Abstract:
An expandable police baton having tubular members, and positive ball bearing locking with an axially positioned cam release mechanism, which will maintain the members in an expanded telescoped position and then can release the locking mechanism by pushing a single button at the rear thereof so that the members can slide over one another to a collapsed position convenient for carrying the baton.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to a new and improved multi-stage positive lock tubular expandable police baton. Police batons are used by police for crowd control and other police duties in place of the conventional wooden billy clubs. Expandable police batons are shown for example in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,320,348 and 5,160,140. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides a new and improved positive lock quick release police baton. In particular, the collapse of the extended sections into the larger tubular section is accomplished by the use of a single axially positioned push button mechanism which releases ball bearing locking mechanisms in the sections. 
     This invention discloses a positive lock button release police baton, preferably having three sections. Each section successively gets smaller in diameter with the smaller sections telescoping into and out of larger section in which they are slidably positioned. 
     In this baton, the middle section and the smaller inner section are moved outwardly until they are locked in place by locking means when each of the sections are fully extended. To cause the collapse of the sections into one another, a push button is depressed to cause an axially positioned release rod to disengage a first ball bearing locking means holding the middle section to permit it to telescope into the larger end section. While the middle section is telescoping into said larger diameter end section, a second ball bearing locking means holding the smaller section in place relative to said middle section is caused to disengage by the tip of the release rod so that the smaller end section may telescope into said middle section. 
     The baton may be made out of any metal such as steel, aluminum or any combination thereof. The preferred steel is an alloy steel such as 4130. The steel may be hardened if desired, for example to 38 to 44 as measured on the Rockwell C Scale, using conventional heat treating process which produce martensite or bainite steel. The preferred aluminum is 6061 or 7075. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The foregoing and other features and advantages of the present invention will be more fully understood from the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the expandable police baton of this invention in a collapsed (closed) position; 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the police baton in an expanded (telescoping) position; 
     FIG. 3 is a sectional view (partially broken away) of the tubular police baton when in the collapsed position as shown in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 4 is a sectional view (partially broken away) when the baton is in an expanded condition as shown in FIG. 2; 
     FIG. 5 is a sectional view (partially broken away) as the baton is being closed (collapsed) and the middle (intermediate) section moves into the larger tubular section; 
     FIG. 6 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 5 with the smallest section also beginning to collapse into the intermediate section as its lock is moved in a direction to permit this to occur; 
     FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along line  7 — 7  in FIG. 4; and 
     FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken along line  8 — 8  in FIG.  5 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Reference now should be had to FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings. 
     FIG. 1 shows the baton in a collapsed condition and FIG. 2 shows the baton in a fully extended (telescoping) condition. The baton  20  has a first (outer) tubular handle section  22 , a second (middle) tubular section  24  and a third (inner) tubular section  26 . A rear cap is provided at  28 , which is preferably threaded to handle section  22 . A tip is provided at  30  which has a threaded shaft  30   a  (FIG. 3) for screwing into threads of the third tubular section  26 . The tip  30  may be coated in an elastic or plastic material, such as rubber, Plastisol, or other similar materials well known in the art, in order to protect against unintended injury. A button  32  is provided at the base of the cap which is depressed by the user to permit the baton to collapse from the extended position as shown in FIG. 2 to the collapsed condition shown in FIG.  1 . 
     Reference should now be had to FIGS. 3 to  8  for a further description of the operation of the baton. FIG. 3 illustrates the first, second and third tubular sections in the collapsed position as shown in FIG.  1 . As shown, the releasing rod  34  has a camming surface  36  and a notch  38 . The notch  38  permits the camming surface to resiliently collapse radially. The release rod  34  is fixedly coupled to the button  32  for movement therewith and a spring  40  and a platform  42  fixedly supported by the rear cap  28  (e.g., by welding, threading, press fit or bonding etc.) causes the spring to be in compression to force the button  32  to project outwardly from the rear cap  28 . An O-ring  44  is provided between the threaded rear cap  28  and the first tubular section  22  as shown. 
     Slidably disposed inside the middle tubular section  24  is a first locking cam member  46 . The first locking cam is shaped with a large diameter portion  47 , a reduced diameter portion  48 , and a camming surface  49 . The locking cam is provided with a center bore with a camming surface  56 . The locking cam  46  bears against ball bearings  50  that are supported in a retainer holes  50 ″. A spring  60  is used to urge the locking cam  46  toward the button end  32  of the baton. The middle tubular section  24  is fitted with a collar  62  that may be press fit, threaded, welded, bonding, peaned or swaged onto the end of the tubular middle section  24 . A washer  61  may optionally be provided on a shoulder formed on the inside surface of the tubular middle section  24  to support the spring  60 . The locking cam member  46  is further provided with a shoulder or flange  63  for retaining the cam against the ball bearings  50  when the locking cam  46  is fully extended. 
     Slidably disposed inside the third inner section  26  is a second locking cam member  64 , which closely resemble the first locking cam member  46 , except that it is smaller. The second locking cam is shaped with a large diameter portion  65 , a reduced diameter portion  66 , and a camming surface  67 . The locking cam is provided with a center bore with a camming surface  58 . The locking cam  64  bears against ball bearings  68 , which are supported in retaining holes  68 ″. A spring  70  is used to urge the locking cam  64  toward the button end  32  of the baton. The inner tubular section  26  is fitted with a collar  72  that may be press fit, threaded, welded, bonding, peaned or swaged onto the end of the tubular inner section  26 . A washer  71  may optionally be provided on a shoulder formed on the inside surface of the tubular middle section  26  to support the spring  70 . The locking cam member  64  is further provided with a shoulder or flange  74  for retaining the cam against the ball bearings  50  when the locking cam  64  is fully extended. 
     The threaded portion  30   a  of the tip  30  is adjacent to an insert  76  provided with a receiving space for the camming portion  36  of the release rod  34 . A reduced diameter portion  76   a  of the insert  76  engages the rod  34  adjacent to the camming portion  36  maintains the baton in a collapsed configuration. A quick throw out (or wrist “flick”) of the baton overcomes the hold back effect of this resistance, and also will allow the rod tip  36  to pass through the first and second locking cams  46 ,  64 . If desired, a slow passive draw of the baton elements may also be employed. The notch  38  permits radial resilient collapsing of the camming portion  36  when passing through the locking cams and the threaded portion  30   a.    
     In FIG. 4, there is shown the baton in the fully telescoped (extended) position. In this position, the locking mechanism ball bearings  50  and  68  are shown positioned in place to positively lock the baton for use. The ball bearings  50  and  68  snap in place into grooves  50 ′,  68 ′ formed in the interiors of tubular members  22  and  24 , respectively. Under the bias of the spring members  60 ,  70 , the locking cam members  46 ,  64  are biased toward the button end  32  of the baton, such that the large diameter portions  47 ,  65  of the locking cam members  46 ,  64  maintain the ball bearings  50 ,  68  in their respective grooves  50 ′,  68 ′. 
     The third tubular section  26  moves against a metal bushing  78  e.g., of metal e.g., 4130 or 1020 steel which can be either threaded in as with bushing  80  or force fit and then having the end of the tubular member  24  peaned over to hold it in place as shown. This bushing may be threaded, bonded or welded. The bushings can also have a slip fit outside diameter retained by rolling, swaging or crimping of the edge of the tubular members. 
     FIG. 5 illustrates the collapsing of the baton and in particular, the button  32  being depressed in the direction of arrow A, which causes the camming surface  36  of the release rod  34  to engage the chamfered cam surface  56  of locking cam member  46  to force the cam member  46  forward in the direction of arrow B. This in turn moves the locking cam member  46  such that the reduced diameter portion  48  underlies the ball bearings  50 , allowing them to disengage from the groove  50 ′ formed in tubular member  22 . In this way, the baton section  24  can collapse into the section  22  by being pushed by the user to the left as depicted in FIG.  5 . 
     FIG. 6 illustrates the camming surface  36  engaging chamfered camming surface  58  of the second locking cam member  64 , which results in the cam member  64  moving in the direction of arrow C. This in turn moves the locking cam member  64  such that the reduced diameter portion  66  underlies the ball bearings  68 , allowing them to disengage from the groove  68 ′ formed in tubular member  24 . After the disengagement of ball bearings  68 , the third tubular section  26  can collapse into the middle tubular section  24  in the direction of arrow D, resulting in the collapsed configuration shown in FIG.  3 . 
     FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the first locking arrangement for maintaining the second tubular section  24  in an extended configuration vis-à-vis the first handle section  22 , as shown in FIG.  4 . The large diameter portion  47  of the locking cam member  46  abuts the ball bearings  50 , the locking cam member  46  being biased by a spring  60  in the locking position as shown in the figure. Also shown is a central bore  54  of the locking cam member  46 . The ball bearings  50  are urged against the interior surface of the tubular handle section  22 , and into locking groove  50 ′ formed on the interior wall of tubular section  22 . When the baton is in the fully extended configuration, the camming portion  36  of the release rod  34  resides outside the locking cam member  46 , as seen in FIG.  4 . 
     FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the first locking arrangement in a released state, as depicted in FIG.  5 . The locking cam member  46  is shown positioned such that the reduced diameter portion  48  is underlying the ball bearings  50 , under the influence of the camming portion  38  of the release rod  34  passing into the bore  54 . As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the locking cam member  46  comprises a camming surface  56  to aid in the passing of the camming surface  36  of the release rod  34  into the bore  54 . The ball bearings  50  are shown disengaged from the groove  50 ′, allowing the sections of the baton to be collapsed. As the sections are moved into a collapsed configuration, the camming portion  36  of the release rod  34  radially collapses resiliently because of the notch  38 , allowing the camming portion  36  of the release rod  34  to penetrate the first locking cam  46 . 
     The depiction of the first locking mechanism of FIGS. 7 and 8 applies to the operation of the second locking mechanism. As set forth hereinabove, the initial release, that is the release of the first section  22  vis-à-vis the middle section, requires the operation of the button  32  to advance the release rod  34 . The collapse of the inner section  26  into the middle section  24 , however, only requires that the inner section  26  be pushed into the middle section  24  in the direction of arrow D as seen in FIG.  6 . 
     As may be observed, the present invention provides a new and improved positive lock mechanism which uses an axial cam push baton positive lock mechanism which makes for easy use by the police officer by merely pushing a single button to effect the collapse of the three section baton. It is also clear from the above that the mechanism herein is also applicable to two section batons. 
     Although the invention has been shown and described with respect to exemplary embodiments thereof, various other changes, additions and omissions in the form and detail thereof may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.