Apparatus for interconnecting a handle and a lanyard

An apparatus for interconnecting with a lanyard a handle of the type used in rapid inflation applications includes apparatus for impaling a first end of a lanyard with multiple spikes to secure the first end to a handle. The lanyard handle is made with a channel having spike-receiving cavities along its extent, and the spikes on a spike-carrying strip impale the first end of the lanyard when the strip is press fit into the channel.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
This invention relates, generally, to apparatus and methods for attaching 
lanyards in interconnecting relation between preselected articles of 
manufacture. More particularly, it relates to apparatus and methods for 
interconnecting with a lanyard a handle and lever arm of the type used in 
rapid inflation equipment. 
2. Description of the Prior Art 
Life preservers and other flotation devices that require rapid inflation 
typically rely on the quick release of compressed carbon dioxide into the 
article to be inflated. In many devices, a user of the equipment pulls on 
a handle to effect the inflation. Typically, a lanyard interconnects the 
handle and a pivotally mounted lever arm so that the lever arm pivots when 
the handle is pulled. The pivoting of the lever arm drives a pin through a 
membrane in a carbon dioxide cartridge, thereby releasing said gas into 
the inflatable article. 
Obviously, if the lanyard separates from either the handle or the lever arm 
when the handle is pulled, the lever arm will not pivot and the article 
will not be inflated. Thus, inventors have devised several methods of 
attachment to ensure that the opposite ends of the lanyard will remain 
connected to the handle and lever arm, respectively, when the former is 
pulled. 
The most effective apparatus and method heretofore developed for securing a 
lanyard to a handle is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,099,546 to the present 
inventor, entitled "Lanyard-Gripping Handle," and the most effective 
method and apparatus for securing a lanyard to a lever arm is shown in 
U.S. Pat. No. 5,042,134 to the present inventor, entitled "Method For 
Securing A Lanyard To An Inflator Lever Arm." In the lanyard-to-handle 
method, a first end of the lanyard is positioned in sandwiched relation 
between two mold parts for making the handle, and said first end is forced 
to follow a serpentine path of travel by a plurality of plugs placed along 
the extent of the mold. Thus, when the molding process is completed and 
the plugs removed, the lanyard is molded between the lanyard halves in a 
serpentine configuration so that it can not be pulled therefrom. A similar 
process is followed at the lever arm end of the assembly. 
That technique is very effective, but it is capital-intensive because the 
molds are large and expensive. What is needed, then, is a method that 
would be more labor-intensive so that the cost of molds and the size of 
the molding machine could be reduced. However, the prior art, when 
considered as a whole, neither taught nor suggested to those of ordinary 
skill in this art at the time the present invention was made, how the 
needed method could be provided. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
A channel is formed coincident with the longitudinal axis of symmetry of a 
lanyard handle and a plurality of longitudinally spaced apart 
spike-receiving cavities are formed in the bottom of said channel. A 
separate spike-carrying strip carries spikes that enter their associated 
cavities when the strip is positioned in the channel. To secure a first 
end of a lanyard to the handle, the lanyard is manually positioned in the 
channel, and the strip is driven into the channel in overlying relation to 
the lanyard so that the spikes carried by said spike-carrying strip are 
driven through the lanyard, impaling it, and into their respective 
cavities. 
The lever arm to which the second end of the lanyard is attached is bored 
to receive said opposite end therein. The bore is enlarged near the 
pivotally secured end of the lever arm, and a plurality of teeth are 
formed in the interior walls of said bore. A plug that mates with that 
bore has mating teeth formed in its outer surface, and the second end of 
the lanyard is positioned between the teethed walls of the enlarged bore 
and the teethed surface of the plug. Thus, when the plug is driven into 
the enlarged bore, said second end of the lanyard is tightly trapped 
therebetween. 
Thus, it is clear that the primary object of this invention is to advance 
the art of lanyard attachment by disclosing a new method that does not 
rely upon expensive molds. 
A closely related object is to disclose a lanyard attachment method that is 
more labor intensive than the known prior art methods. 
Another object is to provide a method that secures the opposite ends of the 
lanyard just as tightly, if not more tightly, than the methods heretofore 
developed. 
These and other important objects, features and advantages of the invention 
will become apparent as this description proceeds. 
The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction, 
combination of elements and arrangement of parts that will be exemplified 
in the construction hereinafter set forth, and the scope of the invention 
will be indicated in the claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
Referring now to FIG. 1, it will there be seen that the novel lanyard 
handle is denoted as a whole by the reference numeral 10. Handle 10 has a 
flat main body part denoted 12 that is circumscribed by a bead 14. A 
central, upraised ridge member 16 is formed along the longitudinal axis of 
symmetry of handle 10, as perhaps best understood in connection with FIG. 
2. Ridge 16 could be obviated by making handle 10 uniformly thick, but the 
flat main body part 12 is made thin to conserve materials, and that 
expediency mandates the provision of the ridge. Ridge 16 has an elongate 
channel 18 of predetermined width formed therein along its length, and 
equidistantly-spaced spike-receiving cavities 20 are formed along the 
bottom of said channel in open communication therewith. 
FIG. 2 depicts a lanyard 30 positioned in overlying relation to channel 20. 
Note that the leading end of the lanyard lies flush with the wide leading 
end of the handle 10. No lanyard extends beyond said leading end as in 
prior art assemblies; accordingly, lanyard material is not wasted and no 
time is required to trim off excess lanyard as required by the teachings 
of the prior art. 
A spike-carrying strip 22, shown in FIG. 5, includes an elongate base 22 
from which depend, at equidistantly spaced intervals, spikes 26. 
Spike-carrying strip 22 has about the same predetermined width and extent 
of channel 18 and is therefor snugly received within said channel 18 when 
the novel lanyard handle is assembled, and spikes 26 are received within 
spike-receiving cavities 20 at said time. 
Prior to inserting strip 22 into said channel 18, lanyard 30 is placed into 
overlying relation to said channel, as depicted in FIG. 2. Strip 22 is 
then placed into alignment therewith, and spikes 26 are driven through 
lanyard 30 and into cavities 20. The effect this impaling of the lanyard 
has on it is depicted in FIG. 6; note how the lanyard 30 expands 
transversely in the vicinity of each spike 26. Since lanyard 30 
substantially occupies said channel 18 before the spikes are driven 
through it, this spreading causes a very tight fit between the sidewalls 
of the channel 18 and the lanyard, thereby ensuring against retraction of 
the lanyard. Tests have shown that the force resisting retraction of the 
lanyard is at least as great as the retraction-resisting force provided by 
the above-mentioned molded anti-retraction means. 
Turning now to FIGS. 7-10, it will there be seen that the opposite end of 
lanyard 30 is received within elongate, uniform diameter bore 40 formed 
within lever arm 42. Bore 40 is enlarged as at 44 near the 
pivotally-secured end of the lever arm. Teeth 46 circumscribe the interior 
walls of bore 44 and engage complementally formed teeth 48 formed on the 
external surface of frusto-conical plug 50. As clearly shown in FIG. 10, 
lanyard 30 is first brought into enlarged bore 44 and positioned near a 
sidewall thereof so that said bore can accommodate plug 50; when plug 50 
is introduced into bore 44, it presses lanyard 30 to one side as shown, 
thereby tightly capturing it in the manner depicted. Teeth 46 and 48 
interlock to ensure against retraction of plug 50 from bore 44. The 
frusto-conical shape of bore 44 and plug 50 ensure that when lanyard 30 is 
pulled in the direction indicated by directional arrow 52, plug 50 will be 
pulled into even tighter relation to bore 44 and the grip on lanyard 30 
will strengthen. 
In this manner, the opposite ends of lanyard 30 are securely retained 
within the lanyard handle and lever arm, and the inflation mechanism will 
not fail as a result of lanyard separation from either of two said parts. 
This invention is clearly new and useful. Moreover, it was not obvious to 
those of ordinary skill in this art at the time it was made, in view of 
the prior art considered as a whole as required by law. 
It will thus be seen that the objects set forth above, and those made 
apparent from the foregoing description, are efficiently attained and 
since certain changes may be made in the above construction without 
departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matters 
contained in the foregoing construction or shown in the accompanying 
drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. 
It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover 
all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein 
described, and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a 
matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween. 
Now that the invention has been described,