E.d. Bullard Company

Mark Ferguson

Eric Bielefeld

A ratchet mechanism for the headband of a protective helmet or other headgear minimizes the number of components while ensuring precise, reliable operation of the rack and pinion arrangement of the ratchet mechanism. A headband of a protective helmet or similar headgear generally has overlapping rear end portions which are enclosed in a housing. The ratchet mechanism includes a rotational element, which in this case is a unitary body that includes an adjustment knob portion which is positioned on an exterior side of the outer housing section and a pinion portion which is positioned on an interior side of the outer housing section is adapted to mate with and engage the respective rack gears of the overlapping rear end portions of the headband.

Ratchet mechanism with unitary knob and pinion construction

A protective helmet includes: a shell, a headband with an absorbent brow pad, and a suspension. A key is secured to each end of each of the straps of the suspension for insertion into respective key sockets spaced about the periphery of the shell of the protective helmet along its lower edge. Of particular importance to the protective helmet of the present invention, many (if not all) of the keys are molded directly to and around a strap, rather than sewn to the strap. In the method of the present invention, lengths of strap material are positioned in a mold, and plastic is injected into the mold cavity to encapsulate the straps and form the plastic component, e.g., a key for the suspension of the protective helmet. A trimming die is used to trim any webbing scrap between parts or other extraneous materials resulting from the molding of the plastic component to the straps.

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Cynthiana, KY, United States of America

Mark Ferguson