Improvements in Driving Chains and Wheels and the Mode of Manufacture of the same.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 15th May, 1891
Complete Specification Left, 17th Aug., 1891-Accepted, 19th Sept., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Driving Chains and Wheels and the Mode of
Manufacture of the same.
I HERBERT GUTHRIE, of Albert Road, Levenshulme near Manchester, Engineer
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows, that is to say:
This invention mainly consists of further improvements to that kind of chain and
wheel gearing commonly used in velocipedes and bucket elevators, and is especially
applicable to chains and wheels gearing together with large flat link head and
tooth surfaces at such an angle with the pitch line as will cause the chain to rise on
the tooth and automatically adjust itself to the pitch line of the wheel.
In the matter of wheels, I make them with teeth to gear with every element of
the chain, in contradistinction to every alternate element as is commonly done.
These rings I make with twice the number of teeth usual; but of so much longer
pitch as allows for loss in bending or setting every alternate tooth out of line with
its neighbour, so that the intermediate teeth gear with the intermediate links of the
chain. My wheel rims are therefore composed of only half the number of pieces
otherwise necessary though the full number of teeth. Much labor in manufacture
is consequently saved as well as much weight. These offset or zig-zag toothed
rings may be set to the extent of one or more thicknesses as may be required and
fastened together in any number of pairs, sets, or series. Small wheels so made
may consist of rims only; larger wheels may consist of one or more discs similarly
zig-zagged at the rims, or partly of discs and partly of rings fastened thereto.
The said discs may be perforated to form arms of any desired form and where two
or more discs are used they may be dished so as to form a very stiff and light wheel
similar to wire spoked cycle wheels. And further; even large wheel rims may be
made complete entirely of rings and these complete rims may be afterwards secured
to disc or spoke centres. The spaces formed by the zig-zagging may be availed of
for housing the spoke ends which is a further great advantage both in cost of
manufacture and strength of attachment.
or
In the matter of split wheels: a further advantage of constructing wheels mainly
as herein before described is their adaptability to what is commonly known as
splitting. This is done by severing the rings as well as the spoked or disc centres
in such a way that the several laminations of both rim and centre or boss overlap
or interlace each other so that a few bolts, pins, or rivets secure the whole together
clipping the shaft or spindle. But, in some cases, even these bolts, pins, or rivets
may be dispensed with. In such case the rim, the discs, or the boss parts, as the
case may be, are made to pass each other from opposite directions clipping the shaft
spindle as between two forks with the prongs overlapping each other. Thus
when such parts are brought together, say horizontally, key ways are cut both
top and bottom, so that when the keys are inserted the forks are effectually
locked together holding the wheel intact as well as preventing its turning on
the shaft. These keys may be dovetailed into the boss, in which case they
will hold the two halves of the wheel together even though not on the shaft.
Bosses of such wheels may be made either entirely of punchings or part punchings
and part castings or forgings or entirely of castings or forgings as the case may be.
In the matter of chain links my further improvements consist of adding greater
thickness to the heads in order to give more wearing surface to both pin
and tooth without unnecessarily increasing the weight. This I do in either of
two ways.
1st. By stamping or punching each link out of plain material with duplicate or
triplicate heads so that when the extra heads are bent over and doubled down

page_text: close the one head may be either twice or thrice the thickness, but with only the
same sized shank.
2nd. By stamping or punching the thick headed links direct out of suitable
specially shaped or rolled material. That is to say ;-by using, say, rolled bar
with thick edges so that when the links are stamped out crossways the heads
are formed out of the thick edges and the shanks out of the thinner middle.
Of course in the case of very large links cach may be forged and pressed or
made as what is known as drop forgings.
These links may be fastened together with tube rivets, and may also be bushed
with hard steel bushes, whether made of metal, leather, or other substance.
In the matter of both chains and wheels a further developement and improvement
is applicable to link belting which virtually converts otherwise ordinary frictional
link belting into positive driving link gearing: That is to say-by a more careful
arrangement of the links so as to ensure regularity in width either in individual links
or by groups of links set side by side. The said links being stamped the peculiar
form with angular tangential heads as previously described, I form a comparatively
silent driving chain. The said driving chain working on wheels similarly con-
structed to those herein before described. But as large wheels so constructed are
unnecessarily heavy for most purposes 1 sometimes form them of thin sheet bent
round drum shape like an ordinary strap pulley, except that the said sheet has teeth
formed out of it in the following manner. A series of sheared slits are formed in
regular lines both crosswise and circumferentially. The distance of the said slits
from each other crosswise being equal to the width of the links or groups of links
and the distance lengthwise equal to the pitch from pin to pin of the chain.
Between the crossway lines of slits there are crossway lines of plain material
which firmly hold the slit portions together. At the same time that these slits
are formed every alternate space or strip between them is depressed or raised
to form the teeth. And in the next following row of slits the alternate strips or
spaces are depressed or raised so as to form its row of teeth alternating with those
both before and behind forming a similar arrangement to that already described
and made up of a number of separate rings. Plate rims slit and pressed out into
teeth as above described 1 simply join together by lapping and rivetting the plain
portions, while the spoke portions may be formed similarly to those already herein
before described.
HERBERT GUTHRIE.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Driving Chains and Wheels and the Mode of
Manufacture of the same.
I, HERBERT GUTHRIE, of Albert Road, Levenshulme, near Manchester,
Engineer, 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 mainly consists of further improvements to that kind of chain and
wheel gearing commonly used in velocipedes and bucket elevators and is especially
applicable to chains and wheels gearing together with large flat link head and
tooth surfaces at such an angle with the pitch line as will cause the chain to rise
on the tooth and automatically adjust itself to the pitch line of the wheel as
described in the Specification forming part of my previous application for Letters
Patent numbered 4160 of 1891.
In the matter of wheels I make them with teeth to gear with every element of
the chain, in contradistinction to every alternate element as is commonly done.
These wheels are laminated that is to say. composed of two or more separate plates
or layers, cach plate having twice the number of teeth usual for a given pitch of

page_text: chain but of so much longer pitch as allows for loss in bending or setting every
alternate tooth out of line with its neighbour, so that the intermediate teeth gear
with the intermediate links of the chain. My wheel rims are therefore composed
of only half the number of pieces otherwise necessary for the full number of teeth.
Much labour in manufacture consequently saved as well as much weight. The
off-set or zig-zag tooth rings may be set to the extent of one or more thicknesses
as may be required and fastened together in any number of pairs, sets, or series.
Small wheels so made may consist of rims only; larger wheels may consist of
one or more discs similarly zig-zagged at the rims, or partly of discs and partly
of rims fastened thereto. The said discs may be perforated to form arms of any
desired shape and where two or more discs are used they may be dished so as to
form a very stiff and light wheel similar to wire spoked cycle wheels; and further
even large wheel rims may be made complete entirely of rings and these complete
rims may be afterwards secured to disc or spoke centres. The spaces formed by the
zig-zagging may be utilized for housing the spoke ends which is a further great
advantage both in cost of manufacture and strength of attachment.
In the matter of split wheels, a further advantage of constructing wheels mainly
as hereinbefore described is their adaptability to what is commonly known as
splitting. This is done by severing the rings as well as the spoked or disc, centres
in such a way that the several plates or lamine of both rim and centre or boss
overlap or interlace each other so that a few bolts, pins, or rivets secure the whole
together clipping the shaft or spindle. But, in some cases, even these bolts, pins,
or rivets, may be dispensed with. In such case the rim, the discs, or the boss
parts, as the case may be, are made to pass each other from opposite directions
clipping the shaft or spindle as between two forks with the prongs overlapping each
other. Thus when such parts are brought together, say horizontally, keyways are
cut at top and bottom both in the shaft or spindle and in the wheel so that when
the keys are inserted the forks are effectually locked together holding the wheel
intact as well as preventing its turning on the shaft. These keys may be dovetailed
into the boss, in which case they will hold the two halves of the wheel together
even though not on the shaft. Bosses of such wheels may be made either entirely
of punchings or part punchings and part castings or forgings or entirely of castings
or forgings as the case may be.
In the matter of chain links my further improvements consist of adding greater
thickness to the heads in order to give more wearing surface to both pin and tooth
without unnecessarily increasing the weight. This I do by stamping or punching
cach link out of plain material with duplicate or triplicate heads so that when the
extra heads are bent over and doubled down close the one head may be either
twice or thrice the thickness, but with only the same sized shank.
These links whether made of metal, leather, or other substance may be fastened
together with tube rivets and may also be bushed with hard steel bushes.
In the inatter of both chains and wheels a further development and improvement
is applicable to link belting which virtually converts otherwise ordinary frictional
link belting into positive driving link gearing. That is to say, by a more careful
arrangement of the links so as to ensure regularity in width either in individual
links or by groups of links set side by side. The said links being stamped the
peculiar form with angular tangential heads as previously described in my aforesaid
Specification I form a comparatively silent driving chain. The said driving chain
working on wheels similarly constructed to those hereinbefore described; but as
large wheels so constructed are unnecessarily heavy for most purposes I sometimes
form them of thin sheet metal bent round drum shape like an ordinary strap pulley,
except that the said sheet has teeth formed out of it in the following manner :-A
series of sheared slits are formed in regular lines both crosswise and circum-
ferentially: The distance of the said slits from each other crosswise being equal
to the width of the links or groups of links, and the distance lengthwise when
finished. equal to the pitch from pin to pin of the chain. Between the crossway
lines of slits there are crossway lines of plain metal which firmly holds the slit

page_text: portions together. At the same time that these slits are formed every alternate
space or strip between them is depressed or raised to form the teeth. And in the
next following row of slits the alternate strips or spaces are depressed or raised so
as to form its row of teeth alternating with those both before and behind forming
a similar arrangement to that already described as being made up of a number of
separate rings. Plate rims slit and pressed out into teeth as above described I
simply join together by lapping and rivetting the plain portions, while the spoke
portions may be formed similarly to those already hereinbefore described or any
other convenient form.
Referring to the sheet of drawings accompanying and forming part of this
Specification, in Figure 1 is shown a zig-zag tooth ring A which in Fig. 2 is shown
securely fastened by pins or rivets B (Fig. 1) to a fellow ring A which arrangement
may be multiplied to any extent by adding more rings in the same order, Fig. 3
showing four of such rings A all secured together.
Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are corresponding views to Figs. 1, 2 and 3 respectively and
show a similar wheel but of a slightly different pattern having spokes C which are
dished as shown in the edge views Figs. 5 and 6.
Figs. 7, 8 and 9 show the form of wheel illustrated by Figs. 1, 2 and 3 made as
a split wheel the smaller portion A¹ of the division being shown detached in Fig. 8
the better to distinguish it from the main portion A. Such a wheel may be joired
up to its corresponding plate or plates by the pins B, by the said pins together
with the keys D with or without dovetail, or with the keys alone with or without
dovetail.
Figs. 10, 11 and 12 show another mode of splitting which is more suitable to the
form of wheel with spokes C.
Fig. 13 shows one form of stamping out a chain link E for folding back and so
doubling the thickness of its heads E as shown in Fig. 14.
Figs. 15 and 16 are an edge view and plan respectively of part of a chain
composed of links E having double thickness of metal at their heads E'.
Similarly Figs. 17, 18 and 19 show three views of another form of link E having
treble thickness at the heads E' and Figs. 20 and 21 two views of part of a chain
composed of such links.
Fig. 22 shows a driving wheel made drum shaped with the teeth raised from
the flat between the slits F, and G is a portion of the link belting in gear with the
said light wheel. The link belt G is in this case shown formed with large flat
tangential working surfaces as described in my aforesaid Specification.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed 1 declare that what I
claim is
1. A. chain gear wheel composed of two or more plates or lamina, each plate
having twice the number of teeth usual for a chain of given pitch the said additional
number of teeth being set off into a zig-zag by bending or suitably forming the
plates substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore described.
2. A chain composed of links having thick heads formed by stamping the said
links out of plate metal with such additions as will admit of folding back part of
the metal to form such thickened heads substantially as herein set forth.
3. A light drum shaped toothed wheel formed out of sheet metal longitudinally
slit, the teeth being pressed out of the part between the slits crossways alternately
substantially as and for the purposes herein before set forth.
Dated this 14th dor of August 1901
H. B. BARLOW,
17, St. Ann's Square, Manchester, Agent for Applicant.