US3106348A

US3106348A - Flashlight mounting bracket

Info

Publication number: US3106348A
Application number: US128788A
Authority: US
Inventors: Robinson Brian
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1961-08-02
Filing date: 1961-08-02
Publication date: 1963-10-08
Anticipated expiration: 1980-10-08

Description

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- $R Ami-Maw Get. 8, 1963 B. ROBINSON FLASHLIGHT MOUNTINQ BRAGKET Filed Aug. 2 1961 INV EN TOR United States Patent 3,106,348 FLASHLIGHT MOUNTING BRACKET Brian Robinson, 35110 Harper Ave., Mount Clemens, Mich.

Filed Aug. 2, 1961, Ser. No. 128,788 2 Claims. (Cl. 240-6.41)

This invention relates to a novel bracket for detachably mounting a flashlight on a hand supported firearm and so that the flashlight is supported beneath the firearm and substantially parallel to the axis of the barrel thereof to illuminate an area toward which the firearm is pointed.

More particularly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a twopart bracket including a part secured to the firearm and a second part secured to the flashlight and which bracket parts may be readily interconnected for supporting the flashlight on the firearm and disconnected for detaching the flashlight from the firearm.

A further object of the invention is to provide a mounting bracket which is so constructed and so disposed relative to a hand Weapon and flashlight, when the bracket parts are connected for supporting the flashlight on the weapon, that the fingers of the hand gripping the weapon will function as an obstruction to prevent disconnection of the bracket parts.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention I will hereinafter become more fully apparent from the following description of the drawing, illustrating a presently preferred embodiment thereof, and wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view showing the assembled bracket in association with a hand supported firearm and flashlight;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken substantially along the lines 2-2 of FIGURES 1 and 3;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 3-3 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 44 of FIGURE 3, and

FIGURE 5 is an elevational view of one of the bracket parts shown attached to the flashlight.

Referring more specifically to the drawing, the mounting bracket in its entirety and comprising the invention is designated generally 7 and includes two parts designated generally 8 and 9.

The part '8 constitutes an elongated rigid hook shaped hanger having a substantially straight flat shank end 10 which is adapted to be disposed against the inner edge of the lower portion of the grip or stock 11 of a hand supported firearm, such as a revolver 12. The shank portion 10 is secured against the lower part of the inner edge 13 of the grip 11 by a single screw fastening 14 which engages through an opening 15 in the shank portion 10. The hanger section 8 includes a lower shank portion 16, forming an extension of the upper shank portion 10, and which extends below the bottom surface 17 of the grip 11. The lower shank portion 16 supports a forwardly offset upwardly extending hook portion 18 which is connected to the lower end of the lower shank portion 16 by a bend portion 19. The upwardly extending hook portion 18 is substantially flat and is spaced forwardly from and disposed substantially parallel to the shank portion 16. The bracket section 8 also includes a connecting portion 20 which extends between the shank portion 16 and the upper end of the hook portion 18, for reinforcing the upper end of the hook portion 18 to prevent it from being bent relative to the shank portion 16. The shank portion 16 is thickened on its rear side, which ice faces away from the hook portion 18, to provide an upwardly facing shoulder 21 at the upper end of the shank portion 16. The shoulder 21 abuts against the bottom edge 17 to cooperate with the fastening 14 to retain the hanger bracket section 8 immovable onthe grip 11.

The bracket section 9 includes an angular bar composed of

legs

22 and 23 which are disposed at a right angle to one another and each of which is provided with an opening 24 to receive a screw fastening 25. The leg 22, which is longer than the leg 23, bears against and extends substantially across the outer side of the rear end wall 26 of the case 27 of a conventional flashlight 28, and is secured thereto by its fastening 25 threadedly engaging in said end wall 26. The shorter leg 23 bears against a part of the cylindrical portion of the casing 27 and is secured thereto by its threaded fastening 25 threadedly engaging 'therethrough, as seen in FIGURE 3. The leg 22 has corresponding flanges 29 which extend along the side edges of the end thereof which is located adjacent the leg 23, and which flanges 29 are outwardly offset from the plane of the leg 22 in a direction away from the casing Wall 26. The flanges 29 are recessed to provide corresponding grooves 30 which open laterally toward one another and which have open inner or lower ends 31 and closed outer or upper ends 32, said closed ends being located adjacent the leg 23 and the open ends being located remote therefrom. The flanges 29 combine to define a longitudinally slotted socket having an open inner end located adjacent the axis of the flashlight to receive the hook portion 18, and a closed outer end forming a stop for said portion 18.

The spacing between the flanges 29 is less than the width of the hook portion 18 but greater than the width of the connecting portion 20; and the width of said hook portion 18 is slightly less than the spacing between the bed portions of the two grooves or channels 30. Accordingly, the hook portion 18 can be inserted upwardly into the grooves or channels 30 for connecting the two bracket sections 8 and 9 to one another for supporting the flashlight 28 on the Weapon 12 and with the flashlight disposed beneath said weapon and substantially parallel to the barrel 33 thereof. The side edge portions of the upper end of the hook portion 18 abut against the closed upper ends 32 of the grooves 30 to provide stops to limit the extent that the bracket section 9 can be displaced downwardly and engaged with the bracket section 8 and so that the weight of the flashlight 28 will retain the bracket 7 assembled when the flashlight is disposed beneath the weapon, as seen in FIGURE 1. It will also be noted that the portion 23 of the bracket section 9 is located only slightly below the base 17 of the grip 11, when the bracket 7 sections are assembled to mount the flashlight 28 beneath the Weapon 12. Accordingly, the little finger of the hand used to grip the weapon 12 can bear on said portion 23 to eflectively prevent accidental disengagement of the bracket sections.

The mounting bracket 7 provides a practical means for detachably mounting a flashlight on a hand supported firearm and which is especially adapted for use by policemen and other law enforcement personnel, to enable such persons to hold a revolver or pistol and a lighted flashlight with only one hand, leaving the other hand free to search a prisoner or for other purposes. It will also be readily apparent that the flashlight may be quickly attached to or detached from the Weapon 12. When the flashlight and weapon are not in use, the bracket section 8, attached to the weapon 12, will not interfere with carrying of the weapon in a holster, and the bracket section 9, secured to the flashlight 28, will not interfere with carrying the flashlight in a garment pocket or other convenient carrying means.

Various modifications and changes are contemplated 3 and may be resorted to, without departing from the function or scope of the invention as hereinafter defined by the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In combination with a conventional hand supported firearm, such as a revolver, having a handgrip including a forward edge, and a conventional flashlight including a case having a rear end; a bracket for detachably mounting the flashlight on the firearm comprising an elongated rigid hook member forming a first bracket section and having a shank disposed against and secured to said forward edge and lengthwise thereof, said hook member having an upwardly extending hook portion forming a turned back extension of a lower end of the shank, said hook portion being forwardly offset from the shank and handgrip and having an upper end disposed below said forward edge, a second bracket section secured to the case of the flashlight and including a part disposed against the outer side of said rear end and having an outwardly offset elongated socket provided with an open end and a partially closed end, said hook portion engaging detachably in said socket for supporting the second section on the first section with said socket opening downwardly for demountably supporting the flashlight on the firearm, beneath and longitudinally thereof, said hook portion being so disposed relative to the handgrip that said second bracket section can be connected to and disconnected from the first bracket section only when the firearm is not being supported by a hand gripping said handgrip.

2. In a combination as defined by claim 1, said open end of the socket being disposed adjacent the longitudinal axis of the flashlight case and the partially closed end of the socket being located remote from said case axis.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 282,846 Cole Aug. 7, 1883 2,450,584 Dodge Oct. 5, 1948 2,553,980 Ostrander May 22, 1951 20 2,897,928 Selig Aug. 4, 1959

Claims

1. IN COMBINATION WITH A CONVENTIONAL HAND SUPPORTED FIREARM, SUCH AS A REVOLVER, HAVING A HANDGRIP INCLUDING A FORWARD EDGE, AND A CONVENTIONAL FLASHLIGHT INCLUDING A CASE HAVING A REAR END; A BRACKET FOR DETACHABLY MOUNTING THE FLASHLIGHT ON THE FIREARM COMPRISING AN ELONGATED RIGID HOOK MEMBER FORMING A FIRST BRACKET SECTION AND HAVING A SHANK DISPOSED AGAINST AND SECURED TO SAID FORWARD EDGE AND LENGTHWISE THEREOF, SAID HOOK MEMBER HAVING AN UPWARDLY EXTENDING HOOK PORTION FORMING A TURNED BACK EXTENSION OF A LOWER END OF THE SHANK, SAID HOOK PORTION BEING FORWARDLY OFFSET FROM THE SHANK AND HANDGRIP AND HAVING AN UPPER END DISPOSED BELOW SAID FORWARD EDGE, AND SECOND BRACKET SECTION SECURED TO THE CASE OF THE FLASHLIGHT AND INCLUDING A PART DISPOSED AGAINST THE OUTER SIDE OF SAID REAR END AND HAVING AN OUTWARDLY OFFSET ELONGATED SOCKET PROVIDED WITH AN OPEN END AND A PARTIALLY CLOSED END, SAID HOOK PORTION ENGAGING DETACH-