Untitled record

FRENCH REPUBLIC

MINISTRY

INDUSTRY AND TRADE

INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY SERVICE

PATENT

Gr. 16. - Cl. 1. N ° 1.189.331

Classical. boarding school. : A 41 / - A 43 c - A 44 c

Attachment device for flexible links, in particular for belts, bracelets, straps, straps and the like.

Mr. Jérôme RUTLER residing in France (Rhône). AT

Requested December 30, 1957, at 3 p.m.¹¹ 50^m, In Lyon. Issued March 23, 1959. - Published 1^er October 1959.

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(Patent of invention whose delivery was deferred in execution of article 11, § 7, of the law of July 5, 1844 modified by the law of April 7, 1902.)

The present invention relates to a fastening device for flexible links, in particular for flexible links with flat section of the kind of belts, bracelets, straps, straps or the like, used in leather goods, the shoe industry, glove-making , etc.

The object of the invention is more particularly the production of such a fastening device which is simple and inexpensive to manufacture, and of practical use.

The attachment device according to the invention is mainly remarkable in that it consists of two plates made of flexible plastic material and integral with the ends of the link to be connected, one of these plates, or female element, comprising a series of transversely elongated perforations, while the other, or male element, has two spherical projections dimensioned and arranged so that they can be forced into two non-adjacent perforations of the female element.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, and which as such is more particularly, but not exclusively, referred to herein, each of the plates is sewn and / or glued inside the two parts or bands forming the link, these two bands comprising appropriate openings corresponding either to the perforations of the female element, or to the two projections of the male element. This embodiment is more particularly applicable to bracelets for watches and the like, which, as is known, generally consist of two strips of leather or the like; in this case, it is advantageously possible to provide the plates constituting the attachment device, in profile and in dimensions such that they provide an extra thickness of padding between the two bands of each half of the bracelet.

The appended drawing, given by way of example, will allow a better understanding of the invention, the characteristics which it presents and the advantages which it is capable of providing:

Fig. 1 and 2 are plan views showing the two ends to be connected of a watch strap provided with a fastening device according to the invention;

Fig. 3 and 4 are partial plan views on a larger scale showing in the isolated state the plates respectively constituting the female element and the male element of the device;

Fig. 5, 6 and 7 are cross sections of each of these two plates, respectively along VV (fig. 3), VI-VI and VII-VII (fig. 4);

Fig. 8 shows in longitudinal vertical section the two halves of the bracelet after assembly of the two elements of the device;

Fig. 9 and 10 are plan views of the two plates produced according to a variant;

Fig. 11 is a section on a large scale along XI-XI (fig. 10);

Fig. 12 and 13 are plan views of the two elements according to another alternative embodiment of the fastening device according to the invention.

The fastening device according to the invention consists of two plates 1 and 2, made of a suitable plastic material which is very resistant and has a certain flexibility. Each of these plates 1 and 2 is fixed by sewing and / or gluing to the end of each half 3 and 4 of a watch strap. In the embodiment shown each of these halves 3, 4 is constituted by two strips of leather suitably connected, between them by means of sewing and the corresponding plate 1 or 2 is slid between the two thicknesses thus formed and sewn in place.

The plate 1, or female element of the fastening device, is in the form of a rectangular body with a very flat elliptical section, inside which a series of perforations 1a have been provided, elongated transversely and separated from each other. others by thin partitions or walls, ref. 9 - 41261

Booklet price: 100 francs.

[1.189 331: - 2 listed lb in fig. 3. The plate 2, or male element, of the same profile in section, comprises two hemispherical projections 2a (FIGS. 4, 6 and 7) attached to the body of the plate by a tail 2b, of flattened circular section corresponding substantially to the form of the perforations 1a of the plate 1. Things are further arranged so that the distance separating the two projections 2a from the plate 2 is substantially equal to that separating three perforations 1a from the plate 1.

In the end 3 of the bracelet, a series of circular openings 3a have been made, provided so as to correspond to the elongated perforations la of the wafer 1. On the other hand, in the end of the half 4 of the bracelet there has been formed two openings suitable for allowing the two protrusions 2a to clearly protrude above the plane determined by the upper face of said half 4.

The operation and use of the fastening device according to the invention is easily understood; it suffices for the user to force force the projections 2a of the wafer 2 into two openings 3a of the other half 3 of the bracelet to securely attach the two free ends of the latter. As shown in fig. 3 and 7, the projections 2a deform the partitions lb separating two perforations la (this deformation having been indicated in lb 'in fig. 3) and thus pass through the wafer 1. By elasticity, the partitions lb close on the tails 2b which are thus perfectly maintained against any untimely release. Note, as shown in fig. 8, that the tails 2b can advantageously be provided with a length such that the projections 2a which they carry are embedded in the thickness of the half 3 and do not protrude above the upper face of the latter.

It is understood that the large number of perforations formed over a relatively small length of the plate 1 allows extremely precise adjustment of the fastening device according to the invention, while in known devices with buckle and barb, provision must be made between the successive perforations made in the leather of the bracelet a sufficient distance so that the barb does not tear this leather, much less resistant than the plastic, between two adjacent perforations. It can also be noted that the two halves of the bracelet provided with the attachment device according to the invention. do not undergo any deformation or bending, unlike what happens with known devices where the passage of the leather band under the rigid band leads to tears, in particular at the level of the perforation normally used for tightening the bracelet.

Instead of covering only a part of each half of the bracelet, the plates 1 and 2 can be provided with a length equal to each of these halves, as shown in FIG. 9 and 10; in this case, it may be advantageous to give each plate a cross-sectional profile of the kind indicated in FIG. 11, so that these plates can constitute the padding thickness of the bracelet, in known manner. In this way, a particularly practical bracelet is obtained which is simple and economical to manufacture.

It should moreover be understood that the above description has been given only by way of example and that it in no way limits the field of the invention from which one would not depart by replacing the execution details described by all other equivalents. In fig. 12 and 13, an alternative embodiment of the fastening device according to the invention has been shown, in which the plate 1 or female element consists of a strip 5 of plastic material in which one has provided, in the vicinity of one of the ends. , an appropriate longitudinal opening; the elongated perforations are in this case determined by metallic or other wires 6, the ends of which are embedded in the edges of the opening and which thus constitute the partitions lb of the embodiment of FIG. 1 to 11. The plate or male element 7 has projections 7a elongated transversely, these projections being attached to the body of the plate by tails 7b, whose profile in section allows the retention inside the perforations or housings determined between two consecutive wires 6.

It is also understood that the fastening device according to the invention can be applied to any flat link, such as a shoe strap, strap, belt, etc. The cost price of such a device is low; its assembly can be carried out economically and quickly during the production of the article considered and its use proves to be very practical.