US3331110A

US3331110A - Garment fastener

Info

Publication number: US3331110A
Application number: US412931A
Authority: US
Inventors: Allan Gust
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1964-11-23
Filing date: 1964-11-23
Publication date: 1967-07-18
Anticipated expiration: 1984-07-18

Description

O msnm Juy i8, i967 G. ALLAN GARMENT FASTENER Filed Nov. 25, 1964 wcm-on GUST ALL AN United States Patent O 3,331,110 GARMENT FASTENER Gust Allan, 3757 Eaton St., North Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada Filed Nov. 23, 1964, Ser. No. 412,931 7 Claims. (Cl. 24-258) This invention relates to garment fasteners, particularly of the type employed on stocking Suspenders.

In the suspending of stockings, particularly silk stockings or the like, which are extremely fragile in nature and therefore are susceptible to runs, the suspending means must be such that no undue strain is placed upon that portion of the stocking to be gripped, so as not to damage its threads, yet the stocking must be held lirmly enough that it will not slip from the grip of the fastening means.

It is appreciated that many fasteners have heretofore been designed for use on stocking Suspenders. However, such fasteners in the main have usually employed devices which either greatly deform and consequently strain the stocking material, or which have positively interlocking parts which, when engaged, tightly grip the stocking material between them. This latter type of fastener, however, tends to tear the stocking material during the interlocking of the parts with a consequent formation of runs therein. It is, therefore, obvious that the means employed must grip the stocking in a resilient, yet firm manner with as little deformation as possible of the stocking material from its natural state of repose. Furthermore, such a fastener should be of at construction so as not to cause unsightly bulges in outer clothing, such as skirts.

The present invention provides a fastener having these desired features and furthermore is of simple, yet rugged construction so as to be operable by one hand alone. Its simplicity also makes it relatively inexpensive to manufacture, this latter feature being very desirable for adoption in a highly competitive field of merchandizing.

In accordance with the foregoing, the present invention comprises an elongated body, means permanently securing one end of the body to one article of clothing, a resilient hook-shaped tongue at ythe other end of the body arranged so that its free end normally presses against the body, an elongated resilient latch swingably secured to the body at one end and adapted to be positioned so that its other end engages the tongue, said latch normally urging said tongue against said body.

In the drawings which illustrate the embodiments of the invention,

FIGURE 1 is an isometric view of one embodiment of the invention, showing the fastener in an open position with its latch swung away from the flange,

FIGURE 2 is a section of the fastener of FIGURE l,

FIGURE 3 is another view of the fastener of FIGURE l, similar to the View of FIGURE 2, showing the latch engaged over the flange and a portion of a stocking being gripped therebetween,

FIGURE 4 is an isometric view of another embodiment of the fastener, and

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view of the fastener of FIG- URE 4, taken along line 5-5 thereof, showing the latters grip on a top of a stocking, the latch being shown in a flange engaging position.

Referring to the drawings, FIGURES 1 to 3 illustrate one embodiment of the fastener. Fastener 10 is formed of an elongated iiat strip 11 of a spring-like or resilient metal, such as brass or spring steel and the like, having formed in one end 12 a transverse elongated opening 13, the latter being adapted to receive a loop element 14 of a suspender 15.

The other end 16 of said strip 11 is reduced in width to form an elongated tongue or flange 17 which is bent or looped backwardly upon itself with the tip 18 pressing against the flat or body portion 19 of said strip, the strip 11 thereby assuming a generally J-shaped conliguration. It is preferred that the thickness of the strip be such that it is possible, by inserting the fingernail between the tip 18 of the tongue 17, and the body portion 19 of the fastener, to move the tongue outwardly and away from said body portion against its inherent resilient action.

The fastener 10 is also provided with a latch 21 which is formed having an elongated flat shank 22 again formed of a springy resilient material, such as spring steel or the like, said shank having an enlarged flat head portion 23 at one end, and the other end swingably secured to the body portion 19, substantially at a point midway between the ends of the fastener, on a rivet 27. The latch 21 ordinarily extends flat and parallel to the body portion 19 of the fastener and is so positioned that it may be swung between a position away from the tongue 17, a position as shown in FIGURE l, to a position in which it lies on the outer surface of the latter, a position as shown in FIGURE 3. It will be seen that in order to swing the latch from its former to its latter position, it must be bent outwardly away from the body portion 19 of the fastener against its inherent resilient action to clear said tongue. It will also be observed that when the head portion 23 of the latch isreleased, it will be pressed by the resilient shank 22 against the outer surface of said tongue.

FIGURES 4 and 5 illustrate another embodiment 30 of the fastener. Fastener 30 is formed in the same manner as fastener 10 having a liat body portion 32 with a backwardly bent tongue 33 formed on one end and a transverse opening 35 on the other. Fastener 33 is also provided with a latch 36 formed and secured exactly in `the same manner as latch 21 of fastener 10.

Fastener 30 differs from fastener 10 in the provision of a semi-circular opening 38 formed in its body portion 32 adjacent the tip 40 o-f the tongue 33. The semi-circular opening is wide enough to accept the tip 40 and has a straight lower edge 41 against which an end portion of said tip normally presses, said opening also having a rounded or semi-circular edge 42 extending above the tip to provide an opening into which a fingernail may be passed to grip the tip of the tongue and bend the latter away from said edge 41 in the manner as described heretofore and applicable to fastener 10.

In describing the operation of fasteners 10 and 30, reference only will be made to fastener 10 as the operation of fastener 30 is identical thereto. As has been described hereinbefore, fastener 10 is secured to a strap 14 of a suspender and usually depends therefrom to a point slightly above the top of the stocking when the latter is positioned on the leg. The latch 21 is moved to its position, as shown in FIGURE 1, away from the tongue 17, the tongue is then moved outwardly by means of the fingernail away from the ybody portion 19 of the fastener and the top of the stocking then lapped over the tip 18 of the tongue so that when the latter is released, it will press and hold the stocking against the body portion 19. The latch 21 is then swung outwardly and away from the body portion and downwardly .to cover the tongue, and then released. The resilient action of the shank 22 of the latch will maintain its head portion 23 tightly against the tongue 17 pinching the stocking between them. Referring to FIGURE 3 in which the fastener 10 is shown gripping a stocking, the latter being given the numeral 45, it will be seen that said stocking is pinched both lbetween the tip 18 of the tongue 17 and the body portion 19 of the fastener and also between the head portion 23 of the latch and said tongue, the two point contact afforded by the fastener 10 on the stocking insuring a resilient, yet tight grip thereon.

The provision of the semi-circular opening of fastener 30 greatly enhances the -grip of said fastener on the stocking as a part of the stocking will be pinched or caught between the edge 41 of said opening and the tip 40 of the tongue.

The grip of the fasteners 10 and 30 may be further enhanced by the provision of rubber or

plastic caps

46 and 47 on

tongues

17 and 33, respectively, and the provision of similar caps 49 and 50 on the

tips

18 and 40 of the

tongues

17 and 33. These caps may be molded in place and not only enhance the grip as hereinbefore stated, but provides protection to the stocking from the relatively sharp edges of the gripping component of both fasteners.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A fastener to join two articles of clothing comprising a at elongated generally J-shaped plate formed of a stiffly resilient material, having one end reversely bent upon itself to form a hook shaped tongue, said tongue being arranged so that its free end normally presses against said plate, an elongated resilient latch swingably secured to the plate at one end and adapted to be positioned so that its other end engages the tongue, said latch normally urging said tongue against said plate, and means for permanently securing the plate at its other end to an article of clothing.

2. A fastener as claimed in claim 1 including rubberlike cap coverings at the free end of the tongue and the tongue engaging end of the latch.

3. A fastener as claimed in claim 1 in which the plate has an opening formed therein adapted to receive the free end portion of the tongue.

4. A fastener to -join two articles of clothing comprising a flat elongated generally J-shaped plate formed of a stiifly resilient material, having one end reversely bent upon itself to form a hook shaped tongue, said tongue being arranged so that its free end normally presses against said plate, an elongated resilient latch swingably secured to the plate for movement in a plane parallel thereto into and out of engagement with the tongue, said latch being adapted when positioned in engagement with the -tongue to urge the latter against the plate, and means for securing the plate at its other end to an article of clothing.

5. A fastener as claimed in claim 4 including rubberlike cap coverings at the free end of the tongue and the tongue engaging end of the latch.

6. A fastener as claimed in claim 4 in which the plate has an opening formed therein positioned to receive the free end portion of the tongue.

7. A fastener to join two articles of clothing comprising a flat lgenerally J-shaped plate formed of a stiiy resilient a material, having one end reversely bent upon itself to form a hook-shaped tongue having an outer surface, said plate having an opening formed therein into which the tip of the tongue is adapted to extend, an elongated resilient latch swingably secured to the plate at one end and swingable in a plane parallel to the plane of the plate into and out of engagement with the outer surface of the tongue, said latch being arranged so that it normally tends to urge the tip of the tongue through said opening when in engagement therewith, and means for securing the plate at its other end -to an article of clothing.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 150,116 4/1874 Weston. 222,584 12/1879 Goldstein 24--258 533,458 2/ 1895 Harding 2XL-248 668,088 2/ 1901 Bruce.

2,223,95 7 12/ 1940 Hillier 24-258 WILLIAM FELDMAN, Primary Examiner.

DONALD G. GRIFFIN, Examiner.

Claims

1. A FASTENER TO JOIN TWO ATRICLES OF CLOTHING COMPRISING A FLAT ELONGATED GENERALLY J-SHAPED PLATE FORMED OF A STIFFLY RESILIENT MATERIAL, HAVING ONE END REVERSELY BENT UPON IT SELF TO FORM A HOOK SHAPED TONGUE, SAID TONGUE BEING ARRANGED SO THAT ITS FREE END NORMALLY PRESSES AGAINST SAID PLATE, AN ELONGATED RESILIENT LATCH SWINGABLY SECURED