Detachable connection for pivotally mounting a face shield to a head protector

Claim 1

In combination, (a) a rigid head protective helmet, (b) a face shield, and (c) a connector means for pivotally and removably connecting and orienting the face shield onto the head protective helmet, A. said helmet being of the type having a crown and a downwardly extending skirt with a front, rear and opposing size zones, and said side zones terminating at a rim at a level above the ears of a wearer's head, said helmet having an elongate opening in each side zone in confronting relation and adjacent the rim, B. said face shield having an inner surface and an outer surface and including a front face with a central window means and a rearwardly extending left and right side face each terminating at a generally vertical edge and each side face having a hole of predetermined size adjacent the edge and with their centers defining a line above the central window means, C. said connector means comprising: a. a first and a second elongate leaf spring each having a first end zone and a second end zone, said first end zone of said first spring being secured to the inner surface of said face shield and said second end zones normally diverging from the adjacent inner surface of the right side face and being of a length to extend beyond the line through the centers of the holes in said side faces, and said second end zone terminating at a terminal end, and said terminal end being accessible at said edge of said right side face, and said second end zone having a hole of a predetermined size smaller than the predetermined size of said hole in said right side face, said first end zone of said second leaf spring being secured to the inner surface of said face shield and said second end zone normally diverging from the adjacent inner surface of said left side face and being of a length to extend beyond the line through the centers of the holes in said side faces and said second end zone terminating at a terminal end, and said terminal end being accessible at said edge of said left side face, and said second end zone having a hole of a predetermined size smaller than the predetermined size of said hole in said left side face, said holes in said second end zones being aligned with one another and normally within the space comprising a projection of the holes in the side faces of the shield and said second end zones normally converging toward one another; said first and second leaf springs being yieldable to a compressive force to move their respective terminal ends toward the inner surface of the right and left side faces respectively of the shield with the holes in each of the second end zones remaining at all times substantially in said projection during relative movement of the leaf springs toward the adjacent inner surface of the face shield, b. a first and a second pivot pin each having a headed inner end and a shank terminating at a threaded outer end, and each pin being of a diameter less than that of the holes in said side faces of said shield, c. a key means on each pivot pin to constrain the shield to pivotal movement only with respect to the hat while connected thereto, each of said key means comprising a first leg having an inner surface and an outer surface with a hole receiving one of said pivot means and with the inner surface of said first leg in abutting engagement with the adjacent headed inner end; and a second leg extending inwardly from said inner surface to a terminal end, said terminal end of said key means of said first pivot pin being sized and normally extending into the opening in the right side face in a keyed condition, and said terminal end of said key means on said second pivot pin being sized and normally extending into the opening in the left side face in a keyed connection, d. means journaling said leaf springs on the shanks of said pivot pins comprising, the shank of said first pivot pin extending through the hole of said first elongate leaf spring and the shank of said second pivot pin extending through the hole of said second elongate leaf spring, said leaf springs normally urging said terminal ends of said second legs into keyed relation in said openings of said helmet, and e. a first keeper exteriorly of said face shield and in abutting engagement with the outer surface of said face shield about said hole in the right side face and including an inner sleeve length of a diameter less than that of the hole in said right side face of said shield and having a threaded axial recess in threaded engagement on the threaded end of the first pivot pin, and a first coil spring having an inner end and an outer end about the shank of said first pivot pin and a first pair of washers on the shank of said first pivot pin comprising an inner washer and an outer washer, said inner washer being captivated between the leaf spring and the inner surface of the first leg of the associated key means and said outer washer being captivated between said inner end of said coil spring and said leaf spring, and f. a second keeper exteriorly of said face shield and in abutting engagement with the outer surface of said face shield about said hole in the left side face and including an inner sleeve length of a diameter less than that of the hole in said left side face of said shield and having a threaded axial recess in threaded engagement on the threaded end of the second pivot pin, a second coil spring having an inner end and an outer end about the shank of said second pivot pin and a second pair of washers on the shank of said second pivot pin comprising an inner washer and an outer washer, said inner washer being captivated between the leaf spring and the inner surface of the first leg of the associated key means and said outer washer being captivated between said inner end of said coil spring and said leaf spring.