Gun Trigger Blocking Structure

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates in general to firearm safety devices, and more particularly, to an adjustable trigger blocking structure.

2. Description of the Related Art

Young children in particular are attracted to guns, and many have a great curiosity with respect thereto. While an adult may think a gun is safely put away, children many times will find a way to get to them and handle them. A gun is not a plaything and should be used carefully in a responsible manner. Further, availability and use of a gun should be denied to an intruder, and yet the gun should be readily available for the home owner in meeting emergency situations.

Locking devices which clamp around the trigger guard of a gun for preventing access to the trigger have been used in the past. However, such locking devices generally employ a key lock which can be opened only with a key, the key may not be close at hand if the gun is needed to meet an emergency situation. There is a need for a gun lock which renders the gun substantially unaccessible to children while allowing the owner to quickly disable the lock without a key should an emergency arise.

It is, therefore, a principal object of this invention to provide a gun trigger blocking structure that prevents use of a gun in that the trigger is prevented from moving.

Another object is to provide such a gun trigger blocking structure with the appearance that a key be required for separation and removal thereof.

A further object is to provide such a gun trigger blocking structure with adjustable positioned cross pins that are positionable in adapting the structure for use with an extensive range of handguns, rifles or shotguns.

Still another object is to provide protection for children from injuring themselves or others with guns.

Another object is to provide such a gun trigger blocking structure that is easily and quickly removable by the gun owner when the gun is needed in hurry even in the dark.

A further object is to deter theft of a gun.

Features of the invention useful in accomplishing the above objects preferably include, in a gun trigger blocking structure, a pseudo key member that has the outward appearance of a lock key tumbler mounted in a first block half with its key tumbler preferably having an extension to the interior thereof with an opening through the extension having locking means such as thread engaging grooves on the back side of the opening. The pseudo key member is resiliently biased by an internal spring to an outer position but is resiliently pushable inwardly to an inner limit position when permitted by otherwise blocking pin being pushed into an unblocking position against the resilient bias of a spring to permit movement of the pseudo key member to its inner limit position. A second block half mounts a locking rod that is fixed in its mounting and provided with buttress threads on the outer end insertable into an opening in the first block half where it is captured by engagement with the grooves on the back side of the opening in the extension of the pseudo key member. Release of the locking rod for separation of the two block halves is accomplished when the pseudo key member is pushed to the innermost position and the buttress threads on the locking rod are clear of the buttress thread engaging grooves in the pseudo key member extension opening. Pins adjustably positioned to prevent operation of a gun trigger extend from the second block half to the first block half.

A specific embodiment representing what is presently regarded as the best mode of carrying out the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 represents a perspective view of the assembled gun trigger blocking structure;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation cut away and sectioned view taken along line 2--2 of FIG. 1 showing the trigger blocking structure as positioned on a gun (shown in phantom) and with security chain (also in phantom) connected to a corner pin of the structure;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the two gun trigger blocking structure halves separated from each other;

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the pseudo lock half of the gun trigger blocking structure;

FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the outer portion of the pseudo lock half of the gun trigger blocking structure;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the inner portion of the pseudo lock half of the gun trigger blocking structure;

FIG. 7 is a partial cut away and enlarged sectioned view taken generally along line 7--7 of FIG. 3 showing locking rod buttress thread engagement with opening buttress threads of the pseudo key member extension detail;

FIG. 8 is a partial cut away and sectioned view taken along line 8--8 of FIG. 7 showing blocking pin detail in the blocking state preventing movement of the pseudo key member toward its inner limit position;

FIG. 9 is a partial cut away and sectioned view taken along line 9--9 of FIG. 8 showing the blocking pin pushed into its unblock position permitting movement of the pseudo key member to its inner limit position; and

FIG. 10 is a partial broken away detail showing of a trigger blocking pin any number of which are insertable into openings therefor in one of the two gun trigger blocking structure halves separated from each other.

The pseudo lock gun trigger blocking structure of FIG. 1 has, in FIG. 2, the pseudo lock half 21 lifted away to show detail of the structure as positioned on a handgun 22 with pins 23 selectively positioned in various pin holes 24 in locking structure half 25 about the gun trigger 26 to prevent trigger movement and to aid in positioning of the trigger blocking structure 20 relative to the trigger 26 and trigger finger guard 27. A security chain 28 or cable connected to a cover pin 29 of the trigger blocking structure 20 extends to solid connection with a fixed in place fixture (detail not shown) as a deterrence to theft of the gun 22. More pin holes 24 are provided in locking structure half 25 on the inner face 30 thereof to provide an adequate range of placements of pin 23. The pins 23 that are approximately one inch long are provided with a conical insert section 31 that is readily insertable into the conical entrance section 32 of pin holes 24, and the pins 23 can be provided with plastic cup covers 33 as shown in FIG. 10.

A locking rod 34 as shown in FIGS. 3 and 7 is mounted in locking structure half 25 by threads 35 thereon being threaded into threaded opening 36 as driven with screw driver notch 37 in the outer end 38. The locking rod 34 is provided with buttress threads 39 extending through the greater exposed portion thereof from the outer end 38 down that is insertable into opening 40 in pseudo lock half 21 of the gun trigger blocking structure 20. The pseudo block half 21 is shown to have two portions, an outer portion 41 and an inner portion 42, that are fastened together by three corner screws 43 that extend through corner openings 44 in inner portion 42 into threaded openings 45 in outer portion 41 and an allen head set screw 46 threaded into the threaded opening 47 extended through a part of both the inner and outer portions 42 and 41. The allen head end of set screw 46 as seen in FIG. 4 is a position limit setting for the end of cover pin 29 when inserted into opening 47.

Referring also to FIGS. 5 and 6 the pseudo lock half 21 outer portion 41 and the inner portion 42 have an opening 48 in which what appears to be a key lock tumbler (or lock cylinder) 49 is positioned. While appearing to be a lock requiring a key for operation, it is actually a pseudo lock element 49 that is moveable back and forth, along its longitudinal axis, to a limited extent within the opening 48 . Opening 48 extends on back within the pseudo lock half 21 from the front portion thereof containing pseudo lock element 49 to contain an axially slidable extension 50 that is pin 51 (or screw) connected to pseudo lock element 49. The axially slidable extension 50 is formed with a flat rectangular portion 52 slidable along and between flat ledge sections 53 in opening 48 in the region and spanning opening 40 and with an opening 54 through the flat rectangular portion 52 into and through which the buttress threaded 39 portion of locking rod 34 is inserted when the locking structure half 25 and the pseudo lock half 21 are connected together as trigger blocking structure 20. Buttress thread engaging grooves 55 are provided on the back side of opening 54 in flat rectangular portion 52 that engage and capture buttress threads 39 on the locking rod 34 when it is inserted through opening 54 with the pseudo lock element 49 along with the extension 50 axially biased to a forward or outer position with relieved corner section 56 in contact with blocking pin 57. A stub rod 58 extends to the rear from the flat rectangular portion 52 and at the end into a guide hole 59 therefor. A coil spring 60 resiliently compressed on stub rod 58 between the rear end of the flat rectangular portion 52 and internal shoulder 61 in opening 48 at the start of rod guide hole 59. Thus, the flat rectangular portion 52 with opening 54 buttress thread engaging grooves 55 is resiliently biased along the longitudinal axis of the pseudo key lock element 49 toward an outer position by the spring 60 so that the lock element 49 is normally in its outer position shown in FIGS. 3 and 4.

Referring to FIGS. 5 and 7 and also 8 and 9 the blocking pin 57, inserted in opening 62 in the outer portion 41 of the pseudo lock half 21, is resiliently biased toward on outer position with end 63 extended to the exterior from outer port ion by a coil spring 64 compressed between the bottom of opening 62 and an annular shoulder 65 on the pin 57. The blocking pin end 63, and intervening annular ring 66 and annular shoulder 65 are all substantially the same diameter, that is, a sliding fit in opening 62. The smaller diameter portion 67 of pin 57 extends between annular shoulder 65 and the conical face 68 of annular ring 66, and a shorter reduced diameter portion 69 of pin 57 interconnects annular ring 66 and pin end 63. A position limiting pin 70 is inserted in opening 71 in the pseudo lock half 21 to extend into opening 62 and between annular ring 66 and pin end 63. The pin 70 limits the range of movement of blocking pin 57 between its outer blocking position and its inner unblocking position where the pseudo key lock tumbler (or lock cylinder) 49 and the extension 50 are permitted to be pushed from their outer position to the inner position. In the inner position the buttress thread engaging grooves 55 clear the buttress threads 39 to release locking rod 34 and permit separation movement of the pseudo lock half 21 from locking structure half 25 and removed thereby from a gun it was installed on.

The inner end of the lock cylinder 49 adjacent to blocking pin 57 has an arcuate relief surface 72 that engages the annular shoulder 65 when the pseudo key lock tumbler (or lock cylinder) 49 is in the outer blocked position state. Then when the blocking pin 57 is pushed in, the lock cylinder 49 may be pushed inward until arcuate relief surface 72 contacts the smaller diameter portion 67 of the pin thereby establishing the inner limit position of the lock cylinder 49 and its extension 50 thereby disengaging the buttress thread engaging grooves 55 from buttress threads 39 on locking rod 34 for release. A notch cut out 73 is also provided on the inner end of the lock cylinder 49 to provide clearance for the annular ring 66 of blocking pin 57 when the pin is pushed inwardly.

While pseudo lock half 21 of the gun trigger blocking structure 20 has been shown and described as having two portions, an outer portion 41 and an inner portion 42, it could be molded in one piece (even of a suitable plastic material) and still provide the same operational results. In any event, the inner face of the pseudo lock half 21 has a higher level 74 and a recessed level 75 that is enlarged at one end at angle 76. Correspondingly resiliently compressible pads 77 and 78 are fastened in place thereon as by an adhesive and are depressible to some degree by the outer ends of pins 33 that may be in contact therewith and to pad contact with gun structure the structure 20 is used on. Locking structure half 25 has an inner face with a higher level 79 and a recessed level 80 also enlarged at one end at angle 81 so that the two level inner face thereof is a mirror image of that of pseudo lock half 21. The opposite halves of the structure are so shaped to better adapt to the configuration of a gun the trigger blocking structure 20 is mounted on. It should be noted that the gun trigger blocking structure 20 may be mounted horizontally on a gun as shown in FIG. 2 or vertically as would be required with some rifles and/or shotguns or even, in some instances, at an angle between horizontal and vertical.

Whereas this invention has been described with respect to a single embodiment thereof, it should be realized that various changes may be made without departure from the essential contributions to the art made by the teachings hereof.