US3168768A - Jewelry clasp - Google Patents

Description

1965 E. BOHLINGER ETAL 3,

JEWELRY CLASP Filed May 27, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet l 19 RNE K5 1965 E. BOHLINGER ETAL 3,

JEWELRY CLASP 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 27, 1963 IIIIII. 4,

INVENTORS ERN5T BOHLINGER SAM UEL FRIEDMAN g H7TORNE United States Patent 3,168,763 JEWELRY CLASP Ernst Bohlinger, 31-15 21st Ave., Astoria, N.Y., and Samuel Friedman, 556 Ave. Z, Brooklyn, NY. Filed May 27, I963, Ser. No. 283,281 1 Claim. (Ql. 24-116) This invention relates to a jewelry clasp which is especially adapted for releasably connecting together the ends of a flexible chain bracelet or a necklace, and is equally well adapted to be removably secured to a persons clothing and have various articles of costume jewelry detachably connected thereto.

According to the invention there is provided a cradle which has a transverse notch. The cradle has at one end a hinged cover which is biased outwardly by a spring. At the other end of the cradle is a hinged locking detent biased inwardly by the same spring which biases the cover or by a separate spring. The cover has a notch which registers with the notch in the cradle for engaging therein the string of a necklace or a loop of an article of jewelry. The cradle may be ornamented with jewels or other decorative elements. In another form of the invention the cover itself is provided with spring fingers which are engaged by the hinged locking detent. When the detent is retracted, the cover springs open to release the part of the jewelry engaged by the cradle.

The principal object of the invention is to provide an ornamental jewelry clasp which is adapted to securely, but releasably, connect the ends of a jewelry chain together, and/ or to have various articles of costume jewelry detachably connected thereto.

Another object of the invention is to provide a clasp of the aforesaid character which is of simple construction and can be easily and unexpensively manufactured.

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 bodying the invention, the position.

FIG. 2 is a top plan View of the open clasp.

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the clasp in closed position.

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the closed clasp with an end of a necklace engaged therein.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale taken on line 5--5 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 5 showing another form of the invention.

FIG. 7 is a top plan view similar to FIG. 2 of the clasp of FIG. 6 in open position.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of another clasp embodying the invention, the clasp being shown in open position.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a jewelry loop engageable in the clasp of FIG. 8.

FIG. 10 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale similar to FIG. 5, of the clasp of FIG. 8.

Referring first to FIGS. 1-5, there is shown a jewelry clasp 10 including an elongated cradle 12. The cradle is channel-shaped with two fiat parallel walls 14 integrally joined by a fiat bottom wall 16. Aligned notches 18 are formed in the walls 14 extending downwardly from their upper curved edges toward bottom wall 16. The notches are centrally located between opposite ends of the cradle. At one end of the cradle is a cover 26 pivotof a jewelry clasp emclasp being shown in open ally secured by a pintle 22. The cover has an outer curved plate 24 provided with an inner central rib 25. A notch 26 is formed in this rib. This notch registers with and defines a closed aperture with notches 18 when the cover is closed as clearly shown in FIG. 5.

The free end of the plate 24 is formed with an in dentation 28 for engaging a detent member or detent plate. Apertured loops or eyes 29 are integrally formed with and extend outwardly of the end of the cover near pintle 22. These loops can be used to engage one end of a necklace or other piece of jewelry or a suitable catch or pin for mounting the jewelry on a support.

At the other end of the clasp is a detent member 30. This member has a finger 32 which engages over the indentation 28 of cover plate 24 when the cover is closed. The detent member is pivotally mounted by a pintle 34. Two cross pins 36 and 38 are located in the cradle near opposite ends thereof parallel to and near the bottom wall 16. A spring 44) is coiled at one end around cross pin 36 and its free end 42 engages underneath rib to bias the cover to an open position. The spring is coiled at its other end around pin 38 and its other free end 44 bears down on a finger 46 extending inwardly of the cradle from the detent member. Spring end 44.biases the detent plate or member to a counterclockwise position as viewed in FIG. 5 so that detent finger 32 bears down on the cover end at indentation 28 to hold the cover closed. A loop is formed at the top of the detent member for manually retracting the detent member and releasing the cover plate, whereupon spring end 42 will move the plate upwardly to open the aperture defined by mating notches 18, 26.

FIG. 2 and FIG. 5 show one end of string 48 at one end of necklace 50 engaged in notches 18. The other end 39 of the string is engaged in one of the loops 29 so that the necklace defines a closed loop with the closed jewelry clasp 10.

In FIGS. 6 and 7 is shown another jewelry clasp 19 which is similar to clasp Ill and corresponding parts are identically numbered. In clasp 10 two springs til and 4% are provided instead of the single spring 40 of clasp 10. The provision of two springs facilitates assembly and permits springs of difierent sizes and tensions to be employed.

A jewelry loop 52 in the form of a rectangular frame has a crossbar 54 engaged in the notches 1% closed by notch 26. The loop 52 has eyes 54- on its end and sides to which can be attached ends of a plurality of necklaces. Alternatively jewels of various kinds can be mounted in the eyes 54.

In FIGS. 8, l0, jewelry clasp 10 is also similar to clasp l0 and corresponding parts are identically numbered. At the free end of cover plate 24 is formed a notched spring finger 60. This finger is engaged by finger 32 of detent member 30 to hold the plate in a closed position as shown in FIG. 10. The detent member has a plate portion 46 which pivots inwardly and rests on the bottom wall 16 when the detent member is in the closed position. The detent member has a loop 45 at its free end which is engaged manually to pivot the detent member to an open position and at the same time releasing spring finger 6th of the cover 20 A single loop or eye 29 is provided at the end of the cover near pintle 2 2, and a jewel or other ornament 63 is mounted on the outer side of plate 24 Another jewelry catch element in the form of an H-shaped frame 65 shown in FIG. 9, may be provided for engagement between notches 18, 26. This frame has a crossbar 66 which engages in the aperture defined by the notches in closed position of cover 20 The plates 24 and 24 may be ornamented by the mounting of other jewels thereon. Various other decorative ornaments may be provided on the cradle and cover. An attractive jeweled ornament can be attached to the catch element 65 for retention by the lock 16, 115 or 16 The lock can then be secured by a pin or other mounting member to a garment or other support.

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 that various changes and modifications may be made 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 jewelry clasp of the character described comprising an elongated narrow channel-shaped cradle having a pair of spaced parallel vertically disposed side walls with the lower ends thereof connected together by an integral horizontally disposed bottom wall, each of said side walls being provided with a centrally disposed notch which extends downwardly from the upper edge thereof, said notches being disposed in axial alignment with each other; a cover plate which is adapted to engage the upper edges of said side walls to thereby close the open upper end of said cradle, means pivotally connecting said cover plate to said cradle adjacent one end thereof for back and forth movement between open and closed position, a detent member which is pivotally connected to said cradle adjacent the opposite end thereof and is operative to releasably latch said cover plate in closing position,

spring means by which said cover'plate is yicldingly biased to open position and said detent member is yieldingly biased to latching position; a centrally disposed longitudinally extending rib which is secured to the inner surface of said cover plate and extends downwardly therefrom into said cradle between the said side walls thereof when said cover plate is in cradle closing position, said rib being provided with a notch which extends inwardly from the free edge of said rib and is disposed in axial alignment with the said notches in said side walls when said cover plate is in cradle closing position, said aligned notches providing a closed aperture in which a jewelry element is adapted to be removably secured when said cover plate is in closing position.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,126,488 1/15 Koski et al 24-241 1,814,475 7/31 Kesterman.

1,895,952 1/33 Wachenheimer 24-73.12 2,044,869 6/36 Alkin 24-265 2,211,018 8/40 Levine 24-241 2,355,926 8/ 44 Rodriguez 24-241 2,633,619 4/53 Rodriguez 24-241 3,114,187 12/63 Wayne 24-116.1

FOREIGN PATENTS 262,178 9/49 Switzerland. 7

DONLEY J. STOCKING, Primary Examiner.

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