US2749637A

US2749637A - Ornamental bell construction

Info

Publication number: US2749637A
Application number: US370437A
Authority: US
Inventors: Russell R Bradshaw
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1953-07-27
Filing date: 1953-07-27
Publication date: 1956-06-12
Anticipated expiration: 1973-06-12

Description

June 12, 1956 R. BRADSHAW ORNAMENTAL BELL CONSTRUCTION Filed July 27, 1953 INVENTOR fiuo'se Hiram sham 954mm V ATTORNEY ORNAMENTAL BELL CONSTRUCTION Russell R. Bradshaw, Midland, Mich.

Application July 27, 1953, Serial No. 370,437

1 Claim. Cl. 41-40) This invention relates to ornamental bells and similar objects and more particularly to vari-colored bells etc. made up of plastic or similar material.

One of the prime objects of the invention is to provide an ornament which is attractively formed in the shape of a bell, flower or other object, and which can be strung on cord or tied in small clusters and used as ornaments for Christmas trees or decorations for gift packages and the like.

A further object is to provide an ornamental bell and other objects, which can be constructed of a light and inexpensive material in large quantities, and which is preferably cast of plastic in two component parts, these parts being so shaped as to permit a rapid and easy assembly thereof.

A further object of the invention is to provide an ornamental bell in which the head of the clapper is readily pressed through a passage in the top of the bell and retained in position by frictional engagements with the walls of the passage.

With the above and other objects in View, the present invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts, hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and more particularly pointed out in the appended claim, it being understood that changes may be made in the form, size, proportion, and minor details of construction, without departing from the spirit, or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of my ornamental bell.

Fig. 2 is a sectional, front elevational view thereof.

Fig. 3 is a perspective, front elevational view of the clapper member only.

Fig. 4 is a sectional, end elevational view taken on the line 44 of Fig. 1.

Referring now to the accompanying drawing in which I have shown the preferred embodiment of my invention, the letter B generally indicates an ornamental bell, which comprises a bell frame having a clapper member 11 mounted therein. The frame 10 and clapper 11 are preferably formed or cast separately of a colorful plastic material such as polystyrene, cellulose acetate, or others having similar properties, and in any desired size, and are then assembled.

The clapper member 11 includes a bent stem 12 of cylindrical cross section, and a striker ball 13 integrally formed on the lower end thereof. Provided on the upper end of the stem 12 is a flattened head portion 14, said head being somewhat narrower than the diameter of the stem 12 to form fiat shoulder surfaces 15 adjacent the lower edge thereof, and a slotted opening or eye 16 is provided in said head.

The head portion 14 is mounted in a passage 17 proatent ice vided in the top of the bell frame 10 and is of a size to frictionally engage the marginal walls defining the passage 17. That is, at least one of the dimensions of the head portion 14 of the stem part is greater than the corresponding dimension of the slot or passage 17, thereby causing the material bounding the slot to yield when the head portion of the stem is inserted into the slot so as to permit passage of the head portion through the slot. The relatively large dimension of the part 14 will not be so much greater than the corresponding dimension of the slot as to cause yielding of the plastic material beyond its elastic limit, but it should be large enough to flex the plastic sufiiciently that the resilience of the latter will cause the walls of the slot to grip the part 14 and frictionally retain it in the slot. The upper end of the head being rounded as shown so that it can be readily threaded or inserted in said passage.

The assembly of the clapper 11 is, of course, effected through the open bottom of the bell frame 10, the head 14 being inserted in the passage 17, and is forced upwardly therethrough until the shouldered sections 15 of the clapper bottom against the inner face of the top of the bell, the frictional contact of the head with the passage Walls serving to firmly hold the clapper in position.

The eye 16 of the head 14 is disposed above the top of the assembled bell, and a length of light wire or cord (not shown) may be passed therethrough to hang or afiix the bell.

In practice, the ornamental bells are cast in light pastel colors and strung on lengths of cord or tied in small clusters. While they are ideal for use as Christmas tree ornaments and in the gift wrapping of packages, they will, of course, find a multitude of other decorative uses.

From the above, it will be obvious that I have perfected a very simple, attractive, and inexpensive bell structure for the purpose described.

What I claim is:

An ornamental bell construction composed of a twopart assembly comprising a bell shaped body having a top section formed of yieldable, resilient plastic material provided with a substantially centrally located slot and a clapper member formed of similar material having a stem which is bent intermediate its ends, one end of said stem extending through said slot and being shaped to correspond substantially to the shape of said slot, at least one dimension of said one end of said stem being greater than the corresponding dimension of said slot so that the presence of said one end of said stem in said slot causes the material bounding said slot to yield to accommodate said one end of said stem whereby the resilience of said material causes the edges of said corresponding dimension of said slot to grip said one end of said stem so as frictionally to retain said clapper member in assembled relation with said bell body, said stem having shoulders adja cent to said one end thereof engaging the top section of said bell body for limiting the extent said one end of said stem projects through said slot, the relative dimensions of said body and said clapper member being such that in assembled relation the end of said bent stem remote from said one end is located in engagement with said bell body.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,570,145 Heller Jan. 19, 1926 2,451,649 Andreoli Oct. 19, 1948 2,584,223 Petelinsek Feb. 5, 1952