GB2356551A - Hinge construction of a locket - Google Patents

Description

2356551 LOCKET This invention concerns a locket.

Lockets are jewellery items often made of precious metal, for example gold or 'Silver. Usually a locket comprises at least two components, for example a front cover and a back cover, which normally overlie one on the other or are superposed when the locket is closed, but are pivotally connected together by an external hinge at or along a side or edge of the locket to allow the locket to be opened. Such a hinge usually comprises at least three bored lugs (one interdigitated with the other two) soldered to the two said components and receiving a hinge pin in the bores so that the hinge consists of at least four parts which need making and fixing in position. This hinge can constitute an excrescence on the locket and may distract the eye and visually interfere with or spoil what otherwise might be a clean line of the locket periphery.

One object of this invention is to provide a construction of a locket which avoids the need of a hinge as aforedescribed, and may, in the course of manufacture of the locket make more use of metal stamping techniques and other procedures already used in locket making and so make use of existing tools.

According to the invention a locket comprises at least first and second components which when the locket is closed are substantially superposed, each said component having a respective external lug which are disposed one over another in the locket closed position and each having an aperture through which a ring common to said lugs passes so that the ring and lugs provide pivot means allowing relative pivoting movement between the components, at least two catch means provided internally of the locket 2 each adjacent to a respective opposite peripheral side of the locket, and each catch means being actuable to adopt an engaged state and a disengaged state so that the two catch means in their engaged states hold the said components in said superposed position and in their disengaged states permit relative pivoting of the components between said superposed position and a locket open position.

Each catch means may be a snap-catch means. Each snap-catch means may comprise a catch bar which can act resiliently. Each snap-catch means may comprise a catch bar mounted on one of said components. A said catch bar may be arranged to make disengeable resilient engagement with catch bar position locating means on the other of said components. By this means the two said components may be held substantially in a desired superposed relation when the locket is in a said closed position.

If desired, a said catch bar mounted on one of said components may be arranged to make disengeable resilient engagement with an internal lip on the other said component. Preferably said internal lip has a notch in which a respective said catch bar can disengeably resiliently engage.

At least two said catch bars may be mounted on the same said component. A said component having a said catch bar mounted thereon may be formed at least in part by a metal stamping integral with the catch bar which is a stamped metal tag bent to form said catch bar.

If desired, a said component may be formed at least in part by a metal stamping integral with which is a stamped aforesaid lug.

Said first and second components may be front and back covers.

3 Alternatively, said first component may be a front or back cover, and said second component may be an intermediate leaf. The second component may be adapted for holding a picture. For example, the second component may be or comprise a peripheral frame. There may be two said first components with the said second component disposed there between, wherein said first components are front and back covers, and there are at least four said catch means internally of the locket, at least two of said catch means being associated with the second component and one of said first components and at least two other of said catch means being associated with said second component and the other said first component.

The ring may have, or be intended to have, a chain, necklace or other locket suspension means passing therethrough or otherwise attached thereto.

The invention will now be further described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:- Figure 1 is a plan view of an embodiment of a locket, formed according to the invention, in a closed position; Figure 2 is a side elevation of the locket in Figure.1; Figure 3 shows the locket of Figure 1 in an open position; Figures 4 and 5 are plan views showing interiors of two respective covers from which the locket in Figure 1 is formed; 4 Figure 6 is a section on line V1 - V1 in Figure I but on a larger scale to that used in Figure 1; Figure 7 is a plan view of another embodiment of a locket, formed according to the invention, in a closed position; Figure 8 is a side elevation of the locket in Figure 7; Figure 9 shows the locket of Figure 7 in an open position; Figures 10 and 11 are plan views showing interiors of two respective covers from which the locket in Figure 7 is formed:

Figure 12 is a plan view of an intermediate leaf of the locket in Figure 7, and Figure 13 is a section on line X111-X111 in Figure 7 but on a larger scale to that used in Figure 7.

In the following, like references refer to like or comparable parts.

With reference to Figures 1 to 6 a locket 2 comprises a pair of covers 4 and 6 one of which may be a front cover and the other a back cover. The locket 2 may be made of any suitable material, for example metal. The metal may be or comprise precious metal, for example silver or gold. The locket 2, as shown, is of oval shape, but the locket may be of any other desired shape, for example heart-shaped.

One cover 4 has an internal peripheral rim or lip 8 which may be used to retain a picture, for example a photograph, in the cover, the lip being inclined with respect to the plane of the cover so that from its outer to its inner periphery the lip extends outwardly from the cover. The other cover 6 has an internal peripheral rim or lip 10 which inclined with respect to the cover 6, so that from its outer to its inner periphery the lip 10 extends inwardly of the cover.

The lips 8 and 10 are shaped so that when the covers 4, 6 and superposed in a locket closed position (Figures 1, 2, 6) lip 8 seats or rests closely within the lip 10 (see Figure 6).

Each cover 4, 6 has a respective flat lug 12 or 14 mounted thereon and lying in substantially the plane of the respective cover. In the locket closed position, such as shown in Figure 2, the lugs 12,14 may closely overlie one another (more close together than represented Figure 2). Each lug 12, 14 has a through aperture 16 through which a jump ring 18 passes. A chain or other necklace (not shown) may be passed through the ring 18 for the locket to be worn. and hang.

The lugs 12, 14 and ring 18 provide a pivot so the covers 4, 6 may be pivoted apart into a locket open position as shown in Figure 3, or pivoted back into a locket closed position.

Internally, the locket 2 has two snap-catches 20, substantially diametrically spaced and each disposed adjacent an opposite peripheral side of the locket. Each snap-catch 20 comprises a resilient or resiliently mounted catch bar 22 on the lip 8 resiliently engaging or catching against a peripheral inner edge 24 of the lip 10 in the locket closed position or more particularly that part of the edge 24 defining a notch 26 in the lip whereby the notches so locate the catch bars that the covers 4 and 6 are held substantially accurately superposed when the locket is closed. As can be understood, the catch bars 22 face or extend towards the cover 6 from the cover 4 and are shaped so they slope or curve inwardly towards 6 their free ends 30 so as to form a wedge-shaped or widening guide encouraging passage of the lip 10 down the catch bars 22 to a catch holding position adjacent to the lip 8 at the locket closed position.

Cover 4 may be provided with a recess 32 in it peripheral edge to receive a thumb nail for levering the covers 4, 6 of the closed locket 2 apart to slip the lip 10 off the catch bars 22.

One advantage is that the pivot combination 12, 14, 18 obviates the need for a conventional hinge at a peripheral side edge of the locket 2.

The catch bars 22 may be soldered to the edge of the lip 8, and the lugs 12 and 14 may be soldered to the covers 4 and 6.

On the other hand another advantage may accrue by producing the lugs 12 and 14 and the catch bars 22 during stamping operations used to form parts of the locket. For example, each cover 4 or 6 may be formed from a pressed dished shaped part, having a peripheral edge to which the lip 8 or 10 is soldered at 34 (Figure 6). Each lip 8 or 10 may be formed by a stamping operation which may also produce the respective lug 12 or 14 integral with the lip, and in the case of lip 8 the stamping operation may also produce tags integral with the lip and thereafter bent to form the catch bars 22.

With reference to Figures 7 to 13, the locket 2A comprises two similar covers 6 and 6A (similar to the cover 6 described above) and each with an aforesaid recess 32. Between the covers 6 and 6A, either of which may be a front or a back cover, is an intermediate leaf 36 which is substantially an open peripheral frame of similar external shape to the covers and having a lug 38 apertured at 16A to receive the ring 18 7 allowing the covers 6, 6A and leaf 36 to pivot apart or together between locket open and closed positions (see a locket open position in Figure 9).

The intermediate leaf 36 comprises two peripheral lips 8A in a U or Vshaped cross-sectional disposition to form an internal groove 40 which can receive or hold an edge or edges of one or more pictures. The lips 8A, which may be soldered together at their outer peripheral edge 42, are at an angle or inclination closely fitting into or against the inclination of the respective lip 10 on the cover 6 or 6A. Each of the lips 8A is provided with two catch bars 22 forming operative parts of the four catches 20.1f desired locket 2 may have more than two catches 20 and locket 2A may have more than four of the catches.

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Claims (22)

1. A locket comprising at least first and second components which when the locket is closed are substantially superposed, each said component having a respective external lug which are disposed one over another in the locket closed position and each having an aperture through which a ring common to said lugs passes so that the ring and lugs provide pivot means allowing relative pivoting movement between the components, a plurality of catch means provided internally of the locket, said locket having opposite peripheral sides, at least one of the catch means being adjacent to a said peripheral side and at least another of said catch means being adjacent to a said opposite peripheral side, and each catch means being actuable to adopt an engaged state and a disengaged state so that catch means in their engaged states hold the said components in said superposed position and in their disengaged states permit relative pivoting of the components between said superposed position and a locket open position.

2. A locket as claimed in Claim 1, in which each said catch means is a snap-catch means.

3. A locket as claimed in Claim 2, in which each said snap-catch means comprises a catch bar which can act resiliently.

4. A locket as claimed in Claim 2, in which each snap-catch means comprises a catch bar mounted on one of said components.

5. A locket as claimed in Claim 3 or Claim 4, in which a said catch bar is arranged to make disengageable resilient engagement with catch bar position locating means on the other of said components.

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6. A locket as claimed in any one of Claims 3 to 5, in which a said catch bar mounted on one of said components is arranged to make resilient engagement with an internal lip on another said component.

7. A locket as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 4, in which there are at least two said catch means provided internally of the locket each adjacent to a respective said opposite peripheral side of the locket.

8. A locket as claimed in Claim 7, in which additional to said at least two catch means there is provided supplementary disengageable means to assist in holding the components in superposed position.

9. A locket as claimed in Claim 6, in which said internal lip has a notch in which a respective said catch bar can disengageably resiliently engage.

10. A locket as claimed in any one of Claims 3 to 6 or Claim 9 in which at least two said catch bars are mounted on the same said component.

11. A locket as claimed in any one of Claims 3 to 6 or Claim 9 or Claim 10, in which a said component having a said catch bar mounted thereon is formed at least in part by a metal stamping integral with the catch bar which is a stamped metal tag to form said catch bar.

12. A locket as claimed in any one preceding claim, in which a said component is formed at least in part by a metal stamping integral with which is a stamped aforesaid lug.

13. A locket as claimed in any one preceding claim, in which said first and second components are front and back covers.

14. A locket as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 12, in which said first component is a front cover or a back cover, and said second component is an intermediate leaf.

15. A locket as claimed in Claim 14, in which the second component is adapted for holding a picture.

16. A locket as claimed in Claim 14 or Claim 15, in which the second component is or comprises a peripheral frame.

17. A locket as claimed in any one of Claims 14 to 16, in which there are two said first components with the said second component disposed therebetween, said first components being front and back covers, and there being at least four said catch means internally of the locket, at least two of said catch means being associated with the second component and one of said first components and at least two other of said catch means being associated with said second component and the other said first component.

18. A locket as claimed in any one preceding claim, in which the or a said first component is provided with a or the said internal lip which is inclined to a plane in which the first component is disposed.

19. A locket as claimed in any one preceding claim, in which the said second component is provided with an internal lip or at least one said internal lip which is inclined to a plane in which the second component is disposed.

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20. A locket as claimed in Claims 18 and 19, in which one of said lips seats or rests closely within the other said lip when the or a said first component and the second component are in the superposed position. 5

21. A locket as claimed in any one preceding claim in combination with a chain, necklace or other locket suspension means.

22. A locket substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figs. 1 to 6 or Figs. 7 to 12 of the accompanying drawings.