US2012401A - Ornamental jewelry construction - Google Patents

Description

0. F. PLACCO ORNAMENTAL JEWELRY CONSTRUCTION Filed Feb. 16, 1934 Patented Aug. 27, 1935 Oscar Frank Placco, Cranston, R. 1., assignor to Cohn 8; Rosenberg-er, Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application February 16, 1934, Serial No. 711,537

13 Claims. (01. sa 14);

5 Fig. 6 is a'central vertical section through the sonal wear have heretofore included two memassembled earring, the parts being in closed posibers adapted to respectively engage the twosides tion; 7 of an ear lobe, and constrained to close towards Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 6, the parts being each other and grip the ear lobe, by a spring or inopen position;

other resilient member. This construction has Fig. 8 is a side elevation of a modified construccertain disadvantageous features, in that the tion of my invention; and spring tension is constantly maintained, whereby Fig. 9 is an enlarged detail'showing the locking the parts are always pressed towards each'other end of the closure member.

and grip the ear lobe with a continuous pressure; I have found it feasible to devise an earring l the spring or other resilient member, because of construction which utilizes a small number of inits continuous closing tendency, has also required expensive and easily assembled parts, and which the earring to be positively held open by the includes a spring arrangement that interposes a fingers prior to fastening onthe earlobe. firm resistance to opening of the earring and yet Moreover, the earrings heretofore used have maintains a relatively mild pressure capable of 0 tended to concentrate the binding or holding presholding an earring against accidental removal sure on asmall area of the ear lobe, thus increasfrom the ear lobe of awearer, without inconing the discomfort of the wearer; the constant veniencing the wearer. To this end, I have depressure on this area has aggravated the discomvised an earring construction which includes fort, as it has been difficult heretofore to-provide a'base that is suitable for ornamentation, and a 25 a construction capable of firmly resisting opening closure member which carries aspring, this spring or releasing, while at the same time maintaining being designed to cooperate with a fixed fulcrum its grip on the ear lobe by exerting a relatively cam on the base so as to interpose a substantial gentle pressure just sufficient for the desired purresistance to opening movement of the earring pose, parts, the spring pressure when the earring parts 30 It is the present object of my invention to deare in closed position being just sufficient to mainvise an earring construction which will strongly tain the earring parts locked against accidental resist opening or releasing, and which will at the displacement. Preferably, the holding effect is same time exert an effective grip that will i not facilitated by providing an enlarged gripping surproduce any discomfort to the ear of the wearer face orltheearring parts, having cooperating pro- 35 l and yet will be sufficient to lock the earring in jections or knobs which extend over a considerplace against accidental removal. Further obable portion of the earlobe. Moreover, the spring jects of my invention are to simplify the manuand its abutment cam cooperate to keep the parts facture of an earring of the described type and open when in fully opened position, thus increasto produce a stronger construction having a longer ing the convenience of the wearer when putting 40 effective life. r i on or takingoff the'earring.

With the above and other objects and ad- I have further provided a construction which vantageous features in View, my invention conmay be readily modified to definitely limit movesists of a novel arrangement of parts more fully ment of the base or the closure member towards disclosed in the detailed description following, each other when in closed position, so as to pre- 45 in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, vent excessive gripping effects when the earlobe is and more specifically defined in the claims apunusually heavy or thick. pended thereto. The above construction is more fully described In the drawing, V in the detailed description following. Referring Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the applicato the drawing; the earring H], see Fig; 1, con- 50 tion of the novel earring to an ear lobe; sists of two parts, a base I I and a closure member Fig. 2 is a perspective View of a preferred em- 12, the base ll being shaped as shown in Fig. 4 bodiment of my invention, the parts being in and having a combined hinge and fulcrum cam closed position; member l3 which is preferably formed of sheet Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig.2, the parts being metal and firmly secured to the base as by solin open position; dering or welding, the member I3 having a for- My present invention relates to ornamental jewelry constructions, and has particular reference to a novel construction of earringsfor personal wear. c

Earrings of the spring type designed for per- Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the novel earring base;

a Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the closure member;

wardly extended cam portion I4, a rear generally flat portion l5 and a hinge pin opening l6 formed between these two portions to accommodate a hinge pin as hereinafter described.

The closure member l2, see Fig. 5, is preferably made of resilient sheet metal, and includes two side parts ll, it which have their ends curled or rolled to provide spaced hinge sections 19, 20, a spring tongue 2| being formed integral with the member I2 and extending between the side parts I! and i8. The spring tongue, as clearly shown in Figs. 6 and 7, is generally arcuate in shape with the free end somewhat more sharply curved, so that the assembly of the hinged members [9 and 2!] on opposite sides of the cam member [3 and the insertion of a hinge pin 23 thro'ugh the aligned hinge parts will cause the free spring end 22 to abut against the member I3. Although the spring tongue has been described as integral with the closure member, it is evident that a separate spring tongue, suitably secured to the closure member, may be used instead.

' The contact of the spring end 22 with the member I? is designed to interpose a relatively firm resistance to opening of the earring parts; .as will be noted in Fig. 6, the free end 22directly abuts the cam portion l4, whereby an opening pressure exerted on theend of the closure memher will first press the end 22 firmly into engagement'with the cam i4, and then increase the spring curvature until the increasing pressure snaps the spring end over the upper edge of the member l3 into the position indicated in Fig. '7

the spring in this position interposes a slight re sistance to closing of the parts, whereby the parts tendto remain open until purposely closed. It will be noted when the parts are in closed posi' tion, as indicated in Fig. 6, that the spring 2! isonly under slight compressive stress, but is in a position capable of exerting a substantial resistance to openingof-the'parts. It is evident that the ear lobe engaging ends of, the closure member. and of the base are not under great pressure, and do not press deeply into the ear lobe parts; if it appears necessary or advisable any desired pressure at closed position may be readily obtained by suitably changing the spring tongue and the cam member.

To increase the holding effect, the ear lobe engaging ends 24 and 25 of the closure member and the base respectively are provided with a plurality of cooperating spaced projections 26 and 21 as illustrated, these projections being spaced a sufficient distance apart to extend the ear lobe engaging surface and, thus increase frictional resistance to removal or displacement while decreasing concentrationv of pressure on the ear lobe parts; I

If desired, .the novel earring parts-may be ar ranged to limit the closing action by modifying the construction of the closure member as indicated at 28 in Fig.8, which has side parts 29 and 30 and an intermediate spring member 3! generally similar to the previously described closure member parts. The free ends of the parts 29 and 38, however, are formed to provide spaced hinge sections 32, 3 3 equipped with stop fingers 34, for contacting the base of the cam member l3 or the upper portion of the base H if the abutment member'is formed integral therewith, so as to limit the closing movement of the member 28 towards the member H, as indicated in Fig. 8, whereby thick or heavy earlobes may be provided with earrings which do not pinch.

It is thus evident that my improved construction provides an earring which stays open until closing pressure is exerted, which grips without exerting excessive pressure, and which spreads the slight holding pressure required over a wide ear lobe area; the improved construction thus operates by locking the parts in closed position under slight pressure, and strongly resisting separation of the parts. By suitable changes in the length and curvature of the spring tongue, and in the cam member, the pressure between the earring parts may be reduced to zero or increased to any desired value.

Although I have described the construction specifically as applied to an earring, it is obvious that, similar arrangements may be utilized for .manufacturing clips or the like suitable for personal wear, with slight modifications such as are within the province of a designer skilled in the art.

While I have described a specific constructional embodiment of myinvention, changes in the size or shape of the parts, in the material used, and in the general arrangement of the partsin relation to each other, may be made to suit the requirements of different designers, within the spirit and the scope of the invention as defined in the claims appended hereto.

I claim:

1. In an article of the character described, a base member, a closure member hingedly connected thereto, and spring and abutment elements associated with said members, said spring element contacting said abutment element to maintain said members in adjacent closed relation, the engaging surfaces of the abutment element and the spring element being formed to initially lock the spring element upon initial opening movement of the closure member, whereby the spring element is bowed and placed under compression, further opening movement of the closure member then snapping the spring element over theabutment element.

2. In an article of the character described, a base member, a'closure member hingedly connected thereto, and spring and abutment elements associated with said closure and said base member respectively, said spring element contacting said abutment element to maintain said members in adjacent closed relation, the engaging surfaces of the abutment element and the spring element being formed to initially lock the spring element upon initial opening movement of the closure member, whereby the spring element is bowed and placed under compression, further opening movement of the closure member then snapping the spring element over the abutment element.

3. In an article of the character described, a base member, a closure member hingedly connected thereto, an abutment element on one member, and a spring element on the other memher, one end of said spring element abutting said abutment element when said members are in adjacent closed relation, and extending over said abutment element when said members are in open relation the engaging surfaces of the abutment element and the spring element end being formed to initially lock the spring element end upon initial opening movement of the closure member, whereby the spring element is bowed and placed under compression, further opening movement of the closure member then snapping the spring element end over the abutment element.

- i. In an article of the character described, a base member, a closure member hingedly connected thereto, an abutment element on the base member, and a spring element on'the closure member, one end of said spring element abutting said abutment element when said members are in adjacent closed relation, and extending over said abutment element when said members arein open relation the engaging surfaces of the abutment element and the spring element endbeing' formed to initially lock the spring element end upon initial opening movement of the closure member, whereby the springelement isbowed and placed under compression, further opening-movement of the closure member then snapping the V spring element end over the abutment element;

5. In an article of the character described, a base member, a closure member hingedly connected thereto, an arcuate abutment element on one member, and a spring finger on theothcr member, one end of said spring finger abutting said abutment element when said members are in adjacent closed relation, and extending over said abutment element when said members are in open relation the engaging surfaces of the abutment element and the spring finger being formed to initially lock the spring finger upon initial opening movement of the closure member, whereby the spring finger is bowed and placed under compression, further opening movement of the closure member then snapping the spring finger over the abutment element.

6. In an article of the character described, a base member, a closure member hingedly connected thereto, an abutment element on one member, and a spring element on the other member formed integral therewith, one end of said spring element abutting said abutment element when said members are in adjacent closed relation, and extending over said abutment element when said members are in open relation the engaging surfaces of the abutment element and the spring element end being formed to initially lock the spring element end upon initial opening movement of the closure member, whereby the spring element is bowed and placed under compression, further opening movement of the closure member then snapping the spring element end over the abutment element.

'7. In an article of the character described, a base member, a closure member hingedly connected thereto, an abutment element on the base member, and a spring element on the closure member formed integral therewith, one end of said spring element abutting said abutment element when said members are in adjacent closed relation, and extending over said abutment element when said members are in open relation the engaging surfaces of the abutment element and the spring element end being formed to initially lock the spring element end upon initial opening movement of the closure member, whereby the spring element is bowed and placed under compression, further opening movement of the closure member then snapping the spring element end over the abutment element.

8. In an article of the character described, a base member, a closure member hingedly connected thereto, an arcuate abutment element on one member, and a spring finger on the other member formed integral therewith, one end of said spring finger abutting said abutment element when said members are in adjacent closed relation, and extending over said abutment element when said members are in open relation the engaging surfaces of the abutment element and the spring finger being formed to initially lock the abutment element when said members are in ad-,

ja'ce'nt closed relation, and'extending'over said abutment element when said members are in open relation, the engaging surfaces of the abut'' ment element andthe spring elementend being formed to initially lock the spring element end upon initial opening movement of the closure member, whereby the spring element is bowed and placed under compression, further opening movement of the closure member then snapping the spring element end over the abutment element the free ends of said members having spaced raised portions.

10. In an article of the character described, a base member, a closure member hingedly connected thereto, an abutment element on one member, and a spring element on the other member formed integral therewith, one end of said spring element abutting said abutment element when said members are in adjacent closed relation, and extending over said abutment element when said members are in open relation, the engaging surfaces of the abutment element and the spring element end being formed to initially lock the spring element end upon initial opening movement of the closure member, whereby the spring element is bowed and placed under compression, further opening movement of the closure member then snapping the spring element end over the abutment element the free ends of said members having spaced raised portions.

11. In an article of the character described, a base member having a hinge section, the inner surface of said hinge section being arcuate and forming an abutment, a closure member having spaced parts terminating in spaced hinge sections and aligned with said base member hinge section, and a hinge pin extending through said hinge sections, said closure member having a spring tongue positioned intermediate said spaced parts, the end of said spring tongue abutting said abutment when the members are in adjacent closed position, and snapping over said abutment to permit movement of the members to open position the engaging surfaces of the abutment element and the spring tongue being formed to initially lock the spring tongue upon initial opening movement of the closure member, whereby the spring tongue is bowed and placed under compression, further opening movement of the closure member then snapping the spring tongue over the abutment element.

12. In an article of the character described, a base member having a hinge section, the inner surface of said hinge section being arcuate and forming an abutment, a closure member having spaced parts terminating in spaced hinge sections and aligned with said base member hinge section, and a hinge pin extending through said hinge sections, said closure member having a spring tongue positioned intermediate said spaced parts, the end of said spring tongue abutting said abutment when the members are in adjacent closed position, and snapping over said abutment to permit movement of the members to open position, the engaging surfaces of the abutment element andthe spring tongue being formed to initially lock the spring tongue upon initial opening movement of the closure member, whereby the spring tongue is bowed and placed under compression, further opening movement of the closure member then snapping the spring tongue over the abutment element the free ends of said members having spaced raised ber, one end of said spring element abutting said abutment element when said members are in adjacent closed relation, extending over said abutment element when said members are in open relation, the engaging surfaces of the abutment element and the spring element end being formed to initially lock the spring element end upon initial opening movement of the closure member, whereby the spring element is bowed and placed under compression, further opening movement of the closure member then snapping the spring element end over the abutment element and means for limiting closing movement of said members towards each other.

OSCAR. FRANK PLACCO.

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