Attachment mount system for removably securing articles to molle/pals-compliant garments

A system for removably securing articles to a garment comprising:

• a garment having a plurality of spaced, substantially horizontal webbings, each said webbing secured to said garment at equally spaced apart locations, each said webbing containing a plurality of equally spaced apart, equally sized loops, said loops of a first said webbing being substantially aligned vertically with said loops of remaining said webbings;
• a substantially planar attachment mount for removably securing articles to said garment including:
• an attachment member including an upper portion and an inner tine body narrower in width than said upper portion, said inner tine body extending generally laterally from said upper portion;
• a spaced pair of generally parallel inner tines for removably securing said attachment mount to said garment, said inner tines formed integrally with said inner tine body and extending generally laterally therefrom;
• a spaced pair of generally parallel outer tines for removably securing said attachment mount to said garment, said outer tines formed integrally with said upper portion of said attachment member and extending generally laterally therefrom and bracketing said inner tines and said inner tine body with each said outer tine spaced from said inner tine body and a proximate one of said inner tines, each said outer tine having an upper portion proximate said upper portion of said attachment member that is wider than a remaining portion of said outer tine for lodging snugly within said loop of said garment, said outer tines being resiliently compressible toward each other, each said outer tine further including a lower portion distal from said upper portion of said outer tine and containing a barb extending generally laterally from an outer edge of said lower portion opposing said inner tines for removably securing said attachment mount to said garment;
• and
• means for attaching an article to said attachment member;
• and
• said pair of outer tines being disposed through a pair of adjacent said loops of a first said webbing and through a pair of adjacent said loops of a second proximate said webbing substantially aligned vertically with said pair of adjacent loops of said first webbing, said barb of each said outer tine catching upon a lower edge of said second webbing upon passing of said barbs beyond said lower edge of said second webbing, said pair of inner tines being disposed over said first webbing and through said pair of adjacent loops of said second webbing, an upper portion of said inner tine body of said attachment member distal from said inner tines overlaying said first webbing.

A method for removably securing articles to a garment, said method comprising the steps of:

• A) affixing an article to an attachment mount by passing a fastener through an opening in the attachment mount and using the fastener to secure the article thereto;
• B) inserting tips of outer tines of the attachment mount into an adjacent pair of spaced loops in a first horizontally disposed webbing of a garment;
• C) angling outwardly tips of inner tines of the attachment mount such that the inner tines pass over the top of the first webbing as the attachment mount is moved toward adjacent loops of a second proximate webbing;
• D) moving the attachment mount to position the outer tines through the adjacent loops of the first webbing and into and through the pair of adjacent loops of the second webbing that are aligned vertically with the pair of loops of the first webbing;
• and
• E) guiding the tips of the inner tines into the adjacent pair of loops of the second webbing, until a barb of each of the outer tines springs outwardly to catch upon a lower edge of the second webbing at a respective stitch area, thereby securing the attachment mount and the affixed article to the garment.