Patent Application
20090272147
This invention relates to a method of stringing beads and more particularly to a crimpless method and an article thereof.
For thousands of years, jewelry has been treasured and has symbolized wealth and social status. Today, many fashion minded youth and adults enjoy jewelry making as a hobby, a source of income, and a means for reducing the cost of acquiring jewelry.
Beads and bracelets are the most popular and widely used forms of jewelry. A variety of ornamental beads, charms, and pendants; clasps and tools for stringing beads are available in shops and on the internet. As used herein, “jewels” are intended to include such articles as beads, pearls, semi and semi-precious stones, pendants and charms.
Jewels are strung on a variety of cords and wires, including, nylon cords, silk cords and beading wire. Cords and wires differ in diameter and strength. Stranded wire is preferred because of its strength, particularly in small diameter sizes. It is also easy to use.
Beading wire is available in a variety of sizes and materials, including, nickel-silver, brass, silver, gold, gold-filled, and gold or silver plated solid copper wire. Most beading wire is nylon coated stranded steel wire. Various methods for retaining beads, pendants, earrings, findings, charms and clasps on jewelry wire exist in the art.
Kahle U.S. Pat. No. 1,771,125; Kanno U.S. Pat. No. 4,907,322; Yokochi U.S. Pat. No. 5,398,391; and Hofer U.S. Pat. No. 7,036,338 are exemplary of methods of locating and retaining beads, findings and clasps on wire in the prior art. Kahle U.S. Pat. No. 1,771,125 discloses a retainer on a stranded steel wire with a small set screw; Yokochi U.S. Pat. No. 5,398,391 discloses a retainer fixed to stranded steel wire with a pin; Hofer U.S. Pat. No. 7,036,338 discloses a string of beads that are connected with plastic threads or stranded wire and an adhesive.
The most common method of stringing beads and attaching findings and clasps is by crimping hollow metal beads and tubes on to jewelry wire. Crimping has several shortcomings. One drawback is poor reliability. A second drawback is poor appearance. A third drawback is wire breakage. A fourth drawback is inconsistent results. A fifth drawback is difficulty in accurately positioning crimping beads and tubes. Heretofore, twists, knots and ties have not been popular on beading wire. As used herein, “jewels” are intended to include beads, pendants and charms.
The present invention overcomes the shortcomings of crimping. It eliminates crimping beads and tubes and provides numerous other benefits over the prior art. One benefit is that it eliminates crimping and crimping covers. One other benefit of the invention is that it is easy to use. Another benefit is that it can be practiced by the visually impaired. Another benefit is that it does not require special tools. Another benefit is that it reduces the time and cost for stringing beads. Another feature is that it eliminates the exposed wire ends that scratch and annoy necklace owners. Another benefit is that it eliminates head pins.
The invention resides in its ability to eliminate crimping in jewelry. The method substitutes twists and knots for crimping beads and tubes. The method is based on a small diameter stranded austenitic stainless steel wire that is characterized by high tensile strength and ductility. In a preferred embodiment, the wire is a nylon coated stranded austenitic stainless steel nylon coated wire. One property of the wire is its tensile strength within a range of 285,000 to 305,000 psi. Another property is its high ductility.
An important feature of the wire is that small radii can be formed in the wire without over stressing or breaking the wire. This feature allows twists and knots to be located close to beads, charms, clasps and pendants and excess wire to be removed from knots and twists without unraveling the knots and twists. One benefit of this feature is that beads, charms, clasps and pendants can be accurately located adjacent to knots and twists in the wire. As will be later understood, the disclosed method of stringing jewelry is suitable for right and left handed persons.
In employing the teaching of the present invention, a plurality of alternate constructions can be provided to achieve the desired results and capabilities. In this disclosure, some alternate constructions are discussed. However, these embodiments are intended as examples and should not be considered as limiting the scope of our invention.
Further objects, benefits and characterizing features of the invention will become apparent from the ensuing detailed description and drawings which illustrate and describe the invention. The best mode which is contemplated in practicing the invention together with the manner of using the invention are disclosed and the property in which exclusive rights are claimed is set forth in each of a series of numbered claims at the conclusion of the detailed description.
The invention will be better understood and further objects, characterizing features, details and advantages thereof will appear more clearly with reference to the diagrammatic drawings illustrating a presently preferred specific embodiment of the invention by way of non-limiting example only.
Referring now to the drawings wherein like numerals designate like and corresponding parts throughout the several views, in
In the place of crimping beads and tubes, a wire 21 is tightly bent, twisted and knotted in a series of steps and procedures. A preferred wire 21 is a triple strand 0.015 inch diameter 1×3 nylon coated Type 403 austenitic stainless steel wire 21 with a heat number of 733497 or a wire with equivalent physical properties. The designated wire 21 is available at “5 Star Cable Company” of Rochester Hills, Mich. Deviations from the designated wire 21 that have been tested have failed to provide the desired results. The ductility and tensile strength of the designated wire 21 are high. The heat number, tensile strength and percent composition by weight are as follows:
With reference to
It is important to note that in all the steps described herein, as shown in
With reference to step #6 (
In
With reference to
Steps #20 to #24 show the steps in making a head needle 30, i.e. a needle, in this case, with a knot 31 that simulates a bead at an end of the wire 21. As shown in step #20, in an initial step the beading wire is bent into the small radius 24. In step #21, the ends of the wire 21 are grasped with opposite hands, and the wire 21 is crossed over and tied into a slip knot 32. In step #22, the knot 32 is tightened by pulling both ends of the wire 21. In step #23, excess wire 21 on the end of the knot 32 is removed with the pair of cutting pliers 25. The finished head needle 30 is shown in step #24. In step #25 beads 23 are shown on the head needle 30.
In
In step #31, the wire 21 is loosely tied into a knot with the bead 23 on the wire 21. In step #31, the loosely tied knot 32 is moved along the wire 21 toward the small radius 24 in the wire 21 at the bead 23. In step #32, the knot 32 is tightened. One unexpected result which is non-obvious is that when the knot 32 is tightened it positions itself exactly in the bend 24 of the wire 21. This places the tight knot 33 adjacent to the bead 23 which is the desired result.
From the foregoing, it is apparent that our invention provides an improved method for stringing beads on stranded wire with numerous important benefits over the prior art. One important benefit is that it eliminates the crimping of hollow beads and tubes. Another important benefit is that it reduces the time and cost for making jewelry. Further important benefits are that it is easy to use, can be practiced by handicapped persons and is independent of whether a person is right or left handed.
Although only several embodiments of our invention have been described, it is not our intention to limit the scope of our invention to these embodiments, since it is obvious that other embodiments can be derived by changes that are obvious to persons skilled in the art without departing from the spirit thereof.
