US20150042091A1

US20150042091A1 - Brunnian link making device and method

Info

Publication number: US20150042091A1
Application number: US13/961,054
Authority: US
Inventors: Nathan Myles Tommer; Carl E. Voigt, IV
Original assignee: Five Below Inc
Current assignee: Five Below Inc
Priority date: 2013-08-07
Filing date: 2013-08-07
Publication date: 2015-02-12

Abstract

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.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims no priority to any U.S. Provisional Application or other pending patent application.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This 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 INVENTION

A 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

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

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.

FIG. 1 is a front top perspective view showing an embodiment of the jewelry and craft making bar for creating a Brunnian linked item.

FIG. 2 is a back bottom perspective view of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a front bottom perspective view of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a back top perspective view of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a front side view of FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is a back side view of FIG. 1.

FIG. 7 is a top side view of FIG. 1.

FIG. 8 is a bottom side view of FIG. 1.

FIG. 9 is a left side view of FIG. 1.

FIG. 10 is a right side view of FIG. 1.

FIG. 11 is a partial left side perspective view of FIG. 1.

FIGS. 12A-C shows various clasps according to the present invention.

FIG. 13 show a hooked tool for the present invention.

FIGS. 14A-D shows adjacent bars to snap together to form a template for a Brunnian link.

FIGS. 15A-D shows a cross section of adjoining bars taken along the lines 15-15 of FIGS. 14A-D.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Referring to FIGS. 1, a device 10 includes a bar 12 for creating Brunnian linked items such as bracelets, necklaces and other wearable or decorative items not shown in the Figures. A plurality pins 14 of essentially identical pins in a vertical row are attached to a top surface 16 of the bar 12. The pins 14 include a flared top 18, a mid-portion 20, a flared bottom 22 adjacent the top surface 16, a vertical opening 24 and a vertical recess 26 corresponding to the vertical height of the vertical pin opening 24. A plurality of cylindrical protrusions or male members 28 extend along an opposing side 29 of the bar 12 in a predetermined spacing apart. An annular ring 30 is at the distal end of each male member 28 to create an interference fit with a cylindrical opening or female member 32 on one side 33 corresponding generally to the diameter of the female member 32 in FIG. 2 to receive the male member 28 in a secure manner. The female member 32 includes an annular recess 34 at a bottom 36 of the opening or female member 32 corresponding generally to the annular ring 30 on the male member 28 for a snap over fit when the male member 28 is pushed into the female member 32 to generally the bottom 36 of the female member 32. The ring 30 is either of the same material as the male member 28 or a more elastic material to drive into the annular recess 34 of the female member 32.
As shown in FIG. 2, the bar 12 further includes a bottom surface 38 along with the top surface 16, opposing side 29 and the one side 33 with identical rounded ends 40. The bar 12 is of a predetermined length and is made of plastic or any other suitable material such as nylon, wood or even metal. The requisite is that the bar and its pins are solid structures that do not bend or contort during the operation of stretching elastic bands between the pins or posts 14. The pins 14 are also capable of being integrally formed with the bar and of the same material for ease of manufacturing out of a plastic injection moulding machine. Similarly, the bar and pins are capable of being manufactured out of a single piece of nylon, wood or even metal poured into a mould.
Referring to FIG. 3, a front bottom perspective view of FIG. 1 is shown that is capable of creating a Brunnian link formed from a continuous looped structure without forming an actual knot. Several links are formed in a chain to form a circular structure. The ends are then secured together with a fastener to create a jewelry wearable item such as a bracelet or necklace and the like. For example, there may be three closed looped elastic material such as rubber hands or other elastic material to form a single chain of loops. Each link is formed by capturing the ends of one loop structure with a mid-portion 20 of another loop structure in series. Each link depends on the previous and subsequent links to maintain the desired shape and integrity of the chain. Removing one link 20 results in all of the links becoming loose from each other. Moreover, additional bars are added adjacent to one another with a press fit together to further expand possible number of elastic members to a completed article creation.
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.
FIG. 4 is a back top perspective view of FIG. 1. When viewing the bar 12, there are twenty-one female members 32 on the one side 33 while there are just ten male members 28 on the opposing side 29. The bar is designed with the larger number of female holes 32 so the adjacent bar 12 pressed to the first bar 12 orientates the pins 14 to be offset one pin from the adjacent bar 12 to form the loom for doing three or more color bracelets or necklaces. These and other features disclosed herein are best understood from viewing the other Figures and description to follow.
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. FIGS. 2, 4 and 6 show bars 12 that have the extra holes 32 on the one side opposite the lesser number of protrusions 28 on the opposing side thereof.
FIG. 5 is a front side view of FIG. 1. This FIG. 5 clearly shows the male members 28 extending or protruding outwardly from the opposing side of bar 12 with the annular rings 30 thereon. The bar 12 includes eleven pins or posts 14 all in a row upon the bar 12 spaced apart a predetermined distance from one another. Each pin or post 14 includes the flared top 18 to hold the elastic bands in place on each pin 14 after taking a tool with a means to hook an elastic band pulls the elastic band to the next pin in the row or diagonally across to the next pin 14 on an adjacent assembled bar if two or more bars 12 are snap fitted to one another. Of course, the bars 12 in the invention are capable of being configured with less or more pins 14 to make up the desired configuration for the loom.
FIG. 6 is a back side view of FIG. 1 or the referred to one side of bar 12. This shows the alignment of the holes or female members 32 spaced apart a predetermined distance to allow the offsetting of one bar to another adjacent bar when assembled together as described previously. This unique snap fit interference between the holes 32 on a first bar with the protrusions on a second bar creates a stable template on which the end user is able to create the jewelry piece or item of choice. The snap fit between the male and female member on adjacent bars assembled together prevents any misalignment of pins or rows of pins that can occur with prior art templates to make such jewelry. Such an assembly of bars with the plurality of pins on each bar and the snap fit for the assembly of adjacent rows to make the loom saves considerable setup time before creating the jewelry piece of choice. The advantages of the bar 12 with the pins 14 preassembled upon the top surface 16 of the bar 12 is obvious because the pins 14 are incapable of being misaligned or falling out of some other type of base as shown in the prior art. This bar 12 design eliminates the need for a separate base to hold the pins 14 when the pins 14 are integrally formed on the top surface of the bar 12 when manufactured.
FIG. 7 shows a top view of the bar 12 with the pins 14 and the vertical recess 26 in each pin 14. It is clear that the vertical recess 26 permits the end user to take a tool with a barb or hook a pull the desired elastic band around the pin 14 and move it from one to another in the same row or across to a pin on an adjacent bar 12 assembled to the current bar where the elastic band is grasped for movement.
FIG. 8 show a bottom plan view of the bar 12 with the rounded corners 40 at either end are clearly show as well as the outline of the supporting holes on the one side 33 of the bar as well as the protrusions or male members 28 on the opposing side 29 of the bar 12.
FIG. 9 is a left side view of FIG. 1 that shows the vertical recess 26 of the first pin 14 in the row of the plurality of pins assembled a predetermined space apart from each other on the top surface 16 of the bar. This view also show the flared top 18 and the flared bottom 22 that keep the elastic bands pulled over each pin 14 generally in the mid-portion 20 during the loom operation without an inadvertent release of the band until grasped and moved over to the next pin in the row or across to another pin on an assembled adjacent bar. This view also shows the first protrusion or male member 28 for assembly into the hole 32 on an adjacent bar 12 when assembling multiple bars to form a loom of a desired pattern or orientation for making the jewelry of choice.
FIG. 10 is a right side view of FIG. 1 that shows the reverse side of the pin without a vertical recess 26. The side shows that the bar 12 is integrally formed with pin 14 thereon and the male member 28 protruding from the opposing side 29 is also integrally formed with the bar 12. Thus the integral structure of the pins 14, the males members 28 and the holes or female members 32 from a single piece of plastic or similar materials assures that the pins and the assembled structure is simple in construction but totally solid template or foundation upon with the end user is able to make jewelry creations out of the elastic bands of various colors.
FIG. 11 shows a partial perspective view from the left side of the integral bar 12 with the pins 14 thereon. The cut away shows the male member 28 protruding from the rights side and the female holes 32 on the left side of the bar 12. The recess 26 on the left side of the pins shows the ability to insert a hooked tool thereon to lift up on a rubber band or the like around the mid-section or mid-portion 20 between the flared top 18 and flared bottom 22.
FIG. 12 shows three different clasps 42, 44 and 46 for joining the ends of the Brunnian links to form the various jewelry of choice. Clasp 42 show a general figure eight form. Clasp 44 resembles a c-clamp. Clasp 46 shows a heart shaped clasp. The clasps 42, 44 and 46 are shown for purposes to show the type of clasps that may be used to complete a bracelet or other piece of jewelry but many other shapes are possible too.
FIG. 13 shows a hook tool 48 used to grasp the rubber bands and stretch the rubber bands over adjacent pins 14 on the bar 12 to form the Brunnian linked jewelry.
FIG. 14 shows the Section C-C where the adjacent bars with multiple pins 14 thereon are joined together to form jewelry of various designs. In the left hand side of FIG. 14 taken along lines C-C the bars 12 are exactly parallel to each other and the ends 40 at either end of the bars 12 are located and aligned in the same position. However, the two bars 12 with their respective pins 14 are offset on pin when assembling the male members 28 into the female holes 32 on the adjacent bar to form different designs of jewelry.
FIG. 15 shows the cross section where two adjoining bars 12 taken along line 15 of FIG. 14 are about to be snapped together in keeping with the present invention to make a design template for the Brunnian linked 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

Having thus described the invention, we claim:

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.