Abstract:
A baton scabbard for stowing various length batons enables insertion into and removal of a baton from the scabbard through lateral movement of the baton. The scabbard includes a generally C-shaped housing that supports a pair of laterally spaced snap-action latching mechanisms mutually cooperable in response to entry of a baton to effect a snap-action retention of the baton within the housing. A belt or strap attachment is pivotally connected to the housing for attaching the scabbard to a user&#39;s belt and permits the housing and a baton held therein to be selectively oriented relative to the user irrespective of the length of the baton.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The present invention relates generally to baton carriers or scabbards for releasably supporting expandable batons, generally the waist level of a user. More particularly, the present invention relates to a scabbard for releasably supporting a fixed length or expandable baton, in either a retracted or extended position, at the waist level of a user such that the baton may be readily inserted into and released from the scabbard by lateral movement of the baton relative to the scabbard, and may be angularly oriented relative to the user&#39;s torso to enable selective positioning of the baton for access, and to enable the user to comfortably stand, squat, or sit without having to further manipulate the scabbard or baton.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     Batons are well known as intermediate force weapons that provide a tactical, yet generally non-lethal means for use by law enforcement and security personnel to maintain order. When not in use, batons may be stowed in a variety of different types of carriers or holsters, typically termed scabbards, which are adapted for mounting on a belt or strap disposed about the waist of the user. Modem batons are typically lightweight and include expandable high strength telescoping tubular sections that when retracted into a handle can be conveniently carried in a belt supported scabbard for convenient access by the user. Known baton scabbards for supporting an expandable baton on the user&#39;s belt or on a separate strap disposed about the user&#39;s waist generally do not permit the baton to remain in a comfortable orientation on the waist when the officer is seated. Further, baton scabbards are known that enable a baton to be released from the scabbard by lateral movement of the baton relative to the scabbards, but generally do not permit a baton to be readily inserted into the scabbard through movement of the baton in a lateral direction relative to the scabbard.  
         [0003]     Generally, security baton scabbards are designed so that a stowed baton cannot be inadvertently released from the scabbard or be readily seized from the scabbard by an adversary. Prior baton sheaths are operative to positively secure the baton within the scabbard, while at the same time providing for relatively quick release of the baton for authorized use. When an expandable baton is fully extended, it is usually releasably retained in the extended position and can be retracted by sharply striking the extended end of the baton with an axial blow. Batons come in various lengths, and a baton scabbard should preferably be capable of positively retaining or stowing batons of various lengths having a fixed diameter.  
         [0004]     Known baton carriers or scabbards are generally designed to stow an expandable type baton when fully retracted and inserted into the scabbard. When stowed in the scabbard, the longitudinal axis of the retracted baton is generally disposed in a vertical orientation substantially perpendicular to the waistline of the user and parallel to the user&#39;s leg when the user is standing. The baton axis is generally disposed at approximately a 90 degree angle to the user&#39;s leg when the user is seated. A stowed retracted baton generally permits unrestricted movement by the wearer. However, in certain applications, such as when a subject is not fully under control, and the like, it may be preferred or occasionally necessary to at least temporarily stow the baton in its expanded or extended position. Also, on occasion it may be impractical to collapse the baton, particularly where a hard surface is not available for striking the outermost end of the extended sections with an axial blow, such as when the user is on a soft grassy area. Under these circumstances, a scabbard that enables a baton to be readily inserted and withdrawn from the scabbard through lateral movement of the baton when in either an expanded or retracted condition would significantly enhance the utility of the scabbard.  
         [0005]     While baton scabbards are generally used to stow a baton, occasions arise when it is convenient for a law enforcement or security office to use a scabbard to support other security devices useful in assisting the officer in fulfilling his or her duties. For example, it is sometimes necessary for law enforcement and security officers to use a baton-flashlight combination, such as the ASP TRIAD™ flashlight manufactured by Armament Systems and Procedures, Inc., which generally have cylindrical handles or battery receiving barrels. Such combination baton-flashlights are generally held in one hand while an officer investigates a darkened area, and the barrel of the flashlight is generally disposed either parallel to the ground surface or at an angle no greater than approximately 45 degrees below or above horizontal. A scabbard capable of releasably supporting a combination baton-flashlight at various angles and that enables attachment to and release from the scabbard by lateral movement relative to the scabbard, would leave both hands of the user free for other tasks.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0006]     In accordance with the present invention, a baton scabbard and associated belt or strap attachment clip are provided that permit the scabbard to be worn on the user&#39;s waist and enable a baton to be readily inserted into and released from the scabbard through lateral movement of the baton relative to the scabbard. The baton can be stowed in either an expanded (open) or closed configuration, and the belt clip permits the baton, in either its expanded or closed configuration, to be oriented for maximum comfort and accessibility while the wearer is standing, seated or disposed in any other position.  
         [0007]     In a preferred embodiment, the scabbard includes a generally C-shaped housing that supports at least one snap-action latching mechanism, and preferably a pair of mutually cooperable latching mechanisms, such that a baton may be snapped into and released from the scabbard by lateral movement of the baton relative to the scabbard, and held in place by the latching mechanisms. The generally C-shaped housing is open at its top and bottom such that a baton of substantially any length can be readily stowed in the scabbard.  
         [0008]     The scabbard preferably includes a pair of laterally opposed snap-action latching mechanisms, each of which includes parallel front and rear crowned rollers rotatably supported in a yoke assembly for snap-action pivotal movement. The yoke assemblies are supported within the C-shaped housing and are pivotal about parallel pivot axes such that the front and rear rollers are laterally spaced as pairs of parallel front and rear rollers, respectively. The corresponding pairs of front and rear rollers are positioned to enable a baton to be inserted laterally between the two front rollers and urged against the rear pair of laterally spaced rollers so that the rollers and yoke assemblies undergo a snap-action pivotal movement about their respective pivot axes as the baton progressively enters the scabbard. In this manner, the laterally opposed rollers undergo a snap-action engagement with the baton so that the baton is gripped between the laterally opposed front and rear pairs of rollers to thereby releasably retain the baton in place within the scabbard until withdrawn in a reverse direction.  
         [0009]     The scabbard belt or strap attachment clip is pivotally connected to the scabbard C-shaped housing so as to enable the housing and a stowed baton to be attached to a belt or strap disposed about the user&#39;s waist and selectively angularly oriented relative to the belt or strap. A user can thus orient a baton or other elongated device stowed in the scabbard to better facilitate comfortable sitting, stooping or standing by the user. This leaves the user&#39;s hands free for other tasks.  
         [0010]     Further objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein like reference numerals designate like elements throughout the several views. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0011]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a baton scabbard constructed in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0012]      FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective view of the baton scabbard of  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0013]      FIG. 3  is a plan view of the baton scabbard of  FIG. 1  with portions thereof showing a sectional view;  
         [0014]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the baton scabbard of  FIG. 1  having a fragmentary portion of a baton inserted therein;  
         [0015]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the bottom case housing of the scabbard of  FIG. 1  with the belt clip removed to illustrate a circular array of the detents formed on the bottom case housing;  
         [0016]      FIG. 6  is a rear elevational view of the bottom case housing of  FIGS. 2 and 5 ;  
         [0017]      FIG. 7  is a rear elevational side view of the bottom case housing of  FIG. 5  taken along the line  7 - 7  of  FIG. 6 ;  
         [0018]      FIG. 8  is a rear elevational view of the top case housing of  FIG. 2 ;  
         [0019]      FIG. 9  is a rear elevational side view of the top case housing of  FIG. 8  taken along the line  9 - 9  of  FIG. 8 ;  
         [0020]      FIG. 10  is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of the wheel shaped molding of the lower case housing showing raised radii taken along the line  10 - 10  of  FIG. 6 , which radii cooperate with the detents of the belt clip shown in  FIG. 13  to enable selective pivotal adjustment of the scabbard housing relative to the belt clip;  
         [0021]      FIG. 11  is a perspective view of a belt clip assembly;  
         [0022]      FIG. 12  is a side view of the belt clip assembly of  FIG. 11 ;  
         [0023]      FIG. 13  is a rear elevational view of the belt clip assembly of  FIG. 11  particularly illustrating the detents that cooperate with the raised radii of  FIG. 10 ;  
         [0024]      FIG. 14  is a fragmentary cross-sectional view showing raised radii taken along the line  14 - 14  of  FIG. 13 , which radii cooperate with the detents of the wheel shaped housing of  FIG. 6  to enable selective pivotal adjustment of the scabbard housing relative to the belt clip;  
         [0025]      FIG. 15  is a top sectional pictorial view particularly showing the angular position of the rollers when a baton is initially inserted into the baton holder;  
         [0026]      FIG. 16  is a top sectional pictorial view particularly showing the angular position of the rollers when a baton is partially inserted into the baton holder; and  
         [0027]      FIG. 17  is a top sectional pictorial view particularly showing the angular position of the rollers when a baton is fully inserted into the baton holder.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0028]     While the present invention is susceptible of embodiments in various forms, there is shown in the drawings a presently preferred embodiment that is described in greater detail hereafter. It should be understood that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the present invention, and is not intended to limit the invention to the specific embodiment illustrated and described. It should be further understood that the title of this section of this application (“Detailed Description”) relates to a requirement of the United States Patent and Trademark Office, and should not be found to limit the subject matter disclosed herein.  
         [0029]     Referring now to the drawings, and in particular to  FIGS. 1-3 , a baton scabbard constructed in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention is indicated generally at  10 . The scabbard  10  includes a baton holder  12  and a belt or strap attachment clip assembly  14  that enables the scabbard to be supported on a user&#39;s belt or a strap disposed about the user&#39;s waist. The baton holder  12  includes a generally C-shaped housing  16  having curved “arms”  16   a,  that are substantially mirror images of each other. The arms  16   a  are preferably integrally formed with or otherwise suitably secured to an interior connecting wall  16   b  and define a baton receiving entry opening  17 . The C-shaped housing  16  pivotally supports snap-action means in the form of at least one, and preferably two roller assemblies  18  and  20 . Each roller assembly  18  and  20  includes a pair of forward rollers  18   a,    20   a  and rear rollers  18   b,    20   b,  respectively, that are each rotatably supported in predetermined parallel relation to each other by pins  21 , the opposite ends are which secured to and between corresponding upper and lower pairs of parallel roller assembly caps  22   a  and  22   b,  as best illustrated in  FIG. 2 .  
         [0030]     The housing  16  is shown having a friction pad  23  in its interior wall  16   b.  Friction pad  23  may be, for example, a flexible sheet or insert providing a contact surface that a baton  24  ( FIG. 4 ) contacts upon placement in the scabbard  10 . Note that such batons and others, for example, are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,348,297, 5,356,139, 5,407,197, 5,509,653, 5,657,986, 5,667,441 and 5,868,621, which are all assigned to the assignee of the present application. The friction pad  23  permits the placement of the baton  24  in the scabbard  10  in such a manner as to keep the baton  24  from slipping while placed in the scabbard  10 . In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a baton having a rubberized, or otherwise cushioned grip is used, and the friction pad  23  is made of a rubber material having a smooth surface. It has been found that a smooth surface rubber material will provide a superior means of holding the baton  24  with a cushioned grip, within the scabbard  10 . The smooth material of friction pad  23  and cushioned grip of the baton  24  provide a desirable degree of frictional contact with each other. It will be understood by persons having skill in the art that the scabbard  10  can be constructed without the friction pad  23  or with a friction pad using a different type of material (having either a greater or lower coefficient of friction) than in the described embodiments, without departing from the novel scope of the present invention. Further, in a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the friction pad  23  can be removeably placed within the scabbard  10  such that it can be easily removed and replaced by another type of friction pad that may be more suitable to a different type of baton. Alternatively, the friction pad  23  may be fully removed.  
         [0031]     Referring now to  FIG. 2 , the elements of the baton holder  12  and belt attachment  14  can be seen in greater detail. It can be seen that roller assemblies  18  and  20  are similar in construction, and each comprises the front rollers  18   a,    20   a  and the rear rollers  18   b,    20   b,  held in fixed relation by a yoke body  34  in cooperation with the top and bottom roller assembly caps  22   a  and  22   b.  In the construction of a preferred embodiment of the roller assembly  18  (and similarly for roller assembly  20 ), the spring pin  21  is inserted into each roller  18   a,    18   b  ( 20   a  and  20   b ). The yoke body  34  is placed adjacent the rollers  18   a,    18   b  ( 20   a,    20   b ) and roller assembly caps  22   a,    22   b  are placed in axial alignment with the rollers. Fastener means, such as a screw or small bolt  38 , is fastened at the outer surface of roller assembly caps  22   a,    22   b,  preferably at the center of the assembly caps to fasten the roller assemblies  18 ,  20  together.  
         [0032]     As shown in  FIG. 2 , the C-shaped housing  16  includes two main parts, namely, a top case housing  39   a  and bottom case housing  39   b.  It will be understood that in the assembly of baton holder  12 , the roller assemblies  18 ,  20  can be inserted into top case housing  39   a  and bottom case housing  39   b  then secured thereto to lock roller assemblies within the C-shaped housing  16 . A boss  90  located in each roller assembly cap  22   a  and  22   b,  and dimensioned to receive the fastening screw  38 , is received between corresponding recesses  92  in the top case housing  39   a  and bottom case housing  39   b.  Thus, when the top case housing  39   a  and bottom case housing  39   b  are mated together, the roller assemblies  18 ,  20  are retained therebetween and are able to pivot about the axis of the bosses  90 . More specifically, each roller assembly  18  and  20  pivots about the bosses  90  as a fixed unit, meaning that the forward and rear rollers  18   a,    18   b  ( 20   a,    20   b ) pivot as a unit, as the entire roller assembly  18  ( 20 ) pivots. This facilitates the snap-action insertion and release of the baton  24 , as will be described hereinafter. It will be understood that other types of roller units, acting in a similar fashion to those shown, may be used without departing from the novel scope of the present invention.  
         [0033]     In the assembly of housing  16 , however, it will be noted that a spring insert  40  and the friction pad  23  are first inserted into their respective location in housing  16 . As noted above, friction pad  23  can be inserted against interior connecting wall  16   c  and held in a desirable location for contact with baton  24 . The spring insert  40  can be inserted into a recess  40   a  of the bottom case housing  39   b,  as well as into a cooperating recess in the top case housing  39   a.  Because the spring insert is received within corresponding recesses  40   a  in both the top and bottom case housings  39   a,    39   b,  the case housings are brought into alignment with each other. The top case housing  39   a  and bottom case housing  39   b  can then be held together with one or more fasteners  41 , such as the cooperating male and/or female elongated screws or bolts, as shown.  
         [0034]     The spring insert  40  in the present embodiment may provide the bias that allows roller assemblies  18 ,  20  to act as snap-action retaining members. Also, because the scabbard  10  is made of material that has some degree of flexibility (e.g., a plastic material, as opposed to rigid solid metal), such material in conjunction with the spring insert  40  permits the “arms”  16   a  of the C-shaped housing  16  to reciprocally flex in the direction shown by reference arrow  94  ( FIG. 3 ).  
         [0035]     Referring now to  FIG. 2  and  FIGS. 5-9 , the housing  16  includes the top case housing  39   a  and the bottom case housing  39   b.    FIG. 5  shows a rear perspective view of the bottom case housing  39   b,    FIG. 6  shows a rear view of the bottom case housing  39   b,    FIG. 7  shows a side view of  FIG. 6 ,  FIG. 8  shows a rear view of the top case housing  39   a,  and  FIG. 9  shows a side view of  FIG. 8 . These views are shown with the belt attachment clip assembly  14  ( FIG. 2 ) removed to particularly illustrate a generally wheel shaped molding  42  located opposite the receiving entry opening  17  of the housing  16 . The wheel shaped molding  42  includes a circular member  44  having a generally smaller, but raised concentric cylindrical hub  46  within the circular member  44 . Note that in  FIG. 2 , only an outer edge  43  of the wheel shaped molding  42  can be seen. The circular member  44  and hub  46  are not visible in that view.  
         [0036]     Referring now to  FIGS. 8 and 9 , the rear of the top case housing  39   a  is shown. A molded semicircular recess  47  cooperates with the circular member  44  of the bottom case housing  39   b  of  FIGS. 6 and 7  when the top case housing and bottom case housing are assembled. This provides a backing or support for the “top half” of the circular member  44 . As shown in  FIGS. 6 and 7 , the circular member  44  projects upward from a generally horizontal plane  47   a  ( FIGS. 6 and 7 ) of the bottom case housing  39   b  such that approximately one-half of the circular member  44  is shown above the horizontal plane.  
         [0037]     Referring now to  FIGS. 5, 6 ,  10  in the illustrative embodiment, the circular member  44  and the hub  46  may be integrally molded so as to include a plurality of raised radii  48 , which are elevated relative to the plane of the wheel shaped molding  42 . The raised radii  48  project outwardly from the perimeter of the hub  46  toward the outer perimeter of the circular member  44 . As shown in cross-section in  FIG. 10 , the raised radii  48  have a trapezoidal cross-sectional shape. In a preferred embodiment, radii walls  48   a  form an angle, α, with the plane of the circular member  44  in a range greater than 90 degrees and less than or equal to 135 degrees. It will be understood, by persons having skill in the art that the baton holder of the present invention can be manufactured without the wheel shaped molding and concomitant structures without departing from the novel aspects of the present invention. Further, it will be understood by persons having skill in the art that radii  48  can be formed in different cross-sectional shapes and/or having different angular configurations without departing from the novel scope of the present invention.  
         [0038]     Referring now to  FIGS. 2, 5 ,  6 , and  11 - 14 ,  FIGS. 11 and 12  illustrate the belt clip  14  having a hollow channel  49  through which a belt may pass so as to secure the belt clip, and hence the baton holder  12 , to the user&#39;s belt. As shown in  FIG. 13 , the rear side of the belt clip  14  is shown to particularly point out a complimentary locking wheel  50 . The locking wheel  50  includes a circular aperture  56 . The aperture  56  is configured to cooperate with and accept the corresponding cylindrical hub  46  so as to form a locking engagement that permits the belt clip  14  to be secured to and rotate relative to the bottom case housing  39   b.  It will be understood by persons having skill in the art that any manner of locking ring, such as a “radially inwardly tabbed” locking ring may be placed or attached so as to lock the belt attachment  14  and bottom case housing  39   b  together after hub  46  is inserted into the aperture  56 .  
         [0039]     Similar to the raised radii  48  for the circular member  44  of  FIG. 6 , the locking wheel  50  and circular aperture of  FIG. 13  are connected together by complementary recessed radii  58 , shown in greater detail in  FIG. 14 . The recessed radii  58  are recessed into the plane of the surface of the locking wheel  52 . As shown in  FIG. 14 , the recessed radii  58  have a trapezoidal cross-sectional shape, which is complimentary to the raised radii  48  of  FIG. 10 . In a preferred embodiment, recessed walls  58   a  form an angle, θ, with the locking wheel walls in a range of between greater than 90 degrees and less than or equal to 135 degrees. It will be understood by persons having skill in the art that the belt attachment of the present invention can be manufactured without the wheel shaped molding and concomitant structures without departing from the novel scope of the present invention. Further, it will be understood by persons having skill in the art that recessed radii  58  can be formed in different cross-sectional shapes and/or having different angular configurations without departing from the novel scope of the present invention.  
         [0040]     The connection of baton holder  12  and belt attachment  14  together, in the manner described above, permits the inter-meshing of raised radii  48  and recessed radii  58  when the circular member  44  is assembled with the locking wheel  50 . This permits the baton holder  12  can be rotated to a desirable integral angle relative to belt attachment  14 . The number of integral angular “stops” is governed by the number of radii  48  and  58  distributed about the circular member  44  and locking wheel  50 , respectively, and the angular spacing therebetween. The preferred shapes of raised radii  48  and the recessed radii  58  permit interlocking of circular member  44  and the locking wheel  50  such that a desired amount of rotational force or pressure causes the circular member  44  to rotate relative to the locking wheel  50  (which is preferably fixed in position via the user&#39;s belt that extends through the belt clip  14 ). The force sufficient to cause rotation of the circular member  44  relative to the locking wheel  50 , and hence rotation of the baton holder  12 , necessarily forces the circular member slightly apart from the locking wheel  50  along an axial axis  59  ( FIG. 5 ) to permit the raised radii  48  to pass over and across the recessed radii  58  in a “detent” or “click-stop” manner. As mentioned above, the circular member  44  is locked to the locking wheel  50  with a locking ring (not shown) that permits the circular member  44  to slightly separate relative to the locking wheel  50  when sufficient rotational force is applied. Greater detail regarding the detent mechanism described above can be found in application Ser. No. 10/010,543 filed Oct. 8, 2001, and assigned to the assignee of the present invention, and which is incorporated by reference in its entirety herein.  
         [0041]     Referring back to  FIG. 2 , various bars or inserts  60  are shown that can be inserted within the belt opening  49  of the belt attachment  14  to permit the use of a wide variety of belt sizes with the device of the present invention. It will be understood by persons having skill in the art that various means of permitting the use of different size and thickness belts can be employed without departing from the novel scope of the present invention.  
         [0042]     Referring now to  FIGS. 15-17 ,  FIG. 15  shows the “pivoting” position of the forward and rearward rollers  18   a,    18   b  ( 20   a,    20   b ) in the roller assembly  18  ( 20 ) as a baton  24  is initially inserted.  FIG. 16  shows the “pivoting” position of the forward and rearward rollers  18   a,    18   b  ( 20   a,    20   b ) in the roller assembly  18  ( 20 ) as the baton  24  is partially inserted.  FIG. 17  shows the “pivoting” position of the forward and rearward rollers  18   a,    18   b  ( 20   a,    20   b ) in the roller assembly  18  ( 20 ) when the baton  24  is fully inserted into the scabbard  10 . Note that the angles and distances with respect to the rollers are not necessarily drawn to scale, and are for purposes of illustration only.  
         [0043]     In the operation of the scabbard  10 , an officer brings his or her baton  24  to the generally C-shaped opening  17  of the scabbard  10  and pushes it into the opening. Initially, the leading edge of the forward rollers  18   a,    20   a  of each roller assembly  18 ,  20  contacts the circumference of the baton, as shown in  FIG. 15 . This tends to cause each roller assembly  18 ,  20  to pivot outwardly about an axis  66  ( FIG. 2 ) of the roller assembly, which is coaxial with the fastener  38 . This angle is shown by reference numeral  70  ( FIG. 15 ). As illustrated, the angle  70  formed by the roller assemblies  18 ,  20  appears to “diverge” outwardly from the opening. In this position, the rear rollers  18   b,    20   b  are “behind” a centerline diameter  96  of the baton  24  while the forward rollers  18   a,    20   a  are slightly in front of the centerline diameter of the baton.  
         [0044]     Next, as the baton is further inserted into the opening  17 , the roller assemblies  18 ,  20  further pivot until both the forward rollers  18   a,    20   a  and rear rollers  18   b,    20   b  contact the baton  24  and are approximately equidistant from the centerline diameter  96  of the baton  24 , as shown in  FIG. 16 . Accordingly, the angle  70   a  formed by the axis lines of each roller assembly is essentially parallel, as seen in  FIG. 16 . This causes the arms of the C-shaped housing  16  to flex outwardly in order to accommodate the baton, causing tension tending to “compress” the baton covering. Such outward flexing of the C-shaped housing is counter-biased by the spring tension provided by the spring insert ( FIG. 2 ).  
         [0045]     As the baton  24  is urged further back, the baton  24  eventually engages friction pad  24 , or if not installed, the interior wall  16   b  of the housing. Note that the friction pad  23  may assist in holding the baton  24  in a vertical position relative to the baton holder  12  without slipping downward. Further, the material from which the rollers are formed may also assist in gripping the baton.  
         [0046]     In this fully engaged position, the roller assemblies  18 ,  20  pivot the opposite way about their pivotal axes  66  ( FIG. 2 ) to “snap” back into position under the tension caused by the spring insert  40  ( FIG. 2 ) and the flexing of the housing, so that the forward rollers  18   a,    20   a  and the rear rollers  18   b,    20   b  of both roller assemblies tangentially contact the baton  24 . The forward rollers essentially “snap” back into position and urge the baton  24  against the friction pad  23  or back wall  16   b  of the housing  16 . In this position, as illustrated in  FIG. 17 , an angle  72  formed by the roller assemblies  18 ,  20  appears to “converge” outwardly from the opening. Moreover, in this position, the forward rollers  18   a,    20   a  are “in front of” the centerline diameter  96  of the baton  24  and tend to urge the baton  24  against the friction pad.  
         [0047]     Although an illustrative embodiment of the invention has been shown and described, it is to be understood that various modifications and substitutions may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the novel spirit and scope of the invention.