US2948978A - Trigger guard with trigger protector - Google Patents

Description

1960 R. E. SALVERDA 2,948,978

TRIGGER GUARD WITH TRIGGER PROTECTOR Filed Sept. 4. 1958 20 I t7ll 22 T I 24 g [f f :q 26 26 B/(W 23 16 27 23 I9 25 @415 FIG. 2.

INVENTOR,

ROBERT E. SALVERDA.

BY ezbwa ATTORNEY TRIGGER GUARD WITH TRIGGER PROTECTOR Robert E. Salverda, 2118 'N. Dale St, St. Paul 1'3, Minn.

Filed Sept. 4, 1958, Ser. No. 759,020

3 Claims. (Cl. 42-1) This invention relates to an improvement in trigger guards and deals particularly with an attachment to the trigger guard of a gun to prevent the accidental discharge of the gun.

Many accidents are caused each year by the accidental discharge of a gun when the trigger of the gun is engaged by some object during the handling of the gun. For example, many guns have been fired accidentally by a twig or tree branch as the gun is carried through the woods. It is an object of the present invention to minimize the danger of accidents of that type.

A feature of the present invention resides in the provision of a trigger protector which is designed to fit upon the trigger guard of a gun to prevent the gun from being accidentally discharged. The trigger protector includes a cross member which is secured at substantially right angles to the forward side of the trigger guard and is provided with rearwardly extending guard portions extending in parallel relation from opposite ends thereof. One of these guard members preferably extends substantially the full length of the trigger guard so as to make operation of the trigger from this side of the guard virtually impossible. The part of the protector extending rearwardly from the other end of the cross member is somewhat shorter to permit the finger to engage the trigger for the operation of the gun. Thus, while the trigger may be engaged by the finger, the trigger is protected against being struck by various objects moving rearwardly relative to the trigger guard and which therefore might otherwise engage the trigger.

A further feature of the present invention lies in the provision of a protector for a gun trigger guard which is adjustable in position to fit guns of various types and trigger guards of various shapes and which is also invertible so that the gun may be used either by a left handed person or a right handed person. Thus a single protector is capable of fitting virtually any gun, avoiding the necessity of providing individual shapes for individual makes of guns.

These and other objects and novel features of the present invention will be more clearly and fully set forth in the following specification and claims.

In the drawings forming a part of the specification:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a portion of a gun illustrating the trigger protector in position thereupon.

Figure 2 is a cross sectional view through the trigger guard showing the position of the protector thereupon.

Figure 3 is a side elevational view of a portion of a gun, showing the trigger protector in section to illustrate the construction thereof.

Figure 4 is an end view of the protector removed from the gun.

Figure 5 is a view of the clamping plate used in conjunction with the trigger guard.

Figures 1 and 3 of the drawings illustrate a small part of a gun A of conventional form, these views showing a part of the gun stock to which the trigger guard 11 is secured. The trigger guard comprises merely a loop United States Patent shaped structure having a forward end 12 and a rear end 13 which underlie the gun stock 10 and are secured there to. A generally oval shaped aperture 14 is defined by the loop shaped guard 11. The trigger 15 of the gun A extends downwardly into this oval shaped aperture 14 and is protected by the trigger guard 11.

While the trigger guard 11 is designed to protect the trigger 15 from accidental engagement, guns are often discharged by outside objects which brush against the side of the trigger guard and project into the guard sufficiently to engage the trigger and actuate the same. For example, guns are often accidentally discharged by branches of bushes or trees which brush against the side of the gun and swing into the trigger guard aperture 14 with sufficient force to actuate the trigger 15. It is accidents of this type which the trigger protector, which I illustrate in general by the letter B, is designed to prevent.

The protector B includes a cross member 16 which is bent at opposite ends as indicated at -17 and 19 to provide generally parallel rearwardly projecting arms 20 and 21. The arm 20 is relatively short as compared with the arm 21 and exposes enough of the guard aperture 14 to enable the trigger 15 to be engaged by the finger. The arm B is of suflicient length to extend past the normal position of the trigger 15 and accordingly to effectively block one side of the trigger aperture 14 so that any object brushing against the side of the gun could not readily enter the trigger guard aperture.

While the trigger protectors may be made of flat material, preferably they are curved to some extent to enhance the appearance of the protectors and also to increase the strength thereof. As indicated in the drawings, the outer surfaces of the cross member 16 as well as the arms 20 and 21 are convex in form and the inner surfaces are concave. This shape of cross member also helps to adapt the cross member to the forward surface of the trigger guard which is normally also convex in elevation.

A clamping plate 22 is designed to extend parallel to the cross member 16 and in spaced relation thereto. This clamping plate 22 is of a length which is greater than the width of the trigger guard 11. and is designed to extend on the opposite side of the trigger guard loop from the cross member '16, the clamping plate extending through the trigger aperture 14. Clamping bolts 23 extend through the cross member 16 and are threaded into the clamping plate so that the two parts may be drawn together. Obviously, nuts may be used in place of threading the clamping plate. Transversely elongated slots 24 are provided in the cross member 16 to accommodate the clamping screws 23 to permit some lateral adjustment of the clamping screws or bolts relative to the guard protector.

Converging apertures '25 are arranged in vertically spaced relation through the center of the cross member 16. In preferred form, the outer surface of the cross member 16 is provided with vertically spaced bosses 26 through which the internally threaded apertures 25 extend, the apertures being generally normal to the portion of the convex surface of the cross member through which they extend. A set screw such as 27 may be inserted through one or both of these apertures, the set screw 27 usually extending through one aperture near one edge of the cross member while the other edge of the cross member 16 engages the outer surface of the trigger guard. The bolts 27 engage against the trigger guard as is best illustrated in Figure 3 of the drawings for the purpose of adjusting the angularity of the protector B relative to the trigger guard. Not only do the two apertures 25 permit adjustment of either edge of the guard, but permit the guard to be inverted and properly adjusted for either a right handed person or a left handed person. Obviously, the trigger protector may be entirely removed when not in use.

In accordance with the patent statutes, I have described the principles of construction and operation of my improvement in trigger guards, and while I have endeavored to set forth the best embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that changes may be made Within the scope of the following claims without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim:

1. A trigger protector for .use in conjunction with a trigger guard of loop shaped form,the protector including a body having a cross member designed to extend transversely of the trigger guard at the forward end thereof and arms at opposite ends of said 'cross member designed to extend rearwardly on opposite sides of said trigger guard, an elongated clamping plate extending through the trigger guard and of lesser length than the distance between said arms for securing said cross member to the forward end 'of the trigger guard, a clamping bolt on each side of said guard engaging both said cross member and said plate for retaining said plate in a substantially parallel relationship with said cross member while draw ing said plate toward said cross member for the purpose of securing same, and one of said arms being relatively long to prevent insertion of a finger into the trigger guard 4 from one side thereof, .and the otherof said arms being relatively shorter to permit insertion of a finger into the trigger arm to engage the trigger therein.

2. The construction described in claim 1 and including a set screw extending through the center of the cross member near one edge thereof engageable against the trigger guard to adjust the angle of the protector relative to the trigger guard.

3. The construction described in claim 1 and in which the cross member includes a pair of internally threaded apertures centrally of the cross member and near opposite edges thereof, the axes of said threaded aperturesconverging in the direction of said clamping plate, and including a set screw in ene'of said apertures engageable against the trigger guard to adjust the angular relation of said protector relative to said trigger guard.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,563,250 .Capon Nov. 9A, 1925 2,444,649 'Jacobs July 6, 1948 2,503,953 Lind Apr. 11, 1950 2,671,287 Hayes. Mar. 9, 1954

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