CHAINE D'ORNEMENT

ORNAMENTAL CHAIN

Abrégé anglais

An ornamental chain comprises links constituted by
rings which are linked among themselves with the type of work
called of the "curb chain" type, double, triple, quadruple,
quintuple, dovetail type and other commonly known type work. The
rings are shaped so as to present a profile which makes it much
easier from reciprocally becoming one adjacent to the other and
the rings are subjected to operations of compression and beating
in a gradual manner,

Revendications

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:
1) An ornamental chain which comprises links formed by rings,
said rings being linked amongst themselves with a type of work
called of the "curb chain type", double, triple, quadruple,
quintuple, having a dove tail and other commonly known types,
characterized by the fact that rings (3),(4) and (5) are shaped
in such a manner to present a profile which makes the reciprocal
approach easier and characterized by the fact that the said rings
have been subjected to the operation of compression and beating
of the gradual type.
2) The chain according to claim 1 characterized by the fact that
said chain has several elements and a surface and on said surface
broached bands are formed, said bands are one next to the other,
and offset with respect one to the other, and said surface is
free of discontinuity or spaces between one element and the next
element of said chain.
3) The chain according to one or more of the preceding claims
characterized by the fact that the rings which constitute the
chain are made of a thread, said rings are empty or solid, flat
or convex, made of precious metal or non-precious metal and they
are obtained with alloys of different colors, different diameter
of said thread and different shape.

4) The chain according to one or more of the preceding claims
characterized by the fact that said chain has a profile, the
profile is of the degrade type and has variation of the
dimensions in at least one direction of the length and in the
direction of the thickness, the chain has a different profile in
different portions and the profile joins said portions gradually.
5) The chain according to one or more of the preceding claims
characterized by the fact that said chain has a surface and said
surface is glazed, similar to a diamond, is brushed or is
embellished with coined designs or designs pressed thereon.
6) The chain according to one or more of the preceding claims
characterized by the fact that it offers a transversal
cross-section of the flat type.
7) The chain according to one or more of the preceding claims
characterized by the fact that it has a transversal cross-section
of the convex type.
8) The chain according to one or more of the preceding claims
characterized by the fact that it has in the interior thereof a
section having constant width and two portions symmetrically
opposite to one another, said two portions being reciprocally
joined, both said portions having an increasing or decreasing
profile.

9) The chain according to one or more of the preceding claims
characterized by the fact that it has two portions symmetrically
opposite one to the other with an increasing or decreasing
profile and a portion of a constant width is interposed between
said two portions.
10) A chain according to one or more of the preceding claims
characterized by the fact that it has a plurality of portions
having increasing or decreasing profile.

Description

i ~ 21 72784
FIELD OF THE INv~LloN
The present invention relates to an ornamental chaln according to
cla~ m L .
BACKGROUND OF TEE lNV~:NLlON
It is known that one of the production steps in the man~facture
of the ch~;ns which are used in the jewelry field consists of
providin~ small rin~s, particularly shaped rings, which are then
linked together ~orming a chain and the chain has a particular
conformation according to the manner how the s~all rings are
Linked together. The chain which is obtained ls then subjected
to two operations of ~ell known type, that is, a compresslon and
beating.
With the operations mentioned hereinabove, there are obtained
some band~ s~bstantially flat in which the original links which
have been formed by link~n~ ~he ~mall ring~ together are
transformed in band~ one next to the other which are broach~d and
sLightly of~set one with respect ~o ~he other thus achieving a
particular ae~thetic e~fect
With the operation~ of compression and beating which are carried
out by means of the apparatuses and the processe~ known ~t
present, there is obtained as a flnal res~lt a semi-~inished
prod~ct in the shape of a chain in which the broached bands in

21 72784
.
addition to being offset one with re~pect to the o~her, are
placed one next to the other but in a wanner according ~o which
they do not perfectly mate one with respect to the other.
Therefore, there are present bet~een each ~lement and ~he next
one which constitute each single band, some spaces which even of
a smaller size are visible and decrease the final aesthetic
effect.
SUMMARY OF THE l~v~ oN
~n object of the present invention is to provide a semi-finished
product ~hich con3titutes an orn~en~al chain, in whlch the chai~
after having gone through the operations of compression and
beating, has the surface either flat or slightly convex,
depending upon the production requirements and on the surface of
the chain it is not possible to see with a normal observation any
discontinuity or any space between one element and the next
element of the same chain so that a uniformity is achieved whlch
gives in this manner ~o the product an aesthetic resul~ which is
novel with respect to the results which have been obtained with
sim~lar chains.
The cruY~ of the present invention resides in the fact ~hat the
small rings which consti~ute the link~ are shaped in such a
manner that they present a profile which makes the reciprocal
approach easier and permit the opera~ions of co~pression and
beating to be of the gradual type, that is by continuously

21 72784
modifying the work parameters of the operating machine to ensure
the reciprocal approach of the elements which constltute the
lin~s in a perfect and tota~ manner.
The operations of compression and beating which are carried out
in z gradual ~nner permit i~ addition to the use of links of
different diæmeter of ~he thread and different ~im~nsions of the
rlngs, to obtain a semi-finished product for the production of
ch~in~ of the "degrade"' type that i~ chain which presents
variatlons of the dimensions only in the direction of the length,
and also in the thickness direction.
A further and important aesthetic effect is achie~ed in ~iew of
the uniformity characterlstic of the surface with the process
according to th~ present invention,that rings F~-y be used with
alloys of different colors, these rings belng positioned either
in ~ spread manner or in such a manner to con~titute sections or
portions of the chain.
By using a particular conformatlon of the flat or convex band
ob~ained with the operations of compression and beating of the
gradual type, and e~hibiting sections of diff~rent width, one
obta~ns an ornamental product constltuted by necklaces and
bracelets, products being consti~uted by a central portion of the
chain having a width which is greater with respect to the two
lateral sections which close the chain~ and one also provides
that the po~ions of the chain which join the ~ame s~ctions

21 72784
,~
having a different wid~h have a profile which cradually ~oins the
later sections.
Another po~ible conformation of the chain of the presen~
invention con~is~ o' the fact that the chain presents in the
interior of a section havi~g constant length two or more portions
symmetrically opposite one to the other and reciprocally joined,
both having a profile which increase6 or decreases, these
sections having different length, different wid~h and different
inclination of the profile with respect to the axis.
~rther, it should be stressed that the invention covers all the
types of chain capable of undergoing the operations of
compression and beating such as the curb chain type, the double,
the triple, the quadruple, quintuple, t~e type having fo~ tail,
etc. and the surface of ~he chain may be glazed, siwilar to a
diam~nd, brushed or embelli~hed with different designs which may
be minted or pressed in different processes.
Finally, for the purpose of ~anu~acturing the chain of the
present invention, any type of metal may be used, 2 precio~s
metal as well as non-precious metal and the ring~ may be empty or
solid.
Ihe above as well as other characLeristics of the invention will
become more e~ident by reference to the accompanying drawings of

2 1 72784
~hich~
Fig. 1 illustrates a first type of l;nking of the chain prior to
the compression operation.
~ig. 2 illustrates a transversal cross-section according to line
II-II' of Fig. 1 of the chain ~ade with rings of ~he flat type.
Fig. 3 illustrates a transversal cros~-~ection according to line
II-II' of Fig. 1 of the chain made with rings of ~he convex type.
Fig. 4 illustrates a second type of l;nking of the chain prior to
the compression operation.
Fig. 5 is a side view of the chain of Fig. ~.
Fig. 6 is a transversal cross-section according to line VI-VI of
Fig. 4 of the chain m~de with rings of the flat type.
Fig. 7 illustrates a view of the surface of the chain of the
invention after a beating operation.
Fig. 8 illustrates a side view of the chain of the inven~ion
alter the beating operation.
~ig. 9 illustrates a view of the surface of the chain of the type
"degrade"' after the beating operation.

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~ig. 10 is--a side view of the chain of Fig. 9.
Fig. 11 illustrates a view of the surface of the chain of the
type having a flat &ectlon or a convex section after the bea~ing
operation.
Fig. 12 illuitrates a side view of the chain of Fig. 11.
As it is shown in Figs. 1-6, the c~ n~ 1 and Z are made by using
rings differently shaped and differently linked together, in
particular wi~h fla~ rings 3 and con~e~ rings 4, in order to
form the chain of figures 1,2,3 which is commonly called Ihe
'lempty curb chain" type and ring6 5 to form the chain of Fios.
4-6 which is commonly called the "solid curb chain" type.
Due to the particular conformation of the rings.and ~ubj ecting
the chain obtained with the above mentloned rings to the
opera~ions of c~mpress;on and beating of the gradual type which
constitutes the main characteristic of the process of this
invention, one obtains at the end of the process semi-finished
works 6, 7 and 8 of the type shown in Figs. 7, 9 and 11 in the
upper view and Figs. 8, 10, and 12 in the side view.
As shown in the above figures, the chain after the opera~ions of
compres~ion and beating is transformed in a band which is flat or
slightly conve~ in ~hich the rings are transformed in elements 6,
7 and 8, which in addition to forming bands which are broached

2 1 72784
and pu~ one a~jacent to the other, offer the characteristlc of
~eing per~ectly mating, a fact which constitutes the
characteris~ic of the product.

Dessin représentatif