US3247561A - Jewelry clasp - Google Patents

Description

April 26, 1966 p, SPERANZA ETAL 3,247,561

JEWELRY CLASP Original Filed March 31. 1960 FIG.2

PRIOR ART FIG.3

INVENTORS. Peier A.Speronzo 8 Mildred Broun A dmx W MM ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent 3,247,561 JEWELRY CLASP ice ' provement.

Peter A. Speranza, North Bellmore, and Gabriel Braun,

deceased, late of Forest Hills, N.Y., assignors to The Richelieu Corp., a corporation of New York Original application Mar. 31, 1960, Ser. No. 18,936, now Patent No. 3,120,042, dated Feb. 4, 1964. Divided and this application Jan. 27, 1964, Scr. No. 363,313 1 Claim. (Cl. 24-116) This application is a division of application Serial No. 18,936, filed March 31, 1960, now Patent No. 3,120,042, which in turn is a continuation-in-part of United States application Serial No. 2,958, filed January 18, 1960, now abandoned.

This invention relates to a jewelry clasp element especially useful for holding the ends of two or more strands of beads or pearls.

The ends of the strands of plural-strand necklaces made up of beads, pearls and similar decorative objects are ordinarily attached to the clasp elements by means of a short chain or a link which is aifixed to the clasp element. For example, the string, wire or monofilament on which the pearls or beads are strung may have a metal hook aflixed at each end and this hook is clamped onto one of the links which is affixed to the clamp element. In this structure, (1) the end of the string or wire on which the beads are strung is visible in the hook means, (2) the hook and link attachment to the clasp element are conspicuously different from the beads on the string and (3) the skilled labor required to fix the ends of the strings to the clasp element is substantial. This loose structured attachment also allows tangling of the strands especially when there are three or more strands.

Among the objects of the present invention is to provide a clasp element to which the ends of strings containing pearls or beads can be directly attached thereby providing an improved appearance with no string ends showing and a tighter attachment which is resistant to tangling, etc.

Among other objects of the invention is to provide a clasp element which can be more quickly attached to an end of one or more strings of pearls or beads which it is to hold.

The term string in the specification and claims is used in its broad sense as a means for holding beads and pearls and includes threads, fibrous strings, multifilament strings and wires and monofilaments of nylon, rayon, Dacron, wire, etc.

These objects are obtained by providing a metal clasp element with two or more interfitting parts connected together at one edge. A first part contains openings large enough to admit the strings and small enough to prevent passage of the knotted or otherwise enlarged string therethrough so that the end portion of the string can be inserted in the hole and held there by a knot at the end. The second part of the clasp extends at an angle with respect to the first part viewed along the common edge. One of the parts contains the eyelet or means for attaching a hook or a male or female part of a two part clasp. At least one of the two sides which face each other is chamfered adjacent the orifices of the first part to accommodate the knots of the strings. v

The parts of the clasp elements of the invention may be made of metal or plastic or any similar material which can be molded or shaped and later folded together and held by its resilient or similar properties in closed position.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional type of FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the improved type of clasp element in use.

FIG 3 is a perspective view of another form of the invention.

FIG. 3A is a cross-sectional view of the assembled element of FIG. 3.

The clasp elements usually provided for plural strand necklaces are illustrated in FIG. 1 and comprise the bar 10 on which is integrally formed the similar eyelets 11 for holding the hooks 12 and the eyelet 13 for holding a fastener hook 14 or (at the opposite end of the necklace) a chain containing spaced pearls (not shown) which will catch on hook 14. The hook elements 12 comprise a cup or disk shaped base 15 with a hole in the center through which the end of the string of the bead or pearl strand is passed and knotted. The knots and or ends of the string 16 are not completely hidden by the cup or disk element 15 and are clearly visible from at least one sid with respect to the element 10.

FIG. 2 shows how a clasp device of the present invention looks when assembled together with strands of beads or pearls 18 held on strings 16 are held close to the lower side or plate 21 of the element 20 and no strings or links show between the beads 18 and the clasp element 20.

The modification device shown in FIGS. 3 and 3A comprises two wire- like frame portions 91 and 92 adapted to retain but display the end pearls or beads of the strands of pearls held by the device. The wire frames 90 comprise curved decorative leaves 93, 94 which are curved to embrace portions of the pearls 18' without concealing any substantial part of the surface thereof. The lower edge 96 of the wire frame 91 or 92 is adapted to fit into the space between pearls 18 and 18 and said lower edge 96 may include recesses for the knotted portions of the strings on which the pearls are strung. The wire frames 91 and 92 areunited along the upper edge as indicated by the hatched portion of FIG. 3 and held together at the lower edge by a suitable catch mechanism as illustrated at 98, 99. Eyelet 95 of FIG. 3 corresponds to eyelet 13 or 25 of FIG. 2 or 3 respectively.

The features and principles underlying the invention described above in connection with specific exemplifications will suggest to those skilled in the art many other modifications thereof. It is accordingly desired that the appended claim shall not be limited to any specific feature or details thereof.

We claim:

A clasp element for plural strand jewelry articles adapted to hold one part of a fastener element on one side thereof and one end of each of at least two strands of beads or pearls at the other side, said clasp element comprising a first frame shaped part of such a length and width as to admit at least two beads in the opening of the frame, and a second frame shaped part of substantially the same length and width as the first part, said second part being united to the first part along the first side-longitudinal edges of the two parts, said second part containing a second side-longitudinal edge adapted to contact a second side-longitudinal edge of the first part when said parts are pressed together, said frame shaped parts having large open spaces plus bead embracing portions whereby to hold therein but to display the end pearls of said strands of pearls and means for holding a fastener part extending from the central portion of those side-longitudinal edges which are united.

(References on following page) 3 4 References Cited by the Examiner 2,644,992 6/1953 McFarland.

UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,054,157 9/1962 Evans- 1,578,940 3/1926 Wacha.

2,047,432 6/1936 Roedelheimer et a1. 24-265 WILLIAM FELDMAN Examme" r 2,586,758 2/1952 Zen". 0 BOBBY R. GAY, Examiner.

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