Improvements in Drive Chain.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Sept., 1896-Accepted, 24th Oct., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Drive Chain.
I, ALFRED APPLEBY, of The Appleby Twin Roller Chain Syndicate Limited
of 43, Regent Place, Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Manufacturer, 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:-
This invention relates to improvements in drive chain for cycles and other chain
geared vehicles and machines, and has for its object a simple and effective joining
up or connecting means, whereby the respective links at the free ends of a lenth of
drive chain are linked together aud an endless driving chain formed thereby. My
invention is also such that the joining up links of the endless chain can be separated
or detached at any time in a very simple and expeditious manner.
The said joiuing up means consist of a metallic thin spring plate, having attached
thereto, or made in one piece therewith, a spring tongue, and also provided with a
gate or entrance, where through passage for the end of the joining up pin or bolt
is allowed, as hereinafter described. This thin spring plate, which is made of any
suitable shape, is attached to the outside face of one of the outer and joining up
links of the drive chain by being fixed upon the end of one of the cross rivets, and
the gate or entrance of the same is adapted to come nearly coincident with the
cross holes of the said links. The spring tongue, which is preferably cut from the
metal at the middle of the spring plate, projects into and engages with a slot or its
equivalent within the side of the link to which the said plate is attached, and a
projecting part or an extension is formed upon the top of the spring plate, adjacent
to the gate, to constitute a thumb piece for forcing the spring locking plate
downwards.
The joining up pin or bolt is designed with one of its ends rounded, and inwards
of this end is formed a groove or neck, adapted to receive the edge of the spring
plate before described, and prevent the withdrawal of the pin.
To more clearly illustrate my invention I attach hereto a sheet of drawings in
which
Fig. 1 is an elevation with a part broken in section of a piece of drive chain
provided and fitted with joining up meaus according to my invention. This figure
shows the ends of the chain connected cr joined up, and the connection pin or
rivet securely locked in its engaged position.
Fig. 2 represents a side elevation of Fig. 1, and this view and the previous one
clearly illustrate the thin spring steel plate and its parts, and also its connection
and attachment to one of the outer joining up links of a drive chain; the
construction of the said chain being according to my "Twin Roller Patent,"
No. 8849 of 1896.
Fig. 3 sets forth a like view as Fig. 1, but with the respective ends of the drive
chain shown disconnected, whilst
Fig. 4 is a side elevation illustrative of the position of the spring plate when the
connecting pin or bolt is free to be withdrawn and the endless chain broken.
Fig. 5 is a transverse section of Fig. 2, taken upon the dotted line x, and shows
the locked position of the connecting pin or bolt.
Figs. 6 and 7 show a modified form of spring locking plate, the former view
illustrating the locked position, and the latter the unlocked or released.

page_text: Fig. 8 18 an elevation of a key by which the unlocking of the pin set forth in
Figs. 6 and 7 is effected.
The same letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures of
the sheet of drawings.
The drive chain is built up of pairs of inner and outer links connected together
by cross pins or rivets upon which are mounted anti-friction rollers, as set forth in
my "Twin Roller Patent," No. 8849 of 1896.
Upon the outside face a of one of the outer links a of the joining up pair is
attached, by being connected to a cross rivet c, a thin steel plate b, of a shape
somewhat like unto the link to which it is attached. This thin steel plate 6 is
preferably stamped from a blank, and from the metal at the middle thereof is
fashioned a spring tongue or projection 6, a hole or piercing 6, and a thumb piece b
being also provided within and upon the same for the purposes hereinafter described.
The spring tongue or projection 6 takes into and engages with a slot or its
equivalent a within the side of the outer link a, and constitutes a spring arm for
keeping the plate 6 constantly in the position clearly shown in Fig. 2, whilst the
hole or piercing 63, which comes nearly coincident with the cross holes in the
links, forms a gate or entrance to the joining up cross pin or bolt d, as hereinafter
described; the said gate being brought coincident with the cross holes when the
said bolt or pin is required to be withdrawn, and, to accomplish this, a thumb
piece 6 is provided, upon which pressure can be exerted to force downwards the
said spring plate; the position of which at this time is clearly shown in Fig. 4.
The joining up pin d is fashioned with one of its ends d rounded, and of the
same diameter as the pin body, and inwards of this rounded part is a groove or
neck d', with which the metal at the edge of the gate or entrance 63, of the spring
plate b, is adapted to engage, and thereby hold the said joining up pin in a locked
position.
The inner joining up links e of the chain have cross holes through them, (as
also have the outer links as before described) and when the inner links are in
position inside of the outer links, the said holes which are marked e³, a³, and at,
become coincident, so that the joining up bolt can be passed crosswise into them.
I wish it to be cbserved that the locking of the joining up pin or bolt d is
automatic or self-acting as, when the said bolt is being forced home into the
position shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the rounded end d of the same presses downwards
the locking plate b, until the gate 63 admits of the passage of the said end. This
pressing downwards of the locking plate deflects the spring tongue band,
immediately the rounded end d, of the joining up pin d, is through the gate 6, the
locking plate snaps behind the said rounded end, and into the groove or neck d³,
and securely prevents the withdrawal of the said bolt until pressure is exerted upon
the thumb piece b4 to force down the locking plate and bring the gate 6 again
coincident with the pin d.
In Figs. 6 and 7 the locking plate b is connected to the cross rivet c of the outer
link a in the same way as previously described, but is slit at b for three parts of
its length forming the greater part of the said plate into two spring jaws, b, and b,
having semicircular parts 6, 66, which combine to form a gate or entrance for the
end d of the locking pin d. A middle part fis fashioned for the reception of an
elliptical-shaped end 9 of a key g, by which the spring jaws are forced open for
the withdrawal of the bolt d, as set forth in Fig. 7, (the construction of the said
bolt d being the same as herein before described) and, when in a locked position,
the spring jaws 63, 64, take into the neck d' of the said pin, and securely prevent
the same being withdrawn,
A limiting slot h is provided in the side of the link a to prevent the key g from
straining the spring jaws b, . This arrangement is self-locking or automatic,
the same as the previous one, both forms having a kind of snap action.
The arrangement of the spring tongue or the spring jaws may be varied
according to the class of link to which the locking plate is to be attached, so long
as the self-locking action of the said plate is preserved and, also, the groove or

page_text: neck d within the bolt can be arranged in any suitable way without departing.
from my invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
First. In drive chain, the joining up means consisting of a circular ended
grooved or necked pin or bolt in combination with an attached plate, having a
spring arm or tongue, and a gate or entrance, substantially as described and set.
forth.
Second. The combination with the outer joining up link a, provided with a slot
or its equivalent a, of an attached locking plate b, and a locking pin d; the former
provided with parts 6 63, and b, and the latter with parts d', and d, substantially
as set forth in Figs. 1-5.
Third. In drive chain, the joining up means consisting of a circular ended
groove or necked pin or bolt d in combination with an attached plate b, having
spring jaws 6, 6, and parts 6, 66, f, and h, substantially as set forth in Figs. 6.
and 7.
Fourth. The construction, arrangement, and fitting of the joining up means,.
substantially as described and set forth.
Dated this 16th day of September 1896.
W. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 11, Burlington Chambers, New Street, Birmingham,
Agents for the Applicant.
W. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 11, Burlington Chambers, New Street, Birmingham,
Agents for the Applicant.