US1764440A - Expansive member for inseparable bracelets - Google Patents

Description

June 17, 1930.

O. L. GAMMELL ET AL EXPANSIVE MEMBER FOR INSEPARABLE BRACELETS Filed Nov. 8, 1928 www@ ATTORNEY irflatpented June `117, 1930 i o E il.' GAMMLQAND ROLAND w; woonwAan-or m'riimoiio,"iissAciiUsErrsgns,-j

w 'y si'z Noris To sMI'THa CROSBY, Acoianrivziii-siiir'fcoivrrosnn or iiiaiaiii in.A cnosiay.

- Exrnivsii/'EV MEMBER'FOR iiisnrfiiiiiisiin BRAcELE'is i Application filed Nbvember 8,1925.' serrer No. SimcaY d .,'lhisrinvention relates to braceletconstruc- 1 rtionwand incre lparticularly to expansive v members:forinseparable bracelets. i i

*,Qne ofv the objects thereof is to provideV Y ya bracelet which is `'conveniently adjustable 'in length.' Another object iis to provide a snugly Vfitting bracelet which will resiliently expand or contract in response tomovefrom'. f Another object is to provide a"constructionof the above naturewhich is strong and durable, of neat and rvattractive appear Y ance, and of such simple construction pasto facilitate its convenient and economical l -manufaeture." Other'objects will be in ypart obvious yandV in l part pointedout'V herein- The inventionaccordingly consistsin features of construction, Vcombinationsof helements and arrangements oi parts as will befexempliied in the`structureto'behere-` iiiater described and the scope of the apr 1 plicatioii of which willl be "indicated inthe l following claims.' i i ments Lofthis invention,

'l ,',Inthe accompanying drawings, in which n y Y open atits endsfanda bottomlcover116;'v :T1157 Y member'15'consists"preferably offan inner-A y relatively rigid section l5?? andal like orna y is shown one of the variousV possible embodi- Figure l isa top "plan view oi` a bracelet f Fig.V 3but showing the' voffFig.- Stand 5 with parts completelyretracted;

4 `Y1'Fig. 2 is a bottom plan View of the same, Qshowingthe partsdrawn out to theirfull extent; l

Fig. 3 is an enlargedl bottom View of the expansion member in .partly expanded con- *dition with the bottom wall of the casing removed; 'l

.'Fig.4 A is a crosssection .on Vline 4-4 of casing complete; Fig. 5' is a similar view ViFig. 6 is a similar View on line 6-z-6 of 5 Similar reference characters referto similar iparts'throughout the several views of y'the drawings.

)Referring now t'o the drawings in detail,

onl the line 5--5 andvirst to and 4there-is2 shown-` a bracelet comprising aplurality of links 10, a center orexpansionS memberindicated generally in Fig. vl bythe numeralllfand end hooks l2 and 18 which provide means 'of attachment with a wrist watch-orthe .li'kek.'V

wrist watches and like constructions but:l

are applicable to Lother -types`of-r`bracelets '66e as well', .Y v As particular, advantages are! achieved when the invention' is employed'in'la' wrist3 watchbracelet or strap,ithistypeofbrace let' has been illustrated in Figs. l`1` and/2. 65j

Also, it is to be kunderstood that the character ofthe'links 10 is unimportant asper-v` It is to be understood',fhowever,,that Vthe, v vvfeatures of this invention j are not limited tok taining to the features 'of the present inven' tion, the links l() shown herein beingillustrative ,simply .of a'v preferred form' encircling means. c

Now referring` to K ,the` other. figuresfofthef dra`wings,'the expansion member l1 4is shown to` comprise a center link or casing lll and v ,v slide'iiiembersYlfand1,8,'eachdesigned toV Y be slidably received within -an end `'of "the". f "casing-"member" and to Fbe partially' overf-4 f lappedand telescoped .therebyjv 'The casing:

rlfl comprises av trough-'like.topfmember 15 mentalgsection 15.- The side' walls of sec- 16 to Vclamp the latter downupon-/thes'ide 15b are fastened together `as by Asoldering to* tion 15b extend beyond theside vwalls of sec-fv i tion 15av and are adapted to* beturnedin# Y wardlyupon the lateral edgesfofthe cover 855 'i l1'? and lSiare unit structures lcomprising l outer ornamentalplates 174 and .118a respeck tively, and inner distinctly shaped relativelyr 17" are substantially of thesame lengthandV width and are both cut throughas at 17'91to11 form a slot by -means of which lthe adjoining braceletlink l() is pivotallyjattachedthereto` Parts 18'?L and lb'are similarly'slottedv for attachment to its adjoining link, but the plate 18a is much shorter than the shaped portion 18, length merely to cover the exposedpart of the slide k18 when the latter is fully drawn.

its fully retracted and its fullyV expandedV positions. It is furthermore designed to be freely movable from any fixed position in a direction to shorten the bracelet, while, on the Vother hand, it must be manuallyreleased before it can be drawn out-from any fixed position. This is accomplished as follows: Thel shaped portion of the slide has elongated side portions 19 notched on their inner edges Vto provide a plurality of opposed teeth having outwardly directedr stop surfaces and inwardly sloping shoulders 22. At their inner ends the sides 19 are turned toward' each other as at 23 to provide abutment surfaces adapted to prevent the removal of the slide from the casing. At their opposite ends the sides are joined by an end wall 24. yProjecting inwardly therefrom is a stiffemng tongue 25.

. Coacting with said teeth 2O toacconiplish therewith the objects just mentioned are a vtion 18h is substantially pair of opposed detents 26 formed upon and turned up from a catch andguide member 27-fwhich is made of flat sheet metal and comprises a pair of resilient spaced arms 28 and an end connecting portion forming an abutment 29. This guide member iis spaced away from the top of the casing 14;-

sufliciently to furnish guideways inV which the kslides 17 and dinally slidable Vmanner. The member 27 issecured to the side walls of the 'casing adjacent the transverse portion or abutment 29 as by spot-soldering, as shown at 30 andjV 31. Transversely opposite the saiddetents 26 are finger projectionsy 32 which pass through openings in the side walls of casing 14; s o as to be readily pressed between the thumb and finger of the wearer of theV bracelet to spring inwardly the resilient arms 28 engagement with the stop surfaces of the teeth 20.

The slide 18 is also held slidably in the guidewayrformed between the top' of the casing and the member 27. lts shaped por- A of the same rectangular shape and size as its plate portion 18a, as far as the inner edge of 18, whence it` is continued inwardlyv and away from the abutment 29 in the form of a tongue 33 of a width conveniently to pass between ythe inturned portions 23 of the slide 17 when both slides arefully inserted.

The inner end of the tongue is turned downwardly as at 34 (see Fig. 6) so being, in fact, of suliicient 18 are held in alongitureadily lto overlap the-plate of the slide 17. Sprung -downwardly adjacent the outer end of said tongue portion are a pair of abutment lugs 35V adapted to engage the end por-` tion 29V of the guide member 27 lwhen slide 18 isdrawnout to prevent its removal from the casing 14C. About midway between said lugs and the inner end of the tongue the latterwhasla lugv 86 sprung downwardlyV from thebody thereof, as is clearly shown Yin Figs. 3 and 6. The lug 36y is positioned Vand shaped toreceive and hold one end of fa coiled spring 37 which is disposed between it'and the opposing lug or lugs 38 formed upon and sprung down from the transverse portion 29 of the guidemember 27. The function of this'spring is to oer Vresilient opposition to relative movement of the slide and casing in a direction to lengthen the bracelet and to return said parts to their innermost position when there is-no force acting in the opposite direction.

- In'v use, whenit is desired to place the bracelet in position uponthe wrist, the iinger projections 32 are pressed inwardly andv the slide link 17 drawn outwardly, when the bracelet may be slipped over the hand.

To adjust the bracelet for size, the slide is simply pushed into the casing until the Vbracelet reaches a suitable tightness about the wrist, whereupon the detent's26 engaging the registeringV stop surfaces of the teeth 2O hold the parts in such position. To re'- move the bracelet from the wrist the detents are disengaged from the teeth and the-slide drawn out as far as necessary. i

t As bracelets of this'nature are-often worn at times when the-muscles of the wrist are important if a tight fit is desired that the bracelet may expand and contract accordingly; The resiliently held slide 18 meets this condition of use simply and effectively by automatically slipping in and out ofthe easement 'member 1st as the necessity arises.

lt is to be noted that the insideV cover ofV the easement member presents a smooth and Y `uninterrupted surface to the `flesh ofthe wearer and protects the parts from dirt and moisture. The cover plates 17 a and 18a have the same appearance as the other links of the bracelet so that the 'latter has a pleasing and uniform appearance in all positions of expansion and adjustment.

From thelforegoing it will beseen that this invention is one welllitted to carry out the aims and objects thereof in a thoroughly simple, practical and reliable manner; that the bracelet may be conveniently enlarged so that no diihculty will be experienced in putting it'on or olf; and that it may then easily be vadjusted to the desired degree of tightness and securely held in the position at which it is set but. with a certain amount of elasticity to permit freedom beingmade to expand and contract, itis latch said second member inl a pluralityi'ot extended positions, means extending throughv the sides of said casing to be operated manually to release saidfcatch member from engagement with said second slide member, and means for limiting vthe outwardmovement of said slide members. Y

7. An expansion member for bracelets comprising, in combination, a center member and two end members slidable therein,

means adapted resilient-ly to oppose the rela tive motion of one of said end members in a direction to expand thejbracelet, and means adapted selectively andreleasably to lock said second end member in a of longitudinallyV spaced positions.

.8. An expansionv member for bracelets comprising, in combination, a center member and two endinembers slidable therein, means adapted resiliently to'oppose the relative motion of one of said end members inV a direction to expand the bracelet, means adaptedv selectively and releasably to lock said second end member in a plurality of Ylongitudinally spaced positions, saidV first means comprising a i'ixed abutment within said center member, and ak spring adaptedV to engage Vsaidfabutmen't atone end and atl the 'other end to engage an opposing abutment upon `therst of said end members.

' 9. VAn expansion member for bracelets "comprising, in combination, a center Vmember and two end members slidable therein, means adapted resiliently to oppose the relative motion of one of said end members :in a direction to expand the bracelet, means adapted selectively `and releasably to lock said .second end member in al plurality ci longitudinallyv spaced positions, saidv first means comprising a iixed abutment within said center member and aspring adapted to engage said abutment at one end and at the other end to engage an opposing abutment upon the first of said end members, and said second meanscomprising a plurality of spaced teeth positioned upon said second end member, a Vspring-pressed catch member within the walls of said center member for coacting witlisaid teeth, and a finger piece projecting outwardly through theV walls of said center member to be operated manually ,Y to Yrelease said catch member 'from engagepluralityv other end to engagek an'opposing abutment upon the first of said end members, and said second means comprising a plurality of spaced teeth positioned uponA said second end member, a spring-pressed catch memn ber within the wallsl of said center mem ber for coacting with said teeth, and a in` ger piece projectingfoutwardly through the walls of said center member to be operated f manually to release said catch vmember from engagement with said teeth, said catch member being formed upon a resilient longitudinally extendingy arm of said xed under side a plurality of notches andthe other of said end members having formed on its under side a downwardly sprung lug, and a flat guide memberl having at one end releasable detents for selectively engaging said notches and at the other end a fixed abutment disposedfin opposition to said downwardlysprung lug to Vhold a compres sion spring therebetween.

l2. In bracelet construction, in combination, a center link member having a top wall and a bottom Ywall connected thereto, said link being open-ended, a pair offend link members slidably received respectively linto opposite ends of said center member in con'- tact with the vtop wall thereof, one of said `end members having formed on its under sideV a plurality ofY notches and the other of said endvmembers having formed on its underside a downwardly sprung lug, and a flat guide member having at one end releasable detents for selectively engaging .said notches and at the other end a fixed abutment disposed in opposition to said downwardly'sprung .lug to hold a compressionspringtherebetWeen, said guide member being positioned between said end link members and saidbottom wall and having means projecting through the walls of saidl center 'link member or'releasing said de-' tents.V v

13. In bracelet construction, in combina- 'tion,' a center link member having a top wall and a bottom wallconnected thereto, said link beingy open-ended, a pair of end link members slidably received respectively into opposite ends ofsa'id center member in contact with the top wall thereof, each of said endl link members comprising an upper coverplate underlying the top wall 'of said center link and a lower distinctively shaped portion underlyingy its respective cover plate, one of said distinctively shaped portions izo having thereon a longitudinally'` disposed series of teeth presenting abrupt surfaces qftoward the center of said center linlrand "inclined surfaces in the opposite direction 'and the other of said distinctively shaped portions havingan outwardly sprung lug, and a flat guide member underlying both of 'said shaped portionshaving at one end releasable detents for engaging the surfaces of said teeth of the'one end link member and having at its other'end a' lxed abutment disposed in opposition to said lug on said other end ,link member to hold t-he compression spring therebetween, whereby the one end link member may be freely moved ina di- 4 rection to shorten the bracelet and selectively locked in a plurality of positions against movement in theopposite direction and the other end link member is yieldingly held against movement in a direction to `lengthen said bracelet.

In ,testimony whereof, we have signed our names to this specification this `30th day of October, 1928. Y

OVE L. GAMMELL.

ROLAND W. WOODWARD.

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