Improvements in Riveting Flat or Plate Link Chain.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Oct., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 13th July, 1891-Accepted, 15th Aug., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Riveting Flat or Plate Link Chain.
I; CHARLES JAMES HARCOURT of 223 Moseley Street, Birmingham,. in the
County of Warwick Brassfounder, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
In the methods hitherto used for riveting flat link chain it is difficult to obtain
satisfactory work, and considerable manual skill is required on the part of the
operaters. The modes now in use comprise various modifications of stamp,
hammer, and roller. riveting, all of which are open to the objection of want of
uniformity in the head so formed. The rivet head in all cases tends to spread
either in one direction or another, but it very rarely spreads uniformly round-the
rivet body.
The object of this invention is to produce a neat, effective, and uniform rivet
head of such nature that the flat or plate link chain is safely secured by the rivets
and yet is left with perfect freedom of motion, that is free from friction or jamming
of the links against each other or the rivets against the links. To accomplish
this purpose instead of riveting up by stamp, hammer or roller, the ends to be
riveted are brought under a revolving tool having a concave recess in its face of
the configuration of the rivet head required. This tool is pressed against the rivet
end so that the rivet end lies in the recess, and by revolving it spreads out the
rivet head by an action similar to that which occurs in "spinning" metals. The
external edge of the concave recess is sometimes arranged with cutting edges or
edge so that any unequal or superfluous metal is removed, and a neat circular rivet
head is produced. The riveting may be accomplished entirely in this manner or
the pins may be slightly rivetted by any usual process, and then finished by the use
of this new rotating riveting tool.
An essential feature of the invention consists in the use of a rotating riveting
tool which spreads out the rivet head by an action resembling spinning.
111
1900
MARKS & CLERK,
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents for Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Riveting Flat or Plate Link Chain.
1; CHARLES JAMES HARCOURT, of 223 Moseley Street, Birmingham, in the
County of Warwick, Brassfounder, 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 :-
In the methods hitherto used for riveting flat link chain it is difficult to obtain
satisfactory, work, and considerable manual skill is required on the part of the
operators. The modes now in use comprise various modifications of stamp, hammer,
and roller riveting all of which are open to the objection of want of uniformity in
the head formed. The rivet head in all cases tends to spread either in one direction
or another but it very rarely spreads uniformly round the rivet body.
The object of this invention is to produce, a neat, effective and uniform rivet
head of such nature that the flat or plate link chain is safely secured by the rivets
and yet is left with perfect freedom of motion, that is free from friction or jamming
of the links against each other or the rivets against the links.
To accomplish this purpose, instead of riveting up by stamp, hammer or roller,

page_text: the ends to be riveted are brought under a revolving tool having a concave recess
in its face, of the configuration of the rivet head required. This tool is pressed
against the rivet end, so that the rivet end lies in the recess, and by revolving, it
spreads out the rivet head by an action similar to that which occurs in "spinning'
metals.
29
The external edge of the concave recess is sometimes arranged with cutting edges
or edge so that any unequal or superfluous metal is removed and a neat circular
rivet head is produced. The riveting may be accomplished entirely in this manner,
or the pins may be slightly riveted by any usual process, and then finished by the
use of this new rotating riveting tool.
An essential feature of the invention consists in the use of a rotating riveting
tool which spreads out the rivet head by an action resembling spinning.
Referring to the accompanying sheet of drawings which illustrates the
application of my invention to the production of flat link chain :-
Figure 1 shows my revolving riveting tool partly in section.
Figures 2 and 3 are end elevations of stamps or dies with sectional views of
recesses or bolsters for performing the preliminary riveting before spinning out
the rivet head.
Figure 4 is an elevation of one machine suitable for operating my revolving
riveting tool.
Figure 5 is a plan showing the chain passing through or under the stamps seen
in elevation at Figures 6 and 7 for the purpose of preliminary riveting and slackening
to be hereinafter described. The chain D to be riveted, is first passed through
recesses as shown in Figure 5 in plan under the stamps or punches B and C which
are respectively attached to or operated by the slides B and C.
The punch B has a groove, see Figure 3, and it works above the chain D when
lying in the recess 13 which recess has a groove 132. The lower ends of the
rivets lie in the recess B2 and when the punch B completes its downward stroke,
it strikes the upper ends of the rivets at the groove b. This blow rivets up
slightly, and the feed pawl B³ moves forward the chain at each stroke. This
preliminary riveting stiffens the chain and in order to ease it, allowing the links to
move freely again, the chain passes on to the stamp or punch C which has at one
part a curved or waved configuration corresponding to a similar outline of the
bottom of the recess C₁ Figures 2 and 7. The movement of C thus alternately
bends and straightens the chain D as it passes under it moved by the feed pawl C³,
and by this operation the chain is slackened or rendered flexible again.
To finish the rivets the chain is transferred to the machine shown in elevation at
Figure 4 in which the rotating riveting tool is carried by the revolving chuck or
holder G³, on a spindle held by the sliding frame or piece H. The bevil
wheels G2, G' driven by belt, and gearing into each other, actuate the spindle K.
The wheel drives by a feather or key and slot, so that K is free to rise and
fall with the slide or frame H. The lever E is operated by the cam F on the belt
driven shaft F, and by a suitable connection the slide His moved up and down,
and the feed pawl G pushes forward the chain, link by link, and places each rivet
in position to have the head formed upon it by the rotating tool A, when the
lever E causes the said tool to descend upon the rivet head and rotate upon it. The
spring applies the desired pressure to cause the concave recess a in the
tool A to form the head in each rivet, as the chain lies in the recess A',
Figure 1.
The recess or groove A² at the bottom of A' receives the lower ends of the rivets
and the chain is turned round and passed through again to rivet the second head
on each rivet.
"
The rotating tool A rotating upon each rivet head, and forming the head by
the recess a, is the essential feature of my invention, and it is to be distinctly under-
stool that this tool may be applied by machines of construction varying widely
from that illustrated at Figure 4. That machine is merely indicated as an example
of a machine found convenient for the purpose.

page_text: The form of the recess a Figure 1 may be varied as desired depending upon the
configuration of rivet head which is required, and cutting edges may be introduced
to trim the edges if desired. For small rivets I find that cutting edges are not
required and the rivet head is neatly formed and finished simply by pressing the
recessed part a of the rotating tool A upon the end of each rivet with sufficient
force.
the
Although I find the stamp illustrated at Figures 5, 6 and 7 to be convenient in
process of riveting flat link chain, yet in some cases I prefer to conduct the
whole operation of riveting the chain, by means of my new rotating riveting tool
as A, applied in a machine having functions similar to those of Figure 4. I then
shape and form the rivet head entirely by my novel appliance and produce a
superior quality of flat link chain. The arrows in the figures indicate the direction
of feed of the chain.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, declare that what I
claim is :-
(1.) A rotating riveting tool for forming or finishing rivet heads substantially as
hereinbefore described.
(2.) A rotating riveting tool for forming or finishing rivet heads in flat link
chain substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
(3.) In chain making machinery, passing the chain through a stamp riveting
machine, and a stamp chain casing machine, having a stamp of waved outline,
previous to passing under a rotating riveting tool substantially as hereinbefore
described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 11th day of July 1891
MARKS & CLERK,
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents for the Applicant.