US2513592A

US2513592A - Bracelet clasp

Info

Publication number: US2513592A
Application number: US680437A
Authority: US
Inventors: Silverman Charles
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1946-06-29
Filing date: 1946-06-29
Publication date: 1950-07-04
Anticipated expiration: 1967-07-04

Description

C. SILVERMAN BRACELET CLASP July 4, 1950 Filed June 29, 1946 INVENTOR. Wat-4w Patented July 4, 1950 BRACELET CLASP Charles Silverman, Providence, R. I.

1 Application June 29, 1946, Serial No. 680,437

1 Claim.

The present invention relates to the jewelry art, and has particular reference to a novel finding for a, bracelet clasp.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a positive lock against accidental separation of the clasp parts.

Another object of the invention is to provide a very simple construction for a bracelet snap clasp, which has a manually movable lock element. 1 I I Still another object of the invention is to provide a bracelet clasp construction which has a pivoted lock element movable to positively p'revent eparationof the clasp parts.

With the above and other objects and advantageous features in view, theinvention consists of a novel arrangementlof parts more fully disclosed in the detailed description following, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, and more specifically defined in the claims appended thereto.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a preferred construction for a bracelet snap clasp, the parts being in assembled locked relation;

Fig. 2 is a detail section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the clasp parts in separated relation;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view, similar to Fig. 1, illustrating a modified locking arrangement;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged section on the line 5--5 of Fig. 4; and

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the resilient tongue of Fig. 4.

It has been found desirable to provide an additional safety lock for bracelet and necklace clasps of the snap engagement type, to positively ensure against accidental separation of the clasp parts.

To this end, I have provided a locking member which may be manually turned so as to turn to lock the connected clasp parts against accidental eparation, the locking member being securely held in its locking position by spring tension.

Referring to the drawings, a preferred embodiment of my invention is illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3. The clasp body, designated ID, is of the usual hollow box type, the rear end II being adapted to be secured to one end of a bracelet or necklace chain, and the forward end I2 comprising a downwardly extending lock flange I3, a longitudinal slot I4 extending across the flange I3 and rearwardly back in the top wall I5 of the clasp body I0. Associated with the clasp body is a snap element I6 whichhas a body portion II in the form of a flat plate and adapted to be secured to the other end of a bracelet or chain,

the snap elementhaving an engaging tongue I8 at the forward end thereof integral with thebody portion I1 and-resiliently urged upwardly at a slight angle to the body portion, as illustrated, the rear edge I9 of the tongue being adapted to snap seat against the inner surface of the depending flange I3 when the snap element I6 is inserted in the clasp'body In, as illustrated in Fig. 2. The tongue I8 is provided with an upstanding finger 20 having its upper surface knurled, and having a longitudinal slot 2| adapted to be positioned above .the top wall I5 of the clasp body II) when the parts are in assembled relation to provide a portion overhanging the top wall I5, the upstanding finger 20 being secured to the tongue I8 in any suitable manner, the preferred manner being illustrated in Fig. 2, and comprising an extension which passes through a suitable opening in the tongue I8, and is soldered or otherwise riveted at the lower portion thereof. When the finger 20 is manually depressed the edge I9 of the tongue I8 moves below the flange I 3 and the snap element may then be withdrawn from the hollow clasp body III.

A pivot plate 22 is swivelly mounted at its forward end 23 to the rear end of the clasp housing I0, and is bent or curved as illustrated ,in Fig. 2, to provide a central upstanding portion 24 which has a depressed area 25 positioned at the back of the pivot member 22. After the snap element I6 has been snapped into the clasp body III, the pivot member 22 is moved, as by means of an upstanding finger engageable bar 26, to pass the rear end of the pivot member through the slot 2| until the upper overhanging portion of the upstanding finger 20 snaps into the depression 25, whereby the upstanding finger is releasably locked against downward movement.

The novel construction thus provides a double lock, namely, the usual lock obtained by the snapping engagement of the rear edge of the resilient tongue I8 with the downwardly extending flanges I3, and the snap seating of the upper portion of the upstanding finger 20 in the pivot member recess 25, the two locks thus providing positive assurance against accidental separation of the clasp parts.

The above described clasp construction utilizes a separate pivot member, but it has been found desirable for certain types of bracelets and chains, to provide a simpler clasp arrangement, as illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5. In this construction the clasp body 2'! is of imilar construction to the clasp body it of Fig. 1, and includes a top wall 28 and two downwardly extending end flanges 29, separated by a slot 30 which extends rearwardly into the top wall 28, as illustrated. The snap element 3| is generally similar to the snap element I6 of Fig. 3, except that the up standing finger 32- has a depending reduced portion 33 which is swivelly secured in the resilient tongue 34 of the snap element at a point intermediate the front and rear edges thereof, preferably by having a reduced portion 35 which extends through a suitable opening in the resilient tongue 34, and is then swaged over-to providea pivotal mounting. The upper edge of the upstanding finger 32 is knurled as illustrated.

When the upstanding element 32 is turned so'as to be in the plane of the slot 30, the Snap element 3! maybe readily snapped into the clasp body 21', with the'edg'e 36=of the resilient tongue 34' seated against the rear surface of the down-. wardly extending flange fingers 29 and theele nient 32 slightly pulled down due to its location on the down slope'of the resilient tongueli l. The upstanding element 32 is now turned'trans versely in the position shown in Figsg'e and 5, whereupon the clasp parts'become'locked' to gether against accidental separation, as the resilience of the spring tongue 34 maintains the upstanding finger 32 in its transverseposition.

The novel arrangement thus provides a double lock against accidental separation.- i r Although I have described specific constructional embodiments of my invention it i obvious thatchanges' in the size, shape and arrangement ofthe parts may be made to suit the requirements for different clasp designs, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claim. r l

I claim:

A snap clasp construction comprising a hollow body having top, side and bottom wall and an open end, the top wall having a downwardly depending flange at the open end, the top wall and the flange having a longitudinal slot, and a snap element having a base for removable insertion into the body open end and an inclined resilient tongue adapted o seat in said slot and manually depressable to unseat the tongue from the top wall flange, said finger including an upper portion adapted to overhang the top wall in spaced relation thereto, and a lock member swivelled to the top wall and movable to position its outer end beneath the overhanging upper tongue portion for locking the tongue against depression,

7 said lock; member outer end being curved upwardly and having a central depression, whereby the upper portion of the finger is adapted to snap seat in the depression.

CI-IAHEES 'SILVERMANI; REFERENCES iTED The renewing references are of record m me file of this patent:

UNITED STATES. PATENTS Number Name Date 291,519 Jones a Jam, 8, 1884 724,986 Wolf Apr. "7;, 1903 1,631,824 Jones -2 June 7, 1927 1,648,062 Russell NOV; 8,1927 2,270,814 Scribner Jan, 20, 1942 PATEN TS Number Country Date a 22,610 Great Britain Nov. 26, 1895. 125,918 Great-Britain May 21, 19,19.