US2840286A - Watch band - Google Patents

Description

June 24, 1958 J. R. SCHERMERHORN 2,840,285

. WATCH BAND Filed April 24, 1956 United States Patent WATCH BAND .lames R. Schermerhorn, St. Paul, Minn., assigner of t'ifty percent to Bullard Brothers Company, St. Paul, Minn., :t corporation of Minnesota Aapplication April 24, 1956, Serial No. 580,386 1 Claim. (Cl. 22e-4) This invention relates generally to the jewelers art, and provides a device having utility both as an article of personal adornment and as a functional accessory for use in connection with a watch. In broad terms, the invention provides means whereby a small object can quickly and easily be attached to the wrist of a person, and be maintained thereon at an angle from which printing or other indicia upon the surface of the article, will be readily legible to the wearer. More specifically, the invention relates to a watch band (or bracelet) which maintains a watch upon the wrist of a wearer at an angle which is easy to read when the wearer raises his wrist into his line of vision, in the customary manner.

In addition to its functional advantage of maintaining a watch at an easy-to-read angle, the device of the present invention has the further advantage of tilting the watch upon the wrist of the wearer to an unusual and interesting angle. When a Iwatch of standard manufacture is used in conjunction with my novel watch band, it has a strikingly different appearance upon the wrist of the wearer, thereby helping to increase its sales appeal, particularly among persons who are alert to departures and modifications in articles of personal adornment.

A particular advantage of the present invention is its suitability for use in connection with most standard kinds of wrist Watches. The bracelet of this invention may be used without, in any way, modifying the watch itself or afixing supplementary connecting means to it. The band of this invention may be very easily and quickly attached to a watch, by an unskilled person, and without use of specialized tools or equipment of any sort. It may be fabricated from a wide variety of materials, all of which are readily available and relatively inexpensive. It is very durable, and serves to maintain the watch, upon the wrist of the wearer, in safe position, secure against dislodgment or dropping. It is comfortable to wear and has no protruding parts which might interfere with clothing, or such like. It is esthetically pleasing to the eye, and is susceptible of being manufactured in a variety of decorative forms, either with supplementary jewels, or otherwise.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear as this description proceeds. Referring now to the drawings:

Figure l is a perspective view of the present invention, shown in use with a watch, upon the wrist of a person.

Figure 2 is a front elevational View of the watch band, upon a watch, with its end portions extended. The clasp element on the band would, of course, be inverted when the watch is put on ones arm.

Figure 3 is a side elevational View of the watch of Figure 2, showing the tip portions of the band in the eyelets of the watch.

yFigure 4 is a cross-sectional view along the line s^id of Figure 3.

Referring now to the drawings in more detail, refer tice ence character 2 designates a watch. The watch shown is of the well known kind, having a watch band eyelet formed on each of its ends. Reference characters 3 and .'i-/t designate said eyelets. it will, of course, be understood that the watch band of this invention has utility in connection with watches which are formed with eyelets specifically diiferent from those shown in the drawing. Also, of course, the watch band of this invention could be employed upon a watch formed with a pair of eyelets, or more than one eyelet, at each end.

The watch band itself, as shown, is formed from two lengths of flexible strip material 4 and tl-A. Members Li and "i--A may be fabricated from linked metal strips, braided silk, or any other natural or synthetic material of suitable appearance and strength. One end of each of said members d and 4-A is fitted with a clasp element 5, of any standard type. The length of members 4 and rt-A will, of course, be varied to suit the wrist of any particular person that might wear a watch with my novel band.

The tips of members 4 and 4-A, lying remote from clasp 5, are each provided with an element 6. These two elements, as shown, are identical. In some instances, however, it may be desirable to make the two elements 6 of contrasting, or complementary configuration, for decorative purposes.

Each of elements 6 comprises a cap portion 7, upon the end ot' which is afhxed a decorative spheroidal portion S. Cap portion 7 is secured upon the tip of elements 4 and LEMA by any suitable means; e. g., by cement. Each of caps 7 is of diameter slightly larger than the di- :mieter ot' the openings in eyelets 3 and S-A. Thus, when cap 7 is secured upon the tip of a. strip i or 'i-A, that strip cannot be pulled through the eyelet. if it desired to remove the two segments of the band from the watch, the segments of clasp 5 may be easily removed.

Although, in my preferred embodiment of the invention, as shown, particularly in Figure 4, the diameter of members d and 4-A is sufficiently great so that those said members will t rather closely within eyelets 3 and -A, it is not critical that the diameter of said elements |be that large. Each of said elements could be of diameter considerably smaller than the internal diameter of the eyelets, without substantial reduction of the utility and attractiveness of the watch band. Also, it is not critical or necessary that members 4 and 4-A be secured against slipping through the eyelets by utilization of a cap type element 7. On the contrary, any means (such as a button-like member), having a diameter larger than the diameter of the eyelet, and aiiixed to the tip of members i and 4-A will serve equally well.

It is preferred that members d and fi-A be fabricated from material (such as so-called snake chain) which may not easily be folded flat upon itself. If the material will curve to approximately the extent shown at point A, in Figure l, when the band is placed upon ones wrist, l find that to be desirable. It should be noted that elements 6 need not project beyond the exit face of eyelets 3 and 3A. Those elements could equally well be made much shorter.

As will be seen from Figure l, particularly, when a Watch is attached to the wrist of a wearer (the left wrist in this instance) it is caused to tilt toward the wearers line of vision so that it may very easily be read, even if it should have a tiny face such as is found upon some ladies watches. If it is desired to wear the watch upon the right wrist, as distinguished from the left wrist, it is necessary only to thread elements 4 and Li-A through eyelets 3 and 3*A in the opposite direction.

yIt will be apparent that the device of this invention could be modified in ways other than those particularly above referred to, and i do not intend to limit myself to u. l the particular parts and arrangements specically described.

What I claim is:

An assembly comprising a watch and a watch band, said watch having a first eyelet'at one of its ends and a second eyelet at the other of its ends, the aperture in each of said eyelets extending parallel to the ends of said watch, said watch band comprising a first and second strip of material, the major portion of each of said strips being of cross-section smaller than the cross-section of ,l

said apertures, a tip of each of said strips being of crosssection greater than the cross-section of said apertures, the rst of said strips being threaded through the rst ing entirely through said eyelets by reason of its enlarged of said eyelets, from one direction, with its major porf tion projecting from one face of said first eyelet, the second of said strips being threaded through the second of said eyelets, from the opposite direction, with its major portion projecting from the opposite face of said second eyelet, the major portions of said strips thus projecting away from opposite faces of said eyelets in opposite directions, each of said strips being prevented from passtip, each of said strips being characterized by being limited in its capacity to be bent back upon itself, by reason of which sai-d characteristic, neither of said strips, as it emerges from its respective eyelet, will bend as acutely as 90 when the major portions of said two strips are drawn away from each other, said assembly being characterized by the feature that said watch will be caused to turn diagonally, 'but remain on its same plane, when the major portions of said two strips are drawn away frorn each other.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,391,457 Buckley et a'l. Sept. 20, 1921 2,058,957 Dal()k Oct. 27, 1936 2,629,981 Melik-Minassiantz Mar. 3, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 214,435 Switzerland July 16, 1941 979,593 France Dec. 13, 1950

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