US2921589A

US2921589A - Hair-clasp

Info

Publication number: US2921589A
Application number: US543098A
Authority: US
Inventors: Blomme Victor Jean
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1955-02-21
Filing date: 1955-10-27
Publication date: 1960-01-19
Anticipated expiration: 1977-01-19
Also published as: DE1002511B; BE535932A; FR1121151A

Description

Jan. 19, 1960 v. J. BLOMME 2,921,589

HAIR-CLASP Filed 001:. 27. 1955 United States Patent HAIR-CLASP Victor Jean Blomme, Asnieres, France Application October 27, 1955, Serial No. 543,098

Claims priority, application France February 7, 1955 6 Claims. (Cl. 13248) This invention relates to hair slides or clasps, more particularly of the safety type that arev provided with latching means for preventing their dropping off from the user's head when in fastened condition.

Conventional safety hair slides of the kind contemplated herein usually comprise a pair of inter-pivoted members, one of which may be termed the outer or body member and the other the inner or clasp member, adapted in a closed condition of the hair slide to clamp a strand ofhai'r tightly between them. A rotatable latch element is journalled on a pin supported from a pair of lugs connected or integral with the body member adjacent the end thereof remote from that having the clasp member pivoted to it. This latch element is adapted to be rotated manually to and from a latching position in which it prevents separation between the said members, when the latter have been placed in their closed or fastening position.

The actuation of such a latch element is a somewhat inconvenient operation to perform, especially in moving it to its unlatched position prior to releasing a strand of hair clasped between the members of the hair-slide. Moreover the presence of the rotatable latch complicates the manufacture and increases the cost of the hair-slide as well as being a source of trouble and premature breakdown.

-It is accordingly an object of this invention to provide an improved latchable hair-slide or -clasp which will be free from the above drawbacks. More specific objects include the provision of an improved safety hair-slide which is simpler and cheaper to make and easier and more convenient to manipulate, than conventional devices of comparable type, and still more specifically the provision of a safety hair-slide or -c1asp in which no special manipulation is required for unlatching the slide prior to releasing a strand of hair clasped thereby.

The above and further objects and advantages of the invention, as well as the various characteristic features thereof, will become apparent from the ensuing description of a preferred embodiment of my invention, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which are given by way of exemplification but not of limitation, and wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a complete hairslide or hair-clasp according to my invention, in closed or fastened condition;

Fig. 2 is a similar view of the spring strip element which forms a component thereof;

Fig. 3 is a similar view of the hair-slide in open condition, with the spring removed;

Fig. 4 is an end view of the body or top member of the hair-slide, showing the latching jaws in latching position;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 showing the jaws in releasing position and Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 4 relating to a modified Referring to the drawings, and particularly Figs. 1 to 5, my improved hair-slide assembly comprises a body or outer member 1, which may, as illustrated, be lined externally thereof with a cover-plate 2 made of some suitable ornamental material, and an inner clasp mem her 3 having secured to one of its ends a transverse pin 4. The pin 4 is journalled within spaced bearings 5 obtained by suitably bending and shaping portions of the body member 1. A removable spring member 6 in the form of an arcuate spring strip has one of its ends formed with a pair of spaced fingers 7 with stop lugs '8 thereon, and its opposite end with a single finger 9, the said fingers being adapted for engagement with the respective ends of the body member 1, while the mid-portion of the. spring strip 6 is arranged to project through a longitudinal slot formed in the clasp member 3, in the closed condition of the assembly as clearly shown in Fig. 1.

Formed in the body member 1 adjacent the end there.- of remote from that carrying the upstanding pivot bearings 5, is a longitudinal slot 10 which defines on either side thereof a spaced pair of

narrow strips

11 and 12 provided by the material of the body member 1. The ends of these

strips

11 and 12 are integrally formed with a pair of latching projections or

jaws

13 and 14 respectively, as more clearly shown in Figs. 4 and 5, and with a related pair of pressure lugs or

knobs

15 and 16 respectively.

The arrangement is such that the latching projections or jaws 1'3 and 14, which have the hook-like conformation shown, will be adapted to grip and retain between them the clasp member 3 in the closed position of the hairslide, when the free end of the clasp member 3 is engaged between the

jaws

13 and 14 and said jaws are positioned in their normal, closely spaced position illustrated in Fig, 4. When however pressure is exerted upon the

opposite lugs

15 and 16, as by gripping them between the thumb and forefinger, the

latching jaws

13 and 14 are moved apart from each other, whereby the end of clasp member 3 is released from between them.

The spring element 6 is provided, at a point intermediate its length, with a pair of transverse projections 17, clearly shown on Fig. 2, which are adapted to engage under the sides of the clasp member 3 to either side of the longitudinal slot therein, in the closed condition of the hair-slide, as shown in Fig. 1. As a result of such engagement, the outward movement of the

latch jaws

13 and 14 upon exertion of inward pressure on the

knobs

15 and 16, as just described above, and the consequent release of the clasp member 3 from between said latch jaws, causes said clasp member to snap open to the position illustrated in Fig. 3, under the action of spring member 6 as a result of the aforementioned cooperation between the projections 17 of said spring and the sides of the clasp member.

It will thus be appreciated that the safety hair-slide or clasp disclosed herein eliminates the provision of a separate rotatable latch member as was heretofore required, thereby facilitating the construction of the slide or clasp. Moreover, operation of the clasp is facilitated, particularly in releasing a strand of hair therefrom, since this merely requires applying finger-pressure upon the

side knobs

15 and 16 both to unlatch the clasp and to'make it snap to its open condition. Furthermore, according to. the invention, the movement of the

latching parts

13, 14 is produced by a resilient torsional deformation of the

strip portions

11 and 12 of the member 1, rather than by pivotal rotation as in conventional hair-clasp latches, and this also is conducive to increased reliability and prolonged service life.

While in the embodiment above described, the two lat -

k g laws

13, and 14 were urged by theirv inherent resiliency towards each other in the fastened condition of the clasp to grip a clasp member 3a between them, a reverse arrangement may be used as shown for example in Fig. 6. In this construction, it will be seen that the clasp member So has a central slot 32, and that the jaws 13' and 14 are normally urged towards a spaced apart condition; and in this condition the clasp member 3a is retained in its closed position by engagementof the slot 32 by the retainer fingers 18 and 19. In other respects the construction and operation of the system are similar to what was previously described, the clasp being opened by exerting finger pressure upon the

knobs

15 and 16. This moves the latching jaws 13' and 14 towards each other and releases the clasp member 3a which is then allowed to snap open under the action of spring 6.

It will be understood that the constructional details illustrated and described were given in an illustrative sense only and that a variety of modifications may be made therein without exceeding the scope of the invention. Thus the

latching jaws

13 and 14 and actuating lugs or

knobs

15 and 16 may be formed in many difierent ways other than the two specifically shown; also the spring member 6 as well as other components may be varied as to shape and size to achieve the results of the invention.

What I claim is:

l. A hairclasp comprising, in combination, a body; clasp means having a slot bounded by edges and being secured to said body for movement to and from an operative position; and resilient latching means secured to said body and including a pair of movable finger-engaging members and a pair of movable latching jaws respectively connected to said finger-engaging members for movement with the respective finger-engaging member, said latching jaws passing through said slot of said clasp means in said operative position, said latching means tending to assume a normal position in which said finger-engaging members are spaced from each other and in which said latching jaws are in a spread latching position for releasably engaging said edges of said slot for holding said clasp means in said operative position, said finger-engaging members being manually movable toward each other to move said latching jaws toward each other, out of said latching position and to a releasing position releasing said clasp means.

2. A hairclasp comprising, in combination, a body; clasp means secured to said body for movement to and from an operative position and having a pair of edges; and resilient latching means secured to said body and including a pair of movable finger-engaging members and a pair of movable latching jaws respectively connected to said finger-engaging members for movement with the respective finger-engaging member, said latching jaws being located adjacent said edges of said clasp means in said operative position said latching means tending to assume a normal position in which said finger-engaging members are spaced from each other and in which said latching jaws are in a latching position for releasably engaging said edges of said clasp means for holding said clasp means in said operative position, said finger-engaging members being manually movable toward each other to move said latching jaws away from each other out of said latching position and to a releasing position releasing said clasp means.

3. A hairclasp comprising, in combination, a body; clasp means secured to said body for movement to and from an operative position and having a pair of edges; and resilient latching means secured to said body and including a pair of movable finger-engaging members having knobs located on opposite sides of said clasp means in said operative position and a pair of movable latching jaws respectively connected to said finger-engaging members for movement with the respective finger-engaging member, said latching jaws having inwardly facing hookshaped portions located adjacent said edges of said clasp means in said operative position said latching means tending to assume a normal position in which said fingerengaging members are spaced from each other and in which said hook-shaped portions are in a latching position for releasably engaging said edges of said clasp means for holding said clasp means in said operative position, said finger-engaging members being manually movable toward each other to move said hookshaped portion away from each other out of said latching position and to a releasing position releasing said clasp means.

4. A hairclasp comprising, in combination, a body; elongated clasp means secured to said body for movement to and from an operative position; and resilient latching means secured to said body and including a pair of movable finger-engaging members located on opposite sides of said elongated clasp means and a pair of movable latching jaws located between said finger-engaging members and being respectively connected to said fingerengaging members for movement with the respective finger-engaging member transversely to said elongated clasp means, said latching means resiliently tending to assume a normal position in which said finger-engaging members are spaced from each other and in which said latching jaws are in a latching position for releasably holding said clasp means in said operative position, said finger-engaging members being manually movable toward each other to move said latching jaws out of said latching position and to a releasing position releasing said clasp means.

5. A hairclasp comprising, in combination, an elongate body; pivot means secured to one end of said body; an elongated clasp member supported at one end thereof on said pivot means for turning movement to and from an operative position in which the other ends of said body and of said clasp member are located adjacent each other; and a pair of resilient latching means secured to the other end of said body, each latching means including a fingerengaging member and a latching member having a trans verse portion inwardly projecting from said fingerengaging member transversely to said clasp member and a jaw portion located adjacent said clasp member in said operative position, said finger-engaging members being located opposite each other and on opposite sides of said clasp member and being movable transversely to the same with said-latching members, said pair of latching means tending resiliently to assume a normal position in which said latching jaws are in a latching position for releasably holding said clasp member in said operative position, said finger engaging members being manually movable toward each other to a less spaced position to move said latching jaws out of said latching position and to a releasing position releasing said clasp member.

6. A hairclasp comprising, in combination, an elongate body; pivot means secured to one end of said body and having a first opening; an elongate clasp member supported at one end thereof on said pivot means for turning movement to and from an operative position in which the other ends of said body and of said clasp member are located adjacent each other; a pair of resilient latching means secured to the other end of said body, each latching means including a finger-engaging member anda latching member having a transverse portion inwardly projecting from said finger-engaging member transverse to said clasp member and a jaw portion located adjacent said clasp member in said .operative position, said transverse portions defining with said body a second opening, said fingerengaging members being located opposite each other and on opposite sides of said clasp member and being movable transversely to the same with said latching members, said pair of latching means tending resiliently to assume a normal position in which said finger-engaging members are farther spaced and in which said latching jaws are in a latching position for releasably holding said clasp member in said operative position, said finger-engaging members being manually movable toward each other to a less spaced position to move said latching jaws out of said latching position and to a releasing position releasing said clasp member; and a curved spring member having one end portion detachably located in said first opening and the other end portion detachably located in said second opening and a center portion abutting said clasp member for urging the same out of said operative position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 810,475 Dover Jan. 23, 1906 921,702 Howe May 18, 1908 1,033,621 Sadler July 23, 1912 1,620,894 Jones Mar. 15, 1927