US1286501A - Lap ring or link. - Google Patents

Description

W. E. BAUER.

LAP'RING ORLINK.

APPUCATION FILED JAN-15.1917.

Patented Dec. 3, 1918.

WILLIAM E. BAUER, 01F TRINIDAD, COLORADO.

tar nine on Linn.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented none, on a.

Application filed. January 15, 1917. Serial No. M23516.

' To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM E. BAUER,-

a citizen of the United States, residing at Trinidad, in the county of Las Animas and State of Colorado, have invented certain new Ill ll Bil and useful Improvements in Lap Rings or Links, oi which the following is a spcciiica tion, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,

This invention relates to lap rings or links and has for its primary objectto provide improved means for interlocking the ends of a'split ring or link such as is used, for instance, upon watch chains or other articles or jewelry, so that the ring or link can be opened only by a relative lateral movement of its connected ends.

It is a more particular object of the invention to provide a lap ring orlink of the, above character, the end portionsof whichv are cut or formed to provide interlocking tongues and grooves extending transversely of the ring, and which are capable of resisting all longitudinal or circumferential strains upon the ends of the ring, whereby their separation is prevented' It is a further general object of the invention to prov .e an interlocking lap ring or link which is exceedingly simple in its con struction, as well as strong and durable, and may he manufactured at relatively small cost.

With the above and other objects in view,,

my invention consists in the novel. features of construction, comblnationand arran ement of parts to be hereinafter more in lydescribed, claimed and illustrated in the ac companying drawing, in which,

Figure 1 is an elevation illustrating one embodiment of my improved interlocking lap ring;

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are fragmentary elevations the in- .5 "designates ametal ring, all portions of which are normally disposed in the same circumfercntial plane. This ring is split to provide separable ends, each oi such end portions consisting of a longitudinallydisgage the tongues 8 in the posed arm 6 projecting from the body of the ring; These arms or extensions are adapted for locking engagement upon each other, as clearly shown in Fig. l, and each is provided with an enlarged extremity 7. A lug 8pmj cots inwardly from this enlargement oftlic arm 6 and is of a Width approximately equal to the thickness of the ring. The lug 8 be ing spaced from the opposed lac'e of the till arms 6, provides a groove 9 which is adapt:

ed to receive the lug 8 on the otherarm or extension ofthe ring. The opposedcontacting faces of the interlocking arms 6 are preferably fiat, and the abutting end faces of the arms on the body portion of the-rip indicated at 10, preferably extend radial y of the ring.

The'en extensions 6 of the lap ring being connected in interlocking relation as seen in Fig. 1, it is apparent that no amount of longitudinal or circumferential pull or strain on the ends of the ring will edect their separation. The metal is, however, sodiciently malleable to enable the ring ends to be separated by forcing them laterally in relatively opposite directions, as shown in Fig. 2, so that a connected ring or link can. be removed. The, ring may be readily closed by simply forcing the ends thereof toward each other so as to dispose the projecting arms 6 in lapping-relation and thereby enooves 9..

in Fig. 3 the termina enlargements i are of dove-tail shape, and in l these terminals 7'" have their end laces '3' dislid Elli

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posed radially of the ring, the opposed end surfaces of the ring being, of course, corro spondingly cut. 'llhe'inn'er contacting'laccs oi the terminals? are cut at an acute angle as indicated at '7'. Thus, d e'dective interlocking connection is proa very stro an duced. v i i In Fig. 5 ol the drawin l[ have shown one form of the interloc 'ng connectionsuch as is illustrated in Fig. l, o plied to on elongated chain or link. lit wil of course,

be understood that the invention may also be advantageously employed inconnection with rings, loops, or links-oi various other forms, and that I do not desire to be limited .to the specific form of ring or link illustrated in the drawing.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanyi drawing, the construction, manner of use and several advantages of thei'nvention will he clearly Mill lid-

and fully understood. The device provides eficient and reliable means for securely closing a split ring or link, but which may be readily opened by a lateral pressure upon the end portions thereof and again closed numerous times without decreasing the strength or efliciency of the ring or link as e chain unit. I have referred to several constructions' whereby this interlockin connegation may be obtained, but in a dition thereto it may readily occur to the skilled mechanic that various other forms of the lap interlocking ends of the ring might be rovided, and I, therefore, reserve the privi ege of adopting all such legitimate modifications in the formanrl construction of the several features herein referred to as may be fairly embodied within the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I desire to claim and secure by Letters Patent is: I I

As an improved article of manufacture,

the herein described ring or link formed from a cylindrical metal bar having end nor-- tions relatively displaceuble laterally with. respect to each other, each of said end portions being of substantially sen'ii-ciroular form in crosssection and provided with a.

longitudinally projecting tongue 8 and an 1 undercut groove 9, and having a hut transverse end face 10, said tongue projecting to ward the end face 10 of the ring body und being spaced therefrom, the tongue on one end of the bar being movable into the recess and beneath the tongue on the other end of the bar by a relative lateral inovelnent of. the ends of said bar, whereby the separation of the ends of the ring or linlr'by a longitudinalpull thereon is prevented.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aiiix my signature in the presence of two witnesses. WILLIAM E. BAUER. Witnesses:

CARL FRYNNne, ROLAND C. GRIFFIN.

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