Big Red here with a question from "Steve Irwin"...
So, TAKE FIVE!
Steve asks,
“Big Red, why are the spring clips used to attach head bands to the liner webbing called Alligator Clips?”
Good question Steve,
Because the open clip is reminiscent of the open mouth of an alligator.
Crikey!! It does…
One of the complaints documented during the initial M-1 helmet field trials at Ft. Benning was that the snaps on the head band dug into the wearer’s head. The Riddell system of football helmets were individually sized allowing head and neck bands to be sewn to the suspension prior to installation in a helmet whereas the Army requirement for the liner system to be adaptable for variable sized heads precluded sewing as an option. The need for different sized head and neck bands, to achieve best fit, was achieved by modifying the suspension and inserts with a series of male and female snap fasteners.
A marked improvement in comfort to the wearer was achieved with the use of a new spring clip or “Alligator clip” style hardware used to attach the adjustable head band directly to the suspension of the liner. This design was developed by the Scholl Manufacturing Company and was rolled out with liners late in January of 1942.
Spring clips were made of steel painted olive drab and were the only metal component of the head band assembly that did not transition to brass in 1944. The clip had a shorter locking arm on top that could be securely pinched down against a flange located at the open end of a longer release arm. Once secure the clip formed a metal band approximately 3/8-inch wide and 1 1/4-inch long. The clip could be released by applying outward pressure to the flange on the lower release arm until the locking arm sprang loose. Both arms had a series of barbs or teeth bent inward in order to catch the webbing of the head band and that of the suspension to prevent slippage.
Big Red Says!
FIVE'S OVER - MOVE OUT!
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