BRUNNIAN LINK MAKING DEVICE AND METHOD
A Brunnian link is a link formed from a closed loop doubled over itself to capture another closed loop to form a chain. The example kit provides for the successful creation of unique wearable articles using Brunnian link assembly techniques and includes several pin bars that are supported in a desired special orientation by at least one base. The desired special orientation is dependent on the desired linked configuration of the completed article. The base and pin bars may be assembled in various combination and orientations to provide endless variation of completed link orientations. Additional bases and pin bars can be to further expand possible completed article creation.
This application claims no priority to any U.S. Provisional Application or other pending patent application.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONThis invention generally relates to a device and method for creating linked items. More particularly, this invention relates to a method and device for an ornamental design of a jewelry item and a craft making bar in linked items.
Brunnian linked items are made from various materials such as elastic bands and the like to make multiple colored bracelets or necklaces and other unique jewelry formed from a series of links. Due to the recent popularity of Brunnian linked jewelry items, many new end users are trying to make such jewelry from different colored threads and beads. Many end users simply buy the materials to make the jewelry but then must rely upon their various skill levels to accomplish the task of weaving the links together to form the jewelry of choice. Thus, there is room for the end user to have a new method and a device to assist in making the jewelry of choice. The task of creating linked jewelry pieces is daunting task for many end users so an improved device to construct the linked jewelry pieces is most welcome.
One prior art attempt to provide a device to assist in the making of bracelets and necklaces is found in pending patent application Ser. No. 13/227,638 entitled. Brunnian Link Making Device and Kit. However, this kit includes multiple individual pins that must have an intricate base pieces to assemble the multitude of pins into various rows or parallel rows to accomplish a particular design pattern. The assembly of numerous pins into rows of equal or substantially equal number of pins becomes a time consuming effort with a potential that one or more pins are not securely attached to the base member or the pins might come loose from the base member during assembly of the elastic band links. To overcome this problem, the current invention provides means for assembling rows of pins that are formed integrally with an elongated bar with a predetermined number of pins thereon wherein adjacent bars, each bar contains corresponding male and female members for snapping together into an interference fit to secure parallel rows of bars with multiple pins for a particular orientation to form a jewelry item of choice.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONA Brunnian link is a link formed from a closed loop doubled over itself to capture another closed loop to form a chain. Elastic bands can be utilized to form such links in a desired manner. The device of the present invention provides for creation of Brunnian linked jewelry of complex configurations. Moreover, the device provides for a stable platform or template for the successful creation of unique wearable articles using Brunnian link assembly techniques without the undue setup time of having a base member in which the pins are individually assembled to the base member to form the individual rows or parallel rows to form the linked item.
The jewelry and craft bar includes a plurality of pins attached to the top surface of the bar in a predetermined spatial orientation from one another to define the loom for creating the jewelry. The desired spatial orientation between the plurality of pins on each bar is dependent on the desired link configuration of the completed article. The bars with the plurality of pins thereon may be assembled in various combination and orientations to provide an endless variation of completed link orientations. A jewelry and craft making bar for creating a linked item is a device comprising a bar having a top surface, a bottom surface and two opposing sides; a plurality of pins are mounted in a predetermined spacing apart from each other on the top surface of the bar, each pin including a top flared portion for holding a link in a desired orientation and an vertical opening of a predetermined radius from the top surface of the bar to the top flared portion of each pin; a plurality of openings spaced apart a predetermined distance from each other along one side of the bar; and a plurality of protrusion spaced apart a predetermined distance from each other along the opposing side of the bar
In the following detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof. In the drawings, which may not be to scale or to proportion, similar symbols typically identify similar components, unless context dictates otherwise. The illustrative embodiments described in the detailed description, drawings and claims, are not meant to be limiting. Other embodiments may be used and/or and other changes may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the present disclosure.
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Each of the plurality of pins attached to the top surface 16 of the bars 12 includes the flanged top portion 18 for holding elastic bands in place and the front vertical recess 26. The vertical recess provides for a tool to be inserted below a top most elastic band such that a lower band can be grasped and pulled over an adjacent band to form the Brunnian link. The bar and pin combination on each bar provides for many possible orientations of adjacent pin by simply press fitting or snapping addition bars into place adjacent one another to create different orientations of the plurality of pins receiving the respective elastic bands of various colors for designing the linked article to form the jewelry of choice.
For example, several bars 12 are attached together to form the loom for making the jewelry of choice with the elastic bands. The end user simply pushes the male members 28 on a second bar into the female members 32 on a first adjacent bar until the annular ring 30 seats in the annular recess 34 for a snug and snap interference fit between the first and second bars. Next a third bar 12 with its male members 28 are pushed into the female members 32 of the second bar 12 and assembled the same way as the first and second bars. This assembly method is continued until the correct number of bars 12 are snapped together to form the right number of bars 12 with the plurality of pins 14 in predetermined rows to form the linked jewelry of choice with the correct pattern design. In addition, with the extra holes 32 on each bar 12 allows for a three bar assembly to have the second bar between the first and third bars to be incremented one up from the two outermost first and third bars, which is a desired relative orientation to form certain bracelets or necklaces of jewelry.
Although the invention has been described in conjunction with the foregoing specific embodiments, many alternatives, variations, and modifications will be apparent to those of the ordinary skill in the art. Other such alternatives, variations, and modifications are intended to fall within the scope of the following appended claims.
Claims
1. A jewelry and craft making bar for creating a linked item, the device comprising:
- a bar having a top surface, a bottom surface and two opposing sides;
- a plurality of pins mounted in a predetermined spacing apart from each other on the top surface of the bar, each pin including a top flared portion for holding a link in a desired orientation and an vertical opening of a predetermined radius from the top surface of the bar to the top flared portion of each pin;
- a plurality of openings spaced apart a predetermined distance from each other along one side of the bar; and
- a plurality of protrusion spaced apart a predetermined distance from each other along the opposing side of the bar.
2. The jewelry and craft making bar for creating a linked item of claim 1, wherein the openings on the one side of the bar and the protrusions on the opposing side of the base including corresponding mating features for securing in an interference fit at least two or more bars together to form a loom.
3. The jewelry and craft making bar for creating a linked item of claim 1, wherein the plurality of pins are integrally attached to the top surface of the bar.
4. The jewelry and craft making bar for creating a linked item of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of openings on the one side of the bar are configured in a circle.
5. The jewelry and craft making bar for creating a linked item of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of protrusions are configured in a cylindrical shape corresponding to the circumference of the plurality of circular openings on the one side of the bar.
6. The jewelry and craft making bar for creating a linked item of claim 4, wherein each of the plurality of circular openings includes an annular recess therein.
7. The jewelry and craft making bar for creating a linked item of claim 6, wherein each of the plurality of cylindrical protrusions include an annular ring corresponding to the annular recess of the circular openings for mating the annular recess to the annular ring for a snapped together interference fit between adjacent bars pushed together to form a loom
8. The jewelry and craft making bar for creating a linked item of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of pins includes a bottom flared portion adjacent the top surface of the bar spaced apart from the top flared portion to form a mid-portion for holding a Brunnian link.
9. The jewelry and craft making bar for creating a linked item of claim 2, wherein two or more bars with the plurality of pins are mated together in a desired orientation for forming the series of Brunnian links in a desired pattern for the jewelry.
10. The jewelry and craft making bar for creating a linked item of claim 1, wherein the vertical opening on each pin is connected to a vertical recess in each pin.
11. The jewelry and craft making bar for creating a linked item of claim 10, further including a tool adapted to extend into the vertical recess fur capturing one end of a link.
12. The jewelry and craft making bar for creating a linked item of claim 2, including a fastener for securing ends of the linked item together.
13. The jewelry and craft making bar for creating a linked item of claim 1, wherein the linked item comprises a series of elastic bands links.
14. The jewelry and craft making bar for creating a linked item of claim 13, wherein the series of elastic band links is a series of Brunnian links to form the jewelry.
15. A method of creating a linked item for jewelry comprising the steps of:
- aligning at least one bar including a plurality of pins attached to a top surface of the bar to define a predetermined spatial relationship between at least two adjacent pins;
- assembling at least two elastic bands across adjacent pins;
- capturing one end of an elastic band and pulling the end over and onto an adjacent pin while engaged with another elastic band; and
- capturing and pulling subsequent ends over until a desired link length and configuration is obtained.
16. The method of claim 15, wherein a second of the at least two elastic hands is placed atop one end of the first of the at least two elastic bands on a common pin.
17. The method of claim 15, wherein capturing one end of the elastic band includes using a tool reaching into a vertical recess of the pin to extend below the top most elastic band and grasp a bottom elastic band with the tool to capture and pull over the next adjacent pin.
18. The method of claim 15, further including the steps of assembling a plurality of bars closely adjacent to one another to provide parallel rows of pins.
19. The method of claim 15, further including the steps of assembling the plurality of pin bars closely adjacent to one another to define a desired pattern of pins for forming the jewelry.
20. The method of claim 15, further including the steps of pressing two or more adjacent bars together with corresponding mating male and female members on opposing sides of each bar to define a desired pattern of rows of pins to form the jewelry.
21. The method of claim 20, wherein the male member is a cylindrical protrusion and the female member is a circular opening on opposing sides of each bar to join the bars together in an interference fit.
22. The method of claim 21, further including assembling a plurality elastic bands in a desired pattern to the plurality of bars jointed together including at least one elastic band that extends between pins of another pin bar.
23. The method as recited in claim 15, including the step of inserting ends of the elastic bands linked together into a fastener to form the linked item.
Type: Application
Filed: Aug 7, 2013
Publication Date: Feb 12, 2015
Applicant: Five Below, Inc. (Philadelphia, PA)
Inventors: Nathan Myles Tommer (Indianapolis, IN), Carl E. Voigt, IV (Indianapolis, IN)
Application Number: 13/961,054
International Classification: A44C 27/00 (20060101); A44C 5/00 (20060101); B65H 69/04 (20060101);