US3737649A - Baton-flashlight - Google Patents

Abstract

A combination baton-flashlight including an elongated metal housing or barrel whose length is at least ten times its diameter, a number of batteries disposed in the housing forming a battery train, and an elongated metallic spacer block in one end of the housing, the spacer block and battery train being coupled in series to form a circuit through which current flows to an associated bulb means.

Description

United StatesPatent 1 Nelson et al.

[54] BATON-FLASHLIGHT [75] Inventors: Norman C. Nelson, Chino; Frank S.

Patti, Covina, both of Calif.

[73] Assignee: Kel-Lite Industries, Inc., Corvina,

Calif.

22 l iled: July 27,1972

[21] Appl. No.: 275,801

[52] US. Cl ..240/6.42, 240/l0.66 [51] Int. Cl ..F2ll 7/00 [58] Field of Search ..240/2 R, 6.42, 10.6 R,

[5 6] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,825,797 3/1958 Kwan Shu Min ..240/l0.6R X 1 June 5,1973

1,464,573 8/1923 Heise et a1 240/1066 3,384,741 5/1968 Bice ..240/6.42 2,530,913 11/1950 Shackel ...240/l0.66 X 2,257,227 9/1941 Dater ..240/6.42 2,260,639 10/1941 Powell ..240/6.42

Primary Examiner-Joseph F. Peters, Jr. A ttorney-Vemon D. Beehler, Gene W. Arant, Allen D. Mockabee et al.

[ 5 7] ABSTRACT A combination baton-flashlight including an elongated metal housing or barrel whose length is at least ten times its diameter, a number of batteries disposed in the housing forming a battery train, and an elongated metallic spacer block in one end of the housing, the spacer block and battery train being coupled in series to form a circuit through which current flows to an associated bulb means.

5 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures PATENTEUJUH 5191aSHEET 1 OF 2 If; "n

PATENTEU SW5 4 3.731649 SHEET 2 [1F 2 BATON-FLASHLIGI-IT BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION It has heretofore been known to manufacture flashlights of very rugged construction so that they may, for example, be advantageously used in police work. Heavy duty flashlights of this type have heretofore been manufactured by Kel-Lite Industries, Inc. of l 172 East Edna Place, Covina, California, with which the applicants herein have been associated.

The present invention, however, provides an extension in both theory and practice with regard to previously known types of flashlights. The present invention provides an instrument which functions as a baton or billy-club as well as a flashlight. The instrument is particularly well adapted to police work, inasmuch as the policeman can hold the instrument in his hand and use it as a flashlight for viewing purposes, and upon perceiving a need for the use of a hilly club or baton he may immediately proceed to use the same instrument in that fashion without having to stop to exchange one instrument for another and without even having to take the time to turn off the switch that controls the illumination.

According to the present invention a hollow, cylindrical, metal housing, or barrel, is utilized which has a total length considerably greater than the length of a series of batteries which will supply the energy for illumination purposes. The interior of the housing or barrel is partially filled with the battery train, but in addition thereto an elongated metallic spacer block is inserted inside the barrel in series with the battery train. The spacer block and the battery train are electrically connected together, so that the current for the illumination flows through both of them in series. Furthermore, when the instrument is wielded as a baton, the spacer block provides both weight and balance which are needed for optimum performance of the baton.

It is, therefore, the object and purpose of the present invention to provide a composite instrument which will function effectively both as a billy-club or baton and also as a flashlight.

DRAWING SUMMARY F IG. 1 is a side view, partly in cross-section, of a combined police baton and flashlight in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2a is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the forward end portion;

FIG. 2b is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the rearward end portion;

FIG. 3 is a transverse cross-sectional view taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 2a;

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the rear end assembly;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a support ring;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a holding strap and ring; and

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the upper end of the baton-flashlight with support ring and holding strap.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Reference is now made to FIGS. 1 through 4, inclusive, illustrating the presently preferred embodiment of the invention. A baton-flashlight B-l includes an elongated, hollow, matallic housing orbarrel 10, whose length is at least ten times its outside diameter. Aforward assembly 20 is attached at one end of the housing orbarrel 10, and a metallicrear end cap 40 is removably attached at the other end.

Contained within the housing or barrel is abattery train 30, which in the particular illustration includesbatteries 31, 32, 33, 34 and 35. Since it is desired to have the instrument relatively long and narrow, these batteries are preferably of the C size. Also contained within the housing orbarrel 10 is ametallic spacer block 50. Thespacer block 50 is preferably a solid, cylindrical block made of aluminum. It has the same outside diameter as the batteries and has a length which is equal to the length of several of the batteries. The spacer block and the battery train are placed in series so that the electrical current flows through both of them serially.

As shown in FIG. 2b therear end cap 40 is threaded for removable engagement with the rearward end of the housing orbarrel 10.End cap 40 also has a recess which receives aspring 41, which engages the rearward end ofspacer block 50 so as to provide electrical conduction between thespacer block 50 and theend cap 40. An exploded view of the same parts is shown in FIG. 4.

The construction offorward assembly 20 is best illustrated in FIG. 2a. An enlargedmetallic head 21 has threads for removable engagement with the forward end of the housing or'barrel 10. A circular,rubber gasket 25 is fitted on the forward end of thehead 21. A lamp andreflector assembly 23, made as an integral unit, is disposed inside thehead 21, and at the forward and outer extremity of the reflector there is a supporting flange which engages an annular groove in thegasket 25 and is retained in position thereby. Acircular lens 24 fits over the forward end ofgasket 25. Acircular face cap 22 is screwed on to the forward end ofhead 21 and hence holds thegasket 25 andlens 24 in place.

The rearward and smaller end of the lamp andreflector assembly 23 contains a bulb and bulb socket, not shown in detail, and these are surrounded by arubber shock absorber 26. Afirst contact 27 protruding from the bottom of the socket (shown in FIG. 2a in dotted lines) is engaged by the forward end ofbattery 31 so as to provide an electrical connection therebetween.

The outermetallic surface 28 of the reflector bowl provides a second terminal for the lamp or bulb means, and may be selectively engaged by the forward end of theswitching member 62.

Switch means 60 is located on the housing orbarrel 10, adjacent theforward assembly 20. The switch means 60 includes aswitch cap 61 which for the most part is located external to the housing orbarrel 10, although a small central portion of it protrudes into an opening that is cut in the barrel for that purpose.Switch member 62 is an elongated copper strip which is disposed inside the housing or barrel l0 and occupies the space between the side wall ofbatteries 31, 32 and the inner side wall of the housing. As previously mentioned, the end ofswitch member 62 also extends up into the interior of thehead 21 where it is able to selectively engage thereflector surface 28. Asmall bolt 63 andnut 64 are used to fasten the switch member to the switch cap.Switch cap 61 is made of rubber or other insulating material.Switch cap 61 has a rearward or retracted position in which the flashlight is not on. It also has a forward position in which the flashlight is turned on. Asmall detent 62a is formed on the switch member fore when the forward end of the switch member en-' gages the reflector bowl, the circuit through the lamp or bulb means is completed.

it should be pointed out that in accordance with our invention the metal spacer block may, if desired, be interchanged with the batteries, putting the spacer block at the forward end of the barrel and the batteries at the rearward end. Alternatively, the batteries may be divided up, putting the spacer in the middle of the barrel and some of the batteries at each end.

It should also be pointed out that in accordance with the invention the weight of the spacer may be selected in order to optimize the characteristics of the instrument as a billy-club or baton. We presently prefer to makeface cap 22 of stainless steel, while thebarrel 10,end cap 40,head 21, andspacer block 50 are preferably made of aluminum.

Thus, it will be seen that when the flashlight is turned on the current flows through the battery train into one terminal of the lamp or bulb means, thence through the lamp or bulb means and out its other terminal through theswitch member 62, thence into the forward end wall of the housing orbarrel 10, thence throughout the full length of the housing or barrel l0, thence to therear end cap 40, thence through thespring 41 then to the rearward end of thespacer block 50, thence through the full length of thespacer block 50, and then to the rearward end of the battery train. Thespacer block 50, therefore, serves to conduct electrical current when the instrument is operating as a flashlight, and it also serves to provide a desired amount of mechanical weight (hence improving thebalance of the instrument) when the instrument is to be used as a billy-club or baton.

ALTERNATE FORM Reference is now made to FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 illustrating a modified instrument 8-2 in accordance with the invention. The instrument 8-2 is precisely identical to instrument B-l except for the addition of asupport ring 70.Support ring 70 is preferably made from a malleable material such as rubber or neoprene. It is then positioned near the forward end of the serrated surface 11 of thehousing 10, only a short distance rearwardly of theswitch cap 61. This, then, makes it possible to conveniently suspend the instrument from the belt of a wearer by using the holdingstrap 71 in conjunction with its holdingring 72, thering 72 slipping over therear end cap 40 and most of the length of the housing l0 and holding the instrument from the under side of thesupport ring 70.

PREFERRED DIMENSIONS According to the illustrated form of the invention thebarrel 10 has an outer diameter-"of about l-V4 inch and a length of about 14 inches, five C batteries are used, andspacer block 50 is about 4 inches long. According to a second form of theinvention barrel 10 has the same diameter and is about 22 inches long, seven C batteries are used, andspacer block 50 is about 8 inches long.

As will be understood by those skilled in the art, what has been described are preferred embodiments in which modifications and changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the accompanying claims.

We claim:

1. A baton-flashlight comprising:

an elongated, hollow, cylindrical, metal housing having a length at least ten times its diameter;

a forward assembly, including bulb means, secured to the forward end of said housing;

a plurality of batteries disposed within said housing in end-to-end relationship forming a battery train whose forward end is electrically connected to a first terminal of said bulb means;

a metallic rear end cap attached to the rearward end of said housing;

an elongated metallic spacer block disposed within the rearward portion of said housing and electrically interconnecting said end cap with the rearward end of said battery train; and

switch means mounted on said housing adjacent the forward end thereof and manually operable for providing an electrical connection between the metallic body of said housing and a second terminal of said bulb means, so as to complete the circuit for current flowing through said bulb means.

2. The device ofclaim 1 wherein the exterior surface rear of said switch cap.

* IF k

Claims (5)

1. A baton-flashlight comprising: an elongated, hollow, cylindrical, metal housing having a length at least ten times its diameter; a forward assembly, including bulb means, secured to the forward end of said housing; a plurality of batteries disposed within said housing in end-toend relationship forming a battery train whose forward end is electrically connected to a first terminal of said bulb means; a metallic rear end cap attached to the rearward end of said housing; an elongated metallic spacer block disposed within the rearward portion of said housing and electrically interconnecting said end cap with the rearward end of said battery train; and switch means mounted on said housing adjacent the forward end thereof and manually operable for providing an electrical connection between the metalLic body of said housing and a second terminal of said bulb means, so as to complete the circuit for current flowing through said bulb means.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the exterior surface of said housing is serrated.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein said spacer block is an elongated cylindrical block which is longer than one of said batteries.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein said forward assembly includes an enlarged metallic head removably attached to said housing, and within which said bulb means is contained.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein switch means includes a switch cap, and which further includes a support ring encircling said housing immediately to the rear of said switch cap.

Images