Improved Method of Manufacturing and Connecting Together the Links of Chains for Velocipedes, and which may also be Employed for Chains for other purposes.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Feb., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 30th Oct., 1894-Accepted, 1st Dec., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Method of Manufacturing and Connecting Together the
Links of Chains for Velocipedes, and which may also be
Employed for Chains for other purposes.
We,
EUGENE FOUCHER and JEAN LOUIS DELACHANAL, Mechanical Engineers,
of 16 Rue Dupetit-Thouars, Paris, France, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
The present invention relates to an improved and new method of manufacturing
and connecting together the links of chains for velocipedes, which may also be
employed for chains for other purposes.
According to this method the links instead of being connected together by pins
or an interrupted ring, as in chains at present employed, are connected themselves
to each other by means of a special form and special shaping.
The link is cut out flat from sheet metal and is cut away near each end so as to
form an opening to enable one link when formed to be passed over one arm of the
link to which it is to be connected before the two arms of the latter are closed;
it is then stamped or bent to the shape to form an eye serving for pivoting the
next link thereto, and with one arm at right angles to the other; when this second
link is placed in position by passing one arm of the first link through the hole in
the closed arms of the second, the two arms of the first link are closed together so
that it imprisons the end of the second link, and the first link can then be passed
through another link.
So as to make the eye more durable we insert a ring or half ring therein in
which the next link works.
The great advantage resulting from this new construction is that it enables
exceedingly strong steel chains to be made of great lightness.
This method of manufacture further enables the chain to be tempered after
being put together, so as to impart the necessary hardness thereto to enable the
chain to last and work well in mud and dust. The keeping of the chain thus
constructed in good condition is easy, and almost all wear being abolished, the
lengthening or slackening of the chain is avoided.
The form and nature of the materials employed may be varied, and the ring
inserted in the eye may be omitted.
Dated this 1st day of February 1894.
ALLISON BRUS.,
Agents for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Method of Manufacturing and Connecting Together the
Links of Chains for Velocipedes, and which may also be
Employed for Chains for other purposes.
We, EUGENE FOUCHER and JEAN LOUIS DELACHANAL, Mechanical Engineers,
of 16 Rue Dupetit-Thouars, Paris, France, 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:—
The present invention relates to an improved and new method of manufacturing

page_text: and connecting together the links of chains for velocipedes, which may also be
employed for chains for other purposes.
According to this method the links instead of being connected together by
pins or an interrupted ring, as in chains at present employed, are connected
themselves to each other by means of a special form and special shaping.
According to one arrangement which is illustrated in Figs. 1 to 6 inclusive of
the accompanying drawings, the link is cut out from a flat piece of metal (Fig. 1),
and is cut away near each end so as to form an opening to enable one link when
formed to be passed over one arm of the link to which it is to be connected before
the two arms of the latter are closed; it is then stamped or bent to the shape to
form an eye serving for pivotting the next link thereto, and with one arm at right
angles to the other (Fig. 2); when this second link is placed in position by passing
one arm of the first link through the hole in the closed arms of the second, the
two arms of the first link are closed together, so that it imprisons the end of the
second link, and the first link can then be passed through another link (Fig. 4).
So as to make the eye more durable we insert a ring or half ring therein in
which the next link works (Fig. 3).
Fig. 5 shows the chain opened out or flat.
Fig. 6 shows the chain mounted on the toothed driving or transmission wheel.
The great advantage resulting from this new construction is that it enables
exceedingly strong steel chains to be made of great lightness.
This method of manufacture further enables the chain to he tempered after
being put together, so as to impart the necessary hardness thereto to enable the
chain to last and work well in mud and dust. The keeping of the chain thus con-
structed in good condition is easy, and almost all wear being abolished the
lengthening or slackening of the chain is avoided.
The form and nature of the materials employed may be varied and the ring
inserted in the eye may be omitted.
Figs. 7, 8 and 9 show a slightly modified method of forming the links.
In this arrangement any tendency which the arms of the links might have to
open out or separate at the part forming the pivot eye, and consequently to
elongate unequally, is avoided.
Instead of cutting the links flat from sheet metal, same are in the present
arrangement forged in a matrix or stamp so as to thicken the elbow part or heel
of the link which is to form the eye where the next link is to be pivotted
(Fig. 7). This thickening is obtained by replacing the interior elbow or bend of
rounded form of the link by an elbow with a sharp angle, which arrangement
enables the space which will be seen in Fig. 4 to exist between the ring inserted
in the pivot eye and the rounded elbow of the link in the previous arrangement, to
be filled up.
The link is then cut away and by stamping or other suitable means is shaped to
the form shewn in Fig. 8, which at a showe the interior sharp angled elbow.
The two arms are then bent together so as to close the link and bring it to the
form shown in Fig. 9, in which it will be seen that the ring or half ring inserted
in the eye in the previous arrangement is abolished, and that the space caused by
the rounded form of the elbow or bend is filled up by adopting the sharp angled
elbow or bend.
The chain formed in either of above described methods, and of which Fig. 5 is
a plan view is mounted on toothed wheels of velocipedes or other machines so that
each link engagés successively with the teeth thereof and transmits to the latter
the necessary movement.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is:-
1. The improved chain constructed substantially as specified, and as shown in
the drawings.

page_text: 2. The improved chain constructed as desoribed with reference to Figs. 7, 8
and 9 of the drawings, and in which the heel of the links forming the eye where
the succeeding links are pivotted, is thickened, substantially as and for the purpose
specified.
3. The application of chains of the construction shown and described for
transmitting power or motion to toothed wheels, substantially as specified.
Dated this 30th day of October 1894.
ALLISON BROS.,
Agents for the Applicants.