The technical specifications below are not yet compete but if you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me. Top and end views may be done later along with more and labeled dimension lines that identify the same parts specified in the tables (see B Revision 1 drawing).

The basic material, so the current thinking goes, should be 302 Stainless Steel (a springy wire) which probably should be plated with nickel then plated with an appropriate metal (such as gold) and polished. The wire diameter can be from around .005" to .008" depending on the size necklace it is to go around. Larger diameter wire for larger diameter necklaces. The basic coil diameters will range from .02" to probably .25" with the inside diameter of the coil being slightly less than the average outside diameter of the necklace. The pitch of the coil should also be just slightly less than the diameter of the necklace with smaller sizes having pitch to diameter closer to 1:1 and larger sizes perhaps decreasing to less than .5:1. In some cases it may be preferable for the pitch toward the outer ends of the coils to be a bit less than the base pitch of the coil. The "U" shaped part in the middle can vary in width from .02" to .25" and maybe even higher.

What I am seeking is a contract manufacturer that can do either the plating or the forming or both. See the Contact Us (contact.asp) page to get in touch. There is no magic in the exact shape. Consumers will be most interested in 1) the inside coil diameter, 2) the width of the central "V" gap, and 3) the axis angle of the coils. How that basic configuration in a particular pendant positioner is achieved, as long as the device remains nearly invisible, will be irrelevant.

Version A Drawing

Best for use with pendants with single loop bails. While the ends here do not show any final bend it may be desirable that they end with bends similar to those shown in the version B Revision 2 drawing below.

The manufacturer who assisted with test versions was unable to machine make this style. They have been made by hand and successfully tested.

Version B Rev 2 Drawing

This style works best with pendants with wide or two loop bails. Note the small final bends on the outer ends of the coils.

The below B Revision 2 measurements were arrived at by simplifying the shape of the "V" portion of the Pendant Positioner. These versions seem to work fine and the differences may be undetectable to a wearer or viewer standing two feet away but, depending on the bail shape, they may interfere slightly with the bail.

The below versions were too complex for the manufacturer that I first paid to make test versions. If another manufacturer finds them doable the "V" portion of the device may interfere a bit less with the bail of some pendants.

Version B Drawing

Note that at the inside end of the coil wire continues straight back for a short distance before dropping down then forming a "V".

The below design is a slight simplification of the original B design above except simplified with one set of bends removed. This version is the one pictured on the Home page and probably exposes a bit more of the device beyond the sides of most bails than is desirable though on some more boxy bails it may be preferable.

Version B Revision 1 Drawing

The "V" portion of this revision has parallel sides extending down from the inner ends of the coils for a specified "drop length" before forming an actual "V" shape. Also note that the bent ends in the first image encroach 90% into the inside of the coil while those in the second image are parallel to the coil axis. The best angle of encroachment is probably somewhere between those two extremes.

Copyright © 2004 James E. White
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