Equipment accessory locking apparatus

Claim 2

A releasable securement device for holding a helmet onto a supporting structure wherein said helmet has a lower edge adapted to fit about the nape of the wearer''s neck, comprising: an apertured anchor means carried on said helmet immediately adjacent to said lower edge thereof; a locking means carried on said supporting structure incorporating an expandable portion; means operably carried on said locking means for expanding said expandable portion in response to forcible abutment with said anchor means so as to attach said helmet to said supporting structure; said last-mentioned means being responsive to a coded key for contracting said expandable portion to separate said helmet from said supporting structure; and said anchor means includes a receptacle having a continuous sidewall defining an enclosed cavity and formed with a central hole defining an entrance into said cavity so as to insertably receive said expandable portion.

Claim 3

A releasable securement device for holding a helmet onto a supporting structure wherein said helmet has a lower edge adapted to fit about the nape of the wearer''s neck, comprising: an apertured anchor means carried on said helmet immediately adjacent to said lower edge thereof; a locking means carried on said supporting structure incorporating an expandable portion; means operably carried on said locking means for expanding said expandable portion in response to forcible abutment with said anchor means so as to attach said helmet to said supporting structure; said last-mentioned means being responsive to a coded key for contracting said expandable portion to separate said helmet from said supporting structure; said expandable portion includes a slidably mounted shaft having a pair of balls seated therein; and means carried on said expandable portion for forcibly urging said balls out of their seated relationship on said shaft into a binding or locking relationship with said receptacle sidewall.

Claim 4

A releasable securement device for holding a helmet onto a supporting structure wherein said helmet has a lower edge adapted to fit about the nape of the wearer''s neck, comprising: an apertured anchor means carried on said helmet immediately adjacent to said lower edge thereof; a locking means carried on said supporting structure incorporating an expandable portion; means operably carried on said locking means for expanding said expandable portion in response to forcible abutment with said anchor means so as to attach said helmet to said supporting structure; said last-mentioned means being responsive to a coded key for contracting said expandable portion to separate said helmet from said supporting structure; said expandable portion includes a slidably mounted shaft having a pair of balls seated therein; and means carried on said expandable portion for forcibly urging said balls out of their seated relationship on said shaft into a binding or locking relationship with said receptacle sidewall.

Claim 5

A releasable securEment device for holding a helmet onto a supporting structure wherein said helmet has a lower edge adapted to fit about the nape of the wearer''s neck, comprising: an apertured anchor means carried on said helmet immediately adjacent to said lower edge thereof; a locking means carried on said supporting structure incorporating an expandable portion; means operably carried on said locking means for expanding said expandable portion in response to forcible abutment with said anchor means so as to attach said helmet to said supporting structure; said last-mentioned means being responsive to a coded key for contracting said expandable portion to separate said helmet from said supporting structure; said expandable portion includes a pair of pivotally mounted members, each member having a lug carried on one end thereof insertable into said anchor means and said members being differentially pivoted so as to expand said lugs into locking relationship with said anchor means; and resilient means biasing said members so as to normally extend said lugs into a yieldable expanded position so as to permit said locking means to snap-lock into holding or gripping relationship with said anchor means.

Claim 6

A releasable securEment device for holding a helmet onto a supporting structure wherein said helmet has a lower edge adapted to fit about the nape of the wearer''s neck, comprising: an apertured anchor means carried on said helmet immediately adjacent to said lower edge thereof; a locking means carried on said supporting structure incorporating an expandable portion; means operably carried on said locking means for expanding said expandable portion in response to forcible abutment with said anchor means so as to attach said helmet to said supporting structure; said last-mentioned means being responsive to a coded key for contracting said expandable portion to separate said helmet from said supporting structure; said expandable portion includes a pair of pivotally mounted members, each member having a lug carried on one end thereof insertable into said anchor means and said members being differentially pivoted so as to expand said lugs into locking relationship with said anchor means; and resilient means biasing said members so as to normally extend said lugs into a yieldable expanded position so as to permit said locking means to snap-lock into holding or gripping relationship with said anchor means.

Claim 7

A releasable securement device for holding a helmet onto a supporting structure wherein said helmet has a lower edge adapted to fit about the nape of the wearer''s neck, comprising: An apertured anchor means carried on said helmet immediately adjacent to said lower edge thereof; a locking means carried on said supporting structure incorporating an expandable portion; means operably carried on said locking means for expanding said expandable portion in response to forcible abutment with said anchor means so as to attach said helmet to said supporting structure; said last-mentioned means being responsive to a coded key for contracting said expandable portion to separate said helmet from said supporting structure; and detent means for yieldably holding said expandable portion into either its locked or unlocked position.

Claim 8

A releasable securement device for holding a helmet onto a supporting structure wherein said helmet has a lower edge adapted to fit about the nape of the wearer''s neck, comprising: An apertured anchor means carried on said helmet immediately adjacent to said lower edge thereof; a locking means carried on said supporting structure incorporating an expandable portion; means operably carried on said locking means for expanding said expandable portion in response to forcible abutment with said anchor means so as to attach said helmet to said supporting structure; said last-mentioned means being responsive to a coded key for contracting said expandable portion to separate said helmet from said supporting structure; and detent means for yieldably holding said expandable portion into either its locked or unlocked position.

Claim 9

A releasable securement device for holding a helmet onto a supporting structure wherein said helmet has a lower edge adapted to fit about the nape of the wearer''s neck, comprising: an apertured anchor means carried on said helmet immediately adjacent to said lower edge thereof; a locking means carried on said supporting structure incorporating an expandable portion; means operably carried on said locking means for expanding said expandable portion in response to forcible abutment with said anchor means so as to attach said helmet to said supporting structure; said last-mentioned means being responsive to a coded key for contracting said expandable portion to separate said helmet from said supporting structure; and said anchor means includes a receptacle carried on said helmet and having an opening coaxial with a hole in said helmet wherein said expandable portion is insertably received through said opening into said abutment relationship with said anchor means.

Claim 10

A releasable securement device for holding a helmet onto a supporting structure wherein said helmet has a lower edge adapted to fit about the nape of the wearer''s neck, comprising: an apertured anchor means carried on said helmet immediately adjacent to said lower edge thereof; a locking means carried on said supporting structure incorporating an expandable portion; means operably carried on said locking means for expanding said expandable portion in response to forcible abutment with said anchor means so as to attach said helmet to said supporting structure; said last-mentioned means being responsive to a coded key for contracting said expandable portion to separate said helmet from said supporting structure; and said anchor means includes a receptacle carried on said helmet and having an opening coaxial with a hole in said helmet wherein said expandable portion is insertably received through said opening into said abutment relationship with said anchor means.

Claim 11

A releasable securement device for holding a helmet onto a supporting structure wherein said helmet has a lower edge adapted to fit about the nape of the wearer''s neck, comprising: an apertured anchor means carried on said helmet immediately adjacent to said lower edge thereof; a locking means carried on said supporting structure incorporating an expandable portion; means operably carried on said locking means for expanding said expandable portion in response to forcible abutment with said anchor means so as to attach said helmet to said supporting structure; said last-mentioned means being responsive to a coded key for contracting said expandable portion to separate said helmet from said supporting structure; said locking means includes a body portion; said expandable portion movably carried on said body portion; detent means resiliently and yieldably maintaining said expandable portion In either its lock or unlocked positions; and a pin and tumbler key lock operably coupled to said expandable portion to expand and contract said expandable portion with respect to its locking engagement with said anchor means.

Claim 12

A releasable securement device for holding a helmet onto a supporting structure wherein said helmet has a lower edge adapted to fit about the nape of the wearer''s neck, comprising: an apertured anchor means carried on said helmet immediately adjacent to said lower edge thereof; a locking means carried on said supporting structure incorporating an expandable portion; means operably carried on said locking means for expanding said expandable portion in response to forcible abutment with said anchor means so as to attach said helmet to said supporting structure; said last-mentioned means being responsive to a coded key for contracting said expandable portion to separate said helmet from said supporting structure; said locking means includes a body portion; said expandable portion movably carried on said body portion; detent means resiliently and yieldably maintaining said expandable portion In either its lock or unlocked positions; and a pin and tumbler key lock operably coupled to said expandable portion to expand and contract said expandable portion with respect to its locking engagement with said anchor means.

Claim 13

The invention as defined in claim 4 wherein said anchor means includes a receptacle having a continuous sidewall defining an enclosed cavity and formed with a central hole defining an entrance into said expandable cavity so as to insertably receive said expandable portion.

Claim 14

The invention as defined in claim 4 wherein said expandable portion includes a slidably mounted shaft having a pair of balls seated therein; and means carried on said portion for forcibly urging said balls out of their seated relationship on said shaft into a binding or locking relationship with said receptacle sidewall.

Claim 15

The invention as defined in claim 4 wherein said expandable portion includes a pair of pivotally mounted members, each member having a lug carried on one end thereof insertable into said anchor means and said members being differentially pivoted so as to expand said lugs into locking relationship with said anchor means.

Claim 16

The invention as defined in claim 9 including resilient means biasing said members so as to normally extend said lugs into a yieldable expanded position so as to permit said locking means to snap-lock into holding or gripping relationship with said anchor means.

Claim 17

The invention as defined in claim 1 including detent means for yieldably holding said expandable portion into either its locked or unlocked position.

Claim 18

The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein said last-mentioned operable means includes an eccentric cam rotatably carried on said locking means and key-lock pin and tumbler set carried on said locking means for rotating said cam into binding relationship with said expandable means in its expanded, locked condition.

Claim 19

The invention as defined in claim 4 wherein said anchor means includes a receptacle carried on said helmet and having an opening coaxial with a hole in said helmet wherein said expandable portion is insertably received through said opening into said abutment relationship with said anchor means.

Claim 20

The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein said locking means includes a body portion; said expandable portion movably carried on said body portion; detent means resiliently and yieldably maintaining said expandable portion in either its lock or unlocked positions; and a pin and tumbler key lock operably coupled to said expandable portion to expand and contract said expandable portion with respect to its locking engagement with said anchor means.

Claim 21

The invention as defined in claim 6 including an eccentric cam operated by said key lock for effecting unlocking of said expandable portion.