Shoulder holster with concealed supporting chest strap

• US 5,067,642 A
• Filed: 12/07/1990
• Issued: 11/26/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Gayle L. Nasca
• Original Assignee: Gayle L. Nasca
• Inventors: Fodge, Gary L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Luebke, Renee S.
• Application Number:
  US07/623,516
• Time in Patent Office: 354 Days
• Field of Search: 224/192, 224/194, 224/198, 224/206, 224/911, 224/912, 24/607, 24/453, 24/459, 411/348
• US Class Current: 224/192
• CPC Class Codes: A45F 3/14 Carrying-straps; Pack-carrying harnesses
• CPC Class Codes: F41C 33/0227 having a strap or other restraining element only covering the hammer or a part of the upper part of the small arm
• CPC Class Codes: F41C 33/045 for connection in more than one rotational position around an axle, e.g. by using a rotatable connection
• CPC Class Codes: F41C 33/048 for concealed carrying of a small arm
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 224/911 Handgun holder formed of leather, fabric, or other flexible material
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/45487 including camming or wedging element on projection member

Abstract

A shoulder holster is disclosed to be worn outside an officer'"'"'s shirt operably attaching to a chest strap worn under the Officer'"'"'s shirt without making a hole in the shirt. An annularly shaped shirt lock hub having a circular groove formed in the interior opening attaches to the chest strap, all under the shirt. Outside the shirt, an annularly shaped shirt lock of four movable segments is held together by a circumscribing spring. Around the periphery of each segment is an outwardly protruding circular tongue. A cone-shaped retractable cylindrical expander resides just partially interiorly the central opening of the shirt lock. Immediately juxtaposed the shirt lock is an annular seal plate followed by a leather strap attached to the shoulder holster, the strap in turned followed by a backing plate. A shirt lock expansion screw resides in a central opening of the back plate which passes through the central openings of the leather strap, seal plate, and annular shirt lock to screw into a threaded opening in the expander. The shirt lock is inserted into the shirt lock hub central opening and pushes the shirt through this opening. The circular tongues mate with the circular groove when expander is retracted into the shirt lock to expand it, thus securing the shoulder holster onto the shirt lock hub through the shirt.

Claims

1. A shoulder holster to be worn outside a person'"'"'s shirt with no visible supporting chest strap nor with a chest strap piercing the shirt, the shoulder holster comprising:

a holster for receiving a handgun;

a chest strap worn under the person'"'"'s shirt; and

means operably securing said holster to said chest strap, said means defining a shirt lock hub attached to said chest strap under the person'"'"'s shirt, said shirt lock hub having an interior opening therethrough, said interior opening having a diameter thereof, and an annularly shaped shirt lock attached to said holster, said shirt lock having a diameter thereof less than said shirt lock hub interior opening diameter, said shirt lock hub interior opening adapted to receive therein firstly the person'"'"'s shirt and secondly said annularly shaped shirt lock, said shirt lock operably engaging said shirt lock hub interior opening to secure said holster to said chest strap whereby said said chest strap is worn inside the person'"'"'s shirt and said holster is worn outside the person'"'"'s shirt.

2. The shoulder holster as defined in claim 1 wherein said shirt lock includes as a portion thereof at least one moveable segment, said shirt lock engaging said shirt lock hub interior opening as said shirt lock is inserted into said interior opening to secure said holster to said chest strap.

3. The shoulder holster as defined in claim 2 wherein said shirt lock includes means to move said moveable segment.

4. The shoulder holster as defined in claim 3 wherein said shirt lock includes means to retract said moveable segment after said moveable segment has been moved, said means including a circumscribing spring engaging said shirt lock and moveable segment whereby said moveable segment is retracted.

5. The shoulder holster as defined in claim 4 wherein said means to move said moveable segment includes an expander, said expander engaging said moveable segment to move said segment to increase the diameter of said shirt lock to engage said shirt lock hub interior opening.

6. The shoulder holster as defined in claim 5 further including a shirt lock expansion screw operably attached to said expander, said shirt lock expansion screw operating to move said expander which in turn moves said moveable segment while said shirt lock is in said shirt lock hub interior opening to secure said shirt lock to said shirt lock hub whereby said holster is secured to said chest strap.

7. The shoulder holster as defined in claim 6 wherein said shirt lock includes a plurality of moveable segments, said moveable segments engaging said shirt lock hub interior opening as said shirt lock is inserted into said interior opening to secure said holster to said chest strap.

8. The shoulder holster as defined in claim 7 wherein said plurality of moveable segments comprise four moveable segments, each of said moveable segments comprising a 90 degree portion of a circle, said four moveable segments comprising together a completed circle, said completed circle having a central opening therethrough comprised quarterly of each of said four moveable segments, said expander situated in said central opening and engaging each of said four segments.

9. The shoulder holster as defined in claim 8 wherein said expander defines a retractable cylindrical expander having coned shaped sides, said coned shaped sides engaging each of said plurality of said moveable segments whereby said expander, when retracted, moves said moveable segments to increase the diameter of said completed circle formed by said moveable segments to secure said shirt lock to said shirt lock hub.

10. The shoulder holster as defined in claim 9 further including a plurality of shirt lock screws having threaded shanks, one shirt lock screw for each said moveable segments, each of said moveable segments having a slotted opening therethrough, each said slotted opening receiving one each said shirt lock screws shanks whereby said moveable segments movement is confined by said shirt lock screws.

11. The shoulder holster as defined in claim 10 wherein said circumscribing spring retracting said moveable segment includes said circumscribing spring retracting said plurality of moveable segments.

12. The shoulder holster as defined in claim 11 further including a seal plate, said seal plate having four openings therethrough and a central opening therethrough, each of said four openings receiving one each said shanks of said four shirt lock screws in a slideable non-securing manner, said seal plate juxtaposed said four moveable segments.

13. The shoulder holster as defined in claim 12 further including a strap operably attached to said shoulder holster, said strap having four openings therethrough to receive in a sliding manner each said shanks of each said shirt lock screws, said holster strap juxtaposed said seal plate.

14. The shoulder holster as defined in claim 13 wherein said shirt lock further includes a compression spring, said compression spring residing interiorly to said seal plate central opening and said four moveable segments central opening, said compression spring engaged by said strap and said expander, said expander receiving constant pressure from said compression spring to urge said expander out of said plurality of moveable segments central opening and to work against said shirt lock expansion screw.

15. The shoulder holster as defined in claim 14 further including a backing plate, said backing plate having four threaded openings formed therein, each said four threaded openings receiving each said shanks of each said four shirt lock screws to secure said screws, said backing plate juxtaposed said strap whereby said moveable segments, seal plate, compression spring, and strap are interposed said expander and said backing plate.

16. The shoulder holster as defined in claim 15 wherein said cone-shaped retractable expander includes a centrally located threaded opening, said threaded opening receiving said shirt lock expansion screw, said shirt lock expansion screw passing through said plurality of moveable segments central opening, said seal plate central opening, said compression spring, said strap, and said backing plate whereby said moveable segments, seal plate, compression spring, strap, and backing plate are held together by said shirt lock expansion screw and said cone-shaped retractable expander.

17. The shoulder holster as defined in claim 16 wherein said shirt lock expansion screw has a head, said head residing against said backing plate and adapted to be engaged by an allen wrench, and said holster includes a plurality of openings therethrough, said openings aligned with said expansion screw head, said expansion screw head engaged by said allen wrench through said aligned openings in said holster to rotate said shirt lock expansion screw and retract said cone-shaped expander into said moveable segments central opening to expand said completed circle formed by said moveable segments to secure said moveable segments to said shirt lock hub interior opening and thereby secure said holster to said chest strap.

18. The shoulder holster as defined in claim 17 wherein each said moveable segments include outwardly protruding tongues, and said shirt lock hub interior opening includes an annular groove therein, said moveable segments outwardly protruding tongues engaging said shirt lock hub interior opening annular groove with the person'"'"'s shirt therebetween to secure said shirt lock to said shirt lock hub and thereby secure said holster to said chest strap.