Breakaway coupling

Claim 1

IN A COUPLING ASSEMBLY OF THE CHARACTER DESCRIBED WHEREIN A FIRST COUPLING BODY HAS A REARWARDLY FACING ENGAGEMENT SHOULDER AND A COOPERATING SECOND COUPLING BODY HAS ENGAGEMENT MEANS RADIALLY MOVABLE TO ENGAGE SAID SHOULDER TO INTERCONNECT THE TWO BODIES AND FURTHER HAS ACTUATING MEANS TO LOCK SAID ENGAGEMENT MEANS IN ITS ENGAGED POSITION, SAID ACTUATING MEANS BEING RETRACTABLE RELATIVE TO THE SECOND COUPLING BODY REARWARDLY THEREOF AGAINST THE FORCE OF A YIELDING MEANS TO RELEASE THE ENGAGEMENT MEANS, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING: SAID SECOND COUPLING BODY HAVING A NORMAL FORWARD POSITION RELATIVE TO THE ENGAGEMENT MEANS AND BEING MOVABLE REARWARDLY RELATIVE TO SAID ENGAGEMENT MEANS FROM SAID NORMAL POSITION WHEN SAID ENGAGEMENT SHOULDER AND SAID ENGAGEMENT MEANS ARE LOCKED IN ENGAGED POSITION BY SAID ACTUATING MEANS; A SECOND YIELDING MEANS EXERTING FORCE BETWEEN THE SECOND COUPLING BODY AND THE ENGAGEMENT MEANS TO NORMALLY HOLD THE SECOND COUPLING BODY AT ITS NORMAL FORWARD POSITION RELATIVE TO THE ENGAGEMENT MEANS; AND SAID ACTUATING MEANS HAVING A PORTION FOR ENGAGEMENT BY THE SECOND BODY TO PERMIT REARWARD MOVEMENT OF THE ACTUATING MEANS THEREWITH TO UNLOCK THE ENGAGEMENT MEANS, WHEREBY THE TWO COUPLING BODIES MAY BE RELEASED FROM EACH OTHER EITHER BY RETRACTION OF THE ACTUATING MEANS ALONE AGAINST THE RESISTANCE OF THE FIRST-MENTIONED YIELDING MEANS OR BY RETRACTION OF THE SECOND COUPLING BODY TOGETHER WITH THE ACTUATING MEANS AGAINST THE RESISTANCE OF THE SECOND YIELDING MEANS.