Ornamental rivet apparatus especially for clothing or shoes

Abstract

A decorative fastener for use upon an item to be worn by the user; the item to be worn may be a shoe, an item of clothing (including shirts, hats and caps, or the like), or even a pet collar. The fastener features two parts that may be connected together on opposite sides of the item to be worn, with the item situated between the bottom part and the top part. The fastener also includes an ornament portion attachable temporarily to one side of the top part, there being decoration of any desired type or appearance on the ornament portion. Assortments of different ornament portions are interchangeable for temporary attachment to the top part. A variety of decorations accordingly may selectively be used in combination with the shoe or other item.

1 . A decorative fastener apparatus comprising: 
 a top portion;    a bottom portion securely engageable to a first side of said top portion; and    an ornament portion removably engageable to a second side of said top portion, there being a decoration upon said ornament portion.    
     
     
         2 . An apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein said bottom portion is screwably engageable with said top portion.  
     
     
         3 . An apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein said ornament portion is screwably engageable with said top portion.  
     
     
         4 . An apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein said top portion comprises: 
 an intermediate body having a central aperture therein; and    an upper socket extending from said body.    
     
     
         5 . An apparatus according to  claim 4  wherein said top portion further comprises: 
 an intermediate body having a central aperture therein; and    a lower socket extending from said body.    
     
     
         6 . An apparatus according to  claim 4  wherein said upper socket defines polygonal exterior radial cross section.  
     
     
         7 . An apparatus according to  claim 4  wherein said body further comprises an undersurface having an uneven texture to promote frictional engagement between said top portion and the item to which it is attached.  
     
     
         8 . An apparatus according to  claim 5  wherein each of said sockets defines an axial interior passage, said interior passages aligned mutually and with said central aperture, said passages also continuously threaded.  
     
     
         9 . An apparatus according to  claim 5  wherein said lower socket defines a cylindrical tube.  
     
     
         10 . An apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein said bottom portion comprises: 
 a generally planar base; and    a substantially tubular attachment stem extending from said base.    
     
     
         11 . An apparatus according to  claim 10  wherein said attachment stem defines therein a central interior tunnel, and said stem comprises screw threads on its exterior and on its interior.  
     
     
         12 . An apparatus according to  claim 10  wherein said base further comprises an upper surface having an uneven texture to promote frictional engagement between said bottom portion and the item to which it is attached.  
     
     
         13 . An apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein said ornament portion comprises: 
 a cap; and    a post extending from said cap.    
     
     
         14 . An apparatus according to  claim 13  wherein said post is exteriorly threaded.  
     
     
         15 . A decorative fastener mountable upon an item to be worn, said fastener comprising: 
 a top portion;    a bottom portion engageable to a first side of said top portion with the item situate between said bottom portion and said top portion; and    an ornament portion attachable temporarily to a second side of said top portion, there being decoration on said ornament portion.    
     
     
         16 . An apparatus according to  claim 15  wherein said bottom portion comprises: 
 a base; and    an attachment stem extending perpendicularly from said base.    
     
     
         17 . An apparatus according to  claim 16  wherein said base comprises a generally annular disk shape.  
     
     
         18 . An apparatus according to  claim 16  wherein said attachment stem comprises: 
 a tubular cylinder disposed on a central axis of said base;    a central tunnel defined in said cylinder; and    screw threads defined on its exterior;    wherein said exterior screw threads on said attachment stem are configured to permit said stem screwably to engage with said top portion.    
     
     
         19 . An apparatus according to  claim 18 , wherein said attachment stem further comprises interior screw threads defined in said central tunnel, and wherein further said interior screw threads are complementary to exterior threads defined on a post on said ornament portion, whereby said base may have screwed engagement with said ornament portion.  
     
     
         20 . An apparatus according to  claim 16  wherein said base further comprises an upper surface having an uneven texture to promote frictional engagement between said bottom portion and the item to which it is attached.  
     
     
         21 . An apparatus according to  claim 15  wherein said top portion comprises: 
 an intermediate generally planar body defining a central aperture through which a post on said ornament portion may extend;    an upper socket extending from one side of said body; and    a lower socket extending from an opposite side of said body.    
     
     
         22 . An apparatus according to  claim 21  wherein said upper socket comprises a polygonal radial cross-section.  
     
     
         23 . An apparatus according to  claim 21  wherein said upper socket further comprises a threaded interior passage.  
     
     
         24 . An apparatus according to  claim 23  wherein said lower socket comprises a substantially cylindrical tube having an inner passage threaded to permit screwed engagement between said top portion and said bottom portion.  
     
     
         25 . An apparatus according to  claim 24  wherein said interior passage of said upper socket is threaded continuously with said inner passage of said lower socket, whereby said stem of said bottom portion is screwable into at least a portion of the length of said top portion.  
     
     
         26 . An apparatus according to  claim 25  wherein said attachment stem comprises an exterior threaded diameter corresponding and complementary to an interior threaded diameter of said lower socket, whereby said stem is screwably engageable with said lower socket until a distal end of said stem contacts said body of said top portion.  
     
     
         27 . An apparatus according to  claim 25  wherein said post on said ornament portion comprises an outside threaded diameter corresponding and complementary to an inside threaded diameter of said stem, whereby said post is screwably engageable with said stem.  
     
     
         28 . An apparatus according to  claim 21  wherein said body further comprises an undersurface having an uneven texture to promote frictional engagement between said top portion and the item to which it is attached.  
     
     
         29 . An apparatus according to  claim 15  wherein said ornament portion comprises: 
 a cap; and    a post extending from said cap.    
     
     
         30 . An apparatus according to  claim 29  wherein said post is exteriorly threaded for screwed engagement into a stem on said bottom portion.  
     
     
         31 . An apparatus according to  claim 29  further comprising an ornament disposed upon said cap.  
     
     
         32 . A fastener apparatus permitting a variety of decorations to be used in combination with an item, said apparatus comprising: 
 a top portion;    a bottom portion engageable to a first side of said top portion with the item situate between said bottom portion and said top portion; and    at least two interchangeable ornament portions with decorations thereon;    wherein any selected one of said ornament portions is temporarily attachable to a second side of said top portion.    
     
     
         33 . An apparatus according to  claim 32  wherein said bottom portion comprises: 
 a base; and    an attachment stem extending perpendicularly from said base, said stem comprising: 
 a tubular cylinder disposed on a central axis of said base;  
 a central tunnel defined in said cylinder; and  
 screw threads defined on its exterior;  
 wherein said exterior screw threads on said attachment stem are configured to permit said stem screwably to engage with said top portion.  
   
     
     
         34 . An apparatus according to  claim 33 , wherein said attachment stem further comprises interior screw threads defined in said central tunnel, and wherein further said interior screw threads are complementary to exterior threads defined on a post on said ornament portion, whereby said base may have screwed engagement with said ornament portion.  
     
     
         35 . An apparatus according to  claim 34  wherein said base further comprises an upper surface having an uneven texture to promote frictional engagement between said bottom portion and the item to which it is attached.  
     
     
         36 . An apparatus according to  claim 33  wherein said top portion comprises: 
 an intermediate generally planar body defining a central aperture through which a post on said ornament portion may extend;    an upper socket extending from one side of said body; and    a lower socket extending from an opposite side of said body.    
     
     
         37 . An apparatus according to  claim 36  wherein said upper socket further comprises a threaded interior passage.  
     
     
         38 . An apparatus according to  claim 36  wherein said lower socket comprises a substantially cylindrical tube having an inner passage threaded to permit screwed engagement between said top portion and said bottom portion.  
     
     
         39 . An apparatus according to  claim 37  wherein said interior passage of said upper socket is threaded continuously with said inner passage of said lower socket, whereby said stem of said bottom portion is screwable into at least a portion of the length of said top portion.  
     
     
         40 . An apparatus according to  claim 39  wherein said attachment stem comprises an exterior threaded diameter corresponding and complementary to an interior threaded diameter of said lower socket, whereby said stem is screwably engageable with said lower socket until a distal end of said stem contacts said body of said top portion.  
     
     
         41 . An apparatus according to  claim 34  wherein said post on said ornament portion comprises an outside threaded diameter corresponding and complementary to an inside threaded diameter of said stem, whereby said post is screwably engageable with said stem.  
     
     
         42 . An apparatus according to  claim 35  wherein said body further comprises an undersurface having an uneven texture to promote frictional engagement between said top portion and the item to which it is attached, and further wherein the item may be clamped between said upper surface of said base and said undersurface of said body.  
     
     
         43 . An apparatus according to  claim 40  wherein said ornament portion comprises: 
 a cap; and    a post extending from said cap, said post being exteriorly threaded for screwed engagement into said stem on said bottom portion.    
     
     
         44 . An apparatus according to  claim 29  further comprising an ornament disposed upon said cap.