Apparatus for Fastening

Abstract

Apparatus for fastening includes a linkage and a body. The linkage has an end enlarged to form a ball. The body forms a carabineer's hook. A side of the body has a guideway which is open at a side and at an end of the body. Most of the guideway is dimensioned to receive the linkage, but not the ball. Near the end of the body, the guideway forms a dock which opens at the side, wide enough to receive the ball. A slide is held in the guideway and has a fork dimensioned to receive the linkage while blocking the ball. The slide is movable toward and away from said end so that the fork alternately uncovers and partially covers the dock, alternately confining and releasing the ball. The linkage is free to rotate through at least 90 degrees, from parallel to the guideway to normal to the side, while the fork confines the ball in the dock. Optionally, the linkage in hingedly connected to a pedestal adapted for attachment to objects. This, with the rotational freedom of the linkage in the dock, allows an article to be suspended comfortably near a vertical surface.

1 . Apparatus for fastening, comprising:
 a linkage distally enlarged to form a ball;   a body;   a hook formed on said body;   a guideway formed in said body, said guideway being open at a side of said body and at an end of said body opposite said hook and being dimensioned both at said side and at said end to receive said linkage, said guideway enlarging to form a dock, said dock opening at said side and being located proximate said end, said dock being dimensioned to receive said ball;   a slide approximated to said side of said body and held in said guideway in slidable relation against said side, said slide including a fork dimensioned to receive said linkage while blocking said ball, said slide being movable toward and away from said end such that said fork alternatively uncovers and partially covers said dock, thereby alternately allowing and preventing passage of said ball,   said linkage being free to rotate free to rotate through at least 90 degrees, from parallel to said guideway to normal to said side, while said fork confines said ball within said dock.   
     
     
         2 . Apparatus as set forth in  claim 1  wherein a riser formed on said slide extends into said guideway and a flange formed on said riser engages said body within said guideway to hold said slide in slideable relation to said body. 
     
     
         3 . Apparatus as set forth in  claim 1  wherein a ridge formed on said slide engages a groove formed on said side of said body to stabilize said slide on said body. 
     
     
         4 . Apparatus as set forth in  claim 1  wherein a clip affixed to said body cooperates with said hook to form a carabiner. 
     
     
         5 . Apparatus as set forth in  claim 1  wherein a steel liner is disposed in said dock. 
     
     
         6 . Apparatus as set forth in  claim 1  wherein a spring disposed in said guideway biases said slide toward said end. 
     
     
         7 . Apparatus as set forth in  claim 2  wherein said guideway forms first and second block stations and a block is located each of said block stations to limit travel of said flange along said guideway. 
     
     
         8 . Apparatus as set forth in  claim 1  wherein said linkage is proximally hingedly attached to a pedestal, said pedestal so as to be positioned against said pedestal and substantially parallel to and proximate said attachment surface. 
     
     
         9 . Apparatus as set forth in  claim 1  wherein said linkage is proximally attached to a fitting, said fitting being hingedly attached to a holster. 
     
     
         10 . Apparatus for fastening comprising:
 a linkage, said linkage being distally enlarged:   a body;   a guideway located in said body, said guideway being open at a side of said body and at an end of said body;   a dock located in said body, said dock opening at said side and being located proximate said end, said dock being dimensioned to receive said distally enlarged linkage;   a slide approximated to said slide of said body and held in said guideway in slidable relation against said slide, said slide including a fork, said slide being movable between a first position proximate said end wherein said fork confines said distally enlarged linkage in said dock and a second position retracted from said end wherein said distally enlarged linkage is free to pass into and out of said dock,   said linkage, when confined in said dock by said fork, being free to rotate through at least 90 degrees, from an orientation parallel to said guideway to an orientation normal to said side.   
     
     
         11 . Apparatus as set forth in  claim 10  wherein a riser formed on said slide extends into said guideway and a flange formed on said riser engages said body within said guideway to hold said slide in slideable relation to said body. 
     
     
         12 . Apparatus as set forth in  claim 10  wherein a ridge formed on said slide engages a groove formed on said side of said body to stabilize said slide on said body. 
     
     
         13 . Apparatus as set forth in  claim 10  wherein said body includes a hook and a clip, said clip cooperating with said hook to form a carabiner. 
     
     
         14 . Apparatus as set forth in  claim 10  wherein a liner is disposed in said dock. 
     
     
         15 . Apparatus as set forth in  claim 10  wherein said slide is biased toward said end. 
     
     
         16 . Apparatus as set forth in  claim 15  wherein said guideway forms first and second block stations and a block is located each of said block stations to limit travel of said flange along said guideway. 
     
     
         17 . Apparatus as set forth in  claim 10  wherein said linkage is rotatably attached to a pedestal, said pedestal being adapted for attachment to an article which is to be suspended by said linkage, said linkage being positionable so as to lie proximate said pedestal while extending toward said body. 
     
     
         18 . Apparatus as set forth in  claim 10  wherein said linkage is proximally attached to a fitting and a holster is hingedly attached to said fitting.  attached to a fitting and a holster is hingedly attached to said fitting.