Improvements in Drive Chain for Cycles and other Chain Geared Vehicles.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application. 1st Dec., 1896
002
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Drive Chain for Cycles and other Chain Geared
Vehicles.
I, ARTHUR APPLEBY of 86, Holloway Head, in the City of Birminghau,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to drive chain for cycles and other chain geared vehicles
and machines, and has for its object a means whereby all rivetting of the cross
pins is dispensed with, and the use of steel tubes or bushes considerably lessened.
In such a drive chain the cross pins will be made of hardened steel with heads
provided upon their one end and a flat, undercut part, neck, or shoulder, slightly
inwards upon their other, and my invention is for the purpose of locking these
cross pins in their joining-up positions. This I accomplish by means of a key
plate made from soft and ductile metal, the same being adapted to be forced longi-
tudinally between the adjacent ends of a pair of cross pins, and prevent their
withdrawal or bring about their affixment.
This soft metal key plate is in appearance, when flattened out, somewhat similar
in shape to a double headed spanner, longitudinally directed and open-ended
slots being provided in the said ends for embracing the ends of the cross pins.
Each and every one of these thin metal key plates securely locks two cross on
joining-up pins in their engaged positions, and, before being placed in its assigned
position against the face of the link, the said plate is of a slightly curved fornu
to enable the gapped or slotted ends, as aforesaid, to be introduced over the
shouldered or necked ends of the joining-up or cross pins; after which, the curved
form of the said plate is straightened out or pulled down flat against the face of
the link, and the edges of the slotted parts forced into the shoulders or necks, or
against the flats, which securely affixes the cross pins in position.
The key plate, as before described, would be preferably made in its front shape t
follow the contour of the drive chain link to the face of which it is adjacent, but
it must in all cases when straightened out or pulled down preserve that position
and, for this purpose, a pliable material is used, although it is not absolutely
essential, as a hardened and tempered spring steel plate may be found to serve the
purpose.
W. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 11, Burlington Chambers, New Street, Birmingham,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Drive Chain for Cycles and other Chain Geared
Vehicles.
I ARTHUR APPLEBY of 86 Holloway Head, in the City of Birmingham,
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 relates to drive chain for cycles and other chain geared vehicles
and machines, and has for its object a means whereby all rivetting of the cress
pius is dispensed with, and the use of steel tubes or bushes considerably lessened.
In such a drive chain the cross pins will be made of hardened steel with heads
provided upon their one ends, while their other ends are left parallel and have
nicks or notches cut upon their inner and opposite sides, and my invention con-
sists in securing or locking these hardened cross pins in their engaged positions.
This is accomplished by means of a thin key plate formed from soft and ductile
metal, the same being adapted to be forced longitudinally between the adjacent
nicked ends of a pair of cross pins and securely prevent their with-drawal. This
soft metal key plate is formed with longitudinally directed and open-ended slots
for embracing the nicked ends of the cross pius and, before being forced into
position against the face of its link, each plate is slightly curved or rounded in.
order to allow the gapped or slotted ends of the same to be firmly introduced into
the nicked ends of the cross pins on the plate being pulled or pressed down flat
when locking the cross pins in their assigned positions.
In the accompanying sheet of drawings I have shown my invention applied to
a "twin roller" construction of chain, Fig. 1 heing a front elevation showing the
key plate in its locked position Fig. 2 heing a side elevation of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is
similar view to Fig. 1, but showing the key plate in its free curved condition
before being forced in position against the face of the link, Fig. 4 being a side
elevation thereof. Fig. 5 shows a separate view of the steel hardened rivet used
in conjunction with my key plate, whilst Fig. 6 is a separate view of the soft
metal key plate itself, showing the plate in a flat or engaged position.
Fig. 7 shows a slight modification of my invention in which the headed hardened
rivets are dispensed with & parallel steel hardened pins nicked at both ends used
in their place; this form necessitating key plates to be placed on both sides of the
link as shown.
The same letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures of
the sheet of drawings.
In Figs. 1-6 the inner and outer links of the drive chain a, a, are threaded
together by hardened steel rivets having heads 2 formed upon their one ends,
whilst their other ends, 3, are left parallel-sided, and have transverse nicks or
notches, embracing about half the circumference of the rivet, formed upon
their inner and opposite sides the said nicks being cut at a point close to the
rivet's parallel end.
Each pair of these hardened steel cross pins or rivets are held in their assigned
position by means of a thin key plate c formed out of soft metal.
This soft metal key plate c resembles somewhat in form, when in its engage.i
position, a double-ended spanner, the same being formed of a curved waist part,
with its bulbous ends c, d, having longitudinal and open ended slots c, cut
therefrom, in order to securely engage the nicked ends of the cross pins or rivets
as aforesaid. Before being introduced into the nicked ends of these cross pins
or rivets this soft metal key plate partakes of a curved form as shown in Fig. 3,

page_text: this form being necessary in order to drive the slotted ends of the plate well into
the nicked ends of the rivets. In building up a cycle chain according to my
invention the cross pins or rivets b, of hardened steel, having their parallel-sided
ends nicked as aforesaid, are inserted through the inner and outer links and
rellers of a Twin Roller" construction of chain, in such a way that the said
nicked parallel sides shall come opposite one another and, this being done, a
Iecking plate of a curved shape c is applied to the nicks of each pair of cross pins
or rivets in the chain and, when in position, is hammered or pulled down upon the
adjoining face of the outer link to which it is attached, until it assumes a
perfectly flat position. The slotted ends will then firmly and rigidly embrace
cach nicked cross pin or rivet; the said rivets being unable to rotate on account
of the square slotted portion of the key plate taking into the nicked or notched
end of the rivet.
In Fig. 7 my key plate is shown applied to both sides of the link of a chain,
the headed cross pin or rivet in this case being dispensed with, parallel sided cross
pins d, having notches cut on both their ends d,, being substituted therefor.
By my invention all rivetting of the cross pins or rivets is dispensed with, and
I am therefore able to use hardened steel rivets or cross pins. I can also, if
desirable, dispense with the use of hardened steel bushes or sleeves now used in
drive chains to protect the soft metal cross pins, their use in a chain built up
according to my invention being rather superfluous, besides adding to the weight
of the chain. Further my invention is equally applicable to existing block or
roller chains as it is to a "Twin Roller" chain.
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 drive chain for cycles and like chain geared vehicles, the use of a soft
metal key plate c, having longitudinal open ended slots formed at each end, for
the purpose described and set forth.
Second. In drive chains for cycles and like chain geared vehicles, the use of
hardened steel rivets having nicked ends in combination with a soft metal key
plate having longitudinal open-ended slots, for the purpose described and sci
forth.
Third. In drive chains for cycles and like chain geared vehicles, the combina-
tion with the longitudinal slotted ends of a soft metal key plate c, of the nicked
or notched end's 63 of a pair of hardened steel cross pins or rivets b, for the purpose
described and set forth.
Fourth. In drive chains for cycles and like chain geared vehicles, the combina
tion with the longitudinal slotted ends of a soft metal key plate c, of the nicked
r notched ends d, d, of parallel-sided cross pins d, for the purpose described and
set forth in Fig. 7.
W. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
11, Burlington Chambers, New Street, Birming..am,
Also of Liverpool, London and Manchester, Agents for Applicant.