Improvements in Driving Chains for Cycles and other purposes.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Feb., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 5th May, 1894-Accepted, 30th June, 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Driving Chains for Cycles and other purposes.
I, ROBERT FREDERICK HALL, Managing Director of The R. F. Hall Manu-
facturing Company Limited, of Sampson Road North, Sparkbrook, in the City of
Birmingham, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in or in the construction of driving chain
for cycle and other purposes, and consists, in the one part, in the links of the primary
chain, and in the other part, in supplementary joining-up links, which are for the
purpose of being readily connected and disconnected from the chain for the removal
of a link or links therefrom or the addition of a link or links thereto.
According to the first part of my invention, the chain proper is made up of
alternate and intermediate links, the one connected to the other so as to make up a
length of chain.
The alternate links each consist of a broad or block link or a link or a broad
link made up of a series of sheet metal link-shaped plates, which are placed face
to face.
The inside ends of these said alternate links are made of the figure of a letter V,
that is to say, the inside bearing ends of the links are made wedge-shaped with the
sides opening out to the inside breadth of the link and within which wedge ends
the knife edges of the intermediate links, as hereinafter described, take their
bearing.
The intermediate links each consist of two parallel and separated side plates or
cheeks, united together by cross pins or rivets of a wedge or pear shaped cross
section with the knife edges of them presented innermost and taking their bearing
at the narrow wedge-shaped ends of the alternate links.
I propose that the said pins or rivets should be shouldered near their ends, up to
which the side plates or cheeks come, with the ends of the said pins or rivets
rivetted upon the outside.
In the making of the said pins or rivets, I propose to make them of the desired
section and from steel by a drawing or a rolling process, and I leave soft the ends
outward of the shoulders by applying heat to the knife edges or the middle parts
of the pins only which middle parts or edges are subsequently hardened by
immersing the same in oil or other hardening medium.
These intermediate or frame links with knife-edged pins or cross bars are greater
in breadth than the alternate links to the extent of the thicknesses of the side
plates or cheeks which are preferable cut out from sheet or wrought metal by
press tools.
Instead of knife edges cross pins or bars, I may employ ball edged sectioned
metal, the ball edges of which work upon like inside ball sectioned recesses of the
alternate links alike as the he knife-edges work upon the corresponding ends of
the she recesses in the form previously described.
The V-shaped bearing ends of the links are also hardened in order to resist or
lessen wear.
By thus reducing the contact or bearing surfaces in the links of driving chain,
friction between the moving parts is minimised.
In carrying out my invention in connection with the supplementary joining-up
link, I make the same of an ordinary link figure, but with one of the sides gapped
to an extent sufficient for the passing therethrough of the end bars of contiguous
links. The terminations of the metal at the gapped side of the link are formed

page_text: into opposite-directed return hook-shaped parts having inclined tips, and over these
hooks a rectangular shaped tie frame is sprung and there further secured by the
opening outwards of the separated parts of the gapped side of the said joining-up
link on the chain being drawn taut.
The inside ends of the link are preferably of the same V-shaped inside end figure
as the alternate links as previously described.
In a further form of joining-up link, I make the body of the same of a link
figure, and with one of the longer sides split or gapped to an extent sufficient for
the passing through it of the end bars of contiguous links of a chain. The termina-
tions of the half sides adjacent to the gap or slit are formed into or have flanges,
lugs or ears through which a loose screw pin transversely passes, and by it, the
divided side is drawn together or closed.
Dated this 31st day of January 1894.
ROBERT FREDERICK HALL,
By Henry Skerrett,
Agent for Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Driving Chains for Cycles and other purposes.
I, ROBERT FREDERICK HALL, Managing Director of The R. F. Hall Manu-
facturing Company Limited, of Sampson Road North, Sparkbrook, in the City of
Birmingham, 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 improvements in or in the construction of driving chain
for cycle and other uses, and consists, in the one part, in the links of the primary
chain, and in the other part, in supplementary joining-up links, which are for the
purpose of being readily connected and discounected from the chain for the
removal of a link or links therefrom or the addition of a link or links thereto.
According to the first part of my invention, the chain proper is made up of
alternate and intermediate links, the one connected to the other so as to make up
a length of chain.
The alternate links each consist of a broad or block link or a link or a broad
link made up of a series of sheet metal link-shaped plates, which are placed face
to face.
The inside ends of these said alternate links are made of the figure of a letter V,
that is to say, the inside bearing ends of the links are made wedge-shaped with the
sides opening out to the inside breadth of the link and within which wedge ends
the presented knife edges of the intermediate links, as hereinafter described, take
their bearing.
The intermediate links each consist of two parallel and separated side plates or
cheeks, united together by cross pins or rivets of a wedge or pear shaped cross
section, with the knife edges of them presented innermost and taking their bearing
at the pointed wedge-shaped she ends of the alternate links.
If necessary the said pins or rivets may be shouldered near their ends; up to
which the side plates or cheeks come, with the ends of the said pins or rivets
rivetted upon the outside, or the middle parts of the rivets may be knife-edged,
whilst the ends are of a circular or other figure.
In the making of the said pins or rivets, I propose to make them of the desired
section and from steel by a drawing or a rolling process, and I leave soft the ends
outward of the shoulders by applying heat to the knife edges or the middle parts
of the pins only, which middle parts or edges are subsequently hardened by
immersing the same in oil or other hardening medium.

page_text: These intermediate or frame links with knife-edged pins or cross bars are greater
in breadth than the alternate links to the extent of the thicknesses of the side
plates or cheeks, which are preferably cut out from sheet or wrought metal by
press tools.
Instead of knife edged cross pins or bars, I may employ ball edged sectioned
metal, the ball edges of which (when the chain is made up) work upon like inside
ball or V sectioned recesses of the alternate links, alike as the he knife-edges work
upon the corresponding ends of the she recesses in the form previously described.
The V-shaped bearing ends of the links are also hardened in order to resist or
lessen wear.
By thus reducing the contact or bearing surfaces in the links of driving chain,
friction between the moving parts is minimised.
In carrying out my invention in connection with the supplementary joining-up
link, I make the same of an ordinary link figure, but with one of the sides gapped
to an extent sufficient for the passing therethrough of the end bars of contiguous
links of a continuous length of chain. The terminations of the metal at the gapped
side of the link are formed into opposite-directed return hook-shaped parts having
inclined tips, and over these hooks, a rectangular shaped tie frame is sprung and
there further secured by the slight further opening outwards of the separated parts
of the gapped side of the said joining-up link on the chain being drawn taut.
The inside ends of the link are preferably of the same V-shaped inside end
'figure as the alternate links as previously described.
In a further form of joining-up link, I make the body of the same of a link
figure, and with one of the longer sides split or gapped to an extent sufficient for
the passing through it of the end bars of contiguous links of a chain. The
terminations of the half sides adjacent to the gap or slit are formed into or have
flanges, lugs or ears through which a loose screw pin transversely passes, and by it,
the divided side is drawn together or closed.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings represents in side elevation a length of
driving chain with joining up link at one end, provided with or having detail
improvements made in accordance with my said invention.
Figure 2 represents a topside plan of Figure 1.
Figure 3 represents a horizontal section of the chain showing the dispositions of
the component parts composing the same.
Figure 4 represents a vertical section of the right hand end part of the said
chain and joining-up link and shows how the knife edged contacts located upon
one of the sides of each of the pins or rivets of one of the links take their
bearings at the points of the ends of the inside cut-away parts or middle gaps of
the other links.
Figure 5 represents a cross section upon the dotted lines A B Figure 3, looking
towards the knife edge of the pin or rivet.
Figure 6 represents sections of the whole of the component parts of two inter-
mediate and one alternate links and also the joining-up pins or rivets of them in
elevation.
Figure 7 represents a side elevation of an alternate and rivet-carrying link whilst
Figure 8 is a side elevation of an intermediate link.
Figure 9 represents a cross section of the knife-edged rivet upon an enlarged
scale. These rivets are made from wire of the section represented.
Figure 10 represents an alternate link made solid instead of being built up of a
series of threaded-together plates.
The same letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures
of the drawings.
a and bare alternate and intermediate links, united or connected together by
knife-edged cross pins or rivets c, with the ends of the same expanded into heads
which come near the ends of the outside faces of the intermediate links.
The alternate links a, (each) consist of a series of sheet-metal link-shaped
plates a', placed face to face or side-by-side and having middle piercings a², made

page_text: through them, the opposite ends of which said middle piercings partake of the
figure of a letter V, that is, the bearing ends a³ of the links are made wedge-shaped,
with the points a', of the same coming in the middles of the said ends and pointing
outwardly, and at or within the points, the knife edges or contacts c³, of the cross
pins or rivets c, come and take their bearings.
The she wedge-shaped converging sides formed at the ends of the pierced
middles as aforesaid form bearing-finders and keepers for the knife edges of the
cross pins or rivets, when the chain is drawn taut.
Instead of the converging wedge-shaped ends of the gaps or piercings of the
links, being curved, they may be straight as in Figure 11.
d is a joining-up link, consisting of a loop-shaped body part a¹, with a middle
piercing d², having tapering ends d³, converging outwardly to confined bearing ends
or points d', alike unto the other links of the chain.
One side of the body part is split or divided and has flanges or lugs d³, which
are drawn together by a screw pin de, passing through screwed and plain holes d' d®
made through the said lugs or flanges.
When the screw pin is removed, the gap or space do, located between the
flanges do, do, springs open and leaves a space between them of a breadth sufficient
for the passing therethrough of the end cross rivets or pins of the end links; thus in
making a continuous chain, pass the end cross pins or rivets c, of the end links b of
a length of chain as shown through the gap d', then pass the screw pin do, through
the holes in the flanges d', and screw up the pin, when the said flanges are drawn
together and the loose ends of the chain, united or coupled.
Instead of the flanges of the joining-up link being connected together and drawn
up by a screw pin, a cross rivet may be used instead of the screw pin.
Figure 12 represents a perspective view of a further form of joining-up link made
according to my invention.
d is a looped-shaped link, with one side of the body part d', divided or split, and
with ends of the divided part turned back into hooks ; the divided part, being.
sufficient for the passage therethrough, of the pins or rivets of the links to be
united or joined-up.
Normally the hooked ends d³, are separable from each other to a distance less
than the length of the rectangular shaped opening e', in the tie frame e, which,
when passed over the hooked ends of the link as indicated in dotted lines, and closes
the gap and unites the said hooked ends together, when taut is put on the chain.
Figure 13 represents a short length of chain, the knife-edged cross pins or rivets
having shouldered ends.
Figure 14 is a perspective view of one of the rivets upon an enlarged scale.
e are the pins or rivets, c², the knife-edges, c¹ the heads and c³ the shoulders.
Figure 15 represents a length of chain constructed according to a still further
form of my invention. In this arrangement, instead of employing knife edges, I
employ their equivalent ball edges.
Figure 16 represents one of the rivets upon an enlarged scale and Figure 17
represents an elevation of it. Figure 18 represents one of the knife-edged contact
rivets with a screwed end upon which a nut takes, so that no rivetting of the ends
is required.
I am aware that knife-edged contacts made out of the ends of the links, and
bearing or working upon plain surfaces of adjacent links have heretofore been
employed, but
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :-
First. In driving chain, the combination with links having knife-edge contacts
of converging or V-shaped end bearing recesses, keep channels or seatings, wherein
the said knife edges take, bear and are there confined by leading sides, substantially
as described and set forth.

page_text: Secondly. In driving chain having knife-edged contacts, forming the said knife-
edges or knife-edged contacts upon, or from the sides of, the cross pins or rivets,.
substantially as described and set forth.
Thirdly. In driving chain having knife-edged contacts, making the cross pius
or rivets from wire having a kuife-edged cross section, substantially as and for the
purpose as described and set forth.
Fourthly. In driving chain, the construction, arrangement and combination of
the parts, less the joining-up link d, substantially as and for the purpose as described
and set forth in Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 10 and 13.
Fifthly. A joining-up link, consisting of an open and divided sided link,.
having flanged or lug ends drawn together by a screw pin or rivet passing through
the said flanged ends substantially as described and set forth in Figures 1 and 4.
Sixthly. A joining up link, consisting of a divided-sided and open link with
turned-back hook ends, over which a tie or tie frame takes, substantially as described
and set forth in Figure 12.
Seventhly. In driving chain, making the contacts of one link ball-edged and
taking into V-shaped keep-sinkings of an adjacent link, substantially as described.
and set forth in Figure 15.
Dis 4th dow of Mo 1901
ROBERT FREDERICK HALL,
By Henry Skerrett,
6, Livery Street, Birmingham, Agent for Applicant..