Improvements in Driving Chain.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Apr., 1894-Accepted, 21st July, 1894
Improvements in Driving Chain.
I, ROBERT FREDERICK HALL, Managing Director of The Cycle Components
Company Limited, of Sampson Road North, Sparkbrook, in the City of
Birmingham, 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 :-
My present invention relates to detail improvements in driving chain for cycles
and for other machines and uses, and consists, in one part, in means for preventing
backlash and in another part, in means for conducting or piloting the links of a
chain properly and evenly onto and over the teeth of the chain wheels during
running, and my said invention is an improvement upon my Patent No. 2163
bearing date the First day of February 1894.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawing represents in side elevation a length or
cycle drive chain having or being provided with improvements made according to
my present invention.
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Figure 2 represents a longitudinal vertical section of the same, showing how the
alternate and intermediate links are joined up one with another and how the
bearing surfaces of the points of contact are minimised and also how the inter-
mediate links are confined to the alternate links by pitch bars which prevent
reaction of the links upon each (commonly called "backlash ") produced by
irregularities in velocity when the moving power is not constant. The said view
further shows the piloting horns of tooth finders which, as it were, show or conduct
the links of the chain the way to the teeth.
Figure 3 represents a horizontal section of the said chain, showing the knife-
edged pins or rivets in elevation and the pitch bars of alternate links in section.
Figure 4 represents a topside plan of Figure 1.
Figure 5 represents a transverse section of the chain upon the dotted lines A B
Figure 2.
Figure 6 represents a transverse section of the chain upon the dotted
lines CD Figure 2, looking from right to left or towards the knife edge of the
pin or pivot.
Figure 7 represents a transverse section of the whole of the component parts of
two alternate and one intermediate links.
Figure 8 represents a side elevation of an intermediate link and Figure 9 is a
side elevation of an alternate link.
Figure 10 represents a modified form of the alternate link, which is made solid
instead of lamina cut-plates.
In Figures 1 to 9, a are alternate links, and are intermediate links, the one
connected to the other so as to make up a length of chain by or through the
medium of knife-edged cross pins or rivets c.
Each of the alternate links a, are
preferably made up of a series of cut-out sheet metal link-shaped plates a', placed
face to face and with the ends a³, of their cut-out middle parts a³, formed V- or
wedge-shaped, within which wedge ends the like shaped presented knife edges c¹,
of the pins or rivets c, of the intermediate links b, take their bearing. The cut-out
middle parts a', have pitch bars at, for confining or keeping snug the knife-edged
rivets, whereby backlash is prevented.
Each of the intermediate links b, consists of two side plates or checks b', kept
parallel and separated from each other to a given distance (so as to form the tooth
spaces d,) by the end inside faces of them coming upon the end outside faces of the

page_text: alternate links, and the whole are joined up by the cross pins or rivets c, whose ends
are expanded into heads c³.
The middles of the side plates b', of the links b, have piloting horns or tooth
finders 6, which show the way to, or conduct or guide, the spaces d, of the links of
the chain over the teeth by the said piloting horns having their tips 6³, inclined
slightly outwards, whereby the said finders feel the tips of the teeth in advance of
the links themselves and the spaces between them, and whereby the said links are
prevented from striking and riding upon the said teeth and are so made to travel
uniformly and evenly over the chain wheels.
I wish it to be understood that I do not confine myself to the particular con-
struction of chain herein described, as the same may be varied without departing
from the nature of my improvements, that is to say, the pitch or confining bars or
back stops may be used in connection with the pierced middles of ordinary links,
and the piloting horns or tooth finders may be employed on ordinary alternate or
intermediate links.
Having pow 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:
First. In driving chain made up of alternate and intermediate links, providing
the open-sided between links, or the cut-out middle parts of the alternate links,
with pitch or confining bars or back stops, whereby reaction of the chain links
upon each other or backlash is prevented, substantially as described and set forth.
Secondly. In driving chain made up of alternate and intermediate links, pro-
viding the middles of the top and bottom edges or the middle parts of the between
links with piloting horns or tooth finders, substantially as and for the purpose as
described and set forth.
Thirdly. In driving-chain, the general formation, arrangement and combination
of the component parts of the same, substantially as and for the purpose as described
and set forth.
Dated this 25th day of April 1894.
ROBERT FREDERICK HALL,
By Henry Skerrett,
6, Livery Street, Birmingham, Agent for Applicant.