An Improved Transmission Gear Chain."
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Dec., 1896
Complete Specification Loft Oth Sent 1807 Accented 9th Dec
1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
"An Improved Transmission Gear Chain."
We, LOUIS FAVET, Mechanician, and LAURENT Roux, Manufacturer, both of
36 rue Ballu Paris, in the Republic of France, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to an improved transmission or gearing chain which is
applicable to chain driven velocipedes of all kinds (safety bicycles, tricycles,
tandems and the like) as well as to mechanically propelled vehicles, in short, in
all cases where motion is to be transmitted.
This improved chain is formed by a succession of links pivotally connected
to one another by means of rivetted pius. This is an endless chain, and its dis-
tinctive feature is that the pins are each provided with a roller mounted upon
them.
These rollers are of spherical shape and made hollow; they have two flat,
parallel portions which are in contact with the sides of the links, and tubular
portions in contact with the pivot pins. Upon one of the flat portions or upon
cach of them, incisions of slight depth may be made which open outwardly and
recede internally to the hollow annular portion.
This annular hollow portion serves to hold any suitable fat or lubricant placed
therein at the time of manufacture. If a lubricant is found necessary after the
chain has been in use for a time, fat or oil may, be introduced by way of the above
mentioned incisions.
The pivot pins are rivetted and the flattened balls or rollers turn thereon, as
has been indicated, but the pivot pins may be carried in tubular pieces or sleeves
which connect the adjacent ends of each pair of links; in this case the flattened
balls or rollers will turn on the said tubular pieces or sleeves.
The chain thus formed, possesses the following advantages:.
1. The friction is reduced to a minimum, since the balls or rollers only rub
upon the pivot pins or upon the tubular pieces or sleeves with their tubular
portions, and upon the links only with their reduced flattened portions.
2. The contact of the chain with the teeth of the chain wheels is reduced to a
minimum, since the rollers only touch along a line.
3. Lubrication is ensured by the hollow shape of the balls or rollers and the
chain can be easily lubricated. The hollow shape, at the same time, allows a
reduction in weight of the chain.
This improved chain may be manufactured in all sizes; its links may be of any
shape and may even be made hollow if so desired; the said links may be single or
compound links; the balls or rollers may be made of any appropriate material,
preferably of steel and may be produced by any suitable process and any suitable
number of such balls or rollers may be arranged upon each of the pivot pins or
tubular pieces or sleeves, as the case may be.
10th dor of December 1896.
HASELTINE LAKE & Co.
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C. Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: An improved Transmission Gear Chain."
We, LOUIS FAVET, Mechanician, and LAURENT ROUX, Manufacturer, both of
36 Rue Ballee Paris, in the Republic of France, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be par-
ticularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to an improved transmission or gearing chain which is
applicable to chain driven velocipedes of all kinds (safety bicycles, tricycles,
tandems and the like) as well as to mechanically propelled vehicles, in short, to
all cases where motion is to be transmitted.
This invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through the axis of a portion of a chain,
Figure 2 a corresponding plan,
Figure 3 a cross-section on the line 1-2 of Figure 2,
Figure 4 shews in cross section a constructional modification of the chain
represented in Figures 1, 2, and 3.
Figure 5 shews in detail the essential constituent part of the chain.
This improved chain is formed by a succession of links A and B pivotally con-
is an endless chain, the distinctive feature of which consists in the fact, that the
nected to one another by means of rivetted pins a. As will be clearly seen, this
pins a are each provided with a roller b, mounted upon them.
These rollers (Figure 5) are of spherical shape and made hollow, they have two
flat parallel portions, cand c¹ Which are in contact with the sides of the links A,
and tubular portions d and d in contact with the pivot pins a. Upon one of the
flat portions c and c or upon each of them, incisions of slight depth may be made
which open outwardly and recede internally to the hollow annular portion.
This annular hollow portion serves to hold any suitable flat or lubricant placed
therein at the time of manufacture. If a lubricant is found necessary after the
chain has been in use for a time, fat or oil may be introduced by way of the
above mentioned incisions.
The pivot pins a are rivetted and the flattened balls or rollers 6 turn thereon,
as has been indicated, but the pivot pins may be carried in tubular pieces or
sleeves which connect the adjacent ends of each pair of links A in the manner
indicated in Figure 4; in this case the flattened balls or rollers will turn on the
said tubular pieces, or sleeves.
The chain thus formed possesses the following advantages:
The friction is reduced to a minimum, since the balls or rollers, only rub upon
the pivot pins or upon the tubular pieces or sleeves with their tubular portions d
and d, and upon the links only with their reduced flattened portions and c¹.
The contact of the chain with the teeth of the chain wheels is reduced to a
minimum, since the rollers merely touch along a line.
Lubrication is insured by the hollow shape of the balls or rollers and the chain
can be easily lubricated. This hollow shape, at the same time, allows a reduction
in weight of the chain.
This improved chain may be manufactured in all sizes, its links may be of any
shape and may even be made hollow if so desired; the said links may be simple or
compound links; the balls or rollers may be made of any appropriate material,
preferably of steel and may be produced by any suitable process and any suitable
number of such balls or rollers may be arranged upon each of the pivot pins or
tubular pieces or sleeves, as the case may be.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
The above described improvements applied to transmission chains; the said
improvements consisting essentially in furnishing the pins or the spindles con-
necting the links of the chains with one or more hollow balls in the manner
described and for the purpose specified.
HASELTINE LAKE & Co.
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C. Agents for the Applicant.