Improvements in and relating to the Manufacture of Chain Links.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Feb., 1895-Accepted, 9th Mar., 1895
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to the Manufacture of Chain Links.
1, RICHARD ALVIN BREUL, a citizen of the United States of America, residing
at 55 Beach Street, in the City of Bridgeport, County of Fairfield, and State of
Connecticut, one of the United States of America, Inventor, 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:-
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a short length of a chain made of wire links of
my improved construction.
Figure 2 is a plan view of one of the links composing the chain.
Figure 3 is a side view of the same.
Figure 4 is an end elevation of the link looking at it in the direction of the arrow
shown in Figures 2 and 3.
Figure 5 is a detail view of the same link showing its overlapping ends open and
apart, as before the "swaging" process, so as to illustrate the novel and peculiar
formation of the bent and overlapping ends according to my method.
Figure 6 is a transverse sectional view of the link on line e-x.
Figure 7 is a sectional view of the same on line y-Y and
Figure 8 is a side view of the wire blank, as it appears before being doubled and
having its ends bent to form a link.
Like letters of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures.
My invention relates to wire chains composed of a series of split links which
interlock with one another to form a continuous chain, and my improvement consists
in the novel method of forming and swaging the split and overlapping and
interlocking ends of each link, as will be hereinafter more fully described and
claimed.
In the accompanying drawing the reference letter A denotes the wire link
composing a chain of iny improved construction, the length and thickness of the
wire of each link being optional. In forming the link according to my improved
method, I first cut wire of the desired size into lengths A', each of which forms a
blank. The second step in the process consists in slightly bending or deflecting
both ends of this straight blank, as shown at a and a' in Figure 8, after which the
blank is doubled on itself and closed to form the link, simultaneously with which
operation each bent overlapping end or shank B, B', is twisted slightly, as shown
at and b. Finally, the overlapping bent and open ends B, B' are brought
together and swaged, which last finishing operation involves five distinct and
separate steps, all of which, however, are performed simultaneously or practically
so by the use of swaging dies of suitable construction.
These five steps of the swaging process are the following, namely, first, formation
of the sharp shoulders or offsets c and c¹, at the inner ends of the curved and
deflected ends a a¹³; second, flattening the inside of the overlapping ends of the wire
link upon and against each other, at d d'; third, compressing the outside of the
wires into a broad V-shape or obtuse triangle, having the flattened sided as their
base, as illustrated at e e; fourth, tapering off the overlapping ends of the wire
link, as shown at ff, and, fifth, and finally, partially straightening out the bent
and deflected shanks a ca¹ c', and thereby setting and uniting the bent and
overlapping ends B, B' firmly together.
By this method, involving a succession of the several separate and distinct steps
and processes hereinbefore described, I produce, at small expense, a wire chain of

page_text: exceptional strength and durability, and at the same time of a neat and smooth
finish.
Owing to the peculiar construction and conformation of the overlapping and
swaged ends, the individual links comprising the chain will resist greatest strain in
the direction of their length without danger of opening and coming apart, thus
adapting a chain of this construction to a variety of purposes where a light and yet
very strong and durable chain is a desideratum.
Having now 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 :-
In the manufacture of wire chains made of "split" links, the described method
of forming and uniting the bent and overlapping ends of each individual link, which
consists in; first, cutting a straight blank of the proper length from a piece of wire
of the required dimensions, next, deflecting the ends of said blank in opposite
directions; next, bending and closing the ends of the link, and, finally, swaging
(either hot or cold) the bent and overlapping ends of the link, and thereby and
during the same process, flattening the adjacent overlapping sides of the wire upon
and against each other and compressing the metal of the same into a V-shape, said
several steps being carried out successively, substantially in the manner and for the
purpose shown and set forth.
Dated this 5th day of February 1895.
JENSEN & SON,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents.