Locks – Portable – Fetters
Reexamination Certificate
2001-06-18
2003-07-08
Knight, Anthony (Department: 3676)
Locks
Portable
Fetters
C070S015000, C070S017000, C016S327000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06588240
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to handcuffs for restraining prisoners or the like, and particularly to handcuffs which can be folded for storage or carrying via hinges but form a rigid structure when unfolded for use.
2. Description of Relevant Art
Handcuffs and other mechanical restraints have been used to restrict the activities of prisoners for hundreds of years. Many conventional handcuffs take the form of lockable cuffs linked by chains, other flexible connectors or by fixed, “rigid” connections such as a solid piece of steel. Many designs have been employed for various purposes and situations ranging from the arrest and restraint of suspects to long term confinement, transportation and court appearances. Different designs have attempted to provide improvements in such areas as ease of carrying by law enforcement officers, compact storage, ease of applying and locking the cuffs on a suspect during arrest, and security once applied and locked. In some cases, making handcuffs easier to carry, apply and lock have made them less secure; conversely, providing double and triple locking mechanisms may make the cuffs more complicated and more difficult to apply and lock on a struggling suspect. Hinged handcuffs have been produced which fold along a central hinge for carrying or storage, then open for application to the prisoner. Such hinged cuffs allow less freedom of movement for a cuffed subject, and in some cases the hinge can be locked open to provide a rigid structure. Such an arrangement can be useful when a law enforcement officer has applied a handcuff bracelet member to a suspect's wrist, as the rigid linking structure provides a convenient means for guiding the suspect or even enforcing the officer's will upon the suspect through uncomfortable pressure on the nerves in the wrist. Such rigid handcuffs and methods for their use are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,840,048, which is incorporated herein by reference.
Rigid handcuff designs offer better control over a struggling or resisting suspect, as they offer superior leverage with which to control the suspect and take him under control. However, a major shortcoming of “fixed” rigid handcuffs (such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,840,048) is their storability. Such types of rigid handcuffs cannot be compactly stored on an officer's belt and often require a special carrying case.
Non-rigid handcuffs, commonly connected by flexible members such as chains or hinges, offer the benefit of occupying much less space when in their folded positions. However, they are not as easy to use or to apply to persons being restrained as is a rigid handcuff. Examples of non-rigid handcuffs are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,205,142; 5,138,852; 1,157,135 and 1,872,857.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,687,593 (to Hiatt & Co.) discloses a handcuff with the advantage of being able to assume a folded position, yet forming a rigid assembly when opened for use. A shortcoming of this invention is that even though it occupies less space than a fixed rigid handcuff by its ability to fold, it is still much bulkier than a common non-rigid handcuff and requires a special (larger) handcuff carrying case. The hinging and locking assembly is bulky and mechanically complex.
An extensive historical array of handcuffs is available on the Internet at the present address www.blacksteel.com, divided into nine separate sections relating to handcuffs. Although most are undated, many are clearly ancient history. Applicant is unaware whether similar information has been published elsewhere. Some pertinent examples, drawings of which have been deposited with the present application, from copies obtained Aug. 30, 2000, include:
Smith & Wesson 300 Handcuffs (hinged)
Securitech Pivot Handcuffs (from “Allen's collection”)—described as regular Peerless handcuffs to which a bar has been welded in place of the chain.
South-African Hinged Handcuffs
Trilok HG-1001 Hinged Handcuffs
Unknown Rigid Handcuffs—Made from two cuffs with chain swivels and chain replaced by a single heavy piece of steel.
YUIL M03 HS Handcuffs—two conventional cuffs joined by a rigid center section.
Peerless Hinged Handcuffs
Ralkem 9922 Hinged Handcuffs (Czechoslovakia)
Republic HG Handcuffs
Russian Hinged Handcuffs
Russian New Hinged Handcuffs—“official handcuffs of the Russian Police”
Martin Rigid Handcuffs—five models, “Rigid Bent”, Rigid E, “Rigid”, Rigid S and Rigid XL, all individually made by a German machinist Martin. Various arrangements of conventional cuffs separated by rigid sections of various shapes and sizes.
Horst-Moabit Pivot Handcuffs
Lips Handcuffs (hinged cuffs made by Dutch company)
Hiatt Hinged handcuffs, models 2050, 2060, 3000 and 4075
Hiatt Darby 115-N Bar Handcuffs—Darby ratchet style cuffs attached by rings to a metal bar.
Deutsche-Polezei Handcuffs—three models of hinged handcuffs, including models HS and WW-II, from former East German Republic.
Dutch Hinged Handcuffs
Fury 15914 Handcuffs—hinged handcuffs made in Spain, “from Adam's collection”.
Gill Flash Handcuffs—cuffs joined by a solid metal section, from Gill Co. of Kansas City.
Hamburg 8 Handcuffs—“an escape cuff from yesteryear” with hinged construction which allows cuffs to be opened when the mechanism is folded. When the mechanism is fully extended and the bows are pressed clown, they lock.
Blueline Hinged Handcuffs
Clejuso Hinged Handcuffs
American Handcuff N-400—hinged handcuff with cuffs joined by three ball-ended pins which serve as the hinge. Similar American models N-500, 520 and 550 plus A-550 (aluminum) join the cuffs by three pivot-anchored bars which serve as the hinge. American Handcuff Company is a fully owned division of Tobin Tool & Die Co., located in Fond du Lac, Wis.
Hiatt UL-1 handcuffs—“the Ultimate”. “Stored in officer's handcuff case folded like regular hinged cuffs, but once opened, lock into that position. Same key used to unlock cuffs and center rigidifying mechanism.” Apparently disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,687,593, which illustrates a connecting member
12
comparable in size to the bracelet members and containing a catch member
29
which can engage with each bracelet member to hold them in an extended position to form a rigid handcuff.
Peerless Handcuff Company of Springfield, Mass. manufactures a hinged handcuff model 301 (viewed Aug. 30, 2000 at www.peerless.net). Peerless also produces the industry standard swing-through cuff.
CDS QuikKuf Rigid Handcuffs
A Gall's catalog (Lexington, Ky.) dated January, 2001 (see also www.galls.com) lists the following hinged cuffs:
Smith & Wesson Hinged Handcuffs (D), page 167 American Ultra Lite and Oversized Hinged Handcuffs (3,4,5), page 167
Hiatts Ultimate Hinged Handcuffs (D), page 166—“rigid when drawn and fold after use”
Peerless Hinged Handcuffs (4, 5), page 166.
Many types of handcuffs and other restraints have been patented over the years, and patent activity continues vigorous to the present day, as the need persists for secure but humane restraint of suspects, prisoners and the like.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,314,466 discloses triple-locking handcuffs in which the cuffs are interconnected by conventional chains.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,138,867 discloses hinged handcuffs and lock, a set of handcuffs having two wings connected by a hinge, wherein the hinge sections are formed directly on the wing section walls and the handcuff locking mechanism operates as a hinge pin to hold the wing sections together, and also as a locking device.
FIG. 11
illustrates the relationship of the hinge rings.
Kruger's U.S. Pat. No. 5,205,142 discloses hinged handcuffs. Kruger's U.S. Pat. No. 4,287,731 discloses an improved double lock assembly which can be used on handcuffs such as those of his '142 patent.
Despite all the development and testing of these relatively “low-tech” mechanical devices, improvements are still sought to obtain a better balance between convenience and ease of application and security. In particular, improvements are needed in hinged handcuffs which can be locked
Boswell Christopher
Knight Anthony
Poole, Esq. James K.
LandOfFree
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