HAMMER WITH ROTATABLE SPUR

Abstract

A rotatable spur for a handgun, rotatable with respect to the hammer body, and rotatable in a direction that is about an axis of rotation approximately parallel with the handgun body and barrel. The mechanism of rotation may be varied provided the spur is capable of changing the direction of its finger grip surface from its normal firing position to a position preferably perpendicular to the normal firing position. A retaining pin, biased for retention within an indentation within a cocking spur pin allows the finger grip surface of the spur to rotate and face at least a side position of the handgun.

Claims

1. A handgun having a grip and barrel in a vertical plane, comprising a hammer having a hammer body in said vertical plane, said hammer body including a spur having a top surface with a normal component directed parallel to said vertical plane, said spur rotatable with respect to said hammer body about an axis parallel to said vertical plane such that upon rotation said normal component of said spur top surface is no longer parallel to said vertical plane.

2. The handgun of claim 1 wherein said spur includes a finger grip surface and a cocking spur pin, said cocking spur pin insertable within said hammer body through a first aperture, said cocking spur having a radial indentation on one side, said first aperture located on a backside surface of said hammer opposite a muzzle side surface of said hammer.

3. The handgun of claim 2 including a retaining pin insertable within a second aperture in said hammer body, said retaining pin having a receiving cut portion for slidably communicating with a locking pin, said second aperture located approximate said hammer body top surface.

4. The handgun of claim 3 including a third aperture within said hammer body for receiving said locking pin, said locking pin upon insertion within said third aperture of said hammer body being in slidable communication with said receiving cut of said retaining pin.

5. The handgun of claim 3 including a bias spring in mechanical communication with said retaining pin, said bias spring insertable with said retaining pin within said second aperture such that, when said bias spring and said retaining pin are inserted within said second aperture, said locking pin upon insertion within said third aperture maintains said retaining pin biased against said bias spring.

6. The handgun of claim 5 wherein said cocking spur pin is slidably locked by a retention force of said retaining pin acting with said bias spring for securing said spur in a position for firing.

7. The handgun of claim 1 wherein said handgun includes a pistol or a revolver.

8. A hammer for a handgun having a rotatable spur, comprising: a hammer body having a plurality of apertures, said hammer body in a vertical plane when said handgun is held upright; and a spur having a finger grip surface with a normal component in a direction parallel to said vertical plane, and an elongated insertion segment for inserting within one of said plurality of apertures of said hammer body, said spur elongated insertion segment including an indentation on at least one side for slidably responding to a biased retention pin in said hammer body, said spur being removable from said hammer body, or rotatable with respect to said hammer body about an axis parallel to said vertical plane such that upon rotation said normal component is no longer parallel to said vertical plane, or both.

9. The hammer of claim 8 wherein said biased retention pin includes a notch in at least one side for receiving a locking pin; said biased retention pin combined with, and in mechanical communication with, a bias spring, said biased retention pin and spring combination insertable within a second of said plurality of apertures of said hammer housing.

10. The hammer of claim 9 including a locking pin insertable within a third of said plurality of apertures of said hammer body, said locking pin in slidable communication with said notch.

11. The hammer of claim 8, wherein said spur is rotatable to at least ninety degrees.

12. A hammer and rotatable spur combination for a handgun, comprising: a hammer having a hammer body for receiving said rotatable spur; a ball and spring retention located either in a body portion of said rotatable spur or in said hammer body; and an cavity for receiving said ball, said cavity located within said hammer body when said ball and spring retention is located within said body portion of said rotatable spur, or said cavity located within said rotatable spur when said ball and spring retention is located within said hammer body.

13. A handgun having a grip and barrel in a vertical plane, comprising a hammer having a hammer body in said vertical plane, said hammer body including a spur removable with respect to said hammer body.

14. The handgun of claim 13 wherein said spur is removable about an axis parallel to said vertical plane.

15. The handgun of claim 13 wherein said handgun includes a hammer, said hammer having a biasing component in mechanical communication with said spur for releasably retaining said spur within said hammer.

16. A method of concealed carrying a handgun, where said handgun defines a vertical plane when held in the upright firing position, said vertical plane passing through a grip, hammer, and barrel of said handgun, said method including rotating a spur attached to said hammer, said spur rotatable about an axis parallel to said vertical plane such that a normal component of said spur top surface is no longer parallel with said vertical plane.

17. The method of claim 16 including biasing said spur such that said spur rotation is rotatably fixed in a firing position, and is temporarily held in said firing position by a biasing component.

18. The method of claim 17 including biasing said spur such that said spur rotation is rotatably fixed when rotated away from said firing position.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] The features of the invention believed to be novel and the elements characteristic of the invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The figures are for illustration purposes only and are not drawn to scale. The invention itself, however, both as to organization and method of operation, may best be understood by reference to the detailed description which follows taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

[0020] FIG. 1 depicts a first embodiment of the hammer-spur design of the present invention;

[0021] FIG. 2 depicts an exploded view of one embodiment of the hammer-spur configuration of the present invention; and

[0022] FIG. 3 depicts the preferred embodiment of the hammer-spur configuration in a rotated position.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT(S)

[0023] In describing the preferred embodiment of the present invention, reference will be made herein to FIGS. 1-3 of the drawings in which like numerals refer to like features of the invention.

[0024] The present invention overcomes the limitations of the prior art by providing a firearm hammer having a hammer body with a hammer pivot axis for attachment to a firearm frame. A spur is connected to the hammer body, and the spur is rotatable along an axis of rotation approximately perpendicular to the hammer axis of rotation and parallel to the vertical plane of the gun barrel. This axis of rotation allows the spur to rotate such that the finger grip portion of the spur, which is normally facing upward during firing, that is, has a spur top surface normal component that is parallel to the vertical plane of the handgun and hammer, rotates towards the side of the firearm. In this manner, the finger grip portion of the spur spins or rotates relative to the plane of the handgun.

[0025] FIG. 1 depicts a first embodiment of the hammer-spur design of the present invention. Hammer 10 includes a hammer body 12 that receives and secures a rotatable spur mechanism. Hammer 10 rotates about an axis of rotation 14 that is perpendicular to axis that corresponds to the barrel of the firearm, which projects into the page in direction 16. The hammer is cocked by the user pressing down on the finger grip surface 22 of spur 20. When pressed downwards, hammer 10 rotates about axis of rotation 14 in direction 16, perpendicular to the axis of rotation 14.

[0026] Spur 20 is made to be rotatable with respect to hammer body 12. Spur 20 rotates about axis of rotation 16, which may be approximately parallel to the barrel of the firearm, and projects into and out of the page. The rotational direction 24 of spur 20 is in a direction about the axis of rotation 16. In this manner, finger grip surface 22 of spur 20 may be directed from its current position where the normal 26 of finger grip surface 22 is initially directed upward relative to the handgun, that is, parallel to the plane 28 of the handgun, towards a direction predominantly perpendicular to plane 28 of the handgun, facing outwards towards either side of the handgun.

[0027] An exploded view of one embodiment of the hammer-spur configuration of the present invention is represented by FIG. 2. Spur 20 attaches to hammer body 12 via a cocking spur pin 30, and is received in an aperture 40 at the top portion of the backside face of hammer body 12, that is, the side face of the hammer body opposite the muzzle end of the handgun. In one embodiment, cocking spur pin 30 includes an indentation 32 that is sized to fit retaining pin 38 when spur 20 is placed in its firing position, with finger grip portion 22 facing upwards. Retaining pin 38 is insertable in aperture 42 at the top of hammer body 12.

[0028] In this embodiment, retaining pin 38 has a primarily cylindrical body 37, with a rounded end 39 sized to fit indentation 32 of cocking spur pin 30. A receiving cut 41 is provided on one side of cylindrical body 37 which receives locking pin 34. Receiving cut 41 is an elongated, linear cut on the surface of cylindrical body 37, which allows retaining pin 38 up and down movement when in place within hammer body 12. Retaining pin 38 and retaining spring 36 are inserted within hammer aperture 42, compressing retaining spring 36 such that receiving cut 41 is centered about hammer aperture 44. Locking pin 34 is inserted within hammer aperture 44 to keep retaining pin 38 biased by retaining spring 36. Locking pin 34 inserts through hammer aperture 44 and mates with receiving cut 41. In this manner, locking pin 34 holds retaining pin 38 against retaining spring 36, which is biased to push retaining pin out of aperture 42. Spur 20 is then inserted within hammer aperture 40. Indentation 32 is sized to receive rounded end 39 of retaining pin 38 when the finger grip surface 22 of spur 20 is upright, in the firing position. Spur 20 is rotatable about aperture 40, and can be rotated to a position off its normal firing position. When rotated to a position off its normal firing position, finger grip surface 22 is shifted towards the perpendicular to its otherwise upright firing position, while spur 20 remains considerably within plane 28 of the handgun.

[0029] FIG. 3 depicts the preferred embodiment of the hammer-spur configuration in a rotated position. Spur 20 is depicted rotated in a direction 24 about axis of rotation 16. In this rotated position, retaining pin 38 is depressed against bias retaining spring 36 as cocking spur pin 30 is rotated with spur 20, and indentation 32 is moved away from the biased retaining pin 38. Spur 20 may be rotatable a full 360°, although the present invention only requires rotating the finger grip surface 22 of spur 20 off its normal firing position so that point edges 48a,b are approximately parallel with the plane of the handgun, thus removing the point edges from obstruction with clothing and other objects during concealed carry of the firearm. Cocking spur pin 30 may further include additional indentations to allow retainer pin 38 to secure spur 20 in its newly rotated position.

[0030] Other attachment mechanisms may be employed to attach spur 20 to hammer body 12. For example, a ball and spring retention combination may be used instead of the retainer pin. The ball and spring combination could be housed in the hammer body or the cocking spur pin. The opposite mating surface would be an indentation for the biased ball, either on the hammer body or the cocking spur pin.

[0031] Additionally, the spur may be completely removable and insertable to eliminate the spur end points from obstruction during conceal carry. Such a spur need not be rotatable if ease of removing achieves the attributes of precluding eliminating or deleting obstructions and snags, and facilitating safely carrying the handgun.

[0032] In another embodiment, the cocking spur pin may be biased to the hammer body, in a manner that allows the spur to be partially extracted, rotated, and reinserted in a second position, or plurality of positions. The user would pull the spur outwards, rotate it, and the bias would pull the spur back to the hammer body in the new rotated position.

[0033] The present invention teaches a rotatable spur, rotatable with respect to the hammer body, and in a direction that is about an axis of rotation parallel with the handgun body and barrel. The mechanism of rotation may be varied provided the spur is capable of changing the direction of its finger grip surface from its normal firing position to a position preferably perpendicular to the normal firing position. The present invention also teaches the method of rotating a spur on a hammer of a handgun, as the rotation is depicted in the drawings.

[0034] While the present invention has been particularly described, in conjunction with a specific preferred embodiment, it is evident that many alternatives, modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the foregoing description. It is therefore contemplated that the appended claims will embrace any such alternatives, modifications and variations as falling within the true scope and spirit of the present invention.

[0035] Thus, having described the invention, what is claimed is: