US2823524A - Bracelet with abutment stop means for preventing pivoting of the arms - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 18, 1958 SLATER 2,823,524

BRACELET WITH ABUTMENT STOP MEANS FOR 7 PREVENTING PIVOTING OF THE ARMS Filed April 2, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VEN TOR.

NORMAN SLA TER A T TORNE Y Feb. 18, 1958 N. SLATER 2,

BRACELET WITH ABUTMENT STOP MEANS FOR PREVENTING PIVOTING OF THE ARMS Filed April 2, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 JTE .9 E10 INVENTOR. NORMAN SLATE/2 "gamma/W ATTORNEY 1C6 Patented Feb. 18,- 1958 BRACELET WITH ABUTMENT STOP MEANS FOR PREVENTING PIVOTTNG OF THE ARMS Norman Slater, Waterbury, Conn., assignor to Benrus Watch Company, Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application April 2, 1954, Serial No. 420,539

8 Claims. (Cl. 63--9) The present invention relates to a bracelet structure of the type in which wrist-encircling elements are pivotally mounted on a supporting body and are resiliently urged to wrist-engaging position. The invention is specifically adapted for use where the supporting body takes the form of a Watchcase.

Bracelets of the generally type under discussion are fairly common. They usually comprise a pair of arcuate wrist-encircling elements, commonly called claws, one pivotally mounted on each side of a central supporting body and each resiliently urged in such a direction as to pivot toward the other so that the elements will grasp the wrist. Two major factors have limited the utility of this type of construction. In the first place, the springs active on the claws are usually the sole instrumentality which prevent the claws from spreading from their wristengaging positions, and hence the security of the bracelet on the wearers wrist is determined solely by the strength and reliability of those springs. No spring could, as a practical matter, be made strong enough to withstand all tendencies of the claws to spread apart, for if it were the bracelet could not be removed from the wrist, nor would it comfortably accommodate itself to wrists of various sizes, and those functions are of the essence of the structure in question. Consequently there is always the danger that a strong force exerted on the bracelets of the prior art might cause them to separate from the wearers wrist without the wearers knowledge.

In the second place, to mount a spring even of moderate strength within the limited spatial confines dictated by the requirements of attractive appearance presents no means problem from a design point of view, and to devise an assembly which is not only mechanically efiective but also readily assemblable on a production line basis by relatively unskilled personnel has taxed the ingenuity of those active in this field.

As a consequence of the above factors, bracelets of this type have been largely limited to fairly small units of light weight. For example, where the central supporting body takes the form of a watchcase, as is here specifically illustrated, the type of construction here under discussion has in the past been employed almost exclusively for ladies watch-bracelet combinations. An arrangement suitable for use with larger and heavier mens watches, requiring larger and heavier claws both for functional and appearance reasons, and susceptible of inexpensive quantity production, has thus far eluded the art.

' The structure of the present invention has proved to be particularly well adapted for bracelets and watchbracelet combinations of the heavy-duty type such asare worn by men, but is not limited thereto. It may also be used to good efiect with ladies bracelets and watchbracelet combinations, particularly insofar as inexpensiveness, ease of assemblability, and security on the wearers wrist are concerned.

' According to thepresent invention, the wrist-enciriiling' elements or claws are mounted on pivotal supports,

usually in the form of pins extending between lugs, those pivotal supports also serving as mounts for the springs adapted to urge the claws to wrist-engaging position. The body of each of these springs is wrapped around a pivotal support and the ends of the spring extend in different directions from the body. Each claw has a hollow open at the end of the claw adjacent its pivotal support, and one end of the spring extends into that hollow and there engages the interior of the claw. The supporting body is provided with an aperture and the other end of the spring is received and anchored within that aperture. Thus the spring is mounted in a secure manner and Without having to employ any special mounting parts. In cases where the central support carries an object, such as a watch, which is advantageously sealed against moisture, dust and the like, the instant construction can still be employed either by having the aperture in the central supporting body pass only partway through the wall thereof or by providing a false outer wall on that body spaced from the true outer wall, only the false wall being provided with an aperture within which the appropriate spring end is anchored. This last construction is particularly advantageous when it is desired that the central supporting body, such as a watch case, should carry an ornamental motif related in some desired manner to that of the claws attached thereto.

Each of the claws is advantageously provided with a latching part adapted, when in its operative position relative to the claw and when the claw is in its Wrist-engaging position, to engage with the central support and positively prevent the claw from moving away from its wristengaging position, thus rendering the bracelet secure despite possible weakness or absolute failure of its springs. When removal of the bracelet from the wrist is desired, this latching part is moved relative to the claw to an inoperative position out of engagement with the central support, thus permitting the claws to be spread apart; It is preferred to also provide means carried by the claw adapted to be brought into operative engagement with the central support after the claw has been moved a predetermined distance from its wrist-engaging position, thus positively limiting its spread. The latching part, as here specifically disclosed, is mounted directly above and movable into a recess in the claw, a spring urging the latching part out of the recess to its operative position and the part being manually pressable into the recess against the action of the spring when that is desired. The arrangement is such that when the claw resumes its wristengaging position the latching part will automatically resume its operative position without requiring any special operation on the part of the user, thus reliably locking the bracelet to the wrist unless and until the wearer specifically desires to remove it.

To the accomplishment of the above, and to such other objects as may hereinafter appear, the present invention relates to a bracelet structure, and in its more specific aspects to the combination of a watchcase and a bracelet, as defined in the appended claims and as described in this specification, taken together with the 1accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a watch-bracelet combination made according to the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view thereof, the claws being shown in solid lines in their wrist-engaging position and in broken lines in the positions to which they may be spread with the lock still engaged;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary top plan view, partially broken away, of the watch-bracelet combination of Fig. 1;

' Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view taken along the line 4-4 of Fig. 3 and showing the wrist-encircling element in its wrist-engaging position;

Fig. is a view similar to Fig. 4 but showing the wristencircling element in a position pivoted outwardly from its wrist-engaging position;

Fig. 6 is a developed top plan view, partially broken away, of the shell portion of one of the wrist-encircling elements;

Fig. 7 is a cross sectional view taken along the line 77 of Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a cross sectional view taken along the line 8-8 of Fig. 6;

Fig. 9 is a developed top plan view of the design insert adapted to be used with the shell of Fig. 6;

Fig. 10 is a combined end elevational and cross sectional view taken along the line 1il10 of Fig. 9;

Fig. 11 is a cross sectional view taken along the line 11-11 of Fig. 9;

Fig. 12 is a cross sectional view similar to Fig. 7 but showing the shell and design insert assembled; and

Fig. 13 is a view similar to Fig. 4 but showing a modification thereof.

The present invention is here specifically described in the form of a watch-bracelet combination, the central supporting body generally designated 2 being shown in the form of a mans watch case, but it will be understood that the central supporting body 2 could take other forms. A pair of wrist-encircling elements 4 are mounted between pairs of lugs 6 at opposite ends of the supporting body 2 so as to be pivotal between wrist-engaging positions adjacent one another (shown in solid lines in Fig. 2) and wrist releasing positions more remote from one another (shown in broken lines in Fig. 2). A spring generally designated 8 is active on the wrist-encircling elements 4 (hereinafter called claws) to urge them to their wrist-engaging position, and a latching part generally designated 10 is mounted on each claw 4 and is movable between operative and inoperative positions relative thereto, the latching part 10 when in its operative position engaging the central support 2 and positively retaining the claw 4 in its wrist-engaging position. Spring pins 12 of conventional construction extend between the lugs 6, the tips of those pins being receivable in recesses 14 in the inner surfaces of the lugs 6. It is on these pins 12 that the claws 4 are pivotally mounted.

The claws 4, as here specifically disclosed, are defined by a shell portion 16 and an ornamental insert 18, both preferably formed of sheet metal or the like. The shell 16 comprises a bottom wall 20 and a raised hollow rim 22 along the sides thereof and around the end thereof remote from the central supporting body 2. The ornamental insert 18 has a top surface 24 ornamented in any desired manner, from which side walls 26 and end walls 28 and 30 depend, the end wall 28 being remote from and the end wall 30 being adjacent the supporting member 2. As may best be seen from Fig. 12, the width of the ornamental insert 18 is substantially equal to the distance between the inner surfaces of the hollow side rims 22 on the shell 16, the insert 18 being telescoped within the shell rims 22 and there being secured in place in any appropriate manner, as by welding, soldering or brazing. As will be apparent from Fig. 12, a hollow 32 is defined between the shell 16 and the insert 18, that hollow being closed at the end remote from the central supporting member 22 but access to the hollow 32 being provided at the end adjacent the body 2 by means of aperture 34 formed in the wall 30 of the insert 18. The length of the insert 18 is somewhat less than the length of the shell 16 in order that the latching part 10, subsequently to be described more in detail, may be mounted on the claw 14.

The ends of the shells 16 adjacent the supporting body 2 have bushings 36 mounted in and passing through the rims 22, through which bushings the spring pins 12 are adapted to pass. The outer edges of those bushings are concaved, as at 37, in order to permit access to the spring pins 12 so that the latter may be disengaged when 4 desired. The inner tips of the shells 16 are flattened, as at 38, these flattened portions being adapted to pass under the bottom of the supporting body 2 for a purpose hereinafter to be described.

The spring 8 as here specifically disclosed is formed of heat-treated stainless steel spring wire and includes a pair of coiled portions 40 spaced from one another and wrapped around the pin 12, each of those coiled portions 40 having ends 42 extending therefrom through the aperture 34 in the end wall 30 of the insert 18 and into the hollow 32 within the claw 4, those ends 42 being connected by a part 44. Each of the coiled portions have other ends 46 which, in the form shown in Figs. 3-5, are received and anchored within apertures 48 formed in the end wall 50 of the watch case body 2. (While the body 2, as here specifically disclosed, comprises the bezel portion of the watchcase, that is, of course, not essential to the present invention.) Although the apertures 48 are here shown as passing completely through the watchcase end wall 50, this is not essential, it only being necessary that the depth of the apertures 48 be sufiicient to accommodate and anchor the spring ends 46. In Fig. 13 an alternative embodiment is disclosed in which the end wall 50 of the watch case body 2 is not apertured at all, the watch case body 2' having a false end wall 50' spaced outwardly from the end wall 50 and provided with the aperture 48 through which the spring end 46 extends.

The latching part 10 is mounted on the claw 4 in the space between the end of the insert 18 and the end of the shell 16. It preferably takes the form of a shell-like member 52 having an ornamental upper surface corresponding to the ornamentation of the insert 18, so that the functional character of the shell 52 will not be apparent. When the ornamentation on the shell 18 simulates individual laterally extending shell segments, as is shown in the drawings, the shell 52 defining the latch part 10 is of the size and shape of one of those individual shell segments. If the ornamentation on the insert 18 were to run longitudinally thereof rather than laterally thereof, then the shell 52 defining the latch part 10 would have registering ornamentation thereon. The shell 52 is secured, as by welding, soldering or brazing, to a spring leaf 54 which passes through the aperture 34 into the hollow 32 within the claw 4 and is secured to and is preferably integral with a spring strip 56 which extends back out through the aperture 34 to the pin 12, a portion 58 of the strip 56 being looped around the pin 12 in order to hold the spring 54 and the shell 52 in place. The spring 54 is, of course active to urge the shell 52 upwardly out of the plane of the shell 4, that tendency being limited by engagement between the spring strip 54 arid the upper edge of the aperture 34 in the end wall 30 of the insert 18, as may best be seen from Fig. 4, and also optionally by engagement between the tip 60 of the spring strip 54 extending beyond the shell 42 and some member carried by the central supporting body 2.

In order to hide the pin 12 and associated elements from view, and for other purposes hereinafter to be described, the central supporting member 2 is provided with a member 62 which extends between the lugs 6 and the outer end wall 64 of which is positioned close to the shell 52 which defines the latch part 10. As here disclosed the member 62 is in the form of a shell having an ornamentation similar to that on the insert 18 and the shell 52 but having a greater width than the shell 52.

The structure of the present invention may be assembled in a very simple manner. The ends 42 and connecting portion 44 of spring 8 are first slid into the hollow 32 of a claw 4. Next the lock part 10 and its associated springs 54, 56, 58 are moved into place by causing the leaf spring parts 54 and 56 to slide into the hollow 32 between the spring ends 42. The coiled portions 40 of the spring 8 and the looped portion 58 of the spring 54, 56 are aligned with the bushings 36 in the claw shell 16, and a spring pin 12 is slid through the bushings 36 and through the coiled and looped. spring portions 40 and 58 respectively. Since the shell 52 defining the lock part has previously been secured to the leaf spring 54, it will automatically assume its proper position. The thus formed assembly is moved between a pair of lugs 6, the tips of the spring pin 12 being retracted and then, when the tips come into registration with the apertures 14 in the lugs 6, they are released. At the same time the ends 46 of the springs 8 are caused to enter the apertures 48 in the end wall 50 of the central supporting body 2. In practice, the spring ends 46 are first anchored, and then the spring bar 12 is moved up or down in order to bring its tips into'registration with the apertures 14, this movement causing tensioning of the spring 8. The shell 62 is then secured in place, and the assembly is complete.

As may be seen from Fig. 4, when the claw 4 is in'its wrist-engaging position, being urged to that position by the action of the tensioned spring 8, the inner end wall of the shell 52 is almost in engagement with the outer end wall 64 of the shell 62. Hence the claw 4 can only be pivoted outwardly to a limited degree, as illustrated by the broken lines in Fig. 2, thus providing the bracelet with the ability to comfortably fit different sized wrists and to accommodate to changes in the size of a given wrist such as may be attendant upon muscular exertions or changes in temperature. All of the positions of the claws 4 within this degree of play are wrist engaging positions. The degree to which the claws 4 are pivoted inwardly by the spring 8 is limited by engagement between the flattened portions 38 on the inner end of the shell insert 16 and the undersurface of the central supporting body 2.

When it is desired to spread the claws 4 sufiiciently to permit the bracelet to be disengaged from the wearers wrist, the wearer need merely depress the shell 52, as indicated by the arrow 66, to its position shown in Fig. 5, the shell 52 being free to move in this direction against the action of the spring 54. When this has been done the shell 52 will be below the level of the outer end wall 64 on the shell 62, and consequently the claw 4 may be pivoted in the direction of the arrows 68 in Figs. 2 and 5, thus spreading the claws 4 and providing a great enough distance between their tips so that the wearers wrist may freely escape therefrom. The degree to which the claws 4 may be spread is limited by engagement between some part of the claw 4 and the bottom edge of the shell 62. That claw part may, for example, be the rims 22 on the claw shell 16, the lower edge of the outer Wall 64 of the shell 62 being configured to permit the desired degree of pivotal movement of the claws 4 away from their wristengaging position before that limiting engagement takes place.

When the claws 4, having been moved to their spread apart position, are released, the springs 8 will move the claws back to Wrist-engaging position and, once the shell 52 has been moved outside the outer wall 64 of the shell 62, it will, urged by the spring 54, automatically snap back up into operative position, positively preventing movement of the claws 4 from wrist-engaging position unless and until the shells 52 are again appropriately manipulated.

The construction above described, it will be seen, is simple, sturdy and reliable. The spring 8 which urges the claw 4 to its wrist-engaging position is mounted in a novel and effective manner which facilitates assembly without detracting from the utility of the central supporting body 2 and which does not require any special spring mounting structure. Both ends of the spring are anchored so that they cannot slip from their proper positions, and hence only actual breaking of the spring will cause malfunction. The spring is mounted in such a way as to take up but little additional space, and consequently a stronger spring can be employed than has previously been considered feasible. The claw 4 is locked in wrist-engaging position independently of the action of the spring 8, so that the bracelet cannot accidentally fall from the wrist even if extremely strong dislocating forces should be ap-, plied thereto or the spring 8 should actually break or snap. All of. the parts are susceptible of quantity production and ready replacement. 1

While but one main embodiment and a single detailed variant thereon have been here disclosed, it will be ap parent that many changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the following claims.

Iclairn:

1. In the combination of a supporting body on which a wrist-encircling element is pivotally mounted by means of a pivotal support operatively connected to said body; the improvement which comprises a member projecting from said supporting body and extending over said pivotal support on the side thereof opposite the wrist-facing surface thereof, and a part articulately mounted on said element so as to be movable relative thereto between operative and inoperative positions, said part, when in its operative position relative to said element and when said element is in wrist-engaging position, engaging with said member so as to prevent pivotal movement of said element from said wrist-engaging position, said part being movable to an inoperative position out of operative engagement with said member, thereby permitting pivotal movement of said element away from its wrist-engaging position.

2. In the combination of a supporting body on which a wrist-encircling element is pivotally mounted by means of a pivotal support operatively connected to said body; the improvement which comprises a member projecting from said supporting body and extending over said pivotal support on the side thereof opposite the wrist-facing surface thereof, and a part articulately mounted on said element so as to be movable relative thereto between operative and inoperative positions, said part, when in its operative position relative to said element and when said element is in Wrist-engaging position, engaging with said member so as to prevent pivotal movement of said element from said wrist-engaging position, said element having a recess therein opening to the surface thereof opposite its wrist-facing surface and said part being mounted over said recess and being movable downwardly thereinto to said inoperative position out of operative engagement with said member, thereby permitting pivotal movement of said element away from its wrist-engaging position, and a resilient member in said recess and active on said part to urge it to its operative position.

3. The combination of claim 2, in which said resilient member engages said pivotal support for anchoring purposes.

4. In the combination of a supporting body on which a wrist-encircling element is pivotally mounted by means of a pivotal support operatively connected to said body, and a spring active on said element to urge it to wrist-engaging position; the improvement which comprises said spring having a portion wrapped around said pivotal support and ends extending in different directions therefrom, said element having a hollow opening at the end thereof adjacent said spring and one of said spring ends extending into said hollow, said supporting body having an aperture and the other of said spring ends extending thereinto, said element having a part articulately mounted thereon which, when in its operative position relative thereto and when said element is in wrist-engaging position, engages with a projecting part on said supporting body so as to prevent pivotal movement of said element from said position, said element having a recess opening to the surface thereof opposite its wrist-facing surface and said part being mounted on said element over said recess and being movable downwardly into said recess to an inoperative position out of operative engagement with said projecting part, thereby permitting pivotal movement of said element away from its wrist-engaging position, and a resilient member active on said part to urge it to its operative position.

5. The combination of claim 4, in which said resilient member engages said pivotal support for anchoring purposes.

6. In the combination of a supporting body on which a wrist-encircling element is pivotally mounted by means of a pivotal support operatively connected to said body, and a spring active on said element to urge it to wristengaging position; the improvement which comprises said spring having a portion wrapped around said pivotal support and ends extending in different directions therefrom, said element having a hollow opening at the end thereof adjacent said spring and one of said spring ends extending into said hollow, said supporting body having an aperture and the other of said spring ends extending thereinto, a member projecting from said supporting body and extending over said pivotal support on the side thereof opposite the wrist-facing surface thereof, and a part articulately mounted on said element which, when in its operative position relative thereto and when said element is in wrist-engaging position, engages with said member so as to prevent pivotal movement of said element from said position, said part being movable to an inoperative posi tion out of operative engagement with said member, thereby permitting pivotal movement of said element away from its wrist-engaging position.

7. The combination of claim 6, in which said element has a recess opening to the surface thereof opposite its wrist-facing surface, said part being mounted on said element over said recess and being movable downwardly into said recess to said inoperative position out of operative engagement with said member, and a resilient member active on said part to urge it to its operative position.

8. The combination of claim 7, in which said resilient member engages said pivotal support for anchoring purposes.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,818,637 Mathez Aug; 11, 1931 2,009,254 Feid July 23, 1935 2,524,976 H011 Oct. 10, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS 668,807 Germany Nov. 17, 1938 289,150 Switzerland Feb. 28, 1953

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