Locking device for releasable strap connectors

Claim 2

In a releasable strap connector, having a female member with at least one socket hole, a male member having at least one prong fitting into said socket hole, a bearing hole intersecting said socket, a locking bar oscillatable in the bearing hole, the portion of said locking bar projecting into said socket hole being cut away to leave said socket hole unobstructed in one position of said locking bar thereby to permit insertion of said prong, and in another position to project into said socket hole thereby to interlock with said prong, means for turning said locking bar from interlocking position to unobstructing position at will, and a manipulatable lever co-acting with said turning means being pivotally movable into interlocking and releasing positions, the improvement of a safety lock, comprising, said female member having a pocket therein generally parallel with and adjacent to said socket hole, a keeper recess in said oscillating locking bar on the side adjacent to said pocket, a connecting passage between said pocket and said keeper recess, a locking element movable in said passage into and out of locking engagement with said keeper recess, a plunger reciprocable in said pocket, the inner end of said plunger being engageable with said locking element for holding the locking element in said passage in locking engagement with said locking bar, a reduced portion at said end of said plunger adapted to be registEred with said passage for permitting the release of said locking element from said passage and from said keeper recess, and resiliently actuated connecting means between said manipulatable lever and said plunger for holding said plunger with said end in locking engagement with said locking element in the interlocking position of said manipulatable lever, and to shift said plunger to register said reduced portion with said locking element by the turning of said manipulatable lever out of interlocking position.

Claim 3

The safety lock for said releasable strap connector specified in claim 1, and resiliently yieldable means activated by said prong whenever said prong is withdrawn from said socket to hold said plunger with the reduced portion in registry with said locking element until said prong is reinserted.

Claim 4

The safety lock for a releasable strap connector specified in claim 2, and a plunger guide slideable in said pocket, said resilient means to urge said plunger into interlocking position being a first spring bearing against said guide and against said plunger urging said plunger toward said manipulatable lever into said locking element engaging position, a second spring bearing against said guide to urge it away from said manipulatable lever thereby to permit said first spring to expand away from said lever to keep said plunger in said locking element freeing position, and a part on said guide being engageable by said prong whereby said guide is moved toward said lever and said springs are compressed by the insertion of said prong into said socket and whereby said second spring urges said prong out of said socket when said oscillating bar is turned into unobstructing position.

Claim 5

The safety lock for said releasable strap connector specified in claim 2, and a plunger guide reciprocable in said female member, said plunger being reciprocable in the plunger guide, a plunger spring in said plunger guide bearing against said plunger normally to urge said plunger toward said lever thereby to hold said plunger in said interlocking position.

Claim 6

The safety lock for said releasable strap connector specified in claim 4, and a guide part projecting into said socket in the path of said prong, a guide spring in the female member urging said guide part into engagement with said prong inwardly of said socket whereby said plunger is held in position to free said locking element when said prong is withdrawn from said socket, and said prong during insertion into said socket moving said guide part and said guide to shift said plunger into locking position thereby compressing said guide spring, said guide spring being adapted to exert force for ejecting said prong from said socket when said oscillating bar is twined into unobstructing position.

Claim 7

The safety lock for said releasable strap connector specified in claim 1, said locking element being a ball movable in said passage, said reduced portion of said plunger being an annular recess in registry with said ball in the freeing position of the plunger.

Claim 8

In a releasable strap connector, having a female member with at least one socket hole, a male member having at least one prong fitting into said socket hole, a bearing hole intersecting said socket, a locking bar oscillatable in the bearing hole, the portion of said locking bar projecting into said socket hole being cut away to leave said socket hole unobstructed in one position of said locking bar thereby to permit insertion of said prong, and in another position to project into said socket hole thereby to interlock with said prong, means for turning said locking bar from interlocking position to unobstructing position at will, and a manipulatable lever co-acting with said turning means being pivotally movable into interlocking and releasing positions, the improvement of a safety lock, comprising, said female member having a pocket therein generally parallel with and adjacent to said socket Hole, a plunger reciprocable in said pocket, co-acting means between the inner end of said plunger and said oscillating locking bar for locking said locking bar in one position of said plunger and releasing said locking bar in a second position of said plunger, and resiliently actuated means between said manipulatable lever and said plunger for holding said plunger in said one position for locking said locking element, and for shifting said plunger into said second position by the turning of said manipulative lever out of interlocking position, said resiliently actuated means including a plunger guide slidable in said pocket, a first spring bearing against said guide and against said plunger so as to urge said plunger toward said one position and to urge the other end of said plunger into engagement with said manipulatable lever, a second spring bearing against said guide so as to urge said guide away from said manipulatable lever and inwardly of said pocket thereby to permit said first spring to expand away from said lever to keep said plunger in said second position, a part on said guide being movable in said socket hole and abutting said prong whereby said guide is moved toward said lever and said springs are compressed by the insertion of said prong into said socket and whereby said second spring urges said prong out of said pocket when said oscillating bar is freed and turned into unobstructing position.

Claim 9

In a releasable strap connector, having a female member with at least one socket hole, a male member having at least one prong fitting into said socket hole, a bearing hole intersecting said socket, a locking bar oscillatable in the bearing hole, the portion of said locking bar projecting into said socket hole being cut away to leave said socket hole unobstructed in one position of said locking bar thereby to permit insertion of said prong, and in another position to project into said socket hole thereby to interlock with said prong, means for turning said locking bar from interlocking position to unobstructing position at will, and a manipulatable lever co-acting with said turning means being pivotally movable into interlocking and releasing positions, the improvement of a safety lock, comprising, said female member having a pocket therein generally parallel with and adjacent to said socket Hole, a plunger reciprocable in said pocket, co-acting means between the inner end of said plunger and said oscillating locking bar for locking said locking bar in one position of said plunger and releasing said locking bar in a second position of said plunger, and resiliently actuated means between said manipulatable lever and said plunger for holding said plunger in said one position for locking said locking element, and for shifting said plunger into said second position by the turning of said manipulative lever out of interlocking position, said resiliently actuated means including a plunger guide slidable in said pocket, a first spring bearing against said guide and against said plunger so as to urge said plunger toward said one position and to urge the other end of said plunger into engagement with said manipulatable lever, a second spring bearing against said guide so as to urge said guide away from said manipulatable lever and inwardly of said pocket thereby to permit said first spring to expand away from said lever to keep said plunger in said second position, a part on said guide being movable in said socket hole and abutting said prong whereby said guide is moved toward said lever and said springs are compressed by the insertion of said prong into said socket and whereby said second spring urges said prong out of said pocket when said oscillating bar is freed and turned into unobstructing position.