US2564652A - Wrist watch band - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 14, 1951 D. R. TEMPLEMAN WRIST WATCH BAND Filed Nov. 10, 1949 n l m m all. m

a m m 5 L P M n R. m w 0 FIT TO RNEY Patented Aug. 14, 1951 WRIST WATCH BAND David R. Templeman, Plainville, ConnQassignor to D. R. Templeman 00., Plainville, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Application November 10, 1949, Serial No. 126,509

This invention relates to flexible bands for wrist-watches, and more particularly to a band of the type which has a series of pivoted interconnected links in a lazy tongs arrangement, the links being provided with springs which tend to 1 Claim. (Cl. .59-79) hold the band in a longitudinally contracted condition.

When a watch band of the above type is in position upon the wearers wrist, the links thereof are extended to a degree depending upon the length of the band relative to the circumference of the wrist. Inasmuch as many people consider that the bands make their best appearance when contracted, with the links disposed close together, the bands heretofore made were less attractive while being worn than when removed from the wrist.

Accordingly, one object of this invention is to provide a wrist-watch band in which the major part of the expansion of the band will occur in a limited portion of the band, whereby the links which are separated to the greatest extent may be placed in an inconspicuous position at the lower side of the wrist.

Another object is to provide a band of the above nature in which the springs in the links which are to be disposed at the top of the wrist adjacent the watch will have a greater stiffness than the springs in other portions of the band, whereby the links which are most conspicuous while the band is being worn may remain substantially closed, and the necessary expansion of the band is provided for by the separation of the other links located behind the Wrist.

A further object is to provide a device of the above nature which will be simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, easy to assemble and manipulate, compact, ornamental in appearance, and very efiicient and durable in use.

With these and other objects in view, there has been illustrated on the accompanying drawing one form in which the invention may conveniently be embodied in practice.

In the drawing,

Fig. 1 is a plan view showing the improved wrist-watch band with all of the links in a contracted condition.

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, with the links in the central portion of the band in separated condition. 4

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional View, on a larger scale, showing difierent portions of the band in which the prings have diii'erent degrees of stifiness.

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken gon the line 44 of Figs. 2 and 3, but on a larger'scale.

Figs. 5- and 6 are views on an enlarged scale. showing respective coil springs of two diflerent degrees of stiffness, as indicated by different colors of the springs.

Figs. 7 and 8 are perspective views, showin respectively an upper link and a lower link of the wrist-watch band. Referring now to the drawing, in which like reference numerals denote corresponding parts throughout the several views, the numeral Ill indicates generally the improved wrist-watch band which comprises a plurality of substantially rectangular upper links II (Fig. 7) and a plurality of Z-shaped lower links I2 (Fig. 8), which are provided with central apertures I3, I4, respectively, and are pivotally connected together in pairs by means of tubular eyelets I5 engaged through said apertures.

The opposite ends of the upper links II and the lower links I2 are provided with pairs of apertures I6, I1, and I8, I9, respectively, inwhich a plurality of tubular eyelets 20 smaller than the eyelets I5 are loosely located and secured in such a manner as to pivotally connect the adjacent ends of the pairs of links in a lazy tongs arrangement.

As indicated in Figs. 1 and 2, the band I0 com prises a central section 2|, and two end sections 22, 23, each of which comprises a plurality of the connected links II, I2 and tends to contract longitudinall so that the links will be in a closed condition, as shown in Fig. 1.

In order to provide the necessary resilient contracting force in the band Ill, provision is made of a plurality of wire coilo'springs 24, and a plurality of wire coil. springs 25 which are like the springs 24 excepting as to be gauge of the wire therein, whereby the springs 25fwill have a somewhat smaller degree of, stiffness than the springs 24. The springs 24, 25 are of a suitable size to be' received within the eyelets I5, and are so arranged in said eyelets that one of the rela' tively stifi springs 24 will be located in each eyelet I5 in the outer band sections 22, 23, while one of the relatively resilient springs 25 will be located in each of the eyelets I5 in the central band section 2|.

In order to connect the coil springs 24, 25, operatively, to the links II, I2, said springs include outwardly-extending upper ends 26, 21 and lower ends 28, 29, respectively (Figs. 5 and 6). The upper links II include symmetrical pairs of ears 3!) extending oppositely in a clockwise direction, while the lower links I2 include symmetrical pairs c t-ears 3| extending oppositely in a counterclockwise direction (Figs. 7 and 8),

so arranged that each of the upper spring ends 26, 21 are engaged behind one of the ears 30 of the links I l while each of the lower spring ends 28, 29 is engaged behind one of the ears 3| of the lower links l2.

Thus, each of the springs 24, 25 will be placed under a resilient tension which will tend to swing the lower links l2 into alignment with the upper links I l, and thus constantly urge the band to a closed or contracted position.

The arrangement of the ears 30, 3| in symmetrical opposed pairs upon the links II, and. upon the links I2, respectively, is to facilitate the assembly operation, and each of the spring ends 26, 21, 28, 29 will, of course, be engaged with only one of said ears.

In view of the foregoing, it will be apparent that whenever the band I0 is stretched the links in the central section 2| will be caused to separate first because of the relative weakness of the coil springs 25the two outer sections 22, 23 remaining in a contracted condition until the band ID has been stretched to a predetermined point. The force of the relatively stiff springs 24 may then be overcome and the end sections 22, 23 may be extended.

-Thc relatively different extended conditions of the end sections 22, 23, and the central sectibn 2|, as illustrated in Fig. 2, for example, will, of course, be permitted by the relatively loose flt of the eyelets 20 in the link apertures l8, H, is, and 19, whereby the upper and lower links... and 12 may assume non-parallel positions when necessary at the adjacent ends of 3'5 respective sections 2!, 22, 23 (see Figs. 2 a). v

It will be understood that the relative characteristicsv of the coil springs 24, 25 may, of

course, bevaried as desired by the manufacturer.

In practice, however, it is found that very satisfactory operation may be obtained when each of. the springs 24, 25 has seven turns of fine spring steelwire, the wire in the springs 24 being .013, in thickness, while the wire in the springs is .012" in thickness.

Because of the very minute structural differences between the springs 24 and the springs 25, the confusion which would otherwise occur during the assembling operation is avoided by means of thin dye or lacquer coatings of distinguishing colors. For example, the springs 24 may be provided with a yellow coating, and the springs 25 may be provided with a red coating as indicated in Figs. 5 and 6.

Ihe coatings may be applied in any suitable 'mannen asfor example by spraying or dipping, this operation being performed as a step in the manufacture of the springs and prior to the occurrence of any possibility of mixing them.

' In order to provide the band [0 with a finished appearance, a plurality. of ornamental cover shells 32 are crimped over the edges of the upper links H, while a plurality of back shells 33 are crimped over the edges of the lower links [2.

Operation After the opposite ends of the band have been attached to a wrist-watch, the resilience of the band will permit it to be expanded so as to pass over the wearers hand into wearing position upon the wrist.

When the band I0 is thus expanded, the central section 2|, of course, will expand first, and if further expansion is necessary, the springs 24 will permit the end sections 22, 23 to be expanded. When the band I0 is in position upon the wrist, the end or outer sections 22, 23, will contract because of the relatively greater stiffness of the yellow coil springs 24, and the necessary resiliency for maintaining the band in snug wearing positionupon the wrist will thereafter be provided in the central section 2| alone.

Inasmuch as the end sections 22, 23 will be in the most conspicuous positions at the top and sides of the wrist, and the more-easily separated links of the central section 2| will.be disposed at the lower side of the wrist, little, if any, separation between the links of the band ID will be apparent to an observer.

' While there has been disclosed in this specification one form in which the invention may be embodied, it is to be understood that this form is shown for the purpose of illustration only, and that the invention is not to be limited to the specific disclosure, but may be modified and embodied in various other forms without departing from its'spirit. In short, the invention includes all the modifications and embodiments coming Within the scope of the following claim.

Having thus fully described the invention, what 'is' claimed as new, and for which it is desired to secure Letters Patent, is:

' In a wrist-watch band, a plurality of pairs of pivoted links arranged in a series and interconnected in a lazy tongs arrangement, each of said pairs of links being provided with a spring for urging said links into closed relation, the springs in the outer end sections of the band having a higher degree of stillness than the springs in the central section of the band, whereby an initial'expansion of the band may occur entirely in said central section, while said end sections remain in a contracted condition.

DAVID R. TEMPLEMAN.

The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,444,684 Vastano July 6, 1948 2,515,817 Augenstein July 18, 1950'v

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