US2956395A - Separable telescoping bracelet linkage - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 18, 1960 E. RODRIGUEZ 2,955,395

SEPRABLE TELESCOPING BRACELET LINKAGE Filed uarch 2, 195e 2 sheets-snee: 1

27 3a 7; 424423 4f f 27 74 60 22 azz/42,54 2) 7432 84 a 421 4i IN VEN TOR.

Oct. 18, 1960 E. RODRIGUEZ 2,956,395

SEPARABLE TELESCOPING BRACELET LINKAGE Filed March 2, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Bly/Mdr United States Patent() SEPARABLE TELESCOPING BRACELET LINKAGE Emil Rodriguez, New York, N.Y., assignor to Jacoby- Bender, Inc., Woodside, N.Y., a corporation of New The present invention relates to a structure by means of lwhich the links of bracelet linkages, and particularly telescoping resiliently expandable bracelet linkages, may readily be detached from one another.

To the retail jeweler the inventory problem is quite critical. Not only does his inventory represent a substantial investment, but the space in which to store the inventory is usually at a premium. The problem is particularly critical with respect to items which must be carried in various sizes. Watch bracelets, and particularly resiliently expandable watch bracelets, are in that category. Each manufacturer produces a substantial number of different bracelet styles in order to appeal to as many prospective purchasers as possible. If the retail jeweler is to make a sale he must therefore carry a number of different bracelet styles. His problem is greatly complicated by the fact that the bracelet must lit the wrist of the prospective user, and each wrist may be of a dierent size. Consequently each style of bracelet is customarily sold in four lengths, short, regular, long and extra long. Hence a jeweler must not only carry a large number of rdifferent styles of bracelets but must carry each style in four different sizes in order to be sure that he will be able to furnish a prospective purchaser with the item which he desires.

It is therefore quite desirable that bracelet linkages be constructed so that individual links or groups of links can be removed therefrom or attached thereto by the jeweler himself. Under these circumstances the jewelers inventory problem is greatly simplified. He need only carry each bracelet style in a single size, and he can then lit that bracelet to the wrist of the prospective user at the time of sale. However, as is well known, wrist watch bracelets are subjected to considerable abuse by their wearers. The bracelet, when it leaves the jeweler, must therefore have its links fastened to one another suiciently securely as to withstand that abuse without coming apart.

Thus the requirements for a bracelet linkage of the type under discussion appear to be antithetical. The links must be separable readily enough so that the jeweler can tit the bracelet to the purchaser, but the connection between the links must be sufficiently secure so that the links, when assembled by the jeweler, will remain thus assembled. The present invention solves the thus presented dilemma, particularly insofar as serially connected and longitudinally extending links or sets of links are concerned.

It must be borne in mind that the mechanism involved for securing the links together and permitting them to be released should be readily manipulatable, even by persons without any appreciable mechanical ability, and without requiring the use of special or complicated tools. Not only is this a necessity insofar as many retail jewelers are concerned, but it also permits the ultimate purchaser, should he so desire, to attach or detach links and thus vary the length of the bracelet so that the bracelet may be worn by diierent members of his family, to accommodate e ICC changes in the size of his own wrist, or for any other reason.

Moreover, since the appearance of a bracelet is of the essence of its saleability, the structural arrangement must not in any way detract from that appearance.

In accordance with the present invention these objectives are realized by providing one link with a recess adjacent an end thereof and providing the next link, adjacent its facing end, with an element adapted to be received within that recess and connecting the two links together. The link provided with the recess has mounted thereon a closure member which is slidable relative thereto between an operative position in which it obstructs the open end of the recess and an inoperative position in which it frees the open end of the recess. When the closure member is in its inoperative position the element on the other link may be inserted into or removed from the recess on the first link. With the element in that recess, the closure member is moved to operative position so as to prevent the escape of the element from the recess, thereby reliably connecting the two links together.

With the invention embodied in a bracelet of the telescoping expandable type, as it is here illustrated, each of the link units is composed of a set of links, one telescoping within the other. In each set one link, here specilically disclosed as the inner link, is provided with the recess delined by a downwardly extending hook portion which projects from the end thereof, and the other or outer link is provided with an element, here shown as a pivot pin, adapted to be received in the recess of the inner link of the next adjacent set of links. The closure member is slidable on the inner link between its operative and inoperative positions.

As a safety feature to minimize the possibility that, after two sets of links have been connected together, the closure member will not be moved to its operative position, the closure member is so designed in conjunction with the other parts of the bracelet linkage that when the linkage is contracted the closure member, if in inoperative position, will be engaged by some position of an adjacent set of links and moved towards its operative position. If the resiliency of the springs employed in the bracelet is not sufficiently great to accomplish this, the bracelet will as a result not assume its fully contracted condition. This will be readily apparent to the user of the bracelet, and in manually moving the parts to contracted position the closure member will be moved automatically and positively to its operative position, thus preventing disengagement of adjacent link sets.

As an additional safety feature, the links are so constructed that the closure member is rendered accessible for movement from its operative to its inoperative position only when the bracelet is expanded to an appreciable degree, preferably well beyond any expansion to which it will be subjected under normal conditions of use. In addition, the closure member and the link on which it is mounted may have a snap engagement when the former is in operative position.

While the structure under discussion involves the addition of a part-the closure member-to conventional bracelet linkages of the type under discussion, the additional cost involved is minimal and is fully warranted by the results which characterize the instant invention. It may be pointed out that in a given bracelet not all of the links need be constructed in the manner here described. The total dilerence between the minimum and maximum bracelet lengths will usually not exceed the length of four links, so that only a sm-all number of the many links in the bracket need be provided with the separability feature. Thus the added expense involved I in the overall bracelet is insignificant.

relates to the structure of a separable bracelet linkage Y asdelined in `the appended claims and as` described in this specification, taken together with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a three-quarter perspective view of a resilient telescoping expansible bracelet of the typeY for which the instant invention is particularly well adapted;

'i Fig. 2 is 'a longitudinal crossl sectional view of a portion of the 'bracelet showing the links in contracted condition;

Eig. 3 is a View similarto Fig. 2 but showing the links in fully expanded condition and indicating the manner in which a tool may be engaged with the closure member to move the latter to inoperativeposition;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 but with the closure member in its inoperative position;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 and showing the manner in which the links may be disengaged;

Fig. 6 is a three-quarter perspective view corresponding to Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a cross sectional View ltaken along the line 7 7 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 8 is a cross sectional view taken along the line 8-8 of Fig. 7; `and Fig. 9 is a three-quarter perspective exploded View of a set of links made according to the present invention.

' The bracelet in connection with which the present invention is here specifically disclosed comprises, as is conventional, -a plurality of sets of links generally designated 2 interconnected in a ilexible manner. Each of the link sets 2 comprises an outer link generally designated 4 and an inner link generally designated 6 received within the outer link 4 and telescopable relative thereto, a spring 8 serving to retain the outer and inner links 4 and 6 in inwardly telescoped position. Adjacent sets of links are pivotally connected together so that the bracelet is ilexible.

The cuter link 4 comprises a shell having side walls 10 and 12, a bottom wall 14 and a top wall 16 having a channel 18 formed therein. The two ends of the shell are open. A pair of ears 20 extend out beyond the bottom wall 14 lat one end of Ithe shell (the left hand end as viewed in the drawings) and a pivot pin 22 is secured to the ears 20 Iand extends therebetween. The top wall 16 extends out beyond the bottom wall 14 at the shell end under discussion but terminates short of the tips of the ears 20 so as to dene a ledge 24 (see Fig. 9). A second pin 26 is secured to and extends between the side walls 10 and 12 adjacent to and inwardly disposed from the pivot pin 22, the left hand end of the spring 8 being secured thereto. It is desirable, ,although not essential, that the shell in question be covered by an outer shell 27 of ornament-al material, that shell having, at its end corresponding to the ears 20, an abbreviated end wall 28 which rests on the ledges 24. The outer shell 27, in addition to permitting the use of any desired external ornamentation independently of the functional construction of the outer link 4, also serves to retain the pins 22 and 26 in place land hide their ends from view.

The inner link 6 has a top wall V30, side walls 32 and 34 and a bottom wall deined, in the form here specifically disclosed, by a pair of inwardly extending rails 36' separated by a longitudinally extending opening 38. The top wall 30 may be provided with an upstruck portion 40 received within the channel 18 in the top` wallY 16 'of the outer link 4 and engageable with the end 42 of that channel when the inner link 6 is telescoped outwardly relative to the outer link 4, thus positively preventing the two links from separating (see Fig. 3). A pin 44 is secured and extends between the side walls 32 and 34 adjacent to the right hand end of the inner link 6, that being the end opposite from the end of the outer link 4 at which the pin 26 is positioned, the right hand end 4 of the spring 8 being engaged with the pin 44. The spring 8 is of the tension type and hence will serve to cause the inner link 6 to telescope within the outer link 4 when the two are assembled together. This inwardly telescoping movement is limited by engagement between the inner link 6 and the pin 26 on the outer link 4.

The inner link 6, at. its right hand end, is provided with la longitudinally extending portion generally designated 46 and formed by a top wall 48 and a downwardly extending end wall 50, thus producing a downwardly opening recess 52 between the wall 50 and the ends of the side walls 32 and 34. The portion 46 may be described as a downwardly opening hook portion.

The closure member, generally designated 56, is slidably mounted on the inner link 6. It comprises side walls 58 fand 60 adapted to be received inside and to slide over the side walls 32 and 34 of -the inner link 6, the side walls 58 and 60 being connected by a bottom wall 62 which, in the form here specically disclosed, hasA a central rib 64 extending down therefrom and adapted to be received and slidable within the longitudinal opening 38 in the bottom wall of the inner link 6, preferably being closely received between the inwardly extending rails 36. Extending from the right hand end of the bottom wall of the closure member 56 is a part 66 which, when the closure member 56 is slid to the right,v covers and substantially closes the open bottom end of the recess 52 in the inner link 6. When the closure member 56 is slid to the left, however, the part 66 thereon exposes the opened bottom end of the recess 52 and frees that recess of obstruction. The length of the bottom wall 62 of the closure member 56 is substantially the same as the length of the inner link 6 on which it is mounted, including the inner link portion 46. Consequently when the closure member 56 -is moved to the left to its inoperative position, exposing and freeing the recess 52, the left hand end thereof will extend to the left beyond the left hand end of the inner link 6.

When the links are assembled, the closure member 56 is in its operative position, and the linksY are contracted as urged by 4the spring 8, the parts will assume their relative posi-tions shown in Fig. 2. It will there be noted that the left hand end of the outer link 4, and particularly the top wall thereof, will extend over the right hand end of the next adjacent set of links, and particularly the portion 46, that portion 46 extending out to the right beyond the outer llink 4 with which it is directly telescopically associated. The pivot pin 22 of each outer link y4 will be received within the recess 52 of the inner link 6 of the next adjacent set of links. The closure member 56, in its operative position, will have its part 66 closingthe bottom of the recess 52,V and hence the pivotpin 22 cannot escape from that recess, in which it is received. As a result each set of links Will bev reliably pivotally connected to the adjacent set of links.

For security purposes, the closure member 56 may be upset at 68k'and the bottom wall of the inner link 6 may be upset at 70 (see Fig. 9) in a position registering with the upsets 68 when the closure member 56 is in operative position, thereby to produce a snap action interengagement between the closure member 56a11d the inner link 6 so as to retain the former inl its operative position on the latter. Y

The side walls 32 and 34 of the inner link 6 are cut away at 54 and the side walls 58 and 60 of the closure member 56 are cut away at 76 so as to permit the links of adjacent sets to fully telescope, the spring anchoring pin 26 on the outer link 4 being received within the cut away portions 52 and 76 when the inner link 6 is fully telescoped relative thereto.

When it is desired to separate two sets of adjacent links the closure member 56'must be moved to its inoperative position showny in Fig. 4. Since the closure member 56 is of substantially the same length as the inner link 6, and. since the left handV end of the innerV 6When the are contracted, substantially -abuts the right hand end of the inner link 6 of the next adjacent set of links, the closure member 56 can only be moved out of its operative position when the links are expanded. This adds an added factor of safety to the construction.

For moving the closure member 56 an aperture 72 is formed therein into which a pointed tool 74 is adapted tol be received. This aperture 72 is so located along the length of the closure member 56 that when the links are telescoped it is received within and hidden by the outer link 4. It is only when the `links have been expanded to an appreciable degree, as shown in Fig. 3, that the aperture 72 is exposed beyond the right hand end of the outer link 4. Insofar as the inner link is concerned, the aperture 72 is exposed through the longitudinally extending opening 38 in the bottom wall of the inner link 6. It is preferred that the tool 774, While pointed, be fairly blunt and have a maximum diameter greater than the diameter of the aperture 72, so that the tool can engage the closure member 56 without passing into the interior of the inner link 6 to any appreciable extent, thus protecting the spring 8 from harm.

After the tool 74 has been engaged in the aperture 72 it is moved to the left, and the closure member 56 moves therewith to its inoperative position shown in Pig. 4, thus exposing the open bottom end of the recess 52.

As may be seen by a comparison of Fig. 4 with Figs. 5 and 6, even with the closure member 56 in its inoperative position, exposing the recess 52, the pivot pin 22 cannot escape from the recess 52 so long as the links are in approximately longitudinally aligned position, because the left hand end of the top wall of the outer 4 overlies the inner link portion 46. It is only when the two link sets which are to be disengaged are positioned substantially at right angles to one another, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, that the pivot pin 22 can be removed from the recess 52 and the link sets separated. It is only in that relative position of the link sets that the top wall of the outer link I4 of one set will clear the inner link portion 46 ofthe other set.

When two sets of links are to be connected the sequence of operations is reversed. If, for some reason, one should forget to move the closure member 56 back to its operative position closing the bottom of the recess 52, the action of the spring 8 in causing the inner link 6 to telescope within its directly associated outer link 4 will cause the left hand end of the closure member 56 to engage the right hand end of the inner link 4 of the next adjacent set of links to the left, and this engagement will occur before the inner link 6 which carries Ithe closure member 56 has fully telescoped within its outer link 4. If the spring 8 is strong enough to overcome the friction exerted on the closure member 56, it will, in continuing the telescoping movement of the inner link 6 relative to its outer 4, move the closure member 56 toward its operative position. If the spring 8 is not of a suicient strength, the inner link 6 carrying the closure member 56 will not telescope fully relative to its outer link 4. This condition of the links will be readily apparent, and when the links are manually pushed to telescoped position the closure member 56 will, through its engagement with the inner link 6 of the next adjacent set of links, be positively moved toward its operative position. While the action of the spring 8, or of manual telescoping in the event that the spring 8 is not suiiiciently strong, may not move the closure member 56 all the way to its snap-engaged operative position, it will ordinarily be effective to move the closure member 56 sutiiciently toward its final operative position so as to substantially close the bottom of the recess 52 and thus prevent the escape of the pivot pin 22 therefrom.

From the above it will be seen that the construction of the present invention provides for ready attachability and detachability of link sets and, when the links are attached, ensures that they will remain so without possibility of accidental detachment. Attachment, however, is'very readily achieved. The structure is so designed that a plurality of safety factors cooperate to substantially eliminate the possibility of accidental detachment or of failure to complete the attaching steps.

While but a single embodiment of the present invention has been here disclosed, lit will be apparent that many variations may be made in the specific structure thereof, all within the spirit of the invention as defined in the following claims.

I claim:

I l. Aseparable telescoping bracelet linkage comprising a pair of sets of telescoping links, each set comprising an inner and an outer link, means operatively connected between said links for causing said inner .and outer links of the respective sets to telescope together, the outer link of each set having at one end a portion extending beyond its corresponding inner link for all positions of its inner link and there having an element extending at least partially across the interior thereof, the inner link of the one set having a portion extending beyond its corresponding outer link for all positions of :its outer link, said portion of the inner link of said one set being at the end thereof facing said one end of the other set and there being provided with a transversely open recess into which said element of said other set is received and releasably retained, and a closure member carried by said inner link of said one set independently of its outer link and slidable between an operative position obstructing the open end of said recess and an inoperative position freeing the open end of said recess, and a third set of telescoping links, the inner link of said third set having a portion extending beyond its corresponding outer link for all positions of its outer link, said portion of the inner link of said third set being at the end thereof facing said one end of said one set and there having an opening retaining said element of said one set, said closure member having releasable means normally retaining :it in position overlying said element of said other set and having a length greater than the distance between said element of said other set and said portion of said third set and, when in its Iinoperative position, extending beyond the inner link on which it is mounted toward said third set of links, said portion of said third set engaging the extending portion of said closure member when said links telescope together and urging said closure member toward its operative position.

2. The bracelet linkage of claim l, in which said extending portion of said outer link of said other set overlaps said extending portion of the inner link of said one set on the side thereof opposite the open portion of its recess when said element of said other set is received within said recess of said one set, the space on said outer link of said other set on the other side of its element from its outer link extending portion being unobstructed.

3. A separable telescoping bracelet linkage comprising a pair of sets of telescoping links, each set comprising an inner and an outer link, means operatively connected between said links for causing said inner and said outer links of the respective sets to telescope together, the outer link of each set having at one end a portion extending beyond lits corresponding inner link for all positions of its inner link and there having an element extending at least partially across the interior thereof, the inner link of the one set having a portion extending beyond its corresponding outer link for all positions of its outer link, said portion of the inner link of said one set being at the end thereof facing said one end of the other set and there being provided with a transversely open recess into which said element of said other set is received and releasably retained, and a closure member carried by said inner link of said one set independently of its outer link and said telescoping means, means operatively connected between said closure member and said inner link for normally causing said closure member to move with and to the sarne extent'as; said inner link,j said closnremember lgaeing` manually slidable relative to said inner link substantially in the direction of thetelescoping movement of said inner link between anoperative position obstructing the open portion of said recess and an inoperative position freeing said open portion of said recess', said closure niember when inY said inoperative position projecting longitudinally Ibeyond said inner link.

References Cited in the le of thspatent, UNITED STATES PATENTS

Images