US3267536A

US3267536A - Combined clip and implement holder

Info

Publication number: US3267536A
Application number: US463701A
Authority: US
Inventors: Marvin D Brown; Carter A Towbin
Original assignee: B AND R ASSOCIATES
Current assignee: B AND R ASSOCIATES
Priority date: 1965-06-14
Filing date: 1965-06-14
Publication date: 1966-08-23
Anticipated expiration: 1983-08-23

Description

Aug. 23, 1966 BROWN ET AL 3,267,536

COMBINED cm? AND IMPLEMENT HOLDER Filed June 14, 1965 FIG. 2

INVENTORS M/MV/A 0, BROWN CARTER A TOM/BIN BY W TTORNEY United States Patent 3,267,536 COMBINED CLIP AND IMPLEMENT HOLDER Marvin D. Brown, Great Neck, and Carter Towbin, Riverdale, N.Y., assignors to B and R Associates, New York N.Y. afirm Filed June 14, 1965, Ser. No. 463,701

3 Claims. (Cl. 24-49) The present invention relates to key assemblies. In particular, the present invention relates to assemblies which are adapted to be worn on ones person.

As is well known, it is quite common for the average person, at one time or another, to lose a key. It is, therefore, one of the primary objects of the present invention to provide an assembly which can be carried ab'outonones person and which will greatly reduce the possibility of loss of an important key such as a car key, a house key, or the like. i

More particularly, the objects of the present invention include the provision of an assembly which is necessarily carried about in such a way that loss of the assembly is highly unlikely.

Also, the objects of the present invention include the provision of an assembly of this type which includes a key and which accommodates the key in such a way that the presence of the key is not obvious to the casual observer.

It is furthermore an object of the present invention to provide an assembly of the above type which is exceedingly simple and inexpensive and which is capable of performing its intended function in a highly reliable manner.

Furthermore, it is an object of the present invention to provide an assembly capable of adapting a key to a conventional article which is worn on the person, so that no special manufacturing costs are involved in connection with the latter article, and only the key unit of the assembly of the invention is constructed in a special way so as to adapt itself to the conventional article.

In addition, it is an object of the invention to provide an assembly of the above type which renders the key readily removable from the assembly when it is desired to use the key as well as readily replaceable back in its position in the assembly after the key has been used.

Primarily, the structure of the present invention includes a conventional tie clasp having a front bar portion which is adapted to extend across the front of a tie when the tie clasp is worn. In accordance with the present invention, a key is situated behind the front bar portion of the tie clasp so that the key is for the most part hidden from view, and a means is provided for releasably mounting the key on the front bar portion of the tie clasp.

The invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings which form part of the application and in which:

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of one possible embodiment of an assembly according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the structure of FIG. 1 with all of the components of the assembly of the invention assembled together.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary transverse sectional view of the structure of FIG. 2 taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 2 in the direction of the arrows.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary perspective illustration of another embodiment of a key unit of the assembly of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a transverse sectional view of the structure of FIG. 4 taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 4 in the direction of the arrows.

Referring now to FIGS. 1-3, the assembly illustrated therein includes a conventional tie clasp 12 which has a front bar portion 14 adapted to extend across the front of a tie when the tie clasp 12 is worn. This front bar portion 14 has a free end 16 and an opposed curved end 18 to which a lever 20 is pivotally connected by a pin 22. A spring 24 (FIG. 2), is coiled about the pivot pin 22 and engages the bar portion 14 at its curved end 18 and the lever 20 for urging the free toothed. end 26 thereof toward the free end 16 of the front bar portion 14 of the tie clasp 12.

All of the above-described structure of the tie clasp 12 is conventional, and tie clasps of this construction can be purchased readily.

The assembly of the present invention includes, in addition to the tie clasp 12, a key or other implement 30 which has an elongated shank portion 32 provided along its lower edge, as viewed in FIG. 1, with the teeth 34 of the key. The upper edge 36 of the key 30 is straight, and this key is adapted to be situated behind the front bar portion 14 of the tie clasp 12 with the edge 36, which is coextensive with the upper front edge of the front bar portion 14, extending along this front bar portion at an elevation which situates the edge 36 at substantially the same elevation as the upper edge of the front bar portion 14, so that the straight upper edge 36 of the key 30 appears to be nothing more than a part of the front bar portion 14. The key 30 is otherwise hidden from View behind the front bar portion 14 inasmuch as the maximum width of the key is no greater than the maximum width of the front bar portion 14 of the tie clasp.

In accordance with a further feature of the invention, a means is provided for releasably mounting the key 30 on the front bar portion 14 of the tie clasp 12. In the illustrated example this means takes the form of a sleeve 40 of rectangular cross section having opposed open ends. The cross-sectional configuration of the hollow interior of the sleeve 40 matches that of the free end 16 of the front bar portion 14 of the tie clasp 12, so that the free end 16 will be received in the interior of the sleeve 40 with a snug sliding fit, as illustrated in particular in FIG. 3. It is to be noted that the sleeve 40 is fixedly carried by the key 30 at its rear shank portion and is fixed in any suitable way to an exterior side surface of the key which is directed toward the rear surface of the front bar portion 14 when the parts are entirely assembled, so that in this way the rear wall 42 of the sleeve 40 becomes situated between the key 30 and the front bar portion 14, as is also clearly apparent from FIG. 3. In addition, it is to 'be noted that the sleeve 40 extends to an elevation somewhat higher than the upper edge 36 of the key 30, so that this upper edge 36 will be very close to the same elevation as the upper edge of the front bar portion 14 of the tie clasp.

All of the parts referred to above may be made of metal, and the sleeve 40 can be fixed to the key 36 in any well known manner as through a suitable adhesive, by welding, riveting, etc.

It is not essential that the sleeve 40 be fixed in its entirety to the key 30 at one side thereof so that the entire key 30 is situated outside of the sleeve 40. Thus, FIGS. 4 and 5 show a construction where the rear shank portion of the key 30 extends into the interior of a sleeve 59 which is of a somewhat larger cross-sectional size than the sleeve 40. In this case, the rear surface of the rear shank portion of the key 30 is fixed to an inner side surface of the sleeve 50. The opening 52 in the interior of the key 50 is in this case of such a size and configuration that it will receive not only the rear shank portion of the key 30 but also the free end 16 of the front bar portion 14 of the tie clasp, so that with this construction the connecting means 50 completely surrounds both the key and the end 16 of the tie clasp front 3 bar 14. Also, the key is situated directly next to the bar 14.

When the above-described assembly 10 of the invention is carried about on the person, the casual observer is completely unaware of the fact that the 'assembly includes a key. The front exposed face of the sleeve 40 or the sleeve 50 can be decoratively marked so that it will harmonize with the front exposed surface of the bar 14 f the tie clasp. Whenever the wearer of the assembly wishes to use the key he need only actuate the lever 20 in the same way as when releasing the tie clasp, and the key can immediately he slipped off from the tie clasp so as to be used either in the ingnition switch of a car, to open the lock of a house, or for any other important lock for which the key is designed. After use, the key can be quickly and easily returned to its position behind the front bar 14 of the tie clasp 12. Thus, if it should happen that the wear of the assembly of the invention forgets a key, a 'spare key will always be available while at the same time it occupies very little space and forms an unobvious part of an assembly which in any event is worn on the person.

It is to be noted that the security of the mounting of the key on the tie clasp is enhanced by the spring pressure which urges the toothed end 26 of the lever 20 toward the end 16 of the bar 14. This pressure causes the free end 26 to act through the tie on the key 30 itself to hold the latter in frictional engagement with the front bar 14, so that a very secure mounting of the key is achieved.

Although the present invention has been described in some detail with relation to a key assembly, by way of illustration and example for purposes of clarity and understanding, it is understood that certain changes and modifications may be made within the spirit of the invention and scope of the appended claims. Obviously, any other implement may be substituted for the key.

What is claimed is:

1. An assembly, adapted to be carried about on ones person, comprising a tie clasp having a front bar portion adapted to extend across the front of a tie when the tie clasp is worn, said tie clasp having a rear lever pivotally connected to said front bar portion and a spring urging a free end of said lever toward a free end of said front bar portion, an elongated key situated between said lever and front bar portion and having a free end situated between said free end of said lever and said free end of said front bar portion so that the force of said spring urging said free end of said lever toward said free end of said front bar portion will urge said key toward said front bar portion, said key fixedly carrying, at said free end thereof, a sleeve member which slidably receives in its interior the free end of said front bar portion of said tie clasp.

2. An assembly as recited in claim 1 and wherein said sleeve member surrounds both said key and said front bar portion at said free ends thereof when said key is situated behind said front bar portion of said tie clasp.

3. An assembly as recited in claim 1 and wherein said sleeve is fixed to an exterior surface of said key completely outside of the latter and has a wall portion situated between said free end of said key and said free end of said front bar portion.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,981,740 11/1934 Mix 2449 2,226,969 12/1940 DOnofrio.

2,506,481 5/1950 Bagnall 24-49 2,528,527 11/1950 Lavanish 2449 2,694,921 11/ 1954 Kerner.

2,737,698 3/1956 Falk 24-49 2,887,747 5/1959 Bellman 2449 3,077,892 2/1963 Carruth 2449 X WILLIAM FELDMAN, Primary Examiner.

D. GRIFFIN, Assistant Examiner.

Claims

1. AN ASSEMBLY, ADAPTED TO BE CARRIED ABOUT ON ONE''S PERSON, COMPRISING A TIE CLASP HAVING A FRONT BAR PORTION ADAPTED TO EXTEND ACROSS THE FRONT OF A TIE WHEN THE TIE CLASP IS WORN, SAID TIE CLASP HAVING A REAR LEVER PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO SAID FRONT BAR PORTION AND A SPRING URGING A FREE END OF SAID LEVER TOWARD A FREE END OF SAID FRONT BAR PORTION, AN ELONGATED KEY SITUATED BETWEEN SAID LEVER AND FRONT BAR PORTION AND HAVING A FREE END SITUATED BETWEEN SAID FREE END OF SAID LEVER AND SAID FREE END OF SAID FRONT BAR PORTION SO THAT THE FORCE OF SAID SPRING URGING SAID FREE END OF SAID LEVER TOWARD SAID FREE END OF SAID FRONT BAR PORTION WILL URGE SAID KEY TOWARD SAID FRONT BAR PORTION, SAID KEY FIXEDLY CARRYING, AT SAID FREE END THEREOF, A SLEEVE MEMBER WHICH SLIDABLY RECEIVES IN ITS INTERIOR THE FREE END OF SAID FRONT BAR PORTIONS OF SAID TIE CLASP.