Abstract:
An expandable police baton having tubular members, and a positive lock 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:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 08/785,028, filed Jan. 17, 1997, now abandoned, which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/505,647, filed Jul. 21, 1995, now abandoned. The disclosures of these two applications are hereby incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     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. 
     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. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     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 cam member to disengage the lock 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, the lock holding the smaller section in place relative to said middle section is caused to disengage by a second camming surface of said cam member so that the smaller end section may telescope into said middle section. 
     The baton may be made out of metal such as steel, aluminum or any combination of same. The preferred steel is an alloy steel such as 4130. The steel may be hardened if desired to 38 to 44 Rockwell C using conventional heat treating process which produce martensite or bainite steel. The preferred aluminum is 6061-T6. 
    
    
     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.  4 . 
    
    
     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  for screwing into threads of the third tubular section  26 . 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 . In this position, the cam member (in the shape of a rod)  34  having two cam surfaces  36  and  38  are shown. The cam member  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. 
     Threadedly coupled to the middle tubular section  24  is a first cylindrical block  46  supporting a locking mechanism including a cavity  48  in which there is positioned a slidably mounted pawl or pin  50  with a locking tip or edge  50 ′ and a center bore  54  having two camming surfaces  56  and  58 . A spring in the form of a resilient elastomeric block  60  is used to urge said pawl or pin  50  against the inside of the tubular member  22 . An O-ring  62  is positioned between the first block  46  and the tube  24  and contacts the inside of tubular member  22 . 
     A second block  64  is threadedly coupled to the third outer tubular section  26  and supports a second locking mechanism having a cavity  66 , a pawl or pin  68  (in the form of a plate), a spring in the form of a resilient elastomeric block  70  and having a bore  72 . An O-ring  74  is positioned between the second block  64  and the third tubular section  26 . 
     The friction of the pawls or pins  50  and  68  provide resistance to maintain the baton in a collapsed configuration. A quick throw out (flick) of baton or slow passive draw, overcomes the hold back effect of this resistance, and also will allow the rod tip  30  to pass through the second block  64 . A reduced diameter portion  76  is provided on the cam rod  34  for positioning and holding the locking pawl or pin  68  in place and thus the baton in a telescoping, extended position as shown in FIG.  4 . 
     In FIG. 4, there is shown the baton in the fully telescoped (extended) position. In this position, the locking mechanism pawls or pins  50  and  68  are shown positioned in place to positively lock the baton for use. The pawls or pins  50  and  68  have portions  50 ′,  68 ′ which 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  40 ,  70 . 
     The pawl or pin  68  is positioned in a cavity  65  formed in the interior of the second block  64 . 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 OD retained by rolling, swaging or crimping of the edge of the tubular members. An O-ring  74  is provided between the second cylindrical block  64  and the third tubular section  26 . 
     FIG. 5 illustrates the collapsing of the baton and in particular, the button  32  being depressed (see arrow) which causes the camming surface  38  to engage the pin cam surface  56  of pawl or pin  50  to force the pawl or pin edge  50 ′ 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 the pawl or pin  68  through bore  72 , which results in the edge  68 ′ to disengage it from the inner locking slot or groove  68 ″ formed in tubular member  24 . After the disengagement of pawl or pin  68 , the third tubular section  26  can collapse into the middle tubular section  24 , 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 cylindrical block  46  has a cavity  48  holding a pawl or pin  50 , which is spring biased by a resilient elastomeric element  60  in the upward direction as shown in the figure. The edge  50 ′ of the pawl or pin  50  is 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 reduced diameter portion  76  of the camming rod  34  resides within the center bore  54 . Camming surface  58  is also shown. 
     FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the second locking arrangement for maintaining the third tubular section  26  in an extended configuration vis-à-vis the second tubular section  24 , also as shown in FIG.  4 . The cylindrical block  64  has a cavity holding a pawl or pin  68 , which is spring biased by a resilient elastomeric element  70  in the upward direction as shown in the figure. The edge  68 ′ of the pawl or pin  68  is urged against the innterior surface of the tubular section  24 , and into locking groove  68 ″ formed on the interior wall of tubular section  24 . When the baton is in the fully extended configuration, the camming rod  34  does not reside within the center bore of the pawl or pin. Camming surfaces, such as described with respect to the pawl or pin  50  as described above, may advantageously be provided to aid in the passage of the surfaces  36 ,  38  of the cam rod  34  therethrough during collapsing, as described above. 
     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.