Patent ID: 6560955
Filing Date: 2003-05-13
Classification: A44C,B21L

Abstract:
In a length of jewelry rope chain of the type comprising a series of tightly interfitting gapped link elements and having the appearance of intertwining helical strands, each of said gapped link elements having a first major surface, an opposite second major surface, an interior edge, and an exterior edge, the improvement wherein:link width is defined as a distance, measured along either of said major surfaces, between a pair of parallel lines perpendicular to said major surfaces and tangent to, respectively, said interior and exterior edges; at least some of said link elements in the length of rope chain are divided into segment halves along the extent of said link element; a first one of said segments has an annular shape and is of constant link width; and a second one of said segments has a link width greater than the link width of said first annular segment.