Improvements relating to the Manufacture of Chains.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Apr., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 7th Jan., 1896-Accepted, 8th Feb., 1896
Improvements relating to the Manufacture of Chains.
I JULES EMILE LARGILLIERRE of 21 Boulevard Poissonniere, Paris in the
Republic of France, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows :—
This invention relates to the manufacture of chains, and consists in forming such
chains of solid or weldless links, and of welded links alternately, and also in the
means employed for producing the weldless links, and for uniting them by the aid.
of welded links.
The weldless links may be obtained either by stamping pieces of flat metal, or by
rolling flat bars of metal.
When stamping the links, the pieces of flat metal are placed in dies provided
with recesses suitable for moulding the links, with a thin internal web and slight
external beards or burrs, which it is only necessary to remove, to have a finished
link.
When rolling the links, the flat metal bars are passed through rollers, which are
formed with a series of recesses, so that the bar will be transformed into a series of -
links having a thin web, & connected together by a thin piece of metal.
The webs and the connecting pieces, beards, or burrs, are then removed to produce
the finished links.
The links intended to unite the weldless links can be obtained and adapted to
these latter by either of the following methods :-
For iron chains, these links are prepared from pieces of cylindrical bar metal,
scarfed at their ends, as for ordinary welding, and bent round to form a link, the
ends being a sufficient distance apart to allow for the passage of the weldless links.
After the introduction of these links, the scarfed ends are brought together and
welded, and thus are obtained welded links similar to those of ordinary welded
chains.
For steel chains, a link is formed from flat metal bar by taking a length of bar,
scarfing the ends flatways, and then bending the length twice round a mandrel, so
as to make two helical coils.
These are left open until the weldless link is threaded on, and the parts of the
spiral are then compressed together and welded.
After the welding, the link is stamped in the dies, which are provided with
annular recesses intended to receive the welded ring, aud with slots to receive
the adjacent weldless links during the stamping of the welded links. The annular
recesses give to the latter link the approximate form required, and it is only
necessary afterwards to give the oval or definite form by external pressure.
Lastly, the links of the chains of either kind can be improved by giving to them
an enlarged section or swelling towards their points of contact, that is to say,
towards the ends of the greater axis.
This enlargement or thickening of the parts which bear the wear, increases
naturally the durability of the chain.
The advantages to be derived from the improved manufacture of chains are as
follows:-
1st. A reduction of 50% in the number of welded joints;
2nd. Increase in the quality of the chain;

page_text: 3rd. Facility in the production of half the links by stamping them from flat bars,
or by rolling them.
4th. The possibility of obtaining chains in steel of great resistance, because of
the weldless links, which are connected together by spiral welded links, the solidity
of which is equivalent to that of the weldless links, by reason of the double coil,
and of the large surface contact of the welded portions;
5th. Perfect regularity in the size & weight of the links.
Improvements relating to the Manufacture of Chains.
I JULES EMILE LARGILLIERRE of 21 Boulevard Poissonniere, Paris, in the
Republic of France, 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 the manufacture of chains, and consists in forming such
chains of solid or weldless linke, and of welded links, alternately, and also in the
means employed for producing the weldless links, and for uniting them by the
aid of welded links.
In the accompanying drawings,
Fig. 1 shows a side elevation of a chain made according to this invention.
Fig. 2 shows, in side view, the dies for producing the non-welded or weldless
links.
Figs. 3 and Figs. 4 show two kinds of links as they come from the dies.
Figs. 5 and 6 show completed links.
Figs. 7 and Figs. 8 show, in plan and section, the formation of two kinds of links
from flat bars by rolling.
Figs. 9 show in plan and edge view one method of forming the welded links.
Figs. 10 show in end elevation, side elevation, and plan view, respectively, the
die used for welding the links; and
Figs. 11 and 12 shew two forms of completed links, in which the wearing portions
are thickened or enlarged.
A A A² A³, Fig. 1, represent the solid or weldless links, and B, B1, B2, B³, the
welded links.
The weldless links may be obtained either by stamping pieces of flat metal, or by
rolling flat bars of metal.
When stamping the links, the pieces of flat. metal are placed in dies, C C₁
(Fig. 2), provided with recesses suitable for moulding the links, with a thin internal
web a, and slight external.beards or burrs a', Figs. 3 and 4, which it is only
necessary to remove, to have a finished link (Figs. 5 and 6).
When rolling the links, the flat metal bars are passed through rollers, which are
formed with a series of recesses, so that the bar will be transformed into a series of
links having a thin web a, and connected together by a thin piece of metal a¹.
Figs. 7 and 8.
The webs a, and the connecting pieces, beards, or burrs, a', are theu removed, to
produce the finished links.
The links intended to unite the weldless links, can be obtained and adapted to
these latter by either of the following methods.
For iron chains, these links are prepared from pieces of cylindrical bar metal
scarfed at their ends, as for ordinary welding, and bent round to form a link, the
ends being a sufficient distance apart to allow for the passage of the weldless links.

page_text: After the introduction of these links, the scarfed ends are brought together and
welded, and thus are obtained welded links similar to those of ordinary welded
chains.
For steel chains, a link is formed from flat metal bar by taking a length of bar,
scarfing the ends flatways, and then bending the length twice round a mandril, so
as to make two helical coils (see Figs. 9). These are left open until the weldless
link is threaded on, and the parts of the spiral are then compressed together and
welded.
After the welding, the link is stamped in the dies D, D1, Figs. 10, which are
provided with annular recesses d intended to receive the welded ring, and with
slots d to receive the adjacent weldless links during the stamping of the welded
links. The annular recesses d give to the latter link the approximate form required,
and it is only necessary afterwards to give the oval or definitive form by external
pressure.
Lastly the links of chains of either kind can be improved by giving to them an
enlarged section or swelling towards their points of contact, that is to say towards
the ends of the greater axis (Figs. 11 and 12). This enlargement or thickening
of the parts which bear the wear increases naturally the durability of the chain.
The advantages to be derived from the improved manufacture of chains are as
follows:-
1. A reduction of 50% in the number of welded joints.
2. Increase in the quality of the chain.
3. Facility in the production of half of the links, by stamping them from flat
bars, or by rolling them.
4. The possibility of obtaining chains in steel of great resistance, because of the
weldless links, which are connected together by spiral welded links, the solidity of
which is equivalent to that of the weldless links, by reason of the double coil, and
of the large surface contact of the welded portions.
5. Perfect regularity in the size and weight of the links.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. An improved chain, consisting of the combination of weldless links and welded
links, alternately, substantially as described.
2. In the manufacture of chains, rolling or stamping weldless liuks, and connecting
the said weldless links by links having scarfed welded ends, in the case of iron
chains, or which are formed in spirals, which are closed up and welded, in respect
of steel chains.
3. Chain links which present a thickening or enlargement of section at the ends
where the wear takes place.
Dated this 7th day of January 1806-
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.