Metal working – Gem and jewel setting
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-05
2001-07-03
Echols, P. W. (Department: 3726)
Metal working
Gem and jewel setting
C029S513000, C029S243500, C029S243580
Reexamination Certificate
active
06253432
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method and apparatus for setting small objects in malleable material, and it also relates to malleable sheet materials in which small objects are set.
2. Description of the Related Art
More specifically, but not exclusively the invention relates to the setting of gem stones in precious and semi-precious metal (such as gold and silver and their alloys) sheets, which are commonly used in the jewelry industry. Examples of items of jewelry incorporating set gem stones includes pendants, lockets, brooches and the like.
Although the following discussion relates predominantly to the setting of diamonds in gold, it will be appreciated that the invention has much wider application, and indeed may be used to set any stone or other suitably shaped and sized objects in any malleable sheet material. However, the invention has most suitable application in the jewelry industry as described hereinafter.
The setting of gem stones in precious metals such as gold and silver sheet is currently a highly skilled process. To set a stone, a hole smaller than the stone is drilled through the metal sheet in which the stone is to be set, and the upper edges of said hole are then chamfered inwardly of the hole such that the stone will seat correctly in an upright position. It should be pointed out that in most cases, the stones to be set are minute, and the sheet is as thin as possible (to keep the cost of the sheet down as much as possible) and thus the intricacy of the process is often extreme.
A metal scoop is used to gouge metal from the sheet around the hole in a desired pattern, for example a four-pointed star, to enhance the aesthetic effect of the setting.
In order to ensure that the stone is set in its upright orientation, the setter may use a tacky material such as Plaszicine® or Blu-Tack® to lift a stone by its upper face and place it into the chamfered hole, which is usually at the centre of the gouged pattern. The tacky material adheres more to the finger of the setter than to the stone, and thus the sliding of the finger away from the stone once positioned in the chamfered hole releases it from said tacky material.
To secure the stone to the metal, a further gouging process is required wherein the setter uses a metal scoop to gouge material from around the hole towards the stone in a manner similar to the scooping of butter curls. In the case where a four-pointed star pattern has been previously gouged around the hole, the setter positions the stone in said hole and gouges metal from between the points of the star in a symmetrical manner. The natural deformation of the metal which results from said scooping is to curl in the direction of and over an edge of the stone, thus securing said edge. The setting process is completed by using a de-burring tool which is simultaneously rotated and urged downwardly onto each of the gouged metal portions which overlie the edges of the stone. Burr resulting from the gouging operation is removed, and the downward pressure on the malleable material deforms the gouged metal portions into small pips which overlie the edges of the stone thus securing it symmetrically in the hole.
The abovementioned process has a number of inherent disadvantages. Firstly, there is a limit to the thickness of the metal which may be used, as thinner metal is likely to be punctured and ruptured by the manual gouging operations, regardless of the skill of the setter, but reducing the thickness of the material is always desirable especially in cases where a large number of lockets, pendants, brooches and the like are produced (of the order of thousands per week), in that a slight reduction in the thickness of the metal of said items may represent a substantial saving in raw material cost for the manufacturer.
A further disadvantage which is inherent in any manual operation is the imprecise nature thereof. More specifically, it is highly unlikely that a setter will achieve an exactly symmetrical stone setting on every single occasion, and in some cases such variation may result in weak setting of the stone with obvious further consequences.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of this invention to provide a method of setting a stone in the sheet whereby the skill level required in the setting of stones is reduced, and to improve the consistency and quality of the setting of the stone.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a method for setting stones in malleable material which allows stones to be set in materials of a lesser thickness than previously possible by manual gem setting operations.
The invention also provides an article comprising a small object set in a sheet of malleable material.
According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a method of manufacturing an article such as item of jewelry, wherein a small object, such as a precious, semi-precious or quasi-precious stone, is set in a sheet of malleable material, such as a precious metal or an alloy thereof, characterised in that prior to the insertion of the object, the sheet is machine or jig worked to be provided with a recess or aperture sized to the size of the small object, and peripherally of the aperture or recess, with two or more projections which project from one face of the sheet, and wherein the small object is deposited in the recess or aperture and a tool presses on the projections which deforms the projections over the edge of the small object to set same in the material.
Preferably, the sheet with the object located therein is held in a jig which is located in a predetermined position in relation to the tool, which is mounted for movement towards the jig to effect the deforming step, and is movable away from the jig after the deforming step to enable the sheet to be removed from the jig.
It is further preferable that the tool comprises first and second portions which are relatively moveable against spring loading, wherein the first portion comprises a pin which engages the small object when the tool is moved to perform the deformation step, and the second portion performs the deformation, after the first portion engages and locates the small object, by sliding relative to the first portion, against the spring loading.
Preferably, the jig defines a support means which engages the rear face of the sheet behind the projections which causes the deforming material to move in a direction to lie over the edge of the small object.
Yet further preferably, there are recesses in the rear face of the sheet behind the projections thereof, and the jig is provided with protrusions which form said support means and protrude into said recesses.
Preferably, the sheet is pressed to define a recess for the object, and the projections.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided apparatus for manufacturing an article such as an item of jewelry wherein a small object, such as a precious stone, is set in a recess or aperture provided with two or more projections adjacent thereto and in a front face of a sheet of malleable material, such as a precious metal or an alloy thereof, comprising a deforming tool and a jig which may be moved together and apart, the jig being located in a predetermined position in relation to the tool, there being recesses in the rear face of the sheet behind the projections thereof, the jig being provided with protrusions which form said support means and protrude into said recesses, the tool pressing on the projections of the material to deform said projections over the edge of the object when positioned in said recess and said material is positioned on said jig, characterised in that the jig defines a support means which engages the rear face of the sheet behind the projection or projections which causes the deforming material to move in a direction to lie over the edge of the small object.
Preferably the tool comprises first and second portions which are relatively movable against spring loading, the first portion comprising a pin adapted to engage the object
Grinnel John
Peters John
Echols P. W.
G & A Manufacturing Limited
Klauber & Jackson
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