Jewellery clasp

Claim 1

In a jewelry clasp, a one-piece holder folded from a metal blank having an axis of symmetry including a U-shaped socket formation having a central axis and an axial access opening, said socket formation including a pair of longitudinally extending substantially parallel arms, said socket formation opening at one end thereof, thereby presenting an access opening, of one said arms having an aperture adjacent said one end, the sides of said other arm having upstanding walls extending toward said one arm thereby forming said socket formation, a one-piece latch folded from a metal blank having an axis of symmetry including a U-shaped band portion lowermost having upper and lower branches which are resiliently displaceable in relation to each other, said band being adapted to register under slight compression axially snugly within said socket formation through said access opening with the separated ends of the branches thereof located outermost beyond said access opening and extending at substantially right angles thereto to present a first upper longer arm portion in spaced relation to a second lower shorter arm portion, with said first arm portion presenting a finger-engaging ledge at the outer extremity thereof, said upper resiliently displaceable branch of said U-shaped band portion having an integral raised portion interengageable with said aperture for locking same together against separation only when in axial snug registration and releasable only upon downward displacement of said first upper arm portion for withdrawal, said holder presenting flange formations extending from the ends of said upstanding walls across the end of said one arm and upwardly of the edge portion of said access opening contiguous said first upper arm portion, with the outer extremity thereof spaced below said finger-engaging ledge whereby said first upper arm portion may be displaced downwardly for release of said interengageable means.