US2133546A - Wrist watch and bracelet strap and end connecter therefor - Google Patents

Description

WRIST WATCH AND BRACELET STRAP AND END GONNECTER THEREFOR Oct. 18, 1938. J. KREISLER ET AL Filed Jan. 9, 1937 INVENTORS Jan-wuss KRE/5LER --D HNDREW -SzEq -nv.

ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 18, 1938 WRIST WATCH AND BRACELET STRAP AND END CONNE'CTER THEREFOR,

Jacques Kreisler, New Rochelle, and Andrew Szeglin,

Hollis, N. Y., assignors to Jacques Kreisler Sales Corporation, New York, N. Y., a

corporation of New York Application January 9,

5 Claims.

The present invention relates to end-connecters for the cords or straps of bracelets, wrist watch straps, etc.

More specifically, the present invention relates to an end-connector which may be readily attached to the ends of a strap or cord and which is provided with an eyelet or similar element for attachment to the hook or other element of a clasp. or other connecting member connected to the eyelet of a similar end-connecter at the other ZQ necter which is simple in construction and which may be produced at low cost constitutes the main object of the present invention.

The above object of the invention, and other objects which might hereinafter appear, will be fully understood from the following description considered with reference to the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing:

Fig. l is a plan View of a strap of a wrist watch bracelet provided with an end-connecter embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the end-connecter;

Fig. 3 is a perspective View of said end-connecter in inverted position;

Fig. 4 is similar to Fig. 3, showing the parts of the connecter in position for the insertion and removal of the ends of the cords;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view on the line 55 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is an end view at the right of Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawing in detail, the endconnecter ID, to which the strap I2 is attached, comprises a U-shaped body member i4 having a top wall Hi and side walls I8 forming a channellike member having an open bottom and an opening 20 at one end thereof for the insertion of the strap l2, more specifically, the strap cords 22 which, as here shown, constitute said strap. The other end of the body member I4 is provided with an eyelet 24 for engagement by the hook of a suitable clasp (not shown) of any well known construction.

A U-shaped holder 26 is pivotally connected to the member l4 adjacent the opening 28 by in- 1937, Serial No. 119,786

serting the out-turned ends 28 of the sides 29 of said member within apertures 30, provided in the sides l8 of member l4 and located adjacent the free edges 32 of said sides and the opening 29. A bottom wall portion 3! extends between the sides 29, said sides and portion 3! defining a substantially U-shaped opening continuous with the opening 28, when holder 26 is in retracted or unfolded position as shown in Fig. for the insertion and removal of the cord ends. The outer edge of portion 3! is provided with a finger piece 33 to facilitate moving holder 26 to unfolded position. Holder 26 is made from sheet metal by stamping and bending operations.

A strap gripping member 34 is pivotally connected to U-shaped member 26 between the sides 29 thereof adjacent their outer ends, and for that purpose, one end of member 84 is provided with integral pin projections 38 which are received in apertures ie in the sides of member 26. The free end of said strap gripping member as has a down-turned portion 42, provided with a serrated edge i3 for securely engaging the strap cords when said member is in folded position. Member 34 has an oifset wall portion 35 displaced from the plane of wall portion 3? an amount about equal to the thickness of portion 3! of holder 26, forming a shoulder 39 which lies close to the edge i! of holder portion 35 when member 34 is folded between sides 29. By virtue of this construction the outer surface of wall portion 35 is substantially flush with the outer surface of portion iii in the folded position of members 26 and 3:3 in relation to each other and to member 54. The downturned end portion 42 has lateral projections 46 which engage the edges 56 of U-shaped member 26 when said members are in folded relation as shown in Fig. 3.

When it is desired to attach the strap cords 22 to the connecter Hi, the ends of the cord are inserted through the opening in U-shaped member 25 and the end opening 28 of channel member i4 after which the gripping member 34 and the holder 28 are folded with respect to each other and as a unit with respect to the member it between the sides lS of the latter. In this manner, the ends of the cords 22 are gripped between the downturned edge ll of the top wall l6 and between the edge 53 of the downturned portion 42 of the strap gripping member 3 3. The U-shaped holder 26 is provided with friction clasp elements, here shown as outwardly pressed dots 52, which engage in recesses 54 in the side walls I8 of the member i l, whereby said holder and the strap engaging member 34 are releasably held in strap engaging position. Member 34 is held securely in strap gripping position by holder 26 the edges 50 of which engage the projections 46 for this purpose.

While I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of the invention, it will be understood that the latter is capable of other embodiments and in the embodiment herein shown or described certain changes in the construction and arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the principles of the invention. Therefore, I do not wish to be limited precisely to the present construction except as may be required by the appended claims considered with reference to the prior art.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An end-connecter for a strap, cord or the like, comprising a channel member having an open end and bottom, a holder member having sides pivotally connected to the sides of said channel member adjacent the open end of the latter and movable from folded position between said sides outwardly through said open bottom to unfolded or retracted position, said holder member having an opening continuous with said end opening for the insertion and removal of an end portion of the strap or cord and a transverse portion integral with its sides and spaced from said end opening, and a gripper member pivoted to said holder member between the sides of the latter inwardly of the outer edge thereof and below said transverse portion and movable therewith to folded position between the sides of said channel member, the outer edge portion of said holder member projecting outwardly of said pivoted end of the gripper member, a finger piece formed on said projecting outer edge portion of said holder member said gripper member having an end portion for engaging the strap or cord to clamp the same in said channel member, and interengaging means on said members for releasbly securing said gripper member in folded position.

2. An end-connecter for a strap, cord or the like, comprising a channel member having an open end and bottom, a holder member having sides pivotally connected to the sides of said channel member adjacent the open end of the latter and movable from folded position between said sides outwardly through said bottom ,to unfolded or retracted position, said holder having a transverse wall portion adjacent the outer ends of said sides defining with said sides a substantially U-shaped opening continuous with said end opening of the channel member for the insertion and removal of an end portion of the strap or cord, and a gripper member pivoted to said holder member between the sides of the latter below said wall portion and movable therewith to folded position between the sides of said channel member, said gripper member having an end portion for engaging the strap or cord to clamp the same in said channel member, an offset portion movable into and substantially filling said U-shaped opening substantially flush with said holder wall portion when said holder and gripper members are folded into said channel member and a portion underlying said wall portion of the holder when the latter is in said folded position.

3. An end-connecter for a strap, cord or the like, comprising a channel member having an open end and bottom, a holder member having sides pivotally connected to the sides of said channel member adjacent the open end of the latter and movable from folded position between said sides outwardly through said open bottom to unfolded or retracted position, said holder having a transverse wall portion adjacent the outer ends of said sides defining with said sides a substantially U-shaped opening continuous with said end opening of the channel member for the insertion and removal of an end portion of the strap or cord and a gripper member pivoted to said holder member below said wall portion and movable to folded position within said channel member, said gripper member having an end portion for engaging the strap or cord to clamp the latter in said channel member, an offset portion movable into and substantially filling said U-shaped opening substantially flush with said holder wall portion when said holder and gripper members are folded into said channel member, said gripper member having an outer strap-engaging end portion provided with lateral projections, and said holder member having side edges overlying and engageable with said lateral projections, in the folded position of said members, for releasably securing said gripper member in said folded position.

4. An end-connecter for a strap, cord or the like, comprising a channel member having an open end and bottom, a holder member having sides pivotally connected to the sides of said channel member adjacent the open end of the latter and movable from folded position between said sides outwardly through said bottom to unfolded or retracted position, said holder having a transverse wall portion adjacent the outer ends of said sides defining with said sides a substantially U-shaped opening continuous with said end opening of the channel member for the insertion and removal of an end portion of the strap or cord, and a gripper member pivoted to said holder member between the sides of the latter and movable therewith to folded position between the sides of said channel member, said gripper member having an end portion for engaging the strap or cord to clamp the same in said channel member, an offset portion movable into and substantially filling said U-shaped opening substantially flush with said holder wall portion when said holder and gripper members are folded into said channel member and interengaging means on said members for releasably securing said gripper member in folded position, a portion underlying said wall portion of the holder when the latter is in said folded position, and a finger piece formed at the outer end of said wall portion.

5. An end-connecter for a strap, cord or the like,comprisinga channel member having an open end and bottom, a holder member having sides pivotally connected to the sides of said channel member adjacent the open end of the latter and movable from folded positionbetween said sides outwardly through said open bottom to unfolded or retracted position, said holder having a transverse wall portion adjacent the outer ends of said sides defining with said sides a substantially U- shaped opening continuous with said end opening of the channel member for the insertion and removal of an end portion of the strap or cord and a gripper member pivoted to said holder belowsaidtransverse wall portion thereof and movable to foldedposition within said channel member, said channel member having a downturned end portion for engaging the strap, said gripper memher having an end portion for engaging the strap 5 with said holder wall portion when said holder and gripper members are folded into the adjacent sides of said channel member, a portion underlying said wall portion of the holder when the latter is in said folded position, interengaging means on said channel and holder members for releasably securing the same in folded position, and interengaging means on said gripper and holder members for releasably holding said 5 gripper member within said channel member.

JACQUES KREISLER. ANDREW SZEGLIN.

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