IMPROVE- MENTS IN APPARATUS USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CHAINS
Year: 1885

page_text: I, FRANCIS LEY of the Vulcan Iron Works in the Town and County of the Town
of Derby, Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPARATUS USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CHAINS" (a communication
to me from abroad by Eugene Lincoln Howe of Ewart's Manufacturing Company
109 Fulton Street Chicago, Illinois, United States of America, Superintendent)
to be as follows:-
"
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus used in the
manufacture of chains and relates to arrangements for putting together into
lengths of chain the separate links of what is known in the market as the
Ewart" Detachable Drive Chain.
Previous to my invention it has been customary in making up the "Ewart"
Detachable Drive Chain to put the separate links (which are made of malleable
iron brass or wrought iron) together by hand, this method of putting together the
links of all the chain ready for the market necessarily involving considerable
expense to the manufacturer in the hand labor necessary for this operation.
I propose in my invention to provide for use a machine run by power, and by
means of which, with simply an attendant to feed the separate chain links into a
supply shoot or feeder a much greater quantity of chain can be put together in the
same time, and consequently at much less expense than by the heretofore practiced
method of assembling the links by hand. I provide a shoot or guide adapted to
receive and contain the links and a pusher which periodically feeds sidewise
therefrom the lower most link. This link then engages with the link last operated
on by the pusher and passes into a guide way or receptacle where it in turn is
held in position to receive the next link. The guide way contains two or more
assembled links and in connection with it there is a positively moved chain feeder
which periodically moves the assembled links to bring the last one of the series
into proper position relatively to the link to be engaged with it.
At each action of the pusher the last link is left by it projecting upwardly from
the coupler hook of the link with which it has just been made to engage, then as
the chain is moved forward this link is forced over and downwardly into the guide
way by an obliquely arranged plate.
At the foot of the feed shoot an adjustable guido plate is provided to keep the
link in place whilst the pusher acts upon it. '

page_text: I, FRANCIS LEY of the Vulcan Iron Works in the town and County of the town
of Derby, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention (a communication
to me from abroad by Eugene Lincoln Howe of Ewart's Manufacturing Company
109 Fulton Street Chicago, Illinois, United States of America, Superintendent)
and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus used in the
manufacture of chains and relates to arrangements for putting together into
lengths of chain the separate links of what is known in the market as the
"Ewart" detachable drive chain.
Previous to my invention it has been customary in making up the "Ewart"
detachable drive chain to put the separate links (which are made of malleable
iron brass or wrought iron) together by hand, this method of putting together the
links of all the chain ready for the market necessarily involving considerable
expense to the manufacturer in the hand labor necessary for this operation.
propose in my invention to provide for use a machine run by power, and by
means of which, with simply an attendant to feed the separate chain links into a
supply shoot or feeder a much greater quantity of chain can be put together in the
same time, and consequently at much less expense than by the heretofore practiced
method of assembling the links by hand. I provide a shoot or guide adapted to
receive and contain the links and a pusher which periodically feeds side wise
therefrom the lowermost link. This link then engages with the link last operated
on by the pusher and passes into a guide-way or receptacle where it in turn is
held in position to receive the next link. The guide-way contains two or more
assembled links and in connection with it there is a positively moved chain feeder
which periodically moves the assembled links to bring the last one of the series
into proper position relatively to the link to be engaged with it.
At each action of the pusher the last link is left by it projecting upwardly from
the coupler hook of the link with which it has just been made to engage, then as
the chain is moved forward this link is forced over and downwardly into the
guide-way by an obliquely arranged plate.
At the foot of the feed shoot an adjustable guide plate is provided to keep the
link in place whilst the pusher acts upon it.
In order that my said invention may be most fully understood and readily
carried into effect I will proceed to describe the drawings hereunto annexed.
PETRO
Figure 1 is an end view of my machine,
Figure 2 is a back view of the same.
Figure 3 is a top view.
Figure 4 is a vertical cross-section at the line X X of Figure 2.
Figure 5 is a vertical cross-section at the line Y Y Figure 3.
Figure 6 is a bottom view.
In the several figures the same part will be found designated by the same letter
of reference

page_text: In the drawings, A is the main frame of the machine, which, as will be seen is
quite similar in design to the frame of an ordinary hand or engine lathe. B is the
main pulley or drive-wheel, to which the motive power is applied through the
medium of an ordinary belt; the said main pulley or drive wheel is keyed fast on
one end of a main shaft C mounted in suitable bearings at the front side of the
main frame, and carrying at its opposite end a spur-pinion a which engages with
and drives a spur-gear b, on the end of a counter-shaft D.
This counter shaft is mounted, as shown, at the front side of the main frame and
near its top in metallic stands c, c, and it has keyed fast to it a bevel-pinion d,
which engages with and drives a similar pinion e, that is mounted on the front end
of a cross shaft f turning in suitable bearings in the main frame A, near one end
of the latter.
The counter shaft D also carries at the end opposite to that which carries the
spur gear b, a face plate or crank head G from which extends crosswise of the main
frame a pitman g for driving a reciprocatory carriage or bar K, which is provided
with a pivotted pawl or arm i (kept up to its work by a spring k) that acts as a
feeder or pusher, in a manner to be presently described for feeding along and
pushing out of the machine the completed chain, which latter is fed along within
a sort of horizontal channel or guide-way N from whence it passes in a finished
condition out of the machine.
L is a feed hopper or obliquely arranged feeder, into the upper end of which
the separate links are successively placed by the attendant, and the lower end is so
arranged, relatively to the guide-way N, that the lowermost link in the said
hopper will always be in the right position to be pushed sidewise into engagement
with the coupler hook at the tail end of the series of assembled links, that is in
the guide way N. M is an adjustable inclined holder plate which as seen is
arranged near the lower end of the shoot L, in such manner as to effect the
retention in place of the lowermost link of the series fed into the said shoot and to
also act as a guide to the said lowermost link, while it is being pushed edgewise
into engagement with the link last fed into the guide-way N. Immediately over
the rearmost open portion of the guide way N, is arranged obliquely an adjustable
plate Q, the lower end of which operates to turn down into the guide-way N each
last engaged link pushed from the lower end of the shoot L. At the rearmost end
of the guide-way N, there projects outwardly a curved rest or lip like device m
over which the finished chain rides in its discharge from the machine.
E is an eccentric mounted fast on the cross-shaft f, it operates the eccentric
rod F, which drives back and forth a reciprocatory carriage H, that is mounted to
slide between suitable ways, R, R, adjustably secured, as shown, to the side pieces
of the main frame A, of the machine. This carriage has mounted upon it (so that
it can be adjusted longitudinally) a pusher bar I, the outer end of which is
arranged and adapted to come into contact with and push along successively and
sidewise the lowermost links fed into the shoot L, and to push each of the said
links in the proper manner, and to the proper extent, to effect engagement between
the plain end bar of the same, and the coupler hook of the link last fed into the
guide-way N.
The throw of the carriage H and consequently the stroke of the pusher I remains
always the same, but by means of the screw adjustment at h in the eccentric rod F,
the path of motion, or the locality of the stroke at the pusher I may be varied for
the purpose, as will be presently explained, of adjusting the machine to operate
with links of somewhat different widths.
The throw or stroke of the link feeder i may also for the same purpose, be varied
by changing the throw or stroke of the pitman g, where its wrist-pin, and shoe
piece or jamb collar are secured to the face plate or crank plate G.
In view of what has already been described, the following explanation, taken in
connection with the drawings, will serve to explain the operation of my chain link
assembling machine,

page_text: Supposing the machine to be properly adjusted and in working order, an
attendant supplies the feed shoot L with the separate links, being careful to place
each one in with the plain end bar lowermost, and with the back of the coupler
hook towards the front or open side of the shoot as illustrated in the drawing. At
each revolution of the cross-shaft f the pusher I is caused to make one forward and
one back stroke, and at each forward stroke the said pusher forces along edgewise
the lowermost link fed into the shoot L to the proper point to effect a complete
engagement of the plain end bar of said lowermost link with the open coupler
hook of the link last supplied to the guide-way N, and at each back stroke of said
pusher I, the next link in the shoot I descends by gravity to take the place of the
link which was just previously pushed away. While the pusher I is making its
back stroke or return movement, the pitman g actuated by the crosshead or crank
plate G, causes the link feeder or spring pawl i to make a stroke or movement
(crosswise of the main frame of the machine, and backwardly), which movement
or stroke of said device i operates to push on the series of united links that lie in
the guide-way N, to an extent equal to the length of one link, and by this positive
or enforced movement of these united links, the link which was last put into
engagement by the action of the pusher I, and which was left by it, resting in an
upwardly projecting and oblique position, against the outer surface of the plate Q,
is turned over and forced downwardly into a horizontal position within the guide-
way N by being drawn along beneath the lower end of the said plate Q; the link
feeder or pawl i engaging always with, and pushing against, the link previously
drawn down into the said guide-way N.
In this manner, so long as the shoot L is kept supplied with the separate
links properly placed therein, the continuous running of the machine operates to
intermittently push the lowermost link of the series in the shoot, into engagement
with the forward link of the series of engaged links in the guide-way N, and thus
the links are rapidly and successively assembled or put together, and the finished
chain of coupled links passes out at the exit or discharge point P of the machine.
It is necessary to have the plate M made adjustable, so that links of slightly
different thicknesses may be properly held in place at the lower end of the shoot,
and may be properly guided, while being pushed therefrom, into a coupled condition,
and it is also necessary in order to adjust the machine to work with links of
somewhat different widths, that the feed shoot L should be capable of adjustment
laterally, and for this purpose the covering plate, or top Q, of the guide-way N, to
which said shoot is secured, is made adjustable laterally. By a slight up and down
adjustment of the obliquely arranged plate Q, the lower end of the latter may
be set at pleasure to work with perfection in operating upon links of slightly
different thicknesses.
It is convenient that the chain as it runs out of the machine should be caused
to pass over a sprocket wheel actuating a train of counting wheels to indicate and
register the quantity of chain put together in the interval since the counter was
last set.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
(1.) In combination with a shoot or guide adapted to receive and contain the
links placed therein, and a pusher device for periodically feeding sidewise therefrom
the lowermost link, a guide-way or receptacle for holding in proper relative position
the link with which the link pushed from the supply column, or feeder shoot is to
be engaged substantially as set forth.
(2.) In combination with the guide-way for containing two or more assembled
links, an inclined shoot or feeder and means for pushing or feeding from the latter
the links placed therein, a positively moved link feeder i arranged and operating
to periodically move the assembled links to the proper extent.to bring the last one

page_text: of the series into proper relationship with the link to be next engaged with it,
substantially as set forth.
(3.)-In combination with a suitable guide-way for the assembled links and
means for pushing them forward within said guide-way, and obliquely arranged
plate or device O, arranged and operating to force over and downwardly into said
guide-way, the link last assembled and left projecting upwardly from the coupler
hook of the link with which it was forced into engagement, substantially as
herein before set forth.
(4.) In combination with the obliquely arranged feed shoot L, and the pusher I,
an adjustable retaining and guide-plate or device M, arranged and operating in the
manner and for the purposes explained.
(5.) Apparatus substantially as described for engaging the links of chains the
one with the other.