US3022596A - Safety device for trigger guard - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 27, 1962 c. H. CANNON 3,022,596

SAFETY DEVICE FOR TRIGGER GUARD Filed May 11, 1960m 38 Colbert H. Cannon 52 5 44: INVENTOR.

ll ll \llE 54-. 3WW ZQM L 3,22,5fih Patented Feb. 27, 1962 ihee ' 3,622,595 SAFETY DEVICE FGR TRIGGER GUAw Colbert H Cannon, Rte. 1, Box 334, Gold Hill, Greg. Filed Nlay 11, 1960, SenNo. 23,282

1 Claim. ((31. 42--1) This invention relates to a novel and useful safety device for trigger guards on firearms and the like, and more particularly to a safety cover comprising an open topped trough shaped body adapted to fit about and snugly receive the guard assembly of a firearm so that the trigger of the firearm will be completely enclosed thus eliminating the possibility of an unloaded firearm being accidentally discharged.

In the past there have been far too many tragic instances of unloaded firearms" being accidentally discharged. Of course, firearms should not be handled if they are loaded unless the person handling the firearm contemplates using the latter in the very near future, but occasionally, and far too often, firearms believed to be unloaded are handled carelessly, or at least without exercising proper caution, when actually they are loaded.

In the past various types of safety covers for trigger guard assemblies have been devised as a safety precaution for preventing the accidental discharge of unloaded fire-,

arms but most of these have included the provision of a cover assembly hingedly or at least swingably mounted to the firearm. Not only does a hingedly mounted trigger guard hinder a person when firing the firearm, but it also has a tendency to cause the person contemplating using the firearm to maintain the safety coverin an open position so that the trigger of the firearm may be readily accessible should he desire to discharge the firearm. This of course defeats the purpose of the safety cover and it is therefore the main object of this invention to provide a safety cover for trigger guard assemblies which may be secured to a trigger guard assembly in a manner whereby the cover will be frictionally retained in engagement with the trigger guard assembly but may be, on an instants notice, be readily removed. a I

A further object of this invention, in accordance with the immediately preceding object, is tov provide a safety cover which may be quickly secured to a trigger guard assembly or transferred from one to the other without effecting alterations of the firearms to which the cover is secured.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a safety cover which will completely enclose the trigger guard assembly of a firearm in tight frictional engagement therewith so that moisture in the form of fog or rain and dust will not be able to penetrate the firing mechanism of the firearm to which the trigger guard cover is secured.

A final object to be specifically enumerated herein is to provide a trigger guard assembly cover that will conform to conventional forms of manufacture, be of simple and durable construction and easy to use so as to provide a device that will be economically feasible, long lasting and of little bother to use.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

cover illustrated in FIGURE 3; and

FIGURE 5 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by thesection line 5-5 of FIGURE 4.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings there will be seen a conventional form of firearm in FIGURE 1 generally designated by thereference numeral 10. Thefirearm 10 is in the form of a ride including astock 12 and a barrel generally designated by thereference numeral 14 having a bolt mechanism generally referred to by thereference numeral 16. Thetrigger assembly 18 projects from beneath the lower surface of thestock 12 and includes a trigger 20 and an open frame-like trigger guard 22. Thetrigger guard 22 is generally U-shaped in longitudinal section and thelegs 24 and 26 of thetrigger guard 22 terminate in right angledbase mounting portions 28 and 34 respectively.

It is to be understood that thetrigger guard 22 is more or less in the form of a rigid strap member substantially wider than its thickness and thatthe width of thetrigger guard 22 is slightly greater than the width of the trigger 23.

Referring now more specifically to FIGURES 2 through 5 it will be noted that the cover assembly is generally designated by thereference numeral 32 and includes a pair ofopposite side walls 34 and 36 interconnected by means ofend walls 38 and 4b and abottom wall 42. Thecover assembly 32 is in the form of an open topped trough shaped body and is constructed of any suitable resilient material such as rubber.

Formed on each of theside walls 34 and 36 along the marginal portions thereof are a plurality of inwardly projectingmarginal lugs 44 and 46 that are spaced slightly from thebottom wall 42 and theend walls 38 and 49 respectively.

Each of the marginal lugs are substantially semi-circular in cross-section and are provided with substantiallyflat surfaces 48 and 50 respectively opposing thebottom wall 42 and theend walls 33 and 40 respectively. The distance thelugs 44 and 46 are spaced from thebottom Wall 42 and theend walls 38 and 40 is determined by the thickness of thetrigger guard 22 with the lugs being spaced from thebottom wall 42 and theend walls 38 and 40 a distance slightly greater than the thickness of thetrigger guard 22 so as to form arecess 51 immediately adjacent the inner surfaces of the bottom and end walls for snugly receiving thetrigger guard 22. I

Each of theside walls 34 and 36 is also provided with an inwardly projectingupper lug 52 adjacent the upper edges of theside walls 34 and 36 and intermediate the opposite ends thereof. Theupper lugs 52 are adapted FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of the trigger to frictionally engage opposite sides of the trigger 2t? and thus, thelugs 52 project slightly further inwardly from theside walls 34 and 36 than thelugs 44 and 46 inasmuch as the trigger 20 is of less width than thetrigger guard 22. Theside walls 34 and 36 are further provided with retaininglugs 54 that are adapted to frictionally engage the base mounting portions 28 and 39 of thetrigger guard 22. These retaininglugs 54 project inwardly slightly less than thelugs 46 and are to frictionally engage the opposite sides of the mountingportions 28 and 30 and no! overlap those portions as thelugs 44 and 46' are adapted to slightly overlap the side edges of theguard 22 positioned in the space defined between thelugs 44 and 4t and thebottom wall 42 and theend walls 38 and 40.

In operation, whether thefirearm 12 is loaded or not thecover 32 is positioned over thetrigger guard 22 witl the latter received in the space defined between the lug: 44 and 46 and the bottom wall42 and theend walls 38 3 and 4-0 and theretaining lugs 54 frictionally engaging the opposite sides of themounting portions 28 and 30. in this manner, thelugs 44, 46 and 54 frictionally engage portions of thetrigger guard 22 to resiliently resist the removal of thecover assembly 32 and thelugs 52 frictionally engage the opposite sides of the trigger 20.

When thecover assembly 32 is thus positioned it will not only greatly reduce the possibility of thefirearm 16 being accidentally discharged but it will also prevent the entrance of moisture, dust, and the like into the trigger mechanism of the firearm 1%. When it is desired to remove thecover assembly 32, the outwardly projectinglugs 56 formed on the outer surfaces of theside walls 34 and 36 will facilitate the removal of thecover assembly 32 in a rapid manner so that thefirearm 10 may be instantaneously readied for discharging when it is desired.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

' What is claimed as new is as follows:

In combination with a firearm having an outwardly projecting trigger and a generally U-shaped trigger guard therefor of the type having a pair of depending and generally parallel legs interconnected at their lower ends by means of a bight portion, the upper ends of said legs including base mounting portions overlying portions of said firearm adjacent said trigger and secured to said firearm, a safety cover comprising a one-piece open topped trough-shaped body of resilient material including opposite side Walls interconnected by opposite end walls and a bottom wall, said body snugly and removably receiving said guard with the outer surfaces of said legs and bight portion disposed in surface to surface contacting relation with the inner surfaces of said end walls and said bottom wall respectively, the marginal portions of said side walls adjacent said bottom and end walls being provided with integrai inwardly projecting marginal lugs disposed a spaced distance from said end walls and said bottom wall and defining a guard receiving recess inwardly of said bottom and end walls for snugly receiving corresponding portions of said guard between said marginal lugs and said bottom wall and end Walls, said marginal lugs formed on both of said side walls with the lugs on each side wall aligned with the lugs on the other side Wall and the adjacent free ends of corresponding lugs being spaced apart a distance less than the width of said trigger guard, at least one inwardly projecting upper lug formed on each of said side Walls adjacent the upper edges thereof and intermediate the opposite ends thereof frictionally engaging opposite sides of said trigger.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,569,553 Lewis et a1. Jan. 12, 1926 1,686,482 Windle Oct. 2, 1928 2,080,202 Drake May 11, 1937 2,444,649 Jacobs July 6, 1948 FOREIGN PATENTS 117 Austria Aug. 25, 1899 4,626 Great Britain 1905

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