US2653395A - Permanent rosary - Google Patents

Description

SePf- 29, 1953 J. J. cuMMlNGs ETAL PERMANENT ROSARY Filed Sept. 19, 1950 lNVENTORS: JAMES J. CUMMINGS ANTNY J. SHIMKUS AT TOR NEY Patented Sept. 29, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE James J. Cummings Hanley Hills,I St. Louis, and Anthony .L Shimkus,` St.. Louis, Mo.

Application September 19, 1950, Serial' No. 185,648

(Cl. 35u-23)` Claims.

rIhisa invention relates to rosaries used by'menb bers of the Catholic faith in. saying or counting prayers of the: rosa-ry; Such rosaries are usually' in the form of a string of beads which may be worn or carried by the user. Rosaries of this type, however, are not always at hand when Wanted and under certain conditions are not particularly convenientto handle. Furthermore, the string sometimes breaks, resulting in. scattering and possible loss of some or all of the beads..

We have therefore devised a rosary in which beads or bead-like members are permanently or fixed-ly arranged on a frame of. rod formation comprising sections which are hingedly or flexibly connected so that it may be: folded to convenient size for carrying in a mans pocket or a ladys handbag, and which may, if desired, be placed in a small case for protection and for retaining it in the collapsed condition.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a compact, rugged and convenient permanent rosary of this character which may be carried on the person at all times, the same as a man-s` watch or pocket knife or a ladys compact.

A further object is the provision of such an article in which the beadsY or bead-like members are conveniently arranged in such sequence and relative positions'` as to facilitate the counting and recitation of the customary components oi the rosary prayer.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the device showing the parts in unfolded or extended position ready for use;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational View of the device in its collapsed condition with sections thereof folded upon each other, taken from the left side of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the collapsed rosary, taken from above Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an end elevational view, taken from the left in Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is a sectional View of one of the connecting links, taken on the section line 5-5 in Fig. 4 and showing one of the bead-like protuberances which, in this embodiment, are illustrated as being cast integrally with the link.

As thus illustrated the device comprises a plurality of oblong sections in the form of continuous or closed loops identied by the reference numerals II, I2 and I3. Said loops are pivotally connected together and suitably spaced by means of links I3 which have end bearing portions I4 loosely mounted on adjacent,V reaches of the loops which they connect. The loops, as well as the links, are made of rods which are of rigid construction and the loops are adapted to fold upon themselves, as shown in Figs. 2, 3I and 4 of the drawings when it is desired to arrange the device in collapsed condition for convenient carrying. When in such condition the device may be inserted in a pocket case if desired to protect the same and to retain itt in compact form.

On the rods of the several sections of' the device, as well as on certain of the links lf3', beadlike protuberances I5 are formed either by being cast integrally with suchrods and links (as show-n). or by being permanently attached thereto.

The beads on the right hand leg or reach IIS of the loop II arev tive in number' and are arranged with the end beads spaced substantially from a series of three in the. center. This is to conform with the. preliminary expressions of the prayer, as will be understood by' those familiar with theuse of rosal-'ies'.

Theleft handlegY IT of said loop II has ten beads l5 thereon, as do eaclfiI of the legs I8 of the loops lf2 and i3, these series or sequences of beads conforming to the Ave Maria decades of the prayer, which of course may be repeated by vgoing overI the device: as many times as required.

On one of the links l-3 between the loops II and I2 there is a single bead IIS, as there is on one of the links between the loops H!A and I3. Likewise a single bead is formed in one of the end reaches I9 of each of the loops I2 and I3 so that provision is made for the expressions at the beginning and ending of each of the decade sequences.

A cross 2| is, or may be, incorporated in the leg I6 of the loop II for purposes of ornamentation and appropriate religious significance.

When the device is in the collapsed condition illustrated in Figs. 2, 3 and 4 the loops or sections II, I2 and I3 of the device overlie each other with the loop I3 at the bottom and the interconnecting links I3 assume an angular position as shown in Fig. 4. The beads I5 on the rods which overlie each other are preferably a1'- ranged in staggered relationship, as indicated in Fig. 2, to facilitate the nesting of the sections into one another, thus making the device more compact and stable when 4in the collapsed condition. As previously noted, the folded or collapsed device may be inserted in a case and it will be evident that the construction provided by the invention will be of great utility and convenient to those desiring to carry with them 3 at all times a rosary which is of permanent and rugged structure and which is not subject to breakage or to the other handicaps of strings of beads which have customarily been used as rosaries in the past.

The foregoing detailed description has been given for clearness of understanding only, and no unnecessary limitations should be understood therefrom, but the appended claims should be construed as broadly fas permissible in view of the prior art.

We claim:

1. A permanent rosary device comprising a co1- lapsible frame including a plurality of sections vand interconnecting links pivoted thereon, said ,sections and certain of said links ybeing made of :rods having xed protuberances thereon in the form of beads, said beads being arranged in sequences with at least one decade sequence in each section and with a terminal bead between each decade sequence ofl the device and the one next to it for setting 01T one from another, for the recitation of the prayers of the rosary.

2. A permanent rosary device comprising a collapsible frame including a plurality of hingedly connected sections of continuous loop formation made of rods having fixed protuberances thereon in the form of beads, said beads being arrange in sequences with at least one decade sequence in each section and with a terminal bead between each decade sequence of the device and the one next to it for setting oi one from another, for the recitation of the prayers of the rosary.

3. A permanent rosary device comprising a co1- lapsible frame including a plurality of sections of continuous loop formation and interconnecting links pivotally connecting said sections together in spaced relationship, said sections being arrangeable one upon the other when the device is in collapsed condition and being made of rods having fixed protuberances thereon in the form of beads, said beads being arranged in sequences with at least one decade sequence in each section and with a terminal bead between each decade sequence of the device and the one next to it for setting 01T one from another, for the recitation of the prayers of the rosary.

4. A permanent rosary device comprising a collapsible frame including a plurality of hingedly connected sections made of rods having xed protuberances thereon in the form of beads, said sections being arrangeable one upon the other when the device is in collapsed condition, with the beads of adjacent sections arranged in staggered relationship and with said rods spaced apart by a distance less than the diameter of one of the beads so that the beads on one rod may enter between two spaced beads on an adjacent rod to permit nesting of the sections in compact form, the beads of the first section in the order of unfolding of the collapsed device including a preliminary sequence corresponding to the customary opening utterances of the prayer, and the remaining beads of the device being arranged in decade sequences, with a terminal bead between each decade sequence of the device and the one next to it for setting on" one from another, to facilitate the recitation of the prayers of the rosary.

5. A permanent rosary device comprising a collapsible frame including a plurality of hingedly connected sections made of rods having fixed protuberances thereon in the form of beads, said sections being arrangeable one upon the other when the device is in collapsed condition, with the beads of adjacent sections arranged in staggered relationship and with said rods spaced apart; by a distance less than the diameter of one of the beads so that the beads on one rod may enter between two spaced beads on the adjacent rod to permit nesting of the sections in compact form, the beads of the rst section in the order or" unfolding of the collapsed device including a preliminary sequence corresponding to the customary opening utterances of the prayer, and the remaining beads of the device being arranged in decade sequences.

JAMES J. CUMMINGS.

ANTHONY J. SHIMKUS.

References Cited in the iile oi this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 580,516 Andrew Apr. 13, 1897 733,045 Huettel July 7, 1903 826,732 Monachimoff July 24, 1906 1,661,877 Costello Mar. 6, 1928 2,213,516 Beehan Sept. 3, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 33,834 Sweden May 6, 1910

Images