Improvements in Tools or Appliances for Making Puzzle Rings.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Aug., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 4th May, 1894-Accepted, 16th June, 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Tools or Appliances for Making Puzzle Rings.
I, THOMAS JOHN MILLWARD, of 8, Hockley Hill, Birmingham, Stamper and
Piercer, do hereby declare the nature of my invention to be as follows:-
This invention consists of the hereindescribed improvements in tools or
appliances for making puzzle rings for use as finger rings, scarf rings, or
serviette rings, of that kind which are known as "Oriental puzzle rings" each of
which rings consists of four separate wire rings two of which are bent into a
looped shape at one part and the other two are bent at one part into a double
curved shape, the double curved parts of these two rings crossing and re-crossing
each other and forming together a figure somewhat like the letter 8 through the
loops of which the wires of the other two rings are threaded and interlaced so that
when the main portions of the four wire rings are closed together the puzzle ring
is complete the bent portions of each of the wire rings forming an ornamental
interlaced front to the ring and when the four rings have been disarranged it is
very difficult to get them into their correct positions again.
Heretofore these puzzle rings have usually been bent to the required shape by
pliers or other hand tools and thus the complete rings have been comparatively
costly but by the improved tools or appliances constituting this invention I am
enabled to manufacture the said puzzle rings at a much cheaper rate than
heretofore.
I will first describe the tools or appliances which I use for forming the two said
wire rings which are each bent into a double looped form and which together form
a figure somewhat like the figure 8. These tools consist of a top tool and a
bottom tool for use in a fly press or like machine each tool having a projecting
cross rib and groove corresponding with the double curved form which the straight
wires to form the rings are required to take. I operate on several wires at once
which are held side by side by the hand or otherwise and are placed between the
said top and bottom tool, a suitable gauge regulating the length of wire beyond
the grooves in the tools. When the top tool descends the wires are squeezed
between the top tool and bottom tool and formed into the double looped shape and
at the same time they are cut off to the necessary length by means of cutting
edges formed on the sides of the two tools.
The wires thus formed have then to be notched in several points of their double
curved parts where in the complete ring they cross each other and where the
other two rings cross them. This notching of the wires is the next process and is
effected by means of a top and bottom tool the bottom tool having a groove in
which the double curved wire lies and having also indentations in the groove
corresponding with the parts where the wires are required to be indented. The
punch or top tool has a curved rib corresponding with the curved groove in the
bottom tool and with the wire and has also small projections where the indentations
are required in the wire. The wire to be indented as stated above is placed in the
groove in the bottom tool its position being regulated by a stop, then when the
top tool descends its projections force portions of the wires into the indentations in
the bottom tool and thus form the necessary indentations on the wires.
The wires to form the other two wire rings are bent into the necessary looped
forms by means of top and bottom tools somewhat similar to those first above
D

page_text: described, one of the tools only having a groove corresponding with the loop
of the wire and other tool having a projecting rib to fit into this groove so that
when the wires are placed under the tools the top tool descends and the wires
are bent into the necessary looped form and cut off into the required length.
The wires thus formed are then indented where required by tools somewhat
similar to those above described as used for indenting the two rings which form
the figure 8.
The next process is to form the four wires into the ring shape and this I effect
by taking four wires that is two double curved wires and two looped or single
curved wires and placing them together side by side so that their curved portions
are interlaced as in the complete ring. I then place these wires across an alınost
semi-circular groove in the bottom tool the curved portions of the wires being.
immediately above the grooves in the bottom tool the exact positions of the wires
being maintained by the ends of the wires being in contact with side plates.
Above the wires there is a short circular mandril of about the same size as the
inside of the finished ring and this mandril is carried by a slide which can be
operated by the foot or otherwise. The said mandril is caused to descend and
force the four wires into the groove in the bottom tool and thus forming the four
wires into somewhat the shape (when viewed edge ways) of the letter U. A top
tool having a hollow curved portion underneath is then caused to descend upon the
upwardly projecting ends of the wires and to close them down upon the mandril
thus bending all four wires into the required ring shape and planishing the said.
curved portions of the wires which form the front of the complete ring. The
ring is then removed from the mandril and the ends of the wires are soldered
together thus completing the ring.
Dated this 3rd day of August 1893.
CHARLES BOSWORTH KETLEY,
Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Tools or Appliances for Making Puzzle Rings.
I, THOMAS JOHN MILLWARD, of 8 Hockley Hill, Birmingham, Stamper and
Piercer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
This invention consists of the hereindescribed improvements in tools or appliances
for making puzzle rings for use as finger rings, scarf rings, bracelets, or serviette
rings, of that kind which are known as "Oriental puzzle rings" each of which
rings consists of four separate wire rings two of which are bent into a looped shape
at one part and the other two are bent at one part into a double curved shape, the
double curved parts of these two rings crossing and re-crossing each other and
forming together a figure somewhat like the figure 8 through the loops of which
the wires of the other two rings are threaded and interlaced so that when the main
portions of the four wire rings are closed together the puzzle ring is complete the
bent portions of each of the wire rings forming an ornamental interlaced front to
the ring and when the four rings have been disarranged it is very difficult to get
them into their correct positions again.
These puzzle rings are well known but heretofore they have usually been bent to the
required shape by pliers or other hand tools and thus the complete rings have been
comparatively costly but by the improved tools or appliances constituting this
invention I am enabled to manufacture the said puzzle rings at a much cheaper rate
than heretofore.

page_text: I will describe my invention by referring to the accompanying drawings on
which
Fig. 1 represents in front elevation one of the said puzzle rings made up of four
wires marked respectively A B C D shewn separately by Figs. 2, 3, 4 and 5 ;
Fig. 6 shews one of the wires A or B as it leaves the first pair of bending
tools and Fig. 7 shews one of the wires C or D as it leaves the first pair of its
bending tools;
Fig. 8 shews the four wires interlaced together and held together by clips ready
for bending into the form of a ring;
Fig. 9 represents in front elevation the top and bottom tools by which the straight
wires are bent into the form shewn by Fig. 6, and Fig. 10 is a plan of the
bottom tool ;
Fig. 11 shews the pair of top and bottom tools by which the straight wires
are bent into the form shewn by Fig. 7; Fig. 12 is a plan of the bottom tool of
the same;
Fig. 13 represents in inverted plan and in front and side elevation the top tool
and Fig. 14 represents in sectional elevation and in plan the bottom tool by which
the wire A shewn by Fig. 6 is bent into the form shewn by Fig. 2;
Fig. 15 represents in inverted plan and in sectional elevation the top tool and
Fig. 16 shews in sectional elevation and in plan the bottom tool by which the
wire B shewn by Fig. 6 is bent into the form shewn by Fig. 3;
Fig. 17 represents in inverted plan and in front and side elevations the top tool
and Fig. 18 shews in sectional elevation and in plan the bottom tool by which one
of the wires C shewn by Fig. 7 is bent into the form shewn by Fig. 4.
Fig. 19 shews in inverted plan and in front elevation the top tool and Fig. 20
shews in sectional elevation and in plan the bottom tool by which one of the wires D
shewn in Fig. 7 is bent into the form shewn by Fig. 5 ;
Fig. 21 is a front elevation of the rounding tools and Fig. 22 is a plan of the
bottom rounding tool by which the wires when interlaced as shewn in Fig. 8 are
closed round into the form of a ring ready for soldering; Fig. 23 is a sectional
side elevation of the said tools and
Fig. 24 shews the same parts as Fig. 21 but with the mandrel of the bottom.
tool pressed down bending the wires to the looped form as shewn ready for the
ends of the wires to be bent down and the top tool to descend upon them.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the figures of the'
drawings.
It will be seen that the ring shewn by Fig. 1 consists of four separate wire rings
marked respectively A B C and D two of which marked respectively C and D are
bent into a looped shape at one part and the other two A and B are bent into a
double curved shape, the double curved parts of these two rings crossing and
recrossing each other and forming figure somewhat like the figure 8 through
the loops of which the wires of the other two rings C and D are threaded and
interlaced as above described.
a
I will first describe the tools or appliances which are used for forming the two
wires for the rings A and B which are each bent into a double looped form and
which together form a figure somewhat like the figure 8. These tools are shewn by
Figs. 9 and 10 and they consist of a top tool E and a bottom tocl F for use in a
flypress or like machine the top tool having a projecting cross rib e¹ and a groove e³
and the bottom tool having a projecting cross rib f and a groove f' corre-
sponding with the double curved form which the straight wires to form the
rings A and B are required to take. I operate on several wires at once four of
these wires being shewn in Fig. 10 and marked A these wires being held side by
side by the hand or otherwise and placed between the top tool E and the bottom
tool F the gauge f³ against which the ends of the wires A abut regulating the
length of the wire beyond the grooves e in the tools. When the top tool E
descends the wires A are squeezed between the top tool E and the bottom tool F
and formed into the double looped shape shewn by Fig. 6 and at the same time they

page_text: are cut off to the necessary length by means of the cutting edges e³ f* formed on the
sides of the two tools E and F respectively.
. The wires thus formed have now to be notched at several points of their double
curved parts where in the complete ring they cross each other and where the other
two rings C and D cross them, some of these wires (Fig. 6) being notched to form
the wires A and others being notched to form the wires B. This notching of the
wires is the next process and the notching of the wires A to the form shewn in
Fig. 2 is effected by means of the top tool G and bottom tool H, Figs. 13 and 14,
the bottom tool having a groove h' across it in which the double curved wire A will
lie and having also indentations h h h in the groove corresponding with the
parts aaa where the wires A are required to be indented as shewn in Fig. 2. The
punch or top tool G has a curved rib g₁ corresponding with the curved groove h¹ in
the bottom tool H and with the wire A and has also small projections marked
respectively g' 9³ 9' where the indentations a' a³ a' are required in the wire A. The
wire A to be indented as stated above is placed in the groove in the bottom
tool H then when the top tool D descends its projections g³ g³ 9 force portions of
the wire into the indentations h³ in the bottom tool H and thus form the
necessary indentations on the wires A.
The wires B are similarly formed by the tool shewn in Figs. 15 and 16 from the
wire shewn by Fig. 6. It will be seen that these tools consist of a top tool I and a
bottom tool the said bottom tool having a groove j' in which the double curved
wire shewn by Fig. 6 will lie and having also indentations in the groovej¹
corresponding with the parts b' where the wire B is indented. The punch or
top tool I has a curved rib corresponding with the curved groove; and has
also small projections where the indentations 62 63 are required in the wire.
One of the wires shewn by Fig. 6 to be indented as stated above is placed in the
groove in the bottom tool J and then when the top tool I descends its pro-
jections force portions of the wires into the indentations in the bottom
tool J and thus form the necessary indentations 62 63 on the wire B as shewn in
Fig. 3.
The wires to form the other two rings C and D are bent into the necessary
looped forms shewn by Fig. 7 by means of top and bottom tools K and L, see
Figs. 11 and 12, somewhat similar to the tools E and F one of the tools say the
bottom tool L only having a groove l' corresponding with the loop of the wire shewn
in Fig. 7 and the other tool having a projecting rib k¹ to fit into this groove " so
that when the wires are as shewn in Figs. 11 and 12 placed on the bottom tool L
the top tool K descends and the wires are bent into the necessary looped form
shewn by Fig. 7 and by the cutting edges k they are cut off to the required
length.
The
The wires thus formed as shewn by Fig. 7 are then indented where required by
the tools shewn in Figs. 17, 18, 19 and 20 which are somewhat similar to the tools
above described as used for indenting the two wires A and B. That is to say the
top tool M and bottom tool N are used for indenting the wire C at the parts c³ ³
the bottom tool N having an indented groove n' and the top tool M having a
curved rib m¹ corresponding with the shape of the wires C shewn in Fig. 4.
top tool O and bottom tool P are used for indenting one of the wires D shewn in
Fig. 7 into the form shewn by Fig. 5; that is to say the bottom tool P is made
with an indented groove p¹ and the top tool O is made with a curved rib o¹
corresponding with the shape of the wire D shewn in Fig. 5 so that when one of
the wires shewn by Fig. is placed in the groove p¹ and the top tool O is caused
to descend upon it the wire D will be indented at a' d' as shewn in Fig. 5.
Having indented the four wires A B C D to the form shewn in Figures 2, 3, 4
and 5 they are then placed together side by side as shewn in Fig. 8 so that their
curved portions are interlaced as in the complete ring small sheet metal clips g' q²
being used to keep the wires in place. The ends of the wires are then sheared off
quite straight so that all the four wires shewn in Fig. 8 will be of the same length.
now proceed to form the four wires Fig. 8 into the ring shape which I do by the

page_text: rounding tools shewn in Figs. 21, 22, 23 and 24. I place these four wires as shewn.
in Fig. 8 across an almost semicircular groove r¹ in the bottom tool R the curved
or looped portions of the wires which form the front of the ring being immediately
above the groove in the bottom tool R the exact positions of the wires being
maintained by the ends of the wires being in contact with the stop and by the
cross groove in which the wires lie this cross groove being continued round
the semicircular groove r¹. Above the wires there is a short circular mandrel S.
of about the same size as the inside of the finished ring and this mandrel is fixed
to and carried by the slide s¹ the lower end of which is by preference connected by
a wire to a treadle underneath the press so that the mandrel can be pulled down
by the pressure of the foot. This treadle and connection to the slide S are not
shewn upon the drawing but they are of ordinary construction. The coiled
spring t causes the mandrel S to rise after it has been depressed and the mandrel S
is prevented from turning by the stems' being made square or of other angular
form and fitting in a hole of corresponding shape in the bottom tool R. The
mandrel S is caused to descend and force the four wires A B C D into the
groover in the bottom tool R as shewn in Fig. 24 thus forming the four wires
into somewhat the shape when viewed edgeways of the letter U. The upwardly
projecting end portions of the wires are then by the operators fingers bent over the
mandrel S and then the top tool U having a hollow curved portion u' underneath
is caused to descend upon the ends of the wires and to close them down upon the
mandrel S thus bending all four wires into the required ring shape and planishing
the curved or looped portions of the wires which form the front of the complete
ring. The ring in this state is then removed from the mandrel and the ends of the
wires are soldered together thus completing the ring ready for gilding or otherwise.
finishing.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
:-
The hereindescribed improved tools or appliances for use in making puzzle rings
of the kind herein referred to, the said tools or appliances being constructed and
adapted to operate on the wires in the ways substantially as herein before described
and illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 3rd day of May 1894.
CHARLES BOSWORTH KETLEY,
Agent for the Applicant.