US2743857A - Safety wrist watch bracelet band - Google Patents

Description

May 1, 1956 GOLD ET AL SAFETY WRIST WATCH BRACELET BAND Filed Dec. 4. 1953 HERMAN GOLD HERMAN BOGIN United States Patent SAFETY WRIST WATCH BRACELET BAND Abraham Gold, Herman Gold, and Herman Begin, New York, N. Y., assignors to Gold Bros. inc, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application December 4, 1953, Serial No. 396,116

1 Claim. (Cl. 2244) This invention relates to a Watch band of the bracelet type. More particularly, the invention has reference to a band as described having an improved, simplified safety connection between the component parts thereof.

Heretofore, safety watch bands of the type stated have required safety catches of overly complex design, and in addition, have often involved the conspicuous display of said catches, both of which characteristics have been obviously undesirable.

An important object of the present invention, accordingly, is to provide a band as stated which will be designed for surely and inconspicuously joining together the component band sections, in a manner that will make completely invisible the features of the construction that insure against accidental separation of the sections while the band is being worn.

Another object of importance is to so design the band as to increase measurably the attractiveness thereof, Without detracting from its efficient operation.

A further object is to provide a watch band the sections of which can be disengaged from each other responsive to a small amount of pressure exerted transversely and inwardly of one of the sections at opposite sides thereof.

Still another object is to provide, in a watch band as described, an ornamentally shaped cross brace having normally undetected qualities of flexibility that impart to the side portions of the band a spreading action whenever desired for the purpose of connection or disconnection of the sections.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, and to the appended claim in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a watch and of a band therefor formed in accordance with the invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary elevational view of the band, the dotted lines showing the sections connected and the full lines showing them disconnected.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing a modification.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view on line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a view of the modified form similar to Fig. 3.

The reference numeral 10 has been applied generally to a wrist watch, to which is applied the band 12 constituting the invention.

The band comprises a pair of arcuate sections 14, 16, each of which will be described in turn. Section 14 includes a pair of identical, elongated side rods 18 each curved throughout its length so as to cause the section 14 to extend through substantially half the circumference of the wrist. As will be noted from Figs. 2 and 3, the side rods converge in a direction away from the wrist watch 2 10, so as to decrease the width of the band section gradually in said direction.

At their divergent ends, the side rods are fixedly secured to the opposite ends of a connecting sleeve 20 extending transversely therebetween, and adjacent the sleeve 20, the rods are rigid with the opposite ends of a cross brace 22 disposed in closely spaced, parallel relation to the connecting sleeve to provide added reinforcement at this important location. 'Sleeve 20 is provided with the usual telescopic pin engageable in pin-receiving sockets of the wrist watch casing.

Intermediate its ends, but closer to that end thereof remote from wrist Watch, the band section is formed with an intermediate cross brace 22 which, for the purpose of making both sections uniform, is formed from a length of spring material the convolutions of which are arranged in a tight, closed spiral, the ends of the brace 22 being made rigid with the respective side rods.

That end of the band section remote from the watch is formed with a transversely extending catch sleeve 26 slightly shorter in length than the distance between the outer side surfaces of the side rods.

Band section 16 is formed with a pair of convergent side rods 28 analogous to side rods 18, and connected at their divergent ends by a connecting sleeve 30 having a telescopic pin engageable with the wrist watch. Immediately adjacent sleeve 30 there is provided a cross brace 32 which, like the connecting sleeve, is made rigid at its ends with the side rods to strongly reinforce section 16 at the location of its attachment to the watch.

Intermediate the ends of the section 16, but closer to that end thereof remote from the watch, is an intermediate brace member or cross brace 34 formed from a length of tightly coiled spring material. Ordinarily, brace 34 (which is rigid at its ends with the side rods, is straight from end to end as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3. However, the brace, being formed of spring material, is capable of springable deflection along lines normal to its axis, as shown in 'full lines in Fig. 3.

it will be understood, in this connection, that while the brace 22 of section 14 is inherently capable of similar flexure, it is never flexed once the band section 14 is completed because the side rods 13 are fixedly held against movement toward or away from one another at both ends of the section 14.

This is not true, however, of section 16, as will be apparent from a study of the full and dotted line showings of Fig. 3. Rods 28 are not connected at these ends thereof remote from the watch, and are instead provided at said ends with pointed fingers 36 extending toward one another so as to be engageable in opposite ends of the sleeve 26.

In use of the band, and assuming that it is to be caught about the wrist, the wearer exerts pressure with his index finger 38 and thumb 40 inwardly and transversely of the section 16, against the side rods 28 thereof, at a location between the flexible brace 3d and the wrist watch. This causes flexure of the brace 34, the portions of rods 23 pressed against by the index finger and thumb being forced toward one another. It will be understood, in this regard, that the rods 28, while relatively rigid members, still have a certain springiness, due to their length and the material of which they are formed.

As a resultof the pressure and the accompanying flex ure of brace 34, the free ends of rods 28 will shift away from one another, the spreading of the jaws or fingers 36 deriving from pivoting of the rods 28 about an axis located substantially at the midlength point of the brace 34.

All this is shown in full lines in Fig. 3, and with the jaws spread, the user now positions the jaws in alignment with the catch sleeve 26, and releases the rods.

The rods will now spring back to their original position and the jaws or fingers 36 will engage in the ends of sleeve 26. To insure that the jaws will remain in engagement with sleeve 26, the rods 28 and springable cross brace 34 are tensioned to normally bias the jaws in a direction toward one another.

The band sections, once connected in, this manner, will not accidentally separate under any circumstances, because the disengagement of the jaws from the sleeve-26 will occur only when an inward pressure is exerted positively against both side rods 28 at the same time, at the location shown in Fig. 3.

In Figs. 4-6, a modified form is shown which does not utilize coil spring material for the laterally deformable cross brace. In this form, designated generally at 42, there are provided band sections which are almost identical to those Previously described herein. One section, thus, includesconvergent side rods 44 connected rigidly at their divergent ends by a pin-provided connecting sleeve 46 and end cross brace 48. Intermediate their ends, the rods 44 are rigidly connected by a cross brace 50 formed from a length of, rod material. At their convergent ends, rods 44 are rigidly connected by a catch sleeve 54.

The other section includes arcuate, convergent side rods 54 rigidly connected at one end by a connecting sleeve 56 and, end cross brace 58. Intermediate their ends, at

the same location as that chosen for the brace 34 of the first'form, the rods 54 are made rigid with the outer ends of brace sections 60, 62 respectively. Brace sections 60, 62 are shown to advantage in Fig. 5, from which it is seen that each extends through half the distance between the side rods.

The brace sections are normally coaxially aligned, each being formed from a length of rod material rigid at its outer end with a side rod. The meeting ends of the brace sections are shiplapped and pivotally connected by a pin 64. As a result, the brace defined by sections 60, 62 is laterally deformable in the same manner as the spring brace 34.

On die free ends of rods 54, inwardly turned jaws 66 are provided, and are adapted to engage in the ends of sleeve 52.

The form of Figs. 4-6 is usable in the same manner as the first form, that is, a pressure exerted inwardly and transversely of the rods 54 causes lateral deflection of the brace tending to spread jaws 66 for subsequent insertion in sleeve 52.

The entire band will, of course, in a commercial embodiment of the invention be suitably ornamented and formed from attractive material, and can be gold plated or otherwise treated to improve its appearance.

While we have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of our invention, it is to be understood that we do not limit ourselves to the precise constructions herein disclosed and the right is reserved to all changes and modifications coming within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claim.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is:

A wrist watch band of the bracelet type comprising a wrist-encircling body composed of a pair of arcuatelyshaped band sections, each band section comprising a pair of spaced parallel rods with a transversely disposed sleeve connecting one end of each pair of rods, telescopically arranged and movable pins mounted in the ends of said sleeves for interlocking with sockets in a wrist watch casing, the opposite ends of the rods of said sections being pivotally and detachably connected, said connection including a transversely disposed sleeve at said opposite ends of the rods of one of said sections, and opposed pointed jaws on said opposite ends of the rods of the other band section for interlocking with the ends of said latter sleeve, and a resilient transversely disposed brace between said jaw carrying rods, intermediate their ends, said resilient brace serving as a fulcrum upon exerting pressure in opposite directions upon the braced rods at a point between said brace and the sleeve connected end of said jaw carrying section whereby said jaws may be sprung out of the ends of said last-named sleeve.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,272,257 Heller July 9, 1918 2,313,073 Hovey Mar. 9, 1943 2,461,693 McAloon Feb. 15, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS 7,494 Great Britain 1892

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