Patent GB-251699-A (GB)
Title: Chain making machine
IPC: B21L3/00
Filed: 1925-02-06
Abstract: 251,699. Wenz, J. Feb. 6, 1925. Making chains; shearing - adjuncts; bending-formers.-In a chain-making machine of the type in which the links are made by forcing a severed length of wire bv an arbor between bending jaws, two sets of non-rotatable bending jaws are used together with two wire feeds, arbors, and cutters, the sets being arranged at an angle of 90‹ with respect to each other, thus avoiding the necessity for rotating the jaws for interlinking purposes between successive operations. Wire 59, 60 is fed alternately from separate reels by slides 63, 64 into position above two pairs of spring-retracted bending jaws 4<c>, 3<c>, which are pivoted at 4d, 3d, Fig. 16, in the side walls of base plates with spring- pressed tubular centres 4a, 3<a> through which the chain passes. The jaws are alternately moved on their pivots by cam-operated rods, levers 5, 12 and rods 17 to bend the wire lengths previously forced therein by arbors 54, 55, which are mounted on supports 44, 45, forced down by cams 39 against the action of springs 57, Fig. 9. The bending of the link is completed by a cruciform die 104 carried by a spring-retracted rod 26, Fig. 14, which is pressed down by a double lever 27 operated by a pair of cams. The wires are fed alternately by the slides 63, 54 which are moved forward against the action of springs along blocks 66, 65 pivoted at 67, 68 by arms 69, 70 operated by cams and rods 75. Lever arms 77, 78 are pivoted at 89, 79 in the slides. When the end of the arm 8 moves over a verticallv adjustable support 82, a pin 81 is pressed by the arm 80 against the wire 60 so as to clamp it to the slide 64 and thus feed forward the wire. At this time the previous link has been completed and the jaws 4<c> have been raised against a stop 20 by a lever 11 operated by a cam and rod to bring the link into interlinking position. The jaws 4<c> in their upward movement have raised the block 66 on its pivot 67 until the pin 87 has engaged a fixed plunger 95. The wire 59 is thereby held stationary during backward movement of the slide 63. The wire 60 passes into a recess in the end of the arbor 54 which during the feed is forced back against the action of a spring 51 by a rod 84 on the feed slide 64 engaging a rod 48 secured to the bar 47 carrying the arbor. This ensures wire which is not quite straight being passed through the previous link. The wire 60 is cut by a cutter 94 which is mounted together with a cutter 25 on adjustable blocks on the head of a lever 35, Fig. 14, which is forced down against the action of a spring 34 by a spring-retracted rod 33 engaged by a camoperated lever 32. The jaws 4<c> on release of the arbor 54 move downwards and the arbor 55. which has been pushed forward by its spring 50 on retraction of the slide 63, is then forced down to bend the wire into U-shape, the bending being completed by the jaws 3<c> and by the die 104. The jaws 3<c> are then raised into interlinking position and to raise the block 65 on its pivot so as to clamp the wire 60 by the plunger 106, Fig. 4, during retraction of the slide 64. The wire 59 then moves forward and a similar series of operations are performed to make the next link. The raising of the'blocks 66, 65 allows space enough for the bending elements to make very small links. The cam shaft 2 may be operated by a hand wheel 101 or by power through a pulley 100 clutched thereto, in which case the wheel 101 serves as a fly-wheel. Chains may be made consisting of alternate links of different shape, material, or thickness. Chains with alternately long and short links are made by varying the shape of one of the feed cams, and the size and shape of one pair of jaws and one of the arbors.