US2766500A - Spectacle suspender clamp - Google Patents

Description

0ct.,16, 1956 M. L. CHANKO SPECTACLE SUSPENDER CLAMP Filed April 5, 1952 INVENTOR.

J/VOzA/-Xs United States Patent SPECTACLE SUSPENDER CLAMP Mortimer L. Chanko, South Orange, N. J. Application April 5, 1952, Serial No. 280,739-

3 Claims. (Cl. 24'-73) This invention'relates to spectacle supports and; more particularly, to spectacle suspenders of the. type worn around a persons neck.

One object of the present invention is to provide'an improved suspender of the above character to which the temples of spectacles of most any kind and size may quickly and faeilely be attached for safe wear on ones person regardless of whether the spectacles are used or not used,

Another object of the present invention is toprovide a suspender of the; above character in the form of a strap or similar flexible suspension member which is adapted for wear around a persons neck and carries at its ends readily attachable and detachable clamps of an improved construction to which the temples. of spectacles may" releasably be attached.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a suspender of the above character of which the; clamps, though neat in appearance, are relatively inconspicuous, and are hardly, if at all, felt by th wearer when the spectacles are used.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a suspender of the above character of which the. clamps have improved provisions for the quick and facileattachment thereto, and equally quick and facile removal there,- from, of either a fabric band, a cord ora chain, by means of which the clamps are worn around a persons neck.

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more fully understood from the following description considered in connection with the accompanying illustrative drawings.

In; the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a clamp and attached strap of a spectacle suspender embodying the. present invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on the 1ine'2' 2 of v Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2; I

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken onthe line- 5-5 of Fig- Fig. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view, on; an enlarged scale, of the strap endof Fig; 1;

Fig. 7 is a viewsimilar to Fig; 1 showing an attached chain type of spectacle suspender; and

Fig. 8 is a sectional view'takenon the line 8-8 of Fig. 7.

Referring to the drawings, the reference numeral" 10 designates a part of a spectacle suspender which comprises, in the present instance, a strap. 12 adapted. for wear around a person's neck, and two identical clamps 14 which are attached to the opposite ends, respectively, of the strap 12. The clamps 14, of which one is shown in the drawings, are usable interchangeably with a flexible suspension element having either a loop-type end 'ice (Figs. 7 and 8) or a connector having the construction to be described. in detail hereinafter (Figs. 1 through 6).

Each clamp 14 comprises companion jaws 2i and 22 which are provided with spaced pairs of interfitted lugs 24 and. 26, respectively, through which extends a pin 28 for pivotal: connection of the jaws 20 and 22. Pin 28 may be in the form of a hollow shaft, as illustrated in the drawings, and may have its end portions 18 spun over its adjacent lug 24 to secure pin 28 against axial displacement. The jaws 2i) and 22 may be made of any suitable. material, and their gripping ends 30 and 32, respectively, are preferably lined with pads 34 and 36, respectively, of any suitable friction material, such as rubher, for example. The pads 34 and 36 may conveniently be. cemented or otherwise secured to the confronting faces 0f the gripping ends 30 and 32 of the jaws 20 and 22, respectively, and are preferably positioned in recesses 40. and 42, respectively, in the latter (Figs. 1 and 2).

The jaws 2.0 and 22 are extended rearwardly beyond their pivot connection 28 so as to form handles 44 and 46, respectively. The jaws 2d and 22 are normally closed by any suitable spring means, such as spring 48 which has a plurality of convolutions 49' disposed :on pin 28 in the fashion shown in Figs. 4- and 5 and engages with its endsSO and-52 the jaw handles 44- and 46, respectively. Preferably, the ends 50 and 52 of the spring 48' extend, for their secure location. and also partial concealment, into recesses 54 and 56, respectively, in the jaws 20- and 22, respectively... It will be noted that the spring end portions 59 and. 52 will be urged outwardly whereby to spring-urge jaws 2i) and 22 in a closing direction. The jaws 20 and. 22 are provided with depending peripheral flanges 58; and 60, respectively, which define the recesses 40, 42, 54, and 56 aforedesoribed. The recess 56 of jaw 22 is provided with an. open end 62 through which to introduce the end of a flexible suspension member into said recess. From the above, it will be seen that the jaws 2i) and 22 are structurally identical, except for the relative displacement of the lugs 24 and 26 which are interfitted.

In order to provide for the releasable attachment to each clamp 14 of an end of a flexible suspension member, for example strap 12 of chain 16, the end portion 52 of spring 48. associated with jaw 22 is curved or bent back upon itself, as indicated at 64, as best shown in Figs. 1 and 4. The curved end portion 64 of spring 48 will be spring-urged against the bottom of recess 56, and said curved end portion is adapted to be moved. outwardly of said recess, for interengagement with an end of a flexible suspension member.. As previously pointed out, the curved end portion 64 of spring 48 is adapted to interchangeably cooperate with a flexible suspension member of either strap or chain type as indicated at 12 and 16, respectively.

Strap 12, which may be either a fabric band or a ribbon,

is provided. at each end portion with a connector 66, the

latter being provided with an inclined raised portion 68 which is adapted to interengage with curved end portion 64 of spring 48. The end of the strap 12 is secured to connector 66 in any conventional manner, as by crimping lugs 70, over the end of said strap, as best shown in Fig. 6, to thereby provide a secure connection between said connector and its associated end of said strap. Connector 6.6 is also provided with a straight lead portion 72 which is formed integral with the inclined raised portion 68. From the. above, it will be seen that for the releasable attachment of strap 12' to clamp 14,.it is merely necessary to insert portions 72 and 68 of connector 66 into the open end 62 of recess 56 between the curved end portion 64 of spring 48 and the bottom of said recess and to axially move said connector inwardly of clamp 14 whereby the apex portion 74 of said connector will firmly interengage with the curved end portion 64 of said spring. The depending peripheral flanges 60, 60 are efiective with lugs 70 to securely lock the strap 12 to handle 46 of jaw 22 when connector 66 is inserted into recess 56 and is engaged with the curved end portion 64 of spring 48 and the bottom of said recess. In order to disengage connector 66 from clamp 14, is is merely necessary to lift said connector outwardly of the recess 56 whereby to lift the curved end portion 64 of the spring outwardly of said recess and to move said connector in a lateral direction whereby the apex part 74 of said connector may be readily disengaged from the curved end portion 64 of the spring. Upon the removal of connector 66 from engagement with the curved end portion 64, the latter will snap back into position for its ready reattachment to connector 66.

As previously pointed out, the curved end portion 64 of spring 48 may be interchangeably attached to a flexible suspension element having a loop-type attachment end. Flexible suspension element 16, in the form of a chain comprises a plurality of chain links 17, and is adapted to be releasably attached to clamp 14 by the interengagement of an end link 17' of said chain with the curved end portion 64 of spring 48 (Figs. 7 and 8). Thus, for the releasable attachment of link 17' to said curved end portion 64, it is merely necessary to pry said curved end portion outwardly of the recess 56 by any suitable instrument whereby said end link may be readily interengaged with said curved end portion. In order to disengage the chain 16 from the clamp 14, it is merely necessary to disengage end link 17' from the curved end portion 64 of the spring by pulling said end link in a direction toward the gripping end of said clamp, as will be readily apparent. Although flexible suspension member 16 has been shown as comprising a series of connected chain links 17, it will be readily understood that said flexible suspension member may be of any desired form or construction having a looptype attachment end, such as link or loop 17. From the above, it will be seen that the curved end portion 64 of spring 48 constitutes anchor means adapted for the releasable attachment thereto of an end of a flexible suspension member such as 12 or 16, having either end connectors 66 or a loop-type end 17', respectively. The clamp 14 may be of relatively small size sutficient to grip one of the temples of a conventional spectacle frame. Clamp 14, which is of relatively small size, is of a neat and esthetically desirable appearance. The above noted features contribute towards the ease with which strap connected clamps of the instant type may be worn with the spectacles to which they are attached, without being appreciably felt, if at all, by the wearer, and without appearing overly conspicuous.

While I have shown and described the preferred embodiments of my invention, it will be understood that various changes may be made in the present invention without departing from the underlying idea or principles of the invention within the scope of the appended claims.

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

1. A spectacle clamp for releasable attachment to a flexible suspension member having one end provided with a connector having a raised portion, said clamp comprising pivotally connected jaws, said jaws having their gripping ends provided with pads formed of friction material, spring means carried by said jaws normally to close the latter, one of said jaws having a recess defined in a surface thereof with an open end through which to introduce said end of a flexible suspension member into said recess, said spring means having a curved end portion positioned in said recess, said curved end portion constituting anchor means for the releasable attachment thereto of said connector of said flexible suspension member, said raised portion of said connector being adapted to interengage with said curved end portion and when so interengaged is spring urged by said curved end portion for frictional engagement within said recess of said one jaw.

2. In combination, a spectacle clamp and a flexible suspension member, said clamp comprising pivotally connected jaws having gripping ends and handle ends on opposite sides, respectively, of their pivot connection, spring means carried by said pivot connection normally to close the gripping ends of said jaws, the handle end of one of said jaws having a recess defined in a surface thereof with an open end through which to introduce the end of said flexible suspension member into said recess, said spring means having end portions bearing against said handle ends, one of said end portions being curved and positioned in said recess, said flexible suspen sion member end being formed complementary to said curved end portion, the latter constituting anchor means for the releasable attachment thereto of said complementary end of said flexible suspension member, said complementary end of said suspension member being spring urged by said curved end portion for frictional engagement within said recess of said one of said jaws, said jaws having their gripping ends provided with pads formed of a gripping material.

3. In combination, a spectacle clamp and a flexible suspension member, said member having an end adapted for releasable attachment to said clamp, the latter comprising pivotally connected jaws, spring means carried by said jaws normally to close the latter, one of said jaws having a pair of peripherally disposed depending flanges defining a recess therebetween and having an open end through which to introduce said end of said flexible suspension member into said recess, said spring means having a curved end portion positioned in said recess, said curved end portion consituting anchor means for the releasable attachment thereto of said end of said flexible suspension member, said curved end portion being operative to interengage with said member end portion and being urged by said spring means against the bottom of said recess and being movable against the action of said spring means outwardly of said recess for interengagement with said mem ber end portion, the latter being spring urged by said curved end portion for frictional engagement with said recess when said member end portion is interengaged with said curved end portion whereby said portions are facilely engaged and disengaged and said portions are securely held together when interengaged and prevented from becoming inadvertently disengaged by the conjoint locking action of said flanges and said curved end portion, said pivotally connected clamp jaws having gripping ends and handle ends on opposite sides, respectively, of their pivot connection, said gripping ends carrying pads formed of a friction material in confronting disposition for receiving therebetween temples of a pair of spectacles.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 443,602 Richards Dec. 30, 1890 1,499,428 Wagner July 1, 1924 1,800,690 Leventhal Apr. 14, 1931 1,849,321 Tomlinson Mar. 15, 1932 2,037,449 Baer Apr. 14, 1936 2,209,697 Kislingbury July 30, 1940 2,251,463 Myrberg Aug. 5, 1941 2,397,284 Miller Mar. 26, 1946 2,603,849 Epperson July 22, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 374,364 Germany June 10, 1921

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