Face guard for football helmet

Claim 1

IN COMBINATION; A FOOTBALL HELMET, A GRID-LIKE FACE MASK FOR THE HELMET, MEANS PIVOTALLY CONNECTING THE FACE MASK TO THE HELMET AT THE TOP OF THE HELMET IN FRONT ON A TRANSVERSE HORIZONTAL AXIS SO THAT FACE MASK CAN BE SWUNG IN A VERTICAL PLANE ABOUT SAID AXIS BETWEEN OPERATIVE AND INOPERATIVE POSITIONS ON THE HELMET, SAID FACE MASK INCLUDING PORTIONS WHICH EXTEND ALONG AND EMBRACE THE SIDES OF THE HELMET A SUBSTANTIAL DISTANCE BELOW THE TOP OF THE HELMET WHEN THE FACE MASK IS IN OPERATIVE POSITION, AND MEANS MOUNTED ON THE SIDES OF THE HELMET AT THE LEVEL THEREOF EMBRACED BY SAID PORTION OF THE MASK HAVING MEANS TO DETACHABLY ENGAGE SAID PORTIONS AND ABUTMENT MEANS TO ABUTTINGLY ENGAGE SAID PORTIONS FOR POSITIVELY HALTING THE FACE MASK ON SAID HELMET IN SAID OPERATIVE POSITION THEREON WHEN THE FACE MASK IS MOVED FROM INOPERATIVE POSITION INTO OPERATIVE POSITION TO PREVENT MOVEMENT OF THE FACE MASK BEYOND SAID OPERATIVE POSITION AND FOR RELEASABLY RETAINING THE FACE MASK IN SAID OPERATIVE POSITION TO PREVENT ACCIDENTAL MOVEMENT OF THE FACE MASK FROM SAID OPERATIVE POSITION TO INOPERATIVE POSITION.