JEWELRY CHAIN WITH STAMPED LINKS AND PRECIOUS STONES

Abstract

An improved jewelry chain comprising a plurality of links, each link comprising a head, a neck and a tail, each of the head and the tail having a socket through which successive links are attached. Links in the chain are interconnected by passing a successive link through both the head and the tail of a preceding link, thus combining one link to another by hooking a preceding single link to a successive single link at two distinct contact points to produce the jewelry chain. Upon creation of the jewelry chain, the exposed top surface of each head is modularly fitted to receive stamped, casted and/or machined plates, collets, mountings and/or sockets in which precious stones may be received and set on the surface of the bracelet.

Description

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present application relates generally to the field of jewelry. More specifically, the invention involves jewelry necklaces, bracelets, rings pendants, earrings, bangles and the like that are formed from combining a number of individual links. Even more particularly, the invention involves a jewelry chain comprised of a plurality of interlocking, stamped links, with precious, semi-precious and non-precious stones attached along the length of the jewelry chain.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

One of the predominant methods of producing jewelry is by casting. Generally, casting has been utilized for thousands of years and is widely regarded as the least expensive means of forming a variety of jewelry designs and textures that are found on the surfaces of jewelry. Cast jewelry is typically formed by first creating a model from which a rubber mold is created. Liquid wax is then poured into the rubber mold to create a wax model. Plaster is then poured over the wax model, placed aside to dry and then heated in a kiln. As the plaster is heated, the wax melts and vacates, leaving a plaster mold with a cavity for receiving the liquid precious (or non-precious) metal. After the metal is poured in, it is then cooled and the jewelry is finished.

Among its advantages, casting is a relatively expeditious method for producing identical pieces of jewelry. Nevertheless, even though the utility of casting jewelry is evident and, in many instances, the preferred means of manufacturing jewelry, casting tends to yield jewelry that more porous than jewelry that is created utilizing other methods of manufacture like stamping and milling (machined). Moreover, because of the time and number of processes it takes a manufacturer to produce a piece of jewelry, casting is a tedious and long process. The added time and number of steps typically require significantly more labor to complete a given piece of jewelry, resulting in additional economic costs to the jewelry manufacturer.

Traditionally casted jewelry also suffers from another significant disadvantage. In particular, when using individually casted elements to produce a chain or other linked pieces of jewelry, a manufacturer often must solder individual links in order to produce a piece of jewelry with closed, individual loops. This practice typically results in jewelry having links that are more prone to breaking at the point of soldering, depending in part on the form of solder that is employed by the jewelry manufacturer.

Furthermore, utilizing casted elements to produce linked pieces of jewelry is often impractical because casted individual links generally do not have sufficient flexibility to enable each of the casted links to bend in a manner that is required to form a linked piece of jewelry, such as a bracelet or necklace. In that regard, even when flexible alloys are used, each casted jewelry link cannot bend over itself to produce a series of interconnected links (i.e., a chain) without either breaking in the area of flexion where the link is bent, or having to bend the link in a manner that forms an unappealing or undesirably large arc in the same area of flexion.

Another significant disadvantage of casted jewelry is that chains formed of casted metal require significantly more mass to adequately withstand a given load or force. Thus, forces, such as pulling or tugging, that are commonly applied to jewelry chains during ordinary wear are more prone to result in breaking of a casted piece of jewelry.

To avert some of the drawbacks of traditionally casted jewelry, some manufactures employ the method of metal stamping to produce jewelry. Utilizing the process of stamping, a jewelry manufacturer or designer first creates an original piece by hand. Thereafter, a metal die is created using the original. Mass manufacture of a production piece of jewelry then takes place by striking the die into ‘softer’ precious metal. Generally, stamping results in denser and more durable jewelry as compared to jewelry produced by casting. However, despite the benefits of stamping, the manufacture of jewelry is still not as effective and productive as it potentially can be.

In addition to the foregoing drawbacks associated with the manufacturing processes, there is a rising consumer demand for jewelry chains (e.g. necklaces and bracelets) that comprise precious metals (e.g., such as gold and silver) and precious and/or non-precious stones which are sufficiently lightweight to be sold at affordable wholesale and retail price points. By the same token, there is a demand for bracelets and necklaces which are visually substantial on display (e.g., for sale and when worn by a user) and which have sufficient strength and flexibility to withstand (inadvertent and intentional) forces that are applied to those items during ordinary wear by a user.

Accordingly, despite the respective benefits of jewelry produced by casting and by stamping, there remains a need to produce a relatively lightweight, linked jewelry chain comprising precious metals and stones, which is not subject to the drawbacks associated with prior art pieces of jewelry.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the limitations and drawbacks in the prior art, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a lightweight, jewelry chain comprised of a plurality of linked elements that each receive a stone.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an improved jewelry chain comprised of matching, stamped links that interconnect to and are looped through one another at two distinct points to produce the jewelry chain thus eliminating the process of soldering at the linking point.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved jewelry chain link, utilized to produce a jewelry chain that is stronger and more flexible than comparable casted jewelry chains having significantly more weight.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an improved jewelry chain comprised of a plurality of links that enable the chain to hang and suspend naturally when worn while resisting twisting and knotting associated with many prior art jewelry chains.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an improved jewelry chain comprised of a plurality of versatile links that are modularly fitted to receive stamped, casted and/or machined plates, collets, mountings and/or sockets.

Another object of the present invention is to produce a jewelry chain that is physically more ductile and malleable and can be constructed of a lighter weight, with a better finish and by a faster assembly process.

Additional objectives will be apparent from the description of the invention that follows.

In summary, there is provided in a preferred embodiment of the present invention an improved jewelry chain comprising a plurality of links. Each link comprises a head and a tail, each of the head and the tail having an aperture or socket through which successive links are attached. Generally, links in the chain are interconnected by bending a first preceding link such that its head aperture and tail aperture are aligned to receive the tail of the next link, and then passing a successive link through both the head and the tail of a preceding link, thus combining one link to another by hooking a preceding single link to a successive single link at two distinct contact points to produce the jewelry chain. Upon creation of the jewelry chain, the exposed top surface of each head is modularly fitted to receive stamped, casted and/or machined plates, collets, mountings and/or sockets in which precious stones may be received and set on the surface of the bracelet. In a preferred embodiment, an illusion plate is laser or hand welded to the head of each link after the chain is formed and a precious (or semi- or non-precious) is set therein.

Additional features of the jewelry chain with stamped links and precious stones are described below in more detail.

BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF THE DRAWINGS

The above-described and other advantages and features of the present disclosure will be appreciated and understood by those skilled in the art from the following detailed description and drawings of which

FIG. 1 is a top view of a preferred embodiment of the improved jewelry chain link of the present invention, and side view of the same improved jewelry chain link;

FIG. 2 is a side view of a first preceding improved jewelry chain link in a folded or pressed position, and a side view of a second jewelry chain link before being inserted through the first preceding link;

FIG. 3 is a side view of a first preceding improved jewelry chain link in a folded or pressed position, and a second jewelry chain link in a substantially perpendicular orientation with respect to the first preceding link as the second link is inserted through the first preceding link;

FIG. 4 is a side view of a first preceding improved jewelry chain link in a folded or pressed position, and a side view of a second jewelry chain link fully inserted through the first preceding link and in a partial folded or pressed position;

FIG. 5 is a side view of a first preceding improved jewelry chain link and a second jewelry chain link, both in a folded or pressed position, and wherein said second link is ready to receive a subsequent link;

FIG. 6 is a bottom view of a preferred embodiment of two interconnected improved jewelry chain links of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a bottom view of a preferred embodiment of a jewelry chain comprising a series of improved jewelry chain links of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a top view of the jewelry chain shown in FIG. 7, comprising a series of improved jewelry chain links, each link mounted with an illusion plate and a precious stone set therein;

FIG. 9 is a side view of a jewelry chain comprising five links;

FIG. 10 is a graph setting forth the results of a breaking load test for a stamped bracelet created in accordance with the present invention, comprising precious metal and weighing 3.32 grams; and

FIG. 11 is a graph setting forth the results of a breaking load test for a casted bracelet comprising precious metal and weighing 4.13 grams.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

With reference to FIGS. 1 through 9, there is shown a preferred embodiment of the jewelry chain 10 and its constituent stamped links 12 of the present invention. The jewelry chain 10 comprises a plurality of round links 12, the number of which is variable, depending on the desired length of the chain 10. While the preferred embodiment is shown with round links 12, it should be appreciated that multiple other shapes and configurations may be utilized instead of or in conjunction with round links. For example, square, pentagon, hexagon and other geometric and non-geometric shapes may be substituted in place of a round configuration.

Each link 12 comprises a head 14, a neck 16 and a tail 18, the head 14 having a head aperture or socket 20 and the tail 18 having a tail aperture or socket 22. As depicted in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 and FIGS. 6 through 8, adjacent to the perimeter 13 of each link 12 are ornamental visual indicia 15, in this case, a plurality of alternating peaks and valleys radially stamped into the surface of each link 12. When viewed from the top, radially inward from the ornamental indicia 15 on each link 12 is a substantially planar surface, preferably formed as a stamped depression 17. When viewed from the back, the stamped depression 17 of each link 12 appears reversed and thus, slightly raised.

In a preferred embodiment, the surface area of the head 14 of each link 12 is greater than the surface area of the tail 18. The ratio of the head surface area (not including the area defined within the head aperture 20) to the tail surface area (not including the area defined within the tail aperture 22) is greater than 1.5:1 and most preferably greater than 2:1 such that the head 14 is noticeably larger than the tail 18. Moreover, in a most preferred embodiment, the profile of the tail 18 is sized such that it does not extend beyond the outer profile or perimeter formed by the head 14 when the link 12 is in a fully pressed position as shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6. The relative size differential between the head 14 and tail 18 enables the ornamental features of the jewelry chain 10 to be predominantly targeted at the head 14 that forms each link 12 of the jewelry chain 10, where the majority of precious metal mass is located. While the foregoing represents a preferred embodiment, it should be appreciated that the respective dimensions of the head and tail may be altered so that the two are more closely sized, provided that the tail of a subsequent link can be looped through the head (and tail) of a preceding link.

Depicted in FIG. 1 through FIG. 6, is a preferred progression of formation of a jewelry chain 10, beginning with two individual links 12, 12. As shown in FIG. 2, a first preceding link 12 is folded at the neck 16 such that the forward tip 24 of the head 14 converges at (or very close to) the tip 28 of the tail 18. Once a preceding link 12 is folded, a small loop 26 in the shape of a raindrop is formed. The significance of forming a raindrop-shaped loop 26, which is larger at the bottom and becomes progressively narrower until it culminates at a point defined by the convergence of the head 14 and tail 18, is that it significantly restricts movement between two connecting links. As shown most clearly in FIG. 5, once a second or subsequent link 12 is placed in a fully folded or pressed position, there is an extremely limited amount of space into which the pressed head 14 and tail 18 of a preceding link 12 can fit. Moreover, depending on the combined thickness of the preceding head 14 and tail 18, butting between two links 12, 12 can be completely or nearly eliminated (even though some pivotal and lateral movement remains possible). This permits the top surface 30 each preceding link 12 in a chain 10 to predominantly remain exposed and in full view.

As shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, once a first or preceding link 12 is folded, a second or subsequent link 12 is partially folded and then inserted through the top surface 30 of the head 14 and corresponding head socket 20, followed immediately through the tail socket 22. Significantly, in a preferred embodiment, the tail 18 has a width dimension that exceeds the width dimension of the head socket 20 but is less than the length dimension of the head socket 20. This feature requires tail 18 of a subsequent link 12 to initially be oriented perpendicularly (or substantially perpendicular) to the preceding head 14 and its head socket 20 to enable the tail 18 of a subsequent link 12 to pass through sockets 20, 22 of preceding link 12. Once tail 18 of the second or subsequent link 12 passes through sockets 20, 22, the subsequent link 12 is rotated approximately 90 degrees, in a manner which extends the chain 10, and is re-oriented so that it is substantially in line with the preceding link 12. Rotation is possible after the tail passes sockets 20, 22 because neck 16 preferably has a width dimension that is marginally less than the width dimension of said head socket 20. If additional movement is desired, a thinner neck 16 can be constructed which will enable a larger degree of movement. In conjunction with the rotation of the subsequent link 12 so that it is oriented in line with the preceding link 12, neck 16 loops through sockets 20, 22, and is folded further as shown in FIG. 4 and then pressed closed as shown in FIG. 5. Notably, the looping and folding of a subsequent link 12 keeps the head 14 and tail 18 of a preceding folded link 12 sandwiched between the folded neck 16 of the subsequent link 12. Forward movement from the preceding link 12 on the left into the rear of the subsequent link 12 on the right remains limited by the raindrop loop 26 as discussed above. Nevertheless, a preceding link 12 may pivot or move along the neck 16 of a subsequent link 16, which allows a chain 10 comprising a large number of links 12 to naturally dangle and wrap around a user's wrist or neck during use. It should be appreciated that when folding links according to the present invention, the folding allows head aperture or socket 20 to be substantially aligned with tail aperture socket 22 so that the apertures are aligned for receiving a subsequent link. Conversely, if sockets 20, 22 are not properly aligned, attaching subsequent links may be difficult or impossible.

Another significant feature of a jewelry chain 10 formed by links 12 is that a preceding single link 12 is attached to a successive single link 12 at two distinct contacts—at the head 14 and tail 18 of a preceding link 12—to produce a chain 10. The presence of two distinct contact points between which tension can be relieved and/or shifted during moments of stress provide an distinct advantage to chains 10 formed by links 12. In that regard, it may be desirable to provide additional bulk and/or width to produce head tip 24 and/or tail tip 28 that is non-uniform with the rest of the head 14 and/or tail 18, respectively, so that each link 12 and the chain 10 as a whole may be able to withstand greater forces of tension, at an overall lighter weight without breaking apart.

Once a series of links 12 are looped and connected, a chain 10 is formed, as shown in FIG. 7 and FIG. 8. Upon formation of a chain 10, it is often desirable to apply an additional finishing step to the last link or end link 12E in the chain 10, such as a small laser weld at tips 24, 28 which keeps link 12E in a pressed position during ordinary wear for the life of the chain 10. This step is not required at other links 12 because each subsequent link keeps its preceding link in a fully pressed position for the life of the chain 10. Once a chain 10 is formed, any suitable jewelry clasp known in the art may be applied to the chain 10.

As shown in FIG. 8, once a chain 10 is formed, an illusion plate 32 is applied to the top surface 30 of each link 12. A preferred method of attaching the plate 32 to the head is via the process of laser welding. While soldering may also be utilized, laser welding is preferred for reasons that are known in the art. Set in the illusion plate is a small precious, semi- or non-precious stone 34. While a preferred embodiment of the jewelry chain 10 of the present invention utilizes an illusion plate 32, it should appreciated that the exposed top surface 30 of each head 14 is modularly fitted to receive other forms of stamped, casted and/or machined plates, collets, mountings and/or sockets in which precious stones may be received and set on the surface of the chain 10.

One of the advantages of the present invention is the repeated use of identical or substantially identical links that match to form a jewelry chain. Based on this feature, the machinery used to manufacture the links can be employed to produce the same forms of links without interruption and without the need to produce or utilize different links to produce a chain. While different stamped links from those depicted in the drawings may be utilized, the stamping dies used to form each link are generally intended to remain constant to produce links that are consistently the same. In an alternate embodiment, for example, dies may be created to form stamped links each having a series of prongs or settings that are stamped into the surface of a head in which stones may be directly mounted (e.g., without the use of a separate plate or mounting).

The benefits and advantages of the stamped jewelry chain 10 formed in accordance with the present invention is further substantiated by the test results presented in FIG. 10 and FIG. 11. FIG. 10 presents the results of a breaking load test for a stamped 92.5% silver bracelet constructed of links 12 and weighing a total of 3.32 grams. As a load applied to the chain is progressively increased from 0 kgf, a bracelet comprising stamped links 12 exhibits the ability to extend and stretch without breaking or snapping. For example, at just under 2 kgf (e.g., 2 kgf=2×9.80665 N=19.6133 N), the bracelet exhibits an extension of 1 mm; at just above 4 kgf, the bracelet exhibits an extension of 3 mm; and at approximately 8 kgf, the bracelet exhibits an extension of 6.5 mm. The stamped bracelet made in accordance with the present invention continues to exhibit increased extension with an increasing load until it reaches a max load of 9.62 kgf.

In contrast, FIG. 11 presents the results of a breaking load test for a comparable casted 92.5% silver bracelet having a weight of 4.13 grams. As a load applied to the casted chain is progressively increased from 0 kgf, a bracelet comprising casted links exhibits the ability to extend and stretch without breaking or snapping, albeit at a lower extension rate per unit load. Thus, the load that the casted bracelet is able to carry and tensile capability is limited as compared to the stamped bracelet made in accordance with the present invention. For example, at approximately 2.7 kgf, the bracelet exhibits an extension of 1 mm; at about 4 kgf, the bracelet exhibits an extension of 2 mm (in comparison to the 3 mm of extension achieved with the stamped bracelet); and at approximately 6 kgf, the bracelet exhibits an extension of approximately 5 mm. Notably, the casted bracelet reaches a maximum load at 6.30 kgf as compared to the stamped bracelet which reaches a maximum load at 9.62 kgf.

The jewelry chains that were load-tested were also subject to hardness testing, pursuant to ASTM E384-08, the specification of which is incorporated herein by reference. As noted in the ASTM E384-08 specification, this test method covers determination of the microindentation hardness of materials. This test method covers microindentation tests made with Knoop and Vickers indenters under test forces in the range from 9.8×10⁻³ to 9.8 N (1 to 1000 gf). Hardness tests have been found to be very useful for materials evaluation, quality control of manufacturing processes and research and development efforts. Hardness, although empirical in nature, can be correlated to tensile strength for many metals, and is an indicator of wear resistance and ductility. When testing hardness, the Vickers indenter usually produces a geometrically similar indentation at all test forces. Except for tests at very low forces that produce indentations with diagonals smaller than about 25 μm, the hardness number will be essentially the same as produced by Vickers machines with test forces greater than 1 kgf, as long as the material being tested is reasonably homogeneous. For isotropic materials, the two diagonals of a Vickers indentation are equal in size.

The ASTM E384-08 test results of a stamped bracelet made in accordance with the present invention (and tested in connection with the load test, the results of which are presented in FIG. 10), reveal that the stamped links are significantly softer as compared to a casted bracelet. Testing microhardness at 25 gm HV (where the force applied is 0.025 kg×9.80665=0.24517 N) yields hardness results of 157, 150 and 156 for the stamped bracelet, and hardness results of 120, 123 and 130 for the casted bracelet. Notably, the variable values in the Vickers hardness test results appear to be based on the minor hardness variations that may exist within a material at different points along the bracelets where the tests were taken. Accordingly, multiple test values are taken as representative of the overall hardness. Despite the variations in Vickers hardness results in a particular test subject, the testing clearly demonstrates that stamped metal exhibits a greater overall hardness than its casted counterpart.

The accompanying drawings only illustrate a preferred embodiments of an improved jewelry chain with enhanced stamped links and method of producing same. However, other types and configurations are possible, and the drawings are not intended to be limiting in that regard. Thus, although the description above and accompanying drawings contains much specificity, the details provided should not be construed as limiting the scope of the embodiment(s) but merely as providing illustrations of some of the presently preferred embodiment(s). The drawings and the description are not to be taken as restrictive on the scope of the embodiment(s) and are understood as broad and general teachings in accordance with the present invention. While the present embodiment(s) of the invention have been described using specific terms, such description is for present illustrative purposes only, and it is to be understood that modifications and variations to such embodiments, including but not limited to the substitutions of equivalent features, materials, or parts, and the reversal of various features thereof, may be practiced by those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It should also be noted that the terms “first,” “preceding,” “second,” “subsequent” and similar terms may be used herein to modify various elements. These modifiers do not imply a spatial, sequential, or hierarchical order to the modified elements unless specifically stated.

Claims

1. A jewelry chain comprising:

a plurality of stamped links pressed into a folded position, each link having a head with a head aperture, a neck, and a tail with a tail aperture, wherein when said links are folded at said neck, said head aperture and said tail aperture of a preceding link are substantially aligned to receive a tail of a subsequent link through said head aperture and said tail aperture of said preceding link.

2. The jewelry chain of claim 1, said tail having a tail tip and said head having a head tip, wherein each of said plurality of links form a raindrop shaped loop defined by said neck, said tail tip and said head tip.

3. The jewelry chain of claim 1, the head aperture having a length dimension and a width dimension, and the tail having a width dimension that exceeds the width dimension of said head aperture but is less than the length dimension of said head socket.

4. The jewelry chain of claim 5, the neck having a width dimension that is less than the width dimension of said head socket.

5. The jewelry chain of claim 1 wherein when a subsequent link inserted through said head aperture and said tail aperture, said subsequent link must be oriented substantially perpendicular relative to said preceding link.

6. A jewelry chain comprising:

a plurality of stamped links pressed into a folded position, each link having a head with a head aperture, a neck, and a tail with a tail aperture;

wherein said head and tail of each preceding link is held between the neck of a subsequent link, restricting butting between two links while allowing a preceding link to pivot across the neck of a subsequent link.

7. The jewelry chain of claim 6, wherein when said links are folded at said neck, said head aperture and said tail aperture of a preceding link are substantially aligned to receive a tail of a subsequent link through said head aperture and said tail aperture of said preceding link.

8. The jewelry chain of claim 7, further comprising a mounting plate attached to each of said plurality of stamped links.

9. The jewelry chain of claim 7, wherein said plurality of links includes a last link, said head and said tail of said last link being welded together to complete said chain.

10. The jewelry chain of claim 7, the head aperture having a length dimension and a width dimension, and the tail having a width dimension that exceeds the width dimension of said head aperture but is less than the length dimension of said head socket.

11. A stamped link utilized in the construction of a jewelry chain comprising:

a head, said head having a head tip and a head socket;

a tail, said tail having a tail tip and a tail socket and

a neck positioned between said head and said tail;

wherein when a preceding link is folded at said neck, said head socket and said tail socket are aligned to receive a subsequent link inserted through said head socket and said tail socket.

12. The link of claim 11, wherein when said link is folded at said neck, a raindrop shaped loop is formed between said head and said tail.

13. The link of claim 11, wherein when said link is folded at said neck, said tail tip does not extend beyond said head tip.

14. The link of claim 13, wherein when said link is folded at said neck, the profile of said tail does not extend beyond the profile of said head.

15. The link of claim 11, the head socket having a length dimension and a width dimension, and the tail having a width dimension that exceeds the width dimension of said head socket but is less than the length dimension of said head socket.

16. The link of claim 15, the neck having a width dimension that is less than the width dimension of said head socket.

17. The link of claim 11 wherein said head socket and said tail socket have respective dimensions that are substantially identical.

18. The link of claim 11, wherein said head comprises stamped ornamental visual indicia.

19. The link of claim 11, the head having a head surface area and the tail having a tail surface area, wherein the ratio of said head surface area to said tail surface area is greater than 1.5:1.

20. The link of claim 11 wherein when a subsequent link inserted through said head socket and said tail socket, said subsequent link must be oriented substantially perpendicular relative to said preceding link.