Holder for policemen's clubs.

(Application filed Sept.' 14, 1001.)

Sheets—Sheet I.

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THE NORRI3 PETERS CO.. PHOTO-LITHO.. WASHINGTON. 0. C.

<td> No. 710,236. (No Model.) j I Γ- Koo o c |a ο ο ο ο o ,</td><td> Patented Sept. 30, 1902. F. H. AUDLEY. HOLDER FOR POLICEMEN’S CLUBS. (Application filed Sept. 14. 1001.) 2 Sheets—Sheet 2. Il &amp; 'A J OOP Jli</td>

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WITNESSES:

• THE NORRIS PETERS CO.. PHOTO-LITHO,, WASHINGTON. 0. C.

United States Patent Office.

FRANCIS II. AUDLEI, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

HOLDER FOR POLICEMEN’S CLUBS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 710,236, dated September 30,1902. Application filed September 14,1901. SerialNo.75,389. (No model,) arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed. ,

In the accompanying drawings, forming 55 part of this specification, in which like letters of reference designate corresponding parts in the several views, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a policeman’s-club holder embodying my invention and a portion of a belt from which (>o it is suspended, the said holder containing a policeman’s club in operative position. Fig. , 2 is a similar elevation showing the club in the act of removal. Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the club-holder alone. Fig. 4 is a side 65 elevation thereof, partially broken away to show the interior construction. Fig. 5 is a transverse section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2, but showing a somewhat-modified form of construction. Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 70 1, showing another modified form of construction; and Figs. 7 and 8 are sections similar to Fig. 3, but showing different modifications.

In the practice of my invention I provide a holder which consists of a piece of heavy 75 leather or similar material A folded centrally to form a loop B, through which a policeman’s belt C is adapted to be passed, and the edges of the leather strip or loop are stitched together along the sides and ends 80 thereof to form a backing or receiving and suspending strip for the ring or socket D, in which the club is usually inserted. This ring or socket according to my invention is open at one point and is resilient and is 85 formed with outwardly-directed and abutting ed^es D'. This open construction of the ring and its resiliency I prefer to accomplish in the manner shown in Figs. 3, 4, and 5, in· which the ring is formed of three sections E, 90 E' and E² of stiff rigid metal pivoted together by means of pintles E^s, around which, as shown in Fig. 2, the upper and lower portions of the edges of the three sections are turned or curled to form hinged portions E , 95 between which the pintles are surrounded by coiled springs F, connected by a loop I , which bears against the section E, the opposite ends of the springs bearing upon the outside of the section E' and E⁸ to maintain them ico normally closed. The edges of the several sections E E' E² are also turned around the coiled springs F in such manner that the edges of the section E overlap the edges of the secTo all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Francis II. Audrey, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State 5 of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Holders for Policemen’s Clubs, of which the following is a full and complete specification, such as will enable those skilled in the art to which it apperio tains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to the belt attachments which are worn by policemen and like persons for carrying their clubs; and it has for its object to provide a simple and im15 proved device of this class which will operate in a similar manner to existing devices of this general class, but from which the club may quickly be removed, particularly in emergencies of official service, a further object be20 ing to provide such a device from which the club may be removed readily and speedily by the policeman or wearer thereof, but which will eontrarily present especial obstacles to its being removed from the holder by any an25 tagonist or by him be prevented from removal by the officer.

With these and other objects in view my invention consists, primarily, of a holder for policemen’s clubs comprising a ring formed 30 of a plurality of sections pivotally mounted and having their meeting edges abutting by resilient pressure to form a loose and nonf fictional engaging ring or socket for the club, from which the club may be removed either 35 by the usual vertical movement or by an outer diagonal movement; secondarily, it consists of such a holder formed of a resilient open ring having its edges normally abutting by resilient pressure and having its opening at 40 one side, whereby the abutting edges, being at different distances from the fulcrum of the ring, will present varying resistances to the club, and, tertiarily, it consists of such a holder formed of a main fulcrum-section and 45 two movable sections pivoted to the edges thereof and having their ends abutting by resilient pressure, as stated.

Finally, my invention consists of such a holder provided with means whereby it may 50 be locked to form an ordinary holder whenever required; and it further consists in more specific scope in the novel construction and

710,236 tions E' and E³and limit the out ward pivotal swing thereof beyond the amount necessary to permit the ring to open and enable the withdrawal of the club between the edges or 5 jaws D'.

In the broad or generic aspect of my invention it is essential that the edges D' be in contact-to form a complete ring of determinate diameter in which the club may be io dropped or inserted by a vertical movement. In this aspect of the invention it will be seen from Figs. 7 and 8 that I may make the ring all in one piece of resilient metal G instead of the hinged sections. The latter, however, 15 constitutes nay preferred construction and when used it will be understood that my invention is not limited in other relatively minor particulars.

In Figs. 3 and 4 I have shown the device 20 made of the hinged sections and opening at the center or perpendicularly to the general plane of the loop or supporting-strip A. In Fig. 5, however, I make the sections E' and E³ of considerably different lengths, so as to 25 constitute a short arm and a long arm, respectively, of the ring, and thereby offer different resistances to the club as it is moved outwardly between the jaws of the ring or clamp.

. In Fig. 7 the central opening is shown and in Fig. 8 the side opening. Both of these figures represent the device as made from the central resilient strip G.

In Fig. 6 there is shown a still further modi35 fieation, in which the opening is on a diagonal line, as shown at H, leaving one section I short at the top and the opposite section I' long at the top, which is the point of commencement of removal of the club. Fig. 6 40 may be made either integral or pivoted, and Figs. 5 and 8 may therefore either of them be considered as different sections of Fig. 6.

In every case the ring is covered inside and out with a casing of leather J. I also provide 45 means (applicable to any of the forms of the device, but shown only in Figs. 3 and 7) for locking the two jaws D' together, so as to make an ordinary ring or socket out of the device whenever required. This locking de50 vice consists of a plate K, in which is pivoted a spring-loop L, the free end of which is provided with a central eye M, adapted to be snapped over a stud N.

The operation of the device will be readily 55 understood from the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, and the advantages of my invention will be manifest to all who are conversant with devices of this character.

The club-holder is worn upon a belt in the manner shown in Figs. 1 and 2, which represent the left-hand side of the belt, and it will be observed that the opening or line of division of the ring or socket is at the front of the wearer. The club hangs iu the holder in the usual manner, as shown in Fig. 1, and rests loosely therein, as best shown in Fig. 5.

Since the jaws of the ring or socket are normally closed, the holder under ordinary conditions operates in the same manner as the 70 ring or socket now employed by police officers, and the club is dropped lightly into its socket, and by reason of the vertical closure of the socket there is no frictional pressure upon the club, and the abutment of the jaws of the 75 socket maintains the said socket of a determinate size and form, so that the club is held by the said socket uniformly at all times in the same relatively loose or free position. When the ring or socket is locked by the loop 8c L, the device forms a holder, in which the club may be vertically inserted and from which it cannot be otherwise than vertically removed. When the lock is released, however, or when it is not employed upon the de- 85 vice, the club may be removed by grasping it with the left hand and forcing its handle or upper portion outwardlyintbe manner indicated in Fig. 2,thus opening the jaws D' and permitting the club to pass between them, all in a 90 single movement of the lefthand, leaving the right hand free for contest with an antagonist. To remove a club vertically is not only slower, but, moreover, it is particularly difficult in devices of this character, which are suspend- 95 ed from a belt. Generally two hands have to be used, one to hold down the socket and the other to remove the club, and it must be drawn upwardly a distance equal to its length below the handle or guard thereof. If an an- 100 tagonist seizes the bottom of the club below the socket or holder, it is more than difficult to take it out, particularly as the assailant may use but one hand for this purpose and have the other free, while the officer must 105 needs use two hands to his club. By the lateral or forward movement of the club it may be removed with one hand and any vertical pressure upon it will be downward rather than upward, and hence make removal easier. 110 Moreover, it is the handle portion which is moved forwardly, and as an antagonist usually seizes the club from behind his effort will not avail to prevent the quick removal of the club in the manner made possible by 115 my invention.

While the opening or line of division of the jaws may be central, as shpwn in Figs. 3 and 7, I much prefer the form or forms of construction shown in Figs. 1, 2, 5, 6, and 8. Con- 12c ' sidering Figs. 2 and 3, for example, it will readily be seen that any attempt to remove the club from behind the officer must necessarily result in pressing the club into that portion of the socket which cannot open, and 125 therefore rather tend to prevent such unauthorized removal of the club than to enable it. When the ring is made of pivoted sections, as in Fig. 5, and a short arm and a long arm formed at the respective sides of the jaws, 130 the club will in this action be seated against the pivoted end of the long arm and against its pivot.

I do not desire to confine myself to the ex

710,236 act formation of parts and construction of details herein shown and described, as I conceive my invention to be novel in its plan and broad in its scope.