US1734625A - Linked jewelry and method of making it - Google Patents

Description

NOV. 5, 1929. Q HEYMAN LINKED JEWELRY AND METHOD OF MAKING IT Filed June 1924 7INVENTOR A; ATTORNEYS Patented Nov. 5, 1929 UNITED STATES PATENT @FFHQE OSCAR HEYMAN, OF NEW YORK, N, Y.

- LINKED JEWELRY AND Application filed June 6,

This invention relatesto linked jewelry, particularly bracelets and to a method for makin it.

Tn the making of linked box bracelets it has been customary either to solder the hinge knuckles to the boxes, or as disclosed in my Patent No. 1,433,819, to die-press each box, knuckle and all out of a single piece of metal. The first of these methods is unsatisfactory for the reason that the soldered joints are weak and likely to break when the bracelet is worn;while the second, although making a strong and excellent box is best adapted for boxes of relatively narrow widths. For the wider'widths, particularly when the metal is one of platinum alloys commonly employed in the manufacture of high-grade jewelry, the solid die-pressed .boxes may be considered as somewhat too heavy. The diificul ties inherent in die-pressing are also in creased. It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to design a novel linked bracelet unit or box which shall be strong and durable, and at the sametime relatively light even when made in the wider widths.

It is a further object of this invention to devise a new method for making such units. The box itself is made of two parts; a base from which the hinge knuckles are formed I and an upper part in which the jewel is set which is mounted upon the hinge knuckles and spaced from the base. The method comprises forming hinge knuckles on the base by rolling and drawing out integral strips or flanges along the edges of a solid bar of platinum, bending or looping them back upon themselves, and welding their ends to the edge of the base to form complete cylindrical knuckles. These boxes are so made that when complete the bracelet may be assembled and articulated by merely slipping a pintle through the aligned and interfitting knuckles on adjacent boxes.

In the accompanying drawings I have ilvention as applied to a bracelet and have also illustrated several of the various steps followed in the manufacture of the units themselves. In these drawings, Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a section of a complete bracelustrated a preferred embodiment of my in- METHOD OF MAKING IT 1924. Serial No. 718,235.

let built up of units made in accordance with the present invention; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a bar of metal rolled and drawn to form the edge strips or flanges which are afterwards made into hinge knuckles; Fig. 3 is a plan view of a blank cut from the bar illustrated in Fig. 2 and from which a unit base will be made; Fig. 4 illustrates theunit base blank after the edges'have been pierced and cut, preparatory to bending'them into knuckles; Fig. 5 is a perspective View of a unit base showing thepierced and cut edges bent preparatory .to the formation of knuckles; Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a unit base showing the metal formed into the general shape of the finished base member; Fig. 7 is a plan view of the unit base with its center punched out to form alight frame; Fig. 8 is a longitudinal section through one of the upper jewel holding members which serve as a support for the jewel mounting; Fig. 9 is a longitudinal section through a complete unit but without the jewel mounting; and Fig; 10 is a longitudinal section through a completed bracelet showing the units and the jewel mountings but without the jewels themselves. I

In these drawings 1 represents a bar of metal which has been rolled and drawn to form two fiat and relatively thin edge portions or flanges 2. Thisbar is then blanked" to form pieces of the desired width from which the unit bases are to be formed. Such a blank is illustrated in Fig. 3, and. is indicated by reference character 3. The next step in the forma-tion'of the base of the unit comprises piercing one of the edge members 2 to-form a central longitudinal slot 4, and cutting the other edge member to form a T-shaped extension 5. The. edge members thuspierced and out are then bent into the form illustrated in Fig. 5 and then formed as shown in Fig. 6. ,A preliminary swaging operation is then performed and is followed by a welding operation so that the unit base illustrated in Fig. 6 becomes, a unitary piece of integral construction. .The next step is j base at 6, as shown in Fig. 7 and results in a very light frame. This frame thus provided on one of its edges with a pair of spaced integral hinge knuckles 7 and on the opposite edge with a single hinge knuckle 8 comprises the complete unit base.

Upon theupstanding hinge knuckles of this base is then soldered or welded a frame 9 so dimensioned to leave a spacelO between the two members of the unit. Into this upper member is placed a jewel mounting 11 of any desired design.

The units are assembled by inserting the single hinge knuckle of one unit between the pair of spaced knuckles on the next adjacent unit and placing a pintle through them. The edges of the unit bases below the hinge knuckles are bevelled slightly as shown most clearly in Figs. 9 and 10, to permit a slight flexing of the. bracelet away from the upper members.

Units made as described above are light and strong. They are essentially of unitary construction and can withstand a considerable tension without giving way at the joints. At the same time, the method of forming them is relatively inexpensive and does not call for the use of high-power presses and dies. This method is particularly adapted for use in connection with the useof platinum and platinum alloys employed in the manufacture of'high grade jewelry, which, because of its toughness, is workable only with great difliculty.

I claim 1. A jewelry unit comprising a base member,hinge knuckles integral'therewith and arranged to be aligned end to end with similar knuckles on adjacent units, and an upper member mounted upon the hinge knuckles and spaced from the base member.

2. The method of making jewelry units for linked jewelry which comprises rolling the edge portions of a bar of metal to form flanges of less thickness than the body of the bar, blanking pieces of unit length from said bar, piercing and cutting the rolled flanges to form material for two hinge knuckles on one side of the piece, and one on the other, bending said pierced and cut flanges back upon the piece, welding their ends thereto to form integral hinge knuckles and swaging the unit into final shape.

3. The method of making jewelry units for linked jewelry which comprises rolling the edge portions of a bar of metal to form flanges of less thickness than the body of the bar, blanking pieces of unit length from said I bar, piercing and cutting'the rolled flanges to form material for two hinge knuckles on one side of the piece, and one on the other, bending saidpierced and out flanges back upon the piece, welding their ends thereto to form integral hinge knuckles, swaging the formmaterial for two hinge knuckles on one sideof the piece, and one on the other, bending said pierced and cut flanges back upon the 'piece, welding their ends thereto to form integral hinge knuckles, swaging the unit into final shape, punching the center from the piece, and mounting an upper jewel receiving member upon the hinge knuckles.

5. The method of making units for linked jewelry, comprising forming horizontal flanges on a bar of metal, blanking pieces of "unit length from said bar, punching a rectangular hole in one flange and cutting the other into T'-shape, bending the flanges upward and backward towards the face of the unit, then forward and downwardupon the edges of the unit,'welding the ends of the flanges to the edges of the unit to form exterior cylinders integral with said unit, and swaging the unit into final'form.

6. A jewelry unit comprising a flat rectangular base member, hinge knuckles mounted upon opposite upper edges of the base member, extending'above andbeyond it and integral therewith, and arranged to be aligned end to end with-similar knuckles on adjacent units for articulation, and an upper member mounted uponandsupported by the, hingeknuckles-and spaced from the base member.

7. A bracelet comprising a plurality of articulated units, each unit made up of a flat rectangular base member having a pair of spaced hinge knuckles mounted upon an upper edge of the base member and a single knuckle mounted upon the opposite upper edge, the single knuckle on one unit lying between and alined end to end with the two knuckles of the next adjacent unit, a pintle extending through'the-knuckles and an upper jewel-receiving member mounted upon the knuckles and spaced from the base member.

In testimony whereofiI aflix my signature.

OSCAR HEYMAN.

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