US822939A - Garment clasp or supporter. - Google Patents

Description

' PATENTED JUNE 12, 1906. M. B. GARDNER.

GARMENT GLASP 0R SUPPORTER. APPLIOATION FILED APR. 28, 1906.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MARSHALL B. GARDNER, OF AURORA, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO S. FLORSHEIM & SON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A FIRM.

GARMENT CLASP OR SUPPORTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 12, 1906.

Application filed April 28, 1905. Serial No. 257.928.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MARSHALL B. GARD- NER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Aurora, in the county of Kane and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Garment Clasps or Supporters, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to that class of garment-clasps in which a single thickness or fold of the fabric passed over the head of a button is clamped or clasped upon the shank of the button by a clamp or clasp member.

Ordinarily the button is connected with the elastic webbing by means of a flexible i11- elastic web-section, and the clasp is in the form of a pear-shaped loop, the wider part of the opening in the loop being at its base, and the clamping is effected by the closed end of the loop drawing the fabric under the head of the button and into contact with its shank. In some cases the sides of the loop are so narrow at its forward end as to also clamp the fabric against the sides of the shank. Rubber buttons or buttons having a metal shank and a rubber covering are extensively employed in this class of devices, the rubber preventing the slipping of the fabric and also, to some extent, preventing its being cut by the loop or clasp member.

There are certain objections to the known devices arising out of the flexibility of the button-support and also to the somewhat severe grip or bite of the loop upon the fabric. It is suflicient in a device of this kind to hold the fabric with only sufficient grip to prevent its slipping upon the rubber or rubber-covered button, provided that the buttonitself is firmly held against movement longitudinally of the loop. There is also a tendency with the forms of supporters in use to become detached or unfastened,because of the absence of any provision for holding the parts of the clamping members against movement lengthwise of each other, the locking of the clasp being due only to the pull of the loop upon the shank under the head of the button.

In my construction I avoid the difficulties above mentioned and provide a garmentclasp of simple and economical construction in which the fabric is securely held without injury.

The structural features of my improvements may be somewhat varied; but I have shown in the accompanying drawings an eflicient embodiment thereof.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of my supporter connected to a piece of webbing having the usual slide. Fig. 2 is an edge view of the supporter with a single thickness of fabric engaged thereby. Fig. 3 is an edge view of the button member of the clasp, the other parts being shown in vertical section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the supporter with the clamp ing-jaws open. Fig. 5 is a transverse section through the supporter below the line 5 5 of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is an edge view of the parts shown in Fig. 4, but with the button member thrown back. Fig. 7 is a plan view of the base-plate for supporting the clamping-jaws. Fig. 8 is a plan view of the button member, and Fig. 9 shows the clamping-jaws in plan and edge view.

In the drawings, 10 represents the ordinary webbing, having the adjustable slide 11 thereon and carrying the usual loop 1.2 to support the clasp. The latter comprises, first,'the button member shown in Fig. 8 and consisting of a metal tongue or body 13, having hook members 14, which engage the bottom bar of the loop 12, so that the button member is hinged or pivoted to the loop. Formed with or secured to the bottom bar of the loop is the base-plate 15, Fig. 7, having its outer end somewhat enlarged and rovided with an aperture or perforation 16 of a size to admit the head of the button 17. The body of the plate 15 is perforated, as shown at 15*, to receive the pivot-lugs 18 of the clamping-jaws 19. These latter are simply metal plates and may be of the form shown in Fig. 9, their forward ends being curved outwardly, so as to provide an opening between them approximately equal to the diameter of the shank, but of less width than the head of the button. The inner ends of these plates may be slightly crimped upwardly, as shown at 20, and their extremities may diverge to provide the cam-surfaces 21. By means of the pivot-lugs 18 these clamping-jaws are pivotally confined upon the plate 13, so that their forward ends may be opened or closed, this opening or closing movement being effected by means of the slide 22, whose exposed surface may be knurled or roughened to facilitate its manipulation. This slide embraces the edges of the plate 15 and overlies the clamping members 19.

In operation the button member will be thrown back into the position shown in Fig. 6 and a part of the fabric interposed between the head of the button and the opening 16 in the plate 15. By then simply closing the parts upon each other'the fabric will be carried by the head of the button through the aperture 16, and the button-head will project above the surface of the clamping-jaws, as seen in Fig. 2. Then by pushing the slide toward the button the clamping-jaws are rocked upon their pivots, closing upon the fabric against the sides of the button-shank. In this movement the slide passes outwardly beyond the pivots of the clamping-jaws, so that the latter are locked in their closed position. Further, the button being held rigidly longitudinally of the clamping-j aws, it is impossible for the parts to become separated, except by the opening of the jaws. accomplished by pulling the slide back to its normal position, in which it will pass inwardly beyond the pivots and acting upon the cam-surfaces 21 will forcibly open the jaws of the clamp, when the button may be separated and the fabric released by a pull on the latter. To facilitate this opening movement, I prefer to provide the plate 1.5 with a downwardly-bent spring-tongue 23, which will bear upon the base of the buttonplate 13.

I claim as my invention 1. In a garment-clasp, the combination with a rigidly-supported button member, of a clamping member, comprising a base-plate, j aws pivoted thereon and an operating member adapted to engage the jaws at either side This is of their pivot whereby to positively open or close them upon the button.

2. In a garmentclasp,the combination with a rigidly-supported button, the support being hinged, of a pair of clamping-jaws, a base-plate upon which said jaws are pivoted between their ends, and means for operating said jaws to bring them into lateral clamping relation to the button.

3. In a garmentclasp, the combination with arigid button-support, a base-plate having a button-aperture, a pair of clampingjaws pivotally mounted on the base-plate, and a slide cooperating with said jaws for bringing them into and out of locking relation to the button, substantially as-described.

4. In a garment-clasp, the combination with a button-support hinged at one end and carrying a button on its opposite end, a baseplate having a button-aperture adapted to receive the button, clamping-jaws pivoted between their ends on the base-plate and having their forward ends constructed to provide clamps, and means for opening and closing said jaws, said means serving to hold the jaws in the closed position, substantially as described.

5. In a garment-clasp, the combination with the button member, the base-plate and the pivoted clamping-jaws, of a slide embracing the base-plate and aws and movable along the latter across the pivot whereby to partially open and close the jaws, substantially as described.

MARSHALL B. GARDNER.

Witnesses:

FR DERICK C. GooDwIN, JAMES R. OFFIELD.

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