GB1587353A

GB1587353A - Jewellery article

Info

Publication number: GB1587353A
Application number: GB593878A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: BRACELON B HAM Ltd
Current assignee: BRACELON B HAM Ltd
Priority date: 1978-02-15
Filing date: 1978-02-15
Publication date: 1981-04-01

Description

(54) A NEW OR IMPROVED JEWELLERY ARTICLE (71) We, BRACELON (B'HAM) LIMITED, a British Company of 36 Hylton Street, Birmingham, do hereby declare the invention for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement:- This invention relates to articles of jewellery.

The invention may be applied to a pendant, charm or other jewellery element which is, or -forms part of an article of jewellery. Such an element is hereinafter called a "jewellery element of the type specified".

It is an object of the invention to provide a new or improved jewellery element of the type specified which is also a functional key blank. The invention has further objects of providing a jewellery element which is also a functional key and a method of making such jewellery elements.

The expression "key-blank" has its usual meaning in this specification, namely, a member including an elongate end portion having a profile such that it can be slid into a lock of a particular type (for example a YALE type of cylinder pin tumbler lock, herein called a YALE lock) through the similarly profiled face plate thereof. The blank may then be machined along one, or for some types of locks along both longi tudinal edges to form tumbler-engageable formations to operate a specific compatible lock of the type fitted by the blank.

The word YALE is a Registered Trade Mark.

according to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a jewellery element of the - type specified formed of a precious metal (as herein defined) in the shape of- a key-blank and having an elongate profiled end portion capable of having tumbler-engageable for mations provided thereon by machining; the blank, or at least said elongate profiled end portion, being of sufficient hardness and flexural strength for ultimate use as a key.

The remainder of the blank, other than the profiled end portion, may be decorated. For -example, it may have a decoration stamped, engraved or etched thereon, may be inlaid with stones or enamelled.

The invention further provides a jewellery element of the type specified in the form of a functional key and comprising a jewellery element as set out above having a plurality of tumbler-engageable formations machined on said profiled end portion thereof.

Another aspect of the invention provides a method of making a jewellery element of the type - specified in the form of a functional key-blank or key comprising taking a strip of precious metal (as herein defined); treating said strip by annealing and rolling to produce a strip of sufficient hardness and flexural strength for ultimate use as a key; and blank ing - off and stamping the strip to form a plurality of jewellery elements each including an elongate profiled end portion.

The blanking off may be a separate step or may be simultaneous with the stamping operation.

Subsequent operations may be performed on the blank to provide decoration. For example, the blank may be stamped, engraved or etched, inlaid with stones or enamelled A "precious metal" is defined in this speci fiction as being a metal selected from - Gold, Silver or Platinum or an alloy containing a major proportion of one of these metals to gether with one or more other alloying con siltuents and capable of passing assay for Hall Marking.

A preferred composition is a Silver/Copper -alloy having a composition of approximately 92-5% Silver dnd a minimum total Silver and Copper content of 99.95( The raw consti- tuents of the alloy are preferably selected such that the Silver has a minimum purity of -99 95% and the Copper a minimum purity of 99.9007.

The step of treating the strip preferably includes a final anneal when the strip has a thickness of 12-2 millimetres, followed by rolling down to a thickness of 2-16 milli metres.

A pendant embodying the invention will now be described in more detail byway of example only with reference to the accompanying drawing.

The jewellery article shown is a pendant generally indicated at 10 in the shape of a cross having a decorated upper portion 11 and a lower elongate end portion generally indi cated at 12 which, as shown, is in the form of the tumbler-engageable part of a key.

The lower elongate portion 12 includes a pair of shoulders 15. Additionally, the portion 12 is profiled by stamping a pair of grooves 13, 14, on each face of the blank. The profile is such as to enable the portion 12 to be slid into a lock of a particular type through a similarly profiled face plate thereof. This profile is similar in form to that of conven tional "YALE" type key, in the example shown.

The pendant shown has been cut from a blank, the dimensions of which are indicated in dotted lines at 16 on the drawing. It will be seen that the grooves 13 and 14 extend com pletely down through the original blank, which is of constant profile to fit a particular type of lock, in this case a YALE lock.

Tumbler-engageable formations 17 are machined onto the original blank, removing part of the metal, and thereby producing a key which will fit a specific compatible lock.

The upper portion 11 of the pendant is decorated in any chosen manner, for example by means of stamping, engraving, etching, inlaying with stones or enamelling. In the example shown, the portion 11 takes the form of a cross but it could also comprise a disc, trefoil, star, flower or other decorative motif. An eyelet 18 is provided so that the pendant can be hung from a chain. Alter natively, the invention could be applied to a different type of jewellery article, for example a bracelet charm.

Hitherto, so far as we are aware, jewellery articles of precious metal have not been pro vided in the form of a key except purely as a decorative article, without functional effec tiveness. This is because precious metals generally speaking do not have sufficient hardness and flexural strength to enable them to operate successfully in a lock.

The present invention is based on the use of a precious metal (as herein defined) which, although capable of passing assay for Hall Marking, is of sufficient hardness and flexural strength to make a functional key.

A preferred composition is a Silver/Copper alloy which has a composition of approxi mately 92 5% Silver, the total Silver and Copper content together forming a minimum of 99-95% of the alloy. This is achieved by selecting the raw constituents of the alloy such that the Silver has a minimum purity of 99 95 /O and the Copper a minimum purity of 99.90%, and alloying these constituents to gether.

The material is formed into an ingot and then rolled down to strip having a finished thickness of 2-16 millimetres, plus or minus 005 millimetres. The process is carried out to give a final Vickers hardness of 200 HV i 10 pts. This is achieved by giving the material a final anneal when it is 12-2 millimetres thick and then rolling to the finished thickness of 216 millimetres, that is, about one-sixth of the thickness at annealing.

The strip is then formed into key blanks by a blanking off operation which may be simultaneous with or may precede a stamping operation which applies the profile to the elongate end portion by forming the grooves 13 and 14. If necessary, further trimming operations or decorating operations may then be provided on the individual blanks.

It is intended that the blank should be sold as such so that the owner can have a key cut to suit a specific compatible lock in generally known manner. However, the invention also provides for a further machining operation to provide the tumbler-engaging formations 17 shown on the drawing, if a key is required solely for decorative purposes or as an initial partner to a lock. No special treatment is required to enable the key to be cut using conventional machinery and, since the blank is made of the same material all through, the decorative finish will not be permanently impaired although a final polish may be desirable.

Although the alloy described above is a Silver alloy, it is envisaged that similar alloys could be produced which had, as the major constituent, either Gold or Platinum alloyed with other suitable constituents and still capable of passing assay for Hall Marking and of being hardened to the necessary extent for use as a key.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS 1. A jewellery element of the type specified formed of a precious metal (as herein defined) in the shape of a key-blank and having an elongate profiled end portion capable of having tumbler-engageable formations provided thereon by machining; the blank, or at least said elongate profiled end portion, being of sufficient hardness and flexural strength for ultimate use as a key.

2. A jewellery element according to Claim 1, the remainder of the blank other than said profiled end portion being decorated.

3. A jewellery element according to Claim 2 wherein the decoration is stamped.

4. A jewellery element according to Claim 2 wherein the decoration is engraved, 5. A jewellery element according to Claim 2 wherein the decoration is etched.

6. A jewellery element according to Claim 2 wherein the decoration is provided by inlaying with stones.

7. A jewellery element according to Claim 2 wherein the decoration is enamelled.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **.

example only with reference to the accompanying drawing.

The jewellery article shown is a pendant generally indicated at 10 in the shape of a cross having a decorated upper portion 11 and a lower elongate end portion generally indi cated at 12 which, as shown, is in the form of the tumbler-engageable part of a key.

The lower elongate portion 12 includes a pair of shoulders 15. Additionally, the portion 12 is profiled by stamping a pair of grooves 13, 14, on each face of the blank. The profile is such as to enable the portion 12 to be slid into a lock of a particular type through a similarly profiled face plate thereof. This profile is similar in form to that of conven tional "YALE" type key, in the example shown.

The pendant shown has been cut from a blank, the dimensions of which are indicated in dotted lines at 16 on the drawing. It will be seen that the grooves 13 and 14 extend com pletely down through the original blank, which is of constant profile to fit a particular type of lock, in this case a YALE lock.

Tumbler-engageable formations 17 are machined onto the original blank, removing part of the metal, and thereby producing a key which will fit a specific compatible lock.

The upper portion 11 of the pendant is decorated in any chosen manner, for example by means of stamping, engraving, etching, inlaying with stones or enamelling. In the example shown, the portion 11 takes the form of a cross but it could also comprise a disc, trefoil, star, flower or other decorative motif. An eyelet 18 is provided so that the pendant can be hung from a chain. Alter natively, the invention could be applied to a different type of jewellery article, for example a bracelet charm.

Hitherto, so far as we are aware, jewellery articles of precious metal have not been pro vided in the form of a key except purely as a decorative article, without functional effec tiveness. This is because precious metals generally speaking do not have sufficient hardness and flexural strength to enable them to operate successfully in a lock.

The present invention is based on the use of a precious metal (as herein defined) which, although capable of passing assay for Hall Marking, is of sufficient hardness and flexural strength to make a functional key.

A preferred composition is a Silver/Copper alloy which has a composition of approxi mately 92 5% Silver, the total Silver and Copper content together forming a minimum of 99-95% of the alloy. This is achieved by selecting the raw constituents of the alloy such that the Silver has a minimum purity of

99 95 /O and the Copper a minimum purity of 99.90%, and alloying these constituents to gether.

The material is formed into an ingot and then rolled down to strip having a finished thickness of 2-16 millimetres, plus or minus 005 millimetres. The process is carried out to give a final Vickers hardness of 200 HV i 10 pts. This is achieved by giving the material a final anneal when it is 12-2 millimetres thick and then rolling to the finished thickness of 216 millimetres, that is, about one-sixth of the thickness at annealing.

The strip is then formed into key blanks by a blanking off operation which may be simultaneous with or may precede a stamping operation which applies the profile to the elongate end portion by forming the grooves 13 and 14. If necessary, further trimming operations or decorating operations may then be provided on the individual blanks.

It is intended that the blank should be sold as such so that the owner can have a key cut to suit a specific compatible lock in generally known manner. However, the invention also provides for a further machining operation to provide the tumbler-engaging formations 17 shown on the drawing, if a key is required solely for decorative purposes or as an initial partner to a lock. No special treatment is required to enable the key to be cut using conventional machinery and, since the blank is made of the same material all through, the decorative finish will not be permanently impaired although a final polish may be desirable.

Although the alloy described above is a Silver alloy, it is envisaged that similar alloys could be produced which had, as the major constituent, either Gold or Platinum alloyed with other suitable constituents and still capable of passing assay for Hall Marking and of being hardened to the necessary extent for use as a key.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS 1. A jewellery element of the type specified formed of a precious metal (as herein defined) in the shape of a key-blank and having an elongate profiled end portion capable of having tumbler-engageable formations provided thereon by machining; the blank, or at least said elongate profiled end portion, being of sufficient hardness and flexural strength for ultimate use as a key.
2. A jewellery element according to Claim 1, the remainder of the blank other than said profiled end portion being decorated.
3. A jewellery element according to Claim 2 wherein the decoration is stamped.
4. A jewellery element according to Claim 2 wherein the decoration is engraved,
5. A jewellery element according to Claim 2 wherein the decoration is etched.
6. A jewellery element according to Claim 2 wherein the decoration is provided by inlaying with stones.
7. A jewellery element according to Claim 2 wherein the decoration is enamelled.
8. A jewellery element of the type speci

fied in the form of a functional key and comprising a jewellery element as set out in any one of Claims 1 to 7 having a plurality of tumbler-engageable formations machined on said profiled end portion thereof.
9. A jewellery element according to any preceding claim when formed from a Silver/ Copper alloy having a composition of approximately 92.50% Silver, the total Silver and Copper content being a minimum of 99 95%.
10. A jewellery article according to any preceding claim and having a Vickers hardness of 200 HV i 10 pts.
11. A method of making a jewellery element of the type specified in the form of a functional key-blank or key comprising: taking a strip of precious metal (as herein defined; treating said strip by annealing and rolling to produce a strip of sufficient hardness and fiexural strength for ultimate use as a key; and blanking off and stamping the strip to form a plurality of jewellery elements according to Claim 1.
12. A method according to Claim 11 wherein blanking off is a separate step, followed by the subsequent stamping operation.
13. A method according to Claim 11 wherein the blanking off and stamping operations are performed simultaneously.
14. A method according to Claim 11 wherein a decorating operation is subsequently carried out on the portions of the blank other than said elongate profiled end portion.
15. A method according to Claim 14 where in the decorating operation comprises stamping a decoration.
16. A method according to Claim 14 wherein the decoration is provided by engrav ing.
17. A method according to Claim 14 wherein the decoration is provided by etching.
18. A method according to Claim 14 wherein the decoration is provided by inlaying with stones.
19. A method according to Claim 14 wherein the decoration is provided by enamelling.
20. A method according to any one of Claims 11 to 19 wherein said strip of precious metal is formed from a Silver/Copper alloy having a composition of approximately 92.50% Silver, the minimum total Silver and Copper content being 99 95%.
21. A method according to any one of Claims 11 to 20 wherein the treatment of the strip includes a final anneal followed by rolling down to a finished thickness about one sixth of the thickness at annealing.
22. A jewellery element of the type specified in the form of a functional key-blank and substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accdmpanying drawing.
23. A jewellery element of the type specified in the form of a functional key and substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawing.
24. A method of making a jewellery element of the type specified, the method being performed according to Claim 11 and substantially as hereinbefore described.