Clasp For Bola Tie With Interchangeable Mount

Abstract

Bola tie clasp apparatus is disclosed which holds the braids of a bola tie and a removable mount for the bola tie.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to bola ties and more particularly to the clasp for a bola tie which holds the braids of the bola tie to prevent slipping and at the same time locks a removable mount to the clasp. The lock provides for a quick release in order to remove either or both the bola tie from the person's neck and the mount from the bola tie clasp.

2. Description of the Prior Art

In recent years the bola tie has found increased popularity, particularly in the southwestern portion of the United States. The bola tie consists of a single strand, usually in the form of a braid, looped around a person's neck. The two ends of the strand, or the braid, are held together, generally in a somewhat loose manner, by an ornamental design or mount and clasp means, in the center upper portion of the wearer's shirt, usually at of near the throat. Such bola ties can be worn in place of a conventional tie with a dress shirt, or can be worn rather loosely, with either a sport shirt or a dress shirt unbuttoned at the collar. The means for securing or holding the two end braids together varies from very simple, and usually not reliable, loops of metal held only by frictional engagement against the braid, to elaborate lock systems which generally include spring tension against each of the braids. Fastened to such locking means is usually a single decorative mount which varies from a simple polished stone to an elaborate silver and turquoise ornament or an elaborately carved mount. However, in most cases a single mount goes with a single bola tie and clasp. That is, the clasp does not include a means for interchanging mounts at the convenience of the wearer of the bola tie.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention herein described and claimed comprises a clasp which includes provisions for interchanging a plurality of mounts for use with a bola tie and includes provisions for maintaining the braids of a bola tie in a fixed position with respect to the clasp and mount. Also included are means for quickly releasing both the braids and the mount for either removing the bola tie from the neck of the wearer or for replaicng or interchanging mounts.

Among the objects of this invention are the following:

TO PROVIDE A NEW AND USEFUL CLASP FOR A BOLA TIE;

TO PROVIDE A NEW AND USEFUL CLASP WHICH PROVIDES FOR THE INTERCHANGEABILITY OF MOUNTS TO BE USED WITH THE CLASP;

TO PROVIDE NEW AND USEFUL MEANS FOR SECURING IN PLACE THE BRAIDS OF A BOLA TIE;

TO PROVIDE NEW AND USEFUL MEANS FOR INTERCHANGING MOUNTS ON A BOLA TIE;

TO PROVIDE NEW AND USEFUL MEANS FOR RELEASING THE BRAIDS OF A BOLA TIE FROM ENGAGEMENT WITH A CLASP;

TO PROVIDE NEW, USEFUL, AND COMPACT CLASP MEANS FOR USE WITH A PLURALITY OF MOUNTS FOR A BOLA TIE; AND

TO PROVIDE NEW AND USEFUL CLASP APPARATUS FOR SECURING IN ALIGNMENT A PLURALITY OF MEMBERS.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is a view showing the apparatus of the present invention illustrating its use;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the apparatus of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the assembled apparatus of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a view taken along line 4--4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a view taken along line 5--5 of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 6 is a view taken along line 6--6 of FIG. 5.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

FIG. 1 illustrates the present invention in the environment of its usage. The figure shows a representation of an individual in "western garb," including a shirt unbuttoned at the collar, and a bola tie is shown loosely fitting around the individual's neck. The bola tie consists of a loop or braid 6 extending around the individual's neck and held together in the front of the wearer by a clasp and mount apparatus generally designated by the reference numeral 10. The braid extends through the clasp and terminates in a pair of braids 6a and 6b. The mount is usually a decorative or ornamental item.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the bola tie clasp and mount apparatus of FIG. 1. The apparatus 10 includes a block 20, a pin 31, and a mount 12.

The block 20 includes a first bore 22 and a second bore 24, and the bores are generally in parallel alignment with each other in the same general plane or direction, and they both extend entirely thorugh the block 20. A third bore 26 extends into the block 20 in a plane or direction generally at right angles to bores 22 and 24. The bore 26 includes a flat portion 27 which cooperates with a matching flat on the mount, which will be discussed in detail below. A fourth bore 28 extends into the block 20 in a direction perpendicular to the bores 22, 24, and to the bore 26. The fourth bore 28 partially intersects the other three bores, 22, 24, and 26. The bores are located and extend in planes or in directions which are substantially at right angles to each other, except that bores 22 and 24 are substantially parallel to each other.

The parallel bores 22 and 24 receive the braids 6a and 6b which extend through the bores and dangle below the clasp apparatus. The bore 26 receives the mount 12, and the intersecting bore 28 receives locking pin 31 which holds the braids and the mount in relative position.

The fourth bore 28, which intersects the other three bores and which comprises the locking or holding bore, includes an interior shoulder 29 and larger diameter bore portion 30. The larger diameter bore 30 extends from the shoulder 29 to the exterior of the block 20.

The mount 12 includes a base portion 14 and a stem 16. The stem 16 includes a flat portion 18 (see FIGS. 4, 5, and 6) which cooperates with flat 27 in bore 26 of the block 20 to lock in place the mount 12 and to keep it from rotating within the bore 26. Typically the base portion 14 is of a lesser diameter than the ornamental portion of the mount 12.

Pin 31 includes a head 32 on one end thereof. A shoulder 34 is located on the underneath side of the head 32 adjacent the pin 31. Or, in other words, at the juncture of the pin 31 and the head 32 is a shoulder 34. The shoulder portion 34 is of a diameter slightly larger than the diameter of the pin 31. The pin 31 and shoulder 34 are appropriately sized according to bores 28 and 30 with which they cooperate and into which they extend. The pin includes a pair of depressions or cut out portions 42 and 44 which cooperate with braids 6a and 6b within bores 22 and 24 to hold or bias the braids 6a and 6b against the bores 22 and 24 to keep the clasp from moving on the braids, and vice versa, to keep either or both braids from slipping within the clasp. Another depression 46 is located at 90.degree. counterclockwise from the depressions 42 and 44 on pin 31. The depression 46 cooperates with a depression 19 (see FIG. 5) on stem 16 of the mount 12 to lock the stem 16 within bore 26 to prevent its removal.

A compression spring 36 extends about pin 31 within the large diameter bore 30 of bore 28 and biases the pin 31 against the braids 6a and 6b and the stem 16 to hold the braids and the stem in place by the cooperation of the depressions on the pin, the braids, and on the mount. Specifically, the spring 36 is biased between the shoulder 29 of the larger diameter bore 30 of bore 28 and the shoulder 34 of the pin 31.

FIG. 3 comprises a sectional view of the assembled apparatus 10. The block 20 is shown and the parallel bores 22 and 24 are shown extending through the block. The bore 28 is shown with pin 31 extending into the bore. The portion of the bore 28 of greater diameter, indentified by reference numeral 30, is also shown, with the spring 36 extending within the larger bore 30 between shoulder 29 and the shoulder 34 of pin 31. Depressions 42 and 44 of pin 31 are displaced slightly to the left of the bores 22 and 24 with which they cooperate. The displacement of the depressions, by the spring 36 biasing the pin 31, serves to bias the braids, which are not shown in FIG. 3, against the walls of the bores to hold the braids in place.

Mount 12 attached to base 14 is also shown in FIG. 3. The stem 16, which is secured to base 14, is shown in outline extending into bore 26, which is also merely outlined.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line 4--4 of FIG. 3 and comprises a sectional view rotated 90.degree. from that of FIG. 3. The block 20 is again shown with bore 28 extending therein. The braids 6a and 6b are shown extending through the block. The pin 31 extends within the bore 28 and is biased by spring 36 which extends between the larger diameter bore 30 and shoulder 34 of pin 31.

Stem 16 extends into bore 26 of block 20 and is held in place from movement in two directions. The flat portion 18 of the stem 16 cooperates with flat portion 27 of bore 26 to prevent rotational movement of the stem 16 within the bore 26 and thus also to prevent rotational movement of mount 12 secured to the stem 16, with respect to the bore 26. The stem 16 is also held, and prevented from being withdrawn from bore 26, by the cooperation of depression 46 of pin 31 and depression 19 (see FIG. 5) of stem 16. The biasing action of spring 36, in a manner similar to the biasing of the braids within their respective bores, causes the pin 31 to withdraw depression 46 partially away from the matching depression 19 in stem 16. As the depression 46 is withdrawn, the full diameter of pin 31 partially extends across the depression 19 of stem 16 and thus locks the stem 16 within the bore 26.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line 5--5 of FIG. 3 and illustrates further the cooperation of the various elements of the present invention. Stem 16, which is secured to base 14 and mount 12, extends into bore 26. The stem 16 includes depression 19 which cooperates with pin 31 to hold the mount 12 in place. As pin 31 is biased by spring 30 (see FIG. 4) the pin moves across the depression 19 and, with its full diameter being drawn partially into and across depression 19, locks stem 16 within the bore 26 and prevents it from being withdrawn. When depression 46 of pin 31 is aligned with stem 16, the stem may be moved axially within the bore 26 to either insert it or withdraw it. When depression 46 is biased out of alignment, and the full diameter of pin 31 is at least partially extending across depression 19 of the stem 16, the stem is locked in place within the bore.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the apparatus taken along line 6--6 of FIG. 5. The mount 12, secured to base 14, is shown beyond block 20. Bore 26 of block 20 is shown with stem 16 of the mount, and the base attached thereto, inserted within the bore. The cooperating flats 18 and 27 of the stem 16 and bore 26, respectively, are shown. The cooperation of the flats, with respect to both the bore and the stem, prevents the rotation of the stem within the bore and thus prevents the mount from becoming askew as it is worn and jostled by movement of the wearer.

To loosen the braids or to replace the mount, the head 32 of the pin 31 is depressed to the right, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, which aligns the depressions 42 and 44 with bores 22 and 24 and further aligns depression 46 with bore 26. When the respective depressions are aligned with the bores, the braids will easily slide up or down in the parallel bores 22 and 24 and the stem 16 of the base 14, with mount 12 attached thereto may be withdrawn from the bore 26. Accordingly, a new ornamental mount secured to another base and stem may be inserted within the bore 26. Upon release of the pressure on head 32, the pin 31 will again be biased by spring 36 to the left, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, and will move the depressions out of alignment with their respective bores. The braids are then biased by the edges of the matching parallel depressions to hold the braids within the bores, and the depression 46 is moved out of alignment with bore 26 and at least a portion of the full diameter of pin 31 is pulled across and within the depression 19 on stem 16 to prevent the withdrawal of pin 16 from the bore.

The disclosed apparatus provides for the rapid replacing and interchanging of mounts on the bola tie clasp and also provides for the biasing of bola tie braids which retains the braids in their original position with respect to the clasp and the mount secured thereto on the wearer. The biasing section of the pin against the braids and the stem of the mount causes the braids and the mount to remain locked in place. Upon the removal of the braids from the parallel bores, the entire apparatus may conveniently be disassembled and used with another bola tie braid.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. Clasp apparatus for locking a plurality of members comprising, in combination:

a block;

a first bore and a second bore extending through said block in a first direction for receiving a first and a second member therein;

a third bore extending into said block in a second direction for receiving a third member therein;

a fourth bore extending into said block in a third direction and at least partially intersecting said first, second, and third bores;

said first direction, second direction, and third direction of said bores extending at substantially right angles to each other;

pin means in said fourth bore for locking said first, second and third members in said first, second, and third bores; and

said pin means includes means for biasing the pin means against the first, second, and third members.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the first and second bores are substantially parallel.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the fourth bore includes a portion of greater diameter defining an interior shoulder in said bore.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 in which the pin means includes a first and second relieved portion aligned with said first and second bores when said pin means is in a first position.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 in which the pin means includes a third relieved portion aligned with said third relieved portion aligned with said third bore when said pin means is in said first position.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 in which the means for biasing the pin means comprises a spring for biasing said pin means to a second position against said first, second, and third members to lock the members within said bores.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 in which the pin means includes a shoulder thereon.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 in which the means for biasing said pin means comprises a spring, and said spring extends between said shoulder of said pin means and the interior shoulder in the fourth bore.