Jewelry converter apparatus

A converter mechanism is shown for converting a decorative button cover to another piece of jewelry. The converter has spaced plate members receivable on opposite sides of a U-shaped plate pivotally mounted on the button cover which is adapted, when in the open position, to slide beneath a button on either side of thread attaching the button to a garment. The button cover is then pivoted to a closed position locking the converter thereto. Selected attachment means, such as an ear ring clip, is integrally attached to the plate members to enable the piece of jewelry to be worn in a conventional manner.

This invention relates generally to jewelry and more particularly, to 
apparatus for converting one type of jewelry, such as a button cover, to 
another type of jewelry, such as an earring. 
Decorative covers for buttons and the like are well known. One type of 
conventional cover, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,777,336 issued to 
Anderson, comprises a disk having a decorative surface on its obverse side 
and a button receiving cavity with an attachment mechanism on its reverse 
side. For example, a generally U-shaped plate is pivotably mounted between 
an open position in which the spaced legs of the plate can be inserted 
beneath a button on either side of the thread attaching the button to a 
garment, and a closed, locked position against the reverse side of the 
disk capturing the button in the button receiving cavity between the 
U-shaped plate and the disk. 
Convertible jewelry articles are also known in the art. For example, U.S. 
Pat. No. 5,048,311 issued to Mastrobuono discloses a convertible jewelry 
article for use as an earring which can receive interchangeable ornamental 
members. The jewelry article includes a clamp member 32 for engaging with 
the user's ear and a leg with semi-spherical member 60 for engaging with 
dome portion 24 of spring mounted plate 22 on ornamental member 10. Clamp 
22 may only be used with an ornamental member with a plate having the 
specific structure of the dome 24 to receive spherical member 60. The 
ornamental member 10 and clamp 32 are designed specifically for each 
other. Jewelry article of the '311 patent suffers from incompatibility 
with the more common button covers as described above in U.S. Pat. No. 
3,777,336. 
It is an object of the present invention to provide a mechanism which can 
be used with a conventional button cover described above in order to 
convert it into another type of jewelry. 
Another object is the provision of such a mechanism which is easily 
manufactured and which can be used with button covers for converting the 
covers to earrings, pins or ornaments for use on bracelets, necklaces or 
the like. 
Briefly, a mechanism used to convert a button cover to another type of 
jewelry comprises first and second generally parallel extending plates 
spaced apart a distance selected to receive a U-shaped plate of a button 
cover therebetween. The lower plate is configured to fit within the button 
receiving cavity and a channel like member used to space the plates apart, 
is configured to fit closely between the legs of the U-shaped plate 
providing a selected orientation of the first and second plates relative 
to the cover. A jewelry attachment means, such as a pivotable earring 
clip, is connected to the first and second plates so that the cover can be 
attached to an ear in the normal manner of a clip-on earring. Other 
attachment means can be connected to the parallel plates such as a flat 
piece adapted to be received in the bore of a suitable fastener for 
attaching the device as an ornament on a chain or the like.

Referring to the drawings, numeral 10 designates a conventional button 
cover shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. Cover 10, which can be any selected shape as 
long as it is large enough to cover a button of a selected size, has an 
ornamental design on its obverse side 12 and a button receiving cavity 14 
on its reverse side 16. A generally U-shaped plate 18 having a hinge 20 
integrally attached at the bight 22 formed between first and second legs 
24, 26. Cavity 14 is defined by a generally cylindrical wall 28 extending 
from cover 10 with hinge 20 received in an aperture 30 formed in wall 28. 
U-shaped plate 18 is provided with locking means in the form of tangs 32 
extending from respective legs 24, 26 adapted to apply a bias against the 
inner wall surface of wall 28 when plate 18 is pivoted into its closed 
position shown in FIG. 2. The outer distal portion of wall 18 is rolled 
inwardly slightly (not shown) so that the tangs 32 will snap beyond the 
rolled portion providing a locked, closed position. 
Legs 24, 26 are flared at 34, 36 respectively to facilitate placement of 
plate 18 beneath a button on either side of thread attaching the button to 
a garment. The plate is pushed beneath the button until the threads are 
received in central aperture 38 of plate 18 and then the cover is pivoted 
from the FIG. 1 position to the locked, closed position shown in FIG. 2. 
In accordance with the invention, a converter 40 for use with button cover 
10 comprises first and second generally parallel extending plates 42, 44 
spaced apart from one another a distance selected to closely receive plate 
18 therebetween. As seen in FIG. 5, plate 44 is formed with a channel 46 
forming a spacing boss configured to fit closely between the flared legs 
24, 26 of plate 18 so that the converter assumes a selected orientation 
relative to cover 10. It will be understood that channel 46 could, if 
desired, be formed in plate 42 or a separate element could be disposed 
between the plates. In any event, the plates lying in planes generally 
parallel to one another are attached to one another in any suitable 
manner, as by brazing. As seen in FIG. 3, a conventional earring clip 48 
is integrally attached to converter 40 by means of a connector strip 50; 
however, other conventional attachment means, such as a flat blade member, 
could be employed to make the device useful as an ornament on a chain, for 
example. 
It should be understood that although a preferred embodiment of the 
converter mechanism has been described by way of illustrating the 
invention, modifications of the converter are possible within the scope of 
the invention and the invention includes all modifications and equivalents 
of the disclosed embodiment falling within the scope of the appended 
claims.