US2121201A - Finger ring - Google Patents

Description

Jun: 21,1938. H. G. JOYCE I 7 2,121,201

FI'NGER RING Filed May 1a, 1937 INVENTOR.

gu ayte A TTORNEYS.

Patented June 21, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FINGER RING I Henry G. Joyce, Providence, R. I. Application May 18, 1937, Serial No. 143,331

This invention relates to a ring; and has for one of its objects the provision of a ring, the exposed or obverse surface: of which will be gold or some precious material, while the hidden portion between the fingers and on the inside of the hand will be of some other less expensive material.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a ring formed of two different metals with the more expensive metal exposed along the top or center of the shank of the ring backed up by the lesser expensive metal, while the metal at the joint of the shank of the ring is all one solid piece, so that one in fitting the ring may cut out a piece and solder the ends together without danger of lifting the superimposed portion of the more expensive metal which might occur were the two metals carried throughout the length of the shank of the ring.

Another object of the invention relating to the method by which the ring is produced, is to soformthe parts of the ring that the same tools may be utilized for making this ring of two different metals as were used for making the ring of a. solid piece of metal whereby one set of tools may be used to provide rings of diiferent quality and appearance characteristics.

Another object of theinvention is to provide a very heavy ring with gold exposed and yet one which willnot crush, which sometimes occurs when the. person wearing the ring does heavy work and the ring is made of lighterand of more precious stock.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, as will be more fully described, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the ring which is formed in accordance with this invention;

Fig. 2 is a blank of the ring shank cut from sheet stock;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view after a recessing operation has been performed in the shank;

Fig. 4 is a central sectional view of the structure of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the material which is inserted into the recess;

Fig. 6 is a sectional View similar to Fig. 4 showing the material as soldered into the recess;

Fig. '7 is a perspective view of the shank of the ring after it has been struck in' dies to shape it as desired;

Fig. 8 is a sectional view of the ring with the ends of the shank soldered together;

Fig. 9 is a perspective view showing the ring as mounted in positionon the finger and illustrating. the portion of the ring exposed when worn.

In the formation of finger rings trimmings of old have sometimes been soldered onto the head or top of the ring. At other times plating may have occurred. In the former case where the gold trimmings are soldered on the ring does not have the appearance of an all-over gold ring, .and in the latter case many objections occur due to expense ordifficulties in manufacture and sometimes at the time of changing the size of the ring theplating will start to lift at the solder. joint; and in order to avoid these difficulties, I have provided a recess in the blanked-out shank portion of the ring and soldered in a thin plate of gold which will be of substantially the thickness of the recess formed. The shank thus prepared is then of the same thickness and has the same quantity of material as was before present andmay be utilized in the same tools as were used for providing rings of solid all one piece stock, and yet when the top is drawn up there will be provided an outer gold layer of the extent desired depending upon the length of the recess and the filling therein which will be the exposed portion of the ring, while the end portions are of a solid stock so that if desired the jeweler in fitting the ring may cut out a piece and solder the ends together without fear or danger of the plate which forms the top of the ring lifting or breaking away from the shank or support portion which is of a less expensive metal. Gold rings have often been made of rather thin stock because of the expense of the metal, and by this method the gold rings may have a reinforcement which will better support them for harder use and an allover heavier construction may be provided without materially increasing the expense; and the following is a, more detailed description of. the present embodiment of this invention, illustrating the preferred means by which these advantageous results may be accomplished:

With reference to the drawing, Ill designates the ring shank as cut from sheet stock of substantially uniform thickness which is the first operation in the formation of, the ring. This blank has arr enlarged central portion 12 with side and end portions I3 at either side thereof. The next step in the operation is to provide a recess 14 in the top portion so that this stock of the top portion I5 is thinner than the endportions I3 of the shank.

There is separately cut from sheet stock of a more expensive material such, for instance, as gold, a plate l6 which will be of the shape of the recess [4 which is formed in the shank. This plate I6 is then soldered into the recess as at I! and is of a thickness which, when soldered in position, as shown in Fig. 6, will have its outer surface l8 flush with the outer surface IQ of the end portions of the shank of the ring so that in effect there hasbeen a plate I6 substituted for a removed top portion of the ring which has heretofore been made of one solid sheet of material of uniform thickness and integral through-- out. By the formation of a shank in this manner the same volume of stock is present and the shank may be placed in the usual dies used for making up rings and may be struck in these dies in the manner heretofore used "for-forming up the ring.

After the blank is formed with the soldered-in plate, .as shown in Fig. 6, it is struckin matched dies so as to shape up the shank in desired formation, such .as shown in Fig. 7, where the top portion, now designated 20, has portions raised in relief as at 21 to provide the desired ornamentation and is formed with an opening 22 with gem supporting lips 23 as well as with an are 24 for fitting about the finger. This formation by this striking and cutting process is that usually performed upon the ring. The recessed portion and gold insert Hi is of such a length that the gold coatingor covering will extend substantially to a notch 25 which is provided for ornamental purposes at either side and also serves as a distinct line of contrast between the gold coating 26 and the supporting portion 21 of the less expensive material which is beneath this coating. After the ring is struck up, as shown in Fig. '7, it is bent into .circularform, .as shown in Fig. 8, and the .ends 28 and 2.9 of the shank are soldered together to form the joint 30. These end portions, as will be observed from 8, are of one solid material as the ends of the gold covering 26 stop at the points 25, which is a substantial distance from these end portions 28 and 29. Thus, in soldering together the joint 30 there is no danger of the gold coating 26 lifting from the material of lesser value which is detrimental and annoying and sometimes occurs when the retailer is cutting out a piece of the .ring in order that it may be made smaller to fit some individual who has purchased the same.

The gold coating 26 extends suificiently along either side so that when the ring is worn upon the finger 3|, as shown in Fig. 9, the adjacent fingers 32 and 33 cover the juncture of the gold coating with the lesser expensive material, while the joint portion is on the inner part of the hand and is not readily observed.

By providing a ring of this structure the outer gold coating is present to provide the desired attractive appearance for the ring, while the lesser expensive material such as silver, may be used to make up the remainder of the ring and is hidden from view. This structure further gives support to a ring, enabling a gold surface ring to stand up under more abuse than a ring which is formed of solid gold and made thin in order to lessen the expense of the same.

A further advantage is in the soldering of the joint which will enable those less skilled to solder the joint without danger of a plating which might extend along the entire surface of the ring, from lifting, which is annoying and which requires great skill in manipulation, while adding to the expense of material employed. The inexpensiveness of the ring may be readily apparent.

The foregoing description is directed towards the method and construction illustrated, but I desire it to be understood that I reserve the privilege of resorting to all the equivalent changes to which the construction and method are susceptible, the invention being defined and limited only by the terms of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A finger ring comprising a shank with a top portion, said top portion having an inset on its outer face of a more precious metal terminating at points a sufficient distance from the mid-portion of the top to extend approximately semicircumferentially of the completed ring, whereby the base metal portion is covered by adjacent fingers.

2. A finger ring comprising a shank with a top portion, said top portion having an inset in its outer face of a more precious material which together with the thickness of the material of the top portion is substantially equal to the remainder of the shank and terminating at points a sufiicient distance from the mid-portion of the top to extend approximately semi-circumferentially of the completed ring, said difierent materials being of the same relief contour on their outer portions.

HENRY G. JOYCE.

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