SAFETY CLUTCH FOR EARRING

DISPOSITIF D'ATTACHE DE SECURITE, POUR BOUCLE D'OREILLE

English Abstract

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
A safety clutch for an earring has a body member provided with a
through hale arranged for receiving a post of an earring or other article to
be releasably attached to the body member. Provided on the body member is a
suitable resilient biasing arrangement disposed for normally engaging with the
post of the earring and holding the post secure with respect to the body member.
The retainer includes a clutch pin slidably disposed in a recess provided in
the body member and arranged communicating with the hole so as to cause the
clutch pin to selectively come into retaining engagement with a groove provided
in the post of the associated earring. A coiled helical spring or other suita-
ble biasing device is disposed in the bottom of the recess, beneath the clutch
pin, for forcing the pin toward a position in which the pin engagingly holds
the post in place in the hole provided in the body member.

Claims

The embodiment of the invention, in which an exclusive property or
privilege is claimed, are defined as follows:
1. A jewelry clutch including first and second members to be
releasably anchored relative to each other, one of said members including a
cylindrical anchor post projecting outwardly therefrom and including an outer
free end, said post including a continuous circumferential anchor groove
formed therein a spaced distance inwardly from the outer free end thereof, the
other of said members defining a first endwise outwardly opening passage
formed therein and into which said post is removably telescopingly received,
said other member also defining a second endwise outwardly opening passage
formed therein intersecting with said first passage at generally right angles
relative thereto ant with the center axis of said first passage laterally off-
set to one side of the center axis of said second passage in an amount equal
to less than one-half the transverse dimension of said first passage, a cylin-
drical locking post reciprocally mounted in said second passage for lengthwise
shifting between first and second positions, in each of which positions said
locking post is registered with said first passage, means yieldingly biasing
said locking post toward said first positions, said locking post having a con-
tinuous circumferential release groove formed therein, said release groove,
when said locking post is in said first position, being positioned out of reg-
istry with said first passage and when said locking post is in said second
position being positioned in registry with said first passage, said anchor post
being positionable in said first passage with said anchor groove registered
with said second passage for receiving said locking post, spaced from said
release groove, in said anchor groove to lock said anchor post against length-
wise shifting in said first passage, and said release groove, when said lock-
ing post is shifted to said second position, being registered with said first
passage to provide clearance for said anchor post to be shifted longitudinally
of and withdrawn from said first passage.
2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said grooves are partial
circular in transverse cross sectional shape.

3. The combination of claim 1 wherein said anchor post comprises
the clutch post of an earring and said other member comprises the safety clutch
body of an earring.
4. The combination of claim 1 wherein said locking post and other
member include coacting abutment portions defining a limit of movement of said
locking post toward said first position.
5. The combination of claim 4 wherein said other member comprises
a generally circular disc, said first passage comprising an axial passage
through said disc and said second passage extends generally radially of said
disc.

Description

This invention relates generally eo pin clutches, and particularly
to a safety clutch for use with post earrings, and the like.
The ~ewelry art commonly employs 8 device usually referred to as a
pin clutch and employed to retain tie tacks, hat pins, post earrings, and the
like, in proper position on a wearer or the wearer'~ clothing. U.S. patent
Nos. 857,614, issued June 25, 1907, to W. Gsskell, et al., and 1,081,888,
issued December 13, 1913, to B. V. Chapman, disclose hat pin clutches wherein
spring biased catches selectively engage in a groove or grooves provided on an
associated shaft of the hat piQ. In particulsr, the Chapman hat pin guard
employs a plunger-like device acting against the bias of a coiled spring in
order to normally engage an annular groove provided near the pointed end of a
hat pin. Further, U.5. patent Nos. 989,372, issued April 11, 1911, to P.
Lauermann, and 1,328,954, issued January 27, 1920, to J. S. Grahsm, disclose
hat pin clutches which are simultaneously, like the device disclosed in U.S.
patent No. 1,081,888, point guards or protectors for the hat pins. U.S.
patent No. 989,372 uses a coiled spring to bias a clutch pin against the shank
of the associated hat pin.
U.S. patent No. 1,319,340, issued October 21, 1919, to A. Hurwitz,
discloses a scarf pin clutch having a clutch-eye rotatable in a slide unt-
ing which is biased in one direction by a spring, and the clutch-eye having
an arm cooperating with a fulcrum 80 that longitudinal movement of the slide
is accompanied by slight turning movement of the eye.
A basic disadvantage of the aforementioned hat pin and scarf clutches,
however, is that they are generally not suitable for reduction in size 80 as
to accommodate these known clutches for use with post earrings, tie tacks, and
the like.
It is an ob~ect of the present invention to provide a novel, fast,
and effective way of preventing the 1088 of pierced-ear or post earrings, which
prevention is of special importance when the earrings are set with diamonds or
other expensive gems.
It is another ob~ect of the present invention to provide a simple
clutch device suitable for use ~ith post earrings.
Yet another ob~ect of the present invention is to provide an
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attractive yet safe device for retainin8 earrlngs, tie tscks, and the like,
which device is simple of construction, adaptable to fabrication from various
materials, and cflpable of being provided in various suitable finishes, in dif-
ferent sizes, and in a great variety of shapes.
Still another ob~ect of the present invention i8 to provide a safety
clutch capable of securing an earring at any point on the post of the earring,
thereby making ad~ustment possible for different thicknefises of ear lobes.
It is still another ob~ect of the present inventfon to provite a
safety clutch capable of being used with screw-type safety nuts simply by
forming one or more grooves around the post of the earring near the free end
of the post.
These and other ob~ects are achieved according to the present inven-
tion by providing a safety clutch having: a body member provided with a
through hole arran8ed for receiving a post of an article to be attached to the
body member; and a retainer provided on the body member for normally engaging
with the post of the article and holding the article relative to the body
member. -~ ;
The retainer advantageously comprises a clutch pin slidably disposed
in a recess provided in the body member and arranged communicating with the
hole of the body member. A coiled compression spring or other sultable bias-
ing device is disposed in the bottom of the recess for engaging the pin and
forclng same into a position engagingly holding the post of an article being
retained in place in the hole provided in the body mem~er. !
The clutch pin preferably is a longitudinally extending element
having a pair of longitudinally spaced ends, with one of the ends abutting
the compression spring and the other of the ends extending out of the recess
and being enlsrged for forming a button which facilitates depressing of the
pin against the force of the spring so as to permit insertion of the post of
the article lnto the hole of the body member and subsequent re val therefrom.
A groove i~ formed in the element intermediate the ends thereof for conform-
ingly receiving the post when the element is depressed aga~nst the spring,
with the post having one or more indents arranged ad~acent the free end there-
of for normslly receiving the usual circular portion of the extent of the
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element.
F~gure 1 is a schematlc, perspective view showing an earring re~
tained on an ear of a wenrer by a ~afety clutch according to the present
invention.
Figure 2 is a fragmentary, enlarged, sectional Vi2W taken generally
along the line 2--2 of Fig. 1.
Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken generally along the
line 3--3 of Flg. 2.
Figure 4 is a detail, sectional view showing the central portion of
Fig. 3, but with the clutch pin of the safety clutch according to the inven-
tion in a different posltion than seen iQ Fig. 3.
Flgure 5 is a fragmentary, sectional view taken generslly along the
line 5--5 of Fig. 3.
Figure 6 is an exploded, prespective view showing some of the ele-
ments of a safety clutch according to the present i~vention.
Referring now re particularly to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing, a
post earring 10 is shown as including, in the conventional manner, a decora-
tive head 12 and a stud or post 14 extending cantilever-fashion from head 12.
Thls post 14 is prefer~bly provited with a bevelled indent 16 ad~acent the
free end thereof, that being the end spaced furtherest from head 12, in order
to be retainingly engaged by a safety clutch 18. While only one annular
indent 16 is illustrated, it is to be understood that additional indents
could be provided along the longitudinal extent of post 14 as desired to
facilitate ad~ustment of clutch 18 with respect to post 14.
Safety clutch 18 includes a body member 20 provided with a through
hole 22 arranged for receiving post 14 so as to attach earring lO, or other
suitable article (not shown), to body member 20. A retainer 24 is provided
on body member 20 for normally engaging with post 14 and holdlng same secure
to body member 20.
Referring now re particulzrly to Fi8s. 3 through 6 of the drawing,
the retainer 24 advantageously comprises a generally cylindrical clutch pin 26
slidably disposed in a substantially cylindrical recess 28 provided in body
member 20 and communicating with hole 22. ~ore specifically, body member 20

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advantageou~ly is in the form of the illustrated disk having a pair of sub-
stantially parallel circular faces and a rim extending between peripheral
portions of the faces, with hole 22 being provided at tha center of the faces
and the recess 28 extending inwardly toward hole 22 from the rim of the disk.
Arranged in the bottom of recess 28 is a biasing device in the form of a
coiled compression spring 30 arranged for engaging pin 26 and forcing same
toward a position wherein the pin engagingly holds post 14 in place within
hole 22.
Clutch pin 26 is~ as illustrated, a longitudinally extendlng element
having a pair of longitudinally spaced ends, one of the ends arranged abuttlng
the spring 30 and the other of the ends extending out of recess 28 and beyond
the rim of body member 20, and is enlarged for forming a button 32 which
facilitates depressing of pin 26 against the bias of spring 30. A groove 34
i8 formed in pin 26 intermediate the longitudinally spaced ends thereof for
conformingly receiving the post 14 when pin 26 is depressed against spring 30.
Provision of this annular groove 34 permits post 14 to slide past pin 26 when
same is in the depressed de, as seen in Fig. 4, while releasing pin 26 80 as
to permit it to ve outwardly under the bias of spring 30, to the position
seen in Fig. 3, will cause post 14 to become retained within hole 22 of body
member 20 due to engagement of the generally cylindrlcal periphery of pin 26
in the indent 16 provided on post 14.
The metal of body 20 is burnished around recess 28 to form 8 lip 35 ~;
which prevents pin 26 from sliding out of recess 28 when the earring post 14
is not inserted in hole 22.
As can be readily understood from the above description and irom the ~ ;~
drawings, a safety clutch according to the present invention permits an earring
of small size to be safely retained on a piercet-ear, without risk of in~ury ~-
to the wearer ant most importantly without risk of 1088 of the earring. ~ -
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