Abstract:
A clip for a test telephone has a hook part and a gate part which pivots to open and close the mouth of the hook part. In the open position it enters a slot in the hook part. The hook part has an offset coupling portion for pivotable connection to the gate part and to the telephone casing. The casing has a channel in which the clip is mounted so as to be pivotable to a use configuration in which the mouth of the hook part is aligned with the adjacent surface of the casing so an object to be hooked can slide relative to the casing and into the clip.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to clips and to casings, particularly casings for test telephones. A test telephone is an example of an article which must be releasably connectable to objects, for example to the belt of a telephone engineer, to a mounting structure affixed to a telegraph pole, or to a telephone cable. The clips according to the invention are particularly suitable for quick and reversible connection to the chosen mounting. 
     As shown schematically in FIG. 1, a known type of clip  1 ′, includes a closed loop of stainless steel, the loop including a hook  3 ′ and a gate  4 ′ and being openable by moving the gate from a closed position to an open position relative to the hook. A first end of the gate is pivotally connected to the shank of the hook by a rivet  5 ′. The second end of the gate is free but in the closed position it contacts the end of the hook distal to the shank so as to close the loop. 
     The gate is biassed into the closed position by a coil spring  6 ′ which extends between the shank and a terminal portion of the gate adjacent its first end. The shank of the hook includes a central body of rectangular cross-section and a pair of parallel plates. The plates  7  are integral with the body and project from the same inwardly directed face thereof to provide a housing for the coil spring and for the terminal portion of the gate. Each plate has two an apertures  8 ′,  9 ′, corresponding apertures in the two plates being in register with one another. A first pair  8 ′ accommodates the rivet  5 ′ connecting the gate to the hook. 
     As shown in FIG. 1, the clip  1 ′ is mounted to a casing  10 ′ of a telephone. The casing  10 ′ has a channel  11 ′ containing a mounting shackle  12 ′. This has a spaced pair of upstanding flanges  13 ′ with aligned apertures  14  ′. A rivet  15 ′ extends through these apertures and the second pair of apertures  9 ′ of the clip, for pivotably mounting the clip. 
     This known type of clip assembly suffers from the disadvantage that in the open position, the gate lies against the shank of the hook. Accordingly, it hinders the movement of an object into the “mouth” of the hook when the object is being connected to the clip. This difficulty is particularly accentuated when the user tries to attach the clip to relatively large objects. Such movement is further hindered by the way the clip is mounted to the casing. The plates  7 ′ have an exposed rear corner region  15 ′ which will tend to snag an object over which the clip is sliding. Furthermore they project in a direction which narrows the mouth of the hook. 
     For the telephone engineer this difficulty may be especially important. The engineer may be working at a considerable height up a telegraph pole and therefore will need a quick and simple way of attaching an item, such as a telephone, to a mounting structure on the pole. The longer that the object is unattached to its intended mount, the greater the risk that it will fall. 
     The present invention aims to provide an improved type of clip, casing and test telephone which ameliorates the above disadvantage: the clip is suitable for quick and easy connection of an item, eg. a telephone, to a mounting structure. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Accordingly, in a first aspect the present invention provides a clip including a loop having a hook part and a gate part pivotally connected thereto, the loop being openable by pivoting the gate part relative to the hook part from a closed position to an open position against a spring bias, wherein the hook part of the loop includes a recess which accommodates at least a substantial portion of the gate part of the loop in the open position. Desirably, the loop is made of plastic. 
     The hook part may include a shank to which a first end of the gate part is pivotally connected, a concavity within the shank providing at least part of the recess within which the gate, or a substantial portion of it, is accommodated in the open position. The shank may be adapted for pivotal connection of the gate, for example through the provision of one or more brackets projecting from the shank. Each of the brackets may have an aperture, the two apertures being in register with on another so as to provide a pair of mounting sockets for accommodating a rivet which passes through the first end of the gate. The hook may have strengthening formations on its outer surface; one or more ribs may for example project from an outwardly directed surface of the hook, the ribs providing additional structural support to the hook. 
     A second end of the gate opposite to the first end is free, but in the closed position the second end reversibly engages with a portion of the hook distal to the shank. The second end of the gate may engage with the distal portion of the hook adjacent, but not at, a free end of this distal portion. Accordingly, the distal portion of the hook may include a terminal lip. Where present, the lip is preferably turned outwardly to thereby provide an inner guide surface which slopes towards the gate. This inner surface is therefore suitable for directing an object to be attached to the loop onto the gate. 
     In preferred embodiments of the present invention, the first part of the loop may include first interacting means and the second part may include second interacting means. The first and second interacting means cooperate with one another to guide the second part of the loop towards and into the recess in the first part of the loop as the loop is opened. The first interacting means may be provided within the recess itself. Desirably, a hole may be provided in a wall of the recess which receives and accommodates a guide member which projects from the second part of the loop. The hole may for example be a slot and the second part of the loop may be provided with a planar guide vane. 
     The second part of the loop may be biassed into its closed position by a coil spring, but other mechanical equivalents such as leaf spring may alternatively be used. 
     The first part of the loop may include attachment means for securing the clip to an item, for example to a telephone. The attachment means may include one or more sockets each of which may accommodate a mounting prong attached to the item. 
     In a second aspect the invention provides a clip having a hook part and a gate part, wherein the hook part is generally U-shaped having a mouth defined between outer and inner limbs connected by an arcuate portion, said outer limb having a free end remote from said arcuate portion, said inner limb having a main limb portion and a connection portion remote from said arcuate portion to which said gate part is pivotally connected, said connection portion being in line with and/or offset from said main limb portion so as not to obstruct said mouth. Preferably said inner limb defines a recess for accommodating at least a substantial portion of the gate part in its open configuration when it is pivoted away from said outer limb. 
     In a third aspect the invention provides a casing incorporating a clip according to the first or second aspect of the invention, the casing having an exterior surface portion, the clip being mounted so that it has a use configuration in which the mouth of the loop is aligned with said casing exterior surface so that a hookable object can slide over said casing exterior surface and pass smoothly into said loop. Preferably the casing exterior surface is shaped to define a channel, open at one end, closed at the opposite end by an upstanding wall portion, and having opposed side walls, and the clip is mounted within said channel and projects through said open end in said use configuration. Preferably said clip is pivotably mounted and is pivotable to a configuration in which the gate part abuts said upstanding wall portion or a vertex where said upstanding wall portion meets said casing exterior surface, further pivoting urging said gate part to pivot to open the mouth of the loop. Preferably said clip and casing have mutually engaging pivot formations comprising pivot shafts on one of said clip and casing and which are pivotably received in apertures provided by the other one of said clip and casing. Preferably the pivot shafts are frictionally engaged within said apertures. 
     An embodiment of the present invention will now be described by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a schematic view, in longitudinal section, of part of a prior art test telephone with clip; 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a clip embodying the present invention having a hook and a gate, the gate being shown in the closed position; 
     FIG. 3 is a side view of the clip of FIG. 2; 
     FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the clip of FIG. 2 with the gate in the open position; 
     FIG. 5 is a plan view of the hook of the clip of FIG. 2; 
     FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the hook of the clip of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 7 is a side view of the hook of the clip of FIG. 2; 
     FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the gate of the clip of FIG. 2; 
     FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a test telephone casing embodying the invention, incorporating a clip as shown in FIGS. 2-8; and 
     FIG. 10 is a larger-scale view of part of the casing showing the clip and its attachment. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     With reference to FIGS. 2 to  6 , the clip  10  includes a hook  20  and a gate  50 , each made from plastic. The gate  50  is pivotally connected at one end to the hook  20  such that it is movable between a closed position and an open position. In the closed position a free end  55  of the body  51  of the gate  50  contacts an inner surface  25  of the C-shaped portion  24  of the hook  20 . The clip  10  thus forms a closed loop, in which the hook  20  provides a first part of the loop and the gate  50  provides a second part of the loop. The gate  50  is biassed into the closed position by a coil spring (shown in schematic form in FIG. 3) and is moved into the open position against the bias. In the open position the gate  50  is accommodated within a recess  30 , thereby enabling an object to be inserted into the open loop with little or no obstruction from the gate  50 . 
     The hook  20  includes a shank  22  connected an angle to the end of one limb of a U-shaped portion  24 . At the end of the other limb of the U-shaped portion  24  there is an outwardly turned lip  26 . The U-shaped portion has an inner surface  25  and an outer surface  27 . Projecting from the outer surface  27  there is a longitudinal rib  29  and a number of transverse ribs  28 . The ribs  28 ,  29  are integral with and provide strength to the U-shaped portion  24 . 
     A pair of triangular brackets  34  are integral with and project from the shank  22  of the hook  20 , the leading face  37  of each bracket  34  being continuous with the inner surface  25  of the U-shaped portion  24 . A thin boss  36  having a bore  38  projects from an outwardly directed surface  35  of each bracket  34 . The bore  38  continues through the bracket  34  from which the boss  36  projects. In combination, the bores  38  receive a mounting pin  64 . The mounting pin  64  is used to connect pivotally the gate  50  to the hook  20 , as is described below. 
     The gate  50  includes a body  51 . Extending from and integral with the body  51  is a plate  56  and a cylindrical projection  58 . The function of each of these components will be described below. At end  53  of the body  51  there is a cylindrical sleeve  52  which has a bore  54  for accommodating a mounting pin  64 . A skirt  60  depends tangentially from the sleeve  52 . 
     The gate  50  is pivotally connected to the hook  20  using the mounting pin  64 . The pin  64  is accommodated in the bore  54  of the sleeve  52  and extend into the bores  38  in the brackets  34  and bosses  36 . 
     It will be observed that the space  33  between the brackets  34  is continuous with a substantially rectangular hollow  31  in the U-shaped portion  24 , the leading face  37  of the bracket  34  being continuous with the inner face  25  of the U-shaped portion  24  (as described above). In combination, the space  33  between the brackets  34  and the hollow  31  provide a recess  30  for accommodating the gate  50  in its open position, the recess  30  being of sufficient depth to receive the body  51  of the gate  50 . Accordingly, when the gate  50  is in its open position, an object may be moved past the gate into the “mouth” of the U-shaped portion  24  without being obstructed by the gate. 
     A narrow slot  32  is provided at the base of the recess  30 . Part of this aperture  32  is provided in the shank  22  of the hook  20 , while the remainder is in the U-shaped portion  24 . The slot  32  cooperates with the plate  56  in the gate  50  to guide the gate  50  into the recess  30  as it is moved from its closed to its open position. 
     A rectangular surround  33  extending around the slot  32  projects from outwardly facing surfaces  23  and  27  of the shank  22  and U-shaped portion  24 . The surround  33  provides structural support to the hook  20  around the slot  32 . The longitudinal rib  29 , extending along the outer surface of the U-shaped portion  24 , is continuous with the surround  33 , which is of similar height. On the other side of the surround  33 , the longitudinal rib  29  continues along the outer surface  23  of the shank  22  until it reaches a transverse cylindrical moulding at the free end of the shank  22 . The moulding projects at either side to provide pivot shafts. Each shaft  44  has an outwardly open cylindrical cavity  46 . 
     The gate  50  is biassed into its closed position by a coil spring (shown in schematic form in FIG.  3 ). One end of the coil spring is held on the cylindrical projection  58  of the gate  50 . The other end of the spring is trapped between an arcuate flange  40  and a wedge  42 . The flange  40  and wedge  42  are integral with the shank  22  of the hook  20  and project into the space  33  between the brackets  34 . From an inwardly directed surface  39  of each bracket  34 , projects a stop  43 . In the closed position the end  55  of the gate  50  contacts the inner surface of the U-shaped portion  24  of the hook  20  and the skirt  60  in the gate contacts the stops  43 . 
     FIGS. 9 and 10 show the clip  10  mounted to a casing part  80  of a test telephone. The casing part has a smoothly convex exterior surface portion  82  interrupted by a channel  84  which is open at one end corresponding to the upper end of the telephone. The other end of the channel  84  terminates in an upstanding wall  86 . The channel has a pair of spaced side walls  88 . These have aligned apertures in which the pivot shafts  44  are pivotably but frictionally received. Thus the clip can be pivoted, but does not move under its own weight. FIGS. 9 and 10 show the clip pivoted fully clockwise. The mouth of the hook  20  is open in a direction aligned with the adjacent exterior surface portion  82  of the casing part  80 . Thus an object to which the assembly is to be clipped can slide relative to the surface portion  82  and smoothly pass into the clip, without change of direction and without meet any resistance except from the gate portion  51  which is urged to pivot into its recess so that it does not obstruct the mouth of the hook. 
     If the clip is pivoted anticlockwise, the gate portion  51  eventually contacts the upstanding wall  86  to urge the opening of the gate. This can be used from one-handed release of the assembly from a structure to which it is hooked. 
     Whereas the invention has been described and illustrated with reference to the preferred embodiment, the skilled reader will appreciate that many variations and modifications are possible within the spirit and scope of the invention. It is intended to include all such variations and modifications within the scope of the appended claims.