US1951865A - Quick release pistol holster - Google Patents

Description

F. FRANZ -QUIcK RELEASE PIsToEHoLsTER March 20, 1934.

Filed Oct. 22. 1931 'f INVENTOR- y E BY lull-,$511,571

55j mediately engage.

Patented Mar. 20, 14934A UNiTED STATES QUICK RELEASE PISTOL HOLSTER Application october 22, 1931, serial No. 570,414 1 claim. (C1. 224-2) This invention relates to pistol holsters.

An object of the invention is to provide a sirnple and eiiicient holster wherein the pistol is automatically latched upon proper insertion therein, and provided with means whereby the pistol can be very quickly and easily removed from the holster when the latch is released.

Further and more specific objects, features, and advantages will more clearly appear from l0 the detailed description given below when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing which forms part of the specification and which illustrates a present preferred form of the invention.

Broadly considered the invention concerns a holster into which a pistol is to be inserted. This holster is provided with a latch element disposed in such manner as to yieldingly engage a portion of the pistol and hold it in the holster,

2o thus acting as a catch or latch for the pistol. Closely associated with this latch member is a resilient element, preferably a spring, with which a portion of the pistol contacts as the pistol is inserted into the holster and which element is put under a predetermined degree of tension upon insertion of the pistol and before the latch engages the pistol. The effect of this spring element thus contacting with the pistol in a tension manner is to create a tendency to move the pistol partly out of the holster upon the release of the latch.

The invention more particularly concerns the provision of the latch and the spring ejector element in the form of a single unit which can be manufactured as a unit and placed readily within the holster by means of suitable rivets, thus simplifying the construction and assembly of the device in the holster.

With the ordinary trigger guard catch which has been previously employed to hold pistols in holsters the difficulty with this sort of construction has been found to be that when the foreiinger of the hand presses the catch to release the pistol, there is no created tendency to move the pistol slightly out of the holster so that if the latch releasing finger is withdrawn from the latch before the pistol has been moved by the hand from its fully inserted position, the latch will catch again without the user realizing it and when he starts to pull the pistol out of the holster 5o it will jam. By providing the spring element above described, the pistol is moved far enough from its fully inserted position at the very instant the catch is released so that when the iinger is taken off the latch it does not again im- Thus by this simple, compact construction all the user has to do is to press the latch member sufficiently to release it from engagement with the pistol whereupon the ejector I element immediately moves the pistol far enough so that the latch upon release will not re-engage. This provides a positive, sure release of the latching element, a necessity developed by the very vital need in the use of firearms that when they have to be used they generally have to be used in a great hurry. v

The invention is shown in the drawing which has been prepared to illustrate the present preferred form of the invention, and in this drawing:

Fig. 1 is a vertical longitudinal section through 'Z0 the holster showing the pistol latched or locked therewithin;

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the pistol as it is partly withdrawn from the holster by the action of the ejector;

Fig. 3 is a vertical cross section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. l;

Fig. 4 is a horizontal cross section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 5 is a similar section taken on the line 80 The present preferred form of the invention is shown in the drawing as employed in connection with an ordinary pistol holster 10 into which the pistol 1l is insertable. As the pistol 11 is 85 fully inserted in the holster 10 as shown in Fig. l, the trigger guard 12 thereof lies adjacent the latch element 13, which has a raised shoulder 14 adapted to lie back of a portion of the guard y and hold the pistol in the holster. This latch element is mounted on and forms part of a spring strip 15. 'Ihe upward spring tendency of this latch element is limited by the stop plate 16. The strip 15 and the stop plate 16 are co-extensive throughout a considerable length and are riveted together with another plate 17, the lower end of which is raised or offset and extends laterally in the form of a spring linger 18. These three plates as riveted together form a compact Y unit which can be manufactured economically and assembled as a unit ready for assembly in the holster. The laterally projecting spring plate 18 is so disposed with respect to the position of the pistol when fully inserted in the holster, as y shown in Fig. 1, that when it is engaged by the pistol finger the latch 13 engages the trigger guard 12 and is placed under tension by being displaced during this engageemnt. Therefore, when the latch member 13 is fullyengaged the ,l spring nger 18 is under tension and engaging '110 the pistol, preferably the forward face of the main body portion of the pistol. The tendency of this spring element is to at least partly eject or move the pistol from the holster. It is obvious, therefore, that when the forenger of the hand naturally extends into the holster through the trigger guard it presses down on the latch member 13 to release it from the trigger guard 12. At the instant of release, the compressed state of the spring finger 18 causes the instantaneous movement of the pistol to the position shown in Fig. 2. This movement is suicient to entirely release the trigger guard from the catch and takes effect so quickly that it is impossible for the latch to re-engage after having once been released. This insures the user of the pistol that once he has released the latch it may not possibly and instantly re-engage to prevent the pistol from being quickly drawn out of the holster, if he should absentmindedly lift his nger from the latch. This provides a very positive and sure release of the pistol and accelerates the easy and speedy manner with which it can be withdrawn.

The latch and ejector element as above mentioned is assembled as one unit and suitably riveted together and then assembled in any desired manner within the leather of the holster. The spring finger 18 may, if desired, be provided with a suitable non-metallic covering (not shown) to prevent undue wear on the pistol.

While the invention has been described in detail and with respect to a present preferred form thereof it is not to be limited to such details and forms since many changes and modications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention in its broadest aspects. Hence it is desired to cover any and all forms and modifications of the invention which may come within the language or scope of the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

In combination with a holster into which a pistol is adapted to be inserted, said pistol having a trigger guard and a body portion, a plate fastened to the holster and having a free resilient end portion extending laterally and upwardly to engage with the body of the pistol when fully inserted into the holster, a second plate fastened on top of the rst plate and having a free end bent over and upwardly to act as a stop element, and a third plate fastened at one end on top of the other two plates and having a shoulder at the free end adapted to move in back or" the trigger guard when the pistol is fully inserted in the holster to prevent the withdrawal of the pistol from the holster, the free end of said third plate adapted to be limited in its outward movement by the bent-over end of the second plate.

FERDINAND FRANZ.

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