CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION  
       [0001]     This utility patent application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application entitled “Bead Jewelry Making Apparatus”, Ser. No. 60/610,043, filed Sep. 15, 2004, which is herein incorporated by reference. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     The present invention relates to bead jewelry and more particularly to a bead jewelry making apparatus and related method of use.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     According to one aspect, the present invention comprises a bead bowl, the bead bowl defining a cavity in communication with an opening, a brush arrangement operatively associated with the bead bowl, the brush arrangement including a brush and handle, a motor operatively engaged to the bead bowl for rotating the bead bowl, wherein the brush arrangement is positioned such that the brush is disposed inside the cavity of the bead bowl when the bead bowl is rotated by the motor.  
         [0004]     According to another aspect, the present invention comprises a bead bowl, the bead bowl defining a cavity in communication with an opening, a brush arrangement operatively associated with the bead bowl; the brush arrangement including a brush and handle, a motor operatively engaged to the bead bowl for rotating the bead bowl, at least one bead, at least one bead defining opposed openings in communication with a conduit, a thread medium adapted to receive at least one bead through the conduit, wherein at least one bead is disposed inside the cavity of the bead bowl when the bead bowl is rotated by the motor such that at least one bead is loaded to the thread medium when the thread medium is placed in contact with at least one bead being agitated by the brush when the bead bowl is rotated.  
         [0005]     According to yet another aspect, the present invention comprises a method for automatically loading at least one bead onto a thread medium comprising: 
        a) providing a bead bowl defining a cavity in communication with an opening, a brush arrangement operatively associated with the bead bowl having a brush and handle, and a motor operatively engaged to the bead bowl;     b) positioning the brush inside the cavity of the bead bowl;     c) placing at least one bead inside the cavity of the bead bowl;     d) actuating the motor such that the bead bowl rotates and the brush agitates at least one bead; and     e) inserting an end of a thread medium into the cavity such that at least one bead becomes loaded to the thread medium.        
 
         [0011]     According to another aspect, the present invention comprises an automatic bead jewelry making system comprising an automatically rotated bead bowl adapted to receive one or more beads and a brush arrangement adapted to agitate the one or more beads; a bead case for storing the plurality of beads; and a funnel for pouring the plurality of beads from the bead bowl into the bead case.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0012]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an automatic bead jewelry making apparatus and related components according to the present invention;  
         [0013]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the bottom portion of the automatic bead jewelry making apparatus according to the present invention;  
         [0014]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a motor and gear arrangement according to the present invention;  
         [0015]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the bead bowl according to the present invention;  
         [0016]      FIG. 5  is a top view of the bead bowl according to the present invention;  
         [0017]      FIG. 6  is a side view of the bead bowl according to the present invention;  
         [0018]      FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional view of the bead bowl taken along line  7 - 7  of  FIG. 6  according to the present invention;  
         [0019]      FIG. 8  is a perspective view of a spindle insert according to the present invention;  
         [0020]      FIG. 9  is a perspective view of a thread holding instrument according to the present invention;  
         [0021]      FIG. 10  is a perspective view of a carrying case of the automatic bead jewelry making apparatus according to the present invention;  
         [0022]      FIG. 11  is an end view of the carrying case according to the present invention;  
         [0023]      FIG. 12  is an opposite end view of the carrying case according to the present invention; and  
         [0024]      FIG. 13  is an enlarged perspective view of a bead used with the bead jewelry making apparatus according to the present invention.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0025]     Referring to the drawings, an embodiment of an automatic bead jewelry making apparatus according to the present invention is illustrated and generally indicated as  10  in  FIG. 1 . The bead jewelry making apparatus  10  provides a means for a user to load at least one bead  15  onto a thread medium  17  ( FIG. 9 ) having an end  94  held by the user with a thread holding instrument  12 . As used herein, the term thread medium means any type of thread, such as bead wire, nylon cord, nylon thread, cotton fiber thread or any other thread medium adapted to be used in making bead jewelry. As shown, the bead jewelry making apparatus  10  comprises an upper housing  18  engaged to a lower housing  20  for encasing a motor and gear arrangement  38  that is operatively engaged to rotate a bead bowl  14  adapted to receive beads  15  for making bead jewelry.  
         [0026]     As illustrated in  FIGS. 4-8 , the bead bowl  14  is preferably adapted to rotate clockwise about an axis  84  when actuated by the user and comprises a sidewall  72  that defines a cavity  68  adapted to receive one or more beads  15 . The bead bowl  14  further comprises a central raised portion  70  and a peripheral edge  73  that defines an opening  62  in communication with the cavity  68 . As further shown, the portion of the cavity  68  between the sidewall  72  and the central raised platform  75  defines a channel  74 . To rotate the bead bowl  14 , the raised portion  70  includes a cross-shaped aperture  76  adapted to operatively engage a cross-shaped portion  82  of a spindle insert  52 . Spindle insert  52  is also operatively engaged with the gear and motor arrangement  38  that rotates the bead bowl  14  about axis  84  during operation of the automatic bead jewelry making apparatus  10 . Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , operation of the motor and gear arrangement  38  causes the bead bowl  14  to rotate clockwise about axis  84  and comprises a housing  54  that encases a motor  40  having an output shaft  48  that drives first, second and third gears  42 ,  44  and  46 . When the output shaft  48  is rotated by motor  40 , the first gear  42  is rotated in one direction that rotates second gear  44  in an opposite direction such that third gear  46  is rotated in a direction opposite to that of second gear  44 . The third gear  46  is engaged to a rotatable shaft  50  that is operatively engageable with spindle insert  52 . When the cross-shaped portion  82  of the spindle insert  52  is operatively engaged to the cross-shaped aperture  76 , the bead bowl  14  may be rotated by motor  40  when actuated by the user.  
         [0027]     Referring back to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , upper housing  18  defines a plurality of bead case receptacles  26  each adapted to receive a bead case  25  that may hold a plurality of beads  15 . As noted above, funnel  27  is used to facilitate pouring of beads  15  from the bead bowl  14  into bead case  25  in a quick and effective manner. In addition, upper housing  18  further defines a plurality of bead bowl receptacles  28  each adapted to store a bead bowl  14  in order to interchange a bead bowl  14  on the automatic bead jewelry making apparatus  10  with another bead bowl  14 . In this manner, different types of beads  15  may be loaded during the bead stringing process by simply interchanging bead bowls  14  containing a particular type of beads  15 .  
         [0028]     The upper housing  18  further includes a stand  36  operatively engaged to a brush arrangement  30 . The brush arrangement  30  comprises a handle  34  connected to stand  36  through a hinge  78 . The free end of handle  36  comprises a brush  32  that is disposed inside channel  74  and adapted to agitate beads  15  when bead bowl  14  is rotated such that the beads  15  are caused to tumble faster. As shown in  FIGS. 5 and 7 , the hinge  78  swivels the handle  34  to permit the brush  32  to be disposed inside the channel  74  of the bead bowl  14 . In this position, it is preferable that the brush  32  be located along the middle portion of the channel  74  such that beads  15  disposed inside the channel  74  are agitated and follow paths  98 A,  98 B and  98 C when the bead bowl  14  is rotated as shall be explained in greater detail below.  
         [0029]     Preferably, the lower housing  20  is engaged to a cover  22  that protects the automatic bead jewelry making apparatus  10  and allows apparatus  10  to be carried as a carrying case using a handle  80 . The cover  22  is operatively engaged to the upper housing  18  through a pair of hinges  178  that provide a means of opening and closing cover  22 . A drawer  90  is provided at the lower housing  20  for storing thread medium  17  and additional tools for manufacturing bead jewelry. In addition, a funnel  27  is provided that is adapted to facilitate the pouring of the beads  15  from the bead bowl  14  back into one of the bead cases  25  in a quick and effective manner. Referring to  FIG. 13 , each bead  15  preferably comprises a body  95  defining a conduit  96  therethrough in communication with opposed openings  97 . Thread medium  17  is adapted to be inserted into either opening  97  and through conduit  96  when loading beads  15  onto thread medium  17  during the bead stringing process.  
         [0030]     According to one aspect of the present invention, a thread holding instrument  12  is provided to retain and hold a thread medium  17  during the bead stringing process as shall be discussed below. Referring to  FIG. 9 , the thread holding instrument  12  comprises a body  56  including a handle  66  and an extension  58  having a distal end  64  that defines a retention member  60  and an opening  62 . The thread holding instrument  12  further comprises a spring loaded mechanism (not shown) that opens and closes opening  62  such that a portion of thread medium  17  may be engaged by the user by inserting thread medium  17  through the opening  62  and allowing the spring loaded mechanism to close and retain the thread medium  17 .  
         [0031]     In operation, the user engages a bead bowl  14  to spindle insert  52  and then pours one or more beads  15  into cavity  68  of bead bowl  14 . Once the beads  15  are disposed inside the bead bowl  14 , the user rotates brush arrangement  30  such that the brush  32  is disposed inside the middle portion of channel  74  ( FIG. 7 ). The user then actuates the motor  28  by turning a switch  100  that actuates motor  40  that automatically rotates the bead bowl  14 . Rotation of the bead bowl  14  causes the beads  15  to be agitated by the brush  32  of the brush arrangement  30  and forces the beads  15  along paths  98 A,  98 B and  98 C. During the bead stringing process, the user engages a portion of thread medium  17  to the thread holding instrument  12  and inserts the end  94  of the thread medium  17  into the stream of beads  15  being agitated by brush  32 . The inventors have discovered that positioning the end  94  of thread medium  17  into the path  98 B of beads  15  flowing between the brush  32  and sidewall  72  of the bead bowl  14  causes loading of the beads  15  onto the thread medium  17  in an optimal manner, although such loading can also occur along paths  98 A and  98 C. Once a sufficient number of beads  15  have been loaded to the thread medium  17 , a crimping device  23  ( FIG. 1 ) may be provided having a crimping portion  55  adapted to crimp a small metal bead (not shown) along thread medium  17 .  
         [0032]     As noted above, the user may interchange different bead bowls  14 . As noted above, the upper housing  18  forms a plurality of bead bowl receptacles  28  each adapted to store a bead bowl  14 , thereby allowing the user to replace a bead bowl  14  with another bead bowl  14 . To replace the bead bowl  14  the user swings out the brush arrangement  30  away from the bead bowl  14  and disengages the bead bowl  14  from the spindle insert  52 . The user then engages another bead bowl  14  to the spindle insert  52  to make the automatic bead jewelry making apparatus  10  operational.  
         [0033]     It should be understood from the foregoing that, while particular embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described, various modifications can be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as will be apparent to those skilled in the art.
An automatic bead jewelry making apparatus and related method of use is disclosed. The bead jewelry making apparatus comprises a bead bowl defining a cavity in communication with an opening, a brush arrangement comprising a handle and brush operatively associated with the bead bowl, and a motor operatively engaged to the bead bowl for rotating the bead bowl, wherein the brush arrangement is positioned such that the brush is disposed inside the cavity of the bead bowl when the bead bowl is rotated by the motor.