the officer lets go of his club to seize the prisoner some one in the crowd seizes the club, which is swung on the officers arm or wrist by means of a leather thong, and pulling it off of his'wrist or separating it from the thong uses it against the officer, and in this way officers are frequently beaten and severely injured, as well as frustrated in their attempt to make an arrest. lVhen under such circumstances they succeed in making the arrest and in saving themselves from injury they are often compelled to have recourse to their revolvers and use much harsher measures than would otherwise be necessary, and with the added danger of killing some of the crowd engaged against them or even an innocent person who may be in no way connected with the disturbance.

My invention has for its object to produce a club which cannot under any circumstances be taken from an officer against his will, thereby insuring to him greater protection and obviating the necessity under ordinary circumstances of using a revolver, and thus obviating the dangers consequent thereupon; and it consists in a club composed of two or more pieces of wood or similar material provided with spurs so arranged within the club as to be normally entirely below its surface, and which, when the club is seized and pulled in an attempt to wrest it from the officer, will automatically protrude into the hands of the party seizing it, all as hereinafter described, and as is more particularly set forth in the claims appended hereto and made a part hereof.

Serial No. 367,919. (No model.)

A represents the main portion or body of the club, which is composed, preferably, of two pieces (see Figs. 2 and 3) of hard wood. After the spurs and their operating mechanism are inserted the twov pieces are doweled or secured together in any well-known man ner. A hole is cut centrally lengthwise of the club to receive a rod 0, which is preferably composed of two pieces of steel welded together and toward the ends preferably circular in cross-section, while throughout the central portion of the club the pieces are separated, as shown in Fig. 2, to permit of the spurs being pivoted between them, as shown in said Fig. 2. From the central aperture lengthwise of the club which contains the rod is cut a series of radial curved slots (1,

which extend to the surface of the club and which serve as guide-slots for the spurs f. The spurs are preferably flat slightly-curved pieces of steel, as shown, which are pivoted at their inward ends at a within the slot or opening in the rod 0, and which are received within the slots d and project normally to a point slightly below the surface of the club, so that when the club is used to strike with the spurs cannot project so as to in any way injure the person struck. The spurs may be as sharp as desired, and the number and relative position of the spurs may be varied, as desired. At one end of the rod 0 a cap g is secured, the hole in the club at this point being enlarged, as shown at h, and forminga shoulder j with the smaller portion of the hole through which the rod projects. Between the shoulder j and the cap g is placed a spiral spring w of considerable strength, which normally acts to press the rod 0 away from the handle of the club. The other end of the rod 0 is threaded and adapted to screw into a cap 7a, which forms the butt-end of the club. This threaded portion of the rod projects somewhat beyond the end of the wooden portion of the club-handle, as will be clear from Fig. 1. The wooden handle of the club is incased in a cylindrical covering of metal Z, wl1ich forms the real handle, and which is also screwed into the cap it.

WVhen the body of the club is seized and pulled in an attempt to get it away from the person holding it, the spring 10 is compressed, the wooden portion of the club moving away from the handle and also moving relatively to the rod 0, which is secured to the handle, thus turning the spurs on their pivots into a position more nearly at right angles to the 5 rod 0, and forcing them outwardly above the surface of the club and into or against the hands which seize it.

As will be clear, theleather thongp may be applied in any well-known manner; but I preto for to secure it as shown, which is as follows: Two slots 8 of sufiicient size to admit the ends of the leather thong are cut in the cap 7a. The ends of the thong are thrust through these slots and are securely bound with line I 5 strong cord, which is passed around the ends of the leather and around the central bushing (1, through which the end of the rod 0 is screwed. This bushing is constructed with slightly-flaring sides, while toward its base a groove 1 is cut. The cord is applied while the ends of the thong project some distance through the cap and against the inner end of the bushing, where the bushing is of less diameter than it is rearwardly of that point. After the cord is applied the thong and cord are then drawn back until the cord slips into the groove 15, when the thong is firmly secured in place and cannot be removed without cutting the cord.

\Vhat I claim is 1. A polieemans club consisting of two or more pieces of wood or similar material and provided with a central aperture lengthwise thereof, and having slots projecting from said aperture to the surface of the club, and automatieally-aetuated spurs in said slots which are normally below the surface of the club, and which when the bod y of the club is drawn in a direction opposite to the strain on the handle will project beyond the surface of the club, substantially as shown and described.

' 2. A policemans club having a central aperture from end to end thereof and having apertures or slots radiating from said central aperture to the surface of the club, and provided with a rod extending through said central aperture, and spurs pivoted thereto and extending through said radial apertures, said rod being pressed in one direction by a spring and being seen red at the handle of the club to a cap to which the leather securingthong is fastened, substantially as shown and described.

3. The combination, with the club A, of the cap 7c, the handle-casing Z, the rod 0, the spurs, and the spring in, substantially as shown and described.

ALFRED W. SM'I'lli.

\Vitnesses:

War. A. MAoLEoD, Rom. \VALLACE.