US2013760A

US2013760A - Clasp

Info

Publication number: US2013760A
Application number: US729009A
Authority: US
Inventors: Joseph F Mcsoley
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1934-06-04
Filing date: 1934-06-04
Publication date: 1935-09-10
Anticipated expiration: 1952-09-10

Description

Sept. i0, 1935. J, F, MQSOLEY- 2,013,760

CLASP Filed June 4, 1934 Patented Sept. 10, 1935 UNITED STATES piatte PATENT FFEQE 14 Claims.

This invention relates to clasps of a type which, while available to a Wide range of uses, are particularly adaptable to jewelry findings as used in the manufacture of such articles as ear ornaments, brooches or ornaments for dresses, hats,

shoes, pocketbooks, and the like.

Such a clasp is usually attached to the ornament proper and forms a means of securing such ornament in position.

l0 When used to secure an ornament to the person, as in the case of an ear ornament, the clasp should rmly engage the ear lobe, without utilizing undue pressure. When a clasp or clamp relies solely upon spring pressure, or a screw y threaded securing means, the Vconstant pressure which is developed tends to become an irritation and it is one of the objects of the present invention to provide a clasp which will hold satisfactorily, will not slip, and at the same time eliminate the objectionable constant pressure.

A further object of the invention is to provide a clasp which is readily adjustable to any degree of tightness desired by the user, and which will hold securely in the position which the wearer finds most comfortable and with the least pressure.

To the attainment of the foregoing and other objects which will appear as the description proceeds, reference is made to the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. l is a. perspective view illustrating a use of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a perspective of a nding embodying the invention.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged section of the finding and an ornament attached thereto.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged plan view of the finding; and

Fig. 5 is a section taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

Referring more specifically to the drawing in which like reference numerals designate like parts, it will be observed that the finding comprises a body member I0 which is preferably in the form of a flat plate having one end reversely bent to form an S-shaped portion I2, terminating in a spreader I4. In order to provide a linished end and to avoid sharp points, the spreader I Il may be turned inwardly at its extremity as indicated at I6.

'Ihe spreader I4 may be slotted inwardly from its end as indicated at I8, thus providing two

fingers

20 and 22, which by virtue of the inherent resiliency of the metal, will yield toward each other.

K A lever member 28 is formed with a reversely bent, or curved, portion 30 terminating in a pair of ears 32--313 which are perforated to receive lugs 2li and 26 respectively of the member l0, a pivot or hinge connection, between the base member I0 and the lever member 28 being thus 5 provided.

The lever is formed with an internal slot or opening 36, the width of which is very slightly less than the over-all width of the spreader I4, and the internal sides or edges of the slot are 10 serrated at 38 and 49 to form racks, engageable with the edges of the spreader I4, when the clasp is closed. Oppositely disposed

protuberances

42 and 44 are formed in the extremities of the base member and lever remote from the hinge con-V l5 nection, for the purpose of preventing slipping when the device is in use.

Any suitable ornament may be secured to the outer face of the base member IU, a stone 66 being illustrated in the drawing. If desired, a 20 pendant may be attached or, for that matter, the member Il) itself may be suitably engraved or decorated or made of such shape as to avoid the need for attachment to any additional ornament.

In the use and operation of the device, the 25 base member and lever are assembled by springing the ears 32-34 over the lugs 24-26 which thus locates the protuberances 152-@ inwardly of the clasp, and opposite each other, and places the spreader I4 opposite the opening 3. 30

When the lever is moved into a position tending to close the clasp, the spreader Ill of the base member will extend into the opening 36 and will tend to spread apart the racks 38 and 40, while at the same time biasing the lingers 20 35 and 22 toward each other, thus creating a frictional engagement between racks and fingers.

It will be evident that this frictional engagement will hold the lever in any desired position of adjustment, that is, in the position the wearer 40 finds most comfortable and at the least pressure, the indentations l2-fill serving to prevent the clasp from slipping out of the desired position of adjustment. The foregoing arrangement eliminates the constant pressure which has been 45 found objectionable in spring type earings.

The lever is used as an adjuster to tighten the ornament to the ear as the wearer desires and this is accomplished merely by moving the lever up or down as necessary. 50

While the invention has lbeen described in its particular adaptation to an ear-ring, it is intended that the ear-ring is but illustrative of an embodiment and shall not be limited exclusively to such form, nor limited other than as set forth 55 in the appended claims, as obviously many other adaptations and modications will occur to those skilled in the art.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:- l. A clasp comprising a body member having a leverpivoted thereto, and forming with said body ember a pair of clamping jaws, said body member having an integral projection extending beyond the pivot point, and said lever having an integral portion positioned to receive and frictionally engage said projection upon relative movement of said jaws, said projection and lever portion being conjointly eiiective to retain said lever in any desired position of adjustment relative to said body member.

2. A clasp comprising a body member formed with a curved end terminating in a slotted extension, and a lever hingedly connected to said body member adjacent said extension and forming with said body member a pair of clamping jaws, said lever having a portion shaped to frictionally engage said extension, upon relative movement of the jaws, whereby the lever will be retained in any desired position of adjustment relative to said body member.

3. A clasp comprising a body member formed with a curved end terminating in a slotted extension, and a lever hingedly connected to said body member adjacent said extension and forming with said body member a pair of clamping jaws, said lever having an internal cut-out porion positioned to receive and engage said eXtension, upon relative movement of the jaws, whereby the lever will be retained in any desired position of adjustment relative to said body member.

4. A clasp comprising a body member formed with a curved end terminating in a slotted extension, and a lever hingedly connected to said body member adjacent said extension, and forming with said body member a pair of clamping jaws, said lever having an internal cut-out portion, the edges of which are serrated and positioned to engage said extension, upon relative movement of the jaws, whereby the lever will be retained in any desired position of adjustment relative to said body portion.

5. A clasp comprising a pair of jaws hinged together at one end, one of Saidjaws having adjacent the hinged end a transverse extension and the other of said jaws having a cut-out portion positioned to receive said extension and frictionally engage same upon relative movement of the jaws whereby said jaws may be retained in any desired position of adjustment rela-tive to each other.

6. A clasp comprising a pair of jaws hinged together at one end, one of said jaws having adjacent the hinged end a transverse extension and the other of said jaws having a cutout portion formed with serrated internal edges, said portion being located to receive said extension with the serrated edges engaging said extension, upon relative movement of the jaws, whereby said jaws may be retained in any desired position of adjustment relative to each other.

7. A clasp comprising a pair of jaws hinged t0- gether at one end, one of said jaws having ad- -jacent the hinged end a pair of transversely extending ngers disposed in substantially parallel relation to each other, and the other of said jaws having a cut-out portion positioned to receive said iingers and frictionally engage same upon relative movement of the jaws whereby said jaws may be retained in any desired position of ad` justment relative to each other.

8. A clasp comprising a pair of jaws hinged together at one end, one of said jaws having adjacent the hinged end a pair of transversely eXtend- 5 ing ngers disposed in substantially parallel relation to each other, and the other of said jaws having a cut-out portion formed with serrated internal edges, said portion being located to receive said ngers with the serrated edges engag 10 ing same, upon relative movement of the jaws, whereby said jaws may be retained in any desired position of adjustment relative to each other.

9. A clasp comprising a pair of jaws hinged together at one end, one of said jaws having adja- 15 cent the hinged end a transverse extension provided with a slot extending inwardly from the end of the extension to form a pair or resilient fingers andthe other of said jaws having a cutout portion positioned to receive said fingers and 20 rictionally engage same upon relative movement of the jaws, whereby said jaws may be retainedin any desired position of adjustment relativev tof each other.

10. A clasp comprising a pair of jaws hinged together at one end, one of said jaws having adjacent the hinged end a transverse: extension provided with a slot extending inwardly from the end of the extension to form a pair of resilient fingers and the other of said jaws having a cutout portion formed with serrated internal edges, said portion being located to receive said fingers with the serrated edges engaging same, upon relative movement of the jaws, whereby said jaws may be retained in any desired position of adjustment relative to each other.

1l. A clasp comprising a pair of jaws hinged together, 'one of said jaws having a reversely bent end terminating in a pair of fingers disposed substantially parallel to each other and jointly forming a spreader, the other of said jaws having a cut-out portion, the internal longitudinal edges of Vwhich are spaced apart a distance slightly less than the over-all width of said spreader, saidv portion being positioned to receive said spreader 45 upon relative movement of the jaws whereby said edges will be slightly spread apart by entry of the spreader into said portion and a close frictional contact maintained between said spreader and said portion in all positions of adjustment of 50 i the jaws relative to each other.

l2. A clasp comprising a pair of Ajaws hinged together, one of said jaws having a reversely bent end terminating in a pair of fingers disposed substantially parallel to each other and jointly iorm 55 ing a spreader, the other of said jaws having a cut-out portion, the internal longitudinal edges of which are serrated and spaced apart a distance slightly less than the over-all width of said spreader, said portion being positioned to receive 60 said spreader upon relative movement of the jaws whereby said edges will be slightly spread apart by entry of the spreader into said portion and the serrations thereof placed in engagement with the sides of said spreader to retain said jaws in 65 any desired position of adjustment relative to each other.

13. A clasp comprising a pair of jaws hinged together, one of said jaws having a reversely bent end terminating'in a pair of iingers disposed sub- 70 stantially parallel to each other and jointly forming a spreader, the other of said jaws having a cut-out portionprovided with racks extending along the longitudinal internal edge portions thereof, said racks being spaced apart a distance 75'- l slightly less than the over-all width of said spreader, said portion being positioned to receive said spreader upon relative movement of the jaws whereby said edges will be slightly spread apart by entry of the spreader inte said portion, and a close frictional Contact maintained between said spreader and said racks in all positions of adjustment of the jaws relative to each other.

14. A clasp comprising a pair of jaws hinged t0- gether at one end, one of said jaws having adjacent the hinged end a transverse extension and the other of said jaws having a cut-out portion positioned to receive said extension and friotionally engage same upon relative movement of the jaws whereby said jaws may be retained in any desired position of adjustment relative to each other, said jaws being provided at their ends, remote from the hinged end, with protuberances positioned inwardly of the clasp and opposite each other, when the clasp is closed.

JOSEPH F. MCSOLEY.