Abstract:
A jewelry piece has a setting including a pivoted spring element having first and second elongated resiliently bendable segments extending over an article receiving opening in the jewelry piece, a seat urged against the undersurface of the article by resilient bending deflection of the spring element when the second segment is positioned beneath a catch, to urge the article against a stop to position the article in the opening.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention concerns jewelry and more particularly jewelry pieces having settings which allow ready changing of gems or other decorative articles such as pearls so as to change to an article of a different type, color, cut, etc. 
     Various changeable gem setting designs have heretofore been developed, but these have not been readily adaptable to gemstones of various shapes, or to also accommodate such other decorative articles as pearls. 
     Another drawback is that the setting does not accommodate different sizes of the same shape gemstones. 
     Some designs are complicated to use and/or are expensive to manufacture due to their complexity. 
     Another problem is the reflection of the color of the material used in the setting to the exposed gem faces, adversely affecting the observed color of the gem, particularly gems cut so as to not have a culet. 
     It is the object of the present invention to provide a gem setting capable of allowing a quick and convenient change of the gemstone or other decorative article and which accommodates a variety of shapes and variations in size of the article. 
     Another object is to provide such a setting which is simple to use and is uncomplicated and inexpensive, yet provides a very secure retention of the mounted article to be suitable for precious gems, and allows various types of decorative articles to be installed on a jewelry piece such as a pendant or ring. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     These objects and others which will be understood upon a reading of the following specification and claims are achieved by a setting comprised of spring element pivotally connected to a portion of a jewelry piece having a seat adapted to receive a decorative article. The spring element is resiliently deflected by an article in the seat when one end of the spring element is positioned beneath a catch, urging the article against a stop. The spring element may be comprised of a first and second elongated resiliently bendable segments extending from a pivot connection in the same general direction but angled apart. A shorter segment has a generally annular article seat at its free end adapted to engage the lower end or surface of the decorative article to be held in the jewelry piece. 
     The other longer segment extends above the shorter segment and is adapted to be deflected to engage a catch on the jewelry piece after a gemstone or other article is pushed against a bezel or other stop surface by being engaged by the seat, urged against the same by the spring force generated by resilient deflection of the short segment. 
     The resilient deflection of the segments is maintained after the longer segment is moved beneath a catch. This deflection accommodates variations in size and shape of the mounted decorative article such as gemstones of various different cuts. 
     The spring element may also be constructed of an elongated wireform hinged at one end and having a decorative article seat intermediate its length, with the free end movable under a catch. This causes resilient bending of the muddle of the spring element to generate a spring force urging an article in the seat against a stop. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is an inverted and enlarged perspective view of a replaceable decorative article setting incorporated in a ring a portion shown in fragmentary form by phantom lines. 
     FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view of the setting shown in FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the setting shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 which a faceted gemstone installed therein. 
     FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a setting element shown pivoted to an article seat portion in FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a pendant having a decorative article comprised of a gem encrusted metallic ball mounted therein by the setting according to the present invention. 
     FIG. 6 is a bottom view of the pendant shown in FIG. 5, showing the details of the article setting of a slightly different form than the setting shown in FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 7 shows a reverse view of a pendant of a different configuration showing details of another form of the setting according to the present invention. 
     FIG. 8 is an enlarged view of a fragmentary part of the pendant of FIG. 7 shown in phantom lines, and a pivoted spring element included in the replaceable article setting. 
     FIG. 9 is a side view of the pivoted spring element engaging a cabochon cut gemstone. 
     FIG. 10 is a side view of the pivoted spring element engaging a pearl. 
     FIG. 11 is a side view of the pivoted spring element engaging a faceted gemstone. 
     FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a spring element in which article engaging prongs are added to the seat. 
     FIG. 13 is a plan view of a flat sheet from which a spring element perform is cut. 
     FIG. 14 is a plan view of a spring element after twisting the seat to lie at right angles to the hinge pivot. 
     FIG. 15 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the spring element assembled to a jewelry piece shown in phantom lines. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     In the following detailed description, certain specific terminology will be employed for the sake of clarity and a particular embodiment described in accordance with the requirements of 35 USC 112, but it is to be understood that the same is not intended to be limiting and should not be so construed inasmuch as the invention is capable of taking many forms and variations within the scope of the appended claims. 
     Referring to the drawings, FIG. 1 shows a setting for reliably securing a decorative article in a jewelry piece, shown here as a ring  10 . 
     An annular bezel stop surface  12  defined by a portion of the jewelry piece  10  surrounds an opening  14  sized to receive the upper portion of a decorative article such as a faceted gemstone  16  (FIG. 3) so as to partially protrude through the opening. The seat  12  engages the girdle of the article to locate the same in a partially protruding position. Other seat configurations, such as prongs (FIG. 12) could also be used. 
     A pivoted spring element  18  has a pivot connection  20  here comprised of a disc  22  having a hole  24  (FIG. 4) receiving a pin  26  which passes through a clevis  28  fixed on the jewelry piece portion adjacent one side of the opening  14 . 
     A first elongate segment  30  is attached to and extends radially away from the pivot connection  20  and has an annular seat  32  fixed to its outer free end. A second longer elongate segment  34  also is affixed to and extends radially away from the pivot connection  20  in the same general direction, as the first elongate segment  30  but angled up therefrom when both are swung over the opening  14  to extend across the same. The second elongate segment  34  is long enough to extend to the other side of the opening  14 . 
     A catch  32  is affixed to the jewelry piece portion opposite the pivot connection  20 , comprised of an inturned blade able to capture the free end of the second segment  34  when positioned below the catch. 
     The segments  30 ,  34  are constructed of a resiliently deflectable material such as a suitable spring metal here shaped as thin square rods. When an article is placed in the opening  14 , the second segment is pushed down to engage the under surface of the article. In the case of the faceted gemstone  16  FIG.  3 ), the culet  36  is received in the hole  38  of the seat  32  to be securely engaged. The spring element  18  is configured such that resilient bending of segments  30 ,  34  occurs as the second segment  34  is depressed sufficiently to be passed beneath the catch  20 , generating a spring force securely positioning the gemstone or other decorative article in position against the stop surface or surfaces  12 . 
     FIGS. 5 and 6 show the setting used in a pendant  36 , with a metal ball  38  encrusted with small gems used as the decorative article, protruding from an annular case  40  adapted to be hung from a chain attached to a metal loop  42 . In this embodiment, the spring element  18 A comprises a wire form with a loop in the first segment  30 A (FIG. 8) forming the seat  32 A. An intermediate partial loop  24 A receives a pin  26 A and connects the segments  30 A,  34 A to create the pivotal connection  20 A. 
     FIG. 7 shows another form of pendant  44  of a keyhole shape, also using the wire form type pivoted spring element  18 A. 
     In this embodiment a cross pin  26 A passes across a slot  46  in the lower section  48  of the pendant case. 
     The upper section  50  has openings allowing a chain to be strung. A tab  52  acts as a catch for the free end of the second segment  34 A. 
     FIGS. 9-11 show engagement of the seat  32 A with a cabochon cut stone  16 A (FIG.  9 ), a pearl  16 B (FIG.  10 ), and a faceted gemstone  16  (FIG.  11 ). 
     FIG. 12 shows another form of spring element  18 B having segments  30 B,  34 B in which a series of upwardly projecting prongs  54  are arranged about the perimeter of the seat  32 B. A decorative article can be received within the prongs  54  to center the same. 
     FIGS. 13 and 14 show an advantageous low cost method for manufacturing the spring element  18 . 
     A flat spring element perform  18 ′ is cut from a sheet of a suitable spring metal  56 . 
     The seat  32 ′ is then twisted sufficiently to be permanently positioned to lie orthogonally with respect to the pivot connection  20 , thus completing the spring element  18 . 
     FIG. 15 shows another embodiment of the setting in which a pair of double wireforms  64 A,  64 B form a spring element  56  which has a pivoted connections  58  at one end and extends straight across the back of a jewelry piece  60  to a catch  62 . The other ends  70  of the other wireform segments  74 A,  74 B are connected together and are positionable beneath the catch  62 . 
     An arcuate bend  66 A,  66 B formed in each wireform segments  64 A,  64 B at the same location along the length each forming half of a roughly circular seat at an intermediate point along the length of the spring element  56 . 
     With a decorative article (not shown) in or against the seat  68 , each end segment  74 A,  74 B of the spring element  56  is deflected when the ends  70  are moved beneath the catch  62 . This creates a spring force urging the article against a bezel  72  or other stop surface of the jewelry piece  60 . 
     Thus, a simple but reliable setting has been provided which insures secure retention of valuable gems, pearls, etc. while allowing a quick and convenient replacement thereof.