Ski pole lock

Claim 1

AN IMPROVED SKI POLE AND LOCKING DEVICE, COMPRISING: (A) A HOLLOW SHAFT AND A GRIP ADAPTED FOR REMOVABLE CONNECTION TO FORM A SKI POLE; (B) FLEXIBLE MEANS NORMALLY CONTAINED WITHIN SAID POLE AND ADAPTED FOR EXTENSION TO ATTACH THE POLE TO A FIXED EXTERNAL OBJECT; (C) MEANS FOR CONNECTING AND LOCKING SAID GRIP TO SAID SHAFT TO PERMIT NORMAL USE OF THE POLE WHEN SAID FLEXIBLE MEANS IS RETRACTED AND TO PREVENT DETACHMENT OF THE POLE FROM THE FIXED OBJECT WHEN SAID FLEXIBLE MEANS IS EXTENDED, SAID CONNECTING AND LOCKING MEANS COMPRISING (D) AN ANNULAR SLEEVE TIGHTLY CONTAINED IN THE UPPER END OF SAID SHAFT, (E) AN ELONGATED CYLINDRICAL BARREL MEMBER HAVING ITS LOWER PORTION TIGHTLY CONTAINED IN SAID SLEEVE AND HAVING AN AXIAL BORE THROUGH ALL BUT ITS LOWER PORTION, (F) AN ENLARGED DIAMETER COLLAR INCLUDING AN ENLARGED DIAMETER BORE AT THE UPPER END OF SAID BARREL MEMBER, (G) A CYLINDRICAL ALIGNING FLANGE EXTENDING DOWNWARD FROM SAID GRIP AND ADAPTED FOR REMOVABLE INSERTION INTO SAID COLLAR TO MAINTAIN THE GRIP AND SHAFT IN AXIAL ALIGNMENT, (H) A LOCK CORE EXTENDING DOWNWARD FROM SAID ALIGNING FLANGE FOR INSERTION INTO SAID BARREL BORE, (I) A PLURALITY OF ALIGNED LOCKING TEETH SPACED ALONG THE LENGTH OF SAID LOCK CORE AND ADAPTED TO EXTEND THROUGH A KEYWAY IN ONE SIDE OF SAID BARREL MEMBER, (J) A PLURALITY OF LOCKING RINGS ROTATABLY MOUNTED AROUND SAID BARREL MEMBER, (K) AN INTERNAL WARD ON EACH SAID LOCKING RING FOR OVERLAYING A RESPECTIVE ONE OF SAID TEETH TO LOCK SAID LOCK CORE IN SAID BARREL MEMBER, EACH SAID WARD HAVING A NOTCH FORMED AT ONE POINT IN ITS CIRCUMFERENCE SO THAT WHEN ALL SAID NOTCHES ARE ALIGNED WITH SAID TEETH, THE GRIP MAY BE REMOVED FROM THE SHAFT, (L) INDICIA ON EACH SAID RING FOR INDICATING THE ALIGNED POSITION OF SAID NOTCHES, (M) MEANS ON SAID GRIP AND SAID SHAFT FOR PREVENTING AXIAL ROTATION OF SAID GRIP RELATIVE TO SAID SHAFT WHEN CONNECTED THERETO; AND SAID FLEXIBLE MEANS COMPRISING, (N) A FLEXIBLE CORD CONNECTED AT ITS ONE END TO THE INTERIOR OF SAID GRIP ABOVE SAID LOCK CORE AND EXTENDING DOWNWARD THEREFROM A SUBSTANTIAL DISTANCE INTO SAID HOLLOW SHAFT THROUGH APERTURES IN SAID ALIGNING FLANGE, CORE, AND BARREL, (O) STOP MEANS AT THE LOWER END OF SAID CORD TO PREVENT IT FROM MOVING UPWARD THROUGH THE OPENING IN SAID BARREL; AND (P) A SLOT IN SAID COLLAR IN REGISTRY WITH SAID APERTURES TO PERMIT SAID CORD TO EXTEND OUT OF SAID SLOT, AROUND THE FIXED OBJECT AND BACK THROUGH SAID SLOT, WHEREBY SAID LOCKING MEANS MAY BE UNLOCKED TO PERMIT SAID GRIP TO BE REMOVED FROM SAID SHAFT FOR WRAPPING SAID FLEXIBLE CORD AROUND THE FIXED OBJECT AND RELOCKED WITH SAID GRIP RECONNECTED TO SAID SHAFT TO PREVENT THEFT OF THE SKI POLE.