Importance

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Abstract

A system for releasably supporting a store on a rack comprises a conical lug mounted on the store and a hollow locking ring which extends between minor and major rims defining circular openings, respectively. A plurality of ribs extends between the minor and major rims at equally spaced circumferential locations. The ribs are aligned with the longitudinal axis of the locking ring and define windows between them. A collet includes a mounting head for attachment to the rack and a plurality of integral, circumferentially spaced, resilient, locking fingers, equal in number to the ribs and windows in the locking ring, which extend divergingly, away from the mounting head and have terminal projections which extend radially inwardly. Each locking finger is smaller than its associated window in the locking ring means. The collet nests with the locking ring such that the mounting head extends through its minor opening for attachment to the rack means and with the locking fingers projecting toward its major opening. Upon insertion of the lug into a reception region defined by the mounting head and the locking fingers and with each of the locking fingers aligned with an associated one of the windows, the locking fingers are engaged by the lug and urged radially outwardly into their associated windows until the terminal projections on the locking fingers firmly engage the annular groove on the lug, thereby securing the store to the rack. An actuating mechanism rotates the locking ring between a release position whereat each locking finger is radially aligned with an associated window and a locking position whereat each locking finger is aligned with an associated rib. An ejection mechanism may be provided on the rack for selectively ejecting the store from the rack means when the locking ring is in the release position.

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First Claim