US1073714A - Clasp. - Google Patents

Description

W. J. SHORTEN.

CLASP.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 6, 1912.

1,073,714, Patented Sept. 23, 1913.

Witnesses WWW [mnnnn wa /w Inventor,

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FFICE.

WILLIAM JOHN SHOETEN, OF NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE.

CLASP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 23. 1913.

Application filed September 6. 1912. Serial No. 719,019.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, lamas! J. Snon'rnx, a citizen of the United States, residing at Nashville, in the county of Davidson and State of Tennessee, have invented a new and useful Clasp, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to improve ments in clasps, the primary object ot the invention being the provision of a novel form of clasp adapted to be used in connection with horses collars, hame straps, belts, or in fact with any article that it is desired to quickly and permanently secure together, yet in such a manner as to permit of the ready and easy release thereof, the present clasp being composed of two members one member of which is provided with spaced tongues, the other member being provided with a receptacle for receiving one of the tongues of the first member. when the two members are interlocked, to retain the same against lateral moven'ient.

lVith the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed can be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the. drawingsl igure l is a perspective View of the clasp separated and shown as attached to a hame. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view through the members of the clasp detached. Fig. 3 is a similar view with the members interlocked. Figs. 4t and 5 are respective top and bottom plan views of the female member. Figs. 6 and 7 are respectively top and bottom plan views of the male member of the clasp. Fig. 8 is a plan view of the male member having slots instead of teeth.

Referring to the drawings, the numerals 1 and 1 designate the two home members, each one of which is provided with the respective straps 2 and 2 whereby the respective female member 3 and male members of the clasp are properly connected, the straps 2 and 2 being threaded through the bails or open lugs 5 and 6 respectively, carried by their respective members 8 and t. The member 3 is constructed from a single piece of metal and is bent upon itself to Form the lower member 7 which is prov ded with the guiding tongue 8 and the upper member t) which is provided with the slightly tapered and curved locking terminal 10. said terminal 10 being provided with the linger engaging portions 10 which form an enlarged head and project beyond the outer line ot the member, the under surface. ol the tongue 10 being provided with the single tooth ll which forms a spring lock to! the member. The tongue 8 is ltnown as the guiding tongue, while the tongue 9 is the locking tongue of this mem ber. he tension of the locking tongue t) is toward the tongue 8 so that the tooth 11 will always have a tension toward the tongue 8, the purpose o'l. which will presently appear.

The male member of the clasp, is made in the form of a curved tongue and is provided with the entering point 12 and upon the upper suri'ace with a plurality of teeth [3 which are disposed to comet with the single tooth 11. ot' the locking tongue t) of the female member when the members are in the position as shown in Fig. 3 to thus lock the members in assembled position, the guiding tongue 8 when in such position being seated within the pocket 14 carried by the member t. upon the opposite side to the teeth 13. liy this means the tongue 8 retains the members against lateral movement while the tension upon the locking tongue 9 pulls the tooth 11 into engagement with either one of the teeth 13. By providing theentering point 12 upon the male member et, the members are readily locked and moved from the position as shown in l 2 to that shown in Fig. 3. By providing the finger gripping portions 10 upon the member 9, the said port-ions being so disposed as to project beyond opposite sides of the member -11: when assembled. the resilient locking tongue 9 may be readily disengaged so that the parts may be moved from the position shown in Fig. 3 to that shown in l ig. 2.

As shown in Fig. 8, the member 4 is provided with transverse slots or openings 11% which correspond to the teeth 13 of the member 4 and are for co-action with the tooth 11 of the female member.

From the foregoing description. taken in connection with the drawings it is evident that with a clasp constructed according to and embodying the present invention, that a very practical device is provided for use in connection with the free ends of belts, the connecting straps of hame, and in fact any medium that it is desired to quickly connect and disconnect. By means of the legs 5 and 6, the members may be stitched or otherwise secured to a horse collar or to the top of a shoe to form a fastening device.

VVh-at is claimed is:

A clasp, composed of tWo members for interlocking engagement, one member being a relatively rigid curved plate having a plurality of transversely dispose-d teeth upon one face and a projecting portion upon the opposite face extending from one end to a point near the center of the plate, said projecting portion being provided With a relatively narrow slot disposed parallel to the adjacentface of the plate; and

the other member having two resilient tongues disposed in spaced relation with a normal tension toward each other, one tongue being narrower at its free end than the other tongue for insertion Within the slot of tl e projecting portion of the first \VILLIAM JOHN SHORTEN. I

Witnesses HUGH NIXON, J. E. ALLEN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of latents, Washington, D. G.

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