USRE22626E - One-way snap fastener - Google Patents

Description

April 3, 1945.

ONE-WAY SNAP FASTENER Original Filed March. 50, 1942 INVENTOR UrraJ Hum 572/? o. J. HUELSTER I Re. 22,626

Reissued Apr. 3, 1945 one-WAY SNAP FASTENER Otto J. Huelster, Waterbury, Conn., assignor to Scovill Manufacturing Company, Waterbury, Conn., a corporation of 'Gonnecticut Original No.,2,328,016, dated August 31, 1943, Se-

rial No. 436,728, March 30,1942. Reissue application April 26, 1944, Serial No. 532,895. Divided and this application for reissue February 9,

1945, Serial No. 577,001

2 Claims.

. This specification constitutes a division of reissue application Serial Number 532,895, filed April 26, 1944.

r This invention relatesto snap fasteners, and

more particularly to improvements in that class of device of which the component socket or stud members may be detached one from another only bythe application of a pull in one particular direction. {Ihe object of the invention is to.provide a snap fastener 'stud member which may be disengaged from a socket of the foregoing character more easily than can a stud of conventional design; and, more specifically, to provide a stud having its head deformedfrom the truly circular shape of a conventional stud in such a way as to facilitate its separation from the one-way detachable socket of the invention in response to a pull applied to the fastened mem-, bers at the one proper place.

The foregoing and other objects of the invention, as well as various features thereof, will bemore apparent from the following description when considered in the light of the accompanyin drawing, in which- I Figure 1 is a plan view of a socket member constructed in accordance with the invention and secured to a supporting sheet;

Figs. 2 and 3 are sectional views of the socket of Fig. 1 illustratingits detachment from a conventional stud member in response to a separating pull applied at the one proper place;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view, similar to that of Figs. 2 and 3, illustrating the manner in which in which the socket locks with its cooperating stud to prevent separation of one member from the other when the sheets on which the members are installed are pulled in any but the one desired direction;

. Figs. 5 and 6 are sectional views illustrating another form of socket embodying the invention, the section of the separate figuresbeing taken at 90 to each other;

In the embodiment of the invention shown Figs. 1 to 4,, the body ID of the socket is preferablyia one-piece sheet-metal shell comprising a crown portion ll having a central opening 12 for receiving the end of a rivet I3 by which the body is secured to a supporting sheet M a back flange l5 extending more or less abruptly outward from the margin of the crown; and a peripheral wall l6 extending forwardly from the back flange, these various portions forming collectively a recess H for receiving the head of upon a second supporting sheet [9. The spring element of the assembly is preferably a simple split rin 20 located in the stud-receiving recess H where it may engage the contracted neck portion 2| of the stud to hold that member and the socket in fastened relation. In accordance with the invention, the recess l'lv is somewhat larger at its rear than at its forward end, whereby the spring element may have some backward and forward movement therein. Thisis very simply accomplished in the preferred embodiment by tapering the wall 16 inwardly from its juncture with the back flange 15 toward its mouth 22, although any other suitable expedient mayibe adapted to accomplish the desired result. It is also of importance tonote thata portion of the spring ring is always confined within the enlarged rear end of the stud-receiving recess of the socket. Thus in Figs. 1 to ithe mouth of the shell is inturned as shown to provide a lip 23 which is adapted to hold the adjacent sector of the ring within the enlarged rear end of the stud-receiving recess I] while allowing its remaining portions to axially tilt with respect to r the shell forwardly or backwardly in the mane her heretofore mentioned.

The above-described socket may be snapped into engagement with a cooperating stud |8 in the usual way, and this operation is so readily evident as to require neither specific illustration nor description. The constructional features of the socket are such, however, that it cannot be disengaged from the stud except by the application of a pull to the fastened supporting sheets l4 and H1 at one particular place. The separating operation is illustrated in Figs. Zand 3, where it will be observed that a pull upon the sheets immediately above and below the inturned lip 23, as indicated by the arrows, has the effect of tilting the socket and the stud relative to each other in such away that the entire spring ring 20 then lies within the enlarged rear portion of/the body immediately adjacent the back flange l5. With the parts of the fastened installation in these relative positions, a slight additional pull upon the sheets will cause'lip 23 to lift the right-hand portion of the ring and'expand it: over the head of the stud to release that element, as is clearly shown in Fig. 3.

The effect of the application of a separating force to the fastened socket and stud at any but the one proper place, is illustrated in Fig. 4. There-the pull upon the fastened sheets has the effect of tilting the. socket and stud insuch away as to cause ring 20 to lie in a constricted part of the stud-receiving recess I! with its entire periphery engaged by the tapered wall Hi. When v thing is true of the index mark 29 on the attachthe parts of the fastened members are in these relative positions it is apparent that ring 20 is not free to expand for the purpose of releasing the head of the stud, and continued pullingof the sheets not only fails of that result, but, on the contrary, can only cause thetapered wallof the shell to bind more firmly against the ring and tighten the hold of that element upon the said head. In order to simplify illustration the pull upon the sheets has been indicated as applied at points diametrically opposite the inturned lip 23 of the socket. It will be evident, however, that the applicationof a pull to the fastened sheets at anyother point along-the'peripheries of the members except attheone'proper opening place will lockthe socketupon the stud in the manner just described. Thus, a pull upon the fastened members -will always tilt them to such relative l .to confine the ring-llliand wedge-it against the head of the stud 18 whereby to prevent separation of one-member from-the other, unless that pull is applied at points immediately over and under the inturned lip fl.

- Another fond-of socketembodying the invention is illustrated in'Flgs. and 6, where, for the sake of simplicity, the body portion Illa is again a simplesheet-metal shell having a crown Ila with a-central rivet-receiving opening lZa', and aback flange Na; .and its stud-receiving recess I'la is again constricted by having its peripheral wall lfia tapered inwardlythe shell in these respects being substantiallyidentical with that of the embodiment of-F'igs. 1 to 4. In this arrangement, however, themeans for holding-the spring ring-ain the desired position are formed on the ringmather than on the shell.- Thus, the ends l"! of the split ring are turned downwardly, as

is shown iii-Fig.- 5, -and rest upon thetapered wall of the shellso that the adjacent sectors of the ring are held inthe enlarged'rear end-of the studreceiving recess while-all-of its other portions are free to move backwards and forwards therein. The functioning of this-device is'precisely like thatof the onealready described. When, for example a pair of sheets which are 'fastened to-' getherby a socketofthis kind and a conventional' stud member,are"pulled at points immediately above andbelow the downturned ends of the ring lllmthat ringwill expand and release the stud just as does the ring of the device of Figs; 2-3. Iii-however, the pull is applied to the sheets 'at any but the one proper place, the tapered wall Ilia 'of the shell will engage and confine the ring 20a so that it cannot expand to release the stud, just as was described in connection with thev device illustrated in Fig. 4.

In this. form of the invention it is essential that the downturned' ends of ring 20a be maintained in some definite position in the shell, so that'the place for the application of a separating pull to the socket may always'be determinate. This is accomplished in theillustrated device by indenting the mouth of the .shellto providea pairof internal lips 28which are adapted 'to engage the ends of the ring and hold them in a;definitepopositionsas to causethe-tapered wall of thebody sition, although any other suitable expedient may be adopted to achieve the desired result.

It will be evident that in the completed installation the one-way limiting means on the socketnamely, the lip 23 of Figs. 1 to 4, or the downx turned ends 21 of the 'rlngand the :internal lips 28 of Figs. 5 and 6-must be held in a definite relation to the supporting sheet, and the same ing cap 30 (Fig. 7) which indicates the point of applicationtof .a separating pull. Thus in both illustrated modifications the crown of the socket and the underside of the cap are provided with a series of tines 3| which are adapted to dig into the supporting sheet [4 and thus to hold the socket and cap:against rotation on the sheet.

In'both .of the illustrated embodiments of the socket, its body is a sheet-metal shell which is in the stud-receiving recess; that the recessshall have. an enlarged .rear portion within whichithe spring may expand anda constrictedportioniadjacent its mouth which istoo small to allowsufficientexpansion of the spring to release theuhead of a cooperating stud,.and, finally means fonholding a portionofthe ringwithin the enlargedrear part of the recess where-it may always expand,

in response to a pull applied-immediately above that point.

The socket. of the-invention may :be combined with a conventional form-oi stud, as is shown :in

Figs. 2 to 4,'inclusive, to provideaone-way detachable snap fastener as heretofore described. It is .of note, however, that theseparating action of this combination may be :fairly stifi, thatis'lto say, a fairly heavy pull-may sometimes-be :required. to snap the truly circulanheadorthe conventional stud through rin -10 :ofthe :socket I in order-to releaseone memberefrom athezother.

If a softer-acting fastener iswanted .itumay readily .be-gotten byemploying a stud of thettype shown in Fig. 8 with-thesocket heretoforesdescribed. .In that figure, whichisona verymuch enlargedscale, it wil1 be observed that theihead 24a is flattened-or relieved toa very slight-extent at each side-of that one of itssectors which is intended to underlie the :one-way opening means, .i..e., .]ipl23:of. Fi5s. 1 to 4hr thedownturned ends 2 ofFigs. Band 6. Preferably-the stud is of standard constructionpand its headils deformed insuch away-as to:form:a porti'on 32 which projectsslightly beyond atrue circle'having its center :coincident :with that of *the .stud head, whereas the immediatelyadjacentportions 33 are drawn' back. equally slightly inside of that theoretical icircle. This deformation. issmslight as to make nddifierence inithesnappingvof'sthe stud. into engagement with itsxsocket inzthewordinary fashion. :It will beapparentphowevergthat when the projecting portion fl of.the.:stud.:hea.d is aligned with the one+way.limitinameansnf the socket, the 1ip.23, for example,.the'relievedsem tors .3'3.-wil1 .be able. to passlthrough the ringidl more easily than .would thencomparablegtmmjcirl cular sectors of a:conventional.headeethatdsito say,-- the splitiringiot .thersocketwilknnt; havens much frictional engagement in the release of the relieved head of the Fig. 8 stud as it would to pass over the circular head of a conventional member. While this deformed head facilitates release of the socket from its stud in response to a properly applied separating pull, it will also be evident that neither the projecting portion 32 nor the relieved sector 33 will prevent the binding and locking together of the members when a pull is applied to them at any point otherthan immediately over and under the one-way limiting means of the socket, i. e., lip 23 or downturned ends 21.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that the stud member of Fig. 8 must be installed upon its supporting sheet with the projecting portion 32 of its head so disposed that it will underlie the oneway limiting means of a cooperating socket when the members are mutually engaged. In order that this established relationship may not be disturbed, the base of the stud preferably has a series of tines 34 which are adapted to dig into the supporting sheet during the setting of the stud so that they may hold the stud against rotation in its normal usage.

, in various forms, it is intended that the foregoing shall be construed in a description rather than a limiting sense.

What I claim is:

l. A stud member comprising a base adapted to be secured to a supporting sheet, and a central upstanding post having an enlarged head and a contracted neck lying immediately behind said head, said head being of substantially circular cross section and having two adjoining sectors with their outer surfaces lying slightly inside of a circle drawn from the center of the post and coinciding with substantially all other parts of the head.

2. A stud member comprising a base which is adapted to be secured to a supporting sheet, and a central upstanding post having an enlarged head and a contracted neck lying immediately behind said head, said head having one sector which projects slightly beyond a true circle drawn from the center of the post, and a sector at each side of such projecting portion which lies slightly inside of such circle. I

OTTO J. HUELSTER.

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