US2674107A

US2674107A - Means for interchangeably mounting stones in jewelry pieces

Info

Publication number: US2674107A
Application number: US269491A
Authority: US
Inventors: Walter H Bodnar
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1952-02-01
Filing date: 1952-02-01
Publication date: 1954-04-06
Anticipated expiration: 1971-04-06

Description

April 6, 1954 w BQDNAR 2,674,107

MEANS FOR INTERCHANGEABLY MOUNTING STONES IN JEWELRY PIECES Filed Feb. 1, 1952 INVENTOR.

Waxy/1 Emma Patented Apr. 6, 1 954 llIEANS FOR INTERCHANGEABLY MOUNT- ING STONES IN JEWELRY PIECES Walter H. Bodnar, Washington, D. C.

. Application February 1, 1352, Serial No. 269,491

3 Claims. (Cl. 6329) The present invention relates to the means of interchangeably mounting and supporting various stones in jewelry pieces such as rings, bracelets, etc.

The main object of the present invention is the provision to maintain and support a stone in a set condition relative to a jewelry piece.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a suitable means for maintaining a jewelry stone in a rigid set condition with relation to a jewelry piece, which means can be quickly disengaged for the purpose of readily removing a stone and substituting another one in its place.

A still further object of the present invention is the provision of a jewelry stone, translucent or transparent in its nature, to receive at its back a paper sheet of various colors. The color showing through the stone would impart to the stone the color of the paper in the back of it, thereby simulating the natural color of a given genuine stone.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a suitable means whereby both the stone and the color material in the back of it could be rigidly maintained in position within a jewelry piece.

, With the above general objects in view and others that will appear as the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing and pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawing forming a part of this application and in which like designating characters refer to corresponding parts throughout the several views;

' r Fig. 1 is a cross sectional view, longitudinally through a jewelry piece, such as a bracelet, with the stone in elevation, showing the means for maintaining the stone in a rigid mounted condition with relation to the jewelry piece;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the jewelry piece and the stone in position therein, looking from the reverse side of the piece, also showing a modified form of the interengaging means of the stone with the jewelry piece.

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view through the jewelry piece and the stone, with the stone maintaining means in elevation, the view having been taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a cross section on line 41-4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a cross section through a stone and its mounting frame;

Fig. 6 is a similar view with a frame of a. modified construction;

Fig. 7 is a cross section of a stone of a modified construction, without a frame; and

Fig. 8 is a perspective elevational view of a spring member used in connection with the jewelry piece for maintaining the stone in a rigid set position therewith.

Referring in detail to the present drawing there is shown therein jewelry piece Ill, in this instance a bracelet. Centrally thereof the jewelry piece has a raised portion or bulge II, which extends outwardly from the body of the piece and is provided with opening I2. In a spaced relation with the rim portion of said bulge II, and on a plane which is substantially a continuation plane of the body portion of the jewelry piece, the latter is provided with a pair of opposed tongues I3, which are in a. longitudinal co -axial relation with the body of said jewelry piece I0.

Co-acting with said tongues I3, for maintaining in a set rigid position of stone piece I4, is an oblong spring I5, which is best shown in Fig. 8. Said spring I5 includes a central bulging arcuate portion and the ends which are on a common plane.

Referring now to the stone construction, the same is best illustrated in Figs. 5, 6 and 7, which are cross sections of stones either of various constructions or of various frames within which the stones are mounted. Thus, in Fig. 5 stone I I has a mounting frame, which includes base I6. Extending from said base It from one face thereof is a stone engaging flange II corresponding in contour to the contour of a given stone. To maintain said'frame in a rigid engagement with the stone flange I1 is spinned. over the tapering side portion of the stone and adjacent the bottom thereof, as is best seen in Figs. 5 and 6. It is further observed that said flange I1 is in a spaced relation with the marginal rim of said base I6. Flange H in its contour further corresponds to the contour of opening I2 and completely fills the same, with the bezel of the stone extending above the plane of jewelry piece I0, as is seenin Figs. 1, 3 and 4. The rim portion of base I6 outwardly of said flange II engages and contacts the inner face of the marginal portion of bulge I I which is adjacent said opening I2.

From the hereinabove description it will therefore be seen that when the stone is in a position within said opening I2, all that needs to be done in order to maintain th stone in a rigid interlocked position relative to the jewelry piece, is to insert spring IS with its ends engaging said tongues I3, and disposed between the latter and the marginal portion of said bulge II adjacent opening I2, as is clearly seen in Figs. 1 and 3.

The central arcuate portion of said spring l5, pressing at base It will maintain the frame with the stone in an operative position with the jewelry piece. In order to change the stone, all that is required is to give an angular shift to spring 12 in order to disengage the same from tongues [3. This will condition th jewelry piece to receive in substitution another stone either of a different color or of a different cut.

The modified stone mounting frame, shown in Fig. 6, is of a construction similar to that illustrated in Fig. 5, except that in the former base [6 is provided with opening 18. Insertion of various colored papers within said opening [8 will cause the color of a given paper to show I through the stone, if the stone is translucent or transparent. Paper piece 19, positioned within said opening [8, as shown in Fig. 3, will be maintained in its operativ position along with the stone mounting frame and the stone, by the action of spring 15, the latterbearing by its central portion directly against said paper piece [9.

As a modification of the construction of tongues 13, illustrated in Figs. 2, 3 and 4, the free ends of said tongues 13 are provided with a pair of spaced lugs 20 upwardly extending from saidtongues l3. The pair of said lugs 20 in each tongue 13 defines a slot wherein the end of spring 15 is receivable. By virtue of this arrangement it will be impossible for spring 15 to accidentally shift in a lateral direction to be displaced. Said lugs 20 prevent such an occurrence. In order to disengage spring l from the assembly and remove the same preparatory to the substitution of one stone for another, at least one end of spring must be raised above the free ends of said lugs in one tongue l3 so that the raised end. of the spring may be laterally shifted past said one tongue [3. When this has been done the removal of the spring is assured.

In Fig. 7 there is shown another modification of the construction of stone l4. Instead of having a metallic base 16 or flange 11 the stone it'- self is provided with horizontally extending flange 2| on the plane of its base. Said flange 2| is capable of engaging the marginal portion of bulge l I from the bottom thereof, the same as themounting frame shown in Figs. 5 and 6.

Itis further observed that said tongues 13 may be either stamped out from the body of a jewelry piece, or they may be soldered thereto or in any other manner afiixed thereto.

From the hereinabove description it will be seen that stones M of various colors as well as variously colored paper inserts I9 may be interchangeabl in the same jewelry piece such as ring, bracelet, etc. The desirability of interchanging various stones in the same jewelry piece lation of variously colored semi-precious stones when variously colored paper inserts such as i9 are at the back thereof.

When lugs 20 are used in connection with tongues 13 it is of course necessary that spring 15 should be shorter than the width of bulge ll, so that said spring can expand and longitudinally shift, when stone I4 is manually depressed against said spring l5 preparatory to manually raising one end of said spring l5 so as to elevate the latter above lugs 20 in order to withdraw the spring from its operative position.

While there is described herein a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it is nevertheless to be understood that minor changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scopeofv the invention as claimed.

What I claim as new is:

1. In a jewelry piece, a body portion, an offset bulge extending from one face of said body portion, said bulge being provided with an opening theret-hrough, a stoneassembly including a stone of a contour corresponding to the contour of said opening and a mounting frame within which said stone is receivable and rigidly engageable, said mounting frame including a flange extending beyond the perimeter of said stone, said stone normally extending through said opening, said flange normally contacting the inner marginal portion of said bulge adjacent said opening, a pair of opposed tongues extending from said body portion substantially at points at which said bulge extends from said body portion, said tongues being in a spaced relation with said bulge, and a stiff, arcuate spring member sup-- ported by said tongues in a manner permitting removal of said spring member when it is desired to replac said stone assembly, said spring member normally bearing against the inner face of said stone assembly for maintaining the latter and said flange in their normal operative posi-' tions.

2. The structure recited in claim 1 wherein said spring member is swingable to and from a position in which its ends are engaged by said tongues.

3. The structure recited in claim 1 wherein one of said tongues is provided with a pair of spaced apart lugs extending toward said bulge and one end of said spring member rests upon said one tongue between said lugs.

References Cited in the file of. this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Germany Qct.,1,.1887