Jewelry – Miscellaneous – Mesh fabric – e.g. – metallic fabric – bead work
Patent
1998-12-02
2000-05-23
Melius, Terry Lee
Jewelry
Miscellaneous
Mesh fabric, e.g., metallic fabric, bead work
63 3, 63 4, 63 26, 63 28, A44C 2500
Patent
active
060653086
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to flexible metal strips used in jewelry for making bracelets or necklaces, e.g. bracelets or necklaces with visible faces having a plurality of hexagonal section gemstones arranged side by side and set in bezels by invisible settings.
More precisely, the invention relates to a flexible metal strip made up of a plurality of identical elements of hexagonal section arranged side by side and interconnected by link devices.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Each element may have in its top face a bezel in which a gemstone is set, however the invention is not limited to a metal strip of this type.
According to the invention, the strip includes a bottom piece, and by a top piece disposed on the bottom piece and connected thereto by crimping, the top piece being annular and surrounding a sleeve which extends axially from the top face of the bottom piece and which serves to crimp the top piece on the bottom piece, each link device is comprised of a triangulary-shaped ring which interconnects three adjacent elements, said ring being received in grooves formed in the top faces of the bottom pieces of said three elements.
Advantageously, the bottom piece is annular and has a through hole on the axis of the sleeve; the grooves extend radially from said through hole and the sleeve has axial slots in register with said grooves. The bottom piece has six grooves respectively perpendicular to the six side faces of said bottom piece.
On its top face, the top piece may have fixing means for fixing a gemstone. Advantageously, said fixing means are constituted by claws formed at the ends of three tabs which extend axially from three non-adjacent sides of said top piece.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Other advantages and characteristics of the invention appear on reading the following description given by way of non-limiting example and made with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a plan view of a portion of bracelet made using the flexible metal strip of the invention and carrying on its top face a plurality of hexagonal section gemstones arranged side by side;
FIG. 2 is a section view on line II--II of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a plan view of a strip element;
FIG. 4 is a section view of the bottom piece, the section being on line IV--IV of FIG. 3;
FIG. 5 is a side view of the bottom piece of FIG. 3, this view being seen in the direction of arrow V in FIG. 3;
FIG. 6 is a plan view of the top piece of a strip element;
FIG. 7 is a section view of the FIG. 6 top piece, the section being on line VII--VII of FIG. 6;
FIG. 8 is a side view of the FIG. 6 top piece, this view being seen in the direction of arrow VIII of FIG. 6;
FIG. 9 shows how link devices are mounted on bottom pieces arranged side by side; and
FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the top face of a strip with its bezels.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The drawings show a flexible metal strip 1 fitted on its top face 2 with a plurality of gemstones 3 of hexagonal section that are arranged side by side and whose edges 4 touch in pairs. A pavilion 5 of each gemstone 3 has horizontal grooves 6 into which there penetrate claws 7 secured to the metal strip 1.
The flexible metal strip 1 is made up of a plurality of strip elements 10 of hexagonal section that are interconnected by fixing devices 11.
Each strip element 10 is of hexagonal section that is slightly smaller than the hexagonal section of a gemstone 3, and it is placed beneath a gemstone 3, thus imparting flexibility to the strip 1.
Each strip element 10 has a bottom piece 12 shown in FIGS. 3 to 5 and a top piece 14 shown in FIGS. 6 to 8, both of which pieces are hexagonal in section. The top piece 14 is disposed above the bottom piece 12, its bottom face 15 being in contact with the top face 16 of the bottom piece 12. The top piece 14 is annular and it surrounds a sleeve 17 extending longitudinally from the top face 16 of the bottom piece 12. The height of the sleeve 17 is greater than the thickness of the top piece 14 so
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Piat Daniel H.
Piat Emmanuel A.
Chop Andrea
Cristofol Freres
Melius Terry Lee
Piat Daniel H.
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