IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF SMALL METALLIC CHAINS
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Haseltine, Gentleman, of the City of
Washington, in the District of Columbia, in the United States of
America, now of 12, St. Helen's Place, in the City of London, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF
SMALL METALLIC CHAINS." -A communication.
Sealed the 11th May 1858, and dated the 14th November 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Haseltine at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
14th November 1857.
I, GEORGE HASELTINE, Gentleman, of the City of Washington, in the District
of Columbia, in the United States of America, now of 12, St. Helen's Place,
in the City of London, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF SMALL METALLIC
CHAINS," to be as follows:-
The nature of this Invention in cutting the links from strips of metal,
and completing the construction of the chain without any intervening
manipulations.
The links are formed with two or more arms, the number depending upon
the required form of the completed chain.
The strips of metal, being properly prepared and presented to the machine,
are drawn over a die bed by the intermittent action of a pair of rollers. This

page_text: bed has an aperture of the same form as that of the required link. Directly
above this aperture is suspended a punch, which descends upon the metal when
the rollers have ceased to act, cuts out the link, and presses it through the die
bed, depositing it upon a carrier below. This carrier, which may be of any
convenient form suited to holding the link, moves horizontally, conveying the
link over a forming bed. The link is then forced through an aperture in the
carrier by the descent of a. mandril upon the forming bed, and at the same
time the ends of the arms of the link are bent at 'right angles. The carrier
retreats, leaving the link on the forming bed, where it is held in position by
two slender rods, while a portion of the arms of the link are turned inwards,
'by the rising of slides which form a part of the forming bed. These arms are
closed down by the action of two small curved rods. Another link being now
deposited on the forming bed, the remaining portion of the arms of the
preceding link are turned over this link, in order to unite the two. When the
links have only two arms both of them are turned over the succeeding link.
The mandril which forces the link from the carrier upon the forming bed, also
finishes the chain and forces it through an aperture in the forming bed. The
various movements required are produced by ordinary mechanical devices.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Haseltine in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
14th May 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
HASELTINE, Gentleman, of the City of Washington, in the District of Columbia,
in the United States of America, now of 12, St. Helen's Place, in the City of
London, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourteenth day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twentieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said George Haseltine, Her special licence that I, the said George
Haseltine, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said George Haseltine, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at
any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times-there-
after during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN

page_text: MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF SMALL METALLIC CHAINS," (a communica-
tion), upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said George Haseltine,
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or
their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be
performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said George Haseltine, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed, that is to
say:-
This Invention consists in an improved machine for making small metallic
chains especially designed for watch guards and other articles of jewelry. The
functions performed by this machine include the whole process of cutting the
links from the strips of metal, and their subsequent bending and uniting till
the complete chain is formed without any intervening manual operations.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a plane of this chain machine; Figure 2 is-a plane of the under
side thereof; Figure 3 is a rear elevation; Figure 4 is a front elevation;
Figure 5 is a vertical section in the plane indicated by the line x, x, Figures
1, 2, 3, and 4; Figure 9 is a section in the plane y, y, Figures 4 and 5;
Figure 10 is a section in the plane z, z, Figures 4 and 5; Figures 6, 7, 11,
12, 13, 14, and 15 are views of detached parts of the machine. Like
characters designate corresponding parts in all the Figures.
All the working parts of the machine are mounted in a suitable metal
frame, which is clearly represented in the Drawings. The various movements
are obtained by the action of cams situated upon the driving shaft A,
Figure 3, excepting cam 8, which being required to act only half as often as
the other cams, is placed on a separate shaft, on which is a cog wheel Q
gearing into a pinion O of one half its size on the main shaft. The machine
may be driven by power or by hand. The main shaft is provided with a
suitable fly wheel to give steadiness to the revolutions. From the cam 8
suitable connecting rods and levers communicate the desired motions to the
parts, as herein-after set forth.
The links are cut from strips of metal previously prepared for the purpose,
and fed in over the die k, which is secured in an adjustable seat Y, arranged

page_text: as shown in Figures 1, 4, and 11. A cap z covers the die and holds the strip.
of metal in position, while the cutter n is rising out thereof. The strips are
drawn over the die by means of rollers q, q, which are kept in motion by
means of the ratchet wheel and pawl v, actuated through the vibrating lever
D, and connecting rods T and U, by the lever B. The cutter or punch n is
situated in the lower end of the sliding rod N, to which a reciprocating motion
is communicated by the rod R, connecting with the cam 2 on the driving
shaft. Beneath the die k is situated a vibrating block E, which I denominate
the "carrier." This "carrier" receives each link as soon as it is formed by
the cutter and die n, k, and conveys it to the part of the machine where the
chain is formed. The proper vibratory motion is imparted to the "carrier".
by the vibrating arm H, which receives its motion through the connecting rod
J from the arm I, the latter being actuated by the cam 1; the whole being
arrange substantially as shown in Figure 2. Instead of cutting the links
from the strips of metal and depositing them immediately in the "carrier,'
they may be formed seperate from the machine, and fed into the "carrier" by
means of a suitable stack or feeding tube. The form of each link is indicated
in Figure 14, which represents the punch or cutter n, whereby the link is
formed. The link as indicated has four radical arms, which extend outward at
right angles to one another, and terminate at equel distances from the centre
in widened extremities in the form of a cross, substantially as shown. The
number of arms in each link is not essential; but the links always produce a
chain of polygonal form, the number of sides or faces being double that of the
arms in each link. Hence, links of four arms produce a chain of eight sides;
those of three arms produce a chain of six sides; and thus, in the same ratio
for any number of arms.
The "carrier" E has a die or forming aperture j, the arms of which are
just wide enough to allow the arms of the link to pass through, but are shorter
than the arms of the link, so that when the punch m, which is of the form
shown in Figure 15, its arms having no cross ends like the links, and reaching
not quite to the cross ends of the links, is driven down through the "carrier,"
the said cross ends of the links are bent upward at right angles to the other
part of the links and drawn edgwise through the widened extremities of the
die.j, the bends being just inside of the cross ends of the links, as shown in
Figure 8, which represents a side view of a link after being thus driven
through the "carrier." In order to keep the links in the proper place on
the "carrier" while it is passing from one position to the other, it has a slight
circular spring é. arranged, as shown in Figure 6; said spring being of such a
size, that as the links are driven down upon the "carrier," its two sides are

page_text: separated a very little, and thus press against the edges of the links sufficiently
to hold them exactly in the right position.
The punch m which performs both the operations above described, and a
succeeding one (presently to be described) in the construction of each link,
has two double reciprocating movements imparted to it at each revolution of
the driving shaft, by means of a double cam 4 actuating a rod S, and thence
through the vibrating lever C, communicating the motions to the punch rod M
substantially as represented in the Drawings. Directly under the punch m iş
situated the forming guide, the construction and motions of which are as
follows: It is composed, as represented in the Drawings, of the tube d,
baving an aperture 6 of sufficient diameter to receive the full formed chain,
extending lengthwise through its centre, and provided with a set of slides
a, a, &c..equal in number to the number of sides on the chain, and located in
radical notches, at uniform angles or distances apart, substantially as repre-
sented in Figures 5, 9, and 12. These slides are of the form shown in Figure
13, the upper ends thereof reaching inward to the aperture of the tube d, but
the remainder of the length reaching not quite into said aperture, so as to
leave a portion of the substance of the tube inside to keep it whole. On the
outer edge of each slide, at the lower end, are projections c, c, with a notch
between them, for the reception of projecting plates or lifters g, g, (Figures 5
and 9), whereby a vertical reciprocating motion is given to each slide to the
extent desired. There are only one half as many of the lifting plates 9, 9, as
there are slides a, a, there being one to each alternate slide, as shown in
Figure 9. They are mounted on suitable standards h, h, and i, i, the opposite
ones being connected and moved together, but separate from the alternate
ones; thus, for convenience, the standards h, h, are united to, or compose a
tube or its equivalent, at the bottom, while the other opposite standards i, i,
are united to or form another tube, the one being represented in the Drawings
as within the other. The standards h, h, receive their reciprocating motion
from the lever L, which is vibrated by a cam 5; and the standards i, i, are in
like manner moved by the lever P, which is actuated by cam 6 (the cam 5 com-
mencing to operate first), as shown in Figure 5. The two cams, however,
By this action of the
cease operating nearly or exactly at the same time.
cams, the slides, moved by one set of lifters, rise a little before those moved
by the other set. The guide tube d is connected by a rod u with a vibrating
lever G, to which a vibrating motion is given by the cam 8. Since the said
cam revolves only half as often as the other cams, there is only a half vibratory
movement, or a vibratory movement only in one direction for each link. The
extent of the vibratory movement of the tube thus given should be equal to

page_text: the angular distance between the adjacent slides a, a; as, for instance, if there
are eight slides, the vibratory movement of the tube should be one-eighth of
a circle, or forty-five degrees. The effect of this arrangement and movement
of the forming guide, is to cause one-half only of the slides a, a, to be raised and
lowered by each movement of the standards h, h, and i, i, and the next time
to raise and lower the alternate intervening slides. For, as is seen in Figure 9,
the lifters only touch the alternate slides, which in the succeeding move-
ment of the standards take the position of the intervening slides, while the
latter assume the position of the former, and are in their turn acted upon.
"
Instead of the tube d, other devices which can serve as a sustaining guide,
and receive the movements imparted thereto, may be employed; as, for
instance, a ring or a plate, with a central perforation for the passage of the
chain. And instead of the reciprocating slides a, a, &c., vibratory arms or pins
having vibratory motions on pivots may be used to accomplish the same pur-
pose, or any other equivalent and convenient arrangement may be adopted; but
the arrangement described is convenient and effectual. A revolving angular
movement of the tube may also be substituted for the vibratory movement
above described, the object being to cause the arms of the successive links
composing the chain to interlock or lie alternately. The slides a, ȧ, when in
their lowest position, reach nearly or exactly to the top of the tube d, and
their inner upper corners are rounded, as shown in Figures 5 and 13, so that
their action upon the links may be smooth as well as effectual. Between the
slides, and close to the central aperture b, small projections f, f, &c., Figures
5 and 12, extend upward from the tube a little above the slides, for the purpose
of retaining the links in their proper positions when placed upon the forming
guide or bed, as above described. The link is held down thereon during the
time in which the "carrier" is receding, and before any other means can be
supplied for the purpose, by a plate s, as shown in Figures 1, 4, and 5, but
most distinctly in Figure 7. This plate is situated immediately over the
forming guide bed, and has an aperture substantially of the form represented,
there being inward projections, between which the link a is driven with a
slight compression, after its cross ends are bent up in the form shown in
Figure 8; and as soon as it passes down through the aperture, said cross
ends spring apart a little, and are caught & held beneath said projections of
the plate, as shown in Figure 7. As soon as the link is deposited in the
position above specified, the "carrier" retreats to the position for receiving
another link, and two or more slender rods or pins r, r, are caused to descend
and bear upon the link. These rods slide in a holder X, so as to converge in
motion is imparted by the cam. 3 through a vibrating
their descent, and their

page_text: lever K, sliding rod V, and arm or plate W, with which the rods are connected
by intermediate links or hinged rods, all substantially as shown in the Draw-
ings. The upper links being thus held down, the next movement is the
ascent of two of the slides a, a, caused by the action of the cam 5 through the
lever L on the standards h, h. This movement bends two arms of the upper
link but one (the arms of the upper or last link being over the alternate
slides which are not put in motion) upward, and partially inward over the link
above. While the said slides are still up, curved fingers or pins p, p, are moved
or vibrated inward and downward, over and close to each slide, till it strikes
the end of the link arm beneath, and presses or clinches it closely down upon
the link below. These fingers p, p, are mounted in vibrating arms o, o, to
which the proper motions are communicated by a vibrating lever F and con-
necting rod Z, from the cam 7 on the driving shaft. Before the fingers p, p,
are withdrawn from the link, the two slides a, a, beneath the remaining arms of
the link are raised, bending said arms upward and inward towards the centre.
The fingers p, p, are then withdrawn; the holders r, r, are also withdrawn at
or before this time. At this moment all the arms of the second link are bent
up over the top link, and the two lower arms are pressed closely down thereon,
while the two upper or last bent arms still remain, but partially closed down
upon the others. The punch m now again descends and clinches these upper
arms closely down upon the others, and completes the formation of the link,
and at the same time pushes the whole chain down to give place for the
succeeding operation. The "carrier" then comes forward with another link,
and the angular motion is given again to the forming guide below, in order to
cause the arms of the succeeding link to alternate with those of the upper
link of the chain; the movements above described are then repeated.
The machine, as above described, is arranged so as to turn or vibrate the
chain to receive the links in alternate positions, for interlocking the arms
thereof. Instead of thus turning or vibrating the chain, the links might be
applied in alternate positions, while the chain would remain in a fixed position.
This method would require the angular vibration or turning of the link
"carrier," the punch m, the lifters g, g, and fingers p, p. Such an arrange-
ment would be more complicated and less desirable in many respects than the
method of moving the forming guide and chain.
The several levers or their connecting rods which transmit the motions from
the cams, are provided with suitable adjustments, substantially as represented,
for the purpose of accurately adjusting all the movements with the greatest
precision. The same machine will make chains of different sizes by varying
the dies, punches, and the forming parts to adapt them to the size required.

page_text: Having thus fully described the nature and operation of my Invention, I
wish it to be understood that I do not confine myself to the exact form speci-
fied, but I claim the general arrangement of the parts of the machine sub-
stantially as set forth.
I also claim the forming guide, for holding and transmitting the chain
during the formation thereof, substantially as described.
I also claim giving to the forming guide an angular movement upon its
axis, so as to present the chain to the successive links in such positions that
the arms thereof will alternately interlock.
I also claim the double movement of the punch m, for the purposes herein
specified.
I also claim the slender converging rods or holders r, r, for the purpose of
holding down the top link while bending over it the first pair of arms of the
link below.
.
I also claim the arrangement and operation of the slides a, a, for the purpose
and in the manner substantially as described.
I also claim the fingers p, p, for the purpose of forcing and holding down
the first pair of arms, so as to enable the succeeding pair to be lapped over
them, in the manner specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Haseltine, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
GEORGE HASELTINE. (L.S.)