Pager and adjustable clip

A personal communication device, comprising:

• a housing having front and rear faces and means for:
• receiving information in the form of remotely transmitted electromagnetic signals, converting the signals into a visible array of readable characters, and displaying the array upsidedown on the front face of the housing;
• and
• a clip mechanism for supporting the housing from a belt or pocket of a wearer in a normally vertical position, with the front face facing outwardly and the rear face facing inwardly, and for permitting the housing to be easily swung pivotally upward through about ninety degrees to a horizontal position such that the front face of the device may be viewed in a right-side-up orientation by the wearer, or for permitting the device to be easily detached from the belt or pocket, the clip comprising:
• a front plate having a central leg portion with an in-turned ear on each side of said leg portion, said ears being parallel and having aligned openings;
• means for removably attaching said front plate to said rear face of said housing so that its ears are near the upper extremity thereof;
• a substantially rectangular back plate adapted to be vertically disposed, and having a pair of in-turned ears on its upper end, said ears being parallel and having aligned openings;
• said two plates being normally disposed in generally parallel relation with said ears thereof being interengaged and all of said openings being aligned;
• a hinge pin extending through all of said ear openings for supporting said two plates in pivotal relation to each other;
• said back plate being adapted to be inserted downward along the back side of a belt or pocket and having on its lower end a forwardly extending flange for then retaining it in engagement with such belt or pocket;
• a metal spring carried on said hinge pin and having projecting ends engaging respective ones of said plates for urging the lower ends of said plates together;
• and
• an intermediate plate of a generally rectangular configuration, said intermediate plate being disposed between said ears of said front and back plates and having a transverse opening which receives said hinge pin for pivotally supporting said intermediate plate thereon;
• said intermediate plate having an upper end which extends above both of said front and back plates and a lower end which extends a substantial distance below said hinge pin, so that when said housing is swung pivotally upward, its pivotal movement is limited by the upper end of said intermediate plate, and when said flange of said back plate is to be disengaged from said belt or pocket, the upper end of said intermediate plate may be grasped and propelled toward the upper end of the housing to thereby cause the lower end of said intermediate plate to open said back plate against the force of said spring.