Ball earring process and construction

Abstract: A process for manufacturing a jewelry piece such as a ball earring comprises flaring back the wire casing (50) at one end of a predetermined length of a solder-filled wire to separate the end portion of the casing (50) from the core (40) and thereby expose a nib (30) of solder. The wire casing which is separated from the core is formed into the shape of a domed cup (20) complimentary to the curvature of the earring ball (90). The nib (30) is inserted into a hole (92) in the ball (90) and is then heated to melt the solder such that the ball is secure within the cup (20) after the solder cools.

Description: The present invention relates to a new and useful process and construction for a ball earring. It is common in the jewelry field to solder an ear wire consisting of a cylindrical rod or pin to a domed cup prior to soldering the wire and cup combination to the ball to form a ball earring. The process involves stamping a dome shaped circular blank from a sheet of metal such as gold. This step is known as a pad blanking. A circular hole is then made within the blank for receiving an ear wire in the form of a cylindrical rod or pin. The pin is inserted into the hole in a staking operation and with a solder flushed surface on the dome opposite the side from which the pin is inserted. The dome is clad with solder. The combined pin and domed cup is then soldered to an ornament, which in the case of the ball earring, is a hollow ball. This conventional process requires several major and distinct steps before attachment to an ornament. First, the construction of the domed cup involves cutting and shaping the cup, then piercing the cup. Second, the post is cut to length and then machined to form a bullet-shaped end and nut-engaging groove near the end. Third, the attachment of the post to the cup is completed. Finally, a step of soldering the assembly of the cup and post to the ball is completed. US-A-4307582 discloses a ball earring construction in which a hollow wire post having a solder lining therein has a closed back end for the attachment of a retainer, and an open opposite end serving as a head to which a ball is soldered. US-A-4383002 discloses a similar construction in which the solder lining of the wire is replaced by a solid solder plug inserted into the open head end of the post. The present invention is concerned with a new and useful process and construction for use in jewelry piece manufacturing, particularly, in the construction of a ball earring. According to the invention there is provided a process for constructing a ball earring comprising separating one end of a solder-filled wire such that the wire casing is moved away from the solder core to form a head and expose a nib of solder, and soldering the nib to a ball such that the ball is secured to the head. Having regard to US-A-4307582, therefore, the invention provides a ball earring comprising: a wire post having a solder core therein, the post having a back end and an opposite end serving as a head and being shaped for attachment to a ball; characterised in that said opposite end is separated such that the post casing is moved away from the solder core to form said head, and a nib of solder protrudes from the head for securing the ball to the head. Thus, the invention uses a solder-filled wire, formed to a pre-determined length, in order to form both a post and cup-shaped head for a ball earring. One end of the wire forms the head for receiving the ball, the head being constructed by deforming a portion of the casing of the solder-filled wire at one end of the length of the wire into the form of a domed cup. The resulting domed cup extends around an exposed nib of solder which protrudes from the head. The purpose of the exposed nib is to secure the ball to the head in the correct position with the ball held within the cup and to provide the solder needed to bond the ball to the cup. A further advantage of the invention is that it provides a jewelry piece having a cup-shaped head that can be securely fastened to an ornament. Another advantage of the invention is that it decreases the number of manufacturing steps in the construction of a ball earring, and provides an efficient manufacturing process that conserves on the use of precious resources such as electricity and precious raw materials such as gold. The various features of novelty which characterize the invention are defined with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention and its advantages, various embodiments will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a wire post for an earring after the heading step in one embodiment of the process of the invention; Fig. 2 is an inner end view of the post with ball attached; Fig. 3 is a partial side sectional view of the post with the ball attached; Fig. 4 is a partial sectional view of a receiving die and first punch for executing a first step in forming the post; Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing a second tool and final process step in making the post; and, Fig. 6 is a partial sectional view of an apparatus for supporting the post plus ball during a final soldering step in the process of the present invention. Referring to the drawings in particular, Fig. 1 shows an earring wire in the form of a cylindrical rod or post, generally designated 10, before an ornament is attached. The post 10 is a length of a solder-filled wire composed of a solder core 40 encased by a wire casing 50. The wire casing 50 is typically a precious metal such as gold. After a length of solder-filled wire has been chosen for the post 10, a head, in the form of a domed cup 20 is formed from the post 10 by separating part of the casing 50 from the core 40. The domed cup 20 can be formed by completely separating the casing 50 from the core 40, thereby forming a nib 30 of exposed solder. The domed cup 20 has a contour which compliments curvature of a ball or bead 90 as shown in Fig. 3. As shown in Fig. 1, a solder layer 24 may also be separated from the core 40 by paring back the layer 24 from the core 40 along with the casing 50 to provide a solder layer on inner surface of the cup 20. By heating the nib 30 and the layer 24, ball 90 is easily soldered and secured to the post 10. The nib is first inserted into a hole 92 of the ornament 90 until it contacts the solder layer 24 in the head 20. The layer 24 provides additional support once attached to the ornament 90 after the solder cools. A rolling step is also undertaken to form a back end 70 opposite the head 20 which is rounded or bullet-shaped for receiving an ear nut or other type of fastening and a groove 60 circumferentially around the back end 70, is used to fictionally secure the ear nut to post 10. Alternatively, a screw threaded post and ear nut could be used. The tools used to form the head with or without the layer of solder 24 are a press and a die which are shaped in a manner shown in Figs. 4 and 5. Rolling tools and apparatus for rolling the back end 70 of the pin into its rounded, pointed or bullet shape, and for rolling the circumferential groove 60 are also used. The rolling steps for making the bullet shaped back end 70 and circumferential groove 60 are of known design and save material over the prior machining steps used to form these shapes. Turning to Fig. 4, in order to form head 20; the precut but otherwise unshaped wire is placed into a blind bore 11 of a receiving die 12 so that about 90 percent of its length is in the bore. Die 12 has a dish-shaped recess 12a around the inlet of bore 11. A first punch 13 is then moved in the direction of the arrow to upset and shape a portion of outer metal and a small amount of solder to form a pre-formed enlarged head 20a. Punch 13 has a concave face 13a that is shaped to form the head 20a. As shown in Fig. 5, with the post still retained within the bore 11 of the receiving die 12, a second punch 14 which is moved in the direction of the arrow and has an outer shape matching the final shape of the undersurface of the cup 20 is moved into engagement with the pre-form 20a to form the final cup 20 with its solder coating 24 and the nib 30. The punch 14 has a second bore 14a that receives solder to form nib 30, and a convex face 14b which forms the cup 20 between punch 14 and dish-shaped recess 12a. Fig. 6 illustrates a carbon block 16 having a plurality of bores, one of which is shown at 15, each for receiving a post 10 with its cup 20 resting on the top surface 17 of the block. The block is slowly moved through a furnace heated for example to 1,480°F which melts the solder and thus fixes the bead 90 to the cup to produce the finished product shown in Fig. 3. The present invention thus has the advantages of reducing waste since separate cup blanks need not be formed from strips of metal as in the previous technique. The separate step of connecting the post to the separate cup is also eliminated. The forming of the bullet shaped end 70 in groove 60 also represents a departure from the prior art which cuts the annular groove and machines the tapered bullet end of the pin. This also represents a savings in material and avoids granular waste which is a by-product of the prior machining and cutting steps. The present invention thus saves raw materials, in particular gold, with obvious benefit. The present invention also utilizes less electricity to form the same product and results in a one piece post which does not permit the cup to move with respect to the pin, which sometimes happens in the previous two part post. Any conventional solder known in the field of jewelry manufacture can be utilized as solder 40 within the cylindrical length of wire or pin 50. Further, although the nib 30 is shown flared out over the wall thickness of the hollow ball or bead 90 in Fig. 3, the nib, when melted and then resolidified during the soldering operation may occupy an enlarged opening or other suitably shaped recess in the ornament to help fix the ornament to the pin.

Claims: A process for constructing a ball earring comprising separating one end of a solder-filled wire (10) such that the wire casing (50) is moved away from the solder core (40) to form a head (20) and expose a nib (30) of solder, and soldering the nib (30) to a ball (90) such that the ball is secured to the head (20). A process according to claim 1, wherein the nib (30) of solder is exposed by separating the one end of the solder-filled wire (10) such that the wire casing (50) together with a layer of solder (24) is moved away from the nib (30) so that the layer of solder (24) is on an inner surface of the head (20). A process according to claim 2, wherein the head (20) is shaped into the form of a domed cup at the nib (30) by separating one end of the solder-filled wire (10) such that the domed cup has a contour which can receive the ball (90). A process according to claim 1, including rounding an opposite end (70) of the solder-filled wire (10) to form an ear nut receiving end, and rolling a groove (60) circumferentially around the solder-filled wire (10) near the ear nut receiving end (70) for retaining an ear nut on the wire (10). A process according to claim 4, wherein the solder-filled wire (10) comprises an outer cylindrical casing (50) of metal and an inner cylindrical core (40) of solder. A process according to claim 5, including forming a layer (24) of solder from the solder core (40) in the solder-filled wire (10) onto an inner surface of the head (20) around the nib (30). A process according to claim 6, including forming the head (20) in the form of a domed cup around the nib (30) and drawing the solder on the inner surface of the head from around the nib. A ball earring comprising: a wire post (10) having a solder core (40) therein, the post having a back end (70) and an opposite end serving as a head (20) and being shaped for attachment to a ball (90); characterised in that said opposite end is separated such that the post casing (50) is moved away from the solder core (40) to form said head (20), and a nib (30) of solder protrudes from the head (20) for securing the ball (90) to the head. A ball earring according to claim 8, wherein the head (20) is in the form of a domed cup for receiving a curvature of the ball (90). A ball earring according to claim 8, including a circumferential groove (60) around the post (10) hear the back end (70) thereof. A ball earring according to claim 10, including, in combination with the post (10), a ball (90) soldered to the head (20) by melting and resolidification of the nib (30). A ball earring according to claim 11, including a layer (24) of solder between the head (20) and the ball (90). An apparatus for constructing a ball earring, comprising: a die (12) having a first bore (11) therein, the bore having an inlet and the die including a dish shaped recess (12a) around the inlet; a first punch (13) having a concave face (13a) for movement toward the dish shaped recess (12a) of the die (12) when a solder-filled wire (10) is positioned in the first bore (11) with a portion of the solder-filled wire projecting above the dish shaped recess; and a second punch (14) having a convex face (14b) and a second bore (14a) in said second punch extending through said convex face, the second punch (14) being movable toward the dish shaped recess (12a) with a solder-filled wire in the first bore (11) to form a nib (30) of solder in the second bore (14a) and to form a domed cup (20) of metal from the wire between the convex face (14b) and the dish shaped recess (12a). An apparatus according to claim 13 including a block (16) of heat resistant material having a third bore (15) therethrough for receiving the solder-filled wire (10) after the nib (30) and domed cup (20) are formed, for heating the solder-filled wire to melt solder after an earring ball (90) with a hole (92) therein has been seated on the cup (20) with the nib (30) extending into the hole (92).

Inventors: LEACH EDWIN F, LEACH, EDWIN F.
Applicants: LEACH & GARNER CO, LEACH & GARNER COMPANY
Application year: 1993
Main classification: A44C7
IPC codes: B23K1, A44C7