Link with offset gap

Details Link with offset gap Link with offset gap

2002-12-06

2004-10-12

Jones, David B. (Department: 3725)

Chain, staple, and horseshoe making

Chains

Ornamental

C059S035100, CD11S013000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06802177

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a chain link for use in making jewelry chains, and more specifically, a chain link having an eccentric or offset gap.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Conventional rope chain is formed by intertwining jewelry links
10
of the type illustrated in
FIG. 2
, which is used in the formation of rope chains, said link
10
having an outer periphery
12
, an inner periphery
14
, a gap
16
and a thickness
18
. Link
10
may be formed from a solid or hollow wire
5
as is known in the art shown in
FIG. 1
, or may be formed by stamping or punching as is also known in the art. Other methods of link formation are known.
The link
10
of
FIG. 2
used in the assembly of rope chains has certain conventional characteristics. First, the inner and outer peripheries
12
and
14
respectively usually have the same or similar shape, and in this case an annular configuration. The thickness
18
is also generally consistent throughout the link
10
. In addition, the gap
16
falls on a centerline plane
30
that cuts the link
10
in half, such that a distance to a first outermost point
32
defined along a first plane
31
extending perpendicular to the centerline plane
30
is the same as a distance to a second outermost point
34
defined along a second plane
33
extending perpendicular to the centerline plane
30
.
In other words, in a conventional link
10
having an annular configuration as shown in
FIG. 2
, the centerline plane
30
and the outermost dimensions
32
,
34
will each fall on a diameter
35
of the link
10
, such that the addition of the outermost dimensions
32
,
34
from the centerline plane
30
will equal such diameter
35
. The intertwining of such chain links
10
results in a chain
40
as illustrated in
FIGS. 3 and 4
, wherein the overall thickness of the chain
40
is substantially equal to the same diameter
35
of the chain link
10
, or to the distance between the outermost dimensions
32
,
34
(FIG.
2
). Thus, the thickness
35
of the chain of
FIG. 3
is directly related to the distance between the outermost dimensions
32
,
34
of link
10
or the distance of each outermost dimension
32
,
34
relative to the centerline plane
30
.
The intertwining of chain links
10
as shown in
FIG. 4
forms a double helical chain configuration as shown in FIG.
3
. Thus, the chain appears to have two separate “helixes” of links, one helix designated in
FIG. 3
by a small “∘” and the other designated by a small “x”. In conventional rope chain construction, each helix of material represents one side of an intertwined link. For instance, the “∘” helix in
FIG. 3
might represent the end
32
of link
10
illustrated in
FIG. 2
, while the “x” helix might represent the end
34
of link
10
illustrated in FIG.
2
. As shown in
FIG. 3
, the “∘” and “x” helixes appear to be dimensionally identical, which is due to the uniform distance between the center plane
30
and each outer edge
32
,
34
. This is also illustrated in
FIG. 4
, wherein a cross-section through a chain section has a uniform, circular diameter
35
.
A conventional oblong link
50
as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,996,835 and illustrated herein in
FIG. 5
, having an inner periphery
52
, outer periphery
54
, thickness
56
and gap
58
, when intertwined to form a chain illustrated in
FIG. 6
, will produce a chain thickness
65
equal to the distance between the outermost points
62
,
64
, which lie along planes
61
,
63
relative to the centerline plane
60
. The centerline plane
60
or gap plane
60
is generally defined through the gap
58
along a vertical axis that extends perpendicular to the major axis of the link and parallel to the minor axis of the link. As illustrated in
FIG. 9
, a jewelry rope chain is formed by successively intertwining chain links
50
a
-
50
f
as is known in the art (i.e., in an alternating relation or by other methods known in the art, one such method being shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,934,135 to Rozenwasser), the thickness
65
of the chain being determined by adding the distances of the outermost points
62
a
,
64
a
(see link
50
a
in
FIG. 9
for example) relative to the gap plane
60
. More particularly, it will be understood with reference to the discussion of the link of one embodiment of the present invention that the chain thickness
65
can be defined as the distance between outermost points of two successively intertwined chain links. In the case of the link
50
of
FIG. 5
, because the outermost points
62
,
64
are at the same distance from the centerline plane
60
, the chain width and the link width are the same.
However, the present inventors have discovered that by using a link wherein the distance between each outermost point relative to the centerline (gap) plane is not the same, a chain can be produced with a greater chain thickness than link width, but without using a greater amount of material in each link or chain. In other words, by eccentrically positioning the gap so that it does not fall along a plane that splits the link in half, a resultant chain width becomes greater than, and not substantially equal to, the major diameter of the link.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A jewelry chain link suitable for intertwining with other jewelry chain links to form a jewelry chain comprises an inner periphery, an outer periphery, a thickness defined between the inner and outer peripheries and a gap extending between the inner and outer peripheries for intertwining one jewelry chain link with another. First and second outermost edge dimensions along the outer periphery are defined relative to a plane extending through the gap, such that the distance from the plane to each of the first and second outermost edges is different.


REFERENCES:
patent: 4934135 (1990-06-01), Rozenwasser
patent: 4996835 (1991-03-01), Rozenwasser
patent: D329828 (1992-09-01), Bedoyan
patent: 5309704 (1994-05-01), Grando
patent: 6158206 (2000-12-01), Rosenwasser et al.
patent: 6209306 (2001-04-01), Chia et al.
patent: 6389790 (2002-05-01), Rosenwasser
patent: 6481196 (2002-11-01), Chia et al.
patent: 6532725 (2003-03-01), Chia et al.
patent: 6560955 (2003-05-01), Chia et al.

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