US2553346A - Pocket clip - Google Patents

Description

R. T. WING May 15, 1951 POCKET CLIP Filed March 23, 1946 I" 'Il' [52 Z/e Iz faim' `Patented May 15,

UNITED STAT-ES PATENT OFFICE POCKET CLIP Russell T. Wing, Excelsior, Minn. Application March 23, 1946, Serial N o. 656,628 v3 Claims. (Cl. 24-11) This invention relates to pocket clips and has foriits principal object to provide a `device of that character' which is well adapted `for use .with fountain pens and the like, and which operates in such a way as togrip the pocket with increasingforce Vas any force tending to dislodge the pen is increasedexcept when the clipis intentionally released to facilitate withdrawal of the pen jor pen receptacle.

Another object is to provide a pocket clip which is easy Yto attach to a pocket, Yand valso easy to detach when it is lthe intention to do so.

All of the various embodiments of my rinvention have the common characteristic that the pocket-gripping portion of the clip is s o mounted as to b e movable, relatively to the pen barrel, only in a path so directed that anyvforceiapplied to said pocket-gripping portion as a result of an effort to remove the pen from the pocket, without irstireleasing the clip, will increase the grip of said portion on the pocketfrontpiece.

In each of the most practical applications of my invention, the pocket-gripping portion of the clip is a-rrangedto be movable Iin an arcuate path, the center of which is so located that the pocketgripping portion inherently moves along vsaidarcuate path in a direction to increase its grip whenever, withoutihaving rst released-the clip, a force is applied tending to withdraw Athepen or pen receptacle, as the case may behfrom-.the pocket.

My invention is further characterized in that the pocket clip can easily be released, Whenever it is the intent so todo; and the mechanism is of such character that attachment of the. clip; to a pocket can be accomplished more easily and quickly than is the case with pocket clips of the conventional type.

In the drawing which cation:

Figure l is a front elevational View of a pen receptacle having a pocket clip inaccordance with the invention;

Fig, 2 is a side elevational viewof the same pen receptacle;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken alongr line 3-.3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an internal View taken at line 454. .of Fig. 1-the casing and pocket clipbeing shown iny section in order toy illustrate iniull: lines the accompanies this specihair-pin yspring which actuates the lpocket clip andthemannerof its securement Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view takenalong line 5-*5 of Fig. 2 and Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional View taken along line -Ei ofFig. 2.

The drawing shows, on a greatly enlarged scale, an elongate, cup-like pen receptacle I de'- signed tobe carried in a vest or coat'pocket, and a Yfountain pen 2 in lthe receptacle. The pen itself constitutesino part of the present invention.

A releasable locking means (not shown) of suitable construction may be provided.

Receptacle i is approximately rectangularexf ternally ,in cross-section at its upper end, .as shownin Figs. 5 and 6, but changes to a circular cross-section below.

lfressed into the open upper end of receptacle l 4and thus secured therein is a plug 3 which may be magie of a suitable plastic material. Said plug has a circular bore 4 dimensioned .to t the pen barrel.

"A U-shaped` metal member 5 comprising a front 'landt uconstitutes the principal element ofva pocket clip. Arms i and .8 have inwardlyturned ears la and 8a vwhich are seated lin apertures drilled through the Wall Yof receptacle l and into the body of plug 3. Said ears -function as pivots about which the member 5 vis rotatable. r`The lower edge 6a of plate 6 functions as ajawin cooperation with the adjacent front surfacelof receptacle I to secure the latterto a4 pocketrontpiece. `When in use, the edge portion of la pocket frontpiece is situatedin-the space 9 (seefFigs. 2 and 4).

As viewed in Figs.A 2 and 4, clip 5 is continuously .urged in a eounterclockwise directionlby means of .a hair-pin shaped `spring lf which is disposed inside the receptacle. rAs shown most clearly in Fig. 5, the, end lila of spring lil is bent rightlangularlyto the leg of which itforms .a part and iszseated in a hole drilled in plug.3. 'I he ,other end Aof spring l!) bears againstan inwardlyiturned stud "ib-forming an integral .part otarrn-I and extending through a suitableslot in the adjacentwall of receptacle I. Plug 3 is cut .awayalong one side to provide clearance for springV l0 and stud lb.

;In Fgs..2 and 4, I have .shown the member 5 plate` Gand two laterally-extending parallel arms in approximately the position it assumes whenIv gripping a pocket frontpiece-making due allowance for the thickness of the gripped fabric. With the receptacle free from the pocket the jaw 6a presses against the adjacent front surface of the receptacle.

The end of jaw 6a moves in a path identified in Figs. 2 and 4 by the dot-dash arc I I and the tangent to that arc at the tip of the jaw, at the position in which it is shown, is identified by dotdash line I3. It will be apparent that at the limit of its travel, when gripping a pocket frontpiece, the jaw Ba, is, to all intents and purposes, moving in a path defined by the tangent I3. Obviously, any force operating uwardly on receptacle I and tending to dislodge it from a pocket, while the clip is in gripping engagement with the frontpiece, will produce a downwardly directed counterforce on jaw 6a. This, manifestly, engenders a gripping force, normal to the vertical force couple, between jaw 6a and the adjacent surface of the receptacle. The greater the force tending to dislodge the receptacle, the greater will be the gripping force resisting dislodgment; and the smaller the angle A between the tangent line I3 and the line Ill, which is parallelto the longitudinal axis of the receptacle, the greater will be the gripping force proportionately to the vertical force tending to dislodge the receptacle.

If maximum gripping force were the only factor to be considered, it clearly would be desirable to so design the clip as to obtain an angle A of very small magnitude. But, if the pivotal center of member 5 is so placed as to attain that end, the clip will not open to a satisfactory extent when an attempt is made to open it for attachment or release. Hence, as a practical matter, it is advisable to locate the pivotal center of member 5, not at the position which will produce the maximum gripping force but rather at a position will produce a satisfactory gripping force while at the same time enabling the clip to open suiciently so that it will not drag when the receptacle is being removed from the pocket and, further, so that it will not be difiicult to attach the clip to the pocket frontpiece. There is no established optimum value for angle A but, in general, I have found that an angle of about thirty degrees gives good results. It is to be understood, however, that any angle within the range of angles between five degrees and seventy-five degrees may be employed without departing from the scope of my invention.

The clip is opened for both attachment and release by pressing on the upper edge portion of front plate There are various possible modifications within the ambit of my inventive concept and, accordingly, I do not wish to be limited except by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

l. In combination, an elongate receptacle open at itsl upper end and intended to be carried upright in a pocket and to be fastened thereto, a

. U-shaped clip member comprising a front plate and a pair of spaced parallel arms rigid therewith, said clip member being located near the upper end of said receptacle with said receptacle disposed between said arms, means pivotally connecting said arms to said receptacle for rocking movement about a xed pivot so that the clip member is rotatable in a vertical plane, the lower edge of said front plate being operative as a jaw, in cooperation with the adjacent surface of said receptacle, for gripping the frontpiece of a pocket, and a hair-pin spring situated inside said receptacle and anchored at one end, the other end of said spring being connected with one of said arms in such manner that it continuously urges said clip member, rotatively, in a direction such as to close the space between said jaw and the adjacent surface of the receptacle, the pivoted center of said clip member being located rearwardly of a longitudinal medial plane through said article whereby the lower edge of said front plate is movable along an arcuate path downwardly and toward said receptacle and upwardly and away from said receptacle, alternately, the tangent to said path at the point of Contact of said lower edge with the pocket frontpiece eX- tending at an angle of more than five degrees and less than seventy-five deg-rees to the longitudinal axis of said receptacle.

.2. In combination, an elongate article adapted Y to be carried upright in the pocket, a rigid clip having a pair of arms at least partially embracing said article, and a jaw rigid with and extending from said arms downwardly along one side of said article with the free end thereof adapted to directly engage the side of said article, means pivotally mounting said arms on said article for rocking movement about a pivot fixed relatively to said article and said clip and located rearwardly of a medial longitudinal plane through said article and in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the article and displaced upwardly from the free end of said jaw sufliciently whereby the tangent to the arc of movement of the free end of said jaw at the point of engagement between the free end of the jaw and the article makes an angle of between five degrees and seventy-five degrees with the side of the article, and spring means yieldingly urging the clip in a direction to cause the free end of the jaw to directly engage the side of said article.

Y 3. In combination, an elongate receptacle, open at its upper end and intended to be carried upright in a pocket and to be fastened thereto, a

. plug inserted in the open end of said receptacle and secured therein, said plug having a bore extending lengthwise of the receptacle and adapted to accommodate a writing instrument, a U- shaped clip member comprising a front plate and a pair of spaced parallel arms, said clip member being located near the upper end of said receptacle, with said receptacle disposed between said arms and said front plate extending downwardly along said receptacle, means pivotally connecting said arms to said receptacle for rocking movement about a fixed horizontal axis so that the clipr member is rotatable in a vertical plane, the lower edge of Vsaid front plate being operative as a jaw, in cooperation with the adjacent front surface of said receptacle, for gripping the frontpiece of a pocket, and a hair-pin spring situated inside said receptacle along one side thereof and anchored at one end to said plug and relatively free atV the other end, one of said arms having a stud forwardly of said pivot axis and projecting into said receptacle into engagement with said other end of said spring whereby sald spring urges said clip member, rotatively, in a direction such as to close the space between said jaw and the adjacent surface of the receptacle, the pivotal axis of said clip member being located rearwardly of a medial longitudinal plane through said article and upwardly from the lower edge of said front plate, whereby the lower edge of said frontplate is movable nalong an arcuate path downwardly and toward said receptacle and upwardly and away from said receptacle, alternately, the tangent to said path at the point of contact of said lower edge With the pocket frontpiece extending at an angle or" approximately thirty degrees to the longitudinal axis of said receptacle.

RUSSELL 'I'. WING.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

Number l Number France Nov. 20, 1926

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