US2181222A - Safety clasp - Google Patents

Description

NOV. 28, 1939. N, B. wlNKLER y v v2,181,222

SAFETY cLAsP Filed March 6, v1939 wwf/ ATTORNEY.

Patented Nov. 28, 1939 UNITED STATES aman SAFETY CLASP y Nathan B. Winkler, Brooklyn, N. Y., assigne to La France Jewelry Shop, New York, N. Y.,

a partnership Application March 6, 1939, Serial No. 259,985 s Claims.` (01.245230) This invention relates to safety clasps, of the type adapted for use with bracelets, wrist bands,`

necklaces and the like.

One' object of the invention is to provide a safety clasp having improved means which cause it to provide a double snap action for added safety, and which renders the clasp particularly easy to engage and disengage, and which is neat and compact in appearance and inexpensive to manufacture and assemble.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a-saiety clasp having a casing element, a cover element therefor,and a snap element resiliently openable for vpositive engagement in the casing upon longitudinal insertion in one direction and being positively retained against movement in any other direction while sov4 engaged, and the cover positively engaging at opposite ends of the casing to positively retain the snap element against withdrawal. andl being laterally engaged with th-e casing to combine therewith so as to avoid any accidental releasing pressure on the snap element. l

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the specification proceeds.

With the aforesaid objects in view, the invention consists in the novel combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described in their preferred embodiments, pointed outv in the subjoined claims, and illustrated in the annexed drawing, wherein like parts are designated by the same referenceI characters throughout the several views.

In the drawing: v

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional viewshowing a safety clasp embodying the invention, with the cover in the open position.

Fig. 2 is a sectional View but with the cover in partially closed position. y 1

Fig. 3 is a sectional view with the cover closed.

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the clasp.A

Fig. 5 'isa sectional view on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3. y

The advantages of the invention as-here outlined are best realized when kall of its features and instrumentalities 'are combined in one and the same structure, but useful devices may be produced embodying less than the whole.

yIt will be obvious to those skilled in the art to which the invention appertains, that the same may be incorporated in several diiferent constructions. The accompanying drawing, therefore, is submitted merely as showing the preferred exempliication of the invention.

Referring in detail .to the drawing, Iii denotes a safety clasp for jewelry and other articles, embodying the invention.l Loss of valuables frequently occurs by reason of the accidental opening of a catch or snap element.` To obviate this diculty, clasps have been provided with two vcatch elements, so that if one accidentally opened up, the other would remain closed. But those devices have been unduly complicated in construction, or have Ibeen diiiicultV for the ordinary person to manipulate. ywhich is at once simple instructure and very The clasp lli provides a device easy to open and close.v

Specically, the clasp IIJ comprises a casing II which may be in the form of an open ended chan- 15 nel member having parallel side flanges I2. Journaled in these flanges at one end of the cas.- ing is a pin or bar I3 which may form part of a link I4 of a bracelet or the like. For closing the casing, a cover I5 may have at one end a knuckle I6 lyingbetween the anges IZ and journaled on the bar I3. At its other end, the cover l5 may have a wall Il' having a bottom edge I il adapted for snap engagement with the adjacent end or edge I9 of the bottom ofthe casing; If desired, 25

a projection at'20 may be engageable by a finger or nail thereof'for upwardly swinging and opening the cover. l f

Adjacent to one end Iof the cover. is a bar 2| rigidly interconnectingthe anges I2 near the 30 top edges thereof. This bar forms an engag- .ing abutment for a Vcatch element 22 which may be in the nature of a V-shaped strip spring comprising the arms 23, 24 adapted to be sprung toward each other. .At its otherwise. free end, 35

the arm` 24 may havek an enlargement or knuckle 25 through which freely extends a pin or bar 2t which may be part ofy a link 2l of a bracelet or the like. It will benoted that theflanges I2 to afford clearance for the knuckle. Preferably the recesses at 28 receive the knuckle 25 to hold it down against the bottom of the casing in the locked position of they element 22. The `corn- `may be cut away at their adjacent ends as at 23 4 panion arm 23 of the catch element may have an 45 abutment or downwardly bent groove forming portion 29 for engaging the abutment 2l. At its free end the arm 23 may terminate in a nger piece 3D whose upper surface Amay be knurled.

` It Will be noted that While the Wall il 0f the cover may wholly clear the' knuckle 25 of the catch element 22 in the closed position shown in Fig'. 3, yet the edge I8 `of the cover may engage the knuckle. 25 to prevent opening ofthe cover in theevent that the cover has become ac- .55

cidentally released from the casing snap edge I9, as suggested in Fig, 2. Thus the dotted line 3l of Fig. 1 shows that in closing the cover, the edge 58 may wipingly engageand spring past the knuckle 25 for snap engagement with the edge I9. Thus the device may constitute a triple lock, there being a locking action at each of the parts 2i, 25 and I9. y

In use, with the cover I5 open, the snap element 22 is inserted into the casing, with the'inclined wall 23 riding under the abutment 2i in cam engagement therewith until the abutment snaps into the recessed Section 39 to lock the snap element. This is a very simple motion that can be performed by any one. Then the cover It is snapped shut as in Fig. 3, the click indicating that the cover is fully locked. For unlocking, the cover is engaged at 20 and forcibly opened, whereupon the finger piece 30 is depressed and the catch element 22 removed.

On the closed position the cover I5 closes the channel shaped casing Il at its top and ends, and any pull on the wall I1 that may be exerted by the bracelet, as in case the catch element 22 is defective, is directly taken up by the cover, which Will remain in locked position and will not be caused to be opened by the stress thereon caused by the bracelet.

Iclaim:

1. A device including a safety clasp comprising a casing having a bottom and side Walls and being open at its top and ends, a generally V- shaped spring catch having arms adapted to be sprung toward each other, one of the arms having an abutment portion, the casing being adapted to receive said catch at an end opening and having an abutment at its top adapted to engage the said abutment portion to lock the catch, said catch having at one end a connector portion and a releasing linger portion, both located at one end of the casing, and a cover for the casing movably connected to the other end thereof, said cover being movable to open position to expose the catch for complete Withdrawal of the latter, said cover being movable to closed position to overlie and enclose the catch against withdrawal, said cover having at its free end an end wall for engaging around the connector portion and for snap engagement with the bottom Wall of the casing to releasably lock the cover closed.

2. A safety clasp including a casing open at the top and at one endfa cover pivoted on the casing at the other end, a generally V-shaped spring catch one arm of which is provided with an abutment portion and the other arm of which lies along the bottom of the casing and termihates at its free end in a connector portion, the casing having near its top an abutment engageable with the abutment portion to lock the catch and releasable therefrom on pressing the arms toward each other, said cover having a closure Wall for the open end of the casing, said wall having an engaging portion having successive yielding engagement with the connector portion and with the adjacent bottom Wall of the casing upon closing the cover, whereby if the cover accidentally releases said bottom wall, it Will be prevented from opening by engagement with the v connector portion, the said cover portion having cam engagement with the connector portion to Wipingly pass thereover.

3. A safety clasp including a casing member having a channel member open at the top and ends thereof, a cover having an end knuckle in the casing member at one end of the latter and pivotally mounted on the flanges of the casing member, a generally V-shaped spring catch onearm of which is provided with an abutment portion, the casing member having an abutment engageable with the said abutment portion to releasably lock the catch, the lower arm of the catch lying along the bottom wall of the casing member and having an end connector portion, said catch being insertable into the casing member at its opposite end, the casing anges being cut away at said end to accommodate the connector portion of the catch, the casing member being adapted to overlie the catch and to close the cover, and having at its opposite end a wall for closing the adjacent end of the casing member beyond the connector' portion of the catch, said wall having releasable snap engagement with the casing member.

4A safety clasp including a casing having a channel member open at the top and ends thereof, a cover having an end knuckle in the casing member at one end of the latter and pivotally mounted on the flanges of the casing member, a generally ll-shaped spring catch one arm of which is provided with an abutment portion, 'the casing member having an abutment engageable with the said abutment portion to releasably lock the catch, the lower arm of the catch lying along the bottom wall of the casing member and having an end connector portion, said catch being insertable into the casing member at its opposite end, the lower arm of vthe catch and the casing member having sliding interengagement to prevent the lower arm from being moved away from said bottom wall in the locked position of the catch, the cover having releasable snap engagement with the `casing member.

5. A safety clasp including a casing having a bottom wall and being open at the top and at an end thereof, said casing having an abutment therein, a removable resilient catch insertable into the casing at said open end and having an abutment for locking engagement with the first named abutment on springing the catch, the latterhaving a releasing nger accessible at the top opening of the casing, said catch having a connector portion lying outside of the casing, said connector portion having an opening, and an angular cover connected to the casing and movable to close the top and end openings to Vprevent springing of the catch at the top opening and removal of the catch at the end opening, one wall of said cover extending through the opening of said connector portion and having resilient snap engagement with an adjacent free end 4 of said bottom wall.

6. A safety clasp including a casing, a cover therefor, a removable catch movable into the casing, the latter and the catch having means for releasable snap interconnection, said means maintaining said catch in fixed relation to the casing, the cover being movable to closed position to prevent removal of the catch and being movable to open position to permit complete removal of the catchjthe position of the catch being unaiected by movement of the cover, the casing and the catch having individual means for the connection of links thereto in the closed position of the cover, the cover having releasable snap engagement with the catch in a partially open position of the cover and having snap engagament with the casing in the fully closed position of the cover.

'7. A safety clasp including a casing having a bottom wall and side Walls and being open at the top and at an end thereof, a generally V- shaped spring catch having an abutment portion, the casing having an abutment strip member interconnecting said side Walls near said open end andextending transversely across the open top for locking With the abutment portion to prevent removal of the catch on inserting the latter into the casing, the catch being wholly removable from the casing, the catch having a connector portion at said open end of the casing, a cover for the casing pivoted thereto at the other end of the casing andhaving-an end wall for closing the open end of the casing, said connector portion being closely adjacent to said end wall and being adapted to bear thereon upon excessive pull on the catch, and said end wall being concaved toward the connector portion for thus engaging the latter, whereby the cover prevents removal of the catch.

8. A safety clasp including a casing having a bottom Wall and side walls, a removable catch so that the bottom Wall of the casing projects l at one end beyond'the side Walls to underlie the connector portion, a cover for the catch pivotally mounted on the casing, said cover having an end Wall, the connectorportion having' an opening through which the end Wallis movable int'o proximity to said bottom Wall, andl said end and bottom walls having means for releasable snap interconnection.v n

y NAII-IAN B. WINKLER.

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