[0001] Lockets are well-known articles of jewellery which are normally worn at the breast
hung from a chain round the neck.
[0002] Conventional lockets consist of two dished wings one of which at its top has centrally
fixed thereto an upwardly projecting ring the axis of which is horizontal and lies
in the plane of the locket. The chain extends through the ring. The two wings are
connected together by a hinge located at one lateral edge of the locket and having
an upwardly extending pivot axis. The hinge consists of two thin leaves let into recesses
in the rims of the respective dished wings and a pivot pin just outside the recesses.
At the side of the locket opposite to the hinge is provided a snap latch and a thumb-nail
unlatching undercut. The latch consists of a projection from the internal periphery
of the rim of one dished wing engaging with a detent provided at the internal periphery
of the rim of the other dished wing. The undercut is formed in one rim facing the
other rim and thereby provides a thin recess for insertion of a thumb nail to force
open the latch. Thus, the provision for hanging of the locket and the provision of
hinging of the locket are attained by two separate means, namely the ring and the
hinge. Moreover, the ring and the hinge detract from the appearance of the locket,
particularly when the lateral parts of its outline are curved, as in the case of a
heart-shaped locket or an oval locket, for example, where the laterally protruding
hinge gives a particularly ugly appearance.
[0003] It is known from GB 19,968/1908 to shift at least part of the pivot pin of the hinge
into the recesses, which therefore require to be relatively larger. Although the front
view of the locket is thereby improved, the side view onto the recesses and the hinge
is still ugly and, moreover, the hanging and the hinging are still provided by two
separate means.
[0004] It is known from GB 6604/1909 to shift the hinge to the top of the locket. The hinge
consists of two eyes which are stamped out integrally with the wings and the axes
of which are horizontal and perpendicular to the planes of the wings, and a tubular
rivet in the eyelets. In order to ensure that the locket lies correctly on the breast,
a ring is looped through the eyelet provided by the tubular rivet and serves to receive
the chain. The bottoms of the rims of the wings are formed with a stop and a recess
as opposed to a snap latch. Again, the hanging and the hinging are provided by two
separate means, namely the ring and the hinge, although interconnected at the hinge
top. Moreover, the omission of a snap latch renders the locket more liable to open
accidentally.
[0005] According to the present invention, there is provided a locket, comprising first
and second wings, and a device at the top of the locket hingedly interconnecting the
wings and including a tubular pivot the axis of which is substantially horizontal
characterized in that the tubular pivot extends in substantially the plane of the
locket and serves to receive an elongate member from which the locket is hung.
[0006] Owing to the invention, the hanging and the hinging are provided by a single means,
so simplifying the locket.
[0007] In order that the invention may be clearly understood, and readily carried into effect,
reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings, in which:-
Figure 1 shows a rear elevation of a locket, and
Figure 2 shows a side elevation thereof.
[0008] The locket includes two dished wings 1 and 2 which are each of oval shape, but which
may be of any other suitable, desired shape, for example heart-shaped. At the top
of the locket is a device 3 which hingedly interconnects the wings 1 and 2 and provides
an eyelet 4 for receiving a neck chain (not shown) from which the locket is hung.
The device 3 comprises two eye rings 5 fixed by way of respective lugs 6 to the respective
wings 1 and 2 and a tube 7 extending coaxially through the eye rings 5; at its ends,
the tube 7 has been riveted - over into respective annular recesses in the axially
outer surfaces of the eye rings 5, thereby to form a hinge with its axis lying substantially
in the central plane of the wings and substantially tangential to those wings.
[0009] The wings 1 and 2 of the locket are held closed in a conventional snap-manner by
suitable shaping of the internal peripheries of the respective rims of the wings at
the bottoms of the wings. The bottom of the wing 1 is slightly cut away adjacent the
wing 2 to provide a thumb-nail entry 8 to enable the two wings to be snapped open
to turn about the axis of hinging of the device 3.
[0010] The provision of the device 3 incorporating both the locket hinge and the locket
eyelet has the advantage of enabling the locket to be of a more perfect shape than
with conventional lockets where the hinge and the eyelet are arranged spaced apart
around the periphery of the locket, and also the advantage of reducing the cost of
production of the locket. The operations required to provide the wings 1 and 2 with
the combined hinge-and-eyelet device 3 are simply to solder the respective brackets
6 to the respective wings 1 and 2, to pass the tube 7 through the eye rings 5, and
to rivet-over the ends of that tube.
1. A locket, comprising first and second wings (1,2), and a device (3) at the top
of the locket hingedly interconnecting the wings (1,2) and including a tubular pivot
(7) the axis of which is substantially horizontal characterized in that the tubular
pivot (7) extends in substantially the plane of the locket and serves to receive an
elongate member from which the locket is hung.
2. A locket according to claim 1, wherein said device (3) includes first and second
eye rings (5) substantially co-axial with said pivot (7) and fixed to the respective
wings (1,2), said pivot (7) comprising a tube (7) extending co-axially through the
eye rings (5).
