US2222410A - Necklace clasp - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 19, 1940. v E, S AN 2,222,410

NECKLACE CLASP Filed July 25, 1959 mv TOR.

Patented Nov. 19, 1940 PATENT OFFICE NECKLACE CLASP Edward C. Grassmann, Maplewood, N. J assignor to Harry G. Schick, Inc., Newark, N. J a corporation of New Jersey Application July 25, 1939, Serial No. 286,314

'7 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in clasps; and the invention has reference, more particularly, to necklace clasps of the general type disclosed in prior United States Patent No. 1,- 813,963, dated July 14, 1931, and which are adapted to be used interchangeably for either single, double or multiple strand necklaces or the like.

This invention has for an object to provide a novel necklace clasp which is adapted to receive either one or a plurality of necklace strands,

and to this end comprises a body having a plurality of catch receiving openings for the reception of spring catches with which the ends of the necklace strands are equipped, and wherein, when used with a plurality of strands, said catches may electively be engaged in selected openings to dispose the several strands in any desired grouped arrangement; novel means being provided in association with the several catches at one side at least of the clasp body whereby a single manipulative operation will simultaneously engage or re-' lease, as the case may be, all catches at such side when it is desired to don the necklace or remove the same from the person of the wearer.

Other objects of this invention, not at this time more particularly enumerated, will be understood from the following detailed description of the same.

An illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a face plan view showing the novel necklace strands; Fig. 2 is a similar face plan view on an enlarged scale, showing the necklace strand terminal catches at one side of the clasp body as simultaneously released from the body; Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view of the clasp with the snap catches operatively entered and locked thereto; Fig. 4 is a similar view, but taken on line 4-4 in Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a side elevation viewed toward the left in Fig. 3; and Fig. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on line 66 in Fig. 3.

Similar characters of reference are employed in the above described views, to indicate corresponding parts.

Referring to the drawing, the reference character I indicates the hollow box-like body of the clasp, to the top of which any suitable ornamentation may be applied, either in the form of engraving (as shown), or by pierced designs, jewel settings or the like (not shown) as well known in the art. Said body I is shown as of rectangular shape, although it will be obvious that the same may be formed of any other suitable shape desired, as e. g. of oval shape.

The respective side walls of the body I are provided with a plurality of spaced apertures 2 which are suitably shaped to receive inserted spring catch members 3. Said apertures and catch members are provided with cooperative means for releasably interlocking the catch member to the body. If desired, the end walls of the body I may be likewise provided with similar single catch receiving apertures 4 adapted for use when the clasp body is utilized to connect the ends of a single necklace strand.

Each catch member 3 is formed with a divergent resilient catch tongue 5 doubled back over the same from its inner end. Formed in said catch tongue I5, adjacent to its free end, is a lock perforation 6 of suitable shape. The upper margin of each catch receiving aperture 2 or 4 is provided with a lock projection I. When a catch member 3 is inserted through a catch receiving aperture 2 or 4, the resilient catch tongue 5 is yieldably depressed as it passes beneath the lock projection I of said aperture, until its lock perforation 6 registers with said projection l, whereupon the catch tongue 5 springs upward so as to cause said lock projection to enter said lock perforation, thus interlocking the catch member with the clasp body I. The free end of the catch tongue 5 of each catch member is provided with an outwardly extending and preferably somewhat upwardly inclined finger piece 8 of reduced width, which may be utilized to manually depress the catch tongue 5 when desired in engaging or disengaging the catch member directly with or from the clasp body, or when assembling a plurality of desired catch members with a common release bar about to be described. 1 Extending from the outer end of each latch member is an eye member 9 to which an end of a necklace strand may be suitably coupled.

When the novel clasp is utilized in connection with a plurality of necklace strands, as e. g. the respective strands I0, II, and I2 shown in Figs. 1 and 2, corresponding ends of said strands are attached to one side of the clasp body I by inserting the catch members 3 serving such ends through the apertures 2 on one side of the body until said catch members are interlocked with the clasp body in the manner above indicated. The catch members 3 serving the opposite ends of the respective strands I0, II and I2 are, prior to engagement with the opposite side of said clasp body I, operatively assembled with a release bar I3 by means 'of which the same may be simultaneously actuated. This release bar is provided with catch receiving apertures I4 corresponding in spacing to the spacing of the catch therethrough, whereupon by their resilient eX- pansion, said catch tongues 5 spring upward, thereby carrying their relatively narrow finger pieces 8 upwardly into the receiving notches l5, and thus, at the same time disposing the shoulders ll of their extremities behind the rear surface of the release bar, thereby retaining the catch members 3 in normal expandedcondition against accidental displacement from operative assembled relation to the release bar (see Fig. 5

more particularly).' When the catch members 3 are thus disposed in assembled relation to the release bar i3, the lock perforations 6 of their catch tongues are exposed slightly beyond the rearward face of said release bar. It will be obvious that the release bar serves to hold the catchmembers assembled therewith spaced apart in correspondence to the spacing of the catch receiving apertures 2 of'a side wall of the clasp body I, and in such manner that the thus assembled catch members may be simultaneously inserted through said receiving apertures until the lock perforations ii of their catch tongues 5 interengage with the lock projections I, thus joining the necklace strand ends served thereby to the clasp body. The release bar I3 is provided intermediate its ends with a finger piece I8 which inclines upwardly and outwardly from its upper margin, and by which said release bar may be manipulated to simultaneously depress the catch tongues 5 to release the same from the clasp body, sothat the ends of the necklace strands may be separated for removal of the necklace from the wearers person. To manipulate the release bar to accomplish such purpose, the wearer merely engages with the thumb the finger piece l8, and by pressing downwardly thereupon, rocks the release bar from a normal perpendicular plane (as shown in Fig. 3) to an oblique plane (as shown in Fig. 4), whereby the lower margins of the apertures I 4 tend to press upwardly on the under sides of the catch members 3, and the top margins of. the notches l5 press downwardly on the catch-tongue finger pieces 8, thus depressing said catch tongues against their inherent tension sothat the lock perforations 6 are withdrawn from the lock projections I, whereupon the catch members may be withdrawn from the clasp body I, so that the corresponding ends of all necklace strands are simultaneously disconnected from the. clasp body by a single manipulative operation.

It will be understood that all the advantages of necklace strand interchangeability as particularly referred to in said prior United States Patent 1,813,963 is attainable in connection with "the above described clasp structure, with the additionaladvantage of means operative to permit simultaneous manipulation of all catch members serving the several necklace strands at one side of the clasp body, when putting on and off the necklace.

I am aware that some changes could be made in-the; clasp structure above described, and'that apparently widely di'iferent embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof; it is therefore intended that 1. A necklace clasp comprising, a hollow clasp body having a row of catch receiving openings in a side wall thereof, a plurality of clasp body engaging catch members insertable in said openings, each catch member comprising a base having a depressible rearwa'rdly extending resilient catch tongue normally divergent thereto, an apertured common release bar through which said catch members project, lower aperture margins of said release bar serving to fulcrum the latter on the catch member bases, and free end portions of said catch tongues being adapted to engage upper aperture margins of said release bar to normally yieldably hold the latter substantially perpendicular to said catch member bases when the catch members are operatively engaged with said clasp body, but subject to outward tilting manipulation adapted to simultaneously depress said catch tongues to release said catch members for simultaneous withdrawal thereof from engagement with. said clasp body.

2. A necklace clasp comprising, a hollow clasp body having a row of catch receiving openings in a side wall thereof, a plurality of catch members insertable in said openings, each catch member comprising a base having a depressible rearwardly extending catch tongue normally divergentthereto, said catch tongues and clasp body having cooperative interlocking means for detachably securing the inserted catch members to said clasp body, and a tiltable common release bar having apertures through which said catch members respectively extend, the lower margins of said apertures serving to fulcrum said release bar on outward portions of said catch member bases'while portions of the catch tongues outwardly of said interlocking means thrustingly engage the upper margins of said apertures to yieldably hold said release bar substantially perpendicular to said catch member bases when the catch members are interlocked with said clasp body, but subject to outward tilting manipulation adapted to simultaneously depress and release said catch tongues to disengage said catch members for simultaneous withdrawal from said clasp body..

3. A necklace clasp for interchangeably connecting necklace strandscomprising, a hollow body provided with a plurality of spaced catch receiving openings in opposite walls thereof, each opening of one wall being disposed in opposition to a corresponding opening in the opposite wall, catch members for attachment to the ends of necklace strands, said catch members each including a .base and a rearwardly extending re-,

siliently depressible catch tongue normally divergent thereto, said catch tongues and clasp body having cooperative means for interlocking the same together, and a release bar common to.

the several catch members engageable with one wall'of said clasp body, said release bar haying apertures correspondingly spaced relative to the .catch member receiving openings of said latter while portions of the catch tongues outwardly of their interlocking means thrustingly engage the upper margins of said apertures to yieldably hold said release bar substantially perpendicular to said catch member bases when the catch members are interlocked with said clasp body, but subject to outward tilting manipulation adapted to simultaneously depress and release said catch tongues to disengage said catch members for simultaneous withdrawal from said clasp body.

4. In a necklace clasp as defined in claim2, wherein the catch tongues of the release bar engaged catch members have finger pieces of reduced width extending from their free ends, and wherein the upper margins of said release bar apertures have notches to embrace said finger pieces.

5. In a necklace clasp as defined in claim 3, wherein the catch tongues of the release bar engaged catch members have finger pieces of reduced width extending from their free ends, and wherein the upper margins of said release bar apertures have notches to embrace said finger pieces.

6. In a necklace clasp as defined in claim 2, wherein said release bar is provided with a finger piece projecting from a longitudinal margin thereof.

7. In a necklace clasp as defined in claim 3, wherein said release bar is provided with a finger piece projecting from the upper longitudinal margin thereof at a point intermediate its ends.

EDWARD C. GRASSMANN.

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