Ive looked high and low on google, asked acouple of my friends who do these for a living, and even tried to contact an expert (no answer)....i just want to know what the NAME of this is...and, if you can, tell me how to solve it or atleast some hints/tips for the process..thanks

I've heard it called a tavern puzzle, or blacksmith's puzzle, because they used to be made from forged iron. The puzzle is that they looked inextricably linked but can be manipulated (without bending) to come apart, reversing the process to put it back together. Each puzzle is a little different, but they all rely on turning the pieces in just the right way to unhook them from each other. 

13 minutes ago, Phi for All said:

I've heard it called a tavern puzzle, or blacksmith's puzzle

You are right. I have never heard those names before!

Wikipedia has the more general name "disentanglement puzzles" which include these and similar things: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mechanical_puzzle

I have a few of those. Often looking at some grooves in places gives you a hing on where to slide things along.