Solderless linking method and structure for jewelry
A jewelry link assembly and method in which successive links are slipped onto prior links and are held together without the need for soldering between adjacent links. An infinitely hinged connection between adjacent links is formed permitting substantial flexibility when the hinged link bracelet assembly is so constructed.
1. A novel jewelry link assembly in which said assembly of links comprises interlocked links held together naturally without manually changing the structure of said links or deforming said links,
said jewelry link of said jewelry link assembly comprising, at opposite ends, a head and body portion,
said body portion terminating in rearward extending closed loop,
said closed loop of the next link having an opening of sufficient size to slip over the closed loop portion of an adjacent and preceding link,
said closed loop of said adjacent and preceding link being positioned to be substantially perpendicular to the plane of the closed loop of the next link enabling said links to be connected in a pivoting relationship,
said head of said preceding link being larger than said closed loop opening of said next link,
said head of each link being substantially perpendicular to the respective ones of said each link,
said head being integrally formed with respective ones of said each link,
said next link rotatable with respect to said preceding link such that its closed loop end is captured beneath the head of said preceding link and
said next and preceding links are substantially in the same head to body portion orientation.
2. A novel jewelry link assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the size of said novel jewelry link assembly may be adjusted by removing or adding links.
3. A novel jewelry link assembly according to claim 1 , wherein said head comprises a decorative element.
4. A method to assemble a plurality of links without manually changing the structure of said links comprising,
forming each link having at opposite ends a head and a closed loop end with said head being substantially perpendicular to said closed loop end,
forming said head integrally with said closed loop end as part of said link,
forming said closed loop end having an opening,
slipping the opening of said closed loop end of a next link over the closed loop end of an adjacent and preceding link,
performing said slipping step by rotating the closed loop end of the next link to pass over the closed loop end of the preceding and adjacent link and
rotating the closed loop end of the next link to be in substantially the same head to loop end orientation as the preceding and adjacent link, and sizing said head element of said next link to capture the closed loop end of the preceding and adjacent link such that said links are connected together when said plurality of links are assembled.
5. A method to assemble a plurality of links according to claim 4 , wherein said head element is a decorative element.
6. A method to assemble a plurality of links according to claim 4 , further comprising adjusting the length of said plurality of links by adding or removing links by sliding adjacent links onto or off from adjacent links.