US2555196A - Adjustable bracelet clasp - Google Patents

Description

Filed Jan. 14, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet l y 29, 1951 o.- R. KOSTKA 2,555,196

ADJUSTABLE BRACELET CLASP INVENTOR. 07' 7'0 R. K05 TKA BY 6. R. KOSTKA ADJUSTABLE BRACELET CLASP May 29, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. -14, 1949 INVENTOR. 0770 R. K05 "(A .47' 7' ORNE Patented May 29, 1951 ADJUSTABLE BRACELET CLASP Otto Robert Kostka, Providence, R. I., assignor to Marvel Jewelry Mfg. Company, B. I., a corporation of Rhode Island Providence,

Application January 14, 1949, Serial No. 71,011

3 Claims.

The present invention relates to improvements in adjustable bracelet clasps and more particularly relates to that type of wrist watch bracelet which embodies three relatively foldable members one of which has a slidable sec tion.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved adjustable bracelet clasp of this type in which when closed the device will present a compact, neat and highly ornamental appearance with the operating mechanism wholly unrevealed with the exception of the pawl operating button or pusher projecting to a minimum distance laterallyof the device.

It is another object of the invention to provide an improved adjustable bracelet clasp of this type which will be self-opening under the control of the slide section whereby the out ward movement of the slide section to its outer most projected position will release the fcldable members from folded condition to the end that a spring structure may automatically move the members to unfolded condition thus opening the bracelet.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved construction of slide section in which the slide section may move in and. out smoothly and without binding or friction and under a control which permits of the release of the pawl and ratchet mechanism by the hand other than the bracelet wearing hand whereby the slide member may be conveniently and easily moved out to extended position to release the foldable members of the bracelet.

A still further object of the invention resides in providing the slide member in connection with the innermost or bottom member of the three-member foldable construction to enable such slide member to cooperate in locking the outermost member and therefore all of the members in the folded condition.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved adjustable bracelet clasp in which a novel form of spring is employed in connection with the base and slide members to avoid the use of U-shaped springs in favor of a flat spring so constructed and arranged and so mounted relatively in the base member that the release button or pusher is enabled to lie at the extreme end portion of the base member with the result that the button or pusher is required to make a shorter travel in releasing the pawl from the ratchet teeth.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention will be more fully described hereinafter, and will be more particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto.

In the drawings, wherein like symbols refer to like or corresponding parts throughout the several views,

Figure 1 is aperspective view of an adjustable bracelet clasp constructed in' accordance with the invention and shown in the open position,

Figure 2 is a similar view showing the clasp in the closed position,

Figure 3 is a longitudinal section taken through the clasp in the closed position on line 3-45 of Figure 2 and on an enlarged scale,

Figure 4 is a transverse section taken on the line 34 of Figure 3,

Figure 5 is a longitudinal section taken through the clasp in the unfolded and expanded position,

Figure 6 is an exploded perspective view of the bottom section and slide member and showing a portion of the intermediate member,

Figure 7 is a perspective view of the slide member,

Figure 8 is a similar view of the spring cover,

Figure 9 is a perspective view of a form of coiled spring employed,

Figure 10 is a fragmentary side elevation taken from the pusher side of the device and Figure 11 is a horizontal section taken on the line i !I l of Figure 5.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the three members of the clasp are denoted A, B and C with the intermediate member B being pivoted or hinged at If} to side Walls ll of the outermost or top member A and pivoted or hinged at its other end as indicated at l2 to side walls is of the base member it of the innermost or bottom member of the clasp.

The side wall ll of the top member A which is next the operating button or pusher I5 is cut away as indicated at it in order to give the necessary clearance for the pusher when the members are in the folded and closed positions. Inturned flanges I! on the free edges of the side walls ll of the top member A are adapted to cooperate with the slide member l8 to lock the three members of the clasp in the folded condition. These flanges I! run only through the intermediate portion of the member, the same being removed as indicated at E9 to acco'mmodate the inner end portion of the slide member l8 and being also removed at the other ends of the top member A as indicated at 29 to receive therein the adjacent side Walls E3 of 3 the base member It and to permit such side walls I3 to pivot within the side walls II of the top member A when the parts are moving into and out of folded condition.

At its free end the top member A is provided with a connector 2| for coupling to one end of the bracelet. The free end of the slide member i8 is also provided with a connector 22 for connecting to the other end of such bracelet.

The intermediate or central member B is narrower than the top member A so that the same may fold within the side walls and within the flanges of the top member A and for purposes of strength this intermediate member B may be curved transversely or provided with beaded edges.

The end of the intermediate member B which connects with the base member I I is provided with spaced bearings 23 for receiving therethrough the pivot I2. On the central portion of the pivot I2 between the two bearings 23 is wound the intermediate portion of a coil spring 24. One end 25 of this coil spring extends along the lower surface of the intermediate member B and has its terminal secured to the member B in any desired way as by inserting such terminal through an opening in the intermediate member B. The other end 26 of the spring helix 26 extends radially outward from the helix and is adapted to be clamped beneath a brass or other cover plate 21 carried by the base member Hi.

Just beyond the pivot I2 the base member I4 is reduced in width to permit the same to enter between the side walls and inturned flanges I! of the top member A. The side walls I3 of the base member are thus constricted as indicated at 28 and between this constriction and the bearings 23 and coil spring 24 is provided a box or boxing for the T-head 29 of a flat pawl spring 30. I3 of the base member I 4 are dapped or other wise displaced inwardly to provide inwardly projecting bosses 3I acting as detents over the flat spring 39 to maintain the flat spring in the base member I4.

The brass cover plate 21 is placed over the flat spring 30 and has a T-head 32 to fit over the T-head 29 of the flat spring 38. This brass cover plate 27 fits down within the side walls i3 of the base member IA where it is held in place by overturning lugs 33 inwardly from the side walls I3 at or near the constricted portion 28.

The T-head 32 of the brass cover plate 21 engages the spring end 26 and forces this end 26 downwardly against the pawl T-head 29 to thereby place the coil spring 24 under the necessary tension to cause opening of the folded members as soon as the same are released from their locked position.

The flat spring 38 is narrower in width than the width of the base member I I between the side walls I3 in order to permit the flat spring 33 to have limited transverse movement in the base member in a direction edgewise of such fiat spring 353.

In top plan the flat spring 30 is shown to be warped or biased to an inclined or diagonal position within the base member I4 with the flat spring progressively extending toward one side wall I3 from a fulcrum point 34. Near the outer end of such side wall I3 is a notch 35 through which projects and slides in a transverse direction a pawl 36. Beyond the pawl the fiat spring 30 carries the operating button or pusher I5 which extends laterally from the fiat spring and At or about the constriction the side walls 4 moves through an opening 31 in the same side wall I3.

Viewed sidewise the flat spring 30 is bowed, as at 38, in its intermediate portion, the bow taking place upwardly and outwardly with respect to the bottom of the base member I4. This bow continues through the pawl portion 36. Immediately beyond the pawl 36 the flat spring 30 returns downwardly toward the bottom of the base member I4 in that area where the button or pusher I5 lies. This construction provides the pawl 36 on an arc outwardly removed from the pusher I5. This is for the purpose of permitting the ratchet teeth 39 of the slide member I8 to clear the pusher I5, but to be engaged by the pawl 35.

The slide member I8 is formed with downwardly projecting side walls 20 terminating in inturned flanges 4 I. These inturned flanges slidably interlock with the out-turned flanges 42, on the upper free edges on the side walls I3'of the base member I I. On that side of the device from which the pawl 36 and pusher I5 extend the inturned flange 4| is removed throughout an intermediate portion of the side wall I3, which over this area is formed with ratchet teeth 39 to mate with the pawl 36 in that sequence which permits the slide member I8 to be freely pushed in on the base member It but looks the parts against outward movement until the pusher I5 is depressed. The inner side wall 40 of the slide member I8 at the inner end beyond the ratchet teeth 39 provides a stop to encounter the pawl 35 to prevent the slide member I8 from being drawn off the base member M. If desired the free end wall of the base member It may have an out-turned stop lug 43 engaging in a longitudinal slot 44 of the slide member I8 with the end walls of the slot 44 acting with the lug 43 to arrest both inner and outer sliding movements of the slide member I 8.

In the use of the device, to close the clasp the members are folded over upon one another in a well-known manner with the slide member I8 pulled all the way out with reference to the base member It so that when the top or cover member A descends upon the intermediate or central member B and the bottom member C the cutaway portions I9 will receive therein the slide member I8. The slide member I8 is thereupon pushed inwardly, the pawl 36 clicking over the ratchet teeth 39 and the side walls and inturned I flanges of the slide member I8 being received within the inturned flanges I! of the top member A whereby in its inner position the slide member I8 interlocks with the top member A and the entire clasp assembly is thus locked in the connected or folded position.

In this folded condition the interior mechanism is fully concealed with the exception of the lateral button or pusher I5 which projects laterally to only a small extent due to the fact that only a restricted lateral travel is required of this pusher member in disengaging the pawl 36 from the ratchet teeth 39.

To open the clasp, it is necessary only for the free hand to be engaged with the clasp and the thumb or a finger used to depress the pusher I5 inwardly sufficiently to disengage the pawl 36 from the ratchet teeth 39. This may be done with the same motion that the hands are separated thus exerting a pull on the slide member I8 until the same reaches the outer limit of its movement whereby the slide member will be released from the inturned flanges II of the top member A. The coil spring 30 which has been Moreover, this brass cover plate 21 conceals the fiat spring 30 and generally adds a finish to the clasp.

It will be appreciated that the use of a fiat spring 30 without any U turns enables the same to be housed in a base member I4 of small depth in a radial direction on the curvature on which all of the members are generally struck.

The present application involves certain improvements over the device disclosed in my prior application Serial No. 57,053, filed October 28, 1948 in which the claims cover the hinged folding sections one of which carries a slide section with interlocking parts on the slide section and one of the folding sections, which parts are disengageable in the expanded position of the slide section and with spring means to at least partially unfold the hinged sections automatically when the interlocking parts are freed by the movement of the slide member to the expanded position.

The claims in the present application deal more particularly with parts and combinations not disclosed in said earlier application, which parts are identified as the laterally movable fiat pawl spring 30 with pawl 36 and pusher [5, with the spring cover plate 21 and with the slide member l8 interlocked to the base member but permitted a limited sliding movement thereon.

It is obvious that various changes and modifications may be made in the details of construction and design of the above specifically described embodiment of this invention without departing from the spirit thereof, such changes and modifications being restricted only by the scope of the following claims:

What I claim is:

1. An adjustable bracelet clasp comprising a base member having a laterally wide box at one end portion and being narrower for the remainder of its length with side walls having a constricted portion adjacent said wider end, a fiat spring having a T-head received in said wide box and having a fulcrum at one side adjacent the box engaging against one wall of the base member, said fiat spring being narrower than the base member and extending from said fulcrum outwardly to the free end in a generally diagonal direction toward the opposite wall of said base member, a pawl carried laterally of the fiat spring and extending slidably through said opposite wall, a pusher laterally of the spring beyond the pawl, and a slide member slidably mounted on the base member and having ratchet teeth positioned to engage said pawl.

2. An adjustable bracelet clasp as claimed in claim 1 characterized by the fact that said side walls at or near the constricted portion confine the fiat spring in place with a cover plate for the spring with portions of the side walls of the base member bent inwardly to confine the cover plate in place.

3. An adjustable bracelet clasp as claimed in claim 1 characterized by the fact that the slide member and base member have interlocking complemental means to retain the members together while permitting of relative sliding movement and with stop means to restrict the inner and outer relative sliding movement of the members.

OTTO ROBERT KOSTKA.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,881,918 Patten Oct. 11, 1932 2,057,589 Prestinari Oct. 13, 1936 2,097,055 Bender Oct. 26, 1937 2,215,527 Kestenman Sept. 24, 1940 2,240,479 Borden May 6, 1941 2,262,623 Ritter Nov. 11, 1941 2,309,510 Jacobowitz Jan. 26, 1943 2,461,309 Cedar Feb. 8, 1949

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