Patents by Inventor Richard E. D. Nichols

Richard E. D. Nichols has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 5855305
    Abstract: A retention device or clip for retaining a handgun trigger guard in a holster has a first end wall for securing against a rear end wall of the holster, a pair of flexible side walls projecting forwardly from the first end wall and a flexible third wall projecting forwardly from the first end wall at a location spaced below the side walls and extending at right angles to the side walls. Each side wall has a free end or ear biased inwardly towards the ear of the other side wall for extending into the trigger guard of a gun seated in the holster. The third wall acts as a rest for a lower edge portion of the trigger guard after it is pushed below the side walls, and also biases the trigger guard upwardly into engagement with the side walls for added security.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 1996
    Date of Patent: January 5, 1999
    Inventor: Richard E. D. Nichols
  • Patent number: 5820003
    Abstract: A holster for a handgun includes a pouch for releasably receiving the handgun and an outer panel secured to the pouch with an attachment device for attaching the pouch to a user, such as a belt, waistband, ankle or shoulder harness. The pouch has two side walls secured together at a central wall portion. Rear edge portions of the side walls are secured together by at least one faster which also secures the panel to the pouch. The panel is adapted to pass around the pouch and is also secured to the central wall portion by a second fastener. A strip secured to the central wall portion on the inside of the pouch has a portion covering the inner end of the second fastener.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 1996
    Date of Patent: October 13, 1998
    Inventor: Richard E. D. Nichols
  • Patent number: 5570830
    Abstract: A holster has an elongate spine of rigid material with elongate grooves running along opposite sides of the spine, and a holster body with opposite side walls for forming a handgun receiving cavity. The rear edges of the side walls are each located in a respective one of the grooves in the spine so that the spine forms the rear end wall of the handgun receiving cavity. The holster body is secured to the spine via releasable or permanent fasteners.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 1995
    Date of Patent: November 5, 1996
    Assignee: R.E.D. Nichols & Associates, Inc.
    Inventor: Richard E. D. Nichols
  • Patent number: 5544794
    Abstract: A hanger device for suspending a holster from a wearer's waistband, belt, shoulder harness or the like has a first end part adapted to engage a wearer's waistband, belt or a shoulder harness encircling the wearer's shoulders, and a second end part spaced from the first part for engaging at least one end wall of the holster. A releasable or permanent fastener device secures the second end part to the holster end wall. A substantially rigid connecting member extends between the first and second end parts of the securing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 1995
    Date of Patent: August 13, 1996
    Assignee: R. E. D. Nichols & Associates
    Inventor: Richard E. D. Nichols
  • Patent number: 5284281
    Abstract: A handgun holster has a handgun receiving cavity in which a moveable trigger guard gripping device is mounted. The gripping device has at least one projection for extending into the trigger guard of a handgun, and is moveable with the gun between a first position in which the projection is rigidly held in the trigger guard and a second position in which the projection is only loosely biassed into the trigger guard so that it can be released by simply pulling the handgun away from the gripping device. The holster has a separate or integral pocket with a rigid locking surface which holds the projection in the trigger guard when the gripping device is in its first position, so that the gripping device must be moved to its second position before the gun can be released.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 1991
    Date of Patent: February 8, 1994
    Inventor: Richard E. D. Nichols
  • Patent number: 5265781
    Abstract: A mounting device for suspending a holster or other article carrier from a wearer's waistband or belt is a U-shaped paddle member in one version for hooking over a wearer's waistband, and a plate with slots for receiving a belt in another version. Both the plate and one leg of the paddle member are provided with a pivot opening for receiving a first, pivotal fastener for pivotally connecting the devices to a holster, and a pair of arcuate slots positioned symmetrically one on each side of the pivot opening for receiving a pair of releasable fasteners for securing the holster in a selected angular position. The other leg of the paddle member is of arrowhead-like shape with its free end slightly pointed for easy insertion into the waistband, and a pair of inwardly directed barbs for fitting under the waistband to resist inadvertent pulling up and dislodging of the member. The plate can be rotated 180 degrees when the releasable fasteners are removed between a high ride and a low ride position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 1991
    Date of Patent: November 30, 1993
    Inventor: Richard E. D. Nichols
  • Patent number: 5161721
    Abstract: A handgun holster has a front fold to which a strip of material having a central channel and side flanges is secured along the center line of the channel with the channel facing inwardly to receive and protect a handgun sight when a handgun is inserted into, or removed from, the holster. The strip is otherwise unsecured to the holster and can conform to any holster inside radius.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 1991
    Date of Patent: November 10, 1992
    Inventor: Richard E. D. Nichols
  • Patent number: 5150825
    Abstract: A holster of soft material has a retention device for applying pressure to a handgun in the holster to resist inadvertent removal of the handgun. An elongate band or strip of resilient material is formed into a loop around the outside of the holster by folding the band about a central region extending over a fold in the holster and securing opposite ends of the band together through the holster to urge the opposite side portions of the band towards one another. The opposite side portions of the band compress corresponding underlying wall portions of the holster against a handgun in the holster pocket, providing a controlled resistance to draw which is preferably adjustable and also resisting inadvertent removal or slipping of the handgun out of the pocket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 1991
    Date of Patent: September 29, 1992
    Inventor: Richard E. D. Nichols