Improvements in Chain and Chain Wheel Gearing for Cycles, and for other Purposes.
Year: 1896

page_text: Improvements in Chain and Chain Wheel Gearing for Cycles, and for
other Purposes.
I, WILLIAM GEORGE DAVIES, of 8 Handforth Road, Clapham Road, in the
County of London, Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention embraces certain improvements in the construction and arrange
ment of the chain and wheels of chain gearing, having firstly for their object the
lessening of friction between the said parts, and secondly, to permit of the distance
between the teeth or their equivalents of the wheels increasing automatically as
the length of the chain is increased by the strain put upon it.
For these purposes I construct the chain of my improved gearing of a suitable
number of long and short links, each preferably of U section, and stamped or other-
wise formed from a single sheet or piece of metal and connected together by pins
carrying antifriction rollers so that said long and short links occupy alternative
positions.
A second set of larger antifriction rollers are carried one by each of the longer
links on pins secured to projections on said links, so arranged that said rollers
project from the inner surface of the chain.
The wheels used with a chain so constructed are formed each with an annular
groove on its periphery in which are mounted rollers arranged in pairs, and having
their ends journalled on the flauges at each side of said annular groove. These
rollers engage with the larger antifriction rollers on the chain when the latter is
in position, and have their centre portions formed eccentric to the ends thereof
so that should the chain stretch, and the distance between the antifriction rollers
on the chain increase, said rollers will press upon the eccentric portions of said
rollers on the wheels, causing them to revolve, and the pairs to recede from one
another, this movement being rendered uniform with all the rollers by gearing
them together by suitable gear wheels or otherwise.
When desired the smaller rollers on the chain may be arranged to gear with
recesses formed in the periphery of the larger of the two chain wheels at each side
of the annular groove therein.
CASTLE SMITH,
"Invention" Office, Mitre Court, Fleet Street, London, E.C.
Agent for the Applicant.

page_text: Improvements in Chain and Chain Wheel Gearing for Cycles, and for
other Purposes.
I WILLIAM GEORGE DAVIES of 8 Handforth Road, Clapham Road, in the
County of London, Agent do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement:--
This Invention relates to improvements in the construction and arrangement of
the chain and wheels of chain wheel gearing and has for its object to lessen the
friction between the working parts and also to permit of the distance between the
teeth or their equivalents, of the wheel increasing automatically as the length of
the chain is increasen by the strain put upon it.
According to my invention I construct the chain of a suitable number of long
and short links, each preferably of U shape cross section stamped or otherwise
formed from a single sheet or piece of metal and connected together by two pins
one of which may carry outside antifriction rollers, in such manner that the said
long and short links occupy alternative positions, or I may dispense with the said
anti-friction rollers.
Each of the longer links carries a larger antifriction roller revolving on pins
secured to projections on the said links the rollers projecting from the inner surface
of the chain.
My improved chain wheels are formed with an annular groove on thoir peri-
pheries in which are mounted rollers arranged in pairs and having their ends
jurnalled in the flanges at the sides of the grooves. These rollers form the
teeth for engaging with the larger antifriction rollers on the chain, and one of tho
said wheels, constituting the driving gear has the journalled ends or hearings of
the said rollers or teeth formed eccentrically with the body or middle portion of
the same against which the anti-friction rollers bear, so that should the chain
stretch and the distance between the rollers on the sume increase the said rollers
will press against the eccentric or middle portions of the wheel rollers when coming
iuto gear with the same thus causing them to revolve on their eccentric bearings or
axes and thus increasing the distance between the said eccentric portions of each
pair.
This movement is communicated to all the rollers on the wheel by providing
their axes with toothed pinions gearing with a large toothed wheel or aunular
toothed plate attached to and capable of revolving upon one side or face of the
gear wheel.
The suull antifriction rollers when fitted to the chain run upon the side flunges 3
of the wheels and in some cases they may be arranged to gear with recesses formed
in the said flanges, forming the groove of the larger of the two chain wheels.
In the accompanying drawings illustrating my invention Figure 1 is a side
elevation, with the wheels in section, of my improved chain wheel gearing, a portion
of the chain and of the wheels being broken away or omitted. Figure 2 is a side 4
view partly in section of the driving or small wheel shewing the mechanism for
operating the wheel rollers simultaneously and Figure 3 is a cross section of the
same. Figure 4 is a plan of a portion of a chain and Figures 5 & 6 are a side view
and cross section showing the small chain rollers engaging with recesses in the
flanges of the wheel aud Figure 7 is a plan of one of the eccentric rollers.
a are the long and b the short links of the chain connected together by the pins c
one of which may carry antifriction rollers d on either side of the links a as shewn

page_text: in Fig. 4. e are the larger antifriction rollers carried by pins e secured to the
projections a' of the links a.
The chain wheels are each formed with an annular groove f in its periphery in
which are mounted the rollers g and h of the two wheels arranged in pairs for
gearing with the rollers c of the chain. The middle or bearing portions of the
rollers g of the small chain wheel are formed eccentric with the ends g' journalled
to the flanges forming the groove of the wheel and one of the said ends of each
roller is provided with a small pinion gearing with a toothed wheel or ring k
attached by studs to the side or face of the wheel.
The said roller pinions i and wheel & may be applied to the large chain wheel
instead of the small one or to both if desired.
Should the length of the chain increase by the continual strain put upon it, the
rollers c, instead of wearing away and increasing the friction against the teeth
of the wheel as they would do in the case of ordinary fixed teeth, press against
the eccentric portions of the rollers 9 as they come into gear therewith thus caus-
ing them to revolve around their axes g' and increasing the distance between each
pair one pair communicating its motion to the other pairs by means of the toothed
wheel and pinions i the wheel or ring & being formed with slots & permitting its
movement and being provided with springs m for keeping the eccentric portions
in contact with the wheels e and should the chain be removed bringing them back
to their original position or pitch, the rollers y are so arranged that their eccentric
portions when revolved follow each other up so as to keep their points of contact
with the rollers e always the same distance apart though varying the distances
between the points of contact of each pair with the said rollers according to the
distance apart of the latter.
The rollers d when used bear upon the flanges of the wheel or they may be
arranged to gear with recesses f¹ formed in the flange f of the large chain wheel
ns shown in Figures 5 & 6.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In gear chains for cycles and other purposes constructing the same of long
and short links stamped to U shaped cross section and joined together by pins one
of which is provided with small antifriction rollers bearing against the peripheral
side flanges of the chain wheel the long links carrying larger antifriction rollers
gearing with the teeth or rollers of the chain wheels substantially as described and
for the purposes specified.
2. In chain wheels for cycles and other purposes forming the same with a peri-
pheral groove in which are mounted rollers arranged in pairs and having their
ends journalled in the flunges or sides of the groove eccentrically to the main or
middle portion of the rollers gearing with the gear rollers of the chain one end of
the first named rollers being provided with a pinion gearing with a toothed wheel
or ring carried by the chain wheel substantially as described and for the purposes
specified.
3. In chain wheel gearing for cycles and other purposes the combination of the
links ab pins o rollers de pins et projections a groove rollers gh journalled
ends g pinions & toothed wheel slots k' studs and springs m substantially as
described and for the purposes specified.
4. The modification described and shown with
the accompanying drawings.
reference to Figures 5 & 6 of
100M
J. B. FLEURET,
5 Hatton Garden, London, Agent for the Applicant.