Article of jewelry and clasp therefor

Feb. 22, 1949.

i. PRATT ET AL 2,462,425

ARTICLE OF JEWELRY AND CLASP THEREFOR

Filed April 23, 1946

<img file="US2462425A_D0001.tif" />

Patented Feb. 22, 1949

2,462,425

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE

2,462,425

ARTICLE OF JEWELRY AND CLASP THEREFOR

Irwin Pratt, Brooklyn, and Woli Bernard Wollman, Jackson Heights, N. Y.

Application April 23, 1946, Serial No. 664,196

Claims.

This invention relates to an article of jewelry in the nature of a bracelet or necklace; more particularly, our invention relates to an article of jewelry in the nature of a bracelet or necklace and clasp therefor.

It is contemplated by our invention, and it is an object thereof, to provide in combination with or for use with an ornamental strand, braid, rope or like flexible element, a clasp which may join one terminal end of such element with the body portion of the element so that a side by side overlap connection may be effected. It is contemplated by our invention to provide in an article of jewelry comprising a braid, rope, string, chain, snakechain, wire, or narrow band, a clasp whereby the ornamental strand element, which may or may not be extensible, may be convoluted by the wearer so as to provide either a bracelet or necklace.

Still more particularly, it is an object of our invention to provide a clasp whereby elongated jewelry strand elements, such as a mesh band, a string of pearls, wire, rope, braid, band, link, chain may be held in predetermined overlapping position against relative slidable movement in order to permit a wide variety of arrangement of the extensible strand element, in the form of convolutes, knots or other ornamental configurations.

Still further objects of our invention reside in the provision of a clasp for holding relatively indeterminate lengths of material in adjusted position.

To obtain these objects and such further objects as may appear herein or be hereinafter pointed out, we make reference to the accompanying drawing, forming a part hereof, in which—

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing our invention in the form of a necklace;

Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the same device as a bracelet;

Figure 3 is a section taken on the line 3—3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a section taken on the line 4—4 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a perspective view showing the clasp element;

Figure 6 is a section taken on the line 6—6 of Figure 5;

Figure 7 is a fragmentary perspective view showing another method of arranging the item ¹illustrated in Figures 1 and 2.

Making reference to the drawing, it is contemplated by us to provide for a strand element of indeterminate length, such as a snake chain, braid, rope, band, chain, string of pearls, string ¹ (Cl. 63—2) of beads, means for joining this relatively flexible element in variously convoluted positions. In the illustration, the flexible strand of indeterminate length comprises a snake chain 10 (i e. closely coiled wire generally tubularly formed and partially laminated) whose terminal ends 11 and f2 may be convoluted to form an overlap, contacting at 13.

The terminal ends 11 and 12 are each anchored in a clasp 14 comprising a body portion 15, one end of which is formed with a loop ί·6. The branch 17 has hinged to it a locking element 18 by the complementary intermeshing knuckles 19, through which the pintle-pin 20 passes. The bow shaped locking element has a latching nose 21, engaging the lip 22, formed on the upper curved end of the body portion 15. An ear 23 provides finger engaging extension for manual operation, to move the locking element from latched position against the engagement of the nose and lip.

It will be observed that the clasp 14 as thus described defines a permanent loop in the form of a socket 24 and a detachable locking loop 25. The socket 24 may be closed by a side wall 26, though this wall may be omitted for purposes which will appear hereinafter.

From the construction shown, one terminal of the strand i 2 is anchored in the socket 24 as by soldering, brazing or the like. The terminal I i has the complemental clasp turned with the lockingjoop upwardly directed.

When in overlapping position, as shown in Figure 1 and by releasing the locking loop manually, the strand may be moved through the loops 25 to secure any desired adjustment of the strand parts in relation to each other to accommodate the neck of the wearer, or to encircle the same in any desirable way.

This same piece of jewelry may be convoluted upon the wrist of the wearer to provide a bracelet such as shown in Figure 2, in .which event the strand is long enough to have several contiguous convolutions 27, 28, 29, 30 and 31.

⁴⁵ It will be observed that the terminal portion II carrying the clasp 14 may engage the adjacent convolution 28 and that the terminal 12, carrying another reversely positioned clasp 14, may engage the contiguous convolution 30.

While we have shown the clasp with a side wall 26 closing the loop 24 where this desirably forms a socket for a terminal end of the strand, it will be understood that this side wall element may be omitted, in which event the loop left ⁵⁵ thereby may slidably be mounted along the

2,462,426 to a new position to take up the slack due to wear.