US3462863A

US3462863A - Mounting insignia

Info

Publication number: US3462863A
Application number: US643600A
Authority: US
Inventors: Robert J Reeves
Original assignee: Reeves Co Inc
Current assignee: Reeves Co Inc
Priority date: 1967-06-05
Filing date: 1967-06-05
Publication date: 1969-08-26
Anticipated expiration: 1986-08-26

Description

United States Patent O U.S. Cl. 40-1.5 10 Claims ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE Insignia mounting device in which a clamping member is biased against a locating member by a narrow torsion bar arranged for twisting flexure about the axis of exure of the clamping member, the members defining an adjustable downwardly opening wedge shaped fabric receiving space.

This invention relates to mounting indicia on clothing.

Objects of the invention are to provide a device for such mounting that can be easily and quickly secured to and detached from clothing of any thickness without injuring the fabric, remains in position despite movement by the wearer, has no loose parts, is lightweight, and can be inexpensively manufactured in various sizes.

The invention features a locating member providing a pair of spaced opposing locating surfaces, and a clamping member having an axis of flexure spaced from one locating surface in the direction of the other and extending from the axis upwardly toward the rst mentioned locating surface, the clamping member being resiliently biased against movement about the axis away from the locating surface, to define an adjustable downwardly opening wedge shaped fabric receiving space. In preferred embodiments a narrow transverse torsion bar biases the clamping member; the clamping member is joined to the torsion bar through a rigid neck; the device is formed of a unitary piece of thin metal (preferably anodized aluminum); the locating member is a piece of metal bent to form a rear plate and a shorter front plate to provide the locating surfaces; the opposing surface portions of the clamping member and the opposite locating surface are knurled; the device (preferably at least four inches long) includes a bottom edge spaced from the fabric receiving space sufficiently to contact the bottom of a pocket in which the device is mounted; the rear plate has a substantial area thereof cut out to reduce weight; and the clamping member includes a thumb tab extending above the bend between the front and rear plates.

Other objects, features, and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof, taken together with the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a front plan view of the mounting device; and

PIG. 2 is a side view of the device.

The mounting device consists of a unitary piece of anodized aluminum, colored as desired, and bent at its top to provide a 41/2" long rear plate 12 and a 3A" long front plate 14. Plate 12 is cut out at 16 and 18 to reduce weight and to provide alternative lines 20 and 22 (dotted) along which plate 12 can be cut off to provide a shorter device. Plate 12 is additionally cut out at 24 and 25 (the latter cutout extending beyond the bend to plate 14) to provide a 3;/16" wide torsion bar 28 connected through 3,462,863 Patented Aug. 26, 1969 ice rigid neck 30 to clamp 32. Plates 12, 14 (exclusive of clamp 32) provide opposing locating

surfaces

34 and 36 spaced apart by 1A. Clamp 32 is somewhat more than half as wide as

plates

12, 14, includes a thumb tab 40 extending slightly above the bend between

plates

12, 14, and extends under the resilient biasing of torsion bar 28 from the torsion bar toward and into contact with surface 36 to provide a wedge shaped downwardly opening fabric receiving space 42. The surfaces of clamp 32 and plate 14 that oppose each other are knurled. Insignia 44 (FIG. 2) is cemented tothe front of plate 14.

In operation, plate 12 is inserted into (eg.) a shirt pocket with the fabric passing into space 42 between locating surfaces 34, 35. Clamp 32 bends about the axis of torsion bar 28 (see dotted lines, FIG. 2) to accommodate the fabric (tab 40v may be pressed to facilitate this bending), and yet remains resiliently biased toward surface 36 to firmly clamp the fabric between the knurled surfaces of clamp 32 and plate 14, whatever the thickness of the fabric. Bottom edge 42 of plate 12 contacts the bottom of the pocket to aid in firmly positioning the device, eliminating sag of the pocket fabric. The device can be removed by pressing tab 40 to relieve the clamping pressure against the fabric.

Other embodiments (e.g. changing the width of the torsion bar to change the clamping force) will occur to those skilled in the art and are within the following claims.

I claim:

1. A device for mounting insignia on clothing, cornprising:

a locating member providing a pair of spaced opposing locating surfaces, and

a clamping member having an axis of exure spaced from one of said opposing surfaces in the direction of the other said surface, said clamping member extending from said axis upwardly toward said one surface and being resiliently biased against movement about said axis away from said one surface, to define an adjustable downwardly opening wedge shaped fabric receiving space, said clamping member being so biased by a narrow transverse torsion bar arranged for twisting flexure about said axis.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein said locating and clamping members are formed of a unitary piece of thin metal.

3. The device of claim 2 wherein said metal is anodized aluminum.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein said clamping member is joined to said torsion bar through a rigid neck.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein said locating member comprises a piece of thin lmetal bent to form a rear plate and a shorter front plate, said plates providing said locating surfaces.

6. The device of claim 1 wherein the opposing surface portions of said clamping member and said other locating surface are knurled.

7. The device of claim 1 wherein a bottom edge thereof is spaced from said fabric receiving space sufficiently to contact the bottom of a pocket in which said device is mounted.

8. The device of claim 7 wherein said device is at least four inches long.

9. The device of claim 5 wherein said rear plate has a substantial area thereof cut out to reduce the weight of said device.

10. The device of claim 5 wherein said clamping member includes a thumb tab extending above the bend be tween said plates.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,330,684 2/1920 Chwala 40-11 1,757,440 5/1930 Sharp 40-11 1,863,472 6/ 1932 Covitch 40-11 3,175,317 3/1965 Slavsky 40-2 3,280,488 10/1966 Rubin 401.5 3,295,235 1/1967 Tauber 401.5

5 EUGENE R. CAPOZIO, Primary Examiner W. I. CONTRERAS, Assistant Examiner U.S. C1. X.R. 40-11, 23