Hook for a hook-and-eye fastener

Claim 1

A hook for a hook-and-eye fastener, comprising: (a) a one-piece hook body including a base, a locking tongue lying substantially parallel to said base, an intermediate arcuate portion extending between said base and said locking tongue so as to define therebetween an eye-receiving channel, said locking tongue projecting beyond the free end of said base by a distance which is one and a half to two times as large as a distance between the vertex of said arcuate portion and the free end of said base, said base having a pair of prongs projecting substantially perpendicularly therefrom in a direction away from said locking tongue, said prongs being located on opposite edges of said base such that the longitudinal central axes of said prongs extend in a plane which is spaced from the vertex of said arcuate portion by a distance approximately equal to one-fourth of the entire length of said hook body; (b) said hook body having an inner surface facing said eye-receiving channel, and a plurality of cold-pressed elongated recesses defined in said inner surface and extending from said base through said arcuate portion to said locking tongue, each said recess having opposite end portions terminating adjacent to a plane in which the longitudinal central axes of said prongs extend, a region adjacent said recesses having a cold-pressed modulus large enough to afford increased resiliency and strength to said arcuate portion; and (c) a retainer having a pair of openings through which said prongs can extend, respectively, said openings being spaced from one another by a distance which is smaller than the distance between said pair of prongs, each said prong having a bent end portion retained on said retainer with a space defined therebetween.