What To Know About A Ball Chain And Its Uses
A ball chain happens to be an ordinary device many people use in their everyday lives without giving it a moments thought. One of those things that could have a thousand uses, ball chains are truly remarkable. Strong enough to secure dog tags to a soldier's neck, they however are delicate enough for jewelry.
The chains are small hollow balls that are rolled into spheres at a manufacturing plant. Each ball is then linked to the next one by a little rod. They are connected to each other to create a long string. They are smooth and constructed in a way not to become kinked like other chains can. Because each rod works as a swivel they can be untangled if a long chain of them is lumped together in a mound. A person can easily snap ends of a chain together with only just their fingers. No unique tools needed. It is said that a chain should be only as strong as its weakest link and the same can be said of these types of chains. Their strength often is described as tensile, which basically describes the amount of force needed for them to break. Because of the way they are manufactured the chains will not hold a large amount of weight.
The balls can be made out of a wide array of resources. Stainless steel is used usually because of the sturdiness. They could also be made out of copper, brass or gun metal dependant upon their expected use. Sterling silver may be used for the higher end forms of chains and are usually custom ordered. Each metal features its own particular strength characteristics. To make them a lot more like a fashion accessories, the beads of the chain are usually painted practically any color. So they are able to last even longer, they can have a tougher coating applied to them such as black or white paint.
For a number of applications, these chains are very handy. They are used for pieces of jewelry, key rings, luggage tags, and on musical devices. For a lot of household uses, these chains are used as pull cords for anything from lamps to ceiling fans. Seen in basements and garages, these pull cords are utilized for a number of products. To regulate a fan or the attached lights, a large number of ceiling fans use a chain of some kind. They are common with outdoorsmen to use with fishing tackle. They can often be found in novelty shops where they are distributed as necklaces and party favors. The chains can be bought in large rolls for commercial use. Given that they can be cut to any length using wire cutters or heavy duty scissors, this is perhaps one of the more attractive characteristics of these chains.
A wide array of attachments can be added onto a ball chain to maximize its usefulness. There are also alligator clips which can be added to the end of a chain so it will clamp onto a solid object. There are hooks and connectors that will allow smaller chains to be added to each other. Companies continue to improve on the basic design concept of these handy chains even though they have been around for more than a century. A lot of the attachments and manufacturing methods used for these ball chains are covered by US patients. Many of these patents were granted when the products were first being produced in higher quantities. The chains are now mostly produced in the United States and in factories in Asia.
The chains are small hollow balls that are rolled into spheres at a manufacturing plant. Each ball is then linked to the next one by a little rod. They are connected to each other to create a long string. They are smooth and constructed in a way not to become kinked like other chains can. Because each rod works as a swivel they can be untangled if a long chain of them is lumped together in a mound. A person can easily snap ends of a chain together with only just their fingers. No unique tools needed. It is said that a chain should be only as strong as its weakest link and the same can be said of these types of chains. Their strength often is described as tensile, which basically describes the amount of force needed for them to break. Because of the way they are manufactured the chains will not hold a large amount of weight.
The balls can be made out of a wide array of resources. Stainless steel is used usually because of the sturdiness. They could also be made out of copper, brass or gun metal dependant upon their expected use. Sterling silver may be used for the higher end forms of chains and are usually custom ordered. Each metal features its own particular strength characteristics. To make them a lot more like a fashion accessories, the beads of the chain are usually painted practically any color. So they are able to last even longer, they can have a tougher coating applied to them such as black or white paint.
For a number of applications, these chains are very handy. They are used for pieces of jewelry, key rings, luggage tags, and on musical devices. For a lot of household uses, these chains are used as pull cords for anything from lamps to ceiling fans. Seen in basements and garages, these pull cords are utilized for a number of products. To regulate a fan or the attached lights, a large number of ceiling fans use a chain of some kind. They are common with outdoorsmen to use with fishing tackle. They can often be found in novelty shops where they are distributed as necklaces and party favors. The chains can be bought in large rolls for commercial use. Given that they can be cut to any length using wire cutters or heavy duty scissors, this is perhaps one of the more attractive characteristics of these chains.
A wide array of attachments can be added onto a ball chain to maximize its usefulness. There are also alligator clips which can be added to the end of a chain so it will clamp onto a solid object. There are hooks and connectors that will allow smaller chains to be added to each other. Companies continue to improve on the basic design concept of these handy chains even though they have been around for more than a century. A lot of the attachments and manufacturing methods used for these ball chains are covered by US patients. Many of these patents were granted when the products were first being produced in higher quantities. The chains are now mostly produced in the United States and in factories in Asia.