Compressed jewelry chain and method of making same

This disclosure relates primarily to the making of compressed single and double arrow jewelry chains, of precious or non-precious metal, and other unique surface designs, from open link chains wherein the regularly repeating apertures of the prior art chains have been substantially eliminated, thereby providing an exceedingly smooth look and silky feel to the completed chain. The compressed chain of this invention is made by first precisely aligning two or more open link chains together, side by side, along a single longitudinal axis, welding, as by soldering or brazing, the aligned open link chains, and subjecting the thusly aligned chains to a series of incremental compression steps, along the longitudinal axis of the aligned curb link chains. In this way, the regularly repeating apertures of the aligned open link chains are substantially eliminated while creating, as in the case of the use of single curb chains as the starting point, novel non-apertured arrow designs.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to new and improved compressed and flattened jewelry 
chains having unique surface designs, and to the process for making same 
from open link chains such as curb link chains. 
PRIOR ART 
Jewelry chain made from curb link chain of precious or non-precious metal 
is well known in the jewelry art. Curb link chains are composed of single 
ovoid links generally twisted in cross-section, and each of which is 
intertwined with a single like link to build up the chain (see FIG. 1, 
prior art). This type of curb chain is known as a single curb chain. The 
links of the single curb chain may be twisted downwardly and to the right, 
as in FIGS. 2a and 2b, or twisted downwardly and to the left, as in FIGS. 
2c and 2d. 
Single curb chains have been used as the basic design for so-called single 
arrow chains and double arrow chains. A single arrow chain is made by, 
first, forming two single curb chains, a first of the two single curb 
chains having a portion of each link twisted in one direction, e.g. to the 
left as shown in FIG. 2 (a "left" curb chain), and the second of which has 
a portion of each link twisted in the opposite direction, i.e. to the 
right (a "right" curb chain). The two single curb chains are then placed 
side by side and soldered at points of abutment. The upper and lower 
surfaces of the resulting chain are then hammered and/or diamond-cut to 
achieve a flat, shiny, look. The resulting flat shiny, chain has a 
distinct arrow shaped pattern, the pattern containing regularly repeating 
apertures A therein, as shown in FIG. 3. A double arrow chain is built up 
by forming a first pair of left and right curb chains, then forming a 
second pair of left and right curb chains, and soldering the first and 
second pairs together, and hammering and/or diamond-cutting, as just 
described. The double arrow chain also contains regularly repeating 
apertures therein. 
It is also to be noted that single curb chains, of the type shown in FIG. 1 
have been compressed, along their longitudinal axis, to form a fairly flat 
chain without any appreciable gapping between adjacent links. The 
compressed chains are then flattened and widened, by conventional 
hammering techniques. The resultant effect is a compressed, flat, chain 
having a herringbone-like surface texture and without any apertures. The 
compressed flat chain may be diamond-cut, if desired, to achieve a shinier 
effect. 
Curb chains are also made in a so-called "double" configuration wherein the 
open links of the chain are intertwined in a somewhat different manner 
than in the single curb chain as shown schematically in Figure la. Double 
curb chains, as well as single curb chains, have also been compressed and 
hammered and diamond-cut. The term "curb chains" or "curb link chains" as 
used herein and in the claims, means "single curb chains" or "double curb 
chains". 
The present state of the art is such that, to the best knowledge and belief 
of the applicant, the production of compressed non-apertured single arrow 
chains and compressed non-apertured double arrow chains, from paired 
single or double curb chains, have not been made because of the inability 
of the art to maintain a perfect alignment of the paired single or double 
curb chains during the compression step. 
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The invention relates to the making of compressed single and double arrow 
chains of precious or non-precious metal from open link chains wherein the 
regularly repeating apertures of the prior art arrow chains have been 
substantially eliminated, thereby providing an exceedingly smooth look and 
silky feel to the completed chain. 
The non-apertured, compressed arrow chain of this invention is made by 
first precisely aligning two or more open link chains together, side by 
side, along a single longitudinal axis, welding, as by soldering or 
brazing the aligned open link chains, and subjecting the thusly aligned 
chains to a series of incremental compression steps, along the 
longitudinal axis of the aligned curb link chains. In this way, the 
regularly repeating apertures of the aligned open link chains are 
substantially eliminated while creating, as in the case of the use of 
single curb chains as the starting point, novel non-apertured arrow 
designs. 
The compressed chain is then flattened, as by hammering, and is then made 
more flexible by means of conventional flexibilizing equipment. The 
surface of the compressed chain may also be diamond-cut to achieve further 
brilliance. 
The invention also relates to the making of compressed non-apertured 
chains, of precious or non-precious metal, from open link chains such as 
venetian box chain and figaro chain wherein the repeating apertures of the 
prior art arrow chains have been substantially eliminated, thereby 
providing an exceedingly smooth look and silky feel to the completed 
chain.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
The primary objective of this invention is to manufacture a flat, wide, 
brilliant looking chain having unique, complex surface designs from 
relatively simple open link chains such as single or double curb link, 
figaro, and venetian box chains. The process of this invention will be 
described with reference to single curb link chain as a starting point, by 
way of example only of the best mode of effecting the process of the 
invention. 
The single curb link chain 20 of the prior art is shown in FIG. 1. The 
single curb link chain 20 comprises single ovoid links 24, 24a, 24b, etc. 
each of which is intertwined within the next adjacent open link in 
conventional fashion. 
To create the desired chain, any combination of left and right single curb 
link chains may be utilized, as, for example, a left-left pair of single 
curb link chains, a right-right pair of single curb link chains, and a 
right-left pair of single curb link chains. Thus, a right single curb 
chain 28 and a left single curb chain 30 may be paired as the basis for 
the final chain design, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. 
Because paired single curb chains 28 and 30 are to be subjected to large 
forces of longitudinal compression and flattening, they must be suitably 
prepared. It has been found that the optimal preparation involves, first, 
creating planar surfaces H-1 on abutting portions of the interior sides of 
single curb chain 28, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, and creating like planar 
surfaces at H-2 on abutting portions of single curb chain 30. The planar 
surfaces are optimally made by diamond-cutting the rounded surfaces of the 
chain 28 at H-1 and H-2 (FIG. 7). The process of diamond-cutting, per se, 
is conventional and described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,353,584, incorporated 
herein by reference. 
The links of the right and left chains 28, 30 are then placed in precise 
alignment with each other. The links of chains 28, 30 are precisely 
aligned when the leading edges of each of the side by side links of the 
chains, e.g. links 33, 33a, are precisely transversely aligned (along line 
T--T which is transverse to the longitudinal axis, L--L, of chains 28, 30 
(FIG. 6). The chains 28, 30 are initially, tack welded, as by laser means, 
to each other at upper and lower areas 32, 34 adjacent planar areas H-1, 
H-2, as best shown in FIG. 7. The tack welds maintain the required precise 
alignment of the links with each other. Upper or lower tack welds are 
usually sufficient to maintain precise alignment inasmuch as the abutting 
planar surfaces, H-1, H-2, are then fused, as by solder or brazing, using 
conventional soldering or brazing materials, so that the paired single 
curb chains 28, 30 will not separate under the subsequent compression and 
flattening steps utilized in the process of this invention. 
Compression of the tack welded and soldered paired chains 28, 30 next takes 
place, as schematically shown in FIG. 8, to form compressed chain 38 in 
which the gaps in the open links are substantially closed. In this step, 
the paired chains 28, 30 are compressed, by perhaps 0.5 mm for each 
increment of compression, the compressive force being exerted along the 
longitudinal axis of the paired chain. The compression machine 40 is 
conventional, and is of the same type that has been utilized to compress 
non-paired single curb chains. 
The compressed chain 38 is then flattened, with conventional hammering 
equipment 42, schematically shown in FIG. 9. In the hammering step, the 
compressed chain is inherently widened and rendered very rigid. The chain 
38 is therefore, flexibilized by conducting it through conventional 
flexibilizing equipment 44, schematically shown in FIG. 10. 
The resulting chain flexibilized chain 46 (see FIG. 11) possesses a unique, 
non-apertured, arrow motif, but is nevertheless highly flexible, and 
kink-free. The is to say, the chain 46 may be repeatedly twisted but will 
spring back into its original flat shape without any fracturing of the 
chain. In contrast, if a single curb chain is compressed, hammered, 
flexibilized and diamond-cut, as described herein, the resulting chain is 
not as kink-free and durable as the paired, compressed, single curb chain 
46. 
The chain 46, optionally, may be diamond-cut for a more brilliant look, and 
its outer edges 48 may also be bevelled, by diamond-cutting, as shown in 
FIG. 12. 
While right and left paired single curb chains have been shown and 
described, by way of example, as starting chains for the process of this 
invention, right-right paired single curb chains and left-left paired 
single curb chains may also be utilized as the starting chains. Thus, 
right-right paired single curb chains 50, 51 shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, may 
be placed in precise alignment, as earlier described with reference to 
FIGS. 6 and 7, and tack welded at 52, 54 to maintain their alignment. The 
abutting surfaces of chains 50, 51 are diamond-cut at H-3 and H-4 and 
soldered or brazed along the line of abutment 56. The right-right chains 
50, 51 are then processed by compressing, hammering, flexibilizing, and 
optimally diamond-cutting, as described with reference to chain 30 of 
FIGS. 6 and 7. The resulting right-right chain 60 is shown in FIG. 17, and 
possesses a modified herringbone surface design in which the surface 
texture lines 61 slope, principally, from left to right, as viewed from 
top to bottom of FIG. 17. 
Left-left paired single curb chains 62, 64 are shown in FIGS. 15 and 16, 
placed in precise alignment as earlier described with reference to FIGS. 6 
and 7, and tack welded at 66, 68 to maintain their alignment. The abutting 
surfaces of chains 62, 64 are diamond-cut at H-5 and H-6, and soldered and 
brazed along the juncture line 69 of H-5 and H-6. The left-left curb 
chains 62, 64 are then processed by compressing, hammering, flexibilizing 
and, optionally, and diamond-cutting, as described with reference to chain 
30 of FIGS. 6 and 7. The resulting left-left chain 70 is shown in FIG. 18, 
and possesses a modified herringbone design in which the surface texture 
lines 71 slope principally, from right to left, as viewed from top to 
bottom of FIG. 18. 
While paired single curb chains of right-right, left-left, and right-left 
configuration have been shown and described as the starting point chains 
for the process by way of example, three, four or more single curb chains 
can be aligned, tack welded, diamond-cut at abutting surfaces to form 
planar soldering (brazing) surfaces, compressed, hammered, flexibilized 
and, optimally, further diamond-cut to form further unique, brilliant, 
surface-textured chain designs. In addition, the herein described process 
may be utilized with open link chain of other designs such as figaro 
chain, venetian box chain, or double curb chain. 
Other modifications will be made by those normally skilled in the jewelry 
arts, and we intend that the scope of this invention is to be limited only 
by the claims which follow.