Holster radio alarm

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to electrical alarm systems and, more particularly, to an arrangement for signaling an attended station whenever a security guard or the like 05 encounters a dangerous condition.

Large plants, office buildings, banks, etc. often employ security guards who patrol a predetermined area. Because a single guard or night-watchman may be unable, by himself, to effectively deal with intruders, it is desirable to 30 provide a signaling arrangement which will enable the guard to call for assistance when necessary. This is commonly accomplished by providing one or more telephones or “alarm boxes” at predetermined stations in the patrolled area. 35

Unfortunately, it may be impractical for the guard to “tum in” an alarm in this fashion. For instance, the guard may be taken captive by the intruders before he can reach such an alarm station.

Alarm systems have been devised which do not require 40 the guard to take affirmative action in order to signal the remote, attended station. In one conventional system, the guard on patrol is required to “check in” at a series of stations in sequence along his route. Should he fail to check in to the next station within a predetermined pe- 45 riod following the last, an alarm system is activated. Besides the extensive wiring required, the primary disadvantage of such an arrangement is the necessary time delay which must elapse after the guard encounters trouble before the alarm system is activated. This delay in- 50 creases the danger to the guard and may permit the intruder to complete his unlawful mission.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In a principal aspect, the present invention takes the 55 form of an alarm system adapted to be used in conjunction with a weapon holster worn on the body. In accordance with the invention, means are employed for detecting the removal of the weapon from the holster and for activating a radio transmitter in response thereto. At 60 a remote station, radio receiving means are employed for indicating a danger condition whenever a signal is received from the transmitter. In preferred embodiments of the invention, means are also employed for activating the transmitter whenever the holster is removed from the 65 body, thereby notifying the remote station whenever a guard, policeman, or the like is disarmed. If desired, the radio transmitter may also be manually activated in order to signal the remote station.

In accordance with the principles of the present inven- 70 tion, a remote, attended station may be automatically signaled whenever a security guard, nightwatchman, po2 liceman, or the like draws his weapon or is disarmed by removal of his gun-belt. It is unnecessary for the guard to make his way toward an alarm box or to take any steps other than simply drawing his revolver or operating a manual switch in order to signal the remote station.

These and other features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent through a consideration of the attached drawings and the following description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a gun-belt and holster arrangement incorporating the principles of the invention in buckled position with the revolver in its holster.

FIG. 1A is an enlarged view of the buckle arrangement shown in the arrangement of FIG. 1.

FIG. IB is an enlarged view of the switching mechanism activated in response to the removal of the gun from its holster.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the arrangement shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of the switching and transmitting arrangement incorporated into the gun-belt and holster depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

A gun-belt and holster arrangement illustrative of one application of the principles of the invention is shown in the perspective view of FIG. 1. A holster 11 which receives revolver 13 is carried on a gun-belt 15 along with a radio transmitter housed in a compartment indicated generally at 17. A switching mechanism responsive to the removal of the gun 13 from the holster 11 is indicated generally at 20 in FIG. 1 and shown in more detail in FIG. IB of the drawing. The switching mechanism associated with belt buckle 22 is shown more clearly in the enlarged view of FIG. 1A of the drawing.

As seen in FIG. 1A, the belt buckle 22 is made up of buckle halves 24 and 25, the half 24 carrying an enlarged magnetized member 26 which fits through an aperture in the buckle half 25. Buckle half 25 carries an encapsulated reed switch indicated generally at 28 made up of an evacuated glass envelope 29, a moveable reed member 30, and fixed contact members 31 and 32. Contact member 32 is made of a non-ferrous material whereas contact 31 is made of a ferrous metal having low magnetic reluctance. When the buckle halves 24 and 25 are engaged, the proximity of the magnet 26 to the reed switch 28 creates an axial flux through the envelope 29, causing the reed member 30 to be held in engagement with the ferrous contact 31. When buckle 22 is disengaged, magnet 26 and reed switch 28 separate, allowing reed member 30 to move by spring action against the nonferrous contact 32. Disengagement of buckle 22 thus completes a circuit between the conductors 34 and 35 which are affixed to contact 32 and reed 30 respectively. As will be described in more detail in conjunction with FIG. 3, the disengagement of buckle 22 thereby serves to energize the radio transmitter housed within compartment 17.

A similar reed switching arrangement is provided for the gun 13 and holster 11 as more clearly seen in the enlarged view of FIG. IB. The switching mechanism includes a reed switch capsule comprising an evactuated envelope 40 which houses a reed member 41 and fixed contact members 42 and 43, the contact 42 being made of ferrous, magnetic material whereas contact 43 is nonferrous. The reed 41 is held in engagement with the contact 42 whenever a magnet 50, affixed to the barrel of gun 13, is positioned adjacent thereto. The magnet 50

3,530,451 is mounted in spaced relation from the barrel of gun 13 by means of a non-ferrous mounting block 53 in order to prevent the entire flux from the magnet 50 from being shunted through the low reluctance path provided by the barrel of gun 13. When the gun 13 is removed, the reed _r41 swings int engagement with contact 43, thus complet- ¹³ing a circuit between conductors 54 and 55. These conductors 54 and 55 pass through the major length of the belt 15 to the transmitter compartment 17 as clearly seen in FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings.

The alarm system shown in the drawing may be activated by means of the key operated switch 59 mounted in compartment 17 and operated by a key 58 as shown in FIG. 1. Alternatively, the alarm system may be deactivated by means of a key switch at the receiving station, jg

As shown in FIG. 2, the transmitter compartment 17 is also connected to a dipole antenna indicated generally at 60 in FIGS. 1 and 2 which forms the transmitting antenna for the arrangement. The antenna 60 may be embedded in the belt 15 as shown in FIG. 2 or may be 2θ placed within the compartment 17.

A manually operated push-button switch 63 is provided on the undersurface of compartment 17, permitting the wearer to activate the transmitter without removing the revolver 13 from holster 11 or disengaging buckle halves 25 24 and 25.

The switching and amplifier circuitry employed is shown schematically in FIG. 3. Power for the unit is supplied by a battery 70, from which no current is normally drawn since switches 20, 28 and 63 are normally open. 30 The alarm system is activated by closing the switch 59 (by means of the key 58 shown in FIG. 1). When the gun 13 is removed from holster 11, switch 20 is closed. If the buckle 22 is disengaged, switch 28 is closed. The switch 63 is manually closed by depressing the button on the 35 underside of transmitter compartment 17. When any one of these three switches is closed, current flows from the battery 70 to the power input supply bus 75 which energizes an RF oscillator 76, a first tone generator 77, and a second tone generator 78. Oscillator 76 generates a 40 carrier signal of predetermined frequency which is delivered to one input of a modulator-amplifier 80 which modulates the carrier with the identification tones of different frequencies produced by generators 77 and 78. The modulated signal from modulator-amplifier 80 is de- 45 livered to antenna 60 for transmission to the remote, attended station. The frequencies produced by tone generators 77 and 78 are uniquely selected to identify that particular guard or police officer from whom the alarm condition is being signaled. These tone generators also 50 sefve to distinguish transmissions from the holster gunbelt alarm system transmitters from spurious signals which might also be received.

It is to be understood that the embodiment of the invention which has been described is merely illustrative of one application of the principles of the invention. Numerous modifications may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention.