Patent GB-817291-A (GB)
Title: Method of and apparatus for assembling roller chains from component parts
IPC: B21L9/00
Filed: 1956-05-18
Abstract: 817,291. Making chains. BORG-WARNER Ltd., and TRUSCOTT, A. F. Aug. 16, 1957 [May 18, 1956], No. 15586/56. Class 83 (2). [Also in Group XXX] A method of assembling roller chains from the component parts thereof consists in aligning in end-on relationship, the roller units from which the chain is to be constituted, each such unit consisting of two rollers, their bushes and associated roller plates, intermittently advancing said aligned roller units so that each adjacently disposed pair of roller units successively enters a roller pin inserting station, successively inserting at this station, two roller pins, previously fitted with one outer side plate, in the pin apertures of the adjacent end rollers of two adjacently disposed roller units to be connected together by the outer side plate, and thereafter forwarding the assembly to bring successively each pair of roller units thus fitted with the roller pins into an outer side plate fitting station, and fitting in this station the opposite outer side plate to the free ends of each pair of roller pins. A roller unit 10, comprising, Fig. 1, rollers 11, 12 mounted on bushes 13, 14 and retained thereon by side plates 15, 16 is pushed from a magazine 1 along a table 20 by a slide on a cam-actuated bell-crank 51. A spacer plate 18 is pushed from a magazine 2 along a platform 23, spaced above the table 20, by another slide on the bell-crank 51, another unit 10 is pushed from a magazine 3 along a superposed platform 24, another spacer plate 18 from a magazine 4 along a superposed platform 25, and a further unit 10 from a magazine 5 along a platform 26. The parts are thus delivered in correct relative positions for assembly into a chain and are moved forward to a roller pin fitting station at which roller pins 17 are fitted to a top outer side plate 19 and are then inserted into the end bushes 13, 14 of adjacent units 10 and apertures in spacer plates 18. Pins 17 stored in a hopper 28, Fig. 6, are aligned in grooves 30,31 in a plate 29 on the lower inner surface of the hopper by a slide 35 reciprocated by crank means 58 and pass by gravity through holes 33, 34, in a block 32 closing the base of the hopper, through tubes 8, 8<SP>1</SP>, to drop into two apertures 37, 38 in slide 39 reciprocated by cam-operated lever means 53. The lever means 53 also moves a plate 27 to push a top outer side plate 19 from a magazine 6 into a guide on the lower surface of a punch 9. The punch 9 is lowered to force the plate 19 onto the ends of the two pins 17 positioned thereunder by the slide 39, and then raised to lift the plate 19 with its depending pins 17. As the next plate 19 is pushed into the punch 9 the previous plate 19 with its pins 17 attached is moved above the chain components and on the next downward movement of the punch 9 the pins 17 are inserted into the components, feelers 59, 60 on a block 41 depending from the punch 9 having previously located the chain components to receive the pins 17. The chain assembly then moves forward to remove the new attached plate 19 from the punch 9. A bottom outer side-plate 191 is pushed by a plate 45 from a magazine 7 onto the table beneath the chain assembly and a quick return punch 44 in the punch 9 forces the lower ends of the pins 17 into the plate 19<SP>1</SP> to complete the connection.