Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Oct., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 9th Nov., 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 8th Jan., 1889
ROBERT JOSEPH DAWSON Wood bank Cottage, Meersbrook Bank Derbyshire Lane,
Sheffield, Derbyshire, Consulting Engineer, and JAMES BEAL, 5 Collegiate Crescent
Sheffield, Yorkshire, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
:-
New forms of stud links with loose sides to facilitate coupling chains quickly and
securely together, and so shaped that the various parts can be easily moulded and cast
in steel or other suitable material.
Our improvements consist in making a portion of one side of stud links loose and
for this purpose we form tapered grooves in the loose side piece and corresponding
grooves in the solid portion of the link, either portion being made male or female;
these grooves run from the side or edge towards the middle of the link, and not from
the face, or through the flat part of the link and the loose side of link, which may, or
may not, carry the centre stud, or be attached to it, is pushed into position from the
side of the link and not from the face or flat part, and the grooves in the loose portion
engage with those in the solid portion in such manner that tensional, or other strains
in the link are uniformly distributed between the loose and solid portions. The grooves
as described, may be made to go right through the side of the link, or only partially,
in which case the loose side of the link may be made solid, but with corresponding
grooves of sufficient length to engage with the projections on the solid portion of the
link.
In order to carry out our invention we may make the loose side of the link with the
centre stud formed upon it, so that both being withdrawn together an opening is left
in the side of the link of sufficient width for another link to be passed on to it, or
unhooked from it, in this case we may secure the loose side and stud to the solid
portion by means of a common screw passed through the solid portion of the link into
the stud or we may by preference make the stud which is part of the loose side
hollow, and opposite this hollow portion form a recess in the solid portion of the link
to receive a leaf spring, or bifurcated leaf spring, or springs of other suitable form,
projecting from the hollow portion of the loose side, so as to clip within the recess in
the solid portion, thus securing the loose side and stud automatically, and enabling the
link to be opened or closed without using any impliment or tool for the purpose.
:

page_text: Another means we may employ in order to secure the loose side is to make the stud
portion separate from the loose side and divided, or split into two halves flatways, the
foose side in this case is formed with a dovetailed lug on the inside, and being put into
position the two halves of the stud are brought together, or nearly together in the
centre of the link, clipping the dovetailed lug and resting upon a portion of both inner
sides of the solid portion of link: the two halves are then connected by a common
screw so that the loose side of link and the stud are held firmly in their respective
positions; or, in other cases we may make the stud solid with the loose side as before
described, a dovetailed keyway being formed in the end of the stud, and a corre-
sponding keyway in the solid side of the link opposite the end of the stud, the loose
side and stud may then be secured to the solid part of the link, by means of a double
dovetailed key, or feather, shaped to fit the dovetailed portions described, which key
or feather, may be made of metal, wood, or other suitable material, and any of the
links herein described may be made of any suitable section of material.
By the arrangements herein described we obtain in loose sided stud-links the
maximum possible strength from any given section of material, and also a uniform
distribution of tensile and shearing, or other strains in the sides and ends of stud chain
links, and without any projecting surfaces, or deformation of link, we securely attach
the loose sides of such links to the solid portions, either by means of common screws,
or keys, or automatically by spring arrangements substantially as herein' described.
Dated this 3rd day of October 1888

page_text: Improvements in the Formation of Stud Links for Coupling Chains.
ROBERT JOSEPH DAWSON Woodbank Cottage, Meersbrook Bank Derbyshire Lane,
Sheffield, Derbyshire Consulting Engineer, and JAMES BEAL, 5 Collegiate Crescent
Sheffield, Yorkshire, Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of this invention and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
Our Invention relates to that class of chain coupling links where a loose, or detach-
able side, is employed to facilitate coupling or disconnecting chains of various sizes
and shapes.
Ordinarily chain coupling links of this description have loose sides attached to the
solid portions, by pins, swivels, or cotters, or, by a dovetailed side piece passing from
one face of the link entirely through the side of it, such loose side being held in
position by a separate centre stud, or stud plates, separate from the loose side piece,
and secured in position by screws or bolts and nuts.
Our improvements consist in making coupling links with a loose side and stud in
one piece, or with a loose side and stud in one piece divided laterally, and so contrived
that the solid loose side and stud either slides into lateral grooves from the side of the
link, or if split laterally, clips within lateral grooves, or transverse grooves in the solid
portion of link, entering from opposite faces of the link.
In our methods of fixing the loose side, or sides described, we avoid the use of pins,
swivels, or cotters bearing any part of the strain in the link; and we also dispense
with a loose side having a separate stud, or stud plates, by forming the loose side and
cross stud in one piece, or in one piece divided laterally.
The lateral grooves in the solid portion of the link may extend right through the
side of the link towards the centre, or only partially through it, the loose side having
grooves of sufficient length to engage with those in the solid portion, such lateral
grooves being made male and female, either the male portion, or the female portion
may be formed in the solid part of link, or in the loose side piece or pieces.
In order to carry out our invention we make the loose- side of the link with the
centre stud formed upon it, so that being withdrawn an opening is left in the side of
the link, of sufficient width for another link of the same size to be passed on to the
solid portion of link, or removed from it.
We may secure the loose side and stud to the solid portion of the link either
automatically, or non-automatically, by means of a spring or springs, of any suitable
form fixed in the hollow part of the stud, and entering a cavity, or slotted hole in the
solid side of the link, or when the loose side and stud is split laterally, we may secure
the parts by means of any suitably shaped spring fixed on one half of the loose side
and stud, and arranged to clip the other half; or we may when the loose side and stud
is split laterally form a half dovetailed recess on cach loose piece where it abuts on the

page_text: back of the solid portion of the link, so as to clip a lug or projection upon that portion:
the two halves of the loose side being then united by a common screw or equivalent
thereto. When the loose side and stud are in one solid piece the connection may
be made to the back of the link by means of a common screw passing through the
back and into the end of the stud, or, instead we may drive a double dovetailed
key or wedge between the stud and back of link, so as to hold the two parts firmly
together.
Another method of preventing the loose side and stud from falling, or being pulled
out, is to form, tapered grooves from each face of the link, such grooves tapering
towards and meeting in the centre of the side of the link, to receive the loose side and
stud split laterally and held in position by the dovetailed lug on inside of back of link,
and a common screw, or spring, or equivalent thereto.
On the sheets of drawings appended hereunto :

page_text: In Figs 7 & 8, j, is a spring having a dog-head, or head of other suitable form, it is
fixed in the part B" Fig. 8, and the dog-head passes through and clips the part B' to
the part B, both parts B, B" grip the solid grooved portion of the link A, between
the lines C, C, Fig. 7, and also the dovetailed lng 1, Fig. 8, in such manner that when
the two halves B, B", are pressed into the position shown, they are held together and
cannot be separated until the dog-head is pulled back when it is required to uncouple
the link.
On Sheet No. 2, Figs. 9 to 16, Three forms of coupling links without springs are
shown, in each of these views A is the solid portion of the link and B, E and F are the
loose sides and studs referred to.
In Fig. 9, B is a laterally divided female loose side and stud; the sides B', B
Fig. 10, being held in position between the grooves C, C, Fig. 11 and upon the lug 1,
by means of the screw m.
In Fig. 12, the loose solid male side and stud E are shown without the solid
portion A. 0, 0, 0, are the tapered grooves, and the screw n, Fig. 13 shows one mode
of fixing the loose part to the solid part A.
In Figs. 15 & 16 the loose solid female side and stud F are shown without the solid
portion A. 7, 9, 9, are the tapered grooves, and the double dovetailed key p, Fig. 13
shows another mode of fixing the loose part to the solid part A.
ON SHEET No. 3.
In Figs. 17. 18. 19 A is the solid portion of link and G the loose side and stud
portion divided laterally in two halves G G shown in cross section on line X Y.
Fig. 18. In this case the edges of the loose sides G G which engage with the solid
portion A are tapered, but there is no taper upon the edges of the stud portions, these
being notched out at t to clip the solid dovetailed lug upon A. The parts G G are
notched out as shown at S, Fig. 17, and fit into corresponding notches in the part A,
their edges are tapered from the outside faces S, Fig. 19, to the inner faces u, so that
when brought together they grip within the notches S, Fig. 17, and they may then be
secured by a screw as shown in Fig. 17 or by a dog-headed spring as shown at j,
Fig. 8, sheet No. 1. or by any other method herein described.
In Figs. 20 & 21, A is the solid portion of the link, and the loose side and stud
portion laterally divided in two halves H, H" shown in cross section on line X Y,
Fig. 21, the grooves S₁ are made to taper in the same way as the grooves S Figs. 17 &
19, but they are arranged in reverse direction.
Fig. 22 is a side view of the laterally divided side H when not in position.
Coupling links as described may be made of steel, iron, brass, or other suitable
material, and they may be made of any suitable section of material, and of any com-
bination of the parts herein described and illustrated in order to facilitate coupling up
chains in an expeditious and secure manner, either when using tools for the purpose, or
automatically without their use.
:
By these arangements we construct loose sided stud links suitable for coupling, or
uncoupling chains and the like easily and quickly and without any projecting surfaces,
or deformation of link we attach the loose sides to the solid portions in such manner
as to secure the full strength of the material employed, and a uniform distribution of
strains in the loose sides, such loose sides being attached to the solid portions either
automatically, or non-automatically, substantially as herein illustrated and described.
:-
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we claim is :-
Firstly Improved forms of automatic spring coupling, or connecting links, having
one loose side and cross-stud in one solid piece, or having a laterally divided loose side
and cross stud, such solid side, or divided side, being provided with lateral, or trans-
verse opposite tapered grooves and projections, corresponding to reverse grooves and
projections in the solid portion of such links, the loose solid side and cross-stud, or
divided side and cross-stud, being held in position by means of suitably shaped springs
or their equivalents.

page_text: Secondly Improved forms of non-automatic coupling or connecting links having
one loose side and cross-stud in one solid piece, or having a laterally divided loose side
and cross-stud, such solid side, or divided side, being provided with lateral grooves, or
transverse opposite tapered grooves and projections in the solid portion of such links-
the loose solid side and cross-stud, or divided side and cross-stud, being held in
position by screws, bolts, keys or wedges, or their equivalents.
Thirdly Improvements in coupling or connecting links as herein-before specified
and substantially as described and illustrated by the drawings.
Dated this 7th 1.
1000