US2896289A - Bracelet and attachment - Google Patents

Description

July 28, 1 59 E. RODRIGUEZ 2,896,289

BRACELET END ATTACHMENT Filed Jan. 21, 1955 United States Patent ice 2,896,289 BRACELET END ATTACHMENT Emil Rodriguez, New York, N.Y., assignor to Jacobygender, Inc., Woodside, N.Y., a corporation of New ork Application January 21, 1955, Serial No. 483,252

14 Claims. (Cl. 24-235) The present invention relates to an attachment adapted to be secured to the end of a bracelet or the like and to fasten that bracelet to some other object, such as a watch, having a horizontally apertured lug thereon.

Ladies wrist watches are customarily provided with decorative lugs at each end thereof, those lugs being comparatively narrow, thus conforming to the size of the watch, and having a horizontal aperture through which some fastening element forming a part of a Wrist Watch bracelet is adapted to pass. Various means have been proposed for securing bracelet ends to these watch lugs. Initially a split ring was used for that purpose. It was, however, not particularly attractive, and it did not permit ready attachment or detachment of the bracelet from the watch. The split ring construction was modified in order to avoid some of these defects,.one such construction being shown in Bender Patent 2,266,951 of December 23, 1941, owned by the assignee of this application. Nevertheless, that and similar attaching means left much to be desired, not only with respect to security of attachment and readiness of detachment, but also from the esthetic or decorative point of view.

The development of the art proceeded along two different lines, one typified by Duerr Patent 2,624,092 of January 6, 1953, entitled End Clasp for a'Bracelet or the Like, the other typified by Bender Patent 2,680,274 of June 8,1954, entitled Wrist Watch Bracelet Connecnon-functional in appearance.

2,896,289 Patented July 28, 1959 case to the bracelet, thus greatly enhancing the appearance of the ensemble. The bracelet is brought closely and snugly up to the watch case so that there is no visible gap therebetween, thus simulating an appearance of unitary watch-bracelet combinations which are generally considerably more expensive than normal watches to which separate bracelets are attached. The means for fastening the bracelet to the watch is completely hidden from view when the watch and bracelet are fixed to the wrist of the wearer, thus rendering the ensemble Wholly The absence of gaps or rings also materially simplifies the problem of cleaning the bracelet and connector since it is not necessary to clean inside restricted openings. These advantages, characteristic of the Bender type of construction set forth above, are accomplished together with a marked gain tor, both of these patents being owned by the assignee I of the instant application. 7

Functionally the Duerr type of end attachment is exceedingly effective, and is still in widespread use. However it is not quite as effective as might be desired relative to its integration into the decorative scheme of a given bracelet. In addition, although the hooks hug the side of the watch lugs quite snugly, and therefore minimize any visual impression that the bracelet is spaced unduly from the watch, the appearance of such a spacing is often unavoidable, and the fact that the watch appearance of the watch-bracelet combination, but it has the drawback that the watch and bracelet can be attached to and detached from one another only a very limited number of times, those operations also requiring the use of special tools.

For want of better structures, the art for many years has been using end attachments either of one or the other of the two general types described above, accepting the advantages of each for a given application and putting up with the attendant disadvantages. According to the present invention, however, it is no longer necessary to make such a compromise. The bracelet end attachments here disclosed and claimed permit the designer to inipart to the watch case, the end attachment and the bracelet an agreeable conformity of design which leads the eye smoothly and uninterruptedly from the watch in the readiness of attachability and detachability, those operations being performable without requiring the use of any tools or any mechanical skill and thus eliminating the need to have a jeweler perform such operations. This not only represents a saving in time to the jeweler, but also permits the user of the bracelet to have a plurality of bracelets for a given watch, the user being able himself to change bracelets in order that the selected bracelet might conform to a particular style of dress. The attaching and detaching operations may be performed an almost indefinite number of times without destroying or impairing the security of the attachment of the watch to the bracelet.

Thus the best features of both the Duerr and Bender type of attachments have been incorporated into a single structure.

This has been accomplished by utilizing a closure member which is pivotal about a vertical axis and which is spring urged to its position received within the housing, in which position a finger on the closure member passes through the horizontal aperture in the watch lug, the lug in turn being prevented from escaping from the finger because it is rece'ivedwithin an opening in the housing which is spanned by the closure member finger. The finger is, however, manually movable against the action of the spring to a position in which it at least partially extends laterally beyond the housing, the closure member finger then being withdrawn from the housing opening and from the lateral aperture in the watch lug, thus permitting the watch lug to escape from the housing. The action of the spring on the closure member ensures that the bracelet and watch cannot become separated no matter what forces are applied to the watch, nor in what direction those forces are applied, the housing preventing the watch from engaging the closure member in such a way as to move it against the action of the spring.

' The structure of the present invention is simple and compact, and may be produced and assembled quite inexpensively.

To the accomplishment of the above, and to such other objects as may hereinafter appear, the present invention relates to the construction of a bracelet end attachment as defined in the appended claims and as described in this specification, taken together with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of one embodiment of the present invention, showing the manner in which it is adapted to cooperate with a wrist watch;

Fig. 2 is a three-quarter perspective View, on an enlarged scale, of an embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 3 is a View of the attachment of Fig. 2 taken from the opposite side;

Fig. 4 is an exploded view of the elements of the attachment of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a three-quarter perspective view of the closure member, spring, and lower base plate section assembled together;

Fig. 6 is a top plan view, partially broken away, of the attachment of Fig. 2;

Fig. 7 is a bottom plan view thereof, the closure memher being shown in solid lines in its securing position and in broken lines in its releasing position; and

Fig. 8 is a cross sectional view taken along the line 8-8 of Fig. 6.

The attachment of the present invention, generally designated 2, is secured to the end of a bracelet 4. The attachment 2 is adapted to be used in conjunction with a wrist watch generally designated 6 having lugs or bails 8 at the ends thereof, horizontal apertures 10 passing through the lugs or bails 8.

The end attachment 2 comprises a base generally designated 12 formed of two sections 12a and 12b, the latter being positioned directly under the former. The sections 12:: and 1212 have rearwardly extending portions 14a and 1411 respectively, the former having downwardly depending flanges 16 between which the portion 14b is received. The flanges 16 are apertured at 18 so as to permit the base 12 to be secured to the end of the bracelet proper 4. The forwardly extending portions of the base sections 12a and 12b are provided with a pair of laterally spaced end portions 20a and 20b respectively separated by openings 22a and 22b respectively. The end portions 20:: of the upper base plate section 12a are provided at their tips with reversely bent and downwardly extending hooked portions 64. The laterally spaced end portions 20b of the lower base plate section 12b are received directly under the correspondingend portions 20a of the upper section 12a, the hooked portion 64 extending below the end portions 20b. The upper base section 12a is provided with an aperture 26a and the lower base section 1212 is provided with an aperture 26b, the latter being coaxial with the former but having a greater diameter. A slot 66 extends outwardly from the inner surface of the aperture 26b.

The closure member 28a comprises a hub 30 centrally apertured at 32a, a portion 36 connecting the hub 30a to an arcuate finger 38 the curvature of which is substantially concentric with the aperture 32a. The aperture 32a is coaxial with and of substantially the same size as the aperture 26b, and a slot 68 extends outwardly from the inner surface of the aperture 32a. The thickness of the finger 38 is substantially equal to the distance that the hook portions 64 extend below the end portions 20b. A coil spring 42a is received partially within the aperture 32a in the closure member 28a and partially within the aperture 26]) in the base section 12b, the upper spring end 44a being received within the slot 66 and the lower spring end 46a being received within the slot 68. As may best be seen from Figs. 58, the spring 42a is of such a height as to be substantially completely received within the registering apertures 32a and 26b when the closure member 2811 is positioned directly under the lower base section 12b. The base sections 12a and 12b and the closure member 28a are held together by means of a rivet or eyelet 70 the shank of which is passable through the interior of the coil spring 42a, the eyelet head 72 underlying and supporting the closure member 28a, the upper tip of the eyelet 70 being spun over at 74 in order to hold the parts assembled. As may be seen from Fig. 5, the spring 42a is so biased as to tend to cause the tip of the finger 38 to pass beyond the end portion 20b toward which it extends.

An ornamental shell 54 conforms to the configuration of the base 12 and is secured thereto in conventional manner, as by having the depending side flanges 55 of the rear portion of the shell 54 bent around the undersurfaces of the flanges 16 on the base portion 14a, as at 58 (see Fig. 7). The upper surface of the shell 54, which is preferably raised above the base, plate 12,. may.

be ornamented or shaped in any desired fashion. The shell 54 has laterally spaced end portions 20'a separated by an opening 22'a. The outer side flange 56 on that one of the shell end portions 20a toward which the finger 38 is directed extends downwardly into the path of the finger 38 (see Fig. 3). The shell outer side flange 56' on the other side of the attachment (see Fig. 2) terminates at a point above the closure member 28a so as not to interfere with movement thereof.

The spring 42a is so biased that the closure member 28a tends to pivot in a clockwise direction with respect to the base 12, as viewed in Fig. 5, to the position shown. However, the lateral shell flange 56 will be engaged by the tip of the finger 38 before the closure member 28a can assume the spring-urged position shown in Fig. 5, thus ensuring that the closure member 28a will always be spring-biased to its securing position. The finger 38 will span the space between the tips of the end portions 20a and 20b, the closure member 28a pivoting in this springurged direction until the tip of the finger 38 engages the shell flange 56. When the closure member 28a is in this position, hereinafter termed its securing position, the only part of it which is visible from above is the finger 38, that finger having a length sufficient to completely span the opening 22'a at the widest part thereof. When the closure member 28a is in this securing position, the finger 38, as may best be seen from Fig. 1, will have passed through the lateral aperture 10 in the watch lug 8 which has previously been inserted into the opening 22'a. As a result the bracelet 4 will be attached to the watch 6 When it is desired to detach the watch 6 from the bracelet 4, the closuremember 28a is engaged from below and manually swung to its position shown in broken lines in Fig. 7 against the action of the spring 42a. This movement of the closure member 28a is permitted because the side flange 56' of the shell 54, located on the side of the attachment beyond which the portions of the closure member 28a move when the member 28 is thus positioned, does not interfere with such movement. In this position, the finger 38 will have been completely or substantially completely withdrawn laterally from the opening 22a, and will therefore have been withdrawn from the horizontal aperture 10 in the watch lug 8. The lug 8 can therefore be removed from the attachment 2. It will be appreciated that this same releasing position of the closure member 28a must be attained before the attachment 2 can again be secured to a watch lug 8, it being necessary to withdraw the finger 38 from the opening 22a in order to permit the watch lug 8 to enter that opening, release of the closure member 28a then permitting the spring 42a to move the member 28'a its securing position, with the. finger 38 passing through the lug aperture 10.

When the bracelet 4 and watch 6 are secured together, it will be apparent that the reliability of the attachment is extremely great. Any tendency of the watch 6 to rise or fall with respect to the bracelet 4 will be resisted by the rigidity of the finger 38, the attachment of the closure member 28a to the base 12, the upward support afforded the finger 38 by the shell end portions 20'a and the base portions 20a and 20b, and the downward support afforded the finger 38 by the relatively substantial bent over portions 64. Lateral movement of the Watch 6 relative to the bracelet 4 will be limited by engagement of the'watch lug 8 with the inner surfaces of the opening 22.a, lateral pressures by the watch 6 on the closure member 28a being effectively prevented thereby. Consequently any dislocati-ve forces to which the watch-bracelet combination might be expected to be subjected will be contained in a fully effective manner. At the same time the watch 6 may be separated from the bracelet 4 very readily, and without distortion of any structural member except the spring 42, which is specially designed to. withstand such distortion. As a result the closure member 28a may be moved from securing to releasing position, and back again an almost indefinite number of times without detracting from the reliability of action of the end attachment. 7

It will be noted that the spring 42a is housed in a very reliable manner, being prevented from moving upwardly by means of the upper base plate section 12a and being prevented from moving downwardly by the head 72 of the rivet or eyelet 70. These same elements serve to retain the spring ends 44a and 46a in the slots 66 and 68 respectively. The flat sheet nature of the closure member 28a further facilitates manufacture.

While only two specific embodiments have been here disclosed, it will be apparent that many variations may be made therein. all within the spirit of the invention as defined in the following claims.

I claim: 1

1. An end attachment for a bracelet or the like com prising a body having a pair of laterally spaced end portions with an opening therebetween, said body comprising a base and a shell secured to said base, said shell comprising a top wall extending over said base, a closure member articulately mounted on said base and having a finger projecting laterally therefrom, extending across said opening adjacent the tips of said body end portions for one position of said closure member and being laterally withdrawn from said opening for another position of said closure member, resilient means operatively connected between said body and said closure member and urging said closure member to said one position, said base comprising two overlying sections with registering vertical apertures therethrough, the aperture in the lower section being larger than that in the upper section and having a slot extending outwardly from the inner surface thereof, said closure member being pivotally mounted on said base by an element received substantially snugly in the aperture in said upper section but having a clearance from the aperture in said lower section, said resilient means comprising a coil spring at least partially received in said clearance between said element and the inner surface of the aperture in said lower section, one end of said spring being received within said outwardly extending slot so as to be operatively connected to said base, the other end of said spring being operatively connected to said closure member.

2. The end attachment of claim 1, in which said element is secured to said upper base section and extends along the underside of said closure member, thereby retaining said closure member adjacent said base.

3. The end attachment of claim 1, in which one of said base sections has end portions comprising hooks extending partially around and guiding the finger on said closure member.

4. The end attachment of claim 1, in which one of said base sections has end portions comprising hooks extending partially around and guiding the finger on said closure member, and in which said element is secured to sa1d upper base section and extends along the underside of said closure member, thereby retaining said closure member adjacent said base.

5. The end attachment of claim 1, in which the upper of said base plate sections has end portions comprising hooks extending partially around and guiding the fingers on said closure member.

6. The end attachment of claim 1, in which the upper of said base sections has end portions comprising hooks extending partially around and guiding the fingers on said closure member, and in which said element is secured to said upper base section and extends along the underside of said closure member, thereby retaining said closure member adjacent said base.

7. An end attachment for a bracelet or the like comprising a body having a pair of laterally spaced end portions with an opening therebetween, a closure member articulately mounted on said body and having a finger projecting laterally therefrom, extending across said operi mg adjacent the tips of said body end portions for one position of said closure memberand being laterally with drawn from said opening for another position of said closure member, and resilient means operatively con-' nected between said body and said closure member and urging said closure member to said one position, said body comprising a base on one surface of which said closure member is mounted, and a shell secured to said base, said shell comprising a top wall extending over the opposite surface of said base and a vertical side wall extending vertically beyond said end plate at one side thereof and into the path of the tip of said 'finger of said closure member, said vertical side wall being on that side of said shell corresponding to the direction in which said finger projects from said closure member and constituting a positive stop for said closure member fixing said one position thereof, said base comprising two overlying sections with registering vertical apertures therethrough, the aperture in the lower section being larger than that in the upper section and having a slot extending outwardly from the inner surface thereof, said closure member being pivotally mounted on said base by an element received substantially snugly in the aperture in said upper section but having a clearance from the aperture in said lower section, said resilient means comprising a coil spring at least partially received in said clearance between said element and the inner surface of the aperture in said lower section, one end of said spring being received within said outwardly extending slot so as to be operatively connected to said base, the other end of said spring being operativelyv connected to said closure member.

8. An end attachment for a bracelet or the like comprising a body having a pair of laterally spaced end portions with an opening therebetween said body comprising a base and a shell secured to said base, said shell comprising a top wall extending over said base, a closure member articulately mounted on said base and having a finger projecting laterally therefrom, extending across said opening adjacent the tips of said body end portions for one position of said closure member and being laterally withdrawn from said opening for another position of said closure member, resilient means operatively connected between said body and said closure member and urging said closure member to said one position, said base comprising two overlying sections with registering Vertical apertures therethrough, the aperture in the lower section being larger than that in the upper section, said closure member being pivotally mounted on said base by an element received substantially snugly in the aperture in said upper section but having a clearance from the aperture in said lower section, said resilient means comprising a coil spring at least partially received in said clearance between said element and the inner surface of the aperture in said lower section, one end of said spring being operatively connected to said closure member.

9. The end attachment of claim 8, in which one of said base sections has end portions comprising hooks extending partially around and guiding the finger on said closure member.

10. The end attachment of claim 8, in which one of said base sections has end portions comprising hooks extending partially around and guiding the finger on said closure member, and in which said element is secured to said upper base section and extends along the underside of said closure member, thereby retaining said closure member adjacent said base.

11. The end attachment of claim 8, in which the upper of said base sections has end portions comprising hooks extending partially around and guiding the fingers on said closure member.

12. The end attachment of claim 8, in which the upper of said base sections has end portions comprising hooks extending partially around and guiding the fingers on said closure member, and in which said element is secured to said upper base section and extends along the underside of said closure member, thereby retaining said closure member adjacent said base. I

13. The end attachment of claim 7, in which one of said base plate sections has end portions comprising hooks extending partially around and guiding the finger on said closure member.

14. The end attachment of claim 7, in which the upper of said base plate sections has end portions comprising hooks extending partially around and guiding the fingers on said closure member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Rairigh Sept. 26, Kelly Oct. 21, Hubbell Jan. 29, Howard Apr. 26, Dick Oct. 17, Duerr Jan. 6,

FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain Great Britain Ian. 22, France June 2,

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