Information
-
Patent Grant
-
6247207
-
Patent Number
6,247,207
-
Date Filed
Tuesday, September 28, 199925 years ago
-
Date Issued
Tuesday, June 19, 200123 years ago
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Inventors
-
-
Examiners
Agents
- Cook, Alex, McFarron, Manzo, Cummings & Mehler, Ltd.
-
CPC
-
US Classifications
Field of Search
US
- 024 664
- 024 662
- 024 665
- 024 669
- 024 663
- 024 667
- 024 668
- 024 491
- 024 545
- 024 563
-
International Classifications
-
Abstract
A collar bar that fits within the open collar of a shirt including a first elongated member sized in length to span and hold the open collar of the shirt. A first pair of clips, with one secured to each of the opposite ends of the elongated member, attaches the elongated member to the shirt to maintain the shirt in its open condition. A second pair of clips, each of which is secured to the elongated member near each of the clips of the first pair, secures the opposed lateral edges of the ascot to the collar bar to prevent the ascot from shifting as the knot loosens. The first and second pairs of clips may take various forms, or they may coincide, thereby serving both functions simultaneously, and the elongated member may be adjustable in length.
Description
The present invention relates to a men's fashion accessory, and, more particularly, to a collar bar for holding an ascot in place around the neck of the wearer when wearing an open-collar shirt.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Clothing fashions constantly change. Yet, over the years, the ascot has remained a stylish accessory for well-groomed men. The ascot is worn on formal occasions with a closed neck shirt on the outside of the shirt collar band (typically in conjunction with a morning coat or cutaway) or, on less formal occasions, with an open collar shirt on the inside of the collar next to the neck, with the ascot being tucked under the shirt front and the neck of the shirt being left open. Formal ascots are usually pre-tied, and equipped with an adjustable clasp on the neck band. The informal ascot, or cravat, must be tied by hand. Henceforth, the term “ascot” will be understood to refer to this latter variety.
Unlike a necktie, which has a wide end and a narrow end, both ends of an ascot form are of the same width and form “bibs” of approximately seven to eight inches in width. The ends are joined together by a narrower waist portion, typically two and one-half to three inches in width, that encircles the wearer's neck when the ascot is tied.
An ascot is tied like a four-in-hand necktie knot, with the omission of the last step in which the wide end of the necktie is drawn through the loop created by wrapping the wide end around the narrow end, cinching down the wide end to form a knot, and drawing up the knot tight to the closed collar. Instead, with the ascot, the front bib rests on top of the loop created by wrapping the waist of the ascot around the rear bib, with the front bib adjusted at the throat to cover the knot. The points of the ascot are then tucked under the shirt front with the neck of the shirt open.
Because the ascot is worn with an open collar and uses a loose knot, several problems arise that present obstacles to the stylish wearing of the ascot.
First, the distance that the collar is open can vary. If the opening narrows, the ascot is obscured; if the opening widens, the ascot becomes visually unmoored and adrift around the neck of the wearer.
Additionally, because the tied ascot does not have a cinched knot, it has a tendency to loosen rather quickly about the wearer's neck, especially when engaged in active pursuits, such as dancing. As the ascot loosens, the bibs disappear from view into the open shirt, exposing the wearer's throat.
Additionally, the width of the ascot bib is such that, for small-necked wearers, it can be difficult to stylishly drape the front bib so that it is puffed-out and elegantly displayed over the throat, while still being comfortably loose around the neck.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a device to be used when wearing an ascot with an open-collared shirt that maintains the collar open a constant, predetermined distance.
It is an additional object of the present invention to provide such a device for use when wearing an ascot that helps to prevent the ascot from slipping down into the open shirt front as the knot loosens.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide such a device that helps to secure the ascot in position around the wearer's neck and helps to prevent the knot from loosening.
A still further object is to provide such a device for wearing with an ascot that is unobtrusive and substantially hidden from view when in use.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
These objects, as well as others that will become apparent with reference to the accompanying drawings and following detailed description, are provided by a collar bar that fits within the open collar of the shirt that includes a first elongated member sized in length to span the open collar of the shirt. A first pair of clips, with one secured to each of the opposite ends of the elongated member, attaches the elongated member to the shirt to maintain the shirt in its open condition. A second pair of clips, each of which is secured to the elongated member near each of the clips of the first pair, secures the opposed lateral edges of the ascot to the collar bar to prevent the ascot from falling into the open shirt front as the knot loosens. In a particular embodiment, the two pairs of clips may coincide. The clips may comprise, variously, a friction post with a mating friction nut removably attached thereto, alligator clips having a spring-loaded jaw members, a resilient pin having a straight arm and a tension arm folded back thereon, or the like. Further, the first pair of clips may be attached to the elongated member by a chain, so as to permit the collar bar to be secured to the shirt at a location other than the top button/button hole of the shirt. In addition, the elongated member may be adjustable in length, so as to accommodate wearers having differently sized necks.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1
illustrates the proper wearing of an ascot in an open collar shirt.
FIG. 2
is a plan view of an ascot bar according to the present invention in which the neck of the wearer, the shirt and shirt collar, and ascot are shown in dashed lines.
FIG. 3
shows another embodiment of the collar bar of
FIG. 2
in which the collar bar is adjustable in length.
FIG. 4
is a still further embodiment of the collar bar of
FIG. 2
in which alligator clips replace the friction post and friction nut used to attach the bar to the shirt collar.
FIG. 5
is a further embodiment of the collar bar in
FIG. 2
in which the alligator clips used to secure the ascot to the collar bar are replaced with a second elongated member secured to the first member with elastic loops, and in which the ascot is shown in dashed lines.
FIG. 6
is a still further embodiment of the collar bar of
FIG. 2
in which the friction post and nut are replaced by a resilient pin and the alligator clips are replaced by a slot and the elongated member, and in which the ascot is shown in dashed lines.
FIG. 7
shows an attachment for use with the collar bar of
FIG. 1
that permits the collar bar to be attached to the shirt remote from the top button/button hole of the shirt.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Turning to
FIGS. 1 and 2
of the drawings, there is seen a collar bar
10
(
FIG. 2
) in accordance with the present invention. The collar bar
10
is adapted to be attached to the collar band
12
of a shirt
14
adjacent to the top button/button hole of the shirt so that it is substantially hidden by the ascot
16
and the down-folded wings
18
,
20
of the shirt collar
22
.
As shown in
FIG. 2
, the collar bar
10
comprises an elongated member
24
sized in length to span the open collar of the shirt
22
. The elongated member
24
may vary in length depending upon the neck size of the wearer and the style of shirt being worn. For example, for a wearer having a 15-inch neck with a roll-collar shirt (as illustrated in FIG.
1
), a 5-inch length for the elongated member
24
has been found to be satisfactory. The elongated member may be of a variety of materials, such as metal, plastic, or wood and, as illustrated, comprises a cylindrical member.
In accordance with the invention, a first clip
26
is provided on each of the opposite ends of the elongated member
24
for securing the collar bar
10
to the shirt
14
, thus maintaining the shirt collar
22
open the distance defined by the elongated member
24
. As illustrated in
FIG. 2
, the first clips
26
each comprise a post
28
with a pointed end for piercing the fabric of the collar bar
12
near the top button/button hole of the shirt
14
and a friction nut
30
that fits over the post
28
to firmly secure the collar bar
10
to the shirt
14
.
In keeping with a further aspect of the invention, a second clip
32
is provided on the collar bar
10
adjacent to each of the first clips
26
for securing the ascot
16
to the collar bar
10
. With reference again to
FIG. 2
, the second clips
32
comprise alligator clips of the type commonly used for tie clips, and having spring-loaded jaw members
34
that grasp the opposed lateral edges of the ascot
16
which are rolled under when the ascot
16
is draped over the collar bar
10
.
Accordingly, in use, the ascot
16
is tied in the standard manner described above. The front bib of the ascot
16
is lifted up and the collar bar
10
placed underneath and attached to the shirt by means of the clips
26
so that the clips
32
face away from the wearer's neck
36
. The collar bar
10
then acts like a “curtain rod” over which the front bib of the ascot is redraped with the opposed lateral edges rolled under so as to be grasped by the clips
32
. Thus, the clips
26
of the collar bar
10
are substantially hidden by the wings
18
,
20
of the shirt collar, while the remainder of the collar bar
10
is substantially hidden by the front bib of the ascot. Further, by means of the collar bar
10
, the ascot is maintained in its desired location despite any loosening of the knot.
Numerous variations of the inventive collar bar
10
are envisioned, some of which are disclosed in the remaining figures of the drawings. For example, the first and second pairs of clips
26
,
32
may take any of a variety of forms such as those illustrated in
FIGS. 3-6
. With reference to
FIG. 3
, the second pair of clips
32
may also be of the post and friction nut-type described above in conjunction with the clips
26
shown in FIG.
2
. In this case, the clips
32
act as a pair of tie-tacs to secure the rolled-under lateral edges of the ascot
16
to the collar bar. Alternatively, the posts of the clips
32
may extend through the outside or visible portion of the ascot
16
, in which case the friction nuts
30
are preferably of an ornamental design. The two pairs of clips may also coincide (such as the collar bar illustrated in
FIG. 3
, except with the clips
32
removed), with the clips
26
serving to attach to both the collar and the ascot.
Alternatively, as shown in
FIG. 4
, the first pair of clips
26
can be of the alligator clip-type described above in conjunction with the clips
32
shown in FIG.
2
. In this embodiment, the collar bar
10
is pushed onto the shirt collar so that the jaws
34
of the alligator clips lie along the outside of the collar band
12
to secure the collar bar
10
to the shirt.
Turning to
FIG. 5
, there is seen a further alternative for the second pair of clips
32
shown in
FIGS. 2-4
. In this embodiment, the collar bar
10
differs from that in
FIG. 2
in that it comprises a second elongated member
38
that is substantially similar to the first elongated member
24
. The second elongated member
38
is secured to the first elongated member
24
by means of a rigid, substantially U-shaped wire member
40
that is received through two pairs of aligned holes in the first and second elongated members
24
,
38
. The wire member
40
permits limited relative parallel movement of the first and second elongated members so that the rolled-under lateral edges of the ascot
16
can be received between the two elongated members. The ends of the wire member
40
are bent
90
degrees so as to lie along the second elongated member and a pair of elastic bands
42
encircle the two elongated members to bias them towards one another, thus providing a clamping force to secure the ascot to the collar bar. While the first pair of clips
26
shown in the
FIG. 5
embodiment are of the friction post and nut type, other types of clips such as those disclosed herein may also be used.
A further variation is illustrated in
FIGS. 6
, where the first clips are resilient pins, like hairpins, which have a straight arm
44
attached to the elongated member
24
and a tension arm
46
folded back thereon. Similar to the embodiment of
FIG. 4
, the collar bar
10
of
FIG. 6
is pushed onto the shirt collar so that tension arms
46
lie on the outside of the collar band
12
and the straight arm
44
lies inside the collar band.
To secure the ascot
16
to the collar bar
10
of
FIG. 6
, the elongated member
24
has at each of its ends a longitudinally extending slot
48
sized in width to receive the rolled-under edge of the ascot
16
. As illustrated in
FIG. 6
, one side of each slot
48
is serrated to provide teeth for firmly gripping the ascot
16
. Alternatively, the slot
48
can be lined with a gripping material to achieve the same result.
In some situations, the wearer may desire to secure the collar bar
10
by attaching it to the shirt somewhere other than at the top button/button hole. To this end, the first clips
26
may take the form illustrated in
FIG. 7
, wherein each of the first clips comprises an alligator-type clip
50
suspended on a chain
52
, with the loose end of the chain having a spring-loaded circular clasp
54
for attaching the chain to the collar bar
10
. With reference to
FIG. 2
, the first and/or second clips
26
,
32
may be provided with optional attachment loops
56
(shown attached to the friction nuts
30
and the jaw members
34
) to permit attachment of the chain-suspended clips
50
by use of the clasp
54
. Consequently, the clips
50
can be attached to the collar of the shirt at the sides of the neck so that the elongated member
24
of the collar bar
10
is suspended between the forward edges of the collar crosswise underneath the front bib of the ascot
16
. The chain
52
can be provided with an additional clasp
56
on an intermediate portion that serves to gather-up the chain at an arbitrary point to allow adjustment of its length.
As noted above, the preferred length of the collar bar
10
may vary depending upon the size of the wearer's neck and the style of shirt being worn. Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a collar bar
16
according to the present invention that is adjustable in length to accommodate such variations. With reference again to
FIG. 3
, a variable-length collar bar
10
is illustrated in which the first elongated member
24
is tubular and includes a telescoping member
24
a
carrying one of each of the first and second clips
26
,
32
. The telescoping member
24
a
slides in and out of the elongated member
24
to the desired length, with the relative positions of the tubular elongated member
24
and telescoping member
24
a
being maintained by friction between the two. Alternatively, other, more positive locking detents can be provided such as are well known in the art.
In practice, the collar bar may be constructed of brass tubing, with tie tacs and tie pins used for the first and second clips, and the assemblage being cold-soldered together. However, other materials and components may also be used without departing from the invention.
Thus, a collar bar for use with an ascot has been disclosed that makes the wearing of ascots easy, comfortable, and practical. Further, the disclosed collar bar improves the appearance of the ascot and substantially eliminates the need for constant retying and adjustment of the ascot due to the loosening of the knot, particularly when engaged in active pursuits, such as dancing. While the invention has been described in conjunction with certain preferred embodiments, there is no intent to limit the invention to the same. Instead, the invention is defined by the scope of the appended claims.
Claims
- 1. A collar bar for holding an ascot having opposed lateral edges in place around the neck of a wearer when wearing an open-collar shirt, the collar bar comprising:a first elongated member having opposite ends sized in length to span the open collar of the shirt; a first pair of clips, one of the said first pair of clips being secured to each of the opposite ends of the first elongated member for attaching the elongated member to the shirt thereby maintaining the collar of the shirt in an open condition; and a second pair of clips, one of the said second pair of clips being secured to the first elongated member proximate to each of the clips of the first pair, said second pair of clips for attaching to the opposed lateral edges of the ascot, thereby preventing the ascot from falling into the open shirt as its knot loosens.
- 2. The collar bar of claim 1 wherein the clips of the first pair comprise a friction post having a friction nut removably attached thereto.
- 3. The collar bar of claim 1 wherein the clips of the first pair comprise an alligator clip having a spring-loaded jaw member.
- 4. The collar bar of claim 1 wherein the clips of the first pair comprise a resilient pin having a straight arm and a tension arm folded back thereon.
- 5. The collar bar of claims 3 or 4 wherein each of the first pair of clips is attached to the elongated member by a chain.
- 6. The collar bar of claim 5 wherein the chains are adjustable in length.
- 7. The collar bar of claims 1, 2, 3, or 4 wherein the clips of the second pair comprise a friction post with a friction nut removably attached thereto.
- 8. The collar bar of claims 1, 2, 3, or 4 wherein the clips of the second pair comprise an alligator clip having a spring-loaded jaw.
- 9. The collar bar of claims 1, 2, 3, or 4 wherein the clips of the second pair comprise a resilient pin having a straight arm and a tension arm folded back thereon.
- 10. The collar bar of claims 1, 2, 3, or 4 wherein the clips of the second pair comprise a slot sized to receive the edge of the ascot.
- 11. The collar bar of claims 1, 2, 3, or 4 wherein the second pair of clips comprises a second elongated member substantially the same length as the first elongated member, the second elongated member being secured in substantially parallel relationship to and biased into contact with said first elongated member by elastic loops so that the opposed lateral edges of the ascot can be held at the opposite ends of the first and second elongated members in between the first member and the second member.
- 12. The collar bar of claim 1 wherein the elongated member is adjustable in length.
US Referenced Citations (17)