Improvements relating to the Manufacture of Chains and to Apparatus therefor.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Dec., 1891-Accepted, 30th Jan., 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by FRANK PIERCE CADY, of 439, Woodland
Avenue, in the City of Cleveland, in the State of Ohio, in the United States
of America, Manufacturer.]
Improvements relating to the Manufacture of Chains and to
Apparatus therefor.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine Lake & Co., Patent
Agents, 45 Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, 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 invention relates to the manufacture of chains and to machines or apparatus
therefor.
The objects of my said invention are:-To provide improved means for forming
and continuously connecting chain links from wire or metal rod; to provide
improved means for inserting the stock through one end of the finished link and
then bending it to form another link; to provide improved means for forming one
eye of a chain link; to provide improved means for simultaneously cutting off the
stock and bending the cut off end of the link-stock to form the portion of the eye
which is wrapped around the middle of the link; to provide improved means for
holding, bending and releasing the link when its second eye is formed; to provide
improved means for wrapping the projecting ends of the link around the middle
of the same; to provide improved means for holding the link while wrapping. its
ends. To provide improved means for feeding the finished chain forward; to
provide improved means for guiding the finished chain, and to provide improved
means for feeding the stock.
In the accompanying drawings I have shown one way in which my said invention
may be conveniently and advantageously carried into practice.
Figure I represents a perspective view of my improved chain-making machine.
Figure II is an enlarged perspective view of the upper portion of the machine,
seen from the forward side and from above.
Figure III is an enlarged perspective view of the upper portion of the machine,
seen from the rear and from above.
Figure IV is a still more enlarged, perspective view of a part of the top of the
machine, seen from above.
Figure V is a top plan view of the machine, the upper parts of the mechanism
being removed.
Figure VI is a perspective view of the principal operative parts of the machine,
showing them detached from their bearings and supports.
Figure VII is a side view of the stock-feeding mechanism.
Figure VIII is a top plan view of the slide which operates the link-holding
jaws.
Figure IX is an edge view of said slide.
Figures X, XI and XII are perspective-detail views of the transverse slide
which carries the cutter link, bending head, link forming head, and chain-feeding
pawl.
Figure XIII is a perspective view of the link-holding block.
Figure XIV is a transverse section of the same.
Figure XV is a perspective view of the link-holding jaws.
Figure XVI is a perspective view of the rack-slide.
Figure XVII is a transverse sectional detail view illustrating the revolving
torming-head and its actuating rack-slide.

page_text: Figure XVIII is a detail view of the connection between the rack slide and the
rod which actuates the transverse slide.
Figure XIX is a perspective view of one of the wrapping jaws for wrapping the
free ends of the link-eyes around the link.
Figure XX is a perspective detail view of the mechanism for operating the head
which forms and holds the link while the second eye is formed.
Figure XXI is a transverse section of said mechanism.
Figure XXII is a perspective detail view of the link-forming head.
Figure XXIII is a perspective detached view of the mechanism for wrapping
the free ends of the link, and
Figures XXIV to XXIX, inclusive show perspective views of the chain links
and stock at the successive steps of formation.
In the drawings the letter A indicates the supporting frame of the machine, which
frame may be of any suitable construction. Two upright brackets, B B, are
provided at the rear edge of the top of the frame, and the ends of a double yoke, C
are pivoted between the upper ends of said brackets. The cross-piece c which
forms the rear end of said yoke is formed with a bore c', in which a guide-tube D
is secured. A dog d is pivoted in said tube and has a spring d' secured to it and
to the frame, said spring serving to bring the dog into engagement with the stock
so as to prevent its passing rearward in the guide-tube, while freely permitting its
forward passage.
A bolt is pivoted with its upper end between two lips
projecting from the under side of the cross-piece c of the yoke, and the lower,
screw-threaded portion of this bolt passes through a hole in a rearwardly projecting
arm J, upon the frame and has a nut which may bear against the upper side of
said arm and serve as an adjustable stop to limit its downward movement.
upon the lower end of the bolt confines a spring upon the bolt and this spring
bears against the under side of the arm and thus serves to draw the rear end of
the pivoted yoke downward.
A nut
Two brackets E E project rearwardly from the frame and have bearings e in
which a main shaft, F, is journalled. Said shaft receives rotary motion from any
suitable source through a pulley F1 and has a cog-wheel G secured upon it. Said
cog-wheel meshes with another, similar cog-wheel G the shaft G of which is
journalled in bearings, g upon the arms of the yoke. Feed-discs H and H' are fitted
at the sides of the cog-wheels and are adjustably secured to the same by means of
screw-bolts passing through the discs and into segmental slots ³, in the cog-
wheels. The peripheries of the feed-discs are cut away so as to leave segmental
feed-treads, and h¹ which preferably are grooved to clamp and guide the stock.
The feed-discs will be held in operative contact by means of the spring which
will draw the upper feed-disc sufficiently tight against the lower disc to admit of
a perfect feed and, at the same time, a sufficient yield to irregularities or changes
in the thickness of the wire-stock fed between the discs. The beginning and end
of the period of feeding the stock may be adjusted within certain limits relatively
to the operation of the other parts of the machine by adjusting the feed discs
upon the faces of the cog-wheels.
A guide-tube K is pivoted at one end in the line of feed from the feed-discs, and
the forward swinging end of said tube has a spring K', bearing against one side of
it so as to normally tilt the guide-tube to one side of the direct line of feed. Said
spring is shown as V-shaped and with one arm bearing against the tube and the
other against a stop K. The degree of divergence of the tube from the direct
line of feed is controlled by an adjustable stop k at the opposite side to the spring.
A stationary cutter O is adjustably secured upon the top of the frame, at one
side of the path of the stock, and a stationary-end-bending head O' is adjustably
secured forward of said cutter, projecting beyond the end of the latter with its
notched or recessed end 0%.
A stationary link-forming head O' is adjustably secured a short distance forward
of the end-bending head and is formed with a horizontal notch in its end and
with a rounded, forward corner which leads into a link-forming guide-way formed

page_text: between the head O' and a block K', secured forward of said head and a short
distance from the same, the guide-way or groove serving to guide the link when its
second eye is formed.
A mandrel K is formed upon the face of the block K' and has a horizontal groove
in its face, which groove registers with the notch in the link forming head and is
directly in the path of the stock.
A stop K³ is secured, longitudinally-adjustable, upon the top of the frame and
directly opposite the path of the stock so as to stop the stock in its forward passage
and thus guage the length of stock to be cut off.
A rack slide R slides in longitudinal guides in the top of the frame and has a
forwardly-projecting, dropped lip 2, into the side of which a pin, ¹ is inserted.
A pitman, R' is pivoted upon said pin and has its rear end pivotally-connected to a
crank F upon the end of the revolving main shaft so that the rack-slide may be
reciprocated by the pitman from the shaft. The upper side of the rack-slide is
formed with a cogged rack r, which meshes with a pinion Q upon a shaft Q',
journalled in transverse bearings, Q at the forward edge of the frame-top. A rotary,
eye-forming head Q, is formed at the end of said shaft and is opposite the stationary
mandrel, and said head g has a portion cut away so as to form eye-forming surfaces
at an angle to each other, which surfaces may bend the stock which projects through
the groove of the mandrel around the under side of the latter, when said head is
rotated, and thus form one eye of the link.
A bolt passes through the forward end of the rack slide and through the lip ³,
and a block R2 has a laterally-projecting ear which is pivoted upon said bolt
between the rack-slide and the lip. A rod L is secured, longitudinally adjustable
in a bore through said block R, and has its rear end pivoted to one arm of a bell-
crank M, pivoted at m to the frame. A connecting-rod is pivoted to the other
arm of said bell-crank, and said rod has its other end pivoted to the under side of a
transverse slide L, sliding beneath the top of the frame. By means of this con-
nection the transverse slide may be reciprocated from the reciprocating rack-slide,
and the pivotal joint between said slide and the rod L admits of a perfectly free
movement for the latter as it rocks the bell-crank, while the longitudinal adjust-
ability of said rod admits of the stroke of the transverse slide being adjusted in
relation to the stroke of the rack-slide.
A cutter L' is adjustably secured in the transverse slide L, and registers with
the stationary cutter O, so as to co-act with the same, and an end-bending head L³,
is secured in the slide to register and co-act with the stationary end-bending
head O¹.
A flat block P, having a curved, grooved or recessed nose p, upon its upper side,
is pivoted in a longitudinal slot l', in the transverse slide L, and said block has a
downwardly projecting arm, against which a spring bears. The block, which I
shall term the movable link-forming head, may be tilted down into its groove against
the thrust of the spring so as to slip beneath the bent link upon its back-stroke.
A double-faced cam S is secured at 5 upon the transverse slide and engages a
double-faced cam-enlargement t upon a block T, which is pivoted at t¹ upon that
side of the guide-way formed by the block K³. The upper edge of said block has
a lug, at the end projecting towards the path of the stock, which lug has a rounded
recess in the side facing the guide-way.
A block, U, having a guide-groove u', is secured upon the end of the slide L and
a pawl or catch is pivoted over said groove so as to successively engage the
finished links of the chain as they are formed and feed the latter out at one side of
the machine by the reciprocating movement of the slide.
A block N', is secured upon the top of the frame and is formed with a longi-
tudinal link-holding groove n' which forms a continuation of the guide-way. The
groove n', is formed with two wings or smaller grooves n² at a right angle to each
other and at angles of 45 degrees to the surface of the block so that the chain link
will be held in the groove with the free ends of its eyes projecting at both sides of
the groove, The block has two recesses n° in its edges, at opposite sides of the

page_text: '
grooves, and two link-holding jaws N, having their upper ends shaped to fit against
and clamp the chain-link at both sides of its projecting ends, are pivoted in the
recesses and have springs n' bearing against their lower arms from the outside, said
springs serving to keep the jaws open.
A cam plate m² slides beneath the grooved block N' and has recesses m³, in its
edges, said recesses having bevelled edges which may bear against the lower reduced
ends of the jaws and force the upper ends of the jaws together to clamp the chain
link, when the cam-plate is slid in one direction. A lever M' is pivoted upon the
top of the frame, at m¹ and has one end loosely pivoted to the cam-plate, and the
other end carries a roller which bears against a cam M', upon the main shaft F.
A spring m is secured to the frame at one end and at the other end to the arm of
the lever which carries the roller, and said spring serves to hold the roller in contact
with the cam so that it may follow the shape of its cam-surface.
A vertical slide-bearing V is formed in an upright frame-piece Vs, upon the top
of the frame, and a slide, V, reciprocates vertically in said bearing. Said slide V
bas a connecting-rod V', pivoted to its lower end, and said connecting-rod is pivoted
to one end of a lever V, pivoted at v, which derives rocking motion from the main
shaft through a pitman, V³, pivoted to the lever and to a crank, F10, upon the
main shaft.
Two shafts W W, are journalled at the sides of the upright frame-piece V³ to
rock in suitable hearings, and said shafts have arms w at one end and arms w³, at
the other ends. The arms to at the outer ends of the rock-shafts W are connected
to be rocked from the vertical slide by means of arms o' pivoted to said slide and
to the ends of said outer arms and the inner arms 10 are pivotally connected to
the outer ends of two end-wrapping jaws WW1 which are pivotally supported at
about their middles from the upright frame-piece by means of swinging-links W.
The inner, operative ends of said wrapping jaws are suitable grooved or notched to
engage the free projecting ends of the unfinished link and wrap them around the
inner ends of the eyes of the same.
A plate Ne having a V-shaped notch in its upper edge is adjustably secured to
tilt outward upon screw-threaded rods N' at the delivery end of the machine frame,
so as to have the links of the finished chain successively pass over its notched edge
and so as to prevent the chain from being drawn back by the transverse slide at
the back stroke of the same, the plate being so adjusted upon the rods, according to
the length of the links, that a link will be drawn over the notched edge of the
plate, by the weight of the previous links, cach time a link is formed, and the joint
between the two links will rest in the V-shaped notch.
In practice the stock which is metallic wire or rod, is placed upon a suitable reel
or support, and the end of the wire or rod is carried through the guide-tube in the
swinging yoke of the feed mechanism. The dog din said guide-tube prevents the
stock from being drawn back, and the stock is carried from the tube into the space
between the feed discs. The feed-treads upon said discs are adjusted to feed the
stock forward at the proper point of their revolution, and the cut-away portions of
said discs permit the stock to remain stationary, without being fed at the proper
point of the revolution of the feed discs, said discs producing in this manner an
intermittent feed with a continuous revolution.
The stock passes from the feed discs to the pivoted guide-tube and is fed forward,
through the eye of the last formed link until its end strikes the adjustable step K³
which, like the feed discs is adjusted for the required length of stock.
The transverse slide moves in the meantime towards the stationary cutter, end-
bending head and link-forming head, and brings the stock into the horizontal
groove of the mandrel, and finally cuts off the required length of stock, the pivoted
guide-tube swinging to one side with the stock. As the link blank is severed by
the cutters, the end-bending heads make the first bend for the end of one eye, and
the other eye is formed around the mandrel by the rotary, eye-forming head,
whereupon the movable link-forming head engages the end of the previous link and
-pushes it through the guide way between the stationary, link-forming head and the

page_text: lug upon the rocking block T, which lug has been raised by the cam upon the
transverse slide. This pushing of the movable head upon the end of the previous
link causes said link to enter the groove in the link holding block beneath the
wrapping jaws, and causes the rear eye of said link to draw the blank with it,
between the stationary head and the lug doubling that portion of the blank and
forining the eye at that end.
After the eyes of the link are thus formed, the free ends of the eyes will cross
each other and project at opposite sides of the link, each end through the opposite
eye, and it is now necessary to wrap said ends around the middle portion of the link
so as to close the eyes. This is performed in the link-holding block, where the
link is grasped by the link-holding jaws, while the wrapping jaws above said block,
by a compound swinging motion caused by their swinging support and connection
to the rock-shaft, close the ends around the inner ends of the eyes at the middle of
the link.
The finished chain is fed, link by link, out of the machine, by means of the pawl
upon the transverse slide.
The pivoted and spring actuated guide-tube performs two functions, viz. :-it
moves the end of the stock clear from the stationary cutter after a blank has been
severed, and it directs the feed of the stock perfectly clear of all the stationary
parts. The metal of the blank receives a very gradual and easy bend by the rotary
bending head and by drawing or pushing the other eye into the guide way between
the stationary head and the rocking lug. This latter lug is withdrawn by means of
the cam which operates it, as soon as the eye is bent, thus permitting free passage
towards the discharge of the bent link.
Other modes of applying the principle of my invention may be employed for the
mode herein explained without departing from the nature of the invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to me by
my foreign correspondent I declare that what I claim is:
1. In a chain making machine the combination with a guide-way for the formed
link, arranged at right angles to the path of the stock, of a travelling, link-forming
head having means for forcing it into said guide-way and thereby double the stock
to form the eye of a chain-link, substantially as set forth.
2. In a chain making machine, the combination of stock feeding mechanism,
mechanisms arranged in the path of the stock, for forming one eye of the chain link,
a link-forming guide-way transverse to the path of the stock, and a movable, link-
forming head having means for moving it towards and into said guide-way,
substantially as set forth.
3. In a chain-making machine, the combination of a stock-feeding mechanisin,
a stationary mandrel in the path of the stock, a rotary eye-forming head opposite
said mandrel, a link-forming guide-way transverses to the path of the stock, and a
movable link-forming head having means for moving it towards and into said guide-
way, substantially as set forth.
4. In a chain-making machine, the combination of a stationary cutter and a
stationary, end-bending head at one side of the path of the stock, with an opposite,
reciprocating cutter and end-bending head, said elements severing the link-blank
and bending the end of one link-eye, substantially as set forth.
5. In a chain-making machine, the combination of a stationary cutter, a
stationary, end-bending head, and a stationary link-forming head, all arranged at
one side of the path of the stock with a reciprocating slide having secured
upon it a cutter, an end-bending head and a link-forming head, all respectively
opposite to and co-acting with the stationary cutter and heads, substantially as
set forth.
6. In a chain-making machine, the combination of a stock-feeding mechanism, a
stationary mandrel in the path of the stock, a rotary, eye-forming head opposite
said mandrel a stationary cutter, a stationary end-bending head, a link-forming

page_text: guide-way transverse to the path of the stock, and a reciprocating member
carrying a cutter, an end, bending head, and a link-forming head, respectively
opposite to and co-acting with said stationary cutter, head and guide-way, substan
tially as set forth..
7. In a chain-making machine, the combination of a stationary, link-forming head,
an opposite lug having means for rocking it, and a reciprocating link forming head
movable between said stationary head and lug, substantially as set forth.
8. In a chain-making machine, the combination of a stationary, link-forming
head, an opposite, pivoted block having a recessed lug at one end of its upper edge
and a cam-enlargement at the opposite end of its lower edge, and a reciprocating
slide having a link-forming head adapted to enter between the head and the lug and
having a double cam adapted to engage the cam-enlargement of the pivoted block
substantially as set forth."
9. In a chain-making machine, a feeding-mechanism comprising two revolving
feed discs formed with registering and corresponding, segmental enlargements upon
their opposite edges, substantially as set forth.
10. In a chain making machine, the combination of two intermeshing gear wheels,
with feed discs adjustably-secured upon the gear-wheels and having each a segmental
feed-tread substantially as set forth.
11. In a chain-making machine, the combination of a stationary mandrel having
a groove across its face, with a rotary eye-forming head arranged opposite said
mandrel, substantially as set forth.
12. In a chain-making machine, the following co-acting appliances viz.:-a main-
shaft having two cranks, a rack-slide a transverse slide carrying a link-forming head
and a cutter a connecting rod pivoted to one crank upon the main shaft and to the
rack-slide a bell crank lever, a rod pivoted to the rack-slide and to the bell-crank
lever, a connecting-rod between the bell-crank lever and the transverse slide, a
vertically movable slide, end-wrappings jaws arranged to bend the free ends of the
links, a pivoted lever, and connecting rods between one end of said lever and the
vertical slide, and between the other end of the lever and the crank upon the main-
shaft, substantially as set forth.
13. In a chain-making machine, the combination with a rotary shaft provided
with an eye-forming head and a pinion of a reciprocating slide formed with a cogged
rack engaging said pinion, substantially as set forth.
14. In a chain-making machine, the combination of a feeding-mechanism, and a
spring-pressed stock-guide normally laterally deflected out of line of feed, substan-
tially as set forth.
15. In a chain-making machine, the combination of a feeding-mechanism, a
stationary cutter at one side of the line of feed, an opposite, reciprocating cutter,
and a stock guide having a spring which normally deflects said guide out of the
line of feed and towards the reciprocating cutter, substantially as set forth.
16. In a chain-making machine, the combination of a block formed with a link-
holding groove and with recesses at the sides of said groove, of link-holding jaws
pivoted in said lateral recesses and having means for rocking their upper, holding
ends towards and from said groove, substantially as set forth.
17. In a chain-making machine, the combination of feeding mechanism, a spring
pressed stock-guide, normally laterally deflected out of line of feed a stationary cutter
and an end-bending head at one side of the line of feed, and a reciprocating machine
element provided with a cutter and an end-bending head opposite to said stationary
cutter and head and constructed to engage and press into the line of feed said
spring, pressed guide, substantially as set forth.
18. In a chain-making machine the combination with a block formed with a link-
holding groove, of oscillating, end wrappings jaws pivoted at opposite sides of said
groove and having means for rocking them towards and from said groove, substan-
tially as set forth.
19. In a chain-making machine, the combination of a block formed with a link-
holding groove and with recesses at opposite sides of said groove, link-holding jaws

page_text: pivoted within said recesses and having means for rocking their upper holding ends
towards and from said groove, and oscillating, end-wrapping jaws arranged above
said groove and at an angle to the same and provided with means for rocking them
towards and from said groove, substantially as set forth.
20. In a chain-making machine, the combination with a block formed with a link
holding groove and with recesses at opposite sides of said groove, link-holding jaws
pivoted within said recesses and having springs bearing against their lower ends,
and a reciprocating cam-plate beneath said block and provided with cam-recesses
engaging the lower ends of said holding-jaws substantially as set forth.
21. In a chain-making machine, the combination of a grooved, link-holding
block, a support above said block, a vertically reciprocating slide in said support,
arms pivoted upon said support end wrapping jaws pivoted to the lower ends of said
arms, rock-shafts journalled in said support and having arms at one end pivoted to
said jaws and arms at the other ends, and links pivoted to said latter arms and to
the vertically reciprocating slide, substantially as set forth.
22. The process of forming chain-links which consists in inserting the stock
through the eye of the preceding link and thereupon doubling the stock into an eye
by end-movement of the finished link and stationary resistance against the stock at
both sides of the point of contact, substantially as set forth.
Dated this 29th day of December 1891.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.