Civilian Bullet-Proof Shield
A shield has a rectangular body, a first rollerball bearing assembly mounted in a first bracket joined to the body, such that the first bracket extends away from the left vertical edge of the body, a second rollerball bearing assembly mounted in a second bracket such that the second bracket extends away from the right vertical edge of the body, and the spacing between the first and the second rollerball bearing assemblies is greater than the width of the body. The body rests on the rollerball bearing assemblies when standing and a user, is enabled to hold the shield oriented vertically and to move the shield side-to-side, and the user is further enabled to tilt the shield back toward the user, transferring support to wheels rather than the rollerball bearing assemblies, and is then enabled to move the shield forward and backward on the wheels.
The present application is a continuation-in-part application of co-pending application Ser. No. 16/936,072, filed Jul. 22, 2020, which is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 16/713,823, filed Dec. 13, 2019, and all disclosure of the parent case is incorporated at least by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the InventionThe present invention is in the technical area of bullet-proof shields and pertains more particularly to apparatus to protect people in groups from attack by particularly gun (or knife) wielding assailants.
2. Description of Related ArtThere exist in the art many forms and varieties of bullet-proof shields, most of which are apparatus to be carried for protection and used in an offensive manner with a firearm. There seems to be an unmet need for a shielding apparatus usable by civilians in a situation such as an assailant in a school/office setting, or other setting where a relatively large group of potential victims is assembled. There are many well-known instances, for example, of attacks in schools, where students are caught by surprise, and must run or hide for protection.
What is clearly needed is a large shield with wheels or rollerballs (due to the weight of the shield) capable of stopping all manner of firearms, especially assault rifles, that may be used by one person to provide cover from an assailant or to hit/ram the attacker with the shield to protect other potential victims.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONIn one embodiment of the invention a shield is provided, comprising a rectangular body having a height of at least sixty inches, a width of at least twenty-four inches, a front side and a back side, left and right vertical edges, and a topmost edge and a lowermost edge, the body formed of a bullet-resistant material, with a thickness of at least one-eighth inch, one or more window openings centered on the width of the body and positioned in an upper half of the body, bullet-resistant glass panes in the one or more windows, enabling a user to see through the body, handles positioned along edges of the body on the backside, a first rollerball bearing assembly comprising an upper housing and a rollerball with a portion of the rollerball extending below the upper housing, mounted in a first bracket joined to the body proximate the lowermost edge and the left vertical edge, such that the first bracket extends away from the left vertical edge of the body, a second rollerball bearing assembly comprising an upper housing and a rollerball with a portion of the rollerball extending below the upper housing, mounted in a second bracket joined to the body proximate the lowermost edge and the right vertical edge, such that the second bracket extends away from the right vertical edge of the body, and the spacing between the first and the second rollerball bearing assemblies is greater than the width of the body, and two wheels on axles with axes in the direction of the width of the body, the wheels positioned by brackets joined to the backside of the body proximate the lowermost edge, such that with the body vertically oriented and supported on the rollerball bearing assemblies the wheels are proximate the ground or floor surface but not touching, wherein the body rests on the rollerball bearing assemblies when standing upright or when tipped back no more than 10 degrees. A user, grasping the handles, is enabled to hold the shield oriented vertically supported on the rollerball bearing assemblies and to move the shield side-to-side on the rollerball of the rollerball bearing assemblies, and wherein the user is further enabled to tilt the shield back toward the user, transferring support to the wheels rather than the rollerball bearing assemblies, and is then enabled to move the shield forward and backward on the ground or floor surface on the wheels.
In one embodiment the shield further comprises a cushioning pad of flexible, compressible material affixed to the back surface of the body and having openings for the widow openings. In one embodiment the shield further comprises an upper handle extended upward from a top surface of the shield body, across more than half the width of the body. In one embodiment the handles are cylindrical and oriented substantially vertically. And in one embodiment the handles are cylindrical and oriented at an angle to vertical of at least fifteen degrees, the top of each handle closer to the shield body.
In one embodiment of the shield the rollerball bearing assemblies each comprise a framework having a polymer ball of at least two inches in diameter turning against ball bearings in the framework. And in one embodiment the shield further comprises a stand assembly comprising vertical struts pivoted in hinges positioned about midway on the height of the body proximate opposite side edges of the body, the vertical struts joined by a lateral strut, such that the vertical struts may be extended at an angle to the back side of the body to support the shield stationary at an angle to the ground or floor.
Apparatus 100 in one embodiment has two wheels 105 at the lower extremity, the wheels on axels that extend from the body orthogonal to a plane defined by the front edges of the body. In a preferred embodiment the wheels are inboard of the edges of the side edges of the shield as shown. The wheels are of a diameter, and the axels at a height, that with the body supported on its bottom surface the wheels are just touching the supporting surface but bear no weight.
In this example a cushioning pad 102 of from one to three inches in thickness is implemented on the inside of body 101 as shown in
In this example a bullet-proof window 103 is implemented through an opening in body 101 and also through cushioning pad 102. A purpose of the window is to enable the user to see the assailant, and to be able to maneuver the shield without exposing the user to gunfire or other reaction from the assailant. The vertical nature of the window allows for users of varying heights to see clearly through the shield. In an alternative embodiment shown in
Two handle assemblies 104 are fastened to the inner surface (concave side) of body 101 as shown in
Apparatus 100 in one embodiment has a storage loop 106 fastened to body 101 in this embodiment at about the middle of the body horizontally. Loop 106 in this example is a flattened oval providing both a loop to hang the apparatus from a wall hook, and a handle to be grasped by the user to help move and tilt the apparatus in use.
In another embodiment of the invention, shown in
Cushioning pad 302 has an opening for a window 303, the same as described above for the embodiment of
An alternative embodiment is illustrated in
The inventor has discovered that the embodiments disclosed above have a disadvantage in some circumstances of use. If in use of the shield a user must move the shield quickly to the left or to the right, this maneuver is not easily done with the two-wheel arrangement described above, wherein, with the shield body resting on the ground or floor level the two wheels are slightly above the ground or floor level, and the wheels are brought into play by tilting the shield back toward the user. The inventor has therefore developed an embodiment that may be quickly and easily be moved to the left and right without tilting the shield onto the two wheels.
The shield of the present invention, as described in embodiments above, is provided in some embodiments with a laterally curved body, and in other embodiments with a substantially flat, planar body. The new embodiment for easy side-to-side movement may be provided in a somewhat different way for the curved body versions and the flat body versions.
A bottom edge of shield body 501 has, in this example, two cut-out regions wherein two large rollerball bearing assemblies are joined to the body, such that the flat shield body rests on the balls of these rollerball assemblies when standing upright, or when tipped back no more than 10 degrees. The balls of the rollerball bearing assemblies in this example are made of a high molecular weight polymer and may be as large as four inches in diameter. There are ball bearings in the upper housing upon which the large polymer balls rotate.
The skilled person will understand that brackets 601a and 601b may be fashioned in a number of different ways to mount the rollerball bearings. The brackets may also be provided to mount specific rollerball bearings. In one embodiment the position of the brackets relative to the body of the shield may be adjusted vertically. There may, for example, be slots in the mounting portion of the brackets to accomplish such an adjustment.
The person of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the embodiments described herein are entirely exemplary, and do not limit the scope of the invention. The invention may be implemented in a number of ways that may be suggested by the embodiments described, but not explicitly described. The invention is limited only by the claims that follow.
Claims
1. A shield, comprising:
- a rectangular body having a height of at least sixty inches, a width of at least twenty-four inches, a front side and a back side, left and right vertical edges, and a topmost edge and a lowermost edge, the body formed of a bullet-resistant material, with a thickness of at least one-eighth inch;
- one or more window openings centered on the width of the body and positioned in an upper half of the body;
- bullet-resistant glass panes in the one or more windows, enabling a user to see through the body;
- handles positioned along edges of the body on the backside;
- a first rollerball bearing assembly comprising an upper housing and a rollerball with a portion of the rollerball extending below the upper housing, mounted in a first bracket joined to the body proximate the lowermost edge and the left vertical edge, such that the first bracket extends away from the left vertical edge of the body;
- a second rollerball bearing assembly comprising an upper housing and a rollerball with a portion of the rollerball extending below the upper housing, mounted in a second bracket joined to the body proximate the lowermost edge and the right vertical edge, such that the second bracket extends away from the right vertical edge of the body, and the spacing between the first and the second rollerball bearing assemblies is greater than the width of the body; and
- two wheels on axles with axes in the direction of the width of the body, the wheels positioned by brackets joined to the backside of the body proximate the lowermost edge, such that with the body vertically oriented and supported on the rollerball bearing assemblies the wheels are proximate the ground or floor surface but not touching;
- wherein the body rests on the rollerball bearing assemblies when standing upright, and wherein a user, grasping the handles, is enabled to hold the shield oriented vertically supported on the rollerball bearing assemblies and to move the shield side-to-side on the rollerball of the rollerball bearing assemblies, and wherein the user is further enabled to tilt the shield back toward the user, transferring support to the wheels rather than the rollerball bearing assemblies, and is then enabled to move the shield forward and backward on the ground or floor surface on the wheels.
2. The shield of claim 1 further comprising a cushioning pad of flexible, compressible material affixed to the back surface of the body and having openings for the widow openings.
3. The shield of claim 1 further comprising an upper handle extended upward from a top surface of the shield body, across more than half the width of the body.
4. The shield of claim 1 wherein the handles are cylindrical and oriented substantially vertically.
5. The shield of claim 1 wherein the handles are cylindrical and oriented at an angle to vertical of at least fifteen degrees, the top of each handle closer to the shield body.
6. The shield of claim 1 wherein the rollerball bearing assemblies each comprise a framework having a polymer ball of at least two inches in diameter turning against ball bearings in the framework.
7. The shield of claim 1 further comprising a stand assembly comprising vertical struts pivoted in hinges positioned about midway on the height of the body proximate opposite side edges of the body, the vertical struts joined by a lateral strut, such that the vertical struts may be extended at an angle to the back side of the body to support the shield stationary at an angle to the ground or floor.
Type: Application
Filed: Nov 17, 2020
Publication Date: Aug 19, 2021
Inventor: Joseph B Trampenau (San Jose, CA)
Application Number: 16/950,566