US2160897A - Garment holding clip - Google Patents

Description

June 6, 1939. Y OLIVER GARMENT HOLDING CLIP Filed May 24, 1957 INVENTOR Patented June 6, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GARMENT HOLDING CLIP Lee Oliver, New York, N. Y., assignor to The Connecticut Web and Buckle Company, Bridgeport, 001111., a corporation of Connecticut Application May 24, 1937, Serial No. 144,400

2 Claims.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in garment holders, and has particular relation to a garment holding clip adapted for use on suspenders, ladies skirts, snow suits,

5; garters, etc.

An object of the invention is to provide a clip of the character indicated and which is of inexpensive construction, easily operated and which when attached to a garment holds fast 10. thereto and will not become accidentally released.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the 15': accompanying drawing wherein satisfactory embodiments of the invention are shown. However, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the details disclosed, but includes all such variations and modifications as fall within 7 the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a front elevatlon'al view of the improved clip showing the same as attaching a suspender strap to a garment;

Fig. 2 is an edge elevational view at right angles to Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the clip, the latter being open or released;

Fig. 4 is a similar view of the clip being closed;

Fig. 5 is an elevational view looking into the gripping end of the 0111);

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view throughthe clip body;

Fig. 7 shows the blank from which the clip body is formed; and

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 4 but showing a slight modification. 7

Referring in detail to the drawing, the improved 4U- clip comprises a body H] and a lever ll pivotally connected, as'and for the purpose to be set forth in detail. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the lever II is attached to the lower end of a suspended strap I2, and the clip serves to connect or at- 45 tach said suspender strap to a pair of trousers or the like, of. which a portion is shown at l3.

The lever l I is at one end provided with a loop or eye l4 through which the strap or the like I2 may be threaded, and slightly inwardly of such 50' loop the lever is offset at an angle providing an inclined pertion [5, the inner end of which is bent to provide a toe-like portion l6 extending under the loop portion of the lever. On the opposite edges of the toe-like portion 16 are lugs or pivotal mounting portions ll adapted for the pivotal mounting of the lever on the body ID as will appear.

Body I0 is formed of a single piece of spring metal, the blank from which such body is formed being shown at l8 in Fig. '7. The blank is stamped from sheet metal, and in forming the body the blank I8 is bent upon itself intermediate its ends to provide a pair of arms 19 and 20 having their free ends 2| and 22 extending toward one another, but so located relatively due to the fact that one arm is slightly shorter than the other, that on the arms being pressed toward one another said ends are moved into overlapping relation, the end 22 being toothed as at 23 and being adapted to enter at the inner side of. end 2|. Each arm l9 and 20 is also provided adjacent its free or clamping end with ribs or flanges [9a and 2011 respectively on its opposite side edges and extending backwardly from the free ends of the arms a suitable distance to give a better grip on the garment as will later be described. Incidentally they also strengthen the arms and assist in preventing bending under the clamping action.

Intermediate its ends the arm l9 carries ears 24 straddling or extending across the edges of the arm 20 and in fact projecting beyond such arm 20. Arm'Zfl' is provided with curved surfaces 25 and 26 leading to a transverse recess 21 located between the ears 24. Each ear is provided with an opening or hole 28, and after the body and lever are formed the lugs I! on the edges of the toe-like portion of the lever are received in the openings 28 in the ears whereby the lever is pivotally mounted on the body.

When the body and lever are related as in Figs. 1, 2 and 4 the spring jaws or arms I9 and 20 of the body have been pressed toward one another and their ends 2| and 22 are in gripping relation. To release the clip the body is moved relative to the lever or the lever is swung relative to the body about the pivots ll soas to have the body and lever related as in Fig. 3, in which figure the lever is in released position and the arms are open with their ends 2| and 22 in spaced relation.

To apply the open or released clip the ends of its arms are disposed at opposite sides of a portion of the garment to be held and then the lever and body are moved relatively by turning on the pivots I! (usually by pressing upwardly and inwardly on the upper front of'rnember I0) causing the toe-like portion Hi to ride or cani against the curved surface 25 of the arm 20, whereby the arms I!) and 20 are caused to move toward one another to have their ends grip the garment as will be understood. The side ribs I911 and 200, also grip the garment to prevent the clip sliding sideways on this garment under a lateral or sidewise pull on the supporter. This is important in. use on suspenders to prevent lateral slipping of the clip on the garment due to lateral strain on the suspender incident to movements of the body of the wearer. As the ribs 20a are within the ribs l9a bends are produced in the garment as it passes over the edges of these ribs giving a more effective grip. As the mentioned relative swinging of the body and lever continue the end of, the toe-like portion l6 of the lever snaps into the recess 21, and at the same time the upper portion of arm 20 comes against the portion 29 of the lever II at the outer or upper end of the inclined portion I5.

This brings the lever to locked position, and it will be apparent that further relative turning of the body and lever in the same direction cannot take place as the lever and body are in engagement. Also, the lever has moved through a dead-center position as shown by the horizontal line 30 in Fig. 2, and therefore it will be seen that the lever will not be accidentally moved or started in the opposite direction or toward released position. This holding or securing of the lever against accidental movement toward released position is also prevented by the entrance of the toe-like portion of the lever into the recess 2'! in arm 20. As such portion enters the recess the lever moves through a dead-center position and also the body l comes into engagement with the lever portion 29.

To release the clip from a garment it is but necessary to swing the upper end of the body In outwardly away from the lever ll to have the toe-like portion l6 extending substantially parallel with the body instead of transversely thereto as when the clip is locked. Then as the toe-like portion of the lever assumes the position of Fig. 3 the arms l9 and 20 and gripping jaws 2| and 22 are free to move apart, and the body being of spring metal these arms are constantly tending to separate or move to released positions.

Attention is directed to the fact that the entire clip comprises but two parts namely the body I0 and the lever II. Also, such body and lever are each formed of a single piece of. metal. The body may be of any suitable spring material as steel, aluminum, brass or the like. The lever may also be of any suitable material. The clip is easily operated since to manually release it it is but necessary to force apart the upper portion of the body and the corresponding portion of the lever. To look the clip it is but necessary to force the mentioned portions of the body and le ver toward one another, and this so positions the parts that the lever is extending along the body and the toe-like portion 16 of the lever is transversely of the body holding the arms in gripping relation. Before contact of the lever with the body the lever moves through a dead-center position and the portion l6 snaps into the recess 2'! so that the clip will not become accidentally released.

Fig. 8 shows a slight modification wherein all the parts are the same wtih the exception that instead of the locking recess 21 in the arm 20 of the body it is provided with a bead 3| forming a locking means for the same purpose. With this arrangement when the lever is moved to locked position its toe-like portion snaps over the bead and is thereafter held by the bead against accidental movement toward released position. Both this bead 3| and the recess 21 provide a shoulder which resists movement of the toe piece I6 to released position and therefore provide a sort of locking means to prevent accidental release or opening of the clip, but the portion 20 of the body will yield laterally to permit the end of the toe I6 to ride over these devices to permit release of the clip by the operator.

Having thus set forth the nature of my invention, what I claim is:

l. A garment holding clip comprising a one piece body member of resilient sheet metal of substantially U-shape providing a front arm and a rear arm, said arms having inwardly directed end portions at their free ends forming cooperating gripping means to hold a garment, said arms also having inwardly directed edge portions at their side edges extending backwardly away from said free end portions arranged to grip the garment and hold the clip against sliding sidewise on the garment, said rear arm having inwardly and oppositely inclined portions leading to an intermediate recess, said forward arm being provided with integral ears on its opposite side edges extending backwardly on opposite sides of the rear arm, a lever having means for securing it to a garment supporting web and including a downwardly and rearwardly inclined portion leading from said securing means, means pivotally mounting the lever on and between said ears, and the lower end portion of said lever extending forwardly to provide a free edge to engage said rear arm and ride on an inclined portion thereof. to and from said recess on pivotal turning movements of the body on said lever to cause movement of the gripping ends of the arms toward and from each other to grip and release the garment.

2. A garment holding clip comprising a one piece body member of resilient sheet metal of substantially U-shape providing front and rear arms, said arms having inwardly directed end portions at their free ends forming cooperating gripping means to hold a garment, said arms also having inwardly directed edge portions at their side edges extending backwardly away from said free end portions arranged to grip the garment and hold the clip against sliding sidewise on the garment, the arms being of somewhat different lengths so that one of said gripping por-' tions is inwardly of the other, said rear arm having oppositely inclined portions extending toward the front leading to an intermediate recess,

' said forward arm being provided with integral ears on its opposite side edges extending backwardly therefrom toward the rear arm, a lever pivoted on said ears and having means for securing it to a garment supporting web, said lever including a body portion and a laterally and inwardly extending end portion providing a free edge to engage said rear arm and ride on an inclined portion thereof to and from the recess on turning movements of the body member on said lever to cause movement of the gripping portions toward and from each other to grip and release the garment, and said rear arm having a shoulder at the recess, to resist movement of the free edge of the lever from the recess.

LEE OLIVER.

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