GB2210248A - A fastening member for jewellery - Google Patents

Abstract

A jump ring assembly for jewellery comprises a ring member (1) having a second ring member (2) permanently affixed thereto, the second ring member being a split ring which is openable so as to permit a link of a chain to be passed thereover, the split ring thereafter being closable by the application of pressure thereto. <IMAGE>

Description

A FASTENING MEMBER FOR JEWELLERY The present invention relates to a fastening member for jewellery and, more particularly, to a fastening member in the form of a jump ring affixable to one end of a chain made of a precious metal.

Jewellery chains have been known for many years.

Such chains are generally worn around the neck, lower arm or ankle of the wearer. Although reference will be made hereinafter solely to he neck of the wearer, it will be readily apparent that the same considerations apply to chains intended to be worn around other parts of the body.

It will be readily apparent that a chain must, generally, be openable so as to enable to permit the wearer to don the chain but, once the chain is located in position, it must be possible to form the chain into a closed loop and to fasten it in such a way that it does not easily become unfastened.

There are many known ways of achieving this aim.

Thus, for example, if the chain is relatively heavy, each of the two ends of the chain may be provided with simple hook members which interengage with one another. The weight of the chain prevents these hooks from becoming disengaged when the chain is worn.

However, many modern chains, although still made from precious metals, are extremely fine and delicate. A simple hook arrangement could be used to connect the two ends of such a chain but this would not prove satisfactory due to the ease with which such a connection would fail.

Accordingly, various other types of fastening members have been produced. In the most common type of arrangement, one end of a chain is provided with a bolt ring assembly and the other end of the chain is provided with a jump ring. The jump ring is, in such an arrangement, an initially open ring which is passed through the end link at one end of the chain. The jump ring is considerably larger and heavier than the links of the chain. Once the jump ring is located in position, the opposed ends thereof are soldered together to form a closed loop.

The bolt ring assembly comprises a bolt ring. Such bolt ring comprises a part-circular hollow sleeve, within which is disposed a spring-actuated bolt member. The bolt ring further includes an actuating member permitting the bolt to be withdrawn. The bolt may be withdrawn to permit the jump ring formed on the other end of the chain to be inserted into the bolt ring. Once this has been effected, the bolt may be released and the bolt maintains the jump ring in position. The bolt ring is connected, in a region substantially diametrically opposed to the bolt, with a solid ring on its external surface. The solid ring is connected to the end link of the chain remote from the end link having the jump ring connected thereto through the intermediary of a further jump ring of the type described hereinbefore.Obviously, when producing the chain, this further jump ring must be passed through both the solid ring attached to the bolt ring and through the end link of the chain. Once these two rings have been located on the further jump ring, the jump ring is closed by soldering as described hereinbefore.

It will be readily apparent that the manufacture of chains in this manner is somewhat time-consuming. Moreover, various further operations have to be carried out on the chain before it can be sold as an item of jewellery. The soldering must be effected using a solder paste which is assayable. In other words, the paste muat basically be formed from the same material as that from which the chain is made. The soldering, however, causes some discolouration in the end regions of the chain, which discolouration detracts from the aesthetic appearance of the chain.

Accordingly, it is conventional practice to pickle the chain in dilute acid. It will be readily appreciated thet because soldering has been effected at both ends of the chain, both ends of the chain must be pickled. The entire chain must then be washed and polished so as to remove the discolouration and to delay any possible oxidation effects.

An improved version of the above arrangement is also known. The jump ring provided on one end of the chain is identical to that described hereinbefore. The bolt ring assembly is modified, however, by replacing the solid ring and the further jump ring by a split ring which is fixedly attached to the bolt ring itself. In such an arrangement, the split ring is, initially, open and is passed through the appropriate end link of the chain. The split ring is then closed by crimping or by any other suitable method. In such circumstances, only the end of the chain having the jump ring attached thereto needs to be pickled.

It will be appreciated, from the foregoing description, that the bolt ring assembly is a relatively complex structure.

Accordingly, such assemblies are generally manufactured by specialist manufacturers and a chain manufacturer buys such assemblies in bulk. Nevertheless, at at least one end of the chain, the chain manufacturer must effect further operations such as soldering, pickling and polishing. It will tie readily apparent that the bolt ring assemblies are usually highly polished when received by the chain manufacturer.

Accordingly, any further polishing is wasteful both in terms of time and of precious metal. It will be readily appreciated that such polishing is effected by abrasion techniques and, in view of the delicate nature of the fittings, it is obviously undesirable to overpolish these articles.

Accordingly, the present invention seeks to provide a fastener arrangement for jewellery in the form of a jump ring assembly which permits the chain assembler or manufacturer to fit a chain thereto in a simple manner and which does not necessitate the chain assembler or manufacturer carrying out any further processing steps subsequent to such fitting.

According to the present invention, there is provided a jump ring assembly for jewellery comprising a ring member having substantially permanently affixed thereto a second ring member, the second ring member being a split ring which is openable so as to permit a link of a chain to be passed thereover and is thereafter closable by the application of pressure. Preferably, the two ring members are substantially permanently interconnected by soldering, the solder being an assayable solder wire. This is considerably cheaper than an assayable solder paste which has been conventionally used hitherto.

The invention will be further described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing, the single Figure of which shows a plan view of a jump ring assembly in accordance with the present invention.

As shown in the drawing, a jump ring assembly in accordance with the present invention comprises a first ring member 1 having a second ring member 2 substantially permanently affixed thereto. The fixing of the second ring 2 to the first ring 1 is effected by means of solder 3, the solder being in the form of a jewellery paste. The second ring 2 is in the form of a split ring having opposed end regions 4 and 5. The two end regions are movable away from one another to define a gap. The end link of a chain (not shown) is then passed over one of the free ends 4 or 5 and the ring 2 is then re-closed. This can be effected in any desired manner but, in practice, such closure will be effected by crimping.

The advantages of such an arrangement will be readily apparent. Thus, the chain can easily be removed from the jump ring assembly simply by reopening the split ring 2.

If a bolt ring assembly of the type described hereinbefore, which also includes a split ring, is employed, it will be readily apparent that the fastening members at both ends of the chain can now be readily removed. This means that the chain manufacturer or assembler can polish the chain itself without re-polishing the fastening members. Moreover, the jump ring assembly according to the present invention and the bolt ring assembly can both be mass-produced.

Accordingly, the chain assembler or manufacturer merely has to affix the chain to the fasteners by, for example, a crimping operation and the chain is then in a vendable state. Moreover, by making the fastenings at both ends of the chain detachable, pendants or charms can more easily be affixed to the chain.

The term "ring" used hereinbefore is not to be construed as being limited to generally circular configurations.

Such term is used to denote a closed or closable loop arrangement of any desired shape. Accordingly, the split ring 2 mentioned hereinbefore may be oval or diamond-shaped as well as circular.

The jump ring assembly of the present invention permits the cross-sectional area of the precious metal used to manufacture the jump ring to be made smaller than has been possible hitherto. Moreover, by making the split ring oval or diamond-shaped, the assembler or manufacturer of the chain may be able to reduce the number of links which are present in the chain. This is because chains are conventionally sold by length and such lengths must, of course, be accurate.

The split in the ring 2 may take any desired shape.

The simplest form of split is obviously a straight cut.

However, the cut may be V-shaped or dovetail-shaped so as to provide more positive engagement of the ends 4, 5 of the ring 2 when they are crimped together to close the ring.

Claims (6)

1. A jump ring assembly for jewellery comprising a ring member having a second ring member substantially permanently affixed thereto, the second ring member being a split ring which is openable so as to permit a link of a chain to be passed thereover, the split ring thereafter being closable by the application of pressure thereto.

2. A jump ring assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the two ring members are substantially permanently interconnected by soldering, the solder being an assayable solder wire or a jewellery paste.

3. A jump ring assembly as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the split ring is circular, oval or diamond-shaped.

4. A jump ring assembly as claimed in any of claims 1 to 3, wherein the split in the split ring is straight-cut, substantially V-shaped or dovetail-shaped.

5. A jump ring assembly as claimed in claim 1 constructed and arranged to operate substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

6. An item of jewellery having a jump ring assembly as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5 detachably affixed thereto.