IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BRACELETS
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Auguste Lion, Jeweller, of the City of Paris, in the
Republic of France, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE
OF BRACELETS.”
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Auguste Lion at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 12th September 1877.
"IM-
AUGUSTE LION, Jeweller, of the City of Paris, in the Republic of France.
PROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BRACELETS."
My improvements in the manufacture of bracelets are as follows:-They may be
made either of gold, silver, or other metal. I take a band of gold, for example, of
any desired width, and I roll or fold it so as to form a square tube, as shown, Fig. 1,
or in any other shape. This tube a, the length of which may be as required, is
filled with copper during the manufacture, and turned on a mandril of the shape of
the arm; this mandril may be cylindrical or slightly conical.
When the tube a is turned on the mandril it constitutes a variable number of
spirals which may be separated to fix the bracelet in winding it round the arm, as
shown, Fig. 2. During this operation the spirals b are separated one from the other
and form a spring when the bracelet is on the arm, as shown, Fig. 3.
In removing it, the spirals b are turned in the opposite direction, as shown,
Fig. 4. It will be seen in these two Figures that the two edges c of the tube a,
folded or rolled, are not soldered, to allow of twisting round the arm without
deforming the bracelet.
When the tube a is shaped as shown, Fig. 1, the edges c follow a straight line;
but the tube may be twisted its whole length, as shown, Fig. 5, so that the
edges c¹ form a screw unsoldered round the tube. I also employ a band of metal d,
Fig. 6, and turn it like a screw round a shaft of copper e which produces the same
effect.
Fig. 7, shows a tube f surrounded by another tube or thread of metal, hollow or
solid forming a ansing

page_text: Bracelets thus made may also be provided with various modes of fastening
to maintain (if desired) the spirals 6 close to each other when the bracelet is on the
arm.
The copper inside the tubes during manufacture is afterwards removed by acids
when the bracelet is completed.
My improvements consist,-
1st. In manufacturing bracelets turned in spirals on mandrils, the number of
spirals being varied, and which form a spring to be separated one from the other to
turn them round the arm.
2nd. The spirals are, by preference, made with a tube, whose edges, not being
soldered, are straight or turned like a screw; they may be made with a band of
metal turned screw fashion on a shaft.
The tube forming the bracelet may be ornamented in any manner,
and may
be
enveloped by any kind of chain known in jewelry to which it serves as body and
support.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Auguste Lion in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 9th March
1878.
AUGUSTE LION, Jeweller, of the City of Paris, in the Republic of France.
PROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BRACELETS."
"IM-
The improvements in bracelets, forming the subject of the present Invention,
relate to those made in gold, platinum, silver, or plated, or in any other metal,
the mode of placing the bracelet on the arm being due to the peculiar construction
thereof.
In the construction, I take a sheet of gold, for example, either plain or open
worked, which is either rolled or folded lengthwise so as to form a square tube,
see Fig. 1, or round, as in Fig. 2, or any other suitable shape, by passing it through
a draw plate or other suitable contrivance. This tube, more or less in length,
is open or split throughout its length, and may be filled with copper to facilitate
manufacture and the turning thereof on a mandril, either oval, cylindrical, conical,
or other form, according to the shape desired to be given to the bracelet.
When the tube a, Fig. 1, has been turned on the mandril and that the bracelet
is made, the copper can be removed from the interior by means of acids which
corrode it. The tube thus shaped into a bracelet presents a variable number of
spirals; it is tempered, and the spirals b, Fig. 3, form a spring, and they may
be separated one from the other so as to turn the bracelet round the arm when
worn.
When on the arm and let alone all the spirals 6, which form the spring, rest in
their normal position, as shown, Fig. 4.
In withdrawing it from the arm, the first spiral is held as shown, Fig. 5, and the
spirals are turned the opposite way off the arm.
It will be seen that in the Figures 1, 3, and 5, the two edges c of the tube forming
the spires b are not soldered; this it is which allows the twisting of the spirals of
the spring without deforming the bracelet; these edges c form a straight fissure,

page_text: but the tube may be twisted like that a, Fig. 2, the fissure of which e is a screw
round the tube.
When the slit is straight, Fig. 1, it may appear on a face or angle, but if the slit
is turned like a screw, like Fig. 2, it is visible on all the faces. In this case I can
replace the tube by a band of metal f, Fig. 6, screw-turned on a copper shaft
which produces the same result as Fig. 2; I can also turn outside the tubes, Figs. 1
and 2, or outside the band, Fig. 6, a band of metal open-worked of a similar or
different metal.
g
The tubes, Figs. 1, 2, and 6, may remain plain, but whilst still full of copper I
can, before turning them to bracelets, pass them in drawing plates to produce striæ
or small straight channels h, Fig. 7, which preserve this position; then if the tube
is twisted lengthwise, the small channels or grooves which were straight become
screw shaped. I can also modify the form of the section of the tube by the same
means.
Fig. 8 shows a bracelet made with a tube similar to that, Fig. 2; the edges e
which form the fissure screw form are not soldered, and the number of spirals h¹
vary according to the length of tube employed.
Fig. 9 shows a bracelet with a single row or single spiral forming a spring, the
ends of which cross, but may be simply end to end to form a circle; this bracelet
consists of two tubes i, j, fixed one against the other, of different forms, one is round,
the other triangular, both of the same metal or of different metals.
Fig. 10 shows a tube k split throughout its length and surrounded by one or
several small tubes 1, hollow or plain, forming spirals in the same or different
metals.
The several split tubes which serve in the manufacture of these new bracelets in
spirals forming springs, may have various forms, as shown m, n, o, p, q, Fig. 11,
or may be of other shapes. These tubes instead of being straight lengthways may
form a broken or undulated form.
Fig. 12 shows two split tubes y, z, twisted together like a rope. The bracelets
may be engraved, milled, chased, with or without stones, and the spirals forming
springs may serve as internal soul to all kinds of hollow chains for forming bracelets.
They may be made as shown, Fig. 4, and tempered either with the spirals closed or
open, and a fastening of some kind used to keep the spirals b secured.
Fig. 13 shows a bracelet with plater soldered to the spiral 8, with fissure t and
hole u for the passage of a button with head v fixed to the spiral x.
Fig. 14 shows a bracelet with a plate ¹ mounted with a hinge on the spiral s¹,
with a button v¹, on which the hook t¹ engages, soldered against the spiral x'.
It suffices to press diametrically on the spirals 8 or x to engage or disengage the
fastening.
Fig. 15 shows a bracelet turned spirally, formed by means of a split tube passed
through a drawing plate for making longitudinal grooves; the tube has then been
twisted so as to give a helicoidal form to the grooves; it is then passed a second time
trough the plate to produce other grooves crossing the first; the tube is again twisted
and a kind of facets produced forming louzenges.
Fig. 16 shows a bracelet twisted spirally, made of a split tube, striated or grooved
on the part which is to form the exterior of the bracelet, and plain on the part where
the slit c is, and being the inside of the bracelet.
Fig. 17 shows a spiral bracelet made of several ends of tubes A, each one forming
part of a spiral, articulated one on the other to the points B, and provided internally
in the direction of each articulation, with a spiral spring or its equivalent to lead
and maintain the spirals.
I consider as an important feature,—
1st. The new bracelets turned spirally, the spirals of which form a spring capable
of being separated and wound, and returning to their normal position when the
bracelet is on the arın, which results are produced by using in their manufacture
hollow tubes with fissures in a direct line, especially as shown by Figs. 1, 3, 5,
and 16, or in screws, as shown, Figs. 2, 6, 7, 8, and 15, considering that this slit

page_text: is the principal cause which allows the spirals to be bent without deforming the
bracelet, and that they constitute the elasticity which returns the spirals to their
normal position.
2nd. The various dispositions of bracelets either with or without the closing or
locking organ described, and illustrated in the Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Auguste Lion, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Second day of March, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-eight.
AUGUSTE LION.
(L.S)