US3673795A

US3673795A - Expansible wrist band

Info

Publication number: US3673795A
Application number: US29003A
Authority: US
Inventors: Lonnie R Nielson
Original assignee: CARLON ENG CO Inc
Current assignee: CARLON ENG CO Inc
Priority date: 1970-04-16
Filing date: 1970-04-16
Publication date: 1972-07-04
Anticipated expiration: 1989-07-04

Abstract

An outer transversely positioned hollow link is formed with an outer opening of less width than the link to receive an ornamental insert that has opposite laterally extending retaining flanges, the retaining flanges of the insert being interposed between the outer wall of the link and a hollow member inside the link.

Description

United States Patent Nielsen [451 July 4, 1972 [54] EXPANSIBLE WRIST BAND [72] Inventor: Lonnie R. Nielsen, Las Vegas, Nev.

[73] Assignee: Carlon Engineering Company, Incorporated, Las Vegas, Nev.

221 Filed: April 16, 1970 21 Appl.No.: 29,003

[52] US. Cl ..59/79 R, 59/80, 63/29 R 1 [58] Field of Search ..59/79 R, 79 B, 80, 85;

63/29 R, 3, 4, 5, 11; 224/4 D, 4 E

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,689,450 9/1954 Stiegele ..59/79 R 2,986,871 6/1961 Augenstein ..59/79 R 2,283,015 5/1942 Reilly 2,696,689 12/1954 Speck 2,889,681 6/1959 Augenstein ..59/79 R Primary Examiner-Charles W, Lanham Assistant ExaminerGene P. Crosby Attorney-Smyth, Roston & Pavitt [57] ABSTRACT An outer transversely positioned hollow link is formed with an outer opening of less width than the link to receive an ornamental insert that has opposite laterally extending retaining flanges, the retaining flanges of the insert being interposed between the outer wall of the link and a hollow member inside the link.

11 Claims, 9 Drawing Figures EXPANSIBLE WRIST BAND BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to a conventional type of expansible wrist band of the character disclosed in Stiegele US. Pat. No. 2,689,450. Such a wrist band has an outer row of links and an inner row of links with the two rows staggered and yieldingly interconnected. Each of the outer links comprises a hollow member and a cap member straddling the hollow member. A conventional wrist band of this type that is commonly used for a wristwatch is impersonal and fails completely to reflect the individuality of the wearer or to connote any special differentiation of the wearer for the population at large.

For the purpose of personalizing a wrist band suitable ornamentation may be added to display, for example, the initials or the name of the wearer or the emblem of some organization with which the wearer is identified. To give other examples, the added ornamentation may be a symbol of the wearers trade or profession or military afiiliation or the Ornamentation may identify a particular college or may identify a particular sport. In some instances the desirable ornamentation may be a symbol of some abstract concept such as justice with which the wearer wishes to identify himself. The ornamentation may be an artistic design created by the wearer or at least personally selected by the wearer. Whatever the ornamentation it may be depicted by line and/or color and may be mosaic in character of may be either a cameo or an intaglio depiction.

One object of the present invention is to provide a wrist band of the character described that incorporates at least one such ornamental insert. A further object of the invention is to provide a method for quickly, easily and economically converting a conventional watch wrist band into a personalized wrist band.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention teaches the provision of an ornamental insert having opposite laterally extending retaining flanges at its base. To mount the ornamental insert on an outer link of a conventional wrist band, an opening is cut in the outer wall of the cap member of the outer link to receive the body of the ornamental insert with the two opposite laterally extending retaining flanges of the ornamental insert interposed between the outer wall of the cap member and the hollow member that is straddled by the cap member.

In a conventional wrist band of this type there is not enough clearance for the retaining flanges of an ornamental insert between the outer wall of the cap member and the hollow member that is straddled by the cap member. The invention teaches that this problem may be met in various ways as follows: the required clearance may be provided by thinning an outer wall of the hollow member by thinning the inner wall of the hollow member by abrasion, the required clearance may be provided in part by abrading the outer wall of the hollow member and in part by abrading the inner wall of the hollow member; a special cap may be substituted for the conventional cap member of the link with the substitute cap member sufficiently larger in inside depth dimension than the conventional cap member to provide the required clearance for the retaining flanges of the insert; or the required clearance may be pro vided by substituting a special hollow member for the conventional hollow member of the outer link with the overall depth dimension of the substitute hollow member sufficiently less than the overall dimension of the conventional hollow member to provide the required clearance for the retaining flanges of the insert.

The features and advantages of the invention may by understood from the following detailed description and the accompanYing drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAMNGS The drawings, which are to be regarded as merely illustrative:

LII

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a watch wrist band incorporating an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary cross section of the embodiment of the invention taken as indicated by line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a similar enlarged fragmentary conventional wrist band;

' FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the outer link as seen along the line 44 of FIG. 2;

FIGS. 50, 5b and 5c illustrate diagrammatically various procedures for providing the required clearance space inside an outer link of the expansible bracelet;

FIG. 6 is a perspective exploded view of the components of an ornamental outer link shown in FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 2 with the ornamental insert omitted and with the cap member of the outer link only partially engaging the hollow member so that the outer link may be easily dismantled for the purpose of mounting one or more ornamental inserts therein;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged sectional view showing how the substitution of an oversized cap member for a conventional cap member may provide the required clearance for the retaining flanges of an ornamental insert; and

FIG. 9 is a view similar to FIG. 8 showing how the substitution of an undersized hollow body for a conventional hollow body of an outer link may provide the required clearance for the retaining flanges of an ornamental insert.

sectional view of a DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED PRACTICES OF THE INVENTION Referring first to FIGS. 1 and 2 that illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention, a watch 10 is carried by a wrist band, generally designed 12, that comprises an outer row of links 14 and a row of inner links 15 with the two rows staggered and yieldingly interconnected to permit resilient expansion of the wrist band. As taught by the Stiegele patent, successive links of the staggered series of links are interconnected by U-shaped connectors 16 having arms 160, a pair of such connectors being shown in perspective in FIG. 6.

FIGS. 2 and 3 show how the two arms 16a of one U-shaped connector extend into both the interior of an outer link 14 and the interior of an inner link 15 to interconnect the two links and also shows how the arms 16a of a second U-shaped connector serve in the same manner to connect the outer link 14 to a second inner link 15.

In the conventional construction of such an expansible wrist band, each outer link comprises a cap member 18 and a outer hollow member 20 inside the cap member. The cap member 18 had an outer wall on its outer side and has two longitudinal side walls 18b that straddle the hollow member 20. The side walls 18b of the cap member have extensions in the form of tongues 21 shown in FIGS. 4 and 6 which are normally bent under the hollow member 20 to serve as flanges to captivate the hollow member. In addition the cap member 18 has opposite end walls 22 (FIG. 6) to captivate the U-shaped connectors 16 as well as the hollow member 20.

The hollow member 20 of each of the outer links 14 has an inner longitudinal wall 20a on its inner side, two opposite longitudinal side walls 20b and an outer wall 23 on its outer side. Such a hollow member may be made of sheet material with the outer wall 23 formed by confronting longitudinal edges of the sheet material. In the construction shown, there is a gap between the longitudinal edges of the hollow member so that the outer wall 23 is in effect made in two sections which are spaced apart by the gap.

Preferably the inner wall 200 of the hollow member 20 is locally offset or indented to provide seats for the tongues 21 of the cap member so that the tongues do not add to the overall depth dimension of the outer link. Thus the tongues 21 in FIG. 4 are pressed into the plane of the inner wall 200 of the hollow member 20. FIGS. 2, 3 and 7 indicate at 24 how the inner wall 20:: of the hollow member 20 is offset to form a seat for a torque 21 of the cap member.

Each of the inner links of the wrist band comprises a hollow sheet metal member which may be of rectangular cross section as shown.

In a well known manner a longitudinal leaf spring 26 inside each outer link 14 resiliently acts on the arms 16a of the two associated U-shaped connectors 16 to yieldingly urge the two arms outward against the inner surface of the outer wall 23 of the link. In like manner an identical leaf spring 26 inside each of the inner links 15 acts on the arms 16a of the two associated U-shaped connectors 16, the leaf spring normally pressing the arms 16a against the bottom wall of the inner link. As shown in FIG. 6 each of the leaf springs 26 is of conventional construction, the leaf spring being of angular configuration to exert the required pressure against the arms 16a of a U- shaped connector 16.

In a well known manner, expansion of the bracelet causes the U-shaped connectors 16 to tilt out of their normal positions perpendicular to the outer and inner links, the tilting being yieldingly opposed by the leaf springs 26.

The present invention is characterized by the concept of cutting a rectangular opening 28 in the outer wall 18a of an outer link 14, such a rectangular opening being indicated by numeral 28 in FIG. 6. The width of the opening 28 is less that the width of the cap member 18 and is spaced from both longitudinal sides of the cap member as well as from the opposite ends of the cap member. The purpose of an opening 28 in the outer wall of the cap member is to receive one or more omamental inserts 30 of the character indicated in FIG. 6.

In FIG. 6 there are three inserts 30 positioned end to end to occupy the rectangular opening 28 but, of course, a single insert of the total length may be substituted. Such a plurality of inserts arranged end to end may be used where each insert provides one letter of a name or provides one initial of a set of initials. A single long insert may be used where a relatively long ornamentation is desired.

As indicated in FIG. 6 each insert 30 has a body portion with two opposite laterally extending retaining flanges 32 at the base of the insert. As indicated in FIG. 2, the body portion of an insert 30 extends through the rectangular opening in the outer wall 18a of the cap member 18 of the outer link and the two retaining flanges 32 of the insert are interposed between the outer wall l8 of the cap member and the outer wall 23 of I the hollow member ofthe link.

It is apparent from an inspection of FIG. 2 that a clearance space between the outer wall 18a of the cap member and the outer wall 23 of the hollow member must be provided to receive the retaining flanges 32 of an insert 30. It so happens, however, that in the conventional construction of an expansible wrist band of this type as shown in FIG. 3, there is no provision for such clearance space to receive the retaining flanges of an ornamental insert. The present invention teaches that the required clearance space for the retaining flanges may be provided in any one of five different ways which are illustrated respectively in FIG. 50, FIG. 5b, 5c, Fig. 8 and Fig 9.

In FIG. 5a a grinding tool 34 is illustrated as abrading the outer wall 23 of a hollow member 20 to reduce the thickness of the outer wall. FIG. 5b indicates how such a grinding tool may be employed in a similar manner to thin the inner wall 20a of a hollow member 20. All of the required clearance for the retaining flanges 32 of an ornamental insert may be provided either by abrading the outer wall .23 of the hollow member as shown in FIG. 5a or by abrading the inner wall 200 of the hollow member as shown in FIG. 5b. In a third procedure for providing the required clearance, a portion of the clearance is accomplished by abrading the outer wall 23 of the hollow member and the remaining portion of the clearance is accomplished by abrading the inner wall 200 of the hollow member, such a procedure being illustrated in FIG. 5: where a grinding tool 34 is applied to both of the two walls in turn.

The fourth procedure for providing clearance inside an outer link for the retaining flanges 32 of ornamental insert 30 is illustrated in FIG. 8. This procedure consists in providing a substitute cap member 35 to replace a conventional cap member 18, the substitute cap member 35 being of an overall I depth dimension A" that is sufl'rciently greater than the corresponding depth dimension of the conventional cap member to provide the required clearance space 36 for the retaining flanges 32 of an ornamental insert 30.

In FIG. 9, which illustrates a fifth procedure for providing the required clearance space 36, a hollow member designated is substituted for the conventional hollow member 20 of the outer link. The overall depth dimension B of the substitute hollow member is sufficiently less than the overall depth dimension of a conventional hollow member 20 to provide the desired clearance space 36.

In one practice of the invention illustrated by FIG. 7, an expansible wrist band of this type is stocked, the wrist band being of conventional construction except for the fact that one of the outer links 14 has a cap member 40 with a rectangular opening 28 therein prepared in advance to receive whatever ornamental insert member or members may be selected by a particular customer. The clearance space 36 in FIG. 7 for the retaining flanges 32 of an ornamental insert may be provided in any one of the above described five procedures.

Since the outer link that has the cap member 40 must be dismantled to receive an ornamental insert 30, dismantling of the outer link is facilitated by only partially bending the tongues 21 of the cap member under the corresponding hollow member 20. Thus FIG. 10 shows how each tongue 21 of the cap member 40 is bent to an angle of substantially less than 90 to loosely captivate the hollow member 20. After the spe- 1. In the expansible wrist band having an outer row of links and an inner row of links with the two rows staggered and yieldingly interconnected, wherein each of the outer links comprises a hollow member and a cap member, the hollow member having an outer wall on its outer side, two opposite longitudinal side walls and an inner wall on its inner side, the cap member having an outer wall on its outer side and having two opposite side walls straddling the hollow member with the side walls of the cap member formed with flanges turned under the hollow member to captivate the hollow member,

the improvement for decorative effect comprising:

the outer longitudinal wall of the cap member of one of said outer links having a longitudinal opening that is narrower than the width of the outer wall and is spaced from both longitudinal edges of the outer wall; and

at least one ornamental insert mounted in said opening of the cap member, said insert being of multiple times the thickness of the outer longitudinal wall of the cap member, said insert having relatively thin lower laterally extending retaining flanges on its opposite sides respectively interposed between the outer wall of the cap member and the outer wall of the hollow member with the major portion of the thickness of the insert protruding outward from the plane of the outer surface of the cap member.

2. In an expansible wrist band having an outer row of links and an inner row of links with the two rows staggered and yieldingly interconnected, wherein each of the outer links comprises a hollow member and a cap member, the hollow member having an outer wall on its outer side, two opposite longitudinal side walls and an inner wall on its inner side, the cap member having an outer wall on its outer side and having two opposite side walls straddling the hollow member with the side walls of the cap member formed with flanges turned under the hollow member to captivate the hollow member.

the improvement to permit the addition to the wrist band of a decorative insert having a pair of opposite retaining flanges, comprising:

the outer longitudinal wall of the cap member of one of said outer links having a longitudinal opening that is narrower than the width of the outer wall and is spaced from both longitudinal edges of the outer wall whereby said decorative insert may be mounted in said opening with the oppositely extending retaining flanges of the insert interposed between the outer wall of the cap member and the outer wall of the hollow member,

the wall of at least one of said two members being reduced in thickness in comparison with the wall of a corresponding conventional member to provide at least a portion of the space required for said retaining flanges between the inner surface of the outer wall of the cap member and the outer surface of the outer wall of the hollow member.

3. In an expansible wrist band having an outer row of links and an inner row of links with the two rows staggered ed and yieldingly interconnected, wherein each of the outer links comprises a hollow member and a cap member, the hollow member having an outer wall on its outer side, two opposite longitudinal side walls and an inner wall on its inner side, the cap member having an outer wall on its outer side and having two opposite side walls straddlingthe hollow member with the side walls of the cap member formed with flanges turned under the hollow member to captivate the hollow member,

the outer longitudinal wall of the cap member of one of said outer links having a longitudinal opening that is narrower than the width of the outer wall and is spaced from both longitudinal edges of the outer wall whereby said decorative insert may be mounted in said opening with the oppositely extending retaining flanges of the insert interposed between the outer wall of the cap member and the outer wall of the hollow member; and

the overall depth dimension of the hollow member of said one outer link being sufficiently smaller than the inside depth dimension of the cap member to provide space for said retaining flanges of the decorative insert between the outer wall of the cap member and the outer wall of the hollow member,

the outer wall of the hollow member of said link being reduced in thickness in comparison with the wall of a conventional outer link to provide at least a portion of said space for the retaining flanges. band having an outer row of links and an inner row of links with the two rows staggered and yieldingly interconnected, wherein each of the outer links comprises a hollow member and cap member, the hollow member having an outer wall on its outer side,

two opposite longitudinal side walls and an inner wall on 55 its inner side, the cap member having an outer wall on its outer side and having two opposite side walls straddling the hollow member with the side walls of the cap member formed with flanges turned under the hollow member to captivate the hollow member,

inner wall of said member of said one outer link being reduced in thickness in comparison with the inner wall of a conventional hollow member of an outer link to provide at least a portion of said space for the retaining flanges.

5. In an expansible wrist band having an outer row of links and an inner row of links with the two rows staggered and yieldingly interconnected, wherein each of the outer links comprises a hollow member and a cap member, the hollow member having an outer wall on its outer side, two opposite longitudinal side walls and an inner wall on its inner side, the cap member having an outer wall on its outer side and having two opposite side walls straddling the hollow member with the side walls of the cap member formed with flanges turned under the hollow member to captivate the hollow member,

the outer wall of the hollow member of said one link being reduced in thickness in comparison to the thickness of the outer wall of a hollow member in a conventional outer link to provide a portion of said space for the retaining flanges,

the inner wall of the hollow member of said one link being reduced in thickness to provide the remainder of said space for the retaining flanges.

6. A method of adding decoration to a conventional expansible wrist band having an outer row of links and an inner row of links with the two rows staggered and yieldingly interconnected, wherein each of the outer links comprises a hollow member and a cap member, the hollow member having an outer wall on its outer side, two opposite longitudinal side walls and an inner wall on its inner side, the cap member having an outer wall on its outer side and having two opposite side walls straddling the hollow member with the side walls of the cap member formed with flanges turned under the hollow member to captivate the hollow member,

said method including the steps of:

cutting an opening in .the outer wall of the cap member of one of said outer links with the opening narrower than the width of the outer wall and spaced from both longitudinal edges of the outer wall;

providing an ornamental insert having a body dimensioned to fit into said opening and having laterally extending retaining flanges at its base;

abrading at least one of said outer and inner walls of the hollow member of said one link to provide clearance for said retaining flanges of the insert between the outer wall of the cap member and the outer wall of the hollow member of the link; and

installing the body of said ornamental insert in said opening with the retaining flanges of the insert interposed between the outer wall of the cap member and the outer wall of the hollow body.

7. A method as set forth in claim 6 in which all of the clearance for the retaining flanges of the ornamental insert is 75 provided by abrading the outer wall of the hollow member.

8. A method as set forth in claim 6 in which all of the clearance for said retaining flanges of the ornamental insert is provided by abrading the inner wall of the hollow member.

9. A method as set forth in claim 6 in which the clearance for the retaining flanges of the ornamental insert is provided in part by abrading the outer wall of the hollow member and in part by abrading the inner wall of the hollow member.

10. A method of adding decoration to an expansible wrist band having an outer row of links and an inner row of links with the two rows staggered and yieldingly interconnected, wherein each of the outer links comprises a hollow member and a conventional cap member, the hollow member having an outer wall on its outer side, two opposite longitudinal side walls and an inner wall on its inner side, the cap member having an outer wall on its outer side and having two opposite side walls straddling the hollow member with the side walls of the cap member formed with flanges turned under the hollow member to captivate the hollow member,

said method including the steps of: providing an ornamental insert having a body with laterally extending retaining flanges on its opposite sides respectively, the overall width of the ornamental insert being less than the width of said conventional cap member;

providing a substitute cap member of substantially the same width as said conventional cap member with the inside depth dimension of the substitute cap member exceeding the inside depth member of the conventional cap member by at least approximately the thickness of the retaining flanges of the ornamental insert;

cutting an opening in the outer wall of the substitute cap member with the opening dimensioned to receive the body of the ornamental insert;

substituting the substitute cap member for the conventional cap member of a selected outer link of the wrist band; and installing the ornamental insert in said opening of the substitute cap member with the retaining flanges of the omamental insert interposed between the outer wall of the substitute cap member and the outer wall of the hollow body therein. 11. A method of adding decoration to an expansible wrist band having an outer row of links and an inner row of links with the two rows staggered and yieldingly interconnected, wherein each of the outer links comprises a conventional hollow member and a cap member, the hollow member having an outer wall on its outer side, two opposite longitudinal side walls and an inner wall on its inner side. the cap member having an outer wall on its outer side and having two opposite side walls straddling the hollow member with the side walls of the cap member formed with flanges turned under the hollow member to captivate the hollow member,

said method including the steps of: providing an ornamental insert having a body with laterally extending retaining flanges on its opposite sides respec tively, the overall width of the ornamental insert being less than the width of said conventional cap member;

cutting an opening in the cap member of one of said outer links with the opening dimensioned to receive the body of the ornamental insert;

providing a substitute hollow member having an overall depth dimension that is less than the overall depth of said conventional hollow member by at least approximately the thickness of said retaining flanges of the ornamental insert;

substituting said substitute hollow body for said conventional hollow body to provide clearance for the retaining flanges of the ornamental insert; and

mounting the ornamental insert in said opening of the cap member with the retaining flanges of the insert interposed between the outer wall of the cap member and the outer wall of the substitute hollow body.

Claims

1. In the expansible wrist band having an outer row of links and an inner row of links with the two rows staggered and yieldingly interconnected, wherein each of the outer links comprises a hollow member and a cap member, the hollow member having an outer wall on its outer side, two opposite longitudinal side walls and an inner wall on its inner side, the cap member having an outer wall on its outer side and having two opposite side walls straddling the hollow member with the side walls of the cap member formed with flanges turned under the hollow member to caPtivate the hollow member, the improvement for decorative effect comprising: the outer longitudinal wall of the cap member of one of said outer links having a longitudinal opening that is narrower than the width of the outer wall and is spaced from both longitudinal edges of the outer wall; and at least one ornamental insert mounted in said opening of the cap member, said insert being of multiple times the thickness of the outer longitudinal wall of the cap member, said insert having relatively thin lower laterally extending retaining flanges on its opposite sides respectively interposed between the outer wall of the cap member and the outer wall of the hollow member with the major portion of the thickness of the insert protruding outward from the plane of the outer surface of the cap member.

2. In an expansible wrist band having an outer row of links and an inner row of links with the two rows staggered and yieldingly interconnected, wherein each of the outer links comprises a hollow member and a cap member, the hollow member having an outer wall on its outer side, two opposite longitudinal side walls and an inner wall on its inner side, the cap member having an outer wall on its outer side and having two opposite side walls straddling the hollow member with the side walls of the cap member formed with flanges turned under the hollow member to captivate the hollow member, the improvement to permit the addition to the wrist band of a decorative insert having a pair of opposite retaining flanges, comprising: the outer longitudinal wall of the cap member of one of said outer links having a longitudinal opening that is narrower than the width of the outer wall and is spaced from both longitudinal edges of the outer wall whereby said decorative insert may be mounted in said opening with the oppositely extending retaining flanges of the insert interposed between the outer wall of the cap member and the outer wall of the hollow member, the wall of at least one of said two members being reduced in thickness in comparison with the wall of a corresponding conventional member to provide at least a portion of the space required for said retaining flanges between the inner surface of the outer wall of the cap member and the outer surface of the outer wall of the hollow member.

3. In an expansible wrist band having an outer row of links and an inner row of links with the two rows staggered ed and yieldingly interconnected, wherein each of the outer links comprises a hollow member and a cap member, the hollow member having an outer wall on its outer side, two opposite longitudinal side walls and an inner wall on its inner side, the cap member having an outer wall on its outer side and having two opposite side walls straddling the hollow member with the side walls of the cap member formed with flanges turned under the hollow member to captivate the hollow member, the improvement to permit the addition to the wrist band of a decorative insert having a pair of opposite retaining flanges, comprising: the outer longitudinal wall of the cap member of one of said outer links having a longitudinal opening that is narrower than the width of the outer wall and is spaced from both longitudinal edges of the outer wall whereby said decorative insert may be mounted in said opening with the oppositely extending retaining flanges of the insert interposed between the outer wall of the cap member and the outer wall of the hollow member; and the overall depth dimension of the hollow member of said one outer link being sufficiently smaller than the inside depth dimension of the cap member to provide space for said retaining flanges of the decorative insert between the outer wall of the cap member and the outer wall of the hollow member, the outer wall of the hollow member of said link being reduced in thickness in comparison with the wall of a conventional outer link to provide at least a portion of said space for the retaining flanges.

4. In an expaNsible wrist band having an outer row of links and an inner row of links with the two rows staggered and yieldingly interconnected, wherein each of the outer links comprises a hollow member and cap member, the hollow member having an outer wall on its outer side, two opposite longitudinal side walls and an inner wall on its inner side, the cap member having an outer wall on its outer side and having two opposite side walls straddling the hollow member with the side walls of the cap member formed with flanges turned under the hollow member to captivate the hollow member, the improvement to permit the addition to the wrist band of a decorative insert having a pair of opposite retaining flanges, comprising: the outer longitudinal wall of the cap member of one of said outer links having a longitudinal opening that is narrower than the width of the outer wall and is spaced from both longitudinal edges of the outer wall whereby said decorative insert may be mounted in said opening with the oppositely extending retaining flanges of the insert interposed between the outer wall of the cap member and the outer wall of the hollow member; and the overall depth dimension of the hollow member of said one outer link being sufficiently smaller than the inside depth dimension of the cap member to provide space for said retaining flanges of the decorative insert between the outer wall of the cap member and the outer wall of the hollow member, inner wall of said member of said one outer link being reduced in thickness in comparison with the inner wall of a conventional hollow member of an outer link to provide at least a portion of said space for the retaining flanges.

5. In an expansible wrist band having an outer row of links and an inner row of links with the two rows staggered and yieldingly interconnected, wherein each of the outer links comprises a hollow member and a cap member, the hollow member having an outer wall on its outer side, two opposite longitudinal side walls and an inner wall on its inner side, the cap member having an outer wall on its outer side and having two opposite side walls straddling the hollow member with the side walls of the cap member formed with flanges turned under the hollow member to captivate the hollow member, the improvement to permit the addition to the wrist band of a decorative insert having a pair of opposite retaining flanges, comprising: the outer longitudinal wall of the cap member of one of said outer links having a longitudinal opening that is narrower than the width of the outer wall and is spaced from both longitudinal edges of the outer wall whereby said decorative insert may be mounted in said opening with the oppositely extending retaining flanges of the insert interposed between the outer wall of the cap member and the outer wall of the hollow member; and the overall depth dimension of the hollow member of said one outer link being sufficiently smaller than the inside depth dimension of the cap member to provide space for said retaining flanges of the decorative insert between the outer wall of the cap member and the outer wall of the hollow member, the outer wall of the hollow member of said one link being reduced in thickness in comparison to the thickness of the outer wall of a hollow member in a conventional outer link to provide a portion of said space for the retaining flanges, the inner wall of the hollow member of said one link being reduced in thickness to provide the remainder of said space for the retaining flanges.

6. A method of adding decoration to a conventional expansible wrist band having an outer row of links and an inner row of links with the two rows staggered and yieldingly interconnected, wherein each of the outer links comprises a hollow member and a cap member, the hollow member having an outer wall on its outer side, two opposite longitudinal side walls and an inner wall on its inner side, the cap member having an outer wall on its outer side and having two opposiTe side walls straddling the hollow member with the side walls of the cap member formed with flanges turned under the hollow member to captivate the hollow member, said method including the steps of: cutting an opening in the outer wall of the cap member of one of said outer links with the opening narrower than the width of the outer wall and spaced from both longitudinal edges of the outer wall; providing an ornamental insert having a body dimensioned to fit into said opening and having laterally extending retaining flanges at its base; abrading at least one of said outer and inner walls of the hollow member of said one link to prOvide clearance for said retaining flanges of the insert between the outer wall of the cap member and the outer wall of the hollow member of the link; and installing the body of said ornamental insert in said opening with the retaining flanges of the insert interposed between the outer wall of the cap member and the outer wall of the hollow body.

7. A method as set forth in claim 6 in which all of the clearance for the retaining flanges of the ornamental insert is provided by abrading the outer wall of the hollow member.

10. A method of adding decoration to an expansible wrist band having an outer row of links and an inner row of links with the two rows staggered and yieldingly interconnected, wherein each of the outer links comprises a hollow member and a conventional cap member, the hollow member having an outer wall on its outer side, two opposite longitudinal side walls and an inner wall on its inner side, the cap member having an outer wall on its outer side and having two opposite side walls straddling the hollow member with the side walls of the cap member formed with flanges turned under the hollow member to captivate the hollow member, said method including the steps of: providing an ornamental insert having a body with laterally extending retaining flanges on its opposite sides respectively, the overall width of the ornamental insert being less than the width of said conventional cap member; providing a substitute cap member of substantially the same width as said conventional cap member with the inside depth dimension of the substitute cap member exceeding the inside depth member of the conventional cap member by at least approximately the thickness of the retaining flanges of the ornamental insert; cutting an opening in the outer wall of the substitute cap member with the opening dimensioned to receive the body of the ornamental insert; substituting the substitute cap member for the conventional cap member of a selected outer link of the wrist band; and installing the ornamental insert in said opening of the substitute cap member with the retaining flanges of the ornamental insert interposed between the outer wall of the substitute cap member and the outer wall of the hollow body therein.

11. A method of adding decoration to an expansible wrist band having an outer row of links and an inner row of links with the two rows staggered and yieldingly interconnected, wherein each of the outer links comprises a conventional hollow member and a cap member, the hollow member having an outer wall on its outer side, two opposite longitudinal side walls and an inner wall on its inner side, the cap member having an outer wall on its outer side and having two opposite side walls straddling the hollow member with the side walls of the cap member formed with flanges turned under the hollow member to captivate the hollow member, said method including the steps of: providing an ornamental insert having a body with laterally extending retaining flanges on its opposite sides respectively, the overall width of the ornamental insert being less than the width of said conventional cap member; cutting an opening in the cap member of one of said outer links with the opening dimensioned to receive the body of the ornamental insert; providing a substitute hollow member having an overall depth dimension that is less than the overall depth of said conventional hollow member by at least approximately the thickness of said retaining flanges of the ornamental insert; substituting said substitute hollow body for said conventional hollow body to provide clearance for the retaining flanges of the ornamental insert; and mounting the ornamental insert in said opening of the cap member with the retaining flanges of the insert interposed between the outer wall of the cap member and the outer wall of the substitute hollow body.