Textron Corporation

Kurt A Rieth

Stephen F Bert

Wallace F Vanover

Richard E Ripley

For use in combination with an expansible linkage bracelet of the type having rows of overlapping resiliently interconnected upper and lower links, a clasp adapted for adjustable and detachable connection to an end portion of the bracelet. The clasp has a casing with a base wall and upturned side walls defining a channel for receiving the bracelet end portion. A lid having a top wall with downturned side walls is mounted for pivotal movement relative to the casing between open and closed positions respectively exposing and enclosing the receiving channel. Engagement members at one end of the clasp are arranged to protrude between selected laterally adjacent pairs of upper and lower bracelet links, thereby retaining the bracelet end portion within the receiving channel when the lid is in the closed position.

Clasp for adjusting bracelet length

An adjustable clasp for interconnecting two sections of a bracelet, including in combination a coupling assembly secured to the end of one bracelet section, and a clamp assembly detachably fixable at selected locations along the length of the other bracelet section. The clamp assembly has a bottom wall with opposed side walls extending substantially normal thereto. A resilient pressure plate is supported by the side walls at a location cooperating with the bottom wall to define a space therebetween for receiving the said other bracelet section. A rigid clamping member also is supported by the side walls. The clamping member is adjustable between an open position allowing limited movement of the pressure plate relative to the bottom wall in order to accommodate slidable movement of the said other bracelet section through said space, and a closed position resiliently deflecting the pressure plate to positively grip the said other bracelet section between the pressure plate and the bottom wall.

Adjustable bracelet clasp

A clasp construction for use in adjustably interconnecting the free ends of a bracelet on the wrist of a wearer, including a clamp assembly that receives one of the free ends of the bracelet therein in slidable, adjustable relation and a coupling assembly that is secured to the other free end of the bracelet, the coupling assembly including a coupling member that engages the clamp assembly for removably mounting the bracelet on the wrist of the wearer.

Adjustable clasp construction for bracelets and the like

A bracelet linkage comprising a plurality of link assemblies each of which includes a thin outer shell having a central opening and a pair of bendable tab means extending downwardly from the central portions of the ends of its outer wall. Each link assembly also includes an inner member having a central opening of substantially the same size as the central opening of the outer shell. Each end member of each inner member includes first groove means which extends inwardly from its central portion and second groove means which extends inwardly from the bottom wall of the first groove means and then from the first groove means towards the adjacent portion of the central opening of the inner member for receiving the bendable tab means so that the outer shell is secured to the inner member by the tab means and end portions of the tab means are positioned at least in the second groove means. The linkage also includes a plurality of connector links each of which extends through adjacent ends of the openings of the adjacent outer shells and inner members and about said bendable tab means whereby the tab means are concealed.

Bracelet linkage

A bracelet linkage comprising a plurality of link assemblies each of which includes an outer frame member having a central opening and a pair of downwardly extending tab means, an insert the outer wall of which is receivable within at least the major portion of the central opening and an inner member having slots adjacent to the ends of the bottom wall with the tab means of the frame member bent into the slots and a series of connector links connecting a plurality of link assemblies together in end-to-end relationship, these connector links also extending through the slots and about the ends of the tab means.

This disclosure is directed to expansible linkages for expansible wrist watch bracelets, identification bracelets and similar articles which permit the retail jeweler to quickly and easily adjust the length of a bracelet to fit different size wrists of customers. The bracelet includes two sections of expansible linkages of each of which has a row of top links, a row of bottom links, means interconnecting the links of each row with the links of the other row to provide longitudinal displacement of the links relative to each other from contracted to expanded positions and vice versa. A channel shaped outer member has a series of aligned perforations extending through its side walls. First spring pin means connected to one end of one of the expansible sections has the outer ends of its trunions extending into a first selected pair of the aligned perforations. Second spring pin means connected to one end of the other expansible section has the outer ends of its trunions extending into a second selected pair of the aligned perforations. A one-piece inner member having a bottom wall and a pair of spaced upwardly extending side members is detachably connected between the side walls of the outer member thereby to enclose the ends of the expansible linkage sections and the spring pin means in such a manner that the outer ends of the trunions of the spring pin means may be depressed from the exteriors of the side walls of the channel shaped outer member to adjust the length of the bracelet.

Expansible linkage for wrist watch bracelets, identification bracelets

Watch bands, bracelets, belts or similar articles which include strip means having one end adapted to be connected to a buckle. The other end of the strip means includes a series of longitudinally spaced transverse apertures. Each product also includes generally flat spring means and a buckle, one end of which includes pivot means for connecting that end of the buckle to said end of the strip means. The pivot means includes at least a portion which is of greater width than thickness. The other end of the buckle includes a cross piece having a tongue secured thereto for engagement selectively with one of the transverse apertures of the strip means when the buckle is in its closed position. The generally flat spring means engages said portion of the pivot means, so that when the buckle is rotated from its closed position towards its open position the force exerted by the flat spring means against said portion of the pivot means is increased and when the buckle is rotated in the opposite direction the flat spring means acts upon said portion of the pivot means to urge the buckle to its closed position.

Spring loaded buckles

This disclosure is directed to expansible linkages for use in the manufacture of expansible bands such as wrist watchbands, identification bracelets, and other articles of jewelry, the sides of which when viewed from the top are provided with attractive configurations, for example, tapered from their ends toward their center portions or vice versa. It is also directed to novel methods of making such expansible linkages. The expansible linkage includes two rows of links and resilient means associated with the links for returning them from expanded to contracted positions. It also includes a series of ornamental top shells attached to the top links. The ends of the top shells extend outwardly from the ends of at least a majority of the top links. Solid inserts are positioned within the outwardly extending portions of the top shells and the outer ends of the combined top shells and inserts are machined to provide any desired configuration to the sides of the linkage when the linkage is viewed from the top. The method includes the steps of assembling an expansible linkage without top shells and fabricating a plurality of top shells, at least a majority of which are longer than the basic expansible linkage and which have hollow end portions. Other steps include fabricating a plurality of solid inserts and securing the inserts within the hollow end portions of the top shells. Other steps include attaching the combined top shells and inserts to the top links of the basic expansible linkage and then machining at least the majority of the outwardly extending ends of the combined top shells and inserts to provide the desired configurations to the sides of the linkage when it is viewed from the top.

Growing community of inventors

Warwick, RI, United States of America

Kurt A Rieth