Plastic clip

A plastic clip comprising:

• (a) an upper clip member comprising an upper plate portion having a front clipping end, a rear end, a pair of elongated sides extending between the front and rear ends, a pair of support portions extending downwardly from the sides of the upper plate portion adjacent the rear end thereof, each of the support portions having a bearing portion, the upper plate member having a slide surface positioned laterally inside of the support portions and rearwardly of the bearing portions,
• (b) a lower clip member comprising a lower plate portion having a front clipping end, a rear end, and a pair of elongated sides, a pair of journal supports extending upwardly from the lower plate portion adjacent the rear end thereof, a journal extending laterally outwardly from each of the journal supports beyond one of the sides of the lower plate portion, each of the journals being rotatably positioned in one of the bearing portions of the upper clip member and the sides of the lower plate portion adjacent the journals being positioned laterally inwardly of the support portions of the upper clip member whereby the upper and lower clip members are pivotally connected, the lower portion having an engagement groove therein rearwardly of the journals,
• (c) a resilient member positioned between the upper and lower clip members for resiliently urging the clipping ends thereof to pivot away from each other, and
• (d) an operative member having a rear attachment plate portion, a pair of spaced-apart side walls extending forwardly from the attachment plate portion, and a pivotal shaft extending between the side walls, the pivotal shaft of the operative member being rotatably positioned in the engagement groove of the lower clip member and the rear end of the lower clip member being positioned laterally inwardly of the side walls of the operative member, the side walls of the operative member being positioned laterally inwardly of the support portions of the upper clip member whereby the operative member is pivotally mounted on the lower clip member, the operative member, upper clip member, and lower clip member being movable between a first position in which the clipping ends of the upper and lower clip members are separated and a second position in which the clipping ends are brought together, the side walls of the operative member having arm portions which engage the upper plate portion of the upper clip member rearwardly of the slide surface when the members are in their first position and which engage the slide surface of the upper plate portion when the members are in the second position, pivoting movement of the operative member from its first position to its second position causing the upper clip member to pivot from its first position to its second position against the urging of the resilient member.