Exactly What Is A Ball Chain And Exactly How They Can Be Used

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 Exactly What Is A Ball Chain And Exactly How They Can Be Used

A ball chain is an ordinary device many people use in their everyday lives without giving it a moment's thought. They are undeniably one of those items that have a multitude of uses. Tough enough to secure dog tags to a soldier's neck, they at the same time are delicate enough for jewelry. Rolled into spheres during the manufacturing progression, these are very small hollow balls that make up the chain. Each ball is then connected to the next one by a tiny rod.

They are attached to make a long strand. They are smooth and constructed in a way not to become kinked as other chains would. If a long chain of them has become lumped together in a mound, they can untangle very easily because each of the rods behaves as a swivel. 

A person can easily snap ends of a chain together with only just their fingers. No special tools are needed. Only as powerful as its weakest link, these particular chains are durable and have no weak links per se. The word to describe their strength is tensile, meaning the amount of force at which they are going to break. Because of the way they are manufactured the chains will not hold a large amount of weight.

A wide array of materials can be used when creating these balls. Stainless steel is used usually because of toughness. They might also be made from copper, brass or gunmetal depending on their expected use. Higher-end varieties are created by custom order out of sterling silver. Each metal features its particular durability characteristics. 

To make them more like fashion accessories, the beads of the chain could be painted nearly any color. So they can easily last even longer, they can have a more robust coating applied to them such as black or white paint. The chains are used for any number of household purposes. They aren't only used for jewelry and key rings, these chains are used for luggage tags and even musical instruments. 

For several household applications, these chains are used as pull cords for anything from lighting fixtures to fans. Found in basements and garages, these pull cords can be used for some tasks. Many ceiling fans work with a chain of some sort to either control the fan or the attached light fixtures or both.

They are popular with outdoorsmen to use with fishing tackle. Sold as necklaces in addition to party favors, they can often be found in novelty and party suppliers. The chains can be found in large rolls for industrial use. Simply because they can be cut to any length using wire cutters or durable scissors, this is probably one of the more attractive functions of these chains. 

A wide array of attachments can be added to a ball chain to enhance its usefulness. Also there are alligator clips that may be added to the end of a chain so it will clamp onto a solid object. You will find hooks and connectors that will allow little chains to be combined. Companies continue to improve on the basic design concept of these useful chains even though they have existed for more than a hundred years. 

A lot of the methods used to make the chains as well as the attachments are safeguarded by patients. As far back as when they were mass-produced, many of these patents have existed. The chains at the moment are mostly produced in the United States and production facilities in Asia.