# US 4,390,995 A · Shock damping face guard strap for football helmets > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 4,390,995 A - Document ID: US4390995A - Status: Granted - Kind: A - Application number: 06/354,169 - Filed: 1982-03-03 - Granted: 1983-07-05 - Earliest claimed: 1982-03-03 - Inventors: Vernon R. Walck - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US4390995A ## CPC - A42B 3/20: Face guards, e.g. for ice hockey (A42B3/22 takes precedence) - A42B: HATS; HEAD COVERINGS (headbands A41D20/00; head-scarves A41D23/00) ## Abstract Shock damping anchor straps for a face guard mounted on a transverse axis to the brow portion of a football helmet, the face guard having an anchor bar at each side ear portion of the helmet, there being a flexible anchor strap at each anchor bar and each strap having an inner loop passing through the ear hole and around the front edge of the ear portion of the helmet and the ends thereof secured by holes therethrough engaged over a tubular nut, and having an outer loop continuing from the inner loop and wrapped over the anchor bar and the end thereof secured over a compressible shock damping washer by a hole therethrough and held engaged over said tubular nut by a screw threadedly engaged therein. ## Claims ### Claim 1 Shock damping anchor straps for a face guard mounted on a transverse horizontal axis to a brow portion of a protective helmet, the face guard having a mounting bar rotatably mounted to the helmet on said axis and extending rearward at opposite sides of the helmet, and the face guard having opposite side anchor bars depending from the mounting bar at the front edges of opposite side ear portions of the helmet, there being an ear hole through each side ear portion of the helmet, and each anchor strap including a flexible body with inner and outer loop portions continuing one into the other from one end provided with a hole therethrough and to a terminal end, the hole at said one end being engaged over a fastener means and the inner loop portion formed into an inner loop wrapped around the front edge of the ear portion and passing through the ear hole of the helmet and secured by a second hole therethrough engaged over the fastener means, and the outer loop portion formed into an outer loop wrapped over the anchor bar and the said terminal end secured by a third hole therethrough engaged over and held by said fastener means. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The shock damping anchor strap for a face guard mounted to a helmet as set forth in claim 1, wherein the fastener means comprises a tubular nut engaged through the first mentioned hole at said one end of the anchor strap body and projecting outwardly from the ear portion of the helmet to engage through overlying loop portions. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The shock damping anchor strap for a face guard mounted to a helmet as set forth in claim 1, wherein the fastener means comprises a tubular nut engaged through the first mentioned hole at said one end of the anchor strap body and projecting outwardly from the ear portion of the helmet to engage through overlying loop portions, and a screw threaded into said tubular nut with a head engaged therewith and compressing the overlying loop portions in lapped engagement. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The shock damping anchor strap for a face guard mounted to a helmet as set forth in claim 1, wherein the fastener means comprises a tubular nut with a head recessed into said one end of the anchor strap body and with a cylindrical body projecting through the first mentioned hole therethrough and projecting outwardly from the ear portion of the helmet to engage through overlying loop portions. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The shock damping anchor strap for a face guard mounted to a helmet as set forth in claim 1, wherein the fastener means comprises a tubular nut with a head recessed into said one end of the anchor strap body and with a cylindrical body projecting through the first mentioned hole therethrough and projecting outwardly from the ear portion of the helmet to engage through overlying loop portions, and a screw threaded into said tubular nut with a head engaged therewith and compressing the overlying loop portions in lapped engagement. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The shock damping anchor strap for a face guard mounted to a helmet as set forth in claim 1, wherein a shock damper comprised of a compressible washer is engaged over the fastener means overlying the inner loop and adjacent the anchor bar to form a shock absorbing stop positioning the face guard. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The shock damping anchor strap for a face guard mounted to a helmet as set forth in claim 1, wherein the fastener means comprises a tubular nut engaged through the first mentioned hole at said one end of the anchor strap body and projecting outwardly from the ear portion of the helmet to engage through overlying loop portions, and wherein a shock damper comprised of a compressible washer is engaged over the fastener means overlying the inner loop and adjacent the anchor bar to form a shock absorbing stop positioning the face guard. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The shock damping anchor strap for a face guard mounted to a helmet as set forth in claim 1, wherein the fastener means comprises a tubular nut engaged through the first mentioned hole at said one end of the anchor strap body and projecting outwardly from the ear portion of the helmet to engage through overlying loop portions, and a screw threaded into said tubular nut with a head engaged therewith and compressing the overlying loop portions in lapped engagement, and wherein a shock damper comprised of a compressible washer is engaged over the fastener means overlying the inner loop and adjacent the anchor bar to form a shock absorbing stop positioning the face guard. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The shock damping anchor strap for a face guard mounted to a helmet as set forth in claim 1, wherein the fastener means comprises a tubular nut with a head recessed into said one end of the anchor strap body and with a cylindrical body projecting through the first mentioned hole therethrough and projecting outwardly from the ear portion of the helmet to engage through overlying loop portions, and wherein a shock damper comprised of a compressible washer is engaged over the fastener means overlying the inner loop and adjacent the anchor bar to form a shock absorbing stop positioning the face guard. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9) The shock damping anchor strap for a face guard mounted to a helmet as set forth in any one of claims 1 through 9, wherein the flexible body of the anchor strap is made of an elastic material. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9) The shock damping anchor strap for a face guard mounted to a helmet as set forth in any one of claims 1 through 9, wherein the flexible body of the anchor strap is made of polyurethane. ### Claim 12 (depends on 6, 7, 8, 9) The shock damping anchor strap for a face guard mounted to a helmet as set forth in any one of claims 6, 7, 8 or 9, wherein the compressible washer of the shock damper is made of an elastic material. ### Claim 13 (depends on 6, 7, 8, 9) The shock damping anchor strap for a face guard mounted to a helmet as set forth in any one of claims 6, 7, 8 or 9, wherein the compressible washer of the shock damper is made of polyurethane.