US3433032A - Adjustable finger ring with means for maintaining adjustment - Google Patents

Description

March 18, 1969 R. J. DENNEN ADJUSTABLE FINGER RING WITH MEANS FOR MAINTAINING ADJUSTMENT Filed Jan. 27, 1965 Eusse)! JOE/men 59 his Attorney 3M 4: Wm)

United States Patent 3,433,032 ADJUSTABLE FINGER RING WITH MEANS FOR MAINTAINING ADJUSTIVIENT Russell J. Dennen, 30 Horton St., Attleboro, Mass. 02703 Filed Jan. 27, 1965, Ser. No. 428,313 U.S. Cl. 6315.65 Int. Cl. A44c 9/02 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to jewelry and more particularly [0 expandable finger rings. A ring which may be expanded in size has numerous benefits not only in its manufacture but to the wearer as well. If a ring of a given style can be made in a limited number of basic sizes, for example large, medium and small, an obvious advantage is gained by the manufacturer in tooling and the retailer in being able to maintain smaller inventories than if full and half sizes were made for each style. It follows, however, that such a basic ring must be expandable to the in-between full and half sizes.

Another advantage is gained by the wearer, particularly children, whose fingers are growing in size. A nonexpandable ring soon becomes too small for a child and it must be either discarded or enlarged by a jeweler. The latter requires either stretching, which tends to distort interior and exterior engraving, or cutting of the shank and the insertion of a matching metal piece. Sizing of a ring usually must be performed in a jewelry repair shop or by a manufacturer and generally is not performed in retail jewelry stores.

The concept of expandable finger rings is not new. It has been known since the time of the ancient Egyptians. For the most part, however, in modern times, rings have been made expandable by constructing them with a finger encircling shank portion having a gap or two disassociated shank members which lie side by side beneath the finger opposite the top of the ring. These unsecured shank members are usually bent toward or away from each other in a direction circumferentially of the shank as a whole to decrease or increase the shank diameter. By and large rings of this type are inexpensive costume pieces and have frequently been found as give away prizes of plastic or nonprecious metal in packages of advertised merchandise. A distinct disadvantage of this type of ring is that it tends to pinch the finger.

It is an object of this invention to produce an attractive ring possessing all of the advantages of being expandable and none of the disadvantages of prior expandable rings.

It is another object of this invention to produce a finger ring which may be readily expanded by the wearer without requiring special tools or filler pieces.

Another object of this invention is to produce a finger ring having relatively unobvious means for expanding it.

Yet another object is to produce an expandable finger ring which may be enlarged by an adult or child Without returning it to a jeweler.

Still another object is to produce an expandable finger ring which in being expanded permits the ring to assume 3,433,032 Patented Mar. 18, 1969 a varying appearance without appreciably distorting interior or exterior engraving.

In accordance with these objects and as a feature of this invention, there is provided an expandable finger ring comprising a flexible shank terminating in a pair of free ends which are each pivotally connected to a substantially rigid linking member. Pivotal movement of the ends of the shank with respect to the link causes the diameter of the flexible shank to expand and contract depending upon whether the link is caused to lie in, transversely of or diagonally of the median plane of the shank. The linking member may also serve as a decoration per se, a stone setting or a mounting means for a stone setting.

The above and other features of the invention including various novel details of construction and combinations of parts will now be more particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the claims. It will be understood that the particular expandable rings embodying the invention are shown by way of illustration only and not as a limitation of the invention. The principles and features of this invention may be employed in varied and numerous embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an expandable finger ring embodying the invention;

FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 are bottom views of the ring of FIG. 1 in stages of progressive expansion with the central bottom portion of their shanks broken away for clarity;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view, similar to FIG. 1 showing another form of ring embodying the invention;

FIGS. 6, 7 and 8 are bottom views of the ring of FIG. 5 also in stages of progressive expansion with the central bottom portions of their shanks broken away for clarity; and

FIGS. 9, 10 and 11 are perspective views of additional forms of rings in Which the invention may be embodied.

Referring to the drawings, particularly FIGS. 1-4, a ring embodying the invention is shown including a flexible shank 2 terminating in a pair of free ends 4 and 6. Overlying and interconnecting the ends 4 and 6 of the shank is a relatively rigid linking member or link 8 pivotally secured to the ends by small rivets, screws or other pivotal connectors 10 at spaced points near the ends of the link. The distance between the ends 4 and 6 is thereby maintained constant by the link 8. The link 8 (FIG. 1) supports a pair of stone settings indicated 12a and 12b and mounting a stone 14a and 14b respectively. The settings may be secured to the pivots 10 by extending the pivots upwardly through the link 8 joining the link 8 to the ends 4 and 6 of the shank 2.

If desired, each of the settings 12 and its associated pivot 10 may be rotatable together with respect to the link 8 and fixed with respect to the shank end to which it is attached. As herein shown, a prong 13 of each setting is engageable upon rotation with a prong and stone 14 of the other setting thereby to aid in maintaining the flexible shank in a selected position of diameter adjustment in the manner now to be described.

In its initial or smallest diameter position of adjustment the end portions of the shank 2 immediately adjacent the free ends 4 and 6 are substantially parallel with each other producing the smallest shank diameter as represented by FIG. 2. Note that the link 8 extends diagonally between the ends 4 and 6 with the settings 12a and 12b and their stones 14a and 1412 also on the diagonal. The shank 2 is constructed of flexible material preferably alloyed gold with some but not an appreciable amount of memory whereby it will assume and maintain the position into which it is placed. Rotation of the settings 12a and 12b mounting the stones 14a and 14b counterclockwise with respect to each other as viewed in FIG. 1 or clockwise as viewed from their bottoms as in FIGS. 2 to 4, causes the ends 4 and 6 to pivot with respect to the link 8. The ends 4 and 6 and consequently the settings 12 move in arcuate paths at a fixed distance from each other. The pivots 10 should be made relatively tight to prevent the shank 2 from returning to its original position should it have sufficient spring back or memory. Progressive enlargement of the diameter of the shank 2 is seen in FIGS. 2 to 4. The ends 4 and 6 move away from the plane I defined by lower portions of the shank 2 from the FIG. 2 to the FIG. 3 position where the stones 14a and 14b are then aligned transversely of the plane P, i.e. they are aligned lengthwise of the wearers finger. This is accomplished by clockwise rotation of the settings 12a and 12b with respect to each other as viewed in FIGS. 2 to 4. Infinite intermediate positions of adjustment are obviously possible.

Continued relative rotative movement of the settings with respect to the plane P or the midpoint of the link 8 between the pivots 10 produces full enlargement of the shank diameter as represented by FIG. 4 wherein the settings 12a and 12b are aligned in the plane P or transversely of the Wearers finger. Observe that the link 8 has undergone a clockwise rotation (when viewed from below) about an axis passing through its own midpoint and the center of the bottom of the shank 2. Conversely, the shank diameter is reduced by the opposite rotational movement of the settings and link 8.

FIGS. through 8 illustrate another form the invention may take. Instead of a single bar link 8 mounting the two settings 12a and 12b and stones 14a and 14b, the linking member may be of multiarm construction herein designated 16 and shown of cruciform design. A cluster of stones, not shown, may be set, by being arranged'one at the extremity of each arm 18 of the linking member 16 and/or one at the center of the cruciform link 16. Similarly, stone chips or baguettes may be set lengthwise of the arms 18 or the link 16 may be engraved or left plain thereby constituting the entire visible portion of the ring except for the shank 2. The invention obviously operates in the same manner as the FIG. 1 embodiment. FIGS. 9 to 11 illustrate still further embodiments the invention may take. The ends 4 and 6 are pivotally con- 4 nected to plates 20, 22 and 24 shown in FIGS. 9 to 11, respectively. The plates are the equivalent of the link 8 of FIG. 1. The plate 20 is octagonal and its exposed surface may be engraved or lacquered, etc. The plate 24 (FIG. 11) is rectangular and similar in appearance and function to the octagonal plate 20. The plate 22 is circular and in like manner may be engraved, lacquered, or mount, for example, a circular cabochon stone. Any or all of the plates 22, 24, 26 may be provided with prongs 26 to set stones of appropriate shape.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In an expandable ring having a flexible shank terminating in a pair of free ends and means including a linking member pivotally joined to each said end and connecting said ends for arcuate movement with respect to each other to vary the diameter of the flexible shank, the improvement comprising means for ornamenting said ring and for maintaining the flexible shank in a selected osition of diameter adjustment, said latter means including a stone setting located each at the free ends and having stone mounting prongs, said settings being of sutficient size with respect to the linking member that when the free ends and their settings are moved with respect to each other to change shank size, a prong of one setting is engageable with a prong and stone of the other setting to resist unwanted movement of the shank end and thus aid in maintaining the flexible shank in the selected position of adjustment.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Re. 668 2/1859 Friend et al. 6315.45 309,525 12/1884 Corbin 639 1,815,058 7/1931 Genser 6320 FOREIGN PATENTS 11,500 5/1911 Great Britain.

F. BARRY SHAY, Primaly Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 32116

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