Abstract:
An earring wire forming apparatus including a base, a lever rotatably mounted on the base and a wire retaining member rotatably mounted on the base for holding a piece of wire of predetermined length therein and limiting the rotational movement of the lever between a first position and a second position. The lever defines a first cylindrical projection thereon having a generally crescent-shaped slot in an upper portion thereof and a second cylindrical projection of a smaller diameter spaced from the first projection. A disk-shaped forming member is removably and rotatably mounted on the second cylindrical projection on the lever and carries a depending pin movable with the forming member between a first position wherein the pin extends into the slot in the cylindrical projection on the lever and a second position adjacent the opposite side of the projection from the slot.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention is directed to an inexpensive hand-operated earring wire forming device for economically producing earring wires in a Shepherd or French Hook design. The popular Shepherd or French Hook earring wire design comprises an upper open large loop portion that extends through the wearer&#39;s ear lobe and a depending, smaller, substantially closed loop portion that is positioned at the outer lower end of the upper loop portion for carrying one or more jewels or other objects of design. A vertical leg portion depends from the inner end of the upper loop portion and terminates in an outwardly inclined end portion. Such an earring wire design is commonly used on expensive as well as costume jewelry and is typically formed by a variety of hand operated and automated machines. The automated earring wire formers are utilized for large production. Unfortunately, however, even hand operated wire forming machines also are relatively complex and thus quite costly. As a result, the cost of manufacturing otherwise inexpensive earrings is significantly increased. This increase becomes substantial in low volume production where the cost of the wire forming machine cannot be justified by reduced labor costs. As a result, for very low volume applications, the earring wires are typically formed using round nose pliers which is a slow process and may not produce consistent results. It would be highly desirable for such low volume applications, if an inexpensive hand-operated forming device were available to reduce the cost of earring manufacture. The present invention provides such a device. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   Briefly, the present invention is directed to a hand-operated earring wire forming device having a base portion, a kicker rotatably mounted on the base portion and having a longitudinally extending groove formed therein for carrying a measured length of wire and a forming lever rotatably mounted on the base portion between a first stop defined by a first portion of the kicker and a second stop defined by a second portion of the kicker. The forming lever has a crescent-shaped slot formed in an upstanding cylindrical projection thereon adjacent the axis of rotation of the lever. The forming disk is removeably mounted on a center post on the lever so as to be rotatable thereon between a first position in which a depending pin on the disk extends into the crescent-shaped slot in the lever and a second position in which the pin is adjacent the upstanding cylindrical projection on the lever proximate the backside of the crescent-shaped slot. 
   Upon positioning the forming lever adjacent the first stop on the kicker and inserting a wire of predetermined length in the groove in the kicker, the wire will extend from the groove between the cylindrical projection and the center post on the lever. Whereupon, positioning the forming disk on the lever in the aforesaid first position such that the disk pin projects into the crescent-shaped slot in the lever, and while holding the wire on the kicker and simultaneously rotating the disk counterclockwise to the second position causes a portion of the wire to be wrapped about the upstanding center post on the lever, forming the small loop portion of the earring wire design. Subsequent rotation of the lever in a clockwise direction until the lever abuts the second stop on the kicker, forms the large loop portion of the earring wire. Further clockwise rotation of the lever causes the kicker to move creating the aforesaid outwardly inclined end portion of the earring wire. 
   It is therefore the principal object of the present invention to provide an earring wire forming device which is of simple construction, economical to manufacture and easily operated to produce earring wires of consistent quality in a Shepherd or French Hook design. 
   This and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become readily apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the earring wire forming device of the present invention. 
       FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective view illustrating the various components of the forming device of the present invention. 
       FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the forming disk employed in the forming device of the present invention. 
       FIG. 4  is a top plan view of a portion of the earring wire forming device of the present invention with a measured length of wire positioned therein. 
       FIG. 5  is a top plan view of a portion of the earring wire forming device illustrating the forming of the small loop portion of the earring wire. 
       FIG. 6  is a top plan view of a portion of the earring wire forming device illustrating the initial forming of the large loop portion of the earring wire. 
       FIG. 7  is a top plan view of a portion of the earring wire forming device illustrating the final forming of the large loop portion of the earring wire, the leg portion and the outwardly inclined end portion thereof. 
       FIG. 8  is a top plan view of a portion of the earring wire forming device illustrating the final forming of the large loop portion of the earring wire and the leg portion thereof with the forming disk removed. 
       FIG. 9  is a side view of the earring wire formed with the device of the present invention. 
       FIG. 10  is a sectional view taken along the line  10 — 10  in  FIG. 1 . 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   Referring now in detail to the drawings, the earring forming device  10  of the present invention comprises a base  12 , lever  14 , forming member or disk  16  and wire holding member hereinafter referred to as a kicker  18 . With the exception of the forming disk  16 , each of said components is preferably formed of a suitable plastic material such as ABS. Other suitable materials, however, could be employed. For reasons that will become apparent, the forming disk is preferably formed of a transparent plastic material such as polycarbonate to facilitate positioning the wire. 
   The base  12  of forming device  10  defines an upper planar surface  20  having a pair of apertures  21  and  22  formed therein and a V-shaped slot  23  extending along a side portion of the base for providing the device  10  with a gauge for use in sizing the length of wire “W” to be formed by the device into the earring wire. For a conventional Shepherd or French Hook design, the wire length generally is between one and three inches. In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, slot  23  is about 1.75 inches in length to provide an average length and one that is easy to measure and manufacture. Alternatively, the slot could be longer and measuring indicia provided on the base adjacent the slot for providing earring wires of varying lengths. As seen in  FIG. 2  and as will be discussed later herein, apertures  21  and  22  are adapted to receive a post  34  and a pin  25  on lever  14  and kicker  18  respectively to provide pivot mountings for the lever and the kicker on the base  12 . 
   In its preferred configuration, the kicker  18  defines a longitudinal leg portion  24  and a forward transverse portion  26 . The leg portion  24  defines a transversely extending wire abutment shoulder  28 . The transverse portion  26  defines a linearly extending groove  30  in the upper surface therein coincident with the central axis of the leg portion  24  for holding the finite length of earring wire W that has been sized (e.g. 1.75 inches in length) using slot  23  (see  FIG. 4 ), although pre-sized lengths of wire could be provided with the forming device  10 . The kicker  18  is sized and configured such that when the length of wire W is inserted in groove  30  and pushed rearwardly against the shoulder  28  on the kicker, the wire will project from groove  30  the desired distance for shaping by the forming device  10  as shown in  FIG. 4  and as will be described. 
   The lever  14  is rotatably mounted on the base  12  of device  10  in a generally perpendicular disposition with respect to kicker  18  by means of cylindrical post  34  projecting downwardly from the underside of lever  14  into the aperture  21  in the base  12 . Through such a mounting, the lever  14  is rotatable clockwise from a first position illustrated, for example, in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , to a second position illustrated in  FIG. 6  and to a third position illustrated in  FIGS. 7 and 8 . In the first position, the longitudinal axis of the lever is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the kicker  18  and one side  14 ′ of the lever abuts the end  26   a  of the transverse portion  26  of the kicker. In the second position illustrated in  FIG. 6 , the other side  14 ″ of the lever abuts the kicker at  26   b . In the third position illustrated in  FIGS. 7 and 8 , side  14 ″ of the lever abuts end portion  26   a  of the kicker. It should be noted that in moving between the positions illustrated in  FIGS. 6 and 7 , the lever also rotates the kicker clockwise approximately 45°. 
   Lever  14  also includes an upstanding cylindrical projection  36  defining a crescent-shaped slot  38  therein, a center post  40  extending upwardly from the upper surface of the lever  14 , an annular recessed area  42  disposed about post  40  and a shoulder  44  radially spaced from the perimeter of recessed area  42 . The crescent-shaped slot  38  in projection  36  is positioned such that the open side  38   a  of the slot generally faces the center post  40  as seen in  FIG. 2 . While the lever is preferably molded so as to be of single-piece construction, it is to be noted that the upstanding cylindrical projection  36  within which the crescent-shaped slot  38  is formed and the depending post  34 , which rotatably mounts the lever on the base  12 , can be of equal diameter and thus can be formed from a single cylindrical member extending through and held within an aperture formed in the lever by a press fitment and/or other suitable fastening means, including an adhesive. Lever  14  also preferably defines an elevated outer portion  46  defining an arcuate shoulder  48  preferably having the same radius as the forming disk  16 . 
   The forming disk  16  in the earring wire forming device  10  of the present invention is of a cylindrical configuration and is rotatably mounted on the upstanding center post  40  on lever  14 . The disk  16  carries a depending wire forming pin  50 . Pin  50  is radially spaced from the axis of rotation “a” of the disk  16  so as to fit within the crescent-shaped slot  38  on the lever  14  when the disk is in a first position (see  FIG. 4 ). Without a length of wire W extending through groove  30  in kicker  18  the forming pin  50  would allow counterclockwise rotation of the forming disk  16  on and with respect to lever  14  until the pin abuts the back side  36   a  of cylindrical projection  36  (see  FIGS. 2 and 5 ). Forming disk  16  is preferably provided with a knurled outer surface  52  to facilitate rotation thereof and, as noted earlier, preferably defines a radius substantially equal to the radial spacings of shoulder  48  on lever  14  from axis a. In the preferred embodiment, forming disk  16  is of a molded construction and includes a cylindrical top  54  held in place in a snap fitment within the outer wall portion  16   a  of the disk. As noted earlier, disk  16  is preferably transparent. This allows the user to view the bending of wire W into its desired shape during the earring wire forming process. 
   In use, the lever  14  and kicker  18  are first rotated to respective positions illustrated in  FIG. 4  and the forming disk  16  is removed (lifted off center post  40 ). A length of earring wire is placed within gauge slot  22  and cut to the desired length. The sized length of wire W is then placed within the groove  30  in the kicker with the end of the wire abutting shoulder  28  as seen in  FIG. 4 . So positioned, the wire will extend from the groove  30  between the cylindrical projection  36  and center post  40  on the lever. The forming disk  16  is then positioned on the center post  40  of the lever in its initial or first position such that the forming pin  50  depending therefrom projects into the crescent-shaped slot  38  in the lever  14 . Then, while holding the wire on the kicker, one rotates the forming disk  16  counterclockwise until the forming pin  50  causes the end portion of the wire W to be wrapped around the center post  40  (see  FIG. 5 ). Such rotational movement of the forming disk not only bends the wire adjacent pin  50  but causes the end portion of the wire to be wrapped around the center post  40 , forming the small bangle attachment loop portion  60  of the earring wire design. The upper surface of the kicker is provided with a plurality of transverse ridges  51  to increase the functional contact between the wire and the kicker to help hold the wire in place. In addition, the leading wall  30 ′ forming groove  30  is preferably inclined upwardly as seen in  FIG. 10  to secure the wire during the forming process. 
   The lever  14  is then rotated in a clockwise direction, while concurrently applying slight downward pressure on the forming disk  16  so as to hold the kicker and wire in place on the base  12 , until the lever abuts the end  26   b  of the transverse portion  26  of the kicker  18  (see  FIG. 6 ). This initiates the formation of the large loop portion  62  of the earring wire as the wire is bent about cylindrical projection  36 . Continued clockwise rotation of lever  14  while applying slight downward pressure on the forming disk will cause concurrent rotation of the kicker to the position illustrated in  FIG. 7 , completing the formation of the leg and end portions  64  and  66  of the earring wire. Note that the length of the sized wire W is such that upon completion of the rotation of lever  14 , the end portion  66  of the wire is held within the groove  30  in the kicker, causing the desired flare of the end portion of the earring wire. 
   Various changes and modifications may be made in carrying out the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. By way of example, the sizes of center post  40  and cylindrical projection  36  can be varied to vary the sizes of the small and large loop portions  60  and  62  in the former earring wire. In lieu of configuring the lever  14  and kicker  18  such that they each define stops for the rotational movement of the other, separate stops could be provided on the base  12  to limit the rotational movement of the lever and kicker. The base could also provide for alternate mounting locations of the kicker and appropriately positioned stops on the base to provide longer or shorter earring wires. Further, the forming device could be configured so as to extend the sized length of wire W between the center post  40  and cylindrical projection  36  from the opposite side of lever  14 . This would have the advantage of the user no longer having to hold the wire from sliding as the small loop portion is formed around post  40  and the forming device  10  also might be more intuitive for the operator to use. To provide such a mounting of wire length W, a moveable stop (not shown) would be positioned on the lever or on the base to properly position the wire relative to center post  40 , cylindrical projection  36  and the groove  30  in the kicker into which the extended end portion of the wire would still project. Insofar as these and other changes and modifications of the earring forming device  10  are within the purview of the appended claims, they are to be considered as part of the present invention. 
   In addition to such changes and modifications, the use of the forming device  10  can also be varied to create variations in the formed earring wire. For example, if one did not utilize the disk  16 , which normally is employed to form the small loop portion  60 , the user could add a bead or other ornamental element directly on the earring wire, in addition to or in lieu of a bangle depending from the small loop  60 . In such cases the loop  60  could be formed in a secondary forming process to hold the ornamental element in place. Longer and shorter wires could be employed. Alternatively, in lieu of a small loop, like loop  60 , a spiral or other decorative shape could be formed at the end of the wire as that portion of the earring wire is not passed through the ear. The spiral or other decorative shape formed at the end of the wire may or may not have a bangle depending therefrom and may or may not support a bead or other decorative element on the portion of the wire immediately above the spiral or other decorative wire configuration.