Chain – staple – and horseshoe making – Chains – Ornamental
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-29
2001-04-24
Jones, David (Department: 3725)
Chain, staple, and horseshoe making
Chains
Ornamental
C059S002000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06220010
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
It is known to make a chain of balls by means of a method consisting in chasing the material of a metal wire at regular intervals so as to form widened zones, each having a neck half-way along, in surrounding each zone in a sheet of metal formed into a ball, and then in breaking the wire at the neck of each widened zone inside the balls.
That method is not particularly well adapted to making an ornamental chain, particularly since the balls thus made do not lend themselves easily to setting precious stones.
A bead necklace is known from French patent FR-1 237 084, each bead including an elastically deformable add-on piece having an edge designed to retain the head of a link member linked to an adjacent bead. The add-on piece is presented in the form of a longitudinally slotted sleeve. When the head of the link member is put into place, the sleeve can deform elastically. Such a bead necklace is not entirely satisfactory. In particular, the add-on piece can turn out to be difficult to make in certain cases since the rim tends to prevent it from deforming elastically. In addition, there is the risk of the beads becoming detached in the event of strong traction being accidentally exerted on the necklace.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide an ornamental chain in which at least one of the successive elements which make up said chain includes a hollow body inside which an insert is fixed that is designed to retain a link member that is linked to an adjacent element of the chain, said insert being constituted by at least one sleeve.
In characteristic manner, the sleeve includes a slot that is wide enough to enable the shank of the link member to pass therethrough.
As a result of the invention, each element of the chain, as defined above, is not directly engaged with the link member.
It is the insert fixed inside the hollow body which serves to retain the link member.
This enlarges the choice of materials that can be used to make the hollow body.
The invention also enables a wide range of embodiments of said hollow body.
Setting a precious stone on the element is also facilitated since the hollow body can be designed to receive a specific support piece.
In a particular embodiment, the hollow body is spherical and it is advantageously made by turning, thereby enabling a particularly pleasing surface appearance to be obtained.
Still in a particular embodiment, the insert is fixed in a bore passing through the hollow body.
The insert can be retained as a force fit inside the hollow body.
The insert can have substantially no elasticity towards the outside.
When it is desired to mount a precious stone on the element, the hollow body preferably includes a blind bore of axis perpendicular to the axis of the insert in order to receive a support piece for said stone.
Another object of the invention is to use the above-mentioned support piece to improve the hold of an insert serving to retain a link member in the hollow body of an element of the chain.
In a particular embodiment, the support piece has a fork designed to be engaged astride the insert which advantageously presents a narrowing of its outside section. The support piece can thus assist in holding the insert in the hollow body of the element.
In a particular embodiment, the insert and the link member are designed so that said link member is retained in the insert with the possibility of rotating about the axis of the insert. The insert and the link member are preferably designed so that said link member is retained in the insert with the possibility of being displaced along the axis of the insert. The link member advantageously includes an enlarged head at its end retained in the insert and said insert has a narrowing of its inside section. The insert is preferably constituted by two longitudinally-slotted sleeves, each having a narrowing of its inside section. The sleeves are advantageously designed to interfit one inside the other. The link member can be constituted by a two-headed pin having a length lying in the range 2 mm to 20 mm, for example.
In another particular embodiment, the link member is mounted in the insert with the possibility of pivoting about a pivot axis perpendicular to the axis of the insert. The link member advantageously has a shank of rectangular cross-section whose long sides are perpendicular to the above-mentioned pivot axis, said shank being provided with a hole at each of its ends through which a respective peg passes. Each peg is preferably engaged, via its ends, in holes made in the insert, said insert possibly being a single block.
At each of its axial ends, the insert advantageously has a surface, e.g. a spherical surface, that is situated in continuation with the outside surface of the hollow body, this being advantageous from the point of view of appearance.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3066501 (1962-12-01), Charles et al.
patent: 3323325 (1967-06-01), Meyer
patent: 3385050 (1968-05-01), Hall
patent: 4237702 (1980-12-01), Caverly
patent: 5155990 (1992-10-01), Poll
patent: 297 15 033 U 1 (1998-06-01), None
patent: 1237084 (1960-06-01), None
patent: 257929 (1927-02-01), None
patent: 750737 (1956-06-01), None
Cartier International B.V.
Jones David
Oliff & Berridg,e PLC
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