US2142322A - Necktie knot former or simulator - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 3, 1939.

F. J. MARTIN NEGKTIE KNOT FORIVIER OR SIMULATOR Filed Aug. 10, 1958 INVENTOR. .d/l/fqwrmf BY. I 7 I ORNEY Patented Jan. 3, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application August 10,

4 Claims.

The invention relates to devices attachable to neckties and to be worn with the tie, to simulate a symmetrical knot, or to afford a form by which the tie may be shaped, to the end that a neat and uniform appearance of the tie as worn may be secured, and the attrition, soiling, and wrinkling of the goods of the tie minimized, and additional advantages gained.

It is an object of the invention to present such an article which may be manufactured readily at moderate cost, and which may be used by tie wearers with a minimum of difiiculty.

It is also an aim to present such an article applicable to ties in such manner as to protect the ties from soiling, and also constructed so that the tie loop around the neck of the wearer may be secured so that it can not become casually loosened.

Another object is to present a special novel tie clamping device to hold the tie in form and retain my device in place thereon.

Another object is to present such a device which may be used as a tie form around and upon which the actual knot may be formed, or which may be itself exposed as a simulated knot of good appearance with the ends of the tie extended therefrom as appendages.

Additional objects, advantages and features of invention reside in the construction, arrangement and combination of parts involved in the embodiment of the invention, as will appear from the following description and accompanying drawing, wherein,

Figure 1 is a vertical section of the article detached.

Figure 2 is a rear view of the article.

Figure 3 is a front view of the article in place upon a tie.

Figure 4 is a top view of the article.

Figure 5 is a cross section on the line 55 of Figure 1.

There is illustrated a tie former consisting of a body of material which may be one of the plastics such as a synthetic resin molded to form an interior body In, and an enclosing shell H, spaced therefrom for its major parts but joined integrally or otherwise therewith at I 2 in the upper front portion. The shell is generally of the same shape and size as the knot of the fourin-hand tie, and corresponds closely to the actual form of the front portion of the actual tie knot which passes across the front of the knot and on the sides of the knot. This shell forms two wing portions l3 which constitute the curved sides of the device, but stop short of each other 1938, Serial No. 224,193

a distance to form a wide slot therebetween extending longitudinally throughout the length of the article at the back.

The body I0 is of generally similar contour, spaced within the shell so that two curved chan- 5 nels or tie slots 15 are formed between the shell and body at respective sides at the upper part, separated at the front by a joining portion 46 connecting the body and shell at the upper part only, this portion l6 extending downwardly from the top of the article only about three-eighths of an inch or more and having a width of about one-quarter of an inch or more. The shell is thus somewhat barrel-shaped, but is curved inward toward its lower part, and longitudinally, and being ovate in cross section.

The rear side of the body l0 may be flattened, and its length is considerably less than that of the shell, its front face portion being curved generally to correspond to the shell, but divergent from the shell toward its lower part. The upper end of both body and shell is generally planiform, although this may be varied as desired.

The tie slots l5 are of a dimension between body and wing to readily accommodate slidably 5 respective end portions of a tie adjusted fiat therein, and the walls of the shell are just thick enough to afford the necessary strength to hold their form and retain the tie parts as hereinafter more particularly described. 30

In the flattened under or rear side of the body If) there is formed a longitudinal slot or recess or channel IT, in which there is fixed a metal channel piece I 8 having parallel walls IS with longitudinal flanges 20 at the inner sides flush with the face of the body. A passage 2i opens from the front face of the body just below the connecting portion l2, this being enlarged as at 22 next the channel piece l8 which is apertured in alinement with this enlargement. In the enlarged passage there is set a helical protractile spring 23 confined against the shoulder 24 at the inner end of the enlargement 22, by a plunger 25 in the enlargement, having a rounded outer end, and provided with a stem 25 extended slidably through the smaller inner part of the passage and provided with a cross head portion 26 including arms curved in conformity with the opposed inner surface of the shell and working across the tie slots I5. The body may be recessed in alinement with these arms so as to receive them flush with the surface of the body l0 next the slots l5, as at 21, wherein they will nor mally be held clear of the slots by the spring 23 when the device is not in engaged position on the wearer.

Longitudinally slidable in the channel piece l8 and retained by the flanges 20 there is a wedge block or slide button 28, having an inclined inner face 29 at one end and adapted to engage and press the plunger outward as the wedge is moved toward one limit of its movement in the channel l8. This inner face is indented at 30 so as to fit and hold the rounded outer end of the plunger when the latter is depressed to a predetermined depth corresponding to a clamping position of the cross head 26, but yieldable to manual force to reverse the movement of the wedge28, and so release the plunger and cross head.

The slide is formed with a serrated convex knob surface 3| adapting it to ready operation in either direction by the thumb of the user while the device is in place on a tie secured or in course of adjustment on the wearer.

The edges of the wings I3 at the slot l4 may be slightly ribbed or beaded, as at 32, and a raised face or land 33 may be formed on the rear side of the body Ill under the slot M, the sides of which begin just within the slot l4 and inwardly of the edges 32. The sides of the raised land 33 may be concavely rounded to conform to the form of the beads 32. This serves to hold an engaged tie more securely against disengagement from the slots l5 incident to longitudinal adjustment of the device on the tie, as will appear.

In use, one end portion of the narrow or neckencircling part 34 of the tie is engaged edgewise under the wing [3 at one side of the device, with the outer face of the tie next to the wing, until this transverse portion of the tie is engaged entirely under the wing [3. An opposite portion of the neck encircling portion is then likewise engaged under the opposite wing and the broad end 35 of the tie adjusted over the other end 26 next to the shell. A loop 31 is thus formed, and this may be done while the tie is laid around the neck of the wearer, or before such placement, and. in the latter case the loop so formed is enlarged by sliding the device as required on the two ends of the tie, to permit it to be passed over the head of the user and adjusted under the collar of the wearer. In either case the two ends are held by one hand while with the other the device is moved bodily and slidingly longitudinally on the tie ends toward the collar until the loop 31 has been properly tightened around the neck of the wearer. Then, while the shell is grasped and held in position with one hand and the tie ends are drawn downwardly by the other hand, the thumb of the first hand is pressed downwardly against the knob 3i, forcing the plunger outward and pressing the cross-head and clamp arms against the two parts of the tie, and clamping them against the adjacent part of the shell. This looks the device on the tie, and locks the tie in adjusted position on the neck of the wearer.

By forming the shell I I of suitably ornamental material, an ornamental device is now presented, which without further tying or other manipulation of forming of the tie proper, will give the wearer a well dressed appearance. If desired, the end 35 or face portion of the tie may be formed or tied around the shell after the engagement and fastening described. For this purpose, assuming that the tie and my invention are in place as last described, with the broad end of the tie extending from the right hand side of the wearer toward the left, this end portion of the tie is next turned inward close against the left hand side of the body l0, and extended between the body IO and the person of the wearer toward the right shoulder of the wearer with the face of the tie next the wearer. It is then swung horizontally across the shell toward the left, bringing the broad end of the tie over the right hand wing 13 and across the front of the shell. While held loosely, at the shell the end of the broad end of the tie is then inserted upwardly under the body 10 and shell so that it comes outwardly over the top of the device, and is then inserted downwardly between the shell and the crossed over portion lying across the front of the shell, and drawn snug. The tie will then appear as the conventional four-in-hand, all exposed parts consisting of the fabric of the tie itself, and with a full and symmetrical form and neat appearance.

While I have specifically described the elements of the device it will be understood that many modifications of construction and use may be made within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of the invention, and I do not regard the invention as limited to the exact form of the article presented, except as may be otherwise claimed hereinafter.

I claim:-

1. An article of the character described consisting of an inner' body member of a form approximating that of the knot of a tie, and a shell portion fixed in spaced relation thereto and of similar external form, the shell being open at the under side of the device, forming a tiereceiving slot, and releasable manual means to secure the ends of a tie between the shell and body.

2. The structure of claim 1 in which the article includes a connecting portion between the shell and body member at the upper end portion of the article.

3. The structure of claim 1 in which said means to secure the tie consists of a clamping means movable across the space between the body and the shell at the front of the device, resilient means connected therewith tending to hold the clamping means retracted, and manually operable and releasable means to secure the clamping means in engaged position.

4. The structure of claim 1 in which the means to secure the ends of a tie consist of a clamp member movable from the rear toward the front across the space between the body and shell,- resilient means to hold the clamp member retracted, a longitudinally slidable wedge fastener connected with the clamp and exposed at the back of the device for manual operation.

FRANCIS J. MARTIN.

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