US2225379A - Brooch construction - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 17,` 1940. H. PULVER BROOCH CONSTRUCTION Filed April 16, 1957 Patented Dec. 17, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT 2 Claims.

My present invention relates to brooches, and has particular reference to improvements in the construction of convertible brooches.

It is the principal object of my invention to provide a simplified construction for convertible brooches which permits ready attachment and detachment of separate ornaments to a common base.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a simplified construction for the interengaging parts, so as to reduce the cost of manufacture.

It is an additional object of my invention to provide a strong, sturdy construction which may be made of stamped metal.

Another object of my invention is to design the interengaging parts to be securely locked against accidental separation.

With the above and other objects and advantageous features in view, my invention consists of a novel arrangement of parts more fully disclosed in the detailed description following, in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, and more specifically defined in the claims appended thereto.

In the drawing:

Fig.' l is a plan view of an assembled brooch;

Fig. 2 is a rear View thereof;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a support plate construction for an ornament;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the cooperating base;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a cooperating clamp device;

Fig. 6 is a perspective View showing a modified support plate construction;

Fig. 7 is a perspective detail showing the support base construction therefor;

Fig. 8 is a perspective View showing a further modified support plate; and

Fig. 9 is a perspective detail of the base therefor.

Referring to the drawing, the novel brooch assembly I9 as illustrated comprises two separate ornaments I I, I2 which are detachably secured to a base I3, whereby either ornament may be removed from the base for independent use as a clip, an ornament per se, a buckle, and the like. Each ornament has a support element I4 secured to the back thereof, the preferred construction consisting of a metal plate which may be readily formed from sheet stock, and which is soldered or otherwise securely locked to the back of the ornament. The support plate I4 has guide lugs I5 formed at one end thereof and lock fingers IS formed at the other end thereof, the illustrated embodiment disclosing these guide lugs and spring fingers as integral with the support plate and positioned at the end and at the side edges thereof. The base I3, see Fig...4, is also preferably of stamped sheet metal and consists of a central portion I'I from which spaced resilient arms i8 extend laterally, these resilient `arms forming shoulders i9with the central portion I1, and being provided with slots 2i) formed on their outer edges, the sides of the slots being rounded as indicated at 2l, and the ends of the arms being rounded as indicated at 22.

When it is desired to assemble the parts together, the rounded ends 22 are inserted within the guide lugs I5, and the base and the ornaments moved towards each other until they snap over the lower portions of the lingers IS, which seat in the slots 20, the shoulders I9 abutting against the edges of the lugs I5 to prevent further movement inwardly of the two interengaging parts. With this construction, the two ernaments may be detachably mounted on the base, the base being provided with a garment engaging device such as a pin 23. The ornaments may have clamps permanently attached thereto, but it is preferred to have separate clamp bodies which have lower portions 24 identical in shape and function with one half of the base, a clip element 25 provided with the usual garment engaging prongs being spring mounted on each lower portion 24 as disclosed in Fig. 5, and resiliently urged towards the lower portion.

The above described construction utilizes two spring arms which have catch slots detachably engageable with the latch fingers I. This construction has advantageous features, and the strength of the locking engagement may -be regulated by regulating the Width of the resilient arms. An alternative construction is shown in Figs. 6 and 7, the support plate 26 having guide lugs 21 as shown, and a central latch element or button 28, the base 29 having its center portion 36 provided with spaced spring arms 3l which form abutment shoulders 32 therewith, the spring arms having slots 33 for detachable engagement with the central latch 23, the ends of the spring arms being rounded as indicated at 3d to facilitate engagement with the latch 28.

If desired, a self locking construction may be utilized such as illustrated in Figs. 8 and 9, the support plate 35 having guide lugs 36 and a center U-shaped spring linger 31, and the base 38 having a central portion 39 and a relatively solid end portion il of lesser width to provide abutment shoulders 4I, the end of the portion 40 being biiurcated as indicated in Fig. 9 to provide spaced arms 42 with lock recesses 43 which are rectangular as shown, whereby the rounded arms 42 force the two side spring members 31 towards each other initially and permit them to expand outwardly into the slots 43 for locking engagement therewith, the square forward ends 44 of the slots 43 preventing removal and separation unless the tip ends 45 of the U-shaped spring iinger, which extend above the base 40, are manually gripped to permit detachment of the base from the ornament. Clamps similar to the clamps shown in Fig. 5, but having their ends shaped in conformity with the base as shown in Figs. 7 and 9, may be used with the ornaments when the base has been separated therefrom.

While I have described specific constructional embodiments of my invention, it is obvious that changes in the material used for the parts, and in the shape, size and appearance of the parts, may be made to suit different ornamental requirements and diierent uses for operable articles of the type described, without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention as dened in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In combination, an ornament and a base, said ornament having two spaced guide lugs at one end for slidably receiving said base, and two spaced latch lugs adjacent the other end, and said base having a central portion and a pair of parallel resilient arms extending therefrom to form a. U-shaped arrangement opening towards the end of the base, the ends of said arms each having a catch recess on the outer edge thereof, whereby the base and ornament may be releasably secured together by sliding the base arms past the guide lugs, the resilience of said arms permitting lateral displacement of said ends, whereby the catch recesses are engaged by the latch lugs.

2; In combination, two ornaments and a base, said ornaments each having two spaced guide lugs' at one end for slidably receiving said base, and two spaced latch lugs adjacent the other end, and said base having a central portion and a pair of parallel resilient arms extending laterally from each side of the central portion to form two aligned U-shaped arrangements opening toward the end of the base, the ends of said arms each having a catch recess on the' outeredge thereof, whereby the base and the ornaments may be releasably secured together by sliding the base arms past the guide lugs, the resilience of said arms permitting lateral displacement of said ends, whereby the catch recesses are engaged by the latch lugs.

HAROLD L. PULVER.

Images