Belt Buckle Gun Holder

It is a well-known fact that the United States of America is a nation of guns of all types. When the earliest settlers landed on our shores, guns were necessary to obtain food and to defend the settlers against hostile individuals. As our ancestors moved west, they expanded their use of firearms and invented new types of weapons and accessories. During the turbulent days of the western frontier, lawbreakers misused the easy availability of firearms, and communities found it increasingly necessary to appoint representatives to counteract lawlessness, often by their own use of guns.

Although those frontier days have gone, the criminal element has remained with us. Our law enforcement personnel must still rely on firearms to control criminal activities. Many police officers have found it prudent to carry various types of guns, including small, hidden revolvers or automatic pistols which may serve as back-up weapons. These are usually carried in pockets of the clothing, a practice which is less than satisfactory because the guns might not be easy to withdraw, may tend to catch in the clothing, or may accidentally discharge upon withdrawal. Police officers have long been aware of the need for some type of holder providing easy access but which would remain hidden or partially hidden. Such a holder should ideally be superior to a conventional shoulder holster or gun belt holster if it is to fulfill its function in holding a back-up gun.

My invention solves the above described problem of finding a convenient form of holder for back-up guns, particularly small guns. I accomplish this by means of a novel rigid holder which is an integral part of a belt buckle. The buckle has a configuration which makes it convenient to retain a revolver or an automatic pistol by the use of gun-retaining clips and a cover member. The cover is retained in place over the gun until the gun is to be drawn, at which point the cover is released so that the gun is free of restraint. Preferably, the general configuration of the buckle may conform to the shape of the gun as shown in the preferred embodiment disclosed herein. However, any convenient shape may be used. The gun illustrated is a revolver, and hence the buckle is shown to accommodate the cylinder; however if the gun were of the type referred to as an "automatic", a different configuration, probably without the cylinder opening, would be used. The cover member is shown as being hinged at the top, but could also be hinged at the bottom or side. Also, various types of cover release mechanisms could be used instead of the spring-loaded button which is illustrated.

The concept of utilizing a belt buckle as a rigid gun holder is believed to be novel. It has been known to utilize belt buckles as holders or containers for other objects, which have been designed to accommodate the specific article being retained. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 1,578,468, issued to Rankin, describes a belt buckle which is used as a match box, and has a hinged body which drops from the lid that is part of the buckle. Lesser et al, U.S. Pat. No. 3,088,234, refers to a buckle which has a hinged cover that may be opened to release a data sheet. Foster U.S. Pat. No. 3,927,492 is directed to a buckle having a receptacle for carrying credit cards, also having a hinged cover. Collins U.S. Pat. No. 4,096,979 refers to a knife blade which is an integral part of a belt buckle. Woodbury U.S. Pat. No. 4,113,157 utilizes a belt buckle which also serves as a coin receptacle, also having a hinged cover. None of the above patents, however, disclose a belt buckle which also serves as a holder in which a gun may be secured until it is to be drawn, with the structure so arranged as to permit easy withdrawal of the gun.

Other gun holding devices have been known such as shown in Wanee U.S. Pat. No. 1,046,912; which, however, does not suggest my novel construction nor adaptability to a belt buckle.

It is a principal feature of the invention to provide a belt buckle acting as a rigid holder for a gun.

It is a further feature of the invention to provide retaining means on the buckle to retain the gun.

Other features, details, and objects of the invention will be apparent from the embodiment shown, which is merely exemplary, as presented in the following specification, claims and drawings.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing figures, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of my novel belt buckle gun holder with the gun secured in place;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the gun holder with the securing cover raised, without the gun;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the device taken along lines 3--3 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3, illustrating the cover in locked position.

Referring now to the drawings, the belt buckle gun holder assembly is designated by reference numeral 11, having a rigid main body or supporting member 12, preferably made of metal, which has the general configuration of a gun with a central portion 13, a narrowed portion 14 similar in shape to a gun barrel located on one side of the central portion, and a downwardly extending portion 15 on the other side of the central portion, similar in shape to a gun handle. On the back side of the body 12 is a loop 16 adapted to be secured to one end of a belt 17. Also located on the back side of the body 12 is a tang 18, adapted to fit into a belt hole 27 when the belt is buckled. The central portion 13 of the body has an opening 19, shaped to receive the cylinder of the gun. At the lower end of portion 15 is a curved rib 20 which extends outwardly from the front face of the body, for a purpose to be later described. In general, the body or member 12 generally has a supporting area equal to a substantial projected area of the gun which it receives and retains.

Extending outwardly from the upper portion of the body 12 is an upper clip or plate 21, and extending parallel to this clip is a lower clip 22. The clip 22 is shown as a U-shaped rod, which is somewhat springy, but may be a solid plate similar to plate 21. A cover or door 42 is secured to the upper clip 21 by means of a hinge 23 to permit the cover to be closed as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, or to be swung open, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. The cover has a central opening 24, shaped to receive one side of the gun cylinder in a similar manner to opening 19. The cover is held in its open position by means of a spring 40 which is mounted on the pins of the hinge, and has an end 41 bearing against the door. In order to secure the cover to the body in its normally closed position, a catch 25 extends outwardly from the cover, this catch consisting of a thin strip of material such as metal having a notch 26. Mounted on the lower portion of the body 12 is a release button 28 having a generally circular shape but with an offset upstanding leg 29 that fits within notch 26, as shown in FIG. 4. The button is mounted on a rib 30 which extends outwardly from the body, by means of a pivot pin 31. The button is in a normally locked position to retain the cover in a closed position; this is accomplished by the use of a spring 32 that is seated in a recess 33 of the body and bears against the inner surface of the button to bias the button into the normally locked position. The purpose of the rib 20, described above, is to act as a shield so that the button will not be inadvertently pressed.

As described above, the belt buckle 11 is designed to be attached to a belt 17 in a conventional manner, with one end of the belt being passed through the loop 16 and secured to itself. After the belt has been pulled into a comfortable position, the tang 18 is inserted into a belt hole 27. This arrangement is merely one example, however, of how a buckle may be utilized in conjunction with a belt. The buckle may be worn, if desired, as a conventional one with the cover 42 closed. In addition, it is possible to wear the device on a belt which already has a buckle, simply by sliding the loop 16 over the buckle-less end of the belt and inserting the tang in another hole. It should also be noted that the device, rather than being worn around a conventional around-the-waist belt, may be worn on a shoulder strap, or any ornamental strap.

When the buckle is to be used as a holder for a gun, the cover 42 is opened, and a gun, designated here by reference numeral 34, is inserted therein. In the present showing, the gun is received and retained between the upper and lower clips 21 and 22 which contact the upper and lower portions 35 and 36 of the body of the gun. The clip 22 has enough elasticity or spring to help lock the body of the gun in place. The cylinder 37 of the gun fits within the opening 19 of the body 12, which also helps to retain the gun in place. The butt or handle 38 of the gun extends beyond the portion 15 of the body to enable the gun to be easily grasped. The cover 42 is swung closed, and is retained in closed position by the locking action of the leg 29 of the button 28, which fits into the notch 26 of the cover. The spring 32 bears against the button to assist in the locking action. The opening 24 of the cover fits over the other side of the cylinder 37 of the gun to provide additional locking action and provide clearance for the cover. The openings 19 and 24 thus surrounds opposite halves of the gun cylinder to securely hold the gun in place. In this position, the gun is securely held within the holder so that even strenuous activity by the wearer will not dislodge it.

When it is desired to withdraw the gun from the holder the button 28 is pressed with a finger, preferably the forefinger, while the gun butt or handle 38 is simultaneously grasped between the base of the forefinger and the thumb, as with any gun. Pressure of the button compresses the spring 32 and swings the leg 29 out of the notch 26 to release the cover 42. Pressure of the end 41 of the spring 40 causes the cover to fly open into the position shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 and move away from the body. The gun may be withdrawn by the handle and the forefinger is moved into position on the trigger 39, and is ready for instant use.

Although the belt buckle holder is illustrated as having a specific configuration, it can be varied to fit various types and sizes of hand guns. For example, if the gun were an "automatic" without a cylinder, the openings 19 and 24 could be eliminated, and the holster would be shaped to accomodate it. Other modifications may be made within the scope of the invention.