Earring

Claim 2

An earring for pierced ears which comprises an ornament in a setting, a rectilinear cylindrical post extending from said ornament setting, at least a portion of the outer surface of said post having a helical threading, and a clutch, said clutch having a central disc-shaped base portion having a substantially circular central opening and an outer perimeter, a plurality of spaced-apart curved springy fingers, said curved springy fingers extending radially from terminal tips defining an opening, to a curved attachment to the substantially circular outer perimeter of said base portion, so that said clutch is substantially conical, and a cylindrical sleeve, said sleeve depending from said central opening in said base portion towards said terminal tips of said fingers, so as to guide said post towards the opening in the clutch defined by said terminal tips of said curved springy fingers, said clutch being engageable by said post by extending said post axially through the central opening in said base portion and through said sleeve, and then through the opening defined by the terminal tips of said fingers, whereby the tips of said fingers pass over the convolutions of the threading, and so that said clutch cannot be disengaged from said post by reverse axial movement but may be disengaged from said post only by rotating said clutch to slide the tips of said fingers along the convolutions of the helical threading of said post, whereby said clutch is unscrewed off of said post, the circular central opening and the substantially circular perimeter of the base portion of said clutch being concentric, and the central opening defined by the terminal tips of said fingers being coaxial with both the circular central opening of the base portion of said clutch and said sleeve.

Claim 3

The earring of claim 1 in which the number of fingers is four.

Claim 4

The earring of claim 1 in which the curved springy fingers have a concave inner surface and a convex outer surface.

Claim 5

The earring of claim 1 in which the terminal tips of the curved springy fingers are rounded.

Claim 6

The earring of claim 1 in which the terminal tips of the curved springy fingers define a substantially circular opening.

Claim 7

The earring of claim 1 in which all of the elements of the clutch have a substantially uniform and equal thickness.

Claim 8

The earring of claim 1 in which the base portion of the clutch is concave.

Claim 9

The earring of claim 1 in which the terminal tip of each curved springy finger includes a terminal lip portion, said lip portion diverging away from the direction of curvature of the finger, so that said lips define, in combination, an extension of the sleeve, said sleeve extension being discrete from, spaced from, and coaxial with the sleeve.

Claim 10

The earring of claim 8 in which the sleeve extension composed of the lip portions defines a substantially cylindrical passage at the opening defined by the terminal tips of the fingers.

Claim 11

The earring of claim 8 in which each of the lip portions curves inwardly from its respective finger and toward a terminus contiguous with the helical threading on the outer surface of the post.

Claim 12

The earring of claim 8 in which each of the lip portions terminates with an arc-shaped inner curved terminus contiguous with the helical threading on the outer surface of the post, so that the lip portions define, in combination, a substantially circular opening through which the clutch is engageable by the post.

Claim 13

An earring for pierced ears which comprises an ornament in a setting, a rectilinear cylindrical post extending from said ornament setting, at least a portion of the outer surface of said post having a helical threading, and a clutch, said clutch having a central disc-shaped base portion having a substantially circular central opening and an outer perimeter, and a plurality of spaced-apart curved springy fingers, said curved springy fingers extending radially from terminal tips defining an opening, to a curved attachment to the substantially circular outer perimeter of said base portion, so that said clutch is substantially conical, the terminal tip of each curved springy finger including a terminal lip portion, said lip portion diverging away from the direction of curvature of the finger, so that said lips define, in combination, said opening from which said curved springy fingers extend radially, said clutch being engageable by said post by extending said post axially through the central opening in said base portion and then through the opening defined by the terminal tips of said fingers, whereby the tips of said fingers pass over the convolutions of the threading, and so that said clutch cannot be disengaged from said post by reverse axial movement but may be disengaged from said post only by rotating said clutch to slide the tips of said fingers along the convolutions of the helical threading of said post, whereby said clutch is unscrewed off of said post, the circular central opening and the substantially circular perimeter of the base portion of said clutch being concentric, and the central opening defined by the terminal tips of said fingers being coaxial with the circular central opening of the base portion of said clutch.

Claim 14

An earring for pierced ears which comprises an ornament in a setting, a rectilinear cylindrical post extending from said ornament setting, at least a portion of the outer surface of said post having a helical threading, and a clutch, said clutch having a central disc-shaped base portion having a substantially circular central opening and an outer perimeter, and a plurality of spaced-apart curved springy fingers, said curved springy fingers extending radially from terminal tips defining an opening, to a curved attachment to the substantially circular outer perimeter of said base portion, so that said clutch is substantially conical, the terminal tip of each curved springy finger including a terminal lip portion, said lip portion diverging away from the direction of curvature of the finger, so that said lips define, in combination, said opening from which said curved springy fingers extend radially, said clutch being engageable by said post by extending said post axially through the central opening in said base portion and then through the opening defined by the terminal tips of said fingers, whereby the tips of said fingers pass over the convolutions of the threading, and so that said clutch cannot be disengaged from said post by reverse axial movement but may be disengaged from said post only by rotating said clutch to slide the tips of said fingers along the convolutions of the helical threading of said post, whereby said clutch is unscrewed off of said post, the circular central opening and the substantially circular perimeter of the base portion of said clutch being concentric, and the central opening defined by the terminal tips of said fingers being coaxial with the circular central opening of the base portion of said clutch.

Claim 15

The earring of claim 12 in which the lip portions define a substantially cylindrical passage at the opening defined by the terminal tips of the fingers.

Claim 16

The earring of claim 12 in which each of the lip portions curves inwardly from its respective finger and toward a terminus contiguous with the helical threading on the outer surface of the post.

Claim 17

The earring of claim 12 in which each of the lip portions terminates with an arc-shaped inner curved terminus contiguous with the helical threading on the outer surface of the post, so that the lip portions define, in combination, a substantially circular opening through which the clutch is engageable by the post.

Claim 18

The earring of claim 12 in which the number of fingers is four.

Claim 19

The earring of claim 12 in which the curved springy fingers have a concave inner surface and a convex outer surface.

Claim 20

The earring of claim 12 in which the terminal tips of the curved springy fingers are rounded.

Claim 21

The earring of claim 12 in which the terminal lips of the curved springy fingers define a substantially circular opening.

Claim 22

The earring of claim 12 in which all of the elements of the clutch have a substantially uniform and equal thickness.

Claim 23

The earring of claim 12 in which the base portion of the clutch is concave.

Claim 24

An earring for pierced ears which comprises an ornament in a setting, a rectilinear cylindrical post extending from said ornament setting, at least a portion of the outer surface of said post having a helical threading, and a clutch, said clutch having a central disc-shaped base portion having a substantially circular central opening and an outerperimeter, a plurality of spaced-apart curved springy fingers, said curved springy fingers extending radially from terminal tips defining an opening, to a curved attachment to the substantially circular outer perimeter of said base portion, so that said clutch is substantially conical, the terminal tip of each curved springy finger including a terminal lip portion, said lip portion diverging away from the direction of curvature of the finger, so that said lips define, in combination, said opening from which said curved springy fingers extend radially, and a cylindrical sleeve, said sleeve depending from said central opening in said base portion towards said terminal lip portions of said fingers, so that said lips define, in combination, an extension of the sleeve, said sleeve extension being discrete from, spaced from, and coaxial with said sleeve, said clutch being engageable by said post by extending said post axially through the central opening in said base portion and through said sleeve, and then through the opening defined by the terminal tips of said fingers, whereby the tips of said fingers pass over the convolutions of the threading, and so that said clutch cannot be disengaged from said post by reverse axial movement but may be disengaged from said post only by rotating said clutch to slide the tips of said fingers along the convolutions of the helical threading of said post, whereby said clutch is unscrewed off of said post, the circular central opening and the substantially circular perimeter of the base portion of said clutch being concentric, and the central opening defined by the terminal tips of said fingers being coaxial with both the circular central opening of the base portion of said clutch and said sleeve.

Claim 25

An earring for pierced ears which comprises an ornament in a setting, a rectilinear cylindrical post extending from said ornament setting, at least a portion of the outer surface of said post having a helical threading, and a clutch, said clutch having a central disc-shaped base portion having a substantially circular central opening and an outerperimeter, a plurality of spaced-apart curved springy fingers, said curved springy fingers extending radially from terminal tips defining an opening, to a curved attachment to the substantially circular outer perimeter of said base portion, so that said clutch is substantially conical, the terminal tip of each curved springy finger including a terminal lip portion, said lip portion diverging away from the direction of curvature of the finger, so that said lips define, in combination, said opening from which said curved springy fingers extend radially, and a cylindrical sleeve, said sleeve depending from said central opening in said base portion towards said terminal lip portions of said fingers, so that said lips define, in combination, an extension of the sleeve, said sleeve extension being discrete from, spaced from, and coaxial with said sleeve, said clutch being engageable by said post by extending said post axially through the central opening in said base portion and through said sleeve, and then through the opening defined by the terminal tips of said fingers, whereby the tips of said fingers pass over the convolutions of the threading, and so that said clutch cannot be disengaged from said post by reverse axial movement but may be disengaged from said post only by rotating said clutch to slide the tips of said fingers along the convolutions of the helical threading of said post, whereby said clutch is unscrewed off of said post, the circular central opening and the substantially circular perimeter of the base portion of said clutch being concentric, and the central opening defined by the terminal tips of said fingers being coaxial with both the circular central opening of the base portion of said clutch and said sleeve.