Connector For Chandelier Trimmings

Abstract

A connector for chandelier trimmings where the trimmings are provided with circular apertures to receive the connector. The connector is a preformed U-shaped member consisting of a bight portion and a pair of legs which are passed through the apertures of an adjacent pair of trimmings. The bight portion has a fixed predetermined length to assure uniform spacing of the trimmings. The legs have an oblong, rectangular cross section with a diagonal only slightly smaller than the diameter of the apertures to resist turning of the trimmings about the longitudinal axis. Such turning is further prevented by wide shoulders on the bight portion which overlap faces of the trimmings at opposite sides of the apertures. Free end portions of the legs are closed into alignment with each other when the connection is made.

Description

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in chandeliers, and in particular the invention concerns itself with an improved connector for chandelier trimmings which, being made of glass or plastic in various shapes, are connected together in series to form decorative trimmings of a chandelier.

In accordance with conventional practice the trimmings are provided with circular apertures for the reception of connecting links made of round wire which is thin and must be bent into shape while the connection is being made. The connecting operation is performed by hand in a difficult and tedious manner which at best does not result in uniform spacing of the trimmings along the length of the chain, inasmuch as the various connecting links may not be bent at the same effective length. Moreover, the thin wire of the links can easily become deformed during handling, installing or washing of the chain, thus further affecting the spacing of the trimmings and possibly causing a disconnection thereof. However, the most serious defect of conventional connecting links is that in order to prevent breakage of the trimmings during insertion of the links, the link wire must be considerably smaller in diameter than the apertures in the trimmings so that it passes through the apertures with a substantial amount of play. As a result, the individual trimmings are quite free to turn or twist about the longitudinal axis of the chain so that their faces are oriented in different directions and both the overall appearance and the light effect of the chandelier are adversely affected.

It is, therefore, the principal object of this invention to eliminate the above outlined disadvantages of conventional connectors by providing an improved connector which assures uniform spacing of the trimmings, which may be quickly and easily installed, which is sufficiently sturdy to safeguard against deformation or disconnection during handling or washing of the chain and which, above all, is capable of effectively cooperating with the apertured trimmings to prevent turning or twisting of the latter about the axis of the chain. Also, unlike conventional wire connectors, the connector of the invention is decoratively shaped in order to aesthetically complement the trimmings, and such decorative shaping of the connector also serves to contribute to its structural strength.

Accordingly the present invention provides a chandelier trimming comprising a plurality of individual trimmings and a plurality of connectors connecting said trimmings together in series. The trimmings are provided with circular apertures for reception of the connectors, and each of the connectors comprising a preformed U-shaped member including a bight portion of a fixed predetermined length and a pair of legs extending laterally from the bight portion through the apertures of an adjacent pair of trimmings. The legs have a rectangular cross section with a diagonal dimension which is only slightly smaller than the diameter of the apertures whereby to positively resist turning of the trimmings about the longitudinal axis of the trimmings. The legs have free end portions outside of said apertures which are angulated into longitudinal alignment with each other.

The present invention also provides a connector for suspending individual trimmings or serially connecting together individual trimmings of a decorative trimming wherein the trimmings are provided with circular apertures to receive the connector. The connector comprises a preformed U-shaped member including a bight portion of a fixed predetermined length and a pair of legs extending laterally from the bight portion for reception in apertures of trimmings. The legs have a rectangular cross section with a diagonal dimension which is adapted to be only slightly smaller than the aperture diameter. The free end portions of the legs are adapted to be angulated into longitudinal alignment with each other.

In addition there is provided a chandelier comprising a frame and trimmings suspended therefrom, said trimmings comprising a plurality of individual trimmings and a plurality of connectors connecting said trimmings together in series. The trimmings are provided with circular apertures for reception of the connectors, and each of the connectors comprising a preformed U-shaped member including a bight portion of a fixed predetermined length and a pair of legs extending laterally from the bight portion through the apertures of an adjacent pair of trimmings. The legs have a rectangular cross section with a diagonal dimension which is only slightly smaller than the diameter of the apertures whereby to positively resist turning of the trimmings about the longitudinal axis of the trimmings. The legs have free end portions outside of said apertures which are angulated into longitudinal alignment with each other.

The connector of the present invention may also be adapted to serve as a hook to secure the chandelier trimmings to the chandelier frame.

With the foregoing more important object and features in view and such other objects and features which may become apparent as this specification proceeds, the following is a description by way of example of certain embodiments of the present invention reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein like characters of reference are used to designate like parts, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary view, partly in side elevation and partly in section, showing one type of a conventional connector for two adjacent chandelier trimmings;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 but showing another type of a conventional connector;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 1 and showing still another type of a conventional connector;

FIG. 4 is a front elevational view of the improved connector per se;

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of the connector in FIG. 4 prior to closing of the free end portions of its legs;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of a preferred embodiment of the leg of the connector in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary front elevational view of a decorative trimming wherein the trimmings are connected together by the improved connector of the invention;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary side elevational view, partly in section, of the subject matter shown in FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is an enlarged, fragmentary sectional detail showing the relationship of one of the connector legs to the aperture in a trimming;

FIG. 10 is a front elevational view of the bight of a connector having an alternative appearance;

FIG. 11 is a front elevational view of a connector modified to serve as a hook;

FIG. 12 is a side elevational view of the connector in FIG. 11;

FIG. 13 is a front elevational view of a trimming connected to the hook illustrated in FIG. 11 showing connection to a chandelier frame; and

FIG. 14 is a side elevational view, partly in section of the subject matter shown in FIG. 13.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings in detail, FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 respectively illustrate three different, commonly used connectors 11, 12 and 13 which are well known in the prior art and are employed for connecting together in series a plurality of individual trimmings 14 into a length of decorative trimming, as in chandeliers. The conventional connectors are made of thin wire of a circular cross section, and the trimmings 14 are provided with circular apertures 15 through which the connecting wire is passed.

The conventional connector 11 in FIG. 1 consists of so-called pins 11a, 11b formed of soft round wire rods which are initially straight and headed at one end as at 16. After the pin 11b is passed through the aperture 15 of one of the trimmings 14, its free end portion is coiled to form an eye 17. Similarly, after the pin 11a is passed through the aperture of the adjacent trimming, it is bent to pass through the eye 17 and to form a closed hook 18. The bending of the pins 11a, 11b is done manually with pliers and the procedure is not only tedious, but involves a substantial amount of dexterity in order to produce results which, even at best, leave much to be desired. Thus, for example, the twisted wire form of the connector pins detracts from the ornamental appearance of the trimmings. Moreover, since the connector wires are bent by hand, such bending does not always take place at the same point along the length of the wire and the overall length of the connector is thus subject to variation so that in the assembled trimming the spacing of the trimmings is not uniform as is desirable for an aesthetic appearance of the chandelier. This defect is particularly pronounced in a chandelier of a bowl configuration where several trimmings extend downwardly in a curved fashion to a central pendant or finial and variations in spacing between the trimmings produce trimmings of different lengths and consequently result in an unbalanced drape effect of the whole chandelier. In addition since the trimming hangs in a curved fashion and the trimmings are neither sufficiently supported by the heads 16 of the pins 11a and 11b nor firmly held by the hinge action of the eye 17 and the hook 18, the individual trimmings tilt and expose the light source which is within the bowl and which they are supposed to conceal.

Further, the connector pins 11a, 11b are made of soft, thin wire as already mentioned, and as such they are subject to deformation and possible disconnection while the decorative trimming is being handled or washed, and here again the length of the trimming may become inadvertently altered even if actual disconnection does not occur.

However, the most serious defect of the conventional connector such as the connector 11 is that in order to prevent the trimmings 14 from breaking while the connector pins 11a, 11b are being installed and bent during the connecting procedure, the wire from which the pins are made must be of a substantially smaller diameter than the apertures 15 in the trimmings. Consequently, the connector wires pass through the apertures with a large amount of clearance or play and, as a result, the trimmings 14 are quite free to turn or twist about the longitudinal axis. Thus, the faces of the trimmings are not oriented in the same direction and both the ornamental appearance and the optical properties of the trimmings are adversely affected. This undesirable condition prevails when the trimmings are hanging vertically and is even more apparent when they are slanted or when they are draped to form a bowl.

The conventional connectors 12 and 13 of FIGS. 2 and 3 possess the same disadvantages as the connector 11. The connector 12 is made of thin round wire which is curved to pass through the apertures 15 of the trimmings 14 so as to form a nearly closed, elongated loop, while in the connector 13 the free end portions of the loop forming wire are twisted together as at 19. In both instances the diameter of the connector wire must be considerably smaller than the apertures in the trimmings and thus the trimmings are free to turn or twist about the longitudinal axis. Also in both instances the manual bending of the connector wire does not assure accuracy as to the effective length of the connectors, and thus the spacing of a series of trimmings is not necessarily uniform so as to result in a proper aesthetic effect and a predetermined length.

The improved connector of the invention substantially eliminates all of the aforementioned disadvantages of prior art devices and, above all, provides more uniform spacing of trimmings, more positive retention thereof against twisting or turning about the longitudinal axis and is sufficiently sturdy to reduce the possibilities of deformation and disconnection during handling and washing. The improved connector, designated generally by the numeral 20, is shown by itself in FIGS. 4 and 5, while FIGS. 7 and 8 illustrate the same with trimmings 14 in an assembled chandelier trimming.

The connector 20 as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 comprises a preformed, machinemade and accurately dimensioned metallic member which has a U-shaped configuration and includes a central bight portion 21 and a pair of side portions or legs 22 which project laterally perpendicularly from the ends of the bight portion. As a characteristic feature of the invention, the bight portion 21 is of a fixed, predetermined length and the spacing of the legs 22 is thus constant, so that when the legs 22 are passed through the apertures 15 of the trimmings 14, the trimmings will be uniformly spaced along the length of the trimming and a desired predetermined length of trimming will be obtained.

Another characteristic feature of the invention resides in that the legs 22, rather than being round in cross section, have an oblong, rectangular cross section which is elongated transversely of the legs and has a diagonal dimension only slightly smaller than the diameter of the apertures 15 in the trimmings 14, as will be apparent from the sectional detail of FIG. 9. Thus, each leg fits into the aperture 15 of the trimming with only a very small clearance, and the rectangular cross section provides the leg with a set of four corner points 41, 42, 43, 44 for engagement with the wall of the aperture 15 at four spaced points (see FIG. 9).

In any event, the oblong, rectangular cross section of the legs 22 fits the apertures 15 with such close tolerance as to permit free sliding insertion of the legs in the apertures without any danger of breaking the trimmings 14, but at the same time play is greatly reduced and the trimmings are prevented from turning or twisting on the legs 22 about the longitudinal axis.

After the legs 22 are passed through the apertures 15 of the trimmings 14, their free outer end portions 22a are angulated into longitudinal alignment with each other as will be apparent from FIG. 8. It is to be noted that this angulation takes place across the width of the legs where the thickness of the oblong, rectangular cross section is smaller than the width to facilitate such angulation or bending while the free end portions of the legs are being closed together. However, the greater width than thickness of the oblong, rectangular cross section effectively resists any tendency of the legs being deformed in the plane of their width, and thus the connector is adequately sturdy to withstand forces encountered in handling or washing, and proper alignment of the closed leg portions 22a is assured, especially since the leg cross section is much larger than that of a thin connector wire used in the already mentioned prior art devices.

FIG. 6 illustrates a preferred cross section of the leg 22 of the connector shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. As will be seen from studying this figure the top or outer surface of each leg has an outwardly curved surface 61 and the inner surface 62 of the leg is curved inwardly to the edges 67 of the leg. This slightly curved configuration adds not only to the appearance of the connector but also increases the rigidity and stiffness of the legs of the connector.

A further characteristic of the invention resides in the particular arrangement of the bight portion 21 which connects the two legs 22 and is formed to possess ornamental as well as structurally significant features. As such, the bight portion 21 may be provided with a central ornament 25 and its end portions may be widened to form additional ornamental regions 26 which are disposed adjacent the legs 22. In effect, the widened ornamental regions 26 constitute shoulders which, as shown in FIG. 7, overlap the faces of the trimmings 14 at opposite sides of the apertures 15 through which the legs 22 extend, and thus the shoulders 26, apart from their ornamental aspect, also serve structurally to assist in prevention of twisting or turning of the trimmings 14 about the longitudinal axis. Moreover, the provision of the central ornament 25 and shoulder regions 26 contributes to the material strength of the bight portion 21 and this, coacting with the oblong, rectangular cross section of the legs 22, results in a sturdy connector which positively maintains the trimmings 14 at a common attitude and proper orientation, without any axial twisting or turning of the trimmings. The comparatively heavy cross section of the bight substantially eliminates the possibility of the connector bending lengthwise, a problem which has plagued the connectors of the prior art, in particular the connector shown in FIG. 2. In addition, of course, the ornamental regions 25, 26 on the bight portion 21 of the connector of the present invention effectively serve to complement the decorative effect of the whole assembly, such as has not been obtained with the simple round wire connecting devices of the prior art.

The ornamental appearance of the bight can of course be altered without changing the utiliterian characteristics of the connector. One alternative design for the bight portion of the connector is illustrated in FIG. 10. In this design the bight has two shoulder regions 26 and a central wider region 45 giving the bight a somewhat elliptical shape. Such a design although perhaps not as attractive as the connector shown in FIG. 4 could possibly be stronger and provide greater resistance to lengthwise deformation.

A particular problem arises at the end of a trimming where it joins the metal frame of the chandelier. The frame of the chandelier normally has a series of holes or rings which are adapted to receive the hooks at the end of the trimming. This frame can be formed from a variety of materials including metal, glass and plastics. When the trimmings, known in the industry as drops, pear shapes or pendeloques, are suspended vertically, one hook is used at the upper end for suspension. When the chain is suspended in a curve, two hooks, one at each end, are required.

The connector of the present invention can be modified to serve as a hook. For ease of installation and, since only one end of the hook engages with a trimming, this end only need have a shoulder region. As will be seen from a study of FIGS. 11, 12, 13 and 14, the gradually widening ornamental bight 31 extends from a hook 32 to a shoulder 34 adjacent to the leg 33. The hook 32 can be preformed in the shape of hook suitable for engagement with a chandelier frame and the leg 33 may be similar to the leg 22 of the normal connector. To assemble the unit, the leg 33 is passed through the aperture 35 in the trimmings 36 and the shoulder 34 adjacent to the leg 33 serves to reduce twisting or turning of the trimmings. After insertion the leg 33 is manually bent to secure the pieces in place. The completed assembly can then be connected to the chandelier frame 40 by means of hook 32 inserted in hole 41.

The ability of the connector to prevent axial turning or twisting of the trimmings is important when the trimming hangs vertically, in which event it is essential that the faces of the trimmings are disposed in a common vertical plane. It is also important when the trimming is draped to form a bowl-type chandelier, in which event the faces of the trimmings should be tangential to the curvature of the trimming, or in other words, normal to a line radiating from the center of the bowl. However, it is particularly important in instances where the trimming is suspended from two points in a catenary curve and it is desired to orient the faces of the trimmings laterally to one side of the vertical plane of the curve. In such event the connectors will effectively prevent the trimmings from turning downwardly under gravity and will support them in a common vertical plane with their faces oriented to one side of that plane in much the same manner as if the trimming was hanging vertically.

Claims

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A chandelier trimming comprising a plurality of individual trimmings and a plurality of connectors connecting said trimmings together in series, said trimmings being provided with circular apertures for reception of said connectors, and each of said connectors comprising a preformed U-shaped member including a bight portion of a fixed predetermined length and a pair of legs extending laterally from said bight portion through said apertures of an adjacent pair of said trimmings, said legs having a rectangular cross section with a diagonal dimension which is only slightly smaller than the diameter of said apertures whereby to positively resist turning of the trimmings about the longitudinal axis of the chain, said legs having free end portions outside of said apertures which are angulated into longitudinal alignment with each other.

2. The device as defined in claim 1 wherein the rectangular cross section of said legs is oblong and is elongated transversely of the legs so that the legs have a greater width than thickness.

3. The device as defined in claim 1 wherein regions of said bight portion adjacent said legs provide wide supporting shoulders which overlap faces of said trimmings at opposite sides of said apertures and assist in preventing turning of the trimmings about the chain axis.

4. The device as defined in claim 1 wherein said bight portion has a decoratively shaped profile which contributes to structural strengthening of the bight portion.

5. The device as defined in claim 1 wherein the rectangular cross section of said legs provides each leg with four corner points for engaging the aperture wall at four spaced points.

6. A connector for connecting trimmings to a chandelier frame wherein the trimming is provided with circular aperture to receive the connector, said connector comprising a preformed generally U-shaped member including a bight portion of a fixed predetermined length and a pair of legs extending laterally from said bight portion, said bight portion gradually increasing in width from a first leg and providing a wide supporting shoulder adjacent the second leg, said first leg having a rectangular cross section, and being hook-shaped to engage with a chandelier frame, said second leg having a rectangular cross section with a diagonal dimension which is adapted to be only slightly smaller than the aperture diameter of said trimming.

7. The connector as defined in claim 6 wherein the rectangular cross section of said second leg provides four corner points for engaging the aperture wall at four spaced points.

8. A chandelier comprising a frame and trimmings suspended therefrom, said trimmings comprising a plurality of individual trimmings and a plurality of connectors connecting said trimmings together in series, said trimmings being provided with circular apertures for reception of said connectors, and each of said connectors comprising a preformed U-shaped member including a bight portion of a fixed predetermined length and a pair of legs extending laterally from said bight portion through said apertures of an adjacent pair of said trimmings, said legs having a rectangular cross section with a diagonal dimension which is only slightly smaller than the diameter of said apertures whereby to positively resist turning of the trimmings about the longitudinal axis of the chain, said legs having free end portions outside of said apertures which are angulated into longitudinal alignment with each other.

9. The chandelier as defined in claim 8 wherein the rectangular cross section of said legs is oblong and is elongated transversely of the legs so that the legs have a greater width than thickness.

10. The chandelier as defined in claim 8 wherein regions of said bight portion adjacent said legs provide wide supporting shoulders which overlap faces of said trimmings at opposite sides of said apertures and assist in preventing turning of the trimmings about the longitudinal axis.

11. The chandelier as defined in claim 8 wherein said bight portion has a decoratively shaped profile which contributes to structural strengthening of the bight portion.

12. The chandelier as defined in claim 8 wherein the rectangular cross section of said legs provides each leg with four corner points for engaging the aperture wall at four spaced points.

13. The chandelier as defined in claim 8 wherein said frame is formed of a material selected from the group consisting of metal and glass.

14. A connector for suspending individual trimmings or for serially connecting together individual trimmings of a decorative chain wherein the trimmings are provided with circular apertures to receive the connector, said connector comprising a preformed U-shaped member including a bight portion of a fixed predetermined length and a pair of legs extending laterally from said bight portion for reception in apertures of trimmings, said legs having a rectangular cross section with a diagonal dimension which is adapted to be only slightly smaller than the aperture diameter, free end portions of said legs being adapted to be angulated into longitudinal alignment with each other, the regions of said bight portion adjacent said legs providing wide supporting shoulders which are adapted to overlap faces of trimmings at opposite sides of the apertures therein.