US3241255A

US3241255A - Ticket assembly

Info

Publication number: US3241255A
Application number: US312693A
Authority: US
Inventors: Martin S Hanley
Original assignee: SHERBURNE CORP
Current assignee: SHERBURNE CORP
Priority date: 1963-09-30
Filing date: 1963-09-30
Publication date: 1966-03-22
Anticipated expiration: 1983-03-22

Description

March 22, 1966 M. s. HANLEY TICKET ASSEMBLY Filed Sept. 30, 1965 INVENTOR. MARTIN S. HANLEY WW @4744 dad/$74 AT TOR NEYS United States Patent C) 3,241,255 TICKET ASSEMBLY Martin S. Haniey, Bornoseen, Vt., assignor to Sherburne Corporation, Killington, Vt., a corporation of Vermont Filed Sept. 30, 1963, Ser. No. 312,693 2 Claims. (Cl. 40-2) The present invention is directed to the attachment of a tag or ticket and more particularly to a ticket assembly primarily useful for attaching a ticket to wearing apparel.

It is a principal aim of the present invention to provide a new and improved ticket assembly which has notable usefulness for the attachment of conventional ski lift tickets to a skiers garment, which comprises a fastener that may be readily inserted and threaded through, for example a button hole or the usual opening in a zipper tab, and to which a ticket may be thereafter readily secured and thereby prevent inadvertent disassociation of the fastener from the garment or intentional removal of the fastener without prior removal of the ticket.

It is another aim of the present invention to provide a ticket and ticket fastener assembly of the type described which enables the ticket to be removed from the fastener only with noticeable damage to the ticket that precludes its subsequent usefulness whereby an illegal or otherwise undesirable removal and reuse of the ticket is prevented.

It is a further aim of the present-invention to provide a new and improved ticket fastener of the type described which is economically constructed, to which subsequently effective tickets may be attached with or without the removal of the expired or otherwise useless tickets previously attached thereto, and which nevertheless may be readily removed from its associated wearing apparel.

It is another aim of the present invention to provide a new and improved ticket assembly of the type described which avoids the necessity of penetrating or otherwise damaging a garment to which the fastener is applied and which is safe even though it is attached to the garment when the garment is worn while skiing or participating in other active sports.

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out more in detail hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combination of elements and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereafter set forth, and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the appended claims.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view, partly broken away and partly in section, of an embodiment of the ticket assembly of the present invention showing it attached to a garment zipper tab;

FIG. 2 is a front longitudinal view, partly broken away, of a modified ticket assembly showing it threaded through a garment button hole; and

FIG. 3 is a front longitudinal view, partly broken away, of another embodiment of a ticket assembly showing it attached to a garment zipper tab.

Referring now to the drawing in detail wherein like numerals refer to like parts in the various embodiments, an embodiment of the ticket assembly of the present invention, shown in FIG. 1, comprises a fastener 10, a folded ticket 12 and a pair of conventional comparatively heavy duty staples 14 for afiixing the folded ticket 12 to the fastener 10. The fastener is shown received in an opening in tab 16 of a zipper 18; although it should be understood that the fastener may be readily applied to button holes or other openings provided in a garment.

"ice

Where, however, the fastener is utilized for the attachment of a lift ticket to a skiers garment, it is notably useful threaded through the usual opening in a zipper tab on the conventional downwardly closing zippers on the side pockets of the skiers stretch pants.

The fastener 10 comprises a generally U-shaped body portion having a pair of generally parallel elongated legs 20 and a pair of laterally extending base portions 22 extending outwardly in oppositely directions from the ends of the legs 20. Preferably, the fastener 10 is constructed from a continuous length of wire of stainless steel or other noncorrosive and nonrusting material with the body portion and the base portions extending in substantially the same plane whereby the fastener is adapted to lie flat against the garment to which it is attached. However, for example, the U-shaped end of the body portion may be twisted slightly with respect to the remaining portion of the fastener body if such aids in positioning the fastener flat against the garment to which it is attached. Alternatively, the fastener 10 could be constructed from a wirelike continuous length of plastic which would likewise be noncorrosive and nonrusting. As with the stainless steel fastener, however, it is preferred that the plastic fastener be resilient but nevertheless have sufficient strength to prevent manual deformation of the base portions into substantial alignment with the legs 20/.

The fastener 10 may be conveniently threaded through the opening in the zipper tab 16 after first inserting the terminal end of one of the base portions through the tab opening. When fully installed, the fastener 10' tends to assume the position shown in FIG. 1 thereby facilitating the subsequent attachment of the ticket 12 to the fastener. Therefore, when the fastener 10 is used for attaching a ski lift ticket, the fastener may be first inserted on the garment prior to the purchase of the ticket, at which time the ticket may be conveniently attached to the fastener, preferably by folding the ticket around the base portions 22 of the fastener, for which purpose the base portions 22 extend in substantial alignment perpendicular to the legs 20, and then stapling the opposed substantially

parallel faces

24, 26 of the ticket together, preferably with the staples 14, as shown in FIG. 1,. bridging both of the legs 29 and positioned adjacent the folded edge 28 of the ticket and the opposed edges thereof. Alternatively, the staples may be conveniently applied to bridge only one of the legs 20 or applied laterally outwardly of the legs 20 and parallel and adjacent to the legs 20 or parallel and adjacent to the base portions 22. For convenience, the folded edge 28 may be scored to assist in folding the ticket on the fastener.

The ticket assembly of the present invention has par ticular usefulness in preventing a removal of the ticket Without noticeably altering its appearance so as to preclude its subsequent use by another. This can be accomplished by the use of conventional, but comparatively heavy staples 14 which cannot be removed from the ticket 26 by hand or even with a conventional staple removing device without partially destroying the ticket. Where, however, it is desired to remove the ticket 26 and the fastener from the associated garment, this may be readily accomplished by merely tearing the ticket from the fastener and thereafter deflecting the legs 20 inwardly to remove them from the inturned ends of the staples 14. Accordingly, it may be desired to use a relatively thin sheet cardboard material for the tickets 26 as is conventionally used for ski lift tickets whereby the ticket can be conveniently torn from the fastener and whereby the staples cannot be easily removed from the ticket with out noticeable damage to the ticket.

Alternatively, the ticket may be similarly attached to the fastener by an appropriate adhesive adapted for securing the

opposed faces

24, 26 of the ticket together. This adhesive might be of any well-known variety, but preferably is of sufiicient strength to prevent inadvertent separation of the ticket faces 24, 26 or intentional removal of the ticket without noticeably damaging the ticket whereby subsequent illegal use of the ticket is prevented.

With either an adhesive or staples for securing the ticket to the fastener the ticket assembly has particular usefulness at ski resort areas for attachment of the usually nontransferable ski lift ticket. In such application it has the advantage of providing for attachment of the ticket securely to the garment without the conventional requirement of applying a staple to the material of the garment. Additionally, the ticket can be readily attached to the fastener even in the coldest weather as by a conventional hand stapler or with the use of a pressure sensitive adhesive with assurance that the ticket will remain secured to the fastener. Further, this arrangement solves one of the prevailing problems in the management of the sales and use of ski lift tickets, i.e. the illegal transfer of a nontransferable ski lift ticket by one skier to another, as the ticket cannot be removed from the fastener without noticeably damaging it thereby making it subsequently unusable. Where, as now, the ticket is stapled to the skiers parka or other garment, not only 'might the garment be damaged but only light staples can be used which can be subsequentl easily removed without damage to the ticket. Of additional significance is the fact that the folded edge 28 of the ticket provides for shielding the terminal ends of the base portions 22 thereby making the fastener safe even when it is worn while participating in an active sport such as skiing.

Referring to FIG. 2, a modified ticket assembly of the present invention is shown with the ticket assembly attached to a garment 30 by appropriately feeding a fastener 31 through a button hole 32 through which the button 34 may be subsequently inserted to overlap the U-shaped end of the fastener. The fastener 31 is substantially the same as the fastener of FIG. 1 excepting for the fact that its base portions 38 have terminal ends 40 which are inwardly turned toward the legs 42 of the fastener to provide additional assurance against damage to the garment or injury to the wearer.

Referring to FIG. 3, another embodiment of the ticket assembly of the present invention is shown attached to a zipper tab 16. In this embodiment the fastener 50, which is also preferably constructed of stainless steel wire, has a generally U-shaped body with

elongated legs

52, 54 and with a single base portion 56 extending laterally from the end of the leg 52, which base portion 56 is shown inwardly turned toward the leg 52 as in the embodiment of FIG. 2. The end portion of the leg 54 is formed to have a slight outward inclination with respect to the leg 52 and terminates with an inwardly turned end 58 which preferably lies upwardly of the base portion 56. The leg 52 is formed to provide two laterally projecting

arcuate portions

60, 62 which are of a size adapted for receiving a pair of adjacent fingers to enable the fastener to be readily held and thereby facilitate the insertion of the end 58 through the opening in the zipper tab.

With this embodiment the ticket 12 is preferably folded with its folded edge 23 adjacent the leg 54 and in engagement with the inwardly turned end thereof. As with the embodiments of FIGS. 1 and 2, an adhesive can be used to secure the ticket faces 24, 26 together, or one or more comparatively heavy duty staples 14 can be attached to the ticket to fasten the opposing faces of the ticket together. Although three staples 14 are shown, a reduced number may be used to adequately secure the ticket to the fastener, and with either the staples 14 straddling the leg 52 or substantially aligned adjacent thereto on the opposite side of the leg from the folded edge 28. Alternatively, the staples 14 may be attached to bridge both of the

legs

52, 54; however, an application of the staples as shown in FIG. 3 facilitates the removal of the ticket from the fastener which may be accomplished by merely tearing the ticket along its folded edge 28 and thereafter displacing the ticket along the leg 52 to feed the staples from the fastener.

As will be apparent to persons skilled in the art, various modifications and adaptations of the structure above described will become readily apparent without departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, the scope of which is defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A ticket assembly comprising a wire fastener having a generally U-shaped body portion with elongated legs and a pair of aligned generally straight base portions extending outwardly in opposite lateral directions from the ends of said legs; a folded sheet ticket having a laterally extending folded edge generally parallel with and adjacent the base portions and a pair of generally parallel face portions extending longitudinally from said folded edge along opposite sides of said U-shaped body; and at least one laterally extending staple connecting the face portions of the ticket and straddling at least one of the legs to connect the ticket to the wire fastener and to thereby preclude removal of the ticket from the wire fastener.

2. A ticket assembly comprising a fastener of a continuous length of a wirelike material adapted to be threaded through a buttonhole or the like; said fastener having a generally U-shaped body portion with elongated legs and a pair of aligned generally straight base portions extending outwardly in opposite lateral directions from the ends of said legs; a folded sheet ticket having a laterally extending folded edge generally parallel with and adjacent the base portions and a pair of generally parallel face portions extending longitudinally from said folded edge along opposite sides of said U-shaped body and laterally beyond said straight base portions; and means for securing the face portions of the ticket together and thereby secure the ticket to the fastener whereby the fastener cannot be withdrawn from the buttonhole or the like until the ticket is removed from the fastener.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,531,335 3/1925 Gudmundsen 40-26 2,829,455 4/1958 Parker 4024 2,895,196 7/1959 Kennedy 40-2 X FOREIGN PATENTS 628,713 7/ 1927 France.

EUGENE R. CAPOZIO, Primary Examiner.

JEROME SCHNALL, Examiner.

WENCELSO J. CONTRERAS, Assistant Examiner.

Claims

1. A TICKET ASSEMBLY COMPRISING A WIRE FASTENER HAVING A GENERALLY U-SHAPED BODY PORTION WITH ELONGATED LEGS AND A PAIR OF ALIGNED GENERALLY STRAIGHT BASE PORTIONS EXTENDING OUTWARDLY IN OPPOSITE LATERRAL DIRECTIONS FROM THE ENDS OF SAID LEGS; A FOLDED SHEET TICKET HAVING A LATERALLY EXTENDING FOLDED EDGE GENERALLY PARALLEL WITH AND ADJACENT THE BASE PORTIONS AND A PAIR OF GENERALLY PARALLEL FACE PORTIONS EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY FROM SAID FOLDED EDGE ALONG OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID U-SHAPED BODY; AND AT LEAST ONE LATERALLY EXTENDING STAPLE CONNECTING THE FACE PORTIONS OF THE TICKET AND STRADDING AT LEAST ONE OF THE LEGS TO CONNECT THE TICKET TO THE WIRE FASTENER AND TO THEREBY PRECLUDE REMOVAL OF THE TICKET FROM THE WIRE FASTENER.