US1083416A - Connector. - Google Patents

Description

J; L. K. sonmqsmm & E. A; wmymls,

CONNECTOR.

APPLIOATIUH FILED BEATLES, 1910.

i3; Patented Jan. 6, 1914.

HODBL.

lesser-o.

erases earner orrion.

mites messes sense schiiits'nii' em; rmness: ALFRED wrmr'nm's, or v Mmnnsroms; mmnnso're.

Specification of Letters Patent.

comtrlcron P'atentedaamo, 1914.

Application tiled Trim-ch :33, 191i). Ee'rihlNu. 551,227.

, To all whom it may; concern Be it known that we, JAMES'LA'llRITS'KRfiSE SORENSEN and Hemmer Anrnnn- Wmreenrs, citizens of the United States; residing at Minneapolis, in the county or"- Eennepin end State of Minnesota, have invented certi'rin new and useful Improvements in Gonnectors; and-we do hereby declare'the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others llled in the art to which it appertains to make and u. e the some. V

Our inve'n ion has for its object'- generslly toprovide anximproved separable connector or fastener for chains, cables and other separable parts, but is especially directedtothe provision-of a simple, durdble and highly efiicient' safety connector or fastener for necklaces, chains, bracelets and similar articles of jewelry. v

.To the above ends the invention consists of the novel devices and combinations of devices hereinafter described and defined in the claims.

In the accompanying; drawings which illustrate the invention, like characters indicate likeparts throughout the several views. Referring to the drawings: Figure 1 is a plan view showing the improved connector 1 on a l-arg'cr scale. Figs. 2 and 3 are 1011 -itudinal sections taken centrally from t e connector and illustrating the difi'erent positions of the pa'rts thereof, Fig. i is an and elevation of a fastener with the stem membc'r thereof removed. Fig. is a iew partly in plan and partly in section illustrating a modification in which one stem is' connected to two barrels.

In the present design the itastener is made up of three principal elements, to Wit::a so-called barrel 1, a stem 2 and 'a spring pressed lock piece 3; and the barrel andsten i embers 1 end 2 are provided, attheir opg osite ends, with rings or eyes 4 and 5 respectively, to which the ends of the chain, not shown, are adapted to be permanently secured. As shown the ring 4 is made integral with a head 6 that is rigidlysecured in the adjacent end of the barrel 1, so that in eilect it constitutes a part of the said barrel. Before the said head was placed in position, however, the lock piece 3 was inserted into the said barrel. I

At its other end the barrel 1 is provided with a contracted stem passage 7, n the present instance surrounded by an annular flange that 13 V-shaped' in cross section. IIi'-' ward of the passage 7' the interior surface or the barrel 1 is hell shaped or flares as in dicated S, and this is done for an important purpose, which will presently appear. The stem 2 near its outer end} isprovidedwith a. lock shoulder preferably iolindiby a V-shaped annular 1 have 9, which when the stem is inserted; as shown in Fig. 2, alines with the contracted portion of the passiige'l. v

The lock iece sis prererebl rhadc tubelar and that portion which escende towo'rd the stem passage 7 is contracted towardits end and is split lbngitudinalt so as to form-- several segmental rmg lie prongs 102 As shown, the lock piece 3 at its central por tion is provided with a'diametri'calty en tended sleeve 1-1 through which a releasing npin 13 is passed.- The ends of tlie relea sixig pin 13 project beyond the sides of the her-' rel 1 and work through elon eted slots 14 formed in the sides of the soi barrel. 4 A coiled spring 15'react's against the ban rel head 6-and against the sleeve 1-1 of the lock piece ond exerts a force which tends to hold the lock piece in the operative osi tion shown in Fig. 2. The tensionof'this s' a spring 15 is such that in forcing the lock piece into its operative position shown in" Fig. 2, the converging surface S of sai dlba.r'- 1 rel will force together the comer'gi'ng ends of the spring lprongs 10 and'concentrate the. same within t plunger-passage 7 with the ends of said prongs projecting slightly through the same. If then the stem 2 be inserted into the barrel, as shown in Fig; 2, the converging end of the said lock prongs '10 will be engaged in the annular lock groove 9 of the said stem and it will be impossible to withdraw the said stern from the'barr'el by outward pull thereon.' The stem and spring lock prongs which are interlocked t when the said stem 2 may accidently get in in t al start out of the barrel.

When it is desired to separate the stem from the barrel this may be verv easily.

done, simply first by wilting hold or the end of the pin 13 and then drawing the lock piece 3 into its IIlOPOIitlZlVG position shown In Fig. 3,'against the tension of the spring When the lock piece 15 forced into its inoperative position shown in Fig. 3, its spring prongs 10 Will spring adially apart and thereby automatically release themselves from the loch. groove or shoulder of the stem member. Preferably the end of the stem 2 is tapered or nr. dc conical so that it may be more easily inserted into the flaring stein passage of the barrel and between the prongs of the lock piece.

The Coupler described as already indicated is capable of large range of modification and. use. The so called barrel and stem may take various forms and may he made as parts of the members which they are arranged to connect. The lock groove in the stem is in most instances ina e annular so as to ali'oril a swivel between the two connocting members, but in some instances this will not be necessary and a simple lug notch or shoulder may be employed.

The construction illustriued in Fig. 5 is like that above described except that the stem 2 is ruled with detachahly tapered at both ends and pro two grooves 9, and this stem is connected to a pair of barrels 1 having; the same lock incchanisn'i as the device shown in Figs. to 4. inclusive.

The so called lock devices have a sort of a clutch action in the stems and themselves become wedged in the stem passages of the barrels in such Way that they temporarily become. in ell'ecl', parts of the stems or plugs and enlarge the l: Her so that they cannot; be \viilulra'on outward from the barrel or outside members.

.is already indicated, the improved couph-r is capable of incorporation in numerous -.lili'erent kinds of devices. iln addition to those already specifically noted may be ment-lwlltl'l l belt buckles, collar buttons, various i s ol harnesses and cable or rope cow plin es.

llhat. we claim is:

1. lo :1 (oupler of the hind described, the

l l l i l l l l l l l l l l g l combination with a barrel provided at one end with a contracted stein passage and with a cam surface flaring inward tl'ierelroin, of it stein insertihle through said passage and provided with a n annular loch groove adapted. he alined with said contracted pass go, a lock piece mounted for sliding movement within said barrel and provided with a projecting end portion engageable with the lock groove of said stem and with the contracted passage of said barrel "While it is itself inserted into the said contracted passage, and a spring exerting a force on said lock piece tending-t0 maintain the interlocking engagement noted.

. 2. In a coupler of the hind described, the combination with'a barrel provided at one end with a contracted stein passage and with a cam surtace flaring; inward therefrom, of a stem inscrtible through said passage and provided with a lock shoulder milapteil to be alined therewith. lock piece mounted for longitudinally slit 'n MOTQ- incnts Within said barrel and provio :l. Withconverging spring prongs sin'inltaneously engageable with the lock shoulder oi said stem and with the Walls of the contracted passage of said barrel, and a spring exerting a force on said lock piece lending to maintain the interlocking engagementnoted.

3. in a coupler of the kind described, the combination With a barrel provided at one end with a contracted stein passage and with a cam surface flaring inward therefimn of a stern inscrtible through said contrmzted pass-ago and having an annular loch groove adapted to be alined thoiewith a tubular locli piece mounted for sliding nnweiucnts in said barrel and. provided with a l'!lllll1l- 'plicily of converging spring prongs simultaneously e1 ageablo with the c lnlracled passage of slid barrel and with the lock groove of said stein, a spring in said barrrl, exerting a. tort-e on said loch pic-cc tit-ruling to maintain the interlocking engagement noted, and a, releasing stem projecting from said lock piece to the exterior of said barrel, substantially as described.

JAillllS lh'lllll-l'lh ltllUSll SGllllh Ell. HERllllTl/l litlilll) WlflllldltlS, Viitnesses:

FRANK A. Ran), W'. S. CIIADWICK, Jr.

Images