IMPROVEMENTS IN FINGER-RINGS AND SIMILAR ARTICLES "
Year: 1882

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Robert John La Grange at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 2nd August 1882.
ROBERT JOHN LA GRANGE, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of
America, but now of St. Leonards-on-sea in the County of Sussex, Gentleman.
IMPROVEMENTS IN FINGER-RINGS AND SIMILAR ARTICLES
"
My Invention relates to a finger, scarf or other ring whose bow is adapted to bo
expanded and contracted for adjusting the size of the ring by means of a pinion
which is properly mounted on the ring and engages with a rack or racks formed
with, or secured to, the bow, the construction being hereinafter fully set forth.
It also relates to means for locking the operating mechanism of the expansible
and contractile bow by the head of the ring.
In carrying the said invention into practice the how of the ring is formed
partly of hollow or grooved segments or sections which are connected with the
head portion on opposite sides, and of an expansible and contractile band whose
ends pass through the said sections and openings in the sides of the head portion,
said ends having formed with, or secured to, them, racks whichare accessible within
said head portion.
To the socket of the head portion to which the head proper is attached is
mounted a pinion which is adapted to engage with the rack or racks of the band
and said pinion may be arranged vertically or horizontally and its post is squared
or angular so as to be engaged by a key or suitable implement, whereby the pinion
may be rotated and the ends of the band thereby moved in and out of the head
portion, thus contracting or expanding the band and adjusting the size of the bow
of the ring.
Each end of the band may be provided with a rack so disposed that the pinion
engages with both racks, whereby both ends of the band are simultaneously moved
in opposite directions, or one end of the band may be fixed to either the head
portion or one section and the other end have a ruck which alone is engaged by
the pinion.
The rack may be formed on the inner side of the end of the band or on the
upper or lower face of said band. The rack may be formed within the edges of
the side of the band, leaving a slot for the post of the pinion, and it is obvious
that the construction or arrangement of the neck may be varied,

page_text: The head is connected with the socket either by being hinged to the latter, screw-
threaded, or furnished with catches or other means, whereby the head may be
securely held in position and afterwards raised or entirely removed as desired. On
the underside of the head is forined an angular socket which is adapted to receive
the head of the post of the pinion when arranged vertically, or said head may
-have secured to it, on its underside, a downwardly projecting teat or stud which
engages with one of the teeth of the pinion when arranged horizontally.
When the bow is to be moved for adjusting the size of the ring to the finger,
scarf, or other object on which it is worn, the head is raised or removed. This
relieves the head of the post of the holding action of the socket of the head of the
ring, or teeth of the pinion of the holding action of the stud. The pinion is then
operated by a suitable key, and when the adjustment of the bow is completed, the
head is restored and thus again holds the pinion, whereby the adjustment of the
bow or ring is preserved.
It is evident that the rack may be of the form of a worm, and the pinion that
of a worm wheel, which being properly arranged and mounted may move one or
both ends of the bow, similar to the rack and pinion previously described.
The contiguous faces of the head and socket may be tongued or grooved or
serrated, and the head has attached to it the post of the pinion, and is capable of
being drawn out from the socket, the effect of which is to disengage the serrated
faces of the head and socket without disengaging the pinion and rack. The pinion
may then be operated by rotating the head and when the bow is adjusted the
head is returned to its normal position by means of a spring which encircles the
post of the pinion and bears against the pinion, and a cross bar within the socket
above said pinion, the serrated face as aforesaid again being interlocked and thus
the parts retain their adjusted positions.
It will be seen that by the employment of the pinion and engaging rack or
racks, the bow may be adjusted with ease and nicety and the head of the ring
conceals said pinion and rack. When the pinion has a horizontal position, an
opening is forined in the wall of the socket for access to the post of the pinion and
insertion of the operating key, but said opening may be concealed by a small slide
or left exposed as desired.
or cover,