NON-LETHAL WEAPON DISPENSER

• US 3,602,399 A
• Filed: 09/16/1969
• Issued: 08/31/1971
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/1969
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Company LLC (Brookfield Asset Management Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Alan L. Litman, Dennis K. Hackbarth, Robert R. Hayes
• Inventors: Litman, Alan L., Hackbarth, Dennis K., Hayes, Robert R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Reeves, Robert B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Slattery, James M.
• Application Number:
  US04/858,355
• Time in Patent Office: 714 Days
• Field of Search: 222/147,153,142.1,470,472,473,474,394,79,325,400.7
• US Class Current: 222/153.11
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 83/202 combined with a hand grip hand-held or body-worn self-defense devices using aerosol containers F41H9/10
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 83/384 comprising an aerosol container disposed in an outer shell or in an external container
• CPC Class Codes: F41H 9/10 Hand-held or body-worn self-defence devices using repellant gases or chemicals

Abstract

This invention relates generally to hand operated dispensers for spraying liquids from pressurized containers and is particularly concerned with such dispensers that are adapted to be carried by the user, and that provide means for more accurately directing the spray as well as providing a number of safety features preventing accidental or other discharge of fluid when not desired.

Claims

1. In a nonlethal weapon for producing a liquid spray of lacrymating irritant from a pressurized container, a body member for retaining the container and being shaped to be accommodated in only one given orientation within the hand, a trigger member pivotally mounted on the body member to actuate the container to emit a spray and having a finger squeezing portion disposed to be squeezed by the finger when the body member is held in the given orientation, and a selectively adjustable lock and safety means for selectively locking the trigger against movement;

for permitting actuation of the trigger to spray; and

for permitting removal of the container from the body portion;

said lock and safety means including a safety member moveably supported on the body and having portions interengageable with the trigger mechanism, said safety member in a first position with respect to the body member preventing pivotal movement of the trigger member in either direction;

in a second position permitting combined downward and inward pivotal movement of the trigger mechanism but preventing upward and outward movement thereof; and

in a third position permitting upward and outward pivotal movement of the trigger mechanism and preventing downward and inward movement thereof.

2. In a nonlethal weapon for producing a liquid spray of lacrymating irritAnt from a pressurized container, a body member for retaining the container and being shaped to be accommodated in only one given orientation within the hand, a trigger member pivotally mounted on the body member to actuate the container to emit a spray and having a finger squeezing portion disposed to be squeezed by the finger when the body member is held in the given orientation, and a selectively adjustable lock and safety means for selectively locking the trigger against movement;

for permitting actuation of the trigger to spray; and

for permitting removal of the container from the body portion;

said trigger member including a U-shaped member pivotally interconnected with the body member at the rear of the body member to provide a combined inward and downward movement when squeezed toward the body member and a combined upward and outward movement when pivoted away from the body member, said trigger member being provided with a C-shaped projection on its underside facing the body member, and said safety means including a member having a complimentary C-shaped projection facing the underside of the said trigger member and being moveably supported on the body member to variously intergage with positions of said C-shaped projection on the trigger member in different relative positions thereof.

3. In a nonlethal weapon for producing a liquid spray of lacrymating irritant from a pressurized container, a body member for retaining the container and being shaped to be accommodated in only one given orientation within the hand, a trigger member pivotally mounted on the body member to actuate the container to emit a spray and having a finger squeezing portion disposed to be squeezed by the finger when the body member is held in the given orientation, and a selectively adjustable lock and safety means for selectively locking the trigger against movement;

for permitting actuation of the trigger to spray; and

for permitting removal of the container from the body portion;

said body member comprised of a hollow receptacle for detachably retaining the pressurized container, and said trigger member being disposed with respect to said body to pivot downwardly toward said pressurized container when the trigger is squeezed and upwardly from said pressurized container when the trigger mechanism is pivoted in the opposite direction, and said trigger member being provided with actuating means for operating the container to emit a spray.

4. In the weapon of claim 3, said body member and said trigger member substantially completely enclosing the spray emitting portions of said pressurized container to prevent undesired actuation of the pressure container, and said trigger member being pivotally positionable away from said body member to provide access to said pressurized container for replacement.

5. In the weapon of claim 1, means associated with said pressurized container and said body member for detachably locking said pressurized container and said body portion in only one given orientation.

6. In the weapon of claim 5, said means comprising an enclosing cap over said container, and a latching means provided within said body portion for engaging with said projecting member to detachably lock said container within said body portion.

7. In the dispenser of claim 1, said body member comprising a hollow receptacle having an opening to receive the pressurized container, and said pivotally supported trigger member being oriented to close said opening when pivoted in a closed direction and to expose said opening for access to said container when pivoted in an open direction.

8. In the weapon of claim 7, said trigger member including an inwardly facing projection confronting said pressurized container when said trigger mechanism is pivoted toward said closed position, and means permitting actuation of said pressurized container only by said downwardly projecting means when said trigger member is further squeezed in said closed position.

9. A dispenser for spraying fluids from a pressurized container having a valve and nozzle;

a receptacle having means for retaining the valve and nozzle of said pressurized container in a substantially completely enclosed manner to prevent undesired actuation, said receptacle having a hand gripping portion that is shaped to be accommodated in only one given easy orientation within the hand, a trigger mechanism pivotally mounted on said receptacle and having a finger engaging portion disposed at a forward position of said receptacle to be actuated by the finger when the receptacle is retained in said given orientation in the hand, said trigger mechanism comprising a portion of the said enclosure when pivoted in its downward direction and providing an opening in said receptacle for access to said cylinder when pivoted in its upward position, said trigger mechanism including an inwardly projecting actuating member disposed to actuate the valve mechanism of said enclosed container, and safety means for selectively locking the trigger mechanism against any movement;

for permitting actuation of the trigger mechanism to operate the valve of said container; and

for selectively permitting upward pivoting of said trigger mechanism for access to remove the pressurized container.

10. In a nonlethal weapon for spraying lacrymating irritant from a pressurized container having a valve and nozzle, a dispenser comprising a hollow receptacle for accommodating said container and having an opening to receive and remove the container, said dispenser including a hand gripping portion shaped for orientation in the hand in one easy direction, a trigger mechanism pivotally supported on said dispenser and having means for actuating said valve when the trigger is squeezed, said trigger mechanism pivotally positionable to selectively cover and uncover said opening and being provided with an opening aligned with said nozzle, means associated with said dispenser for detachably retaining said container in only one orientation with respect to said dispenser with the container nozzle facing forwardly when said hand gripping portion is retained in said easy orientation, and adjustable safety means supported on said dispenser for selectively locking and unlocking said trigger mechanism for pivotal movement.

11. In the dispenser of claim 10, said trigger mechanism comprising a U-shaped member disposed over the top of said hand gripping portion with one leg of the U-shaped member pivotally supported at the rear side of the hand gripping portion and the other leg thereof disposed over the front side of the hand gripping portion and forming a finger engaging trigger, whereby said finger engaging trigger is constrained to move in a combined downward and inward direction when the trigger is squeezed and constrained to move in an combined upward and outward direction when the trigger is pivoted in the opposite direction.

12. A dispenser comprising the combination of a container and a body member:

the container comprising a receptacle for receiving and storing material to be sprayed, a dispensing valve on said container, a cap for covering the container having a first opening through which said material is dispensed, said cap provided with a second opening to provide access to said valve, a positioning projection on said cap;

the body member having an internal recess for receiving the container and an external surface configuration suitable for manual gripping, means on the body member cooperating with said positioning projection to orient the container in a given direction within the body member, a trigger member pivotally mounted on the body member having a projection adapted to register with said second opening and to engage said dispensing valve whereby the trigger when moved in a given direction about its pivot actuates the valve, and a selectively adjustable lock and safety means on said body member for selectively lOcking the trigger against movement, for permitting actuating of the trigger to spray, and for permitting removal of the container from the body portion.