IMPROVEMENTS IN SHACKLES
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Matthews Ruck Lieutenant in H.M. Corps of
Royal Engineers of Chatham in the County of Kent, for an Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN SHACKLES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Matthews Ruck at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 3rd July 1882.
RICHARD MATTHEWS RUCK Lieutenant in H.M. Corps of Royal Engineers of
Chatham in the County of Kent. "IMPROVEMENTS IN SHACKLES."
This invention has for its object to provide a shackle with a better and readier
method of fastening than in those now in use and also to obtain a better shaped
shackle, that is, one which is of a more uniform size with the chain which it is to.
be used in connection with and one which has no projections to prevent it passing
over pullies and also to make a shackle which when used under water will not by
rusting get set fast so as to make it a work of time and labour to open it and
lastly to make a shackle which will not come unfastened by a continual jerking
strain as happens with the screw shackles used at present.
For these purposes I make a shackle in the form of an oval ring or link like the
link of a chain but with one of the longer sides of the link made thicker than the
opposite side. A gap or opening is made in the link at the centre of its thinner
side. Opposite to this opening a narrow oblong slot is formed lengthwise through
the thicker side of the link. A pin or bolt is passed through this slot and made to
extend across the link and to enter and close the gap or opening in its thinner
side. Two notches are cut in the bolt just where it emerges from the inner face of
the thicker side of the link.-An elastic washer of vulcanized india rubber or other
elastic material with an oblong slot through it embraces the bolt at this point.-
When the washer is turned so that the slot in it lies crosswise of the link, the bolt
will not pass through the slot in the washer but if the washer is turned so that
the slot in it is lengthwise of the link then the bolt can pass through it and the
bolt can be forced endwise through the slot in the thicker side of the shackle

page_text: leaving the shackle unfastened and open.-To secure the shackle the bolt is forced
back through the slot in the opposite direction as far as it will go. The india
rubber or other washer is then turned through a quarter turn and the bolt is
thereby locked. The washer is rectangular, and where it lies against the inner face
of the thick side of the link, the side of the link is slightly recessed for part of
the thickness of the washer to lie in the recess. When the washer lies in the
recess it cannot turn, and to allow of its being turned its two opposite sides must
be bent upwards so as to lift them out from the recess, the washer can then be
.turned easily. When the bolt is driven backwards so as to open the shackle the
end of the bolt is caught by the washer and so the bolt does not become detached 1
from the shackle.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Richard Matthews Ruck in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
2nd January 1883.
RICHARD MATTHEWS RUCK Lieutenant of H.M. Corps Royal Engineers of
Chatham in the County of Kent. "IMPROVEMENTS IN SHACKLES."
This Invention has for its object to provide a shackle with a better and readier
method of fastening than in those now in use and also to obtain a better
shaped shackle for shackling together the links of chains that is one which is of a
more uniform size with the chain links which it is to be used in connection with
and one which has no projections to prevent it passing over pulleys.
The way in which I fasten a shackle pin or bolt is illustrated at Figure 1 of the
Drawings hereunto annexed-I make the bolt A to come against a stop when
pushed into place and to prevent its moving back I make one end of it of an oval
or oblong form. This end I pass through a corresponding slot in a washer B of
vulcanized india rubber or other flexible elastic material. On two opposite sides
of this oval or oblong part of the bolt I make slots to reduce the bolt at this part
to a circular form or approximately so. The washer when at this part can
therefore be turned around the bolt-By giving a quarter turn to the washer the
oblong slot in it will be brought into a position at right angles to the length of the
oval or oblong section of the bolt. The bolt therefore cannot move back without
carrying the washer back with it and as an abutment C is provided for the washer
then to rest against the bolt is held fast-The washer also is made to lie and to
some extent fit in a recess which keeps it from turning but by reason of its being
made of flexible elastic material it can when taken hold of by its side edges be made
to yield and turn by a moderate application of force and will afterwards by reason
of its elasticity at once regain its original form.
Figure 2 shows a chain shackle with its pin secured in the manner above
described.
A is the bolt B the washer of vulcanized india rubber-it lies in a slot C in one
arm of the chain shackle-The bolt is tapered and fits corresponding holes in
the shackle arms-When the washer is turned into the position shewn in the
section Figure 3 the bolt can be withdrawn as shewn until a small pin D
projecting from the bolt comes against the washer this prevents the bolt from
being entirely withdrawn-When the bolt is pushed back into the position shown
at Figure 4 and the washer turned into the position shewn in that Figure the
bolt is locked in its place.
Shackle pins or bolts used for a great variety of purposes may similarly be
locked and held in place by a washer of vulcanized india rubber or other elastic
material-For example the shackle pin used for retaining cart wheels on to their
axles may be secured in this manner as shewn at Figure 5-In this Figure A is
an axle B the hub of a wheel mounted upon the axle C the shackle pin for
retaining the wheel on to the axle D the washer of flexible elastic material lying
in a recess in the axle..
It is not essential that the elastic flexible washer should require to have a
partial turn given to it in order to make it lock the pin or bolt of a shackle-it
may be made to lock it in the manner illustrated at Figure 6.
In this modification it will be seen that the slot for the bolt is on the side
where the india rubber washer is used made longer than necessary for the depth
of the bolt-On the other side there is a smaller amount of play allowed-The
washer fits the slot made for it tightly and cannot move when once in position—

page_text: The bolt itself is made of the form shewn at Figure 7-Where it locks into the
washer a recess nearly equal to half the depth of the bolt is made and two sides
opposite one another are recessed to a depth of about 1" the shoulders of these
recesses being bevilled off.
16
A face view of the washer is shewn at Figure 8-The slot in it is made to fit
the section Y of the bolt excepting that the breadth of the slot is slightly
narrower than the bolt at Y but it is of the same width as the bolt at X.
It will thus be seen that in the position A B of the bolt it can be forced
backwards or forwards through the washer. It cannot however fall through by
its own weight as the small recesses at the side of the bolt prevent this, and a
certain amount of force is required to be applied at the end of the bolt to move it-
When however a strain comes upon the bolt the points B B of the bolt will take
up positions CC and in this position the bolt cannot possibly be forced back
through the washer-The bolt is therefore always locked if a slight strain is upon
it and when there is no strain the bolt can be forced back but only by the
application of force at the end of the bolt.
At Figures 9. 10 and 11 I have shewn various views of a chain shackle con-
structed according to my invention--the advantage of this form of shackle is that
it has no projections standing out from it which would prevent its passing over
pulleys Figure 9 is a side view of the shackle closed-Figures 10 and 11 are
respectively a side view and cross section of the shackle when opened-It is in the
form of an oval link A with one of its longer sides thicker than the side opposite
to it and with a gap or opening B made through the centre of the thinner side-
C is an oblong slot formed through the thicker side of the link opposite to this
opening-D is a pin or bolt passed through the slot and made to extend across
the centre of the link and enter and close the gap or opening B. E is a washer of
flexible elastic material-it lies in a recess in the inner surface of the thick side of
the link and locks and holds the pin in the manner hereinbefore described―The
end of the pin D which serves to close the gap or opening B is at its ends shaped
to fit into V or dovetail grooves to hold the end of the pin and prevent its being
bent aside and if dovetail grooves are used additional strength will also be
obtained.
Figure 12 shows a side elevation of a modified form of this shackle in which
the washer E lies in a slot cut through the centre of the thicker side of the link
in place of lying in a recess on its inner side, as in Figures 9. 10 and 11. In
other respects the construction of the shackle is the same as shewn in those
Figures By placing the elastic washer in a recess cut through the centre of the
back of the link the washer being enclosed is better protected and in addition it
does not slip up with the bolt when the bolt is pushed in.
Having thus described the nature of my invention and the manner of performing
the same I would have it understood that I claim,
First The means substantially as hereinbefore described for securing shackle
pins or holts by washers of flexible elastic material.
Second-The construction of chain shackles substantially in the manner
hereinbefore described and illustrated at Figures 9. 10. 11 and 12.
In witness whereof I the said Richard Matthews Ruck have hereunto set
my hand and seal this thirtieth day of December in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty-two.
RICHARD MATTHEWS RUCK. (L.S.)