US2461693A - Wrist watch strap - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 15,1949. A F. R. MCALOQN Y 2,461,693

WRIST WATCH STRAP Filed Jan. 29, 1947 v INVENTOR.

FRANC/S R. MG ALOON Patented Feb. 15, 1949 WRIST WATCH STRAP Francis Richard McAloon, Waterbury, Conn., as-

signor to The United States Time Corporation, Middlebury; Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Application January 29, 1947, Serial No. 725,050

-7 Claims.

This invention relates in general to a wrist Watch strap and particularly to a wrist watch strap which may be directly attached to a watch of ordinary construction without the use of any separate connecting means such as normally employed in connecting straps to wrist watches. It has been in the past, and. is now, the almost universal practice of providing a device known as a spring bar for connecting straps to wrist watches. Such a spring bar consists of a tubular member having a pair of spring pressed pins protruding from the ends thereof, and in practice, this bar is placed through a loop provided therefor in the ends of the watch strap andv the pins are then put under compression and placed between a pair of perforated ears provided therefor on the watch case and allowed to re-expand so that the pins are engaged within the perforations. Such spring bars are relatively expensive and are likewise difficult to insert.

It is an object of this invention toV provide an arrangement whereby the ordinary spring bar commonly employed for fastening a strap to a Wrist watch may be eliminated.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a Wrist watch strap having as a unitary part thereof means for fastening said strap to a wrist watch of ordinary construction.

It is the specific object of this invention to provide a wrist watch strap so constructed that same may be quickly and easily connected to a wrist watch of ordinary construction and which will be inexpensive to manufacture.

These and further objects of the invention will more readily appear as the description thereof proceeds.

Referring now to the drawing wherein:

` Fig. 1 is a front elevational view, partly in section, showing a wrist watchstrap made in accordance with this invention connected to a -wrist watch of ordinary construction;

Fig. 2 is aview similar to Fig. 1 showing another embodiment of this invention;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detailed view, partly in section, showing the method of attaching a wrist watch strap made in accordance with this invention to a wrist watch;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a complete Wrist watch strap made in accordance with this invention and showing one manner of attaching the free ends of the strap together; and

Fig. 5 is a detailed view, partly in section, showing thev prior art.

Describing first briefly the prior art as shown in Fig. 5, a portion of a Wrist watch case is indi- 2 cated at 2. Said case is provided with a pair of ears 4 and 6 and these ears are perforated as indicated at 8 and I0 respectively. Generally indicated at I 2 in Fig. 5 is a spring bar of the usual construction, such bar consisting of a tubular sleeve member I4 having a coil spring IItherein and having also a pair of pins I8 and 20 protruding from the ends thereof. A wrist watch strap is indicated in Fig. 5 at 22 and, as clearly f to insert the two pins within the respective perforations provided therefor. l

For a wrist watch strap made in accordance with this invention, reference is to be had first to Fig. 1 wherein the Wrist watch case 2 referred to in the description of the prior art is seen inA its entirety. Such case has a pair of ears 4 and 6 having perforations 8 and I0 respectively, p rotruding from either side thereof. One section of the wrist watch strap is indicated at 24 and the other at 26. Actually, this invention is equally adaptable to a strap ofthe type which is continuous and has each end attached to the wrist watch and to the type wherein the complete strap consists of two separate sections, one end of each section being attached to the wrist watch and the two then free. ends being connected together by a buckle or other suitable connecting means. Since the endsof the strap, or of the two strap sections, are identical, only one of themwill be referred to in detail.

A strap made in accordance with this invention may be made of numerous different materials,` such as a synthetic resinl of which certain co.

3 arrangement is contemplated by one embodiment of this invention, the pins 28 and 30 may be placed within the mold and the strap then molded around the pins so as to form a unitary structure of strap and pins. It will be noted that the pins are headed at their inner ends so as to give added resistance to pulling loose from the strap. If the strap is- `made y of` some v-pther material Asuch Las leather, which' is falso :contemplated .by 'thisemvention, then it will be understood that the pins 28 .and 30 will be sewed into the band.

Fig. 3 clearly shows the method by which the strap is connected to the watch case. QThe'end under compression so as to .fcloseitheiopenfendioff slot 32 and one of the pinscfsay128,ispositioned within the perforation B of theear and-.the .Other pin 30 is positioned in axial alignment with the perforation l0 of the ear t. Then afterfthefcompressive force is removed from the end of the bandi-the slot will .open iupadueitoftheresiliency of theimaterialfof-.Which theband ismade;and1the pin 30 will fmove into rthe. gperforatonfli'.' thereby securelyfconnectingthe strap to .thewatch '.lt vwill be `understood Ythatrthe expanded width .of the strap iis .substantially equal-to rthe `distancepbetweenr-thempaced earswl and (S :and .thattthe slot 32 .issoffsuoh a width that'when--iits fopen fendis closed, the distance betweenthe outer endsfof the minswill Vbesuch that the ,pins willet between the ears -of fthe watchi-casefas, lpointed out above.

nrmtherA embodiment Toi the nyentigonlis )illustrated fin Fig.'..-2 fw'hereinparts .similar tonthose referred toV above are given ftheasame reference numeral Eorfeaselof n.ui-fidersta-ndingthiserabodiment .of .the` inventionrithe metallicypins 28 and 130 `.are formed .on the-ends -fof angenerally Lil-shaped `resilient -member 3, :The-section 52d fof the strapjmay be rmolded aioundtha-Uf-shaped member 3.4so-.as to Eform.aunitarystructurezthere with if :gthefstrapdsinoldedfof--a synthetic resueus material or. as pointedjoutzin.connection wtrhFig. 1.,.ithe U-fshapedmemher-S mayibe-fsewedfwithin thefstrap ifrsaid strap:isfmadepfleatnerioriotner simi-immaterial. .structure #has the -.advant age V(over the Fig.. \l -.c.cmstrueti.on :offaddedsstrength andz also fof assuring .thatthe slotzjZ iwillzreeexpand to: :its 'riginalesize after :same .":has nbe'enwclosed While: attaching the band Lto thewatch. llt'will, .of course, fbe -.obvio.us;tha1 thiszband iis attached to the watch .in afmanner identical-with: thatffde soribednabove in :relation :to rtheigEig. :l construction.

a 'larger fdiameter, then 5it is Vwithin'the sscope of this fifnvention .to .integrally imold'fthe :strap `and the pins -so .that fthepinsnare likewise `formed Iof fa synthetic resinous fmaterial :rather 'thanmf metal, as is the case in the previously'desoribed;embodiments of .fthe invention. Unless the diameter fof the-:perforations Ain thev ears iis increased; :the pins, if iformed of arsynthetic` resinouszmaterial, -would likely not be strong enough to securely hold the band to the watch.

While the invention has beenv illustrated and described in its preferred embodiments and has included certain details, it should be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the precise details herein illustrated and described since thersame mayf'befcarriedout in other ways, falling withinthe scope of the invention as claimed.

What I claim is:

3.1. A wrist watch strap comprising a flexible memberhaving a pair of outwardly extending pins 'adjacent one end thereof and having a lon- ;ylgitudinallyextending :slot in the end thereof be tween said youtwardly extending pins.

.2. A wrist-watch strap comprising a ilexible memberfforrned. ofa synthetic resinous material member :molded of asymtheticreSinOusmaterial andfhaving afpaiimof outwardly extending me tallic lpins adjacent .one end thereof and integrally moldedtherewithand having a longitudinally extending .slotnin--theiend .thereof between 'said outwardly extending pi-ns.

.5. AA `.wrist Watch `strap 4comprising a flexible member'molded of .a synthetic resinous material and having .a jpair of 'outwardly Kextending 'pins adjacent one -end thereof, said pins alsopbeing molded of a `syntheticresinous materialiand :integral with said flexible lmembery said exible memberqhaving -a-longitudinally extending slot in the fend thereof ,between said outwardly ex-- tendinglpins.

6. A wrist watchwstrap `comprising a lilexible nfiember,..agenerally ltU-,shaped member carried by. `said;.'exible Amember :and gprovidingat Iits vextremities-l a ,pair :oi Ymitit/ardly .extending-pins located adjacent one endofsaid flexible member, a,longitudinallyextending.slot in theend of said flexible `member, said slot being ypositioned ,between said foutwardlyextending -pins.

7,-A -wrist watch .strap `comprisingta. flexible member molded offa synthetic resinous material, a 'generally U-shaped member integrally .molded intosaid flexiblemember .and .providing at rits extremities a pair of outwardly extending pins .located adjacent :one end :of .said flexible member, a. flongitudinallyextending slot .in `the end of said eible member, said ,slot being .positioned between saidoutwardly iextending pins.

.ERANCS RICHARD MCALOON.

No references cited.

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