Abstract:
Several improvements to a locking assembly for a firearm are disclosed. The locking assembly may be provided with means for adjusting a mounting position of an action locking arm ( 18 ) and lug within the locking assembly. A retention loop ( 34 ) may be attached to a slide shield ( 10 ) on the locking assembly, which retention loop ( 34 ) may be removably secured behind a firearm to retain the firearm in the slide shield ( 10 ) when the firing chamber is closed. The locking assembly may be provided with an enclosing holster ( 70 ) which receives the slide shield ( 10 ) and the firearm. The enclosing holster ( 70 ) may have a hinged flap with means for securing the flap in a closed position. Finally, a locking pin may be provided, which is insertable in a slide lock ( 30 ) of the slide shield ( 10 ) to prevent passage of the firearm&#39;s barrel through the slide block. The locking pin ( 90 ) may have at one end a grip means an at an opposite end at least one compressible ball bearing.

Description:
This application is a 371 of PCT/US98/20877, filed Oct. 2, 1998 which claims benefit to U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 60/061,085, filed Oct. 3, 1997. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The invention relates to a locking assembly for portable firearms such as semiautomatic pistols or automatic machine pistols and, more particularly, to a locking assembly which safely houses the firearm in either a loaded or unloaded status and provides for drawing and automatically loading and cocking the firearm with only the action of the user&#39;s shooting hand. 
     2. Discussion of Prior Art 
     Locking assemblies for portable firearms are already known from U.S. Pat. No. 5,611,164. Such an assembly includes a body plate designed to center around the wearer&#39;s hip with openings to accommodate a belt for wearing, and an action locking assembly, which is attached to the body plate and exactly dimensioned for the specific pistol to be secured. 
     The action locking assembly includes a flat support member, and an action locking arm extending from a first upper end of the support member and a retainer arm extending from a second lower end of the support member. The action locking arm carries an action locking lug. This locking lug is received in the firing chamber and barrel face of a firearm and prevents cartridges from entering the firing chamber. When the firearm is removed from the locking assembly, the firearm is automatically loaded and cocked, ready to shoot. 
     A drawback of such locking assemblies is that they are made for firearms of only one length. Another drawback is that once the firearm is pulled, it has to be unloaded before it can be put back into the locking assembly. This can create problems when the user must attend to other matters before the firearm can be returned to the locking assembly. 
     The user may want to lock the firearm such that it can only be taken out of the assembly with a key. However, when suddenly the firearm is needed, it takes too long to unlock the firearm. 
     It is an object of the present invention to eliminate the above-mentioned drawbacks. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     This object is reached by several improvements, according to the present invention, as follows. First, several mounting positions are provided for the action locking arm. Thus, firearms of different lengths can be locked in the locking assembly. 
     Second, an elastic band or “retention loop” is provided on the locking assembly in order to suspend the firearm in a loaded position within the locking assembly. 
     Third, for carrying the gun locked in the assembly, while still being able to remove it quickly from the assembly, the present invention provides a locking pin which has a compressible ball bearing at one end and a finger ring at the other. 
     Fourth, the present invention provides an enclosing holster to protect the firearm against environmental influences. 
     Fifth, the present invention provides several slots in the body plate in order to accommodate belts of different widths. 
     Finally, a spacer is interposed between the body plate and the locking assembly to facilitate mounting the enclosing holster and to enable carrying large firearms comfortably. 
     These and other advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein like reference numerals represent like parts. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 shows a perspective side view of a locking assembly having an adjustable locking arm according to the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 shows a sectional view of the locking assembly of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 shows a firearm suspended in a locking assembly with an elastic band according to the present invention; 
     FIGS. 4 A, B and C show, respectively, a firearm brought into the locking assembly, the firearm suspended by an elastic band in the locking assembly, and the firearm being released out of the locking assembly according to the present invention; 
     FIG. 5 shows a sectional view of the attachment of the elastic band to the locking assembly; 
     FIG. 6 shows a groove for receiving an elastic band according to the invention; 
     FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a locking assembly having an elastic band and a body plate according to a further embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 8 is a side view showing the locking assembly of FIG. 7; 
     FIG. 9 is a side view showing the embodiment in FIG. 7, excluding the body plate; 
     FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing an enclosing holster according to the invention; 
     FIG. 11 is a side view of the holster of FIG. 10; 
     FIG. 12 shows a locking pin as known in the prior art; 
     FIGS. 13A and B show a locking pin according to the present invention; 
     FIG. 14 shows a sectional view of a locking assembly, a body plate and a spacer according to a further embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 15 is a perspective view of the spacer and body plate of FIG. 14; 
     FIG. 16 shows a side view in partial section of the embodiment according to FIG. 14; 
     FIG. 17 shows an elevated view of a body plate having added belt slots according to a further embodiment of the present invention; and 
     FIG. 18 shows a top view of the embodiment of FIG.  17 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     FIGS. 1 and 2 show a slide shield  10  of a locking assembly for portable firearms. Shield  10  has an opening  12  on the bottom and a first end  14 , which is also open. Shield  10  has a sight slot  16  to provide clearance for the forward sight of a firearm. Further details respecting the slide shield  10  may be seen in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/743,797, filed Nov. 5, 1996, incorporated herein by reference. 
     Action locking arm  18  is secured to a top wall  20  by a bolt  22 . Mounting plate  24  allows for removability of the action locking arm  18 . It may be desired to replace arm  18  with another arm more suitable for a different pistol model, or to move the action locking arm  18  to accommodate firearms with different length slides. Holes  26  are provided for this purpose. 
     The second end  28  of the slide shield  10  has an integral slide block  30  which provides a bearing surface for the slide of a firearm. 
     FIG. 3 shows a further embodiment of the locking assembly according to the present invention, including a slide shield  10  mounted to a body plate  32  and a rubber retention loop  34 . 
     The function of this rubber loop  34  is to allow, for example, an officer to re-holster his already loaded and cocked pistol momentarily in a secure manner while he attends to other requirements. Once the situation has stabilized, the pistol may be returned to the holster with an empty chamber and with no magazine within its grip while holstering. A loaded magazine is inserted into the grip of the pistol after the pistol&#39;s action is locked. 
     FIGS. 4A-4C show the use of rubber retention loop  34 . This loop  34  is retained in a stowed mode by a retention loop post  38 . A machined groove  40  is provided at an angle on the slide shield  10  to align the retention loop  34  when it is under compression against the back strap  42  of the hand gun grip. Retention loop restraining bracket  44  is so dimensioned as to allow the retention loop  34  to rotate freely within its diameter. 
     In FIG. 4A, the rubber retention loop  34  is secured by the post  38  on one end, with its other end secured by bracket  44 . This is the stowed position of the retention loop. 
     In FIG. 4B, the rubber retention loop has been manually rolled off the post  38  at which point the retention loop  34  is extended over the top of the slide shield  10  whereby the retention loop  34  is positioned into the machined grooves  40  on either side of the slide shield. The top end of the loop is extended back over the handgun&#39;s slide and into the crotch of the back strap  42  of the handgun&#39;s grip. The expanded tension of the retention loop exerts sufficient pressure to keep the hand gun locked in the slide shield  10 , without the necessity of the action locking arm  18  entering the chamber of the pistol which may be occupied by a cartridge. 
     FIG. 4C shows that upon gripping the handgun&#39;s handle and rolling the loop  34  up over the back strap  42  of the handgun grip, the retention loop  34  will collapse forward, releasing its tension from the handgun. At that point, the pistol can be easily withdrawn in a loaded or unloaded condition. 
     FIG. 5 shows another type of rubber retention method. A rubber cord  46  has on opposing ends indented nubs  48 , which are so dimensioned as to press fit into appropriately positioned holes on either side of the slide shield  10 , so as to securely lock within said holes. 
     As shown in FIG. 6, the locking assembly according to the present invention does not interfere with frame-mounted laser devices or high intensity flashlights  50  mounted to the underside of the handgun&#39;s frame, forward of the trigger guard. These devices  50  are being increasingly used for proper target acquisition in police and military action. In contrast with the locking assembly according to the present invention, conventional holsters are not appropriately designed to accommodate the various sizes and positions of these devices to the handgun&#39;s frame. Placement of a handgun so equipped into an inappropriate holster has often caused the on/off switch to be activated expending the battery life of the devices so that they are inoperative when the handgun is withdrawn. 
     The locking assembly according to present invention has no contact at any angle of its use with the frame and grip portion of the handgun while it is in its primary unloaded, locked and unlocked position, or in its loaded and cocked position restrained by the action of the rubber retention loop  34 . 
     FIGS. 7,  8  and  9  show an alternative embodiment of a retention loop according to the present invention. FIG. 7 shows a handgun  36  holstered in a locking assembly including a slide shield  10  and a body plate  32 . A first strap  52  consisting of stiff nylon fabric or plastic is attached to the outside of the body plate  32 . The length of this first strap  52  is proportioned and designed to be rigidly maintained within the center of the back strap  42  of the handgun&#39;s grip. A second strap  54  of like material is affixed to the slide shield  10  by means of, for example, a removable bolt and nut  56 . The length of the second strap  54  is proportioned to have it meet at the center of the back strap  42 , whereby a corresponding male snap  58  is received in the affixed rigid female snap release  60  on the first strap  52 . 
     The function of these snaps  58  and  60  is to exert a closing pressure at the yoke of the back strap  42 , as seen in FIG.  9 . This will allow a handgun to be carried within the locking assembly with its chamber closed with either a round in battery or with a closed empty chamber. 
     The muzzle end  62  of the handgun  36  is contained within the forward portion of the slide shield  10  near the slide block  30 . In order to prevent the muzzle end  62  from moving out of the slide shield  10 , a configuration of the slide shield  10  is provided having an angulation  64 . Angulation  64  shrouds a significant additional portion of the handgun&#39;s slide and lower receiver so that pressure is constant when the pistol is in this position. 
     So locked within the holster, the weapon cannot be withdrawn unless the snaps  58  and  60  on the straps  52  and  54  are released by unsnapping. The action locking arm  18  is in contact with the closed bolt of the chamber. The handgun  36  cannot be rocked out of the holster because of the restraint of the coupled snaps  58  and  60  nor can it be rocked away from the slide and lower receiver containment within the muzzle end of the shield  10 . 
     FIGS. 10 and 11 show an enclosing holster  70 , which is so fabricated to securely contain within it the slide shield  10  which is securely affixed to the body plate  32 . The enclosing holster  70  has a flap  72  which is hinged to the body  74  at flap pivot point B. The flap  72  is closely attached to the body  74  by male snap portion  76 . Female snap portion  78  has a thumb release part  80 . This release part  80  can be disengaged by a user&#39;s thumb to allow the flap  72  to swing outward and down along arrow P, exposing the handgun  36  loaded within the slide shield  10 . 
     In the closed position, the flap  72  secures the trigger guard of the handgun in its loaded and cocked position as shown in FIG. 3, and also protects the handgun from rain, snow, mud, etcetra. 
     The space  82  between the enclosing holster  70  and the slide shield  10  is provided to accommodate the downward action of the grip of the handgun allowing the muzzle end of the barrel to pass through the slide shield during the loading, cocking and withdrawal of the pistol from the holster. 
     The enclosing holster  70  is preferably made of leather, zytel, kydex, plastic or nylon. 
     FIG. 12 shows a locking pin  90  known in the art. The pin  90  includes a rod  92  which extends through hole  94  in the slide shield  10 , shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. A combination lock  96  prevents the pin from being taken out of the slide shield  10 . The pin  90  blocks the downward motion of the muzzle end of the barrel, preventing the withdrawal of the handgun. 
     FIGS. 13A and B show an alternative pin  98  designed with a compressible ball bearing  100  at one end to allow the pin to pass through the hole  94  and to retain the pin therein. On the other end of the pin  98 , a ring  102  is provided to pull the pin  98  out of the hole  94 . 
     The safety function of pin  98  is to block the downward motion of the muzzle end of the barrel if downward pressure is applied. As the muzzle cannot exit the barrel port  104  of the slide shield  10 , the weapon cannot be actioned or withdrawn. The advantage of pin  98  over the locking pin  90  is that a felon cannot snatch the weapon from the rear, but with a single pull, an officer can withdraw his handgun when he wants, loaded and cocked. The ring  102  is so sized to accommodate the index finger of the drawing hand so that the pin can easily be withdrawn with the same hand which subsequently withdraws the pistol from the slide shield  10 . 
     FIGS. 14,  15  and  16  show a body plate spacer  108  interposed between the body plate  32  and the slide shield  10 . The body plate spacer  108  is attached to the body plate  32  by bolts  110 . The slots  112  in the spacer  108  function to accommodate mounting an enclosing holster  70  to the spacer, as described above. 
     The body plate  32  and spacer  108  can be produced separately, but can also be produced as one monolithic piece, or be molded in high density polymer, or be cast as one piece in aluminum or other metal. 
     FIGS. 17 and 18 show again the locking assembly according to the present invention. The body plate  32  has belt slots  114  of different sizes to accommodate belts of different widths. The holster can thus be carried in perfect upright position without sliding or rotating relative to the belt. 
     It will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that modifications to the above described preferred embodiments may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.