Patent GB-279427-A (GB)
Title: Process and apparatus for reinforcing cross-chains
IPC: B21L15/00
Filed: 1927-10-05
Abstract: 279,427. American Chain Co., Inc., (Assignees of Reyburn, J. R.). Oct. 22, 1926, [Convention date]. Chains. - Reinforcing parts are connected to chains, such as the cross chains of non-skid tyre chains by feeding the parts successively to the chain, supporting them at a welding-station, feeding the chain in a normal path past said station and moving successive portions of the chain out of the normal path into welding engagement with said parts successively. The chain S passes over guides G<1>, G<2>. G<3> through welding-units W<1>, W<2>, W<3>, which respectively weld simultaneously a bar p<1>, p<2>, p<3> to successive links s<1>, s<2>, s<3> of a series of sections of the chain, so that after each section has passed through the machine, each set of links s<1>, s<2>, s<3> is provided with bars. A pair of plain links s<4> is left at each side of the reinforced links together with a further link s<5> which is subsequently to be cut to provide a section of the required length. The chain after leaving each welding-unit assumes a looped form, passing under pivoted guides g<1>, g<2>, g<3> and over sprocket chains F<1>, F<2>, F<3> which are intermittently driven by sprocket wheels f<1>, f<2>, f<3> on shafts 21, 22, 23 rotated by bevel gear 25, change speed gear, spur gear and Geneva gear from a shaft 12 which is geared to the driving shaft 16. The chain is stripped from the sprocket chains by plates g<4>, the sprockets passing behind idler pulleys f<6> and over sprocket wheels f<7>. The chain finally passes over a sprocket wheel f<10> driven by a jointed shaft from the shaft of one of the spur gears, and passes between shear blades P, P<1> to sever the links s<5>. The blade P is carried by a slide 110 reciprocated by an eccentric on the shaft 12. Supplies of wire to form the bars p<1> &c. are fed from spools opposite each set of welding jaws by sets of rolls 44, 43, Fig. 5, which are geared together, each roll 43 being mounted on a shaft 59, which carries a ratchet wheel 48 rotated by a pawl 49 and lever 52 from .a cam on a shaft 3, which is connected by bevel gear to the shaft 12. The shaft 59 is prevented by a friction device from turning reversely so as to prevent the tension of the wire from drawing it backwards. The feed is regulated by an adjustable shield 68 which raises the pawl out of contact with the ratchet wheel. The upper roll 44 is pressed down by a spring 46 adjusted by a screw 47. The wire S' passes through a sleeve 73, Fig. 7, and die 78 in a fixed member 72, then through a die 79 in a rotatable member 80 into contact with a screw stop 81. The member 72 is splined to and secured by a collar 76 in a member 74 screwed to the stationary part t of the welding unit. The member 80 is rotated,so as to cut off a blank by a lever 87, Fig. 5, connected by a link 89 to a lever 91 linked at 95 to a slide 97 which has a roller 98 engaging a cam on the shaft 3. The motion of the lever 91 is adjusted by a screw 100. The member 80 carries the blank opposite a hole 101 in the member 72 from which it is discharged by a plunger 102 operated by a forced lever 105 through a bush 109 into a recess w<4> in the lower welding-die w. The die is secured by a clamp w<7> in a watercooled member bolted to the part t. Welding is performed by dies w<1> adjustable by screws w<9> on the ends of levers W operated from the cam shaft. The dies push the chain down from its normal path into contact with the blank which is raised by the chain after welding. A separate transformer is used for each pair of welding-dies.