US2618382A

US2618382A - Finger ring holder

Info

Publication number: US2618382A
Application number: US215230A
Authority: US
Inventors: Lyman G Hunter
Original assignee: Herff-Jones Co
Current assignee: Herff-Jones Co
Priority date: 1951-03-13
Filing date: 1951-03-13
Publication date: 1952-11-18
Anticipated expiration: 1969-11-18

Description

Nov. 18, 1952 L G, HUNTER 2,618,382

FINGER RING HOLDER Filed March 15, 1951 Patented Nov. 18,V 1952 FINGER RING HOLDER `Lyman G. Hunter, Indianapolis, Ind., assignor to Herff-J ones Company, a corporation of Indiana Application March 13, 1951, Serial No. 215,230

(Cl. 20G-76) 1 Claim.

e 1 This invention relates to a device for holding :linger rings individually. the device being capable of being made in a plurality of holders in an extended length, or in a unitary form to hold a single ring by itself. The invention is herein described in the unitary form wherein the usual round button type of holder is employed to be mounted generally on a display board or case having a, Vplush or velvet surface surrounding the holder.

A. primary purpose of the present invention is to provide a friction gripping means whereby the shank may be inserted down into a normally closed slot so that the side walls of the slot will yieldingly be separated by the insertion of the ring shank therein, that is between the walls of the slot, in 'such a manner, that the yielding grip will be maintained over almost an indefinite period of time as opposed to Vthe yielding grip of fibrous materials such as cotton or wool which haslieretofore been employed.

There is also the problem involved of not only yieldingly holding the ring by its shank, but doing so in a manner which will not scratch or abrade the material of the shank so that the ring may be removed from the holder and returned thereto innumerable times without any damage to the ring being occasioned.

The structure embodying the invention provides a diametrical slot of considerable width across a cylindrical section of a block, wherein a combination of flat and bowed springs are carried to be separate by resilient padding, the resilient padding being divided by a fold of an over-all covering material.

Many other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those versed in the art in the following description of one particular form of the invention as illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a top plan View and partial section of a structure embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section on the line 2-2 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view in side elevation of a spring unit;

Fig. 4 is a view in top plan of the spring unit; and

Fig. 5 is a View in end elevation of the spring unit.

A cylindrical length of any suitable material which is substantially rigid, such as wood is employed as the base block I0 of the over-al1 combination. The block I0 is provided with a diametrical slot II thereacross, being deiined by the side walls I2 and I3 and the floor I4.

As will be noted, Fig. 2, this -slot lII is open at the top side of the block I0 but closed by a rather thin section I5 of the block across its underside, the floor I4 being the top side of this section I5.

For most sizes of ring shanks, and particularly where the block I0 is in the cylindrical form as herein described, the transverse width of the slot II from wall I2 to wall I3 is substantially or approximately half of the diameter of the block I0.

A spring unit or assembly generally designated by the numeral I6, as illustrated in Figs. 3-5 inclusive, is built up from a straight, flat, planar leaf spring II having an over-all length equal to the length of either side wall I2 or I3, and preferably slightly longer as indicated in Fig. 1. The width of the spring member I'I is made tol be somewhat less than the height of the Walls I2 and I3 as indicated in Fig. 2.

On the back side of the straight leaf spring I1', there is mounted a bow spring I8, secured by its central portion to the central portion of the leaf spring I1, by any suitable means such as riveting or spot welding, herein shown as being welded. The extreme outer ends of the bow spring I8 are curved reversely toward the ends of the leaf spring I'I, the over-all length of the bow spring I8 from end to end being slightly less than the over-all length of the leaf spring I'I.

One of these spring units I6 is placed against each of the walls I2 and I3 respectively to have the bow spring I8 adjacent the wall in each instance, and the fiat leaf spring I 'I removed therefrom so that the iiat springs I'I are in opposition one with the other. The transverse dimensions of these units IB are such that normally the distance between the leaf springs I1 is a major part of the distance between the two walls I2 and I3.

Between these two leaf springs I1 in each instance, there is inserted a resilient packing I9 such as cotton, and this packing I9 is carried upwardly and over the spring unit I6 in each instance to lap over on the top face 20 of the block I0 on each side of the slot Il.

A retainer covering 2I preferably made out of a cloth fabric is folded diametrically to provide the fold 22 thereacross, and this fold 22 is carried down centrally between the packing 20 to have the lower end of that fold 22 preferably glued to the oor I4 centrally between the leaf springs I'I. The covering 2I is carried over the packing I9 in opposite directions of the fold 22 ends of the slot II so that externally, the cylindrical shape of the entire combination is maintained.

The cotton packing I9 is so selected in quantity that it will normally maintain the fold 22 in closed condition as indicated in Figs. 1 and 2 so that the fold has to be forcibly separated against not only the yielding resistance of the packing I9 initially, but also in turn against the yielding resistance of the spring units I6 spaced from the fold 22 by the packing I9. That is the packing I9 serves initially to yieldingly receive the shank of a ring within the fold 22 to have that packing conform itself to the general shape of the shank, and also to tend to press within the shank as a means for releasably securing the shank within the fold. The packing I9 however is not sufficient to absorb all of the side pressure required for entering the shank of the ring within the fold 22, so that the cotton I9 in turn has to push outwardly on the two spring units I6 to tend to compress the bow spring I8 against the side walls I2 and I3 of the slot II and also tending to bow the leaf spring I'I centrally or at its outer ends depending upon Where the shank of the ring is positioned Within the fold 22. The at face of the leaf spring I'I presented toward the packing I9 serves to retain that packing I9 snugly against the fold 22 on the outer sides thereof so as to maintain normal contact or closure of that fold when not in use as having a ring shank carried therein. v

The material of the spring unit I5 is made of very light gauge metal so as to be quite resilient. Yet it has sucient elasticity so as to return to its normal shape as best indicated in Fig. 4 where the padding I9 is returned to close the fold 22 as indicated in Fig. 2, so that some pressure is required to insert the ring shank into that fold 22.

While I have herein shown and described my 4 invention in the one particular form, it is obvious that structural changes may be embodied without departing from the spirit of the invention, and I therefore do not desire to be limited to that precise form beyond the limitations which may be imposed by the following claim.

I claim:

A finger ring holder having a slot thereacross defined by side walls; a pair of spring units carried in said slot, each of said units comprising a flat leaf spring having a length greater than the outside diameter of said ring, and a bowed leaf spring secured by its central portion to a central portion of said flat spring to have free ends turned from said flat spring, said ends being spaced apart a distance approaching the length of the flat spring, and said at springs being positioned one adjacent the other with the bow springs thereof directed by said ends toward the walls dening said slot; and a resilient packing overlying said holder and springs and extending coxnpressibly within said slot between said at springs, said packing entering between said a-t springs by a fold opening from the top side, the 'fold normally being compressibly closed elastically by said spring; whereby, upon a ring being forced into said fold, said packing will be forced into Contact side against side of said fold through the ring by said springs.

LYMAN G. HUNTER.

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

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 142,575 Martin et al. Sept. 9, 1873 426,309 Parker Apr. 22, 1890 1,193,128 Doll Aug. 1, 1916 1,877,551 Bruce Sept.' 13, 1932 1,906,822 Shields May 2, 1933