Improvements in the Chains and Gearing of Velocipedes and other Vehicles.
Year: 1895

page_text: This Print is in accordance with the Original Specification as it stands after
Amendment (under Section 11 of the Patents, &c., Act, 1883), as required by
the decision of the Comptroller General of the 24th day of February 1897.
Date of Application, 27th Nov., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 28th Sept., 1896-Accepted, 7th Nov., 1396
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Chains and Gearing of Velocipedes and
other Vehicles.
1, JAMES HAROLD BARRY of 145 Sandringham Road, Dalston, in the County
of Middlesex, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
Improvements in the driving gear of velocipedes, and in the new method of
making the chains for the same.
I carry out this by making or causing the chains to be made with bars or studs
passing through each or alternate links, and projecting on each side, to form a grip
or bearing to fit into slots or over the teeth of the gear wheels. The gear-wheels may
have two sets of teeth or slots, so that the chain may bear on the sides, instead of
the gearing teeth passing through the centre of the links as at present.
The studs or bars may be fitted with rollers on each side to minimise the friction,
the chain being rivetted at every other link, I also make the chains with the links in
two pieces; these pieces are fitted over the stud or bar and butt against a shoulder or
roller; every link secures the previous one, or the one in front of it in the manufacture;
by this means the usual rivetting is entirely dispensed with, thus producing a light
and cheap chain.
The slots or teeth or ratchet arrangement on the driving or gear wheels may be
in the opposite direction to that on the back wheel. The driving wheel is sometimes
fitted with two slotted rings or bands with two sets of teeth of different speeds on
the same wheel; or these speeds can be carried out by casting on the bands on cach
wheel in making them, and the same chain will operate either gearing, or both chains
can be used on the same gear wheels.
I also make the rivetted chain with sufficient openings inside the links to engage
in the teeth of existing gear wheels as well as the newer pattern with side bearings
or grip; or the gear wheels can be made with both inner and outer teeth or slots to
engage the chain either at the sides or centre, or I may in some cases have a centre
grip in addition to the slotted or toothed sides.
100%
Dated this 27th day of November 19
LE FEVRE & Co.,
26 Budge Row, Cannon Street, Agents.

page_text: Figure 2 is a plan or one construction of improved driving-chain according to this
invention;
Figure 3 is a side elevation and
Figure
a plan of a modified construction of the improved chain;
Figures 5 and 6 are respectively side elevation and plan of another modified con-
struction of the improved chain;
Parts of the chains are shown broken away in places, to facilitate comprehension of
their construction.
Figure 7 is a perspective view of a segment of a chain-wheel suitable for use
with this chain.
Like letters indicate like parts throughout the drawings.
With reference first to Figures 1 to 6 it will be seen that each of the successive
links A in each chain is composed of the parts A' A2, which are so formed that
when laid close together as at one end A³ of the link, hereinafter termed the
narrower end, there is at the other end A' a gap between them, as shown in Figures 2
and 4, which serves as a jaw for the reception of the narrower end. of the
neighbouring link and the connecting-pin D as hereinafter described. The con-
necting-pin D is cylindrical and reduced at its ends D¹ D³, as shown, to a diameter
smaller than that of its central portion D³; this connecting-pin is passed through
holes in adjoining links which are of such a diameter that the pin is rotatable in both
the links.
To construct a chain of the parts A' A, D, two parts A'; A², are taken and laid
side by side, as in Figure 2, for example; next a connecting-pin D is passed into
the hole in the narrower end A³ of the link thus formed, so that its reduced
ends D1, D2, project from the parts A', A². Two more parts A1, A2, are then taken
and caused to engage the projecting ends D', D3, of the connecting-pin so as to
form a second link. In the free or narrow end of this second link, another
connecting-pin D is placed, and thereafter the procedure just described is repeated
to form a third link, and so on.
From the plans (Figures 2, 4, and 6) it will clearly be seen how the contiguous
parts A and A2 of the narrower end of each link received in the jaw. of the
adjacent link, and encircling the central portion D³ of the pin D, are kept together
in the chain, being received in jaws which bear against each end of the central
enlargement D of the pin D, keeping thereby the pin D in place.
In the construction of chain illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, the reduced
ends D D of the connecting-pins D are made of such length as to project from
both sides of the chain, in order to enter recesses provided in an appropriately-
formed chain-wheel, which latter acts upon the ends D' D' to drive the chain.
In the construction of chain illustrated in Figures 3 and 4, the links are of half
the length of these shown in Figures 1 and 2, and may be so made that only the
alternate pins project, so that this chain may be used with the same wheel as.
}

page_text: the chain of Figures 1 and 2. If each pin D projects, as shown this chain becomes
a short-pitch chain, similar to the chain of longer pitch in Figures 1 and 2.
Figures 5 and 6 illustrate a construction of the improved chain, in which a
space E exists in each link, of such form and dimensions as to enable the chain.
to be driven by the teeth of sprocket wheels, such as are ordinarily used in cycles ;.
such teeth can enter the spaces E and act directly upon the bodies of the links, so
that the reduced ends D¹ D' of the pins D are not needed for driving the chain,
but only for connecting adjacent links together. But if desired the ends may be
extended, as shown in dotted lines in Figure 6, to gear with a chain wheel.
From the foregoing it will be seen that the three parts A' A2 D for any link
are kept together by the succeeding link, each link thus being dependent on its.
neighbour.
The method of forming from a length of such chain, an "endless" chain, and
of opening up this endless chain when desired will now be described :-
It will be seen from Figure 1 for instance, that when a straight length of chain-
has been built up by the addition of each succeeding link to the narrower end of
the link preceding it, the production from such a length, of an endless chain,.
necessitates the insertion in the jaw of the first link (for instance the link at the
extreme right in Figure 1) of the narrower end of the last link (for instance the
link at the extreme left of Figure 1). This can be done quite easily by slightly
separating the parts A1 A2 of a link which is say fourth, in order, counting from.
the first or right-hand towards the left in Figure 1; this enables the parts A A² of
the third link to be separated a little further than the corresponding parts of the-
fourth link, whereupon the second link can be opened wider still and so on. This.
increment of opening in successive links as the first one is approached, enables it to
be opened so wide that the pin D in the first link can be removed from its jaw,.
placed in the narrower end of the last link, and restored to its place in the first link
with the last link upon it; the sides of the first, second and succeeding links are then
closed together again and thus an endless chain is constituted, which may be opened
up or interrupted by a like process.
With reference now to Figure 7 the improved chain wheel illustrated therein is.
provided with two flanges G notched to engage with projections from the sides of
the chain previously described.
The chain wheels in addition to the notches described above may have a series of
teeth at the bottom of the channel between the flanges; a wheel thus constructed.
may be used to operate in conjunction with a chain with which it gears by means of
the centre teeth alone, or the side teeth alone, or both of them as may be desired.
In the chain illustrated in Figures 1 to 6 there need be nothing additional to the
parts such as A¹ A forming the links, except the pins D, which as will be seen are not
provided with any means except their central enlargement to keep them in place; no
rivet or brazing or other means being needed to hold the chain together or connect
the parts. Nevertheless the two plates of a link may be secured together by rivetting
eyeletting clamping or other suitable means if preferred.
These links may be of any desired size or pitch.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what, I
claim is :-
1. In a driving chain the combination with two links each having two parts A'A².
of a connecting-pin D free to turn and having reduced ends, all mutually engaging
substantially as described.
2. In a driving-chain the combination of a link composed of two parts A¹ A² and
a pin D having an enlarged portion D³ between them for the reception of the ends of
another link the pin being free to turn.
3. In a driving-chain the combination with the two links each having two
parts A1 A2 of a connecting pin D free to turn and having reduced ends extended
beyond the chain all mutually engaged substantially as and for the purpose described..

page_text: 4. In a driving-chain of the kind described links with openings E for the purpose
specified.
5. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting the improved chain
for cycles and other vehicles substantially as and for the purpose described and
illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 or Figures 3 and 4 or Figures 5 and 6 of the
accompanying drawings.
6. The construction of the links of chain for chain-wheels in separate parts
held in place by the adjoining links so that the accumulated spring of a series
of the links will permit the chain to be coupled up or uncoupled as described.
Dattu tutay of September 1030
JAMES H. BARRY.
Boult & Wade,
Agents for the Applicant.