Improvements in Driving Chain and in Driving Chain Wheels.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 18th May, 1893
Complete Specification Left, 17th Feb., 1894-Accepted, 17th Mar.. 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Driving Chain and in Driving Chain Wheels.
We, JOIN PARKER, and THOMAS SANDERS, trading as Parker and Sanders,
of Aston Brook Street, in the City of Birmingham, Manufacturers of Cycle
Accessories, and SAMUEL ARMSTRONG, of 11 Rifle Crescent, Aston, near
Birmingham aforesaid, Manager of Department, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows :-
:-
This invention relates to improvements in drive chain, and in drive chain wheels
for communicating or transmitting motion in velocipedes, dredgers, grain carriers
and the like.
One of the objects of our invention is the making of a light chain having a
maximum of strength; another object is the relieving of the strain from off the
pins or rivets.
In carrying out our invention in connection with a drive chaiu, we take a series
of longitudinal links, and connect the same together at their ends by cross pins or
rivets passing through eyed knuckles of them.
Each link consists of a flat and elongated piece of metal, with a single knuckle
bearing at one end, and divided or separated bearings at the other and bifurcated
end. The division or gap between the separated or divided bearings is equal to
the single bearing or joint at the other end, and the said other end is about half
the breadth of the bifurcated end.
At the junction of the fore part of the link with the rear part are opposite side
shoulders, upon which the pull of the chain comes, when driving. Thus, each link
of the series of links has bearing shoulders at or about the middle parts of its
opposite sides, and which shoulders form the junction between the broadened-out
rear part and the narrow fore part.
The figure of each link is alike in shape to that of a letter Y, and the ends of
the narrow parts work between the branched end of the broadened-out parts.
The undersides of the narrow parts of the bodies of the links, have thickened
parts or snugs, preferably of a wedge-shaped figure, and which snugs or hanging
thickened parts, when the chain is in use, take within circumferential sinkings in
the peripheries of the driving and driven wheels, as hereinafter described.
We propose that the middles of the joints of the chain should be lignable with
the underside surfaces of the links, so as to bring the joints in a direct line with the
middle of the cross section of the link.
Instead of lugs being upon the undersides of the links, we may have ribs or
feathers, so as to give the desired strength combined with lightness.
The driving wheels are formed as follows :-
:-
Sunken within the middle of the periphery is a circumferential groove, alike unto
a shallow rut of a sheave pulley, and upon the two opposite sides of this said rut
or groove are link sinkings, of the contour of the undersides of the links.
Thus, starting with the knuckle sinkings, these are of a like contour as the
knuckles at the broader ends of the links, then come the link-body sinkings with
curved or other shoulders at the forward terminations of them, and against. which
the shoulders of the links take their bearings, and between forward extensions of
these shoulders or raised snugs, the narrow ends of the links come.
Now again comes the divided knuckle sinkings, and so on all around the
periphery.
We thus have a periphery with sinkings and shoulders for the reception, holding
and bearing of the underside and presented face of the chain, and by which means,
strain is relieved from the joints of the links.

page_text: As a further form of wheel, I may only cross-gap and circumferentially middle
sink the periphery of the wheel, so that when a chain is running upon the said
wheel, the knuckles of the links of the chain lie cross-wise within the gaps, and
with the underside bodies of the flat links lying on the parts of the periphery not
gapped.
JOHN PARKER,
THOMAS SANDERS,
SAMUEL ARMSTRONG,
By Henry Skerrett,
Agent for Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Driving Chain and in Driving Chain Wheels.
We, JOHN PARKER, and THOMAS SANDERS, trading as Parker and Sanders of
Aston Brook Street, in the City of Birmingham, Manufacturers of Cycle
Accessories, and SAMUEL ARMSTRONG, of 11 Rifle Crescent, Aston, near
Birmingham aforesaid, Department Manager, 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 drive-chain, and in drive chain wheels
for communicating or transmitting motion in velocipedes, dredgers, grain carriers
and the like.
One of the objects of our invention is the making of a light chain having a
maximum of strength; another object is the relieving of the strain from off the
pins or rivets of the same.
In carrying out our invention in connection with a drive-chain, we take a series
of longitudinal links, and connect the same together at their ends by cross pins or
rivets passing through eyed knuckles of them.
Each link consists of a flat and elongated piece of metal, with a single knuckle
connection at one end, and divided or separated bearings at the other and
bifurcated end. The division or gap between the separated or divided bearings
is equal to the single bearing or joint at the other end, and the said other end is of
about half the breadth of the bifurcated one.
At the junction of the fore part of the link with the rear part are opposite side
shoulders, upon which the pull of the chain comes, when driving. Thus each link
of the series of links has bearing shoulders at or about the middle parts of its
opposite sides, and which shoulders form the junction, between the broadened-out
rear part and the narrow fore part.
The figure of each link is alike in shape to that of a letter Y, and the ends of
the narrow parts work between the branched end of the broadened-out parts.
The undersides of the narrow parts of the bodies of the links, have thickened
parts snugs feathers or ribs, preferably of a wedge-shaped figure in cross section,
and which snugs or hanging thickened parts, when the chain is in use, take and
lie within a circumferential sinking or groove formed in the periphery of a driving
or driven wheel as hereinafter described.
We propose that the middles of the joints of the chain should be lignable with
the underside surfaces of the links, so as to bring the joints in a direct line with the
middle of the cross section of the link.
The driving wheels are formed as follows a
Sunken within the middle of the periphery is a circumferential groove, alike unto
a shallow rut of a sheave pulley, and upon the two opposite sides of this said rut or
groove are link sinkings.

page_text: Thus, the opposite sides of the periphery of the wheel are cross-gapped, into which
the knuckles of the links of the chain lie cross-wise, and through which strain is
relieved from the rivets.
As a still further form of our invention, we provide the periphery of the wheel
with both knuckle and link body or shoulder sinkings.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings, represents partly in edge view and partly
in vertical section, a chain made according to one form of our invention.
Figure 2 represents a topside plan of the same.
Figure 3 represents in plan and edge view, the component parts of the chain
separately.
Figure 4 represents an underside plan of the said chains Figures 1 and 2, showing
the strengthening ribs upon the middles of their undersides, opposite the contracted
parts or the parts of reduced breadth.
Figure 5 represents a modification of Figure 4.
Our said new or improved driving chain consists of a series of longitudinal links a,
connected together at their ends a', a respectively, (which are of a knuckle
construction,) by cross pins or rivets b, taking through coincident eyes or holes a³, a*,
directed transversely through the said knuckles a', a', of the said links a.
Thus each link consists of a flat and elongated piece of metal, having single knuckle
bearings at one end, and double knuckle bearings or connections at the other end,
and with the said last named knuckles separated by a space a', about equal to the
width of the said knuckle end part a¹.
The undersides of the said links cross lignable with the part of less diameter, are
provided with strengthening lugs a, whereby the links are made as strong or nearly
as strong at the narrow parts as at the broader parts and which narrow parts are
separated from the broader parts by shoulders a
Figure 6 represents a chain wheel, adapted to be driven by the said driving chain
Figures 1 and 2, having a periphery c, with equi-distant opposite cross sinkings ²,
separated by a middle channel or circumferential groove c³. These sinkings c²,
receive the outside knuckles a', of the chain, whereby strain or pull is taken from
off the cross joining-up pins or rivets b.
Now it will be readily seen that the whole of the pull of the chain comes from
the outside knuckles of the links.
As a modification, the circumferential groove may be dispensed with, and complete
cross sinkings made (instead of part ones), and wherein the knuckles of both links
take.
Longitudinally disposed in the middle part of the periphery and between the said
cross sinkings, clearance spaces may be left for the snugs a, of the links to lie
within when the chain is running upon the said wheel as represented in Figure 6.
Figure 7 represents an edge view of the wheel Figure 6 without the chain.
Figure 8 represents a portion of a chain wheel fitted with a piece of chain
constructed according to a further form of our invention, and Figure 9 represents a
topside plan of a part of the same without a chain. In this form, the sinkings in
the periphery of the wheel are made to receive both the knuckles of the links, or
the outer knuckles of the links, and also parts of the bodies of the links of the
chain.
Thus, the periphery c, of the wheel has knuckle sinkings c³, and link body
sinkings c, and with shoulders c', coming between the plain parts c, and the adjacent
link body sinking, whilst directed around the middle of the periphery is a
circumferential channel c*.
Figure 10 represents a still further form of wheel constructed according to our
invention.
C
is the periphery, c² knuckle sinkings, plain parts, and c* raised parts lying
above the plane of the general periphery cs, over which raised parts c*, gaps a³, of
a link of a chain take as represented in Figure 11.
The links of the chain are preferably made by a stamping process.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is :-
First. A driving chain, made up of a series of links, each consisting of an
elongated piece of metal, with a single knuckle connection at one end and a double
knuckle connection at the other end, and with the said knuckles at the one end
separated from each other by a gap, equal to the breadth of the knuckle at the
other end, and which links are united together by cross pins or rivets, passing through
the coincident holes of the knuckle parts brought together, substantially as described
and set forth.
Secondly. A driving chain, made up of a series of links, broader at one end than
at the other, and with the narrow part provided with a strengthening rib,
substantially as and for the purpose as set forth.
Thirdly. The improvements in the construction and formation of the liuks of
drive chain, as herein described and set forth.
Fourthly. In chain wheels, providing the peripheries of the same with cross
sinkings for receiving the knuckles of chain as in Figures 1 to 5, whereby all
strain or pull is taken from off the joining up-pins or rivets of the links of the said
chain, substantially as described and set forth in Figures 6 and 7.
Fifthly. In chain wheels, providing the peripheries of the wheels with knuckle
and body sinkings, with or without circumferential middle channels, as set forth in
Figures 8 and 9.
Dated this 15th dor of February 180
JOHN PARKER,
THOMAS SANDERS,
SAMUEL ARMSTRONG,
By Henry Skerrett,
6, Livery Street, Birmingham, Agent for Applicants.