IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CHAINS FOR DRIVING MACHINERY OR OTHERWISE."
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Hugh Baird, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Iron and Steel Stamper, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF CHAINS FOR DRIVING MACHINERY OR OTHERWISE."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Hugh Baird at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 12th May 1880.
HUGH BAIRD, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Iron and Stoel
Stamper. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CHAINS FOR DRIVING
MACHINERY OR OTHERWISE."
1
Heretofore it has been necessary when the links of driving chains are made of
wrought iron to couple them together by rivets, pins, or bolts; now, the primary
object of this Invention is to provide means whereby I am able to stamp links for
chains from wrought iron or steel, which may be subsequently connected together
to form driving or other chains without the use of such rivets, pins, or bolts.
The first part of the Invention is particularly applicable to the manufacture of
such chain links as those known as "Ewart's" patent links, Patent No. 2752,
year 1876, such links having been hitherto cast in malleable iron, whereas by iny.
Invention I am able to make them of wrought iron or steel, case hardened or not,
as desired.
་
According to my Invention I form the link by sinking about the half portions
of it in top and bottom die-blocks. For the convenience of this process I prefer
to first form the hook part of the link perpendicular in the dies, and I afterwards
bed the link in another pair of dies with a steel mandrel laid between the dies and
in the curve of the link; the dies may be brought together by screw press or
otherwise, and which brings the link to the desired shape to attach or detach. The
Invention also relates to chains which are made with square links, with the ends
formed of plain round iron; in this case I stamp the links in a similar manner in
wrought iron or steel, and stamp a separate piece to receive the ends with the ends
perpendicular, and afterwards close them down in a pair of dies. In a similar
imanner the links may be formed with the hook perpendicular, long, and thin
enough to be bent down cold. The links thus made may be case hardened for
durability..
I sometimes form the open links out of a plain bar by bending the iron round for
the ends to meet and lap over, and they are then welded in the dies, which brings
the grain of the iron in the direction desired.
I sometimes stamp the links out of the solid; which leaves a thin web or flash in
the centre part, which I afterwards punch or press out with suitable dies in a screw.
or other press.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Hugh Baird in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 12th
November 1880.
HUGH BAIRD, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Iron and Steel
Stamper. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CHAINS FOR DRIVING
MACHINERY OR OTHERWISE."
Heretofore it has been necessary when the links of driving chains are made of
wrought iron to couple them together by rivets; pins, or bolts; now, the primary
object of this Invention is to provide means whereby I am able to stamp links for
chains from wrought iron or steel, which may be subsequently connected together
to form driving or other chains without the use of such rivets, pins, or bolts.
The first part of the Invention is particularly applicable to the manufacture of
such chain links as those known as "Ewart's patent links, Patent No. 2752,
year 1876, such links having been hitherto cast in malleable iron, whereas by my
Invention I am able to make them of wrought iron or steel, case hardened or not,
as desired.
According to my Invention I form the link by sinking about the half portions
of it in top and bottom die blocks. For the convenience of this process I prefer to
first form the hook part of the link perpendicular in the dies, and I afterwards bed
the link in another pair of dies with a steel mandril laid between the dies and in
the curve of the link; the dies may be brought together by screw press or
otherwise, and which brings the link to the desired shape to attach or detach.
The Invention also relates to chains which are made with square links, with tho
ends formed of plain round iron; in this case I stamp the links in a similar manner
in wrought iron or steel, and stamp a separate piece to receive the ends with the
ends perpendicular, and afterwards close them down in a pair of dies. In a similar
manner the links may be formed with the hook perpendicular, long, and thin
enough to be bent down cold. The links thus made may be case hardened for
durability.
I sometimes form the open links out of a plain bar by bending the iron-round
for the ends to meet and lap over, and they are then welded in the dies, which
brings the grain of the iron in the direction desired.
I sometimes stamp the links out of the solid, which leaves a thin web or flash in
the centre part, which I afterwards punch or press out with suitable dies in a screw
or other press.
The accompanying Drawings illustrate the manner in which my Invention is or
may be carried into effect:
Figure 1 is a section through a pair of dies A, A', which are attached to stamps
of any construction, as is well known. The upper moveable die or mould block A,
and the lower stationary die block A¹, are cut or otherwise formed to a shape,
corresponding to that of the link of the chain; B is a link shown between the
said pair of dies A, A¹, and at Figure 2 is shown two links, connected together in
the manner described with reference to the before named Patent of "Ewart's."
The links B are formed with the bar B¹ thereon, as shewn at Figure 1, as is also
the other or hook end C, which in the first instance has to be formed in a some-
what vertical position. It is turned down to the required position between another
pair of dies A, A¹, in a screw press or stamp (or it may be the stamping pair, as
before described); this is effected, as shown at Figure 3, by a preferably loose
mandril D, around which the end C is turned to the desired shape for connection
to the corresponding bar B¹ of the link B, and shown at Figure 4 in a coupling or
disconnecting position.

page_text: In this manner various forms of links may be formed in wrought iron or steel
whilst hot between a pair of dies, such as shewn at Figures 5 and 6, the con-
necting hook C in all cases being formed as before described. The flash of metal
may be removed by a punch or otherwise before being passed between the second
pair of dies in the screw press or stamp.
Figure 7 is a view in section, shewing, a pair of plain, square, or rectangular
links B, made of wrought iron or steel, say of a round section, and coupled or
connected together by means of a clip E, of wrought iron or steel, and secured to
the links by being bent or turned down to the position shown in this Figure by a
screw press or equivalent, in order to retain the links and to prevent the possibility
of their becoming disengaged. The clip E may be stamped with a projection, as
shewn, thus forming as it were a bearing for the ends of the links, and prevents
the adjoining ends of the links from rubbing or grinding together. Links of this or
the before described construction may be case hardened by leather or prussiate of
potash to give them a hard and durable wearing surface.
Having thus described and ascertained the nature of this Invention, and in what
manner the same is or may be carried into effect, I would have it understood that
I do not lay claim to the shape or means of connecting links, as described in
the Specification of "Ewart's," No. 2752, A.D. 1876, and as shewn in the Drawing;
but I claim,
First. Constructing the detachable links of chains for driving machinery or
otherwise, of wrought iron or steel, between dies whilst hot, substantially as
described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
Second. The stamped rectangular links of wrought iron or steel connected
together, substantially in the manner as described and shown.
In witness whereof, I, the said Hugh Baird, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Tenth day of November, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty.
HUGH BAIRD. (L.S.)