Decorative Tassel

Abstract

A tassel has a cap with supports in the form of hooks or pins over which tassel strands are placed for suspending the strands from the cap. An apertured resilient elastomeric, form sustaining, stopper receives the ends of the supports for securing the strands on the supports. The strands can be replaced by compressing the stopper for removal from the supports and replacing the stopper on the supports after replacement of the tassel strands.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A tassel comprising,
 a plurality of elongated tassel strands,   a hollow cap having a central vertical axis, a top and an open bottom,   a plurality of spaced tassel supports extending inwardly toward said axis from said cap proximate said bottom, and a free end,   each support having a strand suspended therefrom for hanging said strand from said cap, and   a resilient elastomeric stopper having a compressed disposition when squeezed and which returns to an expanded rest disposition when released,   said stopper having a plurality of openings in one to one correspondence with said supports with each stopper opening receiving a free end of a support for preventing removal of said strands from said cap.   
     
     
         2 . A tassel in accordance with  claim 1  wherein said cap has an inner surface is substantially continuous. 
     
     
         3 . A tassel in accordance with  claim 1  where said cap is substantially in the form of a cage with spaced bars tapering outwardly from said top toward said bottom, said bars having bottom ends bent inwardly whereby said supports are integral with said bottom ends of said bars. 
     
     
         4 . A tassel in accordance with  claim 1  wherein said free ends of said supports are turned upwardly toward said top of said cap so that they form hooks, and said openings in said stopper have axes substantially parallel to said central axis of said cap whereby said stopper can be squeezed to a compressed disposition for insertion into said cap through said cap open bottom to a position above said support free ends, released to allowed said stopper to expand, and then pulled downwardly onto said hooks. 
     
     
         5 . A tassel in accordance with  claim 4  wherein said stopper is in the shape of a disc with an upper face and a lower face, said openings extending between said lower face and said upper face. 
     
     
         6 . A tassel in accordance with  claim 5  wherein said stopper has a profile of a ring with a central aperture. 
     
     
         7 . A tassel in accordance with  claim 3  wherein said hooks fully penetrate said openings in said stopper. 
     
     
         8 . A tassel in accordance with  claim 1  wherein said supports comprise pins and said pins and stopper openings have axes substantially transverse to said central axis of said cap whereby said stopper can be squeezed to a compressed disposition for insertion into said cap through said cap open bottom to a position with said openings substantially coplanar with said support free ends, and released to allowed said stopper to expand and said support free ends to enter said stopper openings. 
     
     
         9 . A tassel in accordance with  claim 8  wherein said stopper is in the shape of a hollow cylinder with an outer wall, a central aperture, and an inner wall, and said openings extend radially from said inner wall to said outer wall.