US2437932A

US2437932A - Decorative chain structure

Info

Publication number: US2437932A
Application number: US585476A
Authority: US
Inventors: Blumstein Abraham
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1945-03-29
Filing date: 1945-03-29
Publication date: 1948-03-16
Anticipated expiration: 1965-03-16

Description

March 16, 1948. A. BLUMSTEIN 2,437,932v

DECORATIVE CHAIN STRUCTURE Filed Maron 29, 1945 2 sheets-sheet 1 z* n INVENTOR.

BY @ym A. BLUMSTEN DECORATIVE CHAIN STRUCTURE Filed March 29, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet .2`

m. w m m Patented Mar. i6, 1948 nien iiED STATES @ATENE I QFFICE 7 Claims. (Cl. 59-80) This invention generally relates to chain structures adapted for use in articles of jewelry such as bracelets, wrist watch bands and the like and more speciicaiy to a novel structure of the character aforementioned embodying indicia for decorative purposes or the like.

This application is a continuation in part of my coicending application S. N. 560,883 filed October 28, i944, which has become abandoned.

The general object of the invention is to provide a construction whereby a variety of indicia such as letters forming initials or names or individuals, decorative signs or a combination thereci be readily provided in flexible chain bracelets or the like, without unduly increasing the cost of manufacture of the product.

Another object oi the invention is to provide elements forming indicia as aforesaid adapted to be incorporated in a flexible chain structure in the process of assembly of this latter, in a simple and expeditious manner. A further object is to provide a flexible chain structure comprising hollow members, indicia forming elements adapted for association with said hollow members and lint; units adapted to interconnect said hollow members and concurrently lock the indicia forming elements in fixed position relative to the hollow members, without necessity of directly securing the indicia to these latter.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a novel clasp for the ends of a chain of the character described.

These and other related objects will become apparent in the following description of' the invention illustrated in the drawings, wherein:

Fig. l is a plan view of a wrist watch band embodying indicia according to the invention.

1Eig. 2 is an enlarged bottom plan View of the portion of the structure of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary longitudinal section on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a transverse section on line -d of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is an exploded view illustrating in perspective and in a much greater scale the various constituent elements of the structure.

Fig. 6 is a similar view illustrating the structure of the clasp.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, Fig. 1 shows, by way of example, a wrist watch band embodying indicia according to the invention, which is generally indicated at li) and is formed of lengths of chain or band Sections Il, l2 interconnected by a clasp I3, the construction whereof will be hereafter described. Each of said sections comprises a series of elongated open' ended hollow members lli, which, in the embodiment illustrated, are shown as hollow rectangular parallelepipeds, arranged side by side and interconnected to form a flexible structure by means of composite link units to be described.

superimposed upon the hollow members M;

are indicia forming elements IS, consisting of a substantially flat body portion il which is bent at its opposite ends at right angles to provide portions IB extending in juxtaposition to the ends of the hollow members and apertured as at I9, for the purpose which will become hereafter apparent (see particularly Figs, 4 and 5). The flatbody portion ll may be cut to define any desired letter or sign, as exemplified by the elements shown in Fig. 5, or otherwise shaped for ornamental purposes.

Two series of elements 28 and 2i, which form the aforementioned link units, are arranged along the opposite ends of the hollow members I4 in oifset relation thereto, and oppositely vextend into pairs of contiguous members, through the apertures I9 formed in the portions I8 of the indicia elements, for interlocking engagement within the members.

Each of said elements 2t comprises a head 22 and two parallel prongs 23, preferably made integral with the head and of rectangular cross-section, which project from the head in parallel spaced relation to one another. In the embodiment illustrated, the ends of said prongs are out to define therein identically disposed hookshaped portion 2i and the prongs form a substantially resilient structure due to their small cross-sectional dimension.

Each of the elements 2l likewise comprises a head 26 and a pair of spaced prongs 21 generally identical in shape and dimension to the corresponding portions of the element 20, except that the ends of the prongs 2l are cut to define therein hook-shaped portions 28 oppositely disposed relative to the hook-shaped portions 24 of the prongs of elements 20 and complemental thereto.

23 `and 2l may be modied by forming oppositely disposed hook-shaped portions in each pair of prongs as disclosed in my aforementioned copending application and the conformation of the prong ends may be otherwise changed, provided complemental interlockable surfaces are defined in the opposed elements 2B and 2 l.

As clearly shown in Fig. 3, the dimension of the cavities 29 of the hollow members I4 is such Of course, the described arrangement of hook-shaped portions at the ends of the prongs that two juxtaposed prongs of adjacent elements 20 or 2| may be received in one of said cavities and a clearance provided between the prongs and the inclosing walls of the member I4, and the distance between the parallel prongs of each element 20 or 2| is somewhat greater than the thickness of the juxtaposed walls 30 of the contiguous members I4 so that a relative displacement of the associated parts is permitted.

In order to assemble a length of chain, the indicia elements I6 are placed onto the hollow members I4 (in the position hereinbefore described and shown in Fig. 4) and the prongs 23 and 2l of the elements 2D and 2| are inserted through the apertures of the indicia elements I8 into the cavities of contiguous members I4 from the opposite ends thereof, to enclose the juxtaposed lateral Walls of said members (see Figs, 2 and 5); the elements may then be moved toward one another to force their prongs into the position shown in Fig, 2 wherein the complemental surfaces of their respective hook-

shaped portions

24 and 28 are interlocked. As will be apparent, a plurality of link units are formed in this manner, which interconnect successive pairs of contiguous members I4 and concurrently maintain the indicia elements I6 in fixed position relative to said members.

The inherent resiliency of the prongs obviously will permit sufficient relative displacement of the ends of the

prongs

23 and 21 respectively to allow the hook-shaped portions of the former to pass over the hook-shaped portions of the latter and will then cause the prongs to spring back to their normal position, thereby securely interlocking the same,

The length of the prongs is such that, when the same are interlocked, the inner flat surfaces 3| and 32 of the

heads

22 and 26 of the elements 20 and 2 I. will abut against the outer face of the portions I8 of the indicia elements and maintain said portions in contact with the opposed ends of the contiguous members I4 thereby preventing axial displacement of the members relative to each other, and insuring straight formation of the chain structure. The indicia elements are concurrently locked to the members I4 and function as an integral part thereof, and no direct connection of the indicia elements with the members is required. Of course, those of the members I4, if any; that do not carry an element I6, will be of somewhat greater length, to compensate for the absence of the portions I8 of the element I6 and permit the

heads

22 and 26 to abut directly against the ends of the member.

Clearly, the structure described possesses a considerable degree of exibility. Since the prongs inserted intothe cavities of the members I4 do not occupy all the space within such cavities, but a substantial clearance is provided between the prongs andthe surrounding walls of the members, it is apparent that the members may be caused to assume different relative angular positions with the resulting bending of the chain.

To vinterconnect the opposed ends of the chain sections II, I provide a novel clasp. This clasp comprises a member 34, suitably secured, as by welding, to the end member I 4 of one of the chain sections, having at one end thereof a pair of upstanding lugs 35, and provided at its other end with a slotted portion 36 terminating in the upstanding lock elements 3l. A iiat member 38 has an end portion 39 pivotally connectible to said 4 lugs 35 and is slotted at its free end, as shown at 40.

The inherent resiliency of the portion 36 of the member 34 permits suicient displacement of the elements 3l toward one another to allow of the passage thereof through the slot 40 of the member 38 and thereafter expansion of the elements into locking engagement with the edges of the slot. Since the chain members I4 are displaceable relative to one another to a certain extent, as described, it is evident that the upstanding elements 31 may be inserted between two adjacent members I4, to locate the end of one of the chain sections between the members 34 and 38 of the clasp and to lock the same therein, the height of the elements 31 being of course such as to permit the elements to project upwardly from the members I4 for interlocking engagement with the clasp member 38 in the manner described,

It will be understood that changes and modications may be made in the structures described and illustrated in the drawings, without departing from the spirit of the invention or exceeding the scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. In a chain structure, in combination with a series of hollow members arranged side by side, a number of indicia elements each associated with one of said hollow members and having portions extending in juxtaposition to the ends of the member, and a number of link units for interconnecting said hollow members and securing the associated indicia elements thereto, each of said link units extending through a pair of contiguous hollow members and through the portions oi.' the indicia elements juxtaposed to the ends of said contiguous hollow members.

2. A decorative chain comprising a series of open-ended hollow members arranged side by side, a number of indicia elements each embodying an indicia dening portion extending in juxtaposition to the body of one of said hollow members and apertured portions extending in juxtaposition to the ends of the member, and a number of link units for interconnecting said hollow members and securing the respective indicia elements thereto, each of said link units extending through a pair of contiguous hollow members and through the apertured portions of the indicia elements juxtaposed to the ends of said contiguous hollow members.

3. A decorative chain comprising a series of open-ended hollow members arranged side by side, indicia defining elements associated with said hollow members having apertured portions extending in juxtaposition to the ends of the hollow members, and a series of link units each comprising a pair of elements disposed adjacent the opposite ends of two contiguous hollow members in juxtaposition to the apertured portions of the respective indicia elements, said elements of the link unit embodying projections oppositely extending through the apertured portions of the indicia elements into said contiguous hollow members and interlocked therein.

4. In a chain structure comprising a series of hollow members arranged by side by side, indicia elements each carried by one of said hollow members and having apertured portions extending in juxtaposition to the opposite ends of the member, and a series of links each comprising a pair of heads juxtaposed to the apertured portions of the indicia elements carried by a pair of contiguous hollow members, said heads being interconnected by spaced elements oppositely extending through the apertured portions aforesaid and the contiguous hollow members.

5. A chain structure comprising a series of open-ended hollow members arranged side by side, a plurality of indicia elements each associated with one of said hollow members and embodying an indicia defining portion and apertured portions extending in juxtaposition to the ends of the member, and a series of link units each comprising a pair of elements having heads juxtaposed to the apertured portions of the indicia elements associated with a pair of contiguous hollow members, said elements of the link unit embodying projections oppostely extending through the apertured portions of the indicia elements aforesaid into said contiguous holchain members of the opposite end of the chain 7. In a chain structure comprising a series of chain members arranged side by side and interconnected for limited lateral relative displacement, a clasp for interconnecting the ends of the chain comprising a member secured to one of the ends of the chain formed at its free end with a resilient bifurcation embodying an upwardly extending terminal portion adapted to be inserted between two contiguous chain members of the REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,147,467 Varga July 20, 1915 1,499,333 Becton July 1, 1924 1,860,186 Kestenman May 24, 1932