Improvements in Sheet Metal Chains.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Mar., 1892-Accepted, 9th Apr., 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Communicated from abroad by HARRY EUGENE KELLEY, of Niagara Falls, in
the County of Niagara and State of New York, United States of America,
Machinist.]
Improvements in Sheet Metal Chains.
1, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co. Patent
Agents, 45 Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, 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
This invention relates to chains which are composed of flat sheet metal links,
and it has for its object to produce a neat and inexpensive chain of this character
in which the links are prevented from twisting and in which the backs of the links
present a smooth flat surface.
In the accompanying drawing:
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a dog collar constructed from my improved
chain.
Figure 2 is a longitudinal section of a portion of the chain.
Figure 3 is a perspective view of two links of the chain showing the manner of
connecting the links.
Figure 4 is a view of one of the stamped blanks from which the link is
formed.
Figure 5 is a perspective view of a chain which embodies my invention in a
slightly different form.
Figure 6 is a view of the blank from which the links of this chain are
formed.
Like letters of reference refer to like parts in the several figures.
The links of the chain each consist of a strip of sheet metal doubled upon itself
to form an eye or knuckle a at its bent portion and having transverse slots bb
in its end portions with which the eye of an adjoining link engages. The slotted
end portions B of the link are connected with the adjacent body portion of the
link by contracted necks c which are of less width than the body portion of the
link and are formed by recessing or notching the body of the link adjacent to
the slotted end portions.
One of the
In forming the chain, one of the link-blanks, is doubled centrally to bring the
transverse slots & thereof into coincidence as represented in Figure 3.
slotted end portions B of another link is then passed through both registering slots
of the first mentioned link by inclining said slotted end portion as shown in
Figure 3, inserting one end thereof in said slots and then passing the remainder of
said end portion, the contracted neck portion and the adjacent body portion through
the slots until the end bars formed by the slots are seated in the eye of the
newly attached link. The latter is then doubled or closed to confine the cross
bars in its eye and bring its own slots into coincidence preparatory to inserting
one of the slotted end portions B of the succeeding link through its slots. This
operation is repeated with each successive link until a chain of the desired length
is formed. The contracted neck portion permits the slotted end of a still open
link to be passed through the slots of the adjacent closed link as above described.
In the construction of the link shown in Figures 5 and 6 but one end of the link
blank is provided with a contracted neck c, and the body portion of the blank
between the contracted neck c and the centre of the blank which forms the outer
side or face of the link when the blank is doubled is made a trifle narrower than
the length of the slots so as to permit this portion of the blank to be passed through

page_text: the slots. The remaining portion of the blank forming the inner side or back of
the link when the blank is folded, is of the same width as the ends of the blank in
which the slots are formed. In the first described construction the body portion of
the blank between the two contracted necks is made of a uniform width and narrow
enough to permit either end of the blank to be passed through the slots of another
blank.
By constructing the chain links as described, a sightly chain having a smooth
flat inner surface is obtained, and the links while being free to pivot upon each
other, are prevented from twisting like the links or ordinary chains. This renders
the chain especially desirable for constructing dog collars, as the links always rest
flat against the neck of the animal. When the chain links are used for dog collars
a name plate D is preferably employed having end loops d which engage with the
eyes a of the adjacent links. The end links of the collar are provided with
suitable fastenings for connecting the same together.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. A sheet metal chain liuk doubled upon itself and provided with transversely-
slotted end portions and having its body adjacent to one of said slotted end portions
of the proper width to be passed through the slots of an adjoining link, and recesses
in the edges of said body portion adjacent to the slotted end portion whereby a
contracted neck is formed of less width than the adjacent body portion, substan-
tially as set forth.
2. A sheet metal chain link doubled upon itself to form an eye or knuckle at its
bent portion and having transversely slotted end portions and contracted necks of
less width than the body portion of the link connecting the slotted end portions
with the body of the link, which latter is made of the proper width to be passed
through the slotted ends of the adjoining link, substantially as set forth.
Dated this 7th day of March 1892.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.