US2552918A - Universal plug button or closure - Google Patents

Description

May 15, 1951 P. D.BECKER UNIVERSAL PLUG BUTTON on CLOSURE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 1'7, 1948 m we E E V NP H P May 15, 1951 p, BECKER 2,552,918

UNIVERSAL PLUG BUTTON OR CLOSURE Filed Nov. 17, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 lNvE' ToR. Pump D BECKER Arrow-1 NEY Patented May 15 1951 UNIVERSAL PLUG BUTTON R CLOSURE Philip D. Becker, Hingham, Mass, assignor to United-Carr Fastener Corporation,

Cambridge,

Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Application November 17, 1348, Serial No. 60,499

4 Claims.

1 The present invention relates to plug buttons and closures, and more particularly to universal buttons adapted for snap fastener engagement with apertures of various diameters in supports .of various thicknesses, and the invention aims generally to improve existing closures of that type.

A primary object of the invention relates to the provision of an improved plug button or closure for a support aperture, which will be of simple construction, economical of manufacture and efiicient in use particularly in closures for support apertures of relatively large diameter.

A further object of the invention is the provision of an improved closure of the general type described and claimed in my copending application Serial No. 60,498, filed November. 1'7, 1948, by providing improved means for preventing radial inward movement of the cap-supporting segments as well as to resist relative radial movement between said segments and the cap.

Other aims and objects of the-invention will be apparent to persons skilled in the art from a consideration of the accompanying drawings and annexed specification illustrating and describing "a preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings- Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a plug button as applied to an apertured support; --Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a plug button accordi-ng to the present invention;

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the plug button shown in Fig. 2; a

Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view of the attaching member before capping;

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the attaching mem .ber shown in Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 Ba plan view of a half portion of a blank from which the attaching member shown in Fig. 4 is formed;

Fig. "7 is an enlarged transverse central sectional view of a plug button as taken on the line T -l of Fig. 3 and illustrating the button as applied 'to apertures of different diameter and to supports various thicknesses;

Fig. -8 is a fragmental plan view of a blank or stamping suitable for forming an attaching member according to a modified form of the invention";

Fig. '9 is a fragmental sectional view of a plug button having an attaching member according to the form shown in Fig. 8; and

Fig. 10 is a detail side elevation of a portion of the attaching member shown in Fig. 8.

Referring to the drawings, the improved plugbutton is preferably of two-part construction comprising an attaching member it and a cap member 20 which may be a closure overlying the attaching member.

The attaching member or fastener part it is preferably formed of suitable resilient sheet material, for example 40-50 carbon steel, and preferably is a stamping shaped to provide an inner central fastener supporting annulus I i, an axial- 1y spaced cap-supporting rim I3 and a pluralityof resilient support-engaging fingers l 5. The annulus H is preferably of continuous construction and may be provided with an outer peripheral bead or emboss'ment E2 to increase the rigidity of the annulus II.

The material of the attaching member surrounding the reinforcing bead i2 is preferably Shaped to provide a circular series of circumferentially spaced cap-supporting rim segments lit with integral connecting struts Hi and a circular series of resilient fastener fingers i5 interposed between certain of said segments and struts. In theillustrated embodiments as shown in Figs. 6 and 8 the outer peripheral edge portion of the attaching member blank is provided with radial- -l'y extending M-shaped recesses It, thus forming opposed ends of adjacent segments 53 and in terlhediate support-engaging tongues 55.

spaced relation and preferably in substantially parallel planes. In so doing, the strut portions l4 are disposed obliquely to the annulus II and extend therefrom in divergent relation, and the diameter of the cap-supporting rim is materially contracted.

The attaching member it, thus formed, and

as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, is then capped to hold the circular series of cap-supporting segments in rigid assembly. The cap member 2%] may be of any suitable type and construction, for example an annulus ring carrying a screen, lens or glass, or a continuous closure 2! overlying the cap-supporting rim depending upon the use to which the plug button is to be put. The cap 2E2 is conveniently secured to the rim segments It by crimping or clenching the outer peripheral edge portion of the cap under the segments as at 22.

The invention provides means for resisting relative radial movement between the cap member 420 and the supporting rim segments 13, particularly during the cap crimping or folding operation. This may be accomplished by bending the outer terminalcorners of the segments angulariy ,ranged between pairs of segments l3.

however, the number of support-engaging fasgaging fastener members Iii are integrally joined to the annulus Ii and extend therefrom in divergent relation at a greater angle than the oblique strut portions M. The members I?) are shaped to provide substantially flat bearing portions l, preferably parallel to the central axis of the button, for radial tensioned engagement with the aperture wall 5 of a relatively thick apertured support 6, as shown at the right hand side of Fig. 7. The snap fastener engagement of the fingers 5 with the apertured walls of the support is positive and secure due to the fact that the fingers i5 flex about points of support inwardly of the support, and engage the support intermediate the cap member 2i? and the point; of flexure. Thus, the fingers ie are adapted to engage efiiciently the aperture wall 7 of a thin support 8, as shown in the left hand side of Fig. 7 or the aperture wall 5 of thicker support 6. Secure fastening engagement is effected notwithstanding substantial variations in the diameter of the support aperture due to the substantial radial movement inherent in the fastener tongues [5.

The invention may conveniently be employed in plug buttons and closures of relatively large diameters. In cases where relatively few spring fastener fingers I5 are required for the desired fastener engagement, the intervening segments are preferably apertured or out out or otherwise divided, as by openings [9 as shown in Figs. 2

to 5, to avoid tearing the metal as the blank is drawn to finished shape. In such case the support-engaging fingers are alternately ar- When,

teners is substantially increased, the intervening segments may be sufficiently narrow that they may be drawn to shape without tearing, and the fingers l5 may be alternately arranged with the segments l2.

Although I have illustrated and described pre-' ferred embodiments of the invention, I do not intend to be restricted thereto as the scope of the invention; is bestdefined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A plug button or closure adapted for snap fastener attachment in a support aperture, comprising a cap and a one-piece annular member having a central opening and a rim surrounding said opening,circumferentially spaced segmental sections surrounding said rim and extending obliquely therefrom, the outer terminal edges of said sections being outwardly turned 7 providing collectively a cap-supporting rim, said .cap being secured to and overlying said rim and sections, and resilient fastener elements formed prising a cap and a one-piece annular member having a central opening and a rim surrounding said opening, circumferentially spaced segmental sections surrounding said rim and extending obliquely therefrom, the outer terminal edges of J said sections being outwardly turned providing collectively a cap-supporting rim, said cap being secured to and overlying said rim and including an inturned flange underlying said rim, capengaging prongs on said'outwardly turned rim portion in engagement with said inturned flange or" said cap for resisting relative radial movement between the cap and segmental sections, and resilient fastener elements formed from the metal surrounding said central rim and disposed between said segmental sections.

3. A plug button or closure adapted for snap fastener attachment in a support aperture, comprising a cap and a one-piece circular member having a central opening and a rim surrounding said opening, the body of said member surrounding said rim comprising integral .circumferentially spaced segmental sections, integral fastener tongues connected to the body of said member surrounding said rim and disposed between certain of said segmental sections, por-' tions of said segmental sections adjacent said rim extending obliquely thereto in divergent relation and providing relatively stiff connecting struts, the outer peripheral edges of the sections being outwardly flanged and collectively pro- 'viding an annular seriesof spaced cap-supporting rim portions, said cap being secured to and overlying said supporting rim portions and including an inturned flange underlying said rim, the outer peripheral corner of said segmental sections being downwardly bent providing a captively a cap-supporting rim, a cap secured to and REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 614,817 Murphy Nov. 22, 1898 730,378 Lambert June 9, 19.03 786,296 Keller Apr. 4, 1905 1,279,475 Stelau Sept. 17, 1918 1,837,346 Thomas et a1 Dec. 22,1931

FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date" France Apr. 28, 1917

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