Untitled record

Application filed December 1, 1884. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, George W. Jopson, a citizen of the United States, residing at Meriden, in the county of New Haven and State of 5 Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Key-Rings; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it ap10 pertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a. part of this specification.

This invention relates to key-rings, and has for its object to provide a simple secure fastening- for the adjacent ends of the metal holder.

The invention consists in certain novel constructions and combinations of parts, as will be 20 hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side view of my ring closed. Fig. 2 is a view of the ringopened. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the ring with the fastening-tube removed. Fig. 25 4 is a transverse sectional view of the ring on line x x, Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a similar sectional view representing a modification; and Fig. 6 represents a modification, all of which will be described and claimed.

The ring proper, A, may be of any desired shape, and has its ends B 0 separated, and preferably set slightly apart, as shown, so as to readily admit a key; or the ends could be separated and abutted together, so that a key 35 could be placed on or removed by bending the ends laterally apart.

On the end B is placed a sleeve, D, which is movable longitudinally, so that one end may be set over the space between ends B C, so as to 40 lock the ring-. An object of this invention is to provide means for holding the sleeve in its locked position. This may be attained by the construction shown in Fig. 3, which consists in forming the end B of the ring with a slit, 45 B', and spreading the arms thus formed laterally, so as to give them a tension apart. By this tension the arms will bear against the inner side of the sleeve, and will hold the latter at any point to which it may be moved, and 50 so prevent its slipping out of locked position in the pocket.

Another means for retaining the sleeve in position is shown in Figs. 1, 2, 4, and 5, which consists in providing the sleeve D with a spur or projection, D', which is extended 55 into the slit B', and may move longitudinally therein. This spur D' may be formed by swaging or punching in a portion of the metal of the sleeve, as shown in Fig. 4, which is the preferable manner of providing it; or the spur 60 may be made separate from and secured to the sleeve, as is shown in Fig. 5. In the use of this construction it is not necessary to cut the slit entirely through the end B, but it need only be formed sufficiently deep to provide a 65 groove for the spur D', though, for convenience in manufacture, it is preferred to cut the slit entirely through the end B.

In the operation of this construction the sleeve, when unlocked, will be in the position 70 shown in Fig. 2, or in the position attained by a half-revolution of the sleeve from that shown. When the sleeve is so placed, the keys may be placed on or removed from the ring. To lock the ring, the sleeve is adjusted to the position 75 shown in Fig·. 1, by moving it longitudinally over the joint between the ends, and by turning it, with spur D', between the ends until such spur is out of register with the groove or slit B'. ⁸⁰

While this construction gives good results, I prefer in connection with it to flare the arms formed by slit B' outward, so as to give a tension thereto, which, bearing against the inner side of the sleeve, will prevent the said sleeve 85 from turning while in the pocket, aud by any possibility its spur becoming registered with slit B' when such register is not desired.

While it is preferred to form the slit or groove from the extremity of end B, it is mani- 90 fest that the construction shown in Fig. 6 could be employed without departing from the broad principles of my invention.

In this construction the slit B' is formed back from the extremity of end B, and intersects at 95 its end nearest such extremity a circumferential groove or slit, E, which may extend in one or both directions, and be formed entirely or only partially around the end B,. as desired by the maker. . ¹⁰⁰

The operation of the construction shown in Fig. 5 is the same as that shown in Figs. 1 and

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2, except that the spur D' moves into slit E when the ring is locked, instead of between the ends B and C.