CA1286097C

CA1286097C - Bifurcated member hook fastening device

Info

Publication number: CA1286097C
Application number: CA000495070A
Authority: CA
Inventors: Walter Louis Larsen
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1985-11-12
Filing date: 1985-11-12
Publication date: 1991-07-16
Anticipated expiration: 2008-07-16

Abstract

ABSTRACT
This invention provides solutions to the problem of fastening a hook, such as a garment hanger hook, directly to a linear member, such as a clothesline, to which the hook is hooked in the normal manner. This is accomplished by a discrete openable clasp having two jawed fastening members, at least one fastening member being bifurcated for accomodating the hook within its spaced-apart branches so that it can straddle and reach past the hook to clasp the linear member, the two fastening members being arranged for conjointly clasping the hook and the linear member together. Most embodiments of the clasp can also fasten two generally linear members together in a crossing relationship. In general, an object can be indirectly fastened to a linear member by being connected to a hook which is fastened to a linear member by the openable clasp.

Description

aS-~

DESCRIPTION
BIFURCATED ~EMBER HOOK FASTENING DEVICE

Technical Field:
This invention relates -to clasping devices having a bifurcated fastening member and adapted for fastening -the hook of a garment hanger or other hook or generally curved member including device to a generally linear me~ber such as a clo-thesline, cable, rod or the like to which the hook 10 is hooked in the normal manner. It also relates to clasping devices of this type for fastening two generally linear members together in a crossing relationship. It further relates to connecting devices for connecting an object to a generally linear member, such devices being comprised of 15 the combination of a hook, to which the object is or can be attached, and a clasping device having a bifurcated fastening member for fastening the hook to the linear member. In - addition, it relates to methods for fastening a hook to a linear member, for fastening two linear members together, 20 for fastening an object to a linear member~ and for making and improving devices to accomplish these functions.

Back~round Art:
French Patent No. 1.~00.741 presents a resiliently 25 bendable loop fastening device which functions to fasten the hook of a garment hanger directly to a clothesline and which operates in an entirely different manner from that of the devices~set forth herein. Danish Patent No, 73678 presents a spring clip device which is installed on the 30 inside a-rea of a garment hanger hook to fasten the hook to a linear member. Norwegian Patent No, 118789 shows devices resembling;peg-type clothespins which are used to frictionally restrain a garment hanger hook in its position on a clothesline or, alter~atively, to suspend the 35 hook below the clothesline U,S. Patent No. 1,273,809 shows a wire clamp having some similarities to .

Rev Augu8t 1989 .

certain embodiments o~ the clasping devices set forth herein.
U.S0 Patent No. 2,474,429 combines a generally L-shaped brac-ket with a closely matched garment hanger hook to provide means for closing the opening of the hook, but which is not 5 realistically capable of forcefully clamping the hook to a supporting linear member. U.S. Pa-tent No. 3,202,329 shows a highly modified garment hanger hook having an elongated slot at its upper section to receive a clothesline and a specially modified clothespin to clamp across and to close the opening 10 of the slot in order to retain the clothesline in the slot.
U.S. Patents numbered 1,690,614 and 3,048,311 present highly modified garment hanger hooks which include means for locking the hook to a supporting clothesline. U.S. Patent No.
3,240,462 presents a clamping device which replaces the hook 15 of a garment hanger and which pro~ides means for positively clamping the garment hanger to a clothesline. U.S. Patents numbered 2,915,2~4 and 3,184,204 show devices which can be suspended from a clothesline and which, in ~urn, have means for suspending a garment hanger hook from the device itself.
20 U.S. Patents numbered 135,88~ 85,758; 733,921; and 2,542,224 show devices which bear some resemblance to certain embodiments of the clasp presented herein.

Disclosure of the Invention:
25 There has long been a need for a practicable fastening device which could fasten a garment hanger or other hook in-cluding device to a clothesline or other linear member.
In the case of garment hangers, they are commonly used for holding various articles of clothing while they dry after 30 being laundered. When suspended from a clothesline, garmen-t hangers are often blown by tl~e wind along the clothesline, particularly when the clothesline has appreciable sag, with the result tha-t several sus~ended garment hangers may bunch together and thereby retard the drying. In gusty winds, sus-35 pended garment hangers are often blown off the clothesline.
Some of the previous attempts to solve these problemshave involved modifications to, or replacement of, the hook :

.

Rev. Oct. 198~ 3 .
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~~ J~

of the garment hanger. In some cases this has resulted in devices which were very limited in the range of diameters of supporting clotheslines which could be accomodated. Nearly always, such devices resulted in higher product cost. Such 5 devices also lacked convenience and flexibility since they could only be used with the particular garment hanger on which they were installed. Other devices have been made which merely close the opening of a garment hanger hook with-out any capability for frictionally fastening the hook to a 10 clothesline so as to prevent displacement of the hook along the clothesline. Other at-tempts at solving these problems have produced devices which attach to the clothesline and then, in turn, suspend the garment hanger hook from the device itself. These devices appear to be costly and/or ineffectual 15 in retaining the hook in suspension under adverse conditions.
The bendable loop set forth in French Patent No. 1.5000741 is a separate fastening device which does fasten a hook to a clothesline. However, this device is quite limited in the range of hook and clothesline sizes which it can accomodate 20 and is also limi-ted in the amount of clamping force which it can exert on the hook and the clothesline.
In order to alleviate problems such as the foregoing, this invention provides a resiliently biased openable clasp having at least one bifurcated fastening meznber arranged so 25 that that fastening member can straddle and reach past both sides of a suspended garment hanger hook or other type of hook and constrain the supporting linear~member, while a sec-ond fastening member clasps the hook and the linear member together in conjunction with the action of the flrst ~asten-30 ing member. Most embodiments of the openable clasp are alsocapable of fastening two generally linear members together in a crossing relationship by functioning in substantially the same manner as when fastening a hook to a linear member, rner-ely by substituting a second linear member for the hook. The 35 clasp may be provided with an overcenter locking lever which can be manipulated to open, close, and lock the clasp in the closed position. The clasp can be combined with a hook to form a connecting device~ capable o~ fastening an object to a linear member in a manner similar to that of a snap hook. In Rev. August 1989 ;

ci~

this case the object is attached to the hook, generally to the shank portion of the hook, by any appropriate means and the hook is, in turn, fastened to the linear member by means of the openable clasp.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a discrete openable clasp for securing the hook of a garment hanger or other hook or similarly curved member in-cluding device to a clothesline or other generally linear member to which the hook is attached by being hooked to the 10 linear member.
It is also an object of this invention to provide a clasp for fastening two generally linear members together in a generally crossing relationship.
Another object of the invention is to provide an openable 15 clasp for fastening a hook to a linear member or for fasten-ing two generally linear members together which is inexpen-sive to manufacture and easy to use and which will tend to prevent the two members being fastened together from being unintentionally separated from each other as well as from be-20 ing displaced from their desired fastening position.
A further object of this invention is to provide a device,comprised of the combination of a hook and a discrete open-able clasp, for generally fastening an object -to a linear member.
A still further object of this invention is to provide methods for fastening a hook to a linear member, for fasten-ing an object to a linear member, for~fastening two generally linear members together, and for providing for the fastening stability of a clasp used in accomplishing these~methods.
Other objects and advantages will become apparent and a fuller understanding of the invention may be had by referring to the detailed des~cription hereinafter presented, taken in conjunction with the drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout.
~
Brief Descritio~ of Drawin~s:
Fig. 1 is~a side elevational view of the openable clasp having a pair of spaced-apart coacting fastening~hooks for the bifurcated fastening member and a two-legged spring for i...... .
.

the resilient closing member, shown fastening a garment han-ger hook to a clothesline.
Fig. 2 is an end view of the openable clasp shown in Fig.
1 without the garment hanger hook and the clothesline.
Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional plan view at -the plain indicated by the line 3-3 of Fig. 1 without the garment hanger hook and clothesline.
Fig. 4 is a plan view of the openable clasp with coacting fastening hooks having a helical type spring for ~he 10 resilient closing member.
Fig. 5 is a side elevational view of -the device shown in Fig. 4.
Fig. 6 is an end view of the device shown in Figs. 4 and 5.
Fig. 7 is a plan view o~ the openable clasp with coacting fastening hooks, incorporating an overcenter locking lever.
Fig. 8 is a side elevational view of the device shown in Fig, 7, a clip for pivotally locking the locking lever to the structure connecting the two coacting fastening hooks toge-- 20 ther being depicted above the principal figure.
Fig. 9 is an end view of the device~shown in Figs, 7 -and 8. ~ ~
Fig. 10 is a side elevational view of the openable clasp with coacting fastening hooks having a two-legged spring and 25 an opposing clamping member made of~metal wire which contacts the garment hanger hook at two separated locations, shown fastening a garment hanger hook~ to~a clothesl~ine.
Fig. 11 ;is an end view, taken from the left, of the pair of~coacting fastenlng hooks and their connecting structure, 30 from the device shown in Fig. 10.
Fig. 12 is a fragmentary sectional plan view af the open-able clasp, taken at the~plane indicated by the line 12-12 of ~ -Fig.~lO,~shown~without the garment hanger hook and clothes-Iine. ; `
Fig. 13 is a~side eleva~ional view of the opposing clamp-~ing member of~the devlce shown~in Figs. 10 and 12 or 15.
Fig. 14 is~an end view of the opposing clamping member shown in Fig. 13. ~ ~ ~
Fig. 15 is a side elevational view of the openable clasp -- : ~ ,.s ~2~ 3~37 with coacting fastening hooks incorporating an overcenter locking lever and having an opposing clamping member which contacts the garment hanger hook in two separated locations.
Fig. 16 is a plan view of the openable clasp with coact-ing fastening hooks configured to operate similar to the de-vice shown in Figs. 1-3, wherein the clasp is made of a sin-gle piece of metal wire, shown fastening a garment hanger hook to a clothesline.
Fig. 17 is a side elevational view of the openable clasp 10 shown in Fig. 16.
Fig. 18 is a perspective view of the openable clasp shown in Figs. 16 and 17, without the garment hanger hook and the clothesline.
Fig. 19 is a plan view sf the openable clasp with coact-1~ ing fastening hooks combined with lateral hook containmsntstructure, configured to operate similar to the devices shown in ~igs. 1-3 and 16-18, wherein the clasp is made of a single piece of sheet metal, shown fastening a garment hanger hook to a clothesline.
Fig. 20 is a side elevational view of the openable clasp shown in Fig. 19.
Fig, 21 is a perspective view of the openable clasp shown in Figs. 19 and 20, without the garment hanger hook and clo-thesline, shown in~a partly open position.
Fig. 22 is a plan view of the openable clasp comprised of two lever members connected for hinged-type angular relative movement having a bifurcated fastening member positioned in a radial orientation and a second fastening member without a bifurcation, shown fastening a~garment hanger hook to a 30 clothesline. ~ ~
Fig.~23 is a side elevational view of the openable clasp shown in Fig. 22 Fig. 24 i9 a plan view of the lever member combined with the bifur~ated fastening member, being part of the device 35 shown in Figs. 22 and 23 and shown without the garment hanger hook and the clothesline.
Fig. 25 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the two-lever-member openable clasp configured basically similar to the devlce shown in Figs. 22-24, wherein the~second :,' .

` 7 ~ g~

fastening member has jaw elements shaped and positioned for contacting the outer surface of the hook in two separated lo-cations, shown fastening a garment hanger hook to a clothes-line.
Fig. 26 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the two-lever-member openable clasp configured basically similar to the devices shown in Figs. 22-24, wherein the bifurcated fastening member is arranged for contacting the outer surface of the hook at the inboard end of the bifurcation and wherein 10 the second fastening member has a jaw element positioned for contacting the outer surface of the hook at a location out-board of the clothesline, shown fastening a garment hanger hook to a clothesline.
Fig. 27 is a fragmentary plan view of the two-lever-mem-15 ber openable clasp similar to the device shown in Figs. 22-24, wherein the bifurcated fastening member has guide and linear member retaining structure, shown fastening a garment hanger hook to a clothesline.
Fig. 28 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the de-20 vice shown in Fig~ 27.
Fig. 29 is a side elevational view of the two-lever-mem-ber openable clasp wherein the second fastening member has a lateral confinement element for the hook and linear member retaining structure outboard of the position occupied by the 25 clothesline, shown fastening a garment hanger hook to a clothesline Fig. 30 is a side elevational view of the lever member , combined with the second fastening member, being part of the device shown in Fig. 29.
Fig. 31 is a view of the section at the plane indicated by the line 31-31 of Fig. 30~
Fig. 32 is~a view of the section at the plane indicated by the line~32-32 of Fig. 30.
Fig. 33 is a side elevational view of the lever member 35 combined with the bifurcated fastening member, being part of the device shown in Fig.~29.
Fig. 34~ lS a view of the section at the plane indicated by the line 34-34 of Fig. 33 F~g~. 35 is a vlew o~ the section at the plane indicated . .
:' :
- . . .:
.

1 2 ~

by the line 35-35 of Fig. 33.
Fig. 36 is a view of the section at the plane indicated by the line 36-36 of Fig. 33.
Fig. 37 is a view of the section at the plane indicated 5 by the line 31-37 of Fig. 33.
Fig. 38 is a plan view of the two-lever-member openable clasp made of two sections of wire wherein the bifurcated fa-stening member has linear member retaining structure outboard, and the second fastening member has linear member retaining 10 structure inboard of the position occupied by the clothes~ne, shown fastening a garment hanger hook to a clothesline~
Fig. 39 is a side elevational view of the device shown in Fig. 38.
Fig. 40 is a fragmentary plan view of the pivot end of 15 the lever member having the second fastening member, being part of the device shown in Figs. 38 and 39.
Fig. 41 is a fragmentary side elevational view of that portion of the device shown in Fig. 40.
Fig. 42 is a plan view of the two-lever-member openable 20 clasp made of a single piece of sheet metal, shown fastening a garment hanger hook to a clothesline.
Fig. 43 is a side elevational vlew of the openable clasp shown in Fig. 42.
Fig. 44 is a side elevational view of the two-lever-mem-25 ber openable clasp wherein both fastening members are bifur-cated to accomodate a section of the hook and having an enclosing aperture to receive the linear memberO
Fig. 45 is a view representing either of the devices shown in figs. 44 or 46 when rotated 90 degrees about their 30 vertical axes.
Fig. 46 is a side elevational view of the two-lever-mem-ber openable~clasp wherein both fastening m0mbers are bifur-cated to accomodate a section of the hook and having an "L"
shaped internal surface in each of the jaw elements of one 35 fastening member, shown fastening a garment hanger hook to a clothesline~.
Fig. 47 is a side elevational view of the two-lever-mem-ber openable clasp having a circumferentially oriented bifur-cated fast~ening member, shown fastening a garment hanger ~r.~r~
hook to a clothesline.
Fig. 48 is a view of the openable clasp shown in Fig. ~7 when rotated 90 degrees abou-t its vertical axis, shown with-out the garmen-t hanger hook and the clothesline.
Fig. 49 is a view of the section at the plane indicated by the line 49-49 of Fig. 47 Fig, 50 is a view of the section at the plane indicated by the line 50-~0 of Fig. 47.

10 Modes for Carr~in~ Out the Invention:
The basic concept of this invention is to provide a res-iliently biased openable clasp having two fastening members which act together to clasp a hook, such as a garment hanger hook, directly to a supporting linear member such as a cloth-15 esline. At least one of the fas-tening members is bifurcated with two spaced-apart branches which are arranged to accomo-date a section of the hook within the space between the bran~
ches so that the bifurcated fastening member can straddle and reach past the hook to constrain the supporting linear member, 20 while the second fastening member clasps the hook and the linear member together in conjunction with the constraining action of the bifurcated fastening member.
Figs~ 1 through 3 depict one embodiment of the openable clasp in which the bifurcated fastening member is comprised 25 of a pair of spaced-apart coacting fastening hooks, 4, which are arranged to straddle and reach past the garment hanger hook, 2, one coacting fastening hook on each side of the gar-ment hanger hook, and to hook to and pull up on the clothes-line, 7, or other supporting linear member. The second fast~
30 ening member is an opposing clamping member, 1, which is arr-anged to contact and bear down on the outer surface of the garment hanger hook, 2, in opposition to the pulling action of the coacting fastening hooks, 4, on the clothesline, 7, with the result that the garment hanger hook and the clothes~

3~ line are positively and ~rictionally clasped together~ The ;
two coacting fastening hooks, 4, are connec-ted together in this embodiment by a hook connecting structure 7 6, located at the top of the shanks, 5, of the hooks, which causes both of the hooks to move and act together.

"_~il Rev~ Au~ust 1989 The two fastening members (the pair of coacting fastening hooks and the opposing clamping mem~er), 4 and 1, are connec-ted together by relative movement connecting structure so as to provide for limited opening-and-closing movement of the 5 two fastening members with respect to each other, and there is also a resilient closing member in the form of a two-legg-ed spring, 11, to urge the two fastening members toward a generally closed position. The opposing clamping member, 1, is arranged with a loop, 8, around each shank, 5, of the co-10 acting fastening hooks, 4, to form a slidable connection withthose hooks for the opening and closing movement of the two fastening members with respect to each other. A pivotal con-nection, 137 is provided between the hook connecting struct-ure, 6, and the spring, 11. The spring, 11, which may have 15 one or more coils, 9, in its center section to increase its fle~ibility and range o~ extension, has two legs, 10, which are arranged so that the openable clasp can be opened by squeezing the legs, 10, together with the fingers.
The relative movement connecting structure in this parti-20 cular embodiment includes the sliding connection of the oppo-sing clamping member, 1, along the shanks, 5, of the coacting fastening hooks, it includes the two-legged spring, 11, and it also includes the pivotal connection, 13, between the spring and the hook connecting structure, 6. Thus it is 25 clear that what is being included in the definition of the term "relative movement connecting structure", is every part of the structure of the clasp which accomplishes the connec-tion which provides for the opening-and-closing relative mov-ement between the two fastening members, and this may include -30 structure which is also included in other specific parts of the clasp such as the shanks, 5, of the coacting fastening hooks, the hook connecting structure, 6, the two-legged spring, 11, and the pivotal connection, 13, between the spring and the hook connecting structure.
The term "fastening member", on the other hand, is restr-icted in its meaning to include only that portion of the str-ucture of the openable clasp which accomplishes the fastening action of the clasp. In this embodiment, the bifurcated fas-tening member, with its two generally parallel spaced-apart .
... .
." . , ~Z~ '7 branches, is comprised only of the two coacting fastening hooks which include the hooked parts, 4, and the shanks, 5, of the hooks. Ordinarily, these two coacting fastening hooks are quite directly connected together, as they are, in this 5 particular embodiment, by the hook connecting structure, 6.
Thus, ordinarily, the concept of a bifurcation in the fasten-ing member will directly apply to embodiments of this inven-tion. However, instead of having such a direct connection between the two coacting fastening hooks or branches of the 10 bifurcated fastening member, it would be possible to have them only indirectly connected together as would be the case, for example, if they were connected through the structure of other members of the openable clasp. The term "fastening member" or "bifurcated fastening member" is taken herein to 15 mean and apply to the situation in which the parts or branch-es of such fastening member are quite directly connected to-gether, as in the embodiment of Figs. 1-3, as well as the functionally equivalent situation in which the connection be-tween such parts or branches is only indirect.
In the embodiment of Figs. 1-3, the connection between the two coacting fastening hooks, 4, by the hook oonnecting structure, 6, is positioned at the top of the shanks of the hooks to provide adequate clearance between the hook connect-ing structure, 6, and the garment hanger hook, 2, during in-25 stallation of the clasp in its fastening position. This con-nection between the coacting~fastening hooks is also suffici-ently sturdy in its construction and connection with the two hooks to maintain an approximately fixed relative position of the two coacting fastening hooXs with respect to each other 30 throughout the normal range of operation of the openable clasp. It wouldi however, be possible for the openable clasp to function if these two`branches of the bifurcated fastening member (the two coacting fastening hooks) were connected to-gether only flexibly as could be possible with an indirect 3~ connection between them. The terms "connected", "connected together", "connecting", "connection", etc., as used herein to describe a non-hinged, non-sliding, or other generally non movable juncture between named parts~of the openable clasp are t-ken to mean both a union in which the parts share and :
.

, , ~ , . . . .

f~ 7 are made of the same continuous piece o~ rnaterial, and also a fixed mechanical connection between separate and aiscontinu-ous pieces of ma-terial.
The second fastening member is comprised of the opposing 5 clamping member, 1, including its jaw element (at 1) which contacts the outer surface of the garment hanger hook, 2, and the loops, 8, around each shank, 5, of the coacting ~astening hooks which provide for the slidable connection with the shanks. The spring, 11, is not included as part of the 10 opposing clamping member, 1, even though it is joined to it.
This clasp is used to fasten a garment hanger hook, 2, to a clothesline, 7~ by pressing sections, 10, of the spring~ 11, together with the hand to open the clasp and moving the ex-tended coacting ~astening hooks, 4, to straddle and reach 15 past the garment hanger hook9 2, so that they hook to the clothesline, 7. Then the clasp is released so that the coact-ing fastening hooks, 4, pull up on the clothesline, 7, while the opposing clamping member, 1, bears down on the outer sur-face of the garment hanger hook, 2, due to the force of the 20 spring, 11, thereby clamping the garment hanger hook and the clothesline together as shown in Figo 1.
This clasp can also be used ~or fastening two generally linear members together in a crossing relationship in the same manner as it is used to fasten a hook to a linear member 25 merely by substituting a second linear member for the hook.
Actually, a hook can be considered to be a curved linear member which could be straightened out to represent a linear member which crosses the hook-supporting linear member.
In addition to fastening a garment hanger hoo~k to a linear 30 member such as a clothesline, as in the examples herein, the clasp can be combined with a hook to comprise a connecting device generally capable of connecting an object, other than a garment hangerj -to a linear member in a manner somewhat analogous to that o~ a snap hook. To accomplish this, the 35 object can be temporarily or permanently attached to a hook, generally to the non hooked or shank portion of the hook, by means such as bolting, tying, welding, fastening with a snap fastener, by ~eing manufactured as part of the same piece of material as the book (as in the case .

, .
`- Rev~ Augu t 1989 , of some garmen-t hangers), etc. The exac-t means by which the object is attached to the hook is not per-tinent to the in~en~
tive concept presented herein and any appropriate means for attaching the object to the hook is intended to be included 5 within the scope of -the claims presen-ted herein. Also, the term "object", as used in the claims, includes a garment han-ger as well as any other object which may be connected to a linear member. With the objec-t attached to the hook, the hook can, in turn, be hooked to a linear member and fastened 10 to it by means of a clasp as described herein.
Other arrangements and types of springs may be used for constructing the openable clasp. Figs. 4 through 6 show an embodiment using a helical spring, 17, situated around and acting along the shanks, 16, of the coacting fastening hooks, 15 14. The structure, 20, which includes the opposing clamping member, 15, (here made of shee-t metal) is arranged to slide along the shanks, 16, of the coacting fastening hooks for the opening and closing movement of the clasp. There are two finger rests, one~ 18, on the hook connecting structure and 20 the other, 19, on the structure, 20, which includes the oppo-sing clamping member, 15, for manipulation of the clasp and for compressing the spring, 17, to open the clasp. In use, this clasp is handled and use~ in a manner very~similar to that described for the device of Figs. 1 through 30 The openable clasp can be arranged so tha-t it has an ov-ercenter locking lever, 24, wlich opens and closes the clasp by actuating the sliding movement of the opposing clamping member, 23, along the shan~s, 26, of the coacting fastening hooks, 22, and which also locks -the clasp in its closed fast-30 ening position as depicted in Figs. 7 through 9. In this em- -bodiment, the resilient closing member is a spring, 25, which is pivotally connected to the overcenter locking lever, 24, at a first pivotal connection, 27, for the overcenter locking lever. The~spring, 25, is also connected to the opposing 35 clamping member, 23. This spling, 25, ac-ts as a link between the ~irst pivotal connection,~27, on the overcenter locking lever and the opposing clamping member, 23j to allow the mov-ement of the overcenter locking lever to open and close the clasp and the spring al50 allow5 the clasp to apply a Rav. Oct . 198~ i4 ' sustained clamping force on the combination of the clothes-line and the suspended garment hanger hook when the clasp is locked in its closed fastening position by the overcenter locking lever. The two coacting fastening hooks, 2Z, are 5 structurally connected together at the top end of the hooks by a hook connecting structure, 29, which serves as a second pivotal connection for the overcenter locking lever, 24. A
spring clip~ 30, is used to pivotally lock the overcenter locking lever, 24, to the hook connecting structure, 29. The 10 spring, 25, could be arranged differently than shown, or pla-ced in alternative locations in the clasp. For example, the spring could be interposed between the hook connecting struc-ture, 29, and the hooked part, 22, of each coacting fastening hook. This could be accomplished quite easily, for example, 15 by bending the upper portion of each shank, 26, of each coac-ting fastening hook into the shape of a two-legged spring ex-tending to the le~t as viewed in Fig. 8.
To use the openable cIasp with the overcenter locking le-ver, the handle, 28, of the overcenter locking lever, 24, is 20 grasped and swung in a counter clockwise direction about its pivotal connection with the hook connecting structure, 29, as viewed in Fig. 8. This action swings the pivotal connection, 27, for the spring around and up with the result that the spring, 25, is raised, in turn causing the~opposing clamping 25 member, 23, to which it is connected, to slide up the shanks, 26, o~ the coacting fastening hooks. With the clasp thus op ened, it is lowered over the hook of a garment hanger which is suspended from a clothesIine~so that the two coacting fas-tening hooks, 22, straddle the garment hanger hook and hook 30 to the clothesline in a manner similar to that shown in Fig.
1. Then the handle, 28, o~ the overcenter locking lever is swung back down in ~the opposite direction, thereby pushing the opposing clamping member, 23, down and in contact with the outer surface of the garment hanger hook, and ~inally 35 locking the clasp in its fastening position as the overcenter locking lever, 24, reaches its overcenter locking position with the handle, 28, against the shanks,26, of the coacting fastening hooks. Fig. 8 shows the openable clasp with the ~-overcenter locking lever, 24, in its overcenter locking -.

~ t~ 7 position without showing the garment hanger hook and the clotheslineO
The openable clasp can be provided with an opposing clam-ping member which has two separated jaw elements so that the 5 opposing clamping member will contact the outer surface of the garment hanger hook at two separated locations instead of contacting it at one location, as in the clasp shown in Figs.
1-3. Figs. 10 through 14 show an example of an openable clasp which operates in a manner similar to the device of 10 Figs. 1-3 except that its opposing clamping member, 21, has two separated jaw elements, 33 and 40, which causes it to contact the garment hanger hook, 2, at two separated loca-tions, one inboard (at 33) and one outboard (at 40) of the position occupied by the clothesline, 7, as it is held by the 15 two coacting fastening hooks, 4. The opposing clamping mem-ber, 21, is slidably connected to the shanks, 5, of the co-acting fastening hooks, 4, This slidable connection causes the two jaw elements, 33 and 40, to remain effectively in the region between the two coacting fastening hooks, 4, (in the 20 same region as that occupied by the garment hanger hook, 2) while the jaw elements are separated, one on each side of the position occupied by the clothesline. In common with the de-vice of Figs. 1 through 3, the device shown in Fig. 10 has a spring, 41, urglng the opposing clamping member, 21, toward 25 the hooked part, 4, of the coacting fastening hooks; the two coacting fastening hooks, 4, are united or connected together by a hook connecting structure, 6, at the top section of their shanks, 5; and there is a pivotal connection, 13, be-tween the hook connecting~structure, 6, and the spring, 41.
30 The united bifurcated fastening member (the two coacting fas-tening hooks, 4, connected together by the hook connecting structure, 6), used in the openable clasp shown in Fig. 10, is shown by itself in Fig.~11. This bifurcated ~astening member is of the same type as used in the clasp shown in 35 Figs. 1 through 3.
Figs. 10 and 12 show details of the interlocking connec-tion between the opposing clamping member, 21, the spring, 41, and the shanks, 5, of the coacting fastening hooks when these parts are made of wlre. Additional details of the : ' -~Z~ 7 opposing clamping member, 21, are shown in ~igs. 13 ana 14.~igs. 10 and 12-14 show a lateral con~inement element, 4g, incorporated in the opposing clamping member, 21, at each lo-cation (33 and 40) where it oontactq the garment hanger hook.
5 These lateral con~inement elements, 4~, are generally shaped with concave surfaces so that they present lateral restrain-ing surfaces which act to confine the garment hanger hook ~or a second linear member when the clasp is used to fasten two linear members together) from being displaced sidewa~s out of 10 the ~aw elements. Two e~fectively spaced-apart lateraI oon-finement elements, as shown in ~ig. 10, have a ~tabilizing effect tending to prevent the clasp from being laterally up-set in its rastening positio~ and, together, they constitute one form of a lateral hook containment structure which pro-15 vides such stability by so con~ining the hook at two e~fect-ively spaced-apart locations where the hook passes through the lateral hook containment structure.- A more complete e~-planation of a lateral hook containment structurs is set ~orth herein in the description of the embodiments o~ ~igs.
20 19-21 and 22-24. ~ -The use of an opposing cla~ping member with jaw elements which contact the outer surface of the garment hanger hook in two separated locations instead of one location has the e~-fect o~ stabilizing the clasp ln its fastening position by 25 providing a force tending to prevent the clasp ~rom slipping o~f the end of the garment hanger hook when used with hooks which do not have the bent-over end, 60, o~ the hook, 2, shown in ~ig. lO,~but which do have a straightened-out or less curved section at the end o~ the hook1 as is character-30 istic of most garment hanger hooks. This stabilizing actlonoccurs beoause, as the outboard ~aw element, 40, moves closer to the end o~ the hook, the~straighte~ed-out portion oauses the~two fastening members to open wider again~t the ~orce o~
the spring, 41, and the~reaction to this is a force whioh 35 urge~ the ~àws in a direction away ~rom;the end c~ the hook.
An~openable~olasp~having~an overcenter looking lever, 3g, can be pro~id~ed~with an opposing clamping member, 21, having two jaw elements, 33 and 40, positioned ~or contacting the outer surface Or the garment hanger hooX in two separated .

Rev. Oct. 1988 17 ~L2~ 7 location~ as 3hown in ~ig. 15~ Thlg olasp c~n ~l~o be pro-vided with two e~ec~ively spao~-apart l~ter~l con~inement clements, ~t 33 and 40, ~3 shcwn in ~ha~ dràwi~g. Here th~
overcenter locking lever, 3g, and the two ooaotine fa3tenine 5 hooks, 39, are similar to thore elements o~ the olasp ~hown in ~igs. 7-9, while the opposlng olamping member, 21, and the lateral hook containment stru(~ture~ 33 and 40, whioh provide~
lateral stability for the clasp, is similar to th~ o~ the clasp shown in ~igs. 10 and 1~~14.
The openable clasp can be cons-tructed of a single piece of material. An embodiment of a single-piece clasp, in which -the bifurcated fastening member is in the form of a pair of coacting fastening hooks, is ~resented in Figs. 16 through -18. This device is made of a single piece of wire in whioh 15 each end of the wire is located a-t the end of each coacting fastening hook, 42. This clasp utilizes a two-legged spring, 46, which is doubled as is necessary with this particular construction. The opposing clamping member, 44, is at the approximate center of the length of wire and it has a loop, 20 45, around each shank, 43, of the coacting fastening hooks, 42, in order to stabilize the position and movement of the two fastening members with respect to each other. The sh~nks, 43, of the ooacting fastening hooks, 42, are curved as shown in Fig. 17 in order that the opening and closing movemen-t of 25 the opposing clamping member with respect to the ooacting fastening hooks will be approximately along the direction of curvature of the~shanks, 43. This allows the opposing clamp-ing member, 44, to slide back and forth along the shanks, 43, without binding. The sections of wire at the -top end of the 30 two-legged spring near the top of the coacting fastening hook shanks~, at 47, are twis-ted together to act as a hook conneot-ing structure in order to cause the two hooks to maintain an approxlmately fixed relative position with respect to each other throughout the normal range of operation of -the clasp.
3~ It would, however, be possible to omit the twisting together ~-of these sections of wire and still have the clasp function to fasten a garment hanger hook to a clothesline. In that case, the two coacting fastening hooks, 42, would be connec-ted together onl~y indirectly through other members of the Rev. Oct. 1988 18 ' ~2~f~ '7 clasp, This clasp functions to fasten a garment hanger hook, 2~ to a clothesline, 7, in a manner very similar to that of the device shown in Figs. 1 through 3.
Another single-piece embodiment o~ the openable clasp is 5 shown in Figs. 19 through 21 and this clasp is made of sheet metal. The basic clasp portion of this device is similar to the one-piece wire clasp shown in Figs. 16 through 18 and it, too, functions in a manner similar to the device shown in Figs. 1 through 3. This clasp has a bifurcated fastening 10 member which comprises not only the two coacting fastening hooks~ 52, but also a lateral hook containment structure, 51, which is bifurcated and is connected to the coacting fasten-ing hooks. This lateral hook containment structure, 51, is shaped and positioned so that it accomodates the garment han-15 ger hook, 53, at two effectively spaced-apart Iocations, at 54 and 55, where the hook passes through the space between the two branches of the structure. One of these locations, 54, is inboard and the other location, 55, is outboard of the position occupied by the clothesline, 7, when the clasp is in 20 its fastening position. This lateral hook containment struc~
ture, 51, gives the clasp very positive stability against be-ing laterally upset in its fast~ening position on the hook and the clothesIine and~it makes it practicalIy impossible for the clasp to be tipped upside~down in its fastening position.
25 As shown in Fig. 20, the two primary locations, at 54 and 55, where the hook~passes through the lateral hook containment structure, 51, 1ie along a straight line~which passes beneath the clothesline, 7, or other linear member. This straight line positioning provides an excellent design for the contai-30 nment structure and lt works well with different sizes and thicknesses~of garment hanger hooks and cIotheslines. There "!
could be some variation, up or down, in the position of these two primary locations, 54 and 55, and the lateral hook con-tainment structure would still function. However, if the 35 containment structure was shaped so that the two primary lo~
cations where thé~hook,~53, passes through the structure were considerably higher and closer together, the stabilizing ac-tion of the structure could~be oonsiderably diminished or even rendered -raotlcally ine~fective. The meaning of the -` . ~
, ~ 37 phrase "e~eotively spaced-ap&rt looations" in desoribing the primary looat~ons where the hook passes through the lateral hook containment struoture, is that these looation~ are ~o positioned and suffioiently s~)aoed apart to give e~feotive 5 stability to the olasp agains-t its being upset in its ~asten-ing position. This clasp cou]d be manu~actured by stamping a blank from sheet metal or other sheet material and then form-ing it into the shape shownO A cut-out in the blank provides ~or the bifurcation in the ~astening ~ember. The lateral lO hook oontainment struoture, 51, could be ellminated and the clasp would fu~ction with its two coacting ~astening hooks in the manner o~ the clasp shown in ~igs. 16-lg. The two legged spring, 56, i9 narrowed ~or proportioning spring ~oroes. The opposing olamping member, 59, is somewhat ~lattened in the 15 direction o~ a line lying in ~he plane o~ the garment hanger hook, 53, and tangent to the hook at the point where that member, 59, contacts the hook (in a direction substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction of the lateral hook containment structure, 51), and this provides consider-20 ably better stability to the clasp against rotation about anaxis approximately coincidental with that of the olothesline, 7, than in the clasps shown in ~igs. 1-9 and 16-lg. The reason for this is that, as the clasp rotate~ about that axis, the point o~ contact of the opposing clamping member, 59, 25 with the garment hanger~hook, 53, shi~ts in the direction of such rotation to provide a righting force in oppo~ition to ~uoh rotation. Fig. 21 shows the cla~p~partly open.
Figs. 22-24 show an embodiment of the clasp in which its two fastening members, 64 and 72, are combined with two lever 30 members, 66 and 67, respectively, which are connected together so as to allow for generally hinged-type angular relative movement between them to provide ~or the opening-and olosing movement of the two ~astening~embers with respeat to each other. Here the connection is provided by a ooil-type 35 spring, 6g, which serves as the resiIient olosin~ ~ember~
This spring,~6g, has a tangentlal extension, 69, at Rev. Oot. 1988 20 .i ~;.~.
. .
.

'7 each end of the coil plus an additional right angle bend, 70, at the end of each tangential extension so that each terminal end of the wire o the spring is approximately parallel to the axis of the spring. As is evident from Figso 22 and 23, 5 the spring is shaped and connected to the two lever members of the clasp in a manner similar to the common spring clothespin.
The bifurcated fastening member, 64, in this openable clasp is positioned in a primarily radial orientation in the 10 clasp. This means that the two spaced apart branches, 65, of that fastening member extend generally and approximately in a radial direction outward from the location, at 68, where the two lever members are, at least in effect, hingedly connected together. This radial orientation can be described as being 15 with reference and respect to a circle centered on an axis which àpproximately coincides with the actual or effect`ive axis of the hinged-type connection between the two lever mem-bers. The two branches, 65, of the bifurcated fastening mem-ber are separated from each other in a direction generally 20 parallel to the axis of that circle so that that fastening member can straddle the hook to reach and apply clamping pre-ssure to the clothesline, 7, or other linear member. Each branch, 65, of the bifurcated fastening member has a jaw ele-ment, 71, for contacting and applying such clamping pressure 25 to the clothesline, 7, where it passes transversely through the jaw region of the clasp. As shown in Fig. 23, the clamp-ing direction of these jaw elements on the clothesline is primarily circumferential with respect to the above defined circle. The term "jaw element" is herein taken to mean that 30 portion or surface of the fastening member which is position-ed and intended for contacting a linear member, hook, or oth-~er item being fastened by the openable clasp. A "jaw ele-ment" may or may not involve a separate piece of materi`al from the rest of the fastening member.
The second fastening member, 72, in this openable clasp is combined with the second lever member, 67, and this fast-ening member does not have a radially oriented, or any other type of, bifurcation. This fastening member has a jaw ele-ment, 73, positioned for contacting the outer surface of the ` ~

.

~z~

garment hanger hook, 53, in one general locatian, and for applying clamping pressure thereon in a direotlon in opposi-tion to the clamping action Or the bifur¢a~ed ~astening mem-ber, 6~, on the olothesline, 7, to forcefully and friotion-5 ally clamp the hook, 53, to the clothe~line as shown in ~ig.23. The ~aw element, 73, contacts the oute~ surface of the hook, 53, at a location appro~imately the ~ame distance away from the hinge pivot, 6g, as the location where the ~aw ele-ments, 71, o~ the bi~urcated î~astening member contaot the 10 clothesline, 7. Thi~ ~aw element, 73, of the second fasten-ing member (or opposing clamping member) is flattened in the direction of a line lying in the plane of the ga~ment hanger hook, 53, and tangent to the llook at the point where the jaw element contaot~ the hook (i~ a direotion substantially para-15 llel to the longibudinal or radial direction of -the bifurca-ted ~astening member, 64) and this provides considerabl~
better stability to the olasp against rotation about an axis approximately coincidental with that of the olothesline, 7, than i~ this ~aw element, 73J was shaped with a protrusion 20 which contacted the hook9 53, at a generally fi~ed point.
Such stability is provided in the same manner and for the same reason as explained above with re~erenoe to the device shown in ~igs. 19-21. There could be considerable departure from the radial orientation o~ the ~astening members as de-25 picted in ~ig. 23 and the c183p would still ~unction in sub-stantially the same manner. ~owever, the term "radial orien-tation" is used herein to distinguish~this cla~p ~rom clasp~
having ciroum~erentially oriented fastening members, presen-ted lat;er herein, whioh operate in a dif~erent manner.
In the embodiment of ~lgs. 22-24, outstanding lateral stability is provided for~the olasp b~ having the branches, 65, of the bi~urcated;~astening member, 64~ long enough to aocomodate~the~hook, S3,~i~ two looations, at 75 and 76, where the hook passes between these branches; one location, 75, 35 being inboard and the other location, 76, be1ng outboard o~
the linear member, 7. If long enough;to accomodate the hook only at the inboard location, 75, the clasp would be suscep-table to being upset~under~the influence of adverse ~orces. Other clasps having a bi~ur~cated fastening Rev,~Oct. 1988~ 22 ,.:; ~. : .

member in the form of a pair of coacting fastening hooks and an opposing clamping member with only one jaw element, as in the embodiments shown in Figs. 1 through 9, are susceptible to being turned upside down in their fastening position, al-5 though they will continue to fasten a garment hanger hook toa clothesline in that position. The clasp shown in Figs. 19 through 21, having a lateral hook containment structure, 51, operates on the same principle to stabilize the fastening po-sition of that clasp as the clasp shown in Figs. 22 through 10 24 which has a radially oriented bifurcated fastening member with branches long enough to accomodate the hook in the two locations mentioned above. Such a radially oriented bifurca-ted fastening member is, in fact, a form of lateral hook con-tainment structure. Fig. 2~ is a plan view of the bifurcated 15 fastening member and the lever member with which it is com-bined showing the length of the two spaced-apart branches, 65, and the jaw element, 71, on each branch for clasping the clothesline or other linear member. ~ach of these jaw ele-ments, 71, of the bifurcated fastening member is formed as a 20 depression in the surface of the fastening member, as shown in Fig. 23, for constraining the linear member in maintaining its proper relative position in the bifurcated fastening mem-ber with respect to its distance from the location, at 68, where the two lever members are hingedly connected together.
25 Each of the two lever members, 66 and 67, of the clasp have structures, 77, which are positioned as handles which can be squeezed together by hand to cause the two fastening members, together with their jaw elements, to open with respect to each other.
To use this openable clasp to fasten a garment hanger hook to a clothesline, the hook is first suspended from the clothesline in the normal manner. Then the handles, 7? . are squeezed together to open the fastening members and their re-spective jaw elements and the clasp is moved so that the 35 hook, 53, enters the space between the two spaced-apart bran-ches of the bifurcated fastening member and the clo-thesline, 7, is positioned in the depressions which form the jaw ele-ments, 71, of that fastening member. Then the clasp is re-leased so that the jaw element, 73, on the second fastening member, 72, clamps to the outer surface of the garment hangér hook, 53, while the jaw elements, 71, on the bifurcated fast-ening member clamp to the undersurface of the clothesline, 7, with the result that the hook and the clothesline are direct-5 ly and frictionally clamped together as shown in Figs. 22 and23.
The arrangement of the second fastening member of the op-enable clasp can be modified to change the location and man-ner in which it contacts the outer surface of the garment 10 hanger hook. Fig, 25 shows a modification in which the sec-ond fastening member, 79, has two jaw elements, 80 and 81, which are positioned for contacting the outer surface of the hook, 53, in two separated locations, at 80 and 81, along the hook. One of these locations, at 80, is inboard and the oth-15 er location, at 81, is outboard of the position occupied bythe clothesline, 7, or other linear member. This arrangement adds some sbability to the openable clasp in its fastening position and it also provides a means tending to restrain the clasp from shifting position so as to slip off the end (at 20 53) of the hanger hook when the hook has a section near its end which is straightened out or has less curvature than the curved upper section of the hook, as in the example of Fig.
25. This restraining action occurs because, as the outboard jaw element, 81, moves closer to the end of the hook, it is 25 caused to ride up on the straightened-out portion of the hook which causes the two fastening members and their respective jaw elements to open wider against the force of the spring, 68. The reaction to this jaw-opening action is a force which tends to urge the jaws of the clasp in a direction away from 30 the end of~the hook. The opposing clamping member with two separated jaw elements used in the device shown in Figs. 10-14, operates in the same manner to restrain the clasp from slipping off the end of the garment hanger hook.
Fig. 26 shows a modification of the openable clasp in 35 which the bifurcated~fastening member, 83, in addition to contacting the undersurface of the clothesline, 7, also con-tacts the outer surface of the garment hanger hook, 53, at a location on the hook which is inboard of the positlon occu-pied by the clothesllne, 7. This is accomplished by shaping :
, ~ 9'~

and positioning the bifurcated fastening member so that that fastening member contacts the hoo~ at the inboard or closed end of the bifurcation (at 84). The second fastening member, 85, has a jaw element, 86, positioned for contacting the out-er surface of the garment hanger hook, 53, at a location on the hook which is outboard of the position occupied by the clothesline, 7. This arrangement produces results which are very similar to those described with reference to the device shown in Fig. 25.
The lever members of the openable clasp may be provided with guide structure as shown in Figs. 27 and 28. The pur-pose of the guide structure is to form a guide which allows relative movement of the two fastening members with respect to each other in opening and closing the clasp, but which re-15 stricts relative sideways displacement of the two fasteningmembers and their respective jaw elements. This guide struc-ture, 88, is structure which is connected to one of the lever members, in this case to the lever member, 66, which is com-bined with the bifurcated fastening member~ 64, and which has 20 surface which overlaps and lies next to at least a portion of a range of positions of surface on the other lever member (at 89) during opening and closing movement of the fastening mem-bers. Thus this guide structure forms a guide which accomplishes its stated purpose.
Figures 27 and 28 also show linear member retaining stru-cture, 90, which has been added to one of the fastening mem-bers, in this case to the bifurcated fastening member, 6~, just inboard of the position occupied by the clothesline, 7 when the clasp is ln its fastening position. The purpose of 30 this linear member retaining structure, 90, is to prevent relative movement of the clothesline with respect to the clasp in at least one direction;away from its intended posi-tion in the clasp. In this case the linear member retaining structure, 90, is arranged to prevent relative movement of 35 the clothesline in a direction toward the location, at 68, where the two lever members are hingedly connected together.
In the embodiment shown in ~igs. 27 and 28, this linear mem-ber retaining structure, 90j is incorporated in and combined with the guide~structure, 88. It should be noted that the 2~

placing of the jaw elements, 71, in a depression in the sur-face of the bifurcated fastening member, 64, of the clasp shown in Figs. 22 through 24 is another form of linear member retaining structure which functions to prevent relative move-ment of the clothesline in both directions away from its in-tended position in the clasp. The clasp shown in Figs. 27 and 28 also has such a depression, 71, for this purpose.
Linear member retaining structure, when combined with the bi-furcated fastening member, can be defined as structure which 10 is located generally just to one side of the position occu-pied by the clothesline or other linear member as it passes transversely through the jaw region of the clasp when the clasp is in its fastening position and structure which ex-tends above the level of that part of the jaw elements which 15 contact the undersurface of the linear member for blocking relative movement of the linear member in at least one direc-tion away from its intended position in the claspl past the position where the linear member retaining structure is located.
The openable clasp can be provided with linear member re-taining structure which is combined with the second fastening member of the clasp as shown in the device depicted in Figs.
29 through 37. In this case, the linear member~retaining structure, 92, is combined with the second fastening member, 25 93 t and is located just outboard of the position occupied by the clothesline, 7, when the clasp is in its fastening posi-tion. ~inear member retaining structure, when~combined with the second fastening member, can be defined as structure which is locate~d generally just to one side of the position 30 occupied by the linear member when the clasp is in its fast-ening position and structure which extends generally toward the bifurcated fastening member a sufficient distance to eff-ectively close the gap between the two fastening members to movement of the linear member in at least one direction away 35 from its in~ended position in the clasp, past the position where the linear member retaining structure is located t when the clasp is~in its olosed fastening position.
In the clasp shown in Figs. 29 through 37 t the bifurcated fastening member t 94, has branches which are long enough to , s~7 accomodate and laterally confine the garment hanger hook, 2, generally in only one inboard location, at 95, where the hook passes between the branches. When the bifurcated fastening member is not long enough to accomodate and laterally confine the hook in two locations (as it is in the devices shown in Figs. 22~28), lateral stability can be provided by incorpora-ting a lateral confinement element, 96, in the second fasten-ing member, 93, in this case collocated with the single jaw element, 97, and located outboard of the position occupied by 10 the clothesline, 7. This outboard lateral confinement ele-ment, 96, is ~haped to laterally confine the hook, 2, and, together with the inboard lateral confinement for the hook, at 95, provided by the bifurcated fastening member, 94, it ~onstitutes a form of lateral hook containment structure 15 which provides stability against having the clasp become laterally upset in its fastening position.
The terms "inboard" and "outboard", as used herein to describe various locations or positions, are taken with ref-erence to the clasp and not with reference to the hook. An 20 inboard location or position is further toward the inner reg-ion of the clasp (away from the outer end of the fastening members and generally closer to the hinge pivot of the clasp~
than the position occupied by the linear member when the clasp is in its fastening position and, conversely, an out-25 board location or position is further away from the innerregion of the clasp than the position of the linear member.
The clasps described herein function in substantially the same manner as depicted in the drawings when the hook faces in the opposite direction with respect to the clasp from that hown in the drawings (with the end of the hook facing to the right and generally located inboard of the linear rnember).
The bifurcated fastening member, 94, in Figs. 29-37, in addition to having jaw elements, 99, which contact the under-surface of the clothesline, 7, also is shaped so -that lt con-3~ tacts the outer surface of the garment hanger hook, 2, at theinboard end of the bifurcation on that fastening member, at 98. This clasp is constructed as two separate lever members combined with their respective fastening members, mechanic-ally connected together by a hinge pivot, 62, and having a ~ - 27 Rev. August 1990 . , s~ring, 63, for biasing the fastening members -towar~ a closed position.
An openable clasp with a radially oriented bifurcated fastening member can be made entirely of wire. An example of 5 such construction is shown in Figs, 38 through 41. Here each of the two lever members, together with its combined fasten-ing member, is a discrete part of the clasp, made of a separ-ate piece of wire. The resilient closing member is a spring comprised of two coils of wire, 102, formed from the terminal 10 ends of the wire making one of the lever members. The ends of the wire of the other lever member are connected together as shown in Figs. 40 and 41 to form a pivot which runs through the spring coils, 102, to provide for the hinged-type angular relative movement between the lever members. A tan-15 gential extension, 103, from the end of each spring coil,102, hooks to the other lever member to connect the two lever members together and provide for the closing bias o~ the clasp. This clasp is arranged so that it can be opened by squeezing the sections extending from the pivot location 20 together with the hand.
The bifurcated fastening member, 104, in this clasp is made from a single piece of wire and is formed by having the wire enter the structure of the bifurcated fastening member, at 105, arriving generally and approximately from the loca-25 tion, at 102, where the lever members are;hingedly connectedtogether, and then continuing generally to the end of one branch, 106, of the bifurcated fastening member, 104. Then the wire is bent in generally a reverse direction, at 107, so as to proceed generally to the closed~end, 108, of the space 30 between the branches of the bifurcated fastening member while remaining on one side of the position occupied by the hook, 2, when the clasp is in its fastening position. Then the wire is bent generally across to the other side of the posi-tion occupied by the hook so as to form the closed end, 108, 35 of the space between the branches, after which the wire is bent ln a similar, mirror-image manner on the other side of the position occupied by the hook, and finally exiting the structure of the bifurcated fastening member, at 109, to pro-ceed generally back toward the location, at 102, where the ' ` ' ' lever members are hingedly connected together.
The bifurcated fastening member in the clasp shown in ~igs. 38 through 41 has a linear member retaining structure, 110, in the form of an upturned end of each branch of the bi-`~ furcated fastening member and loca-ted outboard of the posi-tion occupied by the clothesline, 7, or o-ther linear member.
The second fastening member, 111, has linear member retaining structure, 112, in the form of the crossover element, 112, which enables the clasp to be opened by squeezing sections of 10 it together as mentioned above. This linear member retaining structure, 112, is located inboard of the position occupied ~-by the clothesline, 7. Thus the two linear member retaining structures, 110 and 112, one on each fastening member and lo-cated, respec-tively, outboard and inboard of the position 1~ occupied by the clothesline, 7, function, together, to retain the clothesline in its proper position in the clasp.
The second ~astening member, 111, has a single jaw ele~
ment, 113, which contacts -the outer surface of the hook, 2, at a location which is outboard of the position occupied by 20 the linear member, 7. As is eviden-t from Figs. 38 and 39, this second fastening member, lll, also incorporates a later~
al confinement element with the jaw element, 113, to con-strain the hook, 2, from being displaced sideways out of -the jaw. This is especially desirable in this embodiment because 2~ the bifurcated fastening member, 104, is only long enough to accomodate the hook, 2, in~one locatian, at 114, where the hook passes through the space between its branohe~. This lateral con~inemen~element, 113, togt3ther with the lateral conrinement pro~ided~or the hook by the inboard end of the 30 bi~urcated~astening mel~ber, 114, provide~ a lateral hook containment structure ~or the clasp to prevent the ¢lasp ~rom being laterally upset in its rastening positlon. It should be noted that the bi~urcated ~astenlng member, 104, in this olasp, in addition to contacting the ~ndersurface o~ the 35 clo~thesline, 7, also contacts the outer surface of the hotjk, 2, at the inboard antl closed end, at 114, Or the spaoe between the branches Or ~the birurcated ~astening member.
It ma~ be desirable to hare a lateral co~rinement element Rev. Oct. 1988 29 ~g. ::
? ' combined with the second fastening member of the openable clasp even when the bifurcated fastening member is long en~
ough to accomodate the garment hanger hook in two locations where the hook passes through the space between its branches, 5 as in the case of the embodiments shown in Figs. 22 through 28. A reason for this is that a lateral confinement element can act to center a hook within the space between the bran-ches which could be desirable when the clasp is used with hooks which are considerably thinner than the maximum hook 10 thickness which the bifurcated fastening member is capable of accomodating.
It was shown above,with reference to Figs. 16 through 21, that the openable clasp can be constructed of a single piece of material when the bifurcated fastening member is in the 15 form of a pair of coacting fastening hooks. Clasps having other forms of bifurcated fastening members can also be con-structed as single-piece devices. Figs. 42 and 43 show a clasp constructed of a single piece of sheet material which has a radially oriented bifurcated fastening member, 122, 20 long enough to accomodate the garment hanger hook, 53, in two locations where the hook passes~through the spaced-apart branches. In -this clasp, the spring, 119, which urges the two fastening members toward a generally closed clasping po-sition, also serves to connect the two Iever members, 120 and 25 121, together to provide for the generally hinged-type angu-lar relative movement between the lever members. This clasp does not have handles positioned so that the clasp can be op-ened by squeezing sections of it together. Instead, this clasp is configured to be pushed into its fastening position 30 on the hook, 53, and the linear member, 7, by having its two ~astening members, 122 and 123, arranged so that they will be opened sufficien-tly by contact with the hook and the linear member to permit such installation. In this embodlment, both the bifurcated fastening member, 122, and the second fasten-35 ing member, 123, have ramped entry structure, 124 and 125 re-spectively, which is a section at the end of each fastening member angled outward toward the opening direction of the ~astenlng member in order to facilitate opening of the fast-ening members by contact with the hook and the linear member when the clasp is forcefully pushed into its fastening posi-tion. Actually this device would work just about as well if only the bifurcated fastening member had ramped entry struc-ture. In fact, such ramped entry structure would not be re-5 quired on the bifurcated fastening member, 122, either if thebranches of that fastening member extended outward sufficien-tly far from the jaw element, 126, of the second fastening member, 123, to allow those branches to be positioned below the linear member, 7, before pushing the clasp into its fast-10 ening position. It may be noted that this clasp has linearmember retaining structure in the form of a depression, 118, in the surface of the bifurcated fastening member which forms the jaw elements for that fastening member.
An openable clasp in which both fastening members, 130 15 and 131, are bifurcated is shown in Figs. 44 and 45. In this embodiment, the bifurcation in both fastening members is po-sitioned in a primarily radial orientation with respect to a circle centered on an axis through the location, 134, where ~ -the two lever members, 132 and 133, are hingedly connected 20 together. In this embodiment, each lever member, 132 and 133, is a discrete element to the extent that it is a separ-ate entity from the other lever member and the connection, 134, between the lever members (also serving as the spring) is a mechanically hinged-type connection of the same type as 25 used in ~he common spring clothespin. This clasp is opened and manipulated in the same manner as a spring clothespin.
Fig. 46 shows a somewhat~similar embodiment of the clasp to that shown in Fig. 44 in that both fastening members,~135 and 136, are also~radlally bifurcated. Fig. 45 serves as a 30 90-degree rotated view of the device in ~ig. 44 and also of the device in Fig.~46;and it shows the extent of~the bifurca-tion in both fastening members. The general manner in which ; both of these clasps func~ion to fasten a hook to a linear member is shown in Fig. 46. Basically these cIasps act to 35 clamp or c~onstrain the clothesline, 7, or other linear member between~the jaw elements of~the respective fastening members while the garment hanger hook, 2, is confined within the in-ner portion of;the space,~137, between the branches of each o~ the two blfurcated fastening members. In the clasp shown : :: ~
~: ' ' , in Fig, 46, a first one of the bifurcated fastening members, 135, has a pair of jaw elements, 138, (one on each branch) which have internal surfaces generally in the shape of an "L"
which enables -that fastening member, 135, to clasp the linear 5 member, 7, at the side, 140, of the "L", while the bottom line of the "1`', 141, holds and prevents the linear member from being displaced endwise out of the jaw elements. The second bifurcated fastening member, 136, has a pair of jaw elements, 139, which are shaped so that they contact the lin-10 ear member, 7, only at the side of the jaw elements, at 139,to apply a pinching force to the linear member in conjunction with the clamping action of the first bifurcated fastening member. In this particular example, the jaw elements, 139, on the second bifurcated fastening member, ~36, are mounted 15 on a projection which protrudes into and fits inside of the other pair of jaw elements, 138, when the jaws are fully clo- -sed. This allows the clasp to grasp thinner clotheslines than would otherwise be possible. Thus it can be seen that, in the clasp shown in Fig. 46, the two bifurcated fastening 20 members clamp the linear member, 7, between them, the first bifurcated fastening member, 13~, holding it from being dls-placed endwise out of the~clasp, while the hook, 2, is con-tained and locked within the inner part of the space, 137, between the two branches of each of the two bifurcated fast-25 ening members.
The clasp shown in Fig. 44 functions in the same generalway except that the jaw elements of its~bifurcated fastening members, 130 and 131, when closed, form a generally and at least partially enclosing aperture, 142, to receive the 30 linear member and to hold it confiningly.
The openable clasp can have a bifurcated fastening member which is positioned in a primarily circumferential (or tange-ntial) orientation, instead of being radiaIly oriented as is characteristic of the clasps shown in Figs. 22 through 461 A
35 clasp having two circumferentially oriented bifurcated fast-ening members is shown in Figa. 47 through 50. The term "circumferential" as used herein to describe the positioning and orientation of a bifurcated fastening member means that the effective olasping portion of the fastening member lies .

;. ~

~z~

approximately in a circumferential or tangential direction in the clasp with respect to a circle centered on an ~xis through the location where the two lever members are hingedly connected together, with such effective clasping portion fac-5 ing toward the interior region of the clasp. Thus, with ref-erence to Fig. 47, one of the bifurcated fastening members, 147, has a clasping portion or jaw element, 151, which runs approximately in a circumferential direction with respect to the hinge pivot, 154, which connects the two lever members, 10 149 and 150, together. This jaw element, 151, is positioned for contacting the undersurface of the clothesline, 7, or other linear member where it passes transversely through the jaw region of the clasp. This bifurcated fastening member, 147, is also arranged so that it contacts the outer surface 15 of the garment hanger hook, 2, at the inner end of the space (at 153) between the two branches of that bifurcated fasten-ing member, 147. The second fastening member, 148, is also bifurcated and circumferentially oriented in the clasp and it, too, is arranged so that it contacts the outer surface of 20 the hook, 2, at the inner end of the space (at 156) between its tw~ branches.
In the embodiment depicted in Figs. 47 and 48, the jaw elements, 151 and I52, of the bifurcated fastening members, 147 and 148, are oriented at an acute angle to the exact 25 circumferential direction at the location of those jaw ele-ments such that the jaw elements effectively form an inclined ramp in which the further inboard from the end of each jaw element a surfaoe point~on that jaw element is located,~the closer it is to the hinge pivot, 154,~which connects the two 30 lever members together. Thus, as the linear member, 7, is pushed further inboard along these inclined ramp surfaces by the closing action of the jaws, It w111 be forced to a posi-tion closer to the hinge pivot. At the same time, the reac-tion of the curved upper surfaces of the hook, 2, to the clo-35 sing action of the two fastening members, will be to forcethe hook to a position farther away from the hinge pivot.
The combined result of these~two reactions is to clamp the hook and the~linear member together.
It is not neoessary that both fastening members be ~:
'~'' .. '` ' ' I ' ' , `
.:

~ 3~

circumferentially oriented in the clasp. For example, it would be sufficient if only the first mentioned bifurcated fastening member, 147, was circumferentially oriented. The second fastening member, 148, could, in such a case, have a 5 radially orien-ted bifurcation arranged such that, in closing, it would push the linear member, 7, further inboard along the inclined ramp surfaces of the jaw element, 151, of the first mentioned bifurcated fastening member, 147. This would pro-vide for substantially the same type of fastening action as 10 in the case where both bifurcated fastening members are cir-cumferentially oriented. This clasp, with either one or both fastening members having circumferentially oriented inclined ramp surfaces, can be used to fasten two generally linear members together in a generally crossing relationship.
When the clasp is used for fastening a hook to a linear member, these inclined ramp surfaces generally provide for the accomodation of a greater range of different sizes of hanger hooks and clothesline diameters than would be the case if the angle of inclination of these surfaces was zero. How-20 ever, this clasp would still work for this purpose if thisangle of inclination was zero, i.e., if the surfaces of these jaw elements were parallel to the bottom or outboard surfaces, 155, of the fastening members. This is so because the curved upper surface of the hook, 2, also acts as a pair of oppo-25 site-facing inclined ramp surfaces which causes the clasp to "ride'` up on these surfaces as the two fastening members close due to the urging of the resilient closing member (not shown). When this happens, the circumferentially oriented jaw elements are raised along with~the rest of the clasp cau-30 sing the clothesline, ?. to be pulled up and pressed againstthe hook, 2, thereby clamping the hook and the linear member together. ~hen the clasp is configured to operate in this manner, it is not necessary that the second fastening member, 148, have any bifurcation at all. AlI that is necessary for 35 the second fastening member under such circumstances is that it contact the curved upper surface of the garment hanger hook, 2, in order to react with such surface to raise the clasp as explained above. It may be desirable, when the clasp is configured and used in such manner, for the jaw elements o~ -the circum~erentially orien-ted bifurcated fasten-ing me~ber -to have a raised sec-tion which extends above the contacting surface of -those elements (toward -the hinge pivo~, 154), to serve as a barrier or ~ence for retaining the linear 5 member ~ro~ unwantedly slipping off -those jaw elements. Such a raised sec-tion would be comparable to the linear member re-taining structure present in the clasps depicted in Figs. 22 through 43, and generally such a raised section would be lo-cated at -the end of those jaw elements, 151.
It is not necessary that the fastening members be arrang-ed so that the location where they contact the outer surface of the hook (at 153 and ~56) be raised to the level depicted in Figo 480 Particularly in the case where the angle of in-clination of the contacting surfaces on the jaw elemen-ts is 1~ zero (when these surfaces are parallel to -the bottom or out-board surfaces, 155, of the fastening member, as mentioned above), the clasp will function properly if the location where the fastening members contact the outer surface of the hook, at 153 and 1~6, is approximately at the same level as 20 the contacting surraoes on the ~aw elements. However, it is desirable that any rastening member which is not bl~urcated have a lateral con~lnement element so as to conrine the hook ~rom being displAced sideways out o~ that fastening member.
Thls, together with the birur~o~ted fastening~member, will -~
25 oomprise a l~teral hook contain~ent structure to provide lateral stability to the olasp in i~s ~astening position.
Most o~ -the embodlments of the openable cla~p presented herein can be used to fasten either a hook to a linear member or two generally llnear member~ together, The ~oregoing is 30 considered as illu~trative only o~ the principles o~ the in-vention. Further, since n~nerous modi~ioations and ohanges will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not intended to limit the inventlorl to the exaot oonstruobion and operatlon described,~and Qocordingly, all suitable 35 modl~ioations and equivalents may be resorted to, ~alling within the soope Or~ the~invent~on as olaimed.

,;

~ ~ Rev.;Oct~. 1988 35 1 ~J

Claims

1. A clasp for fastening a hook to a linear member when the hook is hooked to the linear member, the clasp comprising a bifurcated fastening member with two generally parallel spaced-apart branches for accomodating the hook within the space between the branches and a jaw element on each branch for contacting the underside of the linear member; a second fastening member having a jaw element for contacting the outer surface of the hook; lateral hook containment structure incor-porated in at least one of the two fastening members for acc-omodating and laterally confining the hook in at least two effectively spaced-apart locations; relative movement connec-ting structure for connecting the two fastening members toge-ther so as to provide for limited relative opening-and-clos-ing hook-and-linear-member clasping movement of the two fast-ening members with respect to each other; and a resilient closing member positioned and connected to elements of the clasp so as to generally urge the two fastening members toward a closed clasping position; wherein the two fastening members are mutually adapted to clamp to the outer surface of the hook and to the undersurface of the linear member to clasp the hook and the linear member together and to remain in a stable fastening position in fastening the hook to the linear members and wherein the clasp is arranged so that it can be directly installed to clasp the hook and the linear member together.

2. The clasp of claim 1 wherein the relative movement connecting structure is comprised of two lever members which are connected together to provide for generally hinged-type angular relative movement between the lever members, said bifurcated fastening member being combined with a first one of the lever members and said second fastening member being combined with a second lever member to provide for the relative opening-and-closing movement of the two fastening members with respect to each other.

3. The clasp of claim 2 wherein said bifurcated fastening member is positioned in a primarily radial orientation with respect to a circle centered on an axis through the location where the two lever members are, at least in effect, hingedly connected together, with the two branches of said bifurcated fastening member being separated from each other in a direction generally parallel to the axis of said circle.

4. The clasp of claim 2 wherein said bifurcated fastening member is positioned in a primarily circumferential orientat-ion with respect to a circle centered on an axis through the location where the two lever members are, at least in effect, hingedly connected together, with the two branches of said bifurcated fastening member being separated from each other in a direction generally parallel to the axis of said circle.

5. The clasp of claim 1 wherein the bifurcated fastening member is comprised of a pair of spaced-apart coacting fast-ening hooks arranged for straddling and reaching past the hook being fastened to the linear member and hooking to and clampingly pulling the linear member toward and against the hook being fastened to the linear member and wherein the sec-ond fastening member is an opposing clamping member arranged for applying clamping pressure to the outer surface of the hook being fastened to the linear member.

6. The clasp of claim 1 wherein the two fastening members are slidably connected together through a sliding guide in the relative movement connecting structure to provide at least part of the relative movement connection between the two fastening members.

7. The clasp of claim 1 further comprising an overcenter locking lever which is interposed, at least indirectly, be-tween the two fastening members and which has a separate and at least indirect pivotal connection with each of the two fastening members, the overcenter locking lever being adapted to impart relative movement of the two fastening members with respect to each other when manipulated to cause the clasp to open and close, and also to lock the clasp in the closed and fastening position.

8. The clasp of claim 1 wherein the lateral hook contain-ment structure is incorporated in said bifurcated fastening member by having said fastening member shaped so that it accomodates and laterally confines the hook in at least two effectively spaced-apart locations.

9. The clasp of claim 1 wherein the lateral hook contain-ment structure is comprised of at least one lateral confine-ment element on said second fastening member together with at least one other laterally hook confining element on one of the two fastening members, wherein said two elements are shaped and positioned so that they accomodate and laterally confine the hook in at least two effectively spaced-apart locations.

10. The clasp of claim 1 further comprising linear member retaining structure combined with at least one of the two fastening members for preventing relative movement of the linear member in at least one direction away from its intend-ed position in the clasp, past the position where the linear member retaining structure is located, when the clasp is in its closed fastening position.

11. A connecting device for connecting an object to a generally linear member, said device comprising the combina-tion of a hook and an openable clasp as assembled and arrang-ed in a hereinafter described relative position with respect to each other in conjunction with the linear member to fasten the hook to the linear member with the hook being hooked to the linear member in the normal manner, wherein there is means for attaching the object, at least indirectly and at least temporarily, to the hook, generally to the non hooked or shank portion of the hook, wherein the clasp comprises a bifurcated fastening member with two generally parallel spaced-apart branches for accomodating the hook within the space between the branches and a jaw element on each branch for contacting the underside of the linear member; a second fastening member having a jaw elements for contacting the outer surface of the hook; relative movement connecting structure for connecting the two fastening members together so as to provide for limi-ted relative opening-and-closing hook-and-linear-member clas-ping movement of the two fastening members with respect to each other; and a resilient closing member positioned and connected to elements of the clasp so as to generally urge the two fastening members toward a closed clasping position;
wherein the two fastening members are mutually adapted to clamp to the outer surface of the hook and to the underside of the linear member to clamp and clasp the hook and the linear member together and to remain in a stable fas-tening position in fastening the hook to the linear member;
wherein the clasp is arranged so that it can be directly in-stalled to clasp the hook to the linear member; and wherein the assembled and arranged relative position of the hook and the clasp with respect to each other in conjunction with the linear member is one in which, with the hook hooked to the linear member, the clasp is positioned so that at least part of the hook is accomodated within the space between the two spaced-apart branches of said bifurcated fastening member, the linear member passes transversely through the jaw region of the clasp with the jaw elements of said bifurcated fastening member contacting the linear member, and said second fasten-ing member clasps the hook and the linear member together in conjunction with the contacting action of said bifurcated fastening member.

12. The connecting device of claim 11 wherein the hook is the hook part of a garment hanger and the object is the remaining part of the same garment hanger.

13. The connecting device of claim 11 wherein said bifur-cated fastening member of the clasp is comprised of a pair of spaced-apart coacting fastening hooks arranged for straddling and reaching past the hook being fastened to the linear mem-ber and hooking to and clampingly pulling the linear member toward and against the hook being fastened to the linear mem-ber and wherein said second fastening member is an opposing clamping member arranged for applying clamping pressure to the outer surface of the hook being fastened to the linear member.

14. The connecting device of claim 13 wherein each of the two coacting fastening hooks is generally J-shaped with a generally linear shank extending away from -the hooked part of the hook and wherein the opposing clamping member is slidably connected to each hook shank, so as to provide for at least part of the opening-and-closing clasping movement of the two fastening members with respect to each other.

15. The connecting device of claim 14 wherein the resil-ient closing member is a spring and wherein both fastening members of the clasp are made of, and are parts of, the same continuous piece of material of which the spring is made.

16. The connecting device of claim 15 wherein the clasp is made of wire.

17. The connecting device of claim 16 wherein the clasp is constructed so that each end of a piece of wire of which the clasp is made effectively terminates at the end of each coacting fastening hook, the wire being bent between each of its two ends to form the clasp.

18. The connecting device of claim 14 wherein the shanks of the coacting fastening hooks are curved and positioned so that the opening and closing movement of the opposing clamp-ing member with respect to the coacting fastening hooks will be approximately along the direction of the curvature of the shanks of the hooks.

19. The connecting device of claim 18 wherein the two fastening members are effectively hinged together by the rel-ative movement connecting structure so as to provide, in part, for the opening and closing movement of the opposing clamping member being approximately along the direction of the curvature of the shanks of the hooks.

20. The connecting device of claim 13 wherein the oppos-ing clamping member of the clasp has one jaw element which is positioned for contacting the outer surface of the hook being fastened to the linear member in substantially one location.

21. The connecting device of claim 13 wherein the oppos-ing clamping member of the clasp effectively has two jaw ele-ments which are positioned for contacting the outer surface of the hook being fastened to the linear member in two res-pective locations which are effectively spaced apart from each other, one location being inboard and the other location being outboard of the position occupied by the linear member in the assembled connecting device.

22. A clasp for fastening a hook to a linear member when the hook is hooked to the linear member, the clasp comprising a bifurcated fastening member with two generally parallel spaced apart branches for accomodating the hook within the space between the branches and a jaw element on each branch for contacting the underside of the linear member; a second fastening member having a jaw element for contacting the out-er surface of the hook; relative movement connecting struc-ture for connecting the two fastening members together so as to provide for limited relative opening-and-closing hook-and-linear-member clasping movement of the two fastening members with respect to each other; and a resilient closing member positioned and connected to elements of the clasp so as to generally urge the two fastening members toward a closed clasping position; wherein the two fastening members are mut-ually adapted to clamp to the outer surface of the hook and to the undersurface of the linear member to clasp the hook and the linear member together and to remain in a stable position in fastening the hook to the linear member; wherein the clasp is arranged so that it can be directly installed to clasp the hook and the linear member together; and wherein the opposing clamping member has a lateral confinement ele-ment for restraining the hook being fastened to the linear member from being displaced sideways out of a jaw element, said lateral confinement element normally being incorporated in a jaw element.

23. The clasp of claim 22 wherein the opposing clamping member has at least two lateral confinement elements posi-ioned at sufficiently spaced-apart locations to stabilize the clasp against being upset in its fastening position on the hook and the linear member, such lateral confinement elements together comprising a lateral hook containment structure.

24. The connecting device of claim 13 wherein the resil-ient closing member is a generally compression-type helical spring acting in the direction of the opening-and-closing movement of the two fastening members of the clasp with respect to each other.

25. The clasp of claim 5 wherein the bifurcated fastening member has lateral hook containment structure which is shaped and positioned so that it accomodates the hook being fastened to the linear member in at least two effectively spaced-apart locations where the hook passes through the space between its two branches, one such location being inboard and the other such location being outboard of the position occupied by the linear member when the clasp is in its described fastening position, whereby the clasp is provided with improved stability in its fastening position.

26. The clasp of claim 5 wherein the resilient closing member is a generally two-legged spring with one leg connec-ted at least indirectly to a coacting fastening hook and the other leg connected at least indirectly to the opposing clamping member.

27. The clasp of claim 26 wherein the lateral hook con-tainment structure is incorporated in the bifurcated fasten-ing member by having that member shaped and positioned so that it accomodates the hook being fastened to the linear member in at least two effectively spaced-apart locations where the hook passes through the space between its two branches.

28. The connecting device of claim 11 further comprising an overcenter locking lever which is interposed between the two fastening members of the clasp and which has a separate and at least indirect pivotal connection with each of the two fastening members, the overcenter locking lever being adapted to impart relative movement of the two fastening members with respect to each other when manipulated to cause the clasp to open and close, and also to lock the clasp in the closed position.

29. The connecting device of claim 28 further comprising a lateral hook containment structure incorporated in the clasp which is adapted to accomodate and laterally confine the hook being fastened to the linear member in at least two effectively spaced-apart locations where the hook passes through the lateral hook containment structure.

30. A clasp for fastening a hook to a linear member when the hook is hooked to the linear member, the clasp comprising a bifurcated fastening member with two generally parallel spaced-apart branches for accomodating the hook within the space between the branches and a jaw element on each branch for contacting the undersurface of the linear member; a sec-ond fastening member having a jaw element for contacting the outer surface of the hook; relative movement connecting structure for connecting the two fastening members together so as to provide for limited relative opening-and closing hook-and-linear-member clasping movement of the two fastening members with respect to each other; and a resilient closing member positioned and connected to elements of the clasp so as to generally urge the two fastening members toward a closed clasping position; wherein the two fastening members are mutually adapted to clamp to the outer surface of the hook and to the undersurface of the linear member to clasp the hook and the linear member together and to remain in a stable position in fastening the hook to the linear member;
wherein the clasp is arranged so that it can be directly in-stalled to clasp the hook and the linear member together;
wherein the bifurcated fastening member is comprised of a pair of spaced-apart coacting fastening hooks arranged for straddling and reaching part the hook being fastened to the linear member and hooking to and clampingly pulling the linear member toward and against the hook being fastened to the lin-ear member; wherein said second fastening member is an oppos-ing clamping member arranged for applying clamping pressure to the outer surface of the hook being fastened to the linear member; said clasp further comprising an overcenter locking lever interposed between the two fastening members and which has a separate and at least indirect pivotal connection with each of the two fastening members, the overcenter locking lever being adapted to impart relative movement of the two fastening members with respect to each other when manipulated to cause the clasp to open and close, and also to lock the clasp in the closed position.

31. The clasp of claim 30 wherein the resilient closing member is effectively interposed between one of the pivotal connections on the overcenter locking lever and that fasten-ing member which is at least indirectly connected to said one of the pivotal connections, the other pivotal connection of the overcenter locking lever being at least indirectly con-nected to the other fastening member, the interposition being such that the resilient closing member generally causes the clasp to apply a sustained clamping force to the hook and the linear member when the clasp is in its fastening position and the overcenter locking lever is in its closed and locking position.

32. The clasp of claim 31 wherein each of the two coact-ing fastening hooks is generally J-shaped with a generally linear shank extending away from the hooked part of the hook;
wherein the opposing clamping member is slidably connected to the shanks of the coacting fastening hooks so that it can slide back and forth along the shanks during opening and clo-sing of the clasp; wherein the two coacting fastening hooks are effectively and at least indirectly connected together by a hook connecting structure which is sufficiently sturdy in its construction and connection with the two coacting fasten-ing hooks to maintain an approximately fixed relative posi-tion of the two coacting hooks with respect to each other throughout the normal range of operation of the clasp; where-in one pivotal connection for the overcenter locking lever, is effectively and at least indirectly connected to the two co-acting fastening hooks, such connection ordinarily being made to the hook connecting structure, the other pivotal connec-tion for the overcenter locking lever being connected at least indirectly to the opposing clamping member; and wherein the resilient closing member is a spring so interposed be-tween a pivotal connection on the overcenter locking lever and one of the fastening members that the spring is at least part of the connecting link between the overcenter locking lever and that fastening member, causing the opposing clamp-ing member to slide back and forth along the shanks of the coacting fastening hooks to open and close the clasp when the overcenter locking lever is moved through its range of movement.

33. The clasp of claim 31 wherein the resilient closing member is a spring effectively interposed between a pivotal connection for the overcenter locking lever and a coacting fastening hook.

34. The clasp of claim 31 wherein the resilient closing member is a spring effectively interposed between a pivotal connection for the overcenter locking lever and the opposing clamping member.

35. The clasp of claim 31 wherein the resilient closing member is a multi-legged spring having at least two legs and lying substantially in a plane.

36, The clasp of claim 31 wherein the opposing clamping member has two jaw elements which are positioned for contacting the outer surface of the hook being fastened to the linear member in each of two effectively spaced-apart locations, one such location being inboard and the other such location being outboard of the position occupied by the lin-ear member when the clasp is in its prescribed fastening position, and wherein there is a lateral hook confinement element at each jaw element shaped so that, together, these two lateral hook confinement elements comprise a lateral hook containment structure.

37. The connecting device of claim 11 wherein the relative movement connecting structure of the openable clasp is com-prised of two lever members which are connected together to provide for generally hinged-type angular relative movement between said lever members, said bifurcated fastening member being combined with a first one of the lever members and said second fastening member being combined with a second one of the lever members to provide for the relative opening-and-closing hook-and-linear-member clasping movement of the two fastening members with respect to each other.

38. The connecting device of claim 37 wherein said bifur-cated fastening member of the openable clasp is positioned in a primarily radial orientation with respect to a circle cent-ered on an axis through the location where the two lever mem-bers are, in effect, hingedly connected together with the two branches of said bifurcated fastening member being separated from each other in a direction generally parallel to the axis of said circle, wherein the jaw elements on said bifurcated fastening member are positioned for contacting and applying clamping pressure to the linear member with the linear member passing transversely through the jaw region of the clasp, the clamping direction of said jaw elements on the linear member being primarily circumferential with respect to said defined circle, wherein said second fastening member does not have a bifurcation positioned in a primarily radial orientation in the clasp with branches capable of accomodating the hook between them, wherein the jaw element of said second fasten-ing member is positioned for contacting the outer surface of the hook being fastened to the linear member and for applying clamping pressure thereon in a direction in general opposi-tion to the clamping action of the jaw elements of said bi-furcated fastening member on the linear member, and wherein the assembled and arranged position of the hook and the clasp is that in which at least part of the hook is positioned be-tween the two branches of said bifurcated fastening member, the jaw elements of said bifurcated fastening member contact the undersurface of the linear member where it passes trans-versely through the clasp, the jaw element on said second fastening member contacts the outer surface of the hook in at least one location so that the two fastening members conjoin-tly clasp the hook and the linear member together, and the location where the two lever member are, in effect, hingedly connected together is generally positioned to one side of the hook,

39. The connecting device of claim 38 wherein said second fastening member of the clasp is shaped and positioned for contacting the outer surface of the hook with its jaw element effectively in only one general location of contact which is about the same distance away from the location where the two lever members are connected together as the position occupied by the linear member in the assembled connecting device.

40. The connecting device of claim 38 wherein said second fastening member of the clasp has jaw elements which are shaped and positioned for contacting the outer surface of the hook in two effectively separated locations along the hook.

41. The connecting device of claim 38 wherein said second fastening member of the clasp has a jaw element which is shaped and positioned for contacting the outer surface of the hook at a location on the hook which is outboard of the posi-tion occupied by the linear member in the assembled connecting device, such location being with reference to the clasp.

42. The clasp of claim 3 wherein said second fastening member has a jaw element which is shaped and positioned for contacting the outer surface of the hook at a location on the hook which is inboard of the posi-tion occupied by the linear member when the clasp is in its described fastening position on the hook and the linear mem-ber, such location being with reference to the clasp.

43. The clasp of claim 3 wherein said bifurcated fastening member is shaped and positioned for contacting the outer surface of the hook at a location on the hook which is inboard of the position occupied by the linear member when the clasp is in its described fastening position on the hook and the linear member, such location being with reference to the clasp and ordinarily being at the inboard end of the bifurcation on said fastening member.

44. The connecting device of claim 38 wherein the jaw elements of said bifurcated fastening member of the openable clasp are formed as a depression in the surface on said fast-ening member for constraining the linear member in maintain-ing its relative position in said fastening member.

45. The connecting device of claim 38 further comprising linear member retaining structure which is combined with said bifurcated fastening member of the clasp and located generally just to one side of the position occupied by the linear member as it passes transversely through the jaw region of the clasp in the assembled connecting device, said linear member re-taining structure being structure which extends above the level of that part of the jaw elements which contact the un-dersurface of the linear member for blocking relative move-ment of the linear member in at least one direction away from its intended position in the clasp with respect to its dist-ance from the location where the two lever members are, in effect, hingedly connected together, past the position where the linear member retaining structure is located.

46. The clasp of claim 3 further comprising linear member retaining structure which is combin-ed with said second fastening member and located generally just to one side of the position occupied by the linear member as it passes transversely through the jaw region of the clasp when the clasp is in its described fastening position, said linear member retaining structure being structure which extends

47 generally toward said bifurcated fastening member a sufficient distance to effectively close the gap between the two fasten-ing members to movement of the linear member in at least one direction away from its intended position in the clasp with respect to its distance from the location where the two lever members are, in effect, hingedly connected together, past the position where the linear member retaining structure is located, when the clasp is in its closed fastening position.
47. The connecting device of claim 38 further comprising guide structure combined with one of the lever members of the clasp, generally at a radial distance from the location where the two lever members are, in effect, hingedly connected to-gether, said guide structure having surface which overlaps and lies next to at least a portion of a range of positions of surface on the other lever member during the opening and closing movement of the two fastening members in order to form a guide which allows relative movement of the fastening members in opening and closing but which restricts relative sideways displacement of the two fastening members.

48. The connecting device of claim 38 wherein said bifur-cated fastening member of the clasp is of sufficient length to accomodate the hook in only one location where the hook pass-es through the space between the two branches of said bifur-cated fastening member, said location being inboard of the position occupied by the linear member in the assembled conn-ecting device and wherein said second fastening member has a lateral hook confinement element located outboard of the position occupied by the linear member so as to comprise, together with said bifurcated fastening member, an effective lateral hook containment structure for the clasp.

49. The connecting device of claim 38 wherein said bifur-cated fastening member of the clasp is of sufficient length to accomodate the hook in two effectively spaced-apart locations where the hook passes through the space between its two branches, one such location being inboard and the other such location being outboard of the position occupied by the linear member in the assembled connecting device, so as to comprise an effective lateral hook containment structure for the clasp.

50. The connecting device of claim 49 further comprising linear member retaining structure combined with one fastening member of the clasp for constraining the linear member against relative movement in at least one direction away from its intended position in the clasp.

51. The clasp of claim 3 wherein said bifurcated fastening member of the clasp is of sufficient length to accomodate the hook in two effectively spaced-apart locations where the hook passes through the space between its two branches, one such location being inboard and the other such location being outboard of the position occupied by the linear member when the clasp is in its described fastening position, so as to comprise an effective lateral hook containment structure for the clasp.

52. The clasp of claim 51 further comprising linear member retaining structure combined with one fastening member of the clasp for constraining the linear member against relative movement in at least one direction away from its intended position in the clasp.

53. The clasp of claim 3 further comprising a lateral confinement element incorporated in said second fastening member for laterally confining the hook within said second fastening member.

54. The clasp of claim 53 wherein said lateral confinement element is positioned and combined with other elements and members of the clasp so that said lateral confinement element comprises part of an effective lateral hook containment structure to provide lateral stability for the clasp when in its fastening position.

55. The clasp of claim 3 wherein said bifurcated fastening member is made of a single piece of wire and wherein said bifurcated fastening member is constru-cted by having the wire formed so as to enter the structure of said bifurcated fastening member by arriving generally and approximately from, and in a direction leading away from, the location where the two lever members are, in effect, hingedly connected together, and then continuing generally to the end of one branch of said bifurcated fastening member while re-maining generally on one side of the position occupied by the hook when the clasp is in its fastening position, then being bent in a generally reverse direction so as to proceed gener-ally to the closed end of the space between the branches of said bifurcated fastening member while continuing to remain on the same side of said position occupied by the hook, then being bent generally across to the other side of said position occupied by the hook so as to form said closed end of the space between said branches, the wire then being bent in a similar, mirror-image, manner on said other side of said pos-ition occupied by the hook and, finally, exiting the structure of said bifurcated fastening member by proceeding generally and approximately toward said location where the two lever members are, in effect, hingedly connected together.

56. The connecting device of claim 38 wherein the two lev-er members of the clasp have structures which are positioned as handles which can be squeezed together by hand to cause the respective fastening members, together with the jaw elements thereon, to open with respect to each other.

57. The clasp of claim 3 wherein at least one of the two fastening members has ramped entry structure which generally comprises a section at the end of said fastening member which is angled outward toward the opening direction of said fastening member.

58. The connecting device of claim 38 wherein each lever member of the clasp is a discrete entity from the other lever member, and wherein the connection between the lever members is substantially in the nature of a mechanically hinged-type connection.

59. The clasp of claim 3 wherein the resilient closing member is a generally coil-type spring with its axis located along the pivot of the hinged-type connection between the two lever members, wherein said spring has a generally tangential extension at each end of the coil, each such ex-tension being further bent at the end of the tangential part of the extension in a generally right angle bend so that each terminal end of the wire of the spring is approximately para-llel to the axis of the spring and situated at a radial dis-tance from the coiled part of the spring, and wherein the spring forms the hinge pivot for the lever members by having the spring and the spring-attachment portion of the lever members shaped and assembled in a manner similar to the common spring clothespin.

60. The clasp of claim 3 wherein both of the two lever members of the clasp, together with their respective fastening members, are made of the same con-tinuous piece of material and wherein the resilient closing member is a spring which is formed of the same continuous piece of material of which the two lever members are made and wherein said spring provides the connection between the two lever members which allows the hinged-type angular relative movement between the lever members.

61. A connecting device for connecting an object to a generally linear member, said device comprising the combina-tion of a hook and an openable clasp as assembled and arrang-ed in a hereinafter described relative position with respect to each other in conjunction with the linear member to fasten the hook to the linear member with the hook being hooked to the linear member in the normal manner, wherein there is means for attaching the object, at least indirectly and at least temporarily, to the hook, generally to the non hooked or shank portion of the hook, wherein the clasp comprises a bifurcated fastening member with two generally parallel spaced-apart branches for accomodating the hook within the space between the two branches and a jaw element on each branch for constr-aining the linear member; a second fastening member, having a jaw element, for generally clasping the hook and the linear member together in conjunction with the constraining action of said bifurcated fastening member; relative movement connect-ing structure for connecting the two fastening members togeth-er so as to provide for limited relative opening-and-closing hook-and-linear-member clasping movement of the two fastening members with respect to each other; and a resilient closing member positioned and connected to elements of the clasp so as to generally urge the two fastening members toward a closed clasping position; wherein at least one of the fastening members has linear member retaining structure for mechanically blocking movement of the linear member off the end of the fastening members in the assembled connecting device, and wherein the assembled and arranged relative position of the hook and the clasp with respect to each other in conjunction with the lin-ear member is one in which, with the hook hooked to the linear member, at least part of the hook is accomodated within the space between the two spaced-apart branches of said bifurcated fastening member, the linear member passes transversely through the jaw region of the clasp with the jaw elements of said bifurcated fastening member constraining the linear mem-ber, and said second fastening member clasps the hook and the linear member together in conjunction with the constraining action of said bifurcated fastening member.

62. The connecting device of claim 61 wherein the relative movement connecting structure of the clasp is comprised of two lever members connected together so as to provide for gener-ally hinged-type angular relative movement between the lever members, said bifurcated fastening member being combined with a first lever member and said second fastening member being combined with a second lever member to provide for the rela-tive opening-and-closing movement of the two fastening members with respect to each other, wherein said second fastening member is bifurcated with two generally parallel spaced apart branches for accomodating the hook within the space between its two branches, wherein each of the two bifurcated fasten-ing members is positioned in a primarily radial orientation with respect to a circle centered on an axis through the lo-cation where the two lever members are, in effect, hingedly connected together, and wherein, in the assembled connecting device, both bifurcated fastening members accomodate a section of the hook within the space between their two branches.

63. The connecting device of claim 62 wherein each lever member is a discrete element of the clasp to the extent that it is a separate entity from the other lever member, and wherein the connection between the lever members is a mechanically hinged-type connection.

64. The connecting device of claim 62 wherein the resilient closing member is a generally coil-type spring with its axis located along the pivot of the hinged-type connection between the lever members, wherein said coil-type spring has a generally tangential extension at each end of the coil, each such extension being further bent at the end of the tangential part of the extension in a generally right angle bend so that each terminal end of the wire of the spring is approximately parallel to the axis of the spring and situ-ated at a radial distance from the coiled part of the spring, and wherein the spring forms the hinge pivot for the lever members by having the spring and the spring-attachment portion of the lever members shaped and assembled in a manner similar to the common spring clothespin.

65. The connecting device of claim 62 wherein the jaw elements of the clasp, when closed, form a generally and at least partially enclosing aperture to receive the linear member and to hold it confiningly.

66. The connecting device of claim 62 wherein one of the two bifurcated fastening members has a pair of jaw elements which have internal surfaces generally and somewhat in the shape of an "L" in a view of the clasp in which the generally angular relative movement between the two lever mem-bers occurs and lies in the plane of the image, the vertical line of the "L" being generally and approximately parallel to a radial extending from the location where the lever members are connected together to that part of the jaw elements occu-pied by the linear member, and the bottom line of the "L" be-ing generally and approximately perpendicular to said radial, said bottom line being that part of the "L" which is at the greatest distance from said location where the two lever mem-bers are connected together, said jaw elements thereby being configured to contact the linear member generally at the side and at the end of the internal part of said jaw elements, and wherein the other bifurcated fastening member has a pair of jaw elements which are shaped so that they contact the linear member generally only at the side of the jaw elements; the jaw elements of both bifurcated fastening members thereby ac-ting together to apply a pinching force to the linear member between them, respectively, while that part of the first men-tioned pair of jaw elements corresponding to the bottom line of the "L" holds and prevents the linear member from being displaced endwise out of the elements.

67. The connecting device of claim 66 wherein the pair of jaw elements which are shaped so that they contact the linear member generally only at the side of the jaw elements, have the surface which so contacts the linear member mounted on a projection which protrudes into and fits inside of the other pair of jaw elements when the jaws are fully closed.

68. The connecting device of claim 37 wherein the clasp has a bifurcated fastening member which, together with its two spaced-apart branches, is positioned in a primarily circum-ferential orientation with respect to a circle centered on an axis through the location where the two lever members are, in effect, hingedly connected together and which has a jaw ele-ment on each branch for contacting the undersurface of the linear member with the linear member passing transversely through the jaw region of the clasp, the contacting surface of said jaw elements facing toward the interior region of the clasp, generally toward a location near to where the two lev-er members are hingedly connected together, wherein said cir-cumferentially oriented bifurcated fastening member also has a surface for contacting the outer surface of the hook, such surface generally being at the inboard end of the bifurcation on said fastening members wherein the other fastening member has a contacting surface for contacting the outer surface of the hook; and wherein, in the assembled connecting device, the clasp is positioned with respect to the hook and the linear member such that the jaw elements of said circumferentially oriented bifurcated fast-ening member contact and apply clamping pressure to the undersurface of the linear member while at least part of the hook is accomodated within the space between the two branches of said fastening member and, also, while said fastening member contacts and applies clamping pressure to the outer surface of the hook, and the other fastening member contacts and applies clamping pressure to the outer surface of the hook, with the generally hinged-type connection between the lever members being located generally above the hook.

69. The connecting device of claim 68 wherein the two fastening member are shaped so that, together, they comprise a lateral hook containment structure to provide lateral stability for the clasp when in its fastening position.

70. The connecting device of claim 69 wherein a circumf-erentially oriented bifurcated fastening member which has jaw elements which face toward the interior region of the clasp for contacting the undersurface of the linear member where it passes transversely through the jaw region of the clasp, has a raised section on said jaw elements which extends above the contacting surface of said jaw elements for serving as a barrier for retaining the linear member from unwantedly slipping off said jaw elements.

71. The connecting device of claim 69 wherein a circumferen-tially oriented bifurcated fastening member which has jaw ele-ments which face toward the interior region of the clasp for contacting the undersurface of the linear member the it pas-ses transversely through the jaw region of the clamp, has the contacting surfaces of said jaw elements oriented at an acute angle to the exact circumferential direction at the location of such contacting surfaces in the clasp, such that such con-tacting surfaces effectively form inclined ramps in which the further inboard from the end of a jaw element a surface point is located, the closer it is to the generally hinged-type connection between the lever members, and wherein the other fastening member is bifurcated for accomodating a section of the hook within the space between its two branches and said other fastening member has jaw elements for contacting and urging the linear member inboard along the inclined ramps of said jaw elements which have said ramps, whereby the closing of the two fastening members and their jaw elements will cause a linear member passing transversely through the jaw region of the clasp to be urged inward toward the interior region of the clasp and thereby to be clampingly forced against the hook when the clasp is in its described fastening position.

72. The connecting device of claim 11 wherein the bifur-cated fastening member of the clasp has lateral hook containment structure Which accomodates the hook in at least two effectively spaced-apart locations where the hook passes through the space between its two branches.

73. The connecting device of claim 11 wherein the bifurcated fastening member of the clasp has lateral hook containment structure which accomodates the hook in at least two effectively spaced-apart locations where the hook passes through the space between it two branches.

74. The connecting device of claim 72 wherein one such location where the hook passes through the space between the branches of the bifurcated fastening member is on one side, and the other such location is on the other side of the position occupied by the linear member when the clasp is in its described fastening position.

75. The connecting device of claim 37 wherein said bifurcated fastening member of the clasp has lateral hook containment structure which is shaped and positioned so that it accomodates the hook in at least two effectively spaced-apart locations where the hook passes through the space between its two branches, whereby the clasp is provided with improved stability in its fastening position.

76. The connecting device of claim 11 wherein the clasp is effectively constructed of a single contoured piece of sheet material formed into the shape of the clasp, wherein said bifurcated fastening member is formed as a result of a cut-out section of the piece of sheet material, and wherein the resilient closing member is a section of the piece of sheet material situated between the two fastening members.

77. The connecting device of claim 76 further comprising a lateral hook containment structure which accomodates the hook in at least two effectively spaced-apart locations.

78. The connecting device of claim 76 wherein the resilient closing member is, in functional effect, a two-legged spring.

79. A method for fastening a hook to a generally linear member to which the hook is hooked in the normal manner com-prising putting a resiliently biased openable clasp, having means for positively and forcefully clamping the hook to the linear member, such means being provided by a bifurcated jaw-ed fastening member and a second jawed fastening member, into a fastening position with respect to the hook and the linear member such that said bifurcated fastening member accomodates the hook within the space between its two branches and it contacts at least the linear member with the linear member passing transversely through the jaw region of the clasp, and said second fastening member clamps the hook and the linear member together in conjunction with the contacting action of said bifurcated fastening member.

80. A method according to claim 79 wherein said bifurca-ted jawed fastening member is a pair of coacting fastening hooks arranged for straddling and reaching past the hook be-ing fastened to the linear member and hooking to and clamp-ingly pulling the linear member inward, and said second jawed fastening member is an opposing clamping member arranged for applying clamping pressure to the outer surface of the hook being fastened to the linear member in opposition to the clam-ping action of the coacting fastening hooks on the linear mem-ber, and wherein, in performing the method, the openable clasp is manipulated to move the coacting fastening hooks into a position of straddling and reaching past the hook being fastened to the linear member and of hooking to the linear member, and to move the opposing clamping member into a position of cont-acting the outer surface of the hook being fastened to the linear member, and the openable clasp is released so that the coacting fastening hooks and the opposing clamping member conjointly clamp the hook and the linear member together.

81. A method according to claim 80 wherein the resilient-ly biased openable clasp is arranged for opening the jawed fastening members with respect to each other by pressing sec-tions of the clasp together with the hand and wherein, in performing the method, the jawed fastening members are first opened by hand and then the openable clasp is put into and released in the described fastening position.

82. A method according to claim 80 wherein the openable clasp has an overcenter locking lever interposed between, and having a separate and at least indirect pivotal connection with, the pair of coacting fastening hooks and the opposing clamping member, respectively, such that movement of the overcenter locking lever opens, closes, and locks the open-able clasp in the closed position, and wherein, in performing the method, the opened openable clasp is moved into its des-cribed position with respect to the hook and the linear mem-ber, and then closed and locked in a closed fastening position by moving the overcenter locking lever, said clasp being released in that position.

83. A method for fastening two generally linear members together in a generally crossing relationship using a resil-iently biased openable clasp having means for positively and forcefully clamping the two linear members together, such means being provided by a bifurcated fastening member with two spaced-apart branches and a second jawed fastening mem-ber, wherein said bifurcated jawed fastening member is a pair of coacting fastening hooks arranged for straddling and reaching past the linear member which is closest to the in-stalling side of the clasp and hooking to and clampingly pulling the other linear member inward, and said second jawed fastening member is an opposing clamping member arranged for applying clamping pressure to the closest side of the closest linear member in opposition to the clamping action of the co-acting fastening hooks on said other linear member, the meth-od comprising manipulating and moving the coacting fastening hooks into a position of straddling and reaching past the generally linear member which is closest to the installing side of the clasp and of hooking to the other generally lin-ear member which is on the far side of said closest linear member, and moving the opposing clamping member into a posi-tion of contacting the closest surface of said closest linear member, and releasing the clasp so that the coacting fasten-ing hooks pull the far generally linear member inward and against the closest generally linear member while the oppos-ing clamping member pushes outward on the closest linear mem-ber in opposition to the pulling action of the coacting fast-ening hooks, thereby fastening the two generally linear members together.

84. A method according to claim 83 wherein the openable clasp has an overcenter locking lever interposed between, and having a separate and at least indirect pivotal connection with, the pair of coacting fastening hooks and the opposing clamping member, respectively, such that movement of the overcenter locking lever opens, closes, and locks the clasp in the closed position, and wherein, in performing the meth-od, the opened openable clasp is moved into its described fastening position with respect to the two crossing linear members being fastened together, and then closed and locked in a closed fastening position by moving the overcenter locking lever, said clasp being released in that position.

85. A method according to claim 79 wherein the openable clasp has two hingedly connected lever members which are angularly movable with respect to each other, one jawed fastening member being combined with each lever member to provide for the openability of the clasp, and wherein, in performing the method, the openable clasp is manipulated so that its two jawed fastening members open with respect to each other and so that the clasp is put into the fastening position set forth therein.

86. A method according to claim 85 wherein said bifurca-ted jawed fastening member is substantially radially oriented in the openable clasp, wherein said second jawed fastening member is not effectively radially bifurcated, and wherein the method, as restated in greater detail, comprises putting the clasp into a position with respect to the hook and the linear member such that said bifurcated jawed fastening mem-ber accomodates the hook within the space between its two branches and its jaw elements bear up on the undersurface of the linear member, and the jaw element of said second jawed fastening member bears down on the outer surface of the hook, the method being accomplished by moving the clasp into said position from a position generally to one side of the hook and the linear member, with the substantially-radial direc-tion of said bifurcated jawed fastening member generally pointing toward the hook and the linear member, thereby clamping the hook and the linear member together.

87. A method according to claim 86 wherein the two angul-arly movable lever members of the clasp have structures con-nected to them which are shaped and positioned so that they can be squeezed together by hand to open the clasp and where-in the method includes the act of opening the jawed fastening members of the clasp by squeezing such structures together before putting the clasp into the therein described position with respect to the hook and the linear member.

88. A method according to claim 86 wherein the jawed fastening members of the openable clasp are shaped so that the clasp can be opened by contact of the jawed fastening members with the hook and the linear member and wherein, in performing the method, the clasp is pushed with sufficient force into the fastening position described therein to cause the jawed fastening members to open sufficiently by contact with the hook and the linear member to allow the clasp to be moved into said fastening position.

89. A method according to claim 85 wherein the bifurcated jawed fastening member is substantially circumferentially oriented in the clasp, it has jaw elements for contacting and clasping the linear member which face toward the interior region of the clasp, and it also has a contacting surface for contacting the outer surface of the hook, generally at the inboard end of the bifurcation, and the second jawed fastening member has a contacting surface for contacting the outer sur-face of the hook, and wherein the method, in greater detail, comprises putting the clasp into a position with respect to the hook and the linear member such that said circumferentially oriented bifurcated fastening member accomodates a section of the hook within the space between its two branches and it contacts and bears down on the outer surface of the hook while the jaw elements on its two branches bear up on the undersurface of the linear member, and said second jawed fastening member contacts and bears down on the outer surface of the hook, thereby clamping the hook and the linear member together.

90. A method for fastening two generally linear members together in a generally crossing relationship using a resil-iently biased openable clasp having means for positively and forcefully clamping the two linear members together, such means being provided by a bifurcated jawed fastening member with two spaced-apart branches and a jaw element on each branch, and a second jawed fastening member, wherein the clasp has two hingedly connected lever members which are ang-ularly movable with respect to each other, one jawed fasten ing member being combined with each lever member to provide for the openability of the clasp, the method comprising put-ting the clasp into a position with respect to the two crossing linear members such that the linear member closest to the installing side of the clasp is accomodated within the space between the two branches of said bifurcated jawed fast-ening member and the other linear member is accomodated and held in a transverse relationship to, and by the conjoint fastening action of, the two jawed fastening members, thereby fastening the two linear members together in a crossing relationship.

91. A method for fastening two generally linear members together in a generally crossing relationship using a resil-iently biased openable clasp having means for positively and forcefully clamping the two linear members together, such means being provided by a first jawed fastening member and a second jawed fastening member, wherein the openable clasp has two hingedly connected lever members which are angularly mov-able with respect to each other, one jawed fastening member being combined with each lever member to provide for the openability of the clasp, wherein said first jawed fastening member is bifurcated with two spaced-apart branches which are substantially circumferentially oriented in the clasp, where-in said first fastening member has jaw elements, one on each branch, which are arranged to straddle and reach past the linear member which is closest to the installing side of the clasp and to contact and clasp the far side of the other lin-ear member, wherein said jaw elements of said first fastening member face toward the interior region of the clasp and wherein the contacting surfaces on said jaw elements are shaped and oriented to form inclined ramp surfaces such that a linear member which is accomodated in a generally trans-verse position in those jaw elements is urged in a direction toward the interior region of the clasp as it moves further inboard from the end of those jaw elements, wherein said first fastening member also has a contacting surface for con-tacting the closest side of the closest linear member, gener-ally at the inboard end of the bifurcation on that fastening member, wherein said second jawed fastening member is bifur-cated with two spaced-apart branches and it has jaw elements, one on each branch, which are shaped and positioned for con-tacting and urging said other linear member, which if on the far side of the closest linear member, inboard along the in-clined ramp surfaces on said jaw elements on the branches of said first fastening member, wherein said second jawed fast-ening member also has a contacting surface for contacting the closest side of the closest linear member, generally at the inboard end of the bifurcation on that fastening member;
the method comprising putting the openable clasp into a posi-tion with respect to the two crossing linear members such that the linear member closest to the installing side of the clasp is accomodated within the space between the two branch-es of the bifurcation on each of the two fastening members and the other linear member is contacted and urged inboard along the inclined ramp surfaces of the jaw elements of said first, circumferentially oriented, bifurcated fastening mem-ber by the jaw elements on said second bifurcated fastening member, said other linear member consequently being urged to-ward the closest linear member while the closest linear mem-ber is constrained from moving toward the interior region of the clasp by contacting surfaces on each bifurcated fastening member, generally at the inboard end of each bifurcation, the result thereby being that a clamping force is applied to the two crossing linear members to clamp them together.

92. A method for providing the openable clasp, as set forth in claim 80 or claim 86, with improved stability in its position of fastening a hook to a linear member comprising the step of providing said bifurcated fastening member of the clasp with a lateral hook containment structure shaped and positioned so that it accomodates the hook in at least two effectively spaced-apart locations where the hook passes through the space between its two branches.

93. A method for providing the openable clasp, as set forth in claim 79 or claim 86, with improved stability and improved retention in its position of fastening a hook to a linear member, the method comprising the steps of providing the clasp with lateral hook containment structure and of pro-viding the clasp with linear member retaining structure.

94. A method for providing the openable clasp, as set forth in claim 80 or claim 86, with improved stability in its position of fastening a hook to a linear member, the method comprising the step of providing the clasp with lateral hook containment structure.

95. A method for providing the openable clasp, as set forth in claim 79 or claim 86, with improved retention in its position of fastening a hook to a linear member, the method comprising the step of providing the clasp with linear member retaining structure for retaining the linear member in its position with respect to the jaw elements of the clasp.

96. A method for connecting an object to a generally linear member comprising the steps of attaching the object to the hook, generally to the non hooked or shank portion of the hook, hooking the hook to the linear member in the normal manner, and fastening the hook to the linear member by means of an openable clasp as set forth in claim 79.

97. The clasp of claim 3 further comprising linear member retaining structure combined with said bifurcated fastening member for blocking relative movement of the linear member in the direction toward the end of the bifurcated fastening mem-ber, away from its intended position in the clasp, past the position where the linear member retaining structure is loca-ted, when the clasp is in its fastening position on a hook and a linear member.

98. A method for providing alternative closing action and generally more positive and forceful clamping action in the openable clasp, as set forth in claim 79 or claim 80, the method comprising the step of providing the clasp with an overcenter locking lever which is interposed between the two fastening members of the clasp and which has a separate and at least indirect pivotal connection with each of the two fastening members, the overcenter locking lever being adapted to impart relative movement of the two fastening members with respect to each other when manipulated to cause the clasp to open and close, and also to lock the clasp in the closed position.