Improvements in Chains.
Year: 1897

page_text: Improvements in Chains.
I, John WilliaAM MACKENZIE, of the Firm of Wheatley and Mackenzie,
Engineers & Patent Agents, of 40, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., a communica-
tion to me from Christopher W. Levalley, of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in the
United States of America, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion to be as follows:-
This invention relates to that type of chains wherein independent side-bars
are coupled together in pairs and to the next succeeding pair, by bolts passing
through the knuckling point from side to side, and are spaced by shoulders on
said bolts, or by barrels or sleeves encircling the bolts and free to turn thereon
and the invention consists in forming one end of each side-bar with an annular
recess, and the other end with an annular flange adapted to interlock with and
turn in the recess of the next adjacent bar, whereby longitudinal strain upon the
links is taken up by the flange, practically relieving the bolt; in so shaping the
inner walls of said recess and flange as to afford a chamber between the two for
the reception of lubricant; in combining with the uniting bolt and with the
side-bars, a spacing sleeve encircling said bolt and free to turn thereon, and
annular sockets surrounding the bolt holes through the inner pair of side-bars
at each joint, which receive the ends of said sleeve or barrel and act as bearings
therefor, thereby materially taking the thrust of the sprockets off of the bolt
and shielding the joint from dirt; in providing the sleeve or barrel with internal
chambers or recesses for lubricant, and in various other combinations and details
of construction.
The side bars of the chain are formed with an inwardly bending body portion
and discoid ends which are arranged in parallel planes lengthwise of the trend
of the chain, one end outsetting sufficiently far from the plane of the opposite
or insetting end to close over and fit against the exterior face of the insetting
end of the next adjacent side bar. The outsetting discoid end of each side bar
is formed with an internal annular recess concentric with the bolt hole there-
through, while the insetting end of said bar is provided with an external annular
flange also concentric with the bolt-hole therethrough, and as to its outer peri-
phery, adopted to fit snugly into the recess of the next adjacent link and turn
or hinge therein as in a bearing. The side-bars are thus interlocked at the joints
so that the strain of working comes on such interlocking joints, relieving the
cross bolts which unite the bars, to a very great extent from strains although of
course the bolts may help when the strain is very severe.
The inner periphery of the just mentioned flange, and the counter-face of the
recess with which it interlocks, are cupped or hollowed to leave an annular cham-
ber suitable for the reception of a lubricant to supply the interlocking joint and
the bolt. A snug or stop on the outer face of each side bar adjacent to the bolt
hole through the outsetting end thereof, is arranged to fit against the head of
the cross-bolt, or one of the facets thereof, thereby keeping the bolt always in

page_text: place with the side-bars, and a nut holds the bolt. The inset of the body of the
side-bars is corrected on the inner faces by longitudinal ribs or flanges so formed
and arranged that the aperture for the sprocket is rectangular, and which prevent
the sprocket from riding upon the butt ends of the innermost side-bars at each
joint, while on the outer face are reversely get ribs or flanges which act as
clearers in the knuckling action, to the joints between their successive side-bars.
Special wings or flanges of various shapes and styles, will be cast or formed
on some of the links or side-bars for all sorts of purposes such for instance as
the attachment of elevator buckets, and the side-bars will advisably be made
interchangeable and replaceable, except as their interchange may be limited by
such wings, or the necessity to keep one edge uppermost.
The parallel side bars of each link are spaced or held apart, in the absence
of shoulders on the cross bolts, by sleeves or barrels encircling the cross bolts,
and advisably made with chambers or recesses in their bore, to hold a supply of
lubricant or to receive oil. The ends of the barrels go into annular sockets
surrounding the bolt holes through the insetting ends of the side bars, and are
free to turn therein, but space the side bars apart by their abutment against the
webs or partitions forming the bottom of these sockets. The main function of
the sockets is to keep dirt out of the joints and off of the bolt, to protect them
from undue wear. They also relieve the bolt from the lateral thrust of the
barrel as the latter engages the sprockets, and transmit it to the interlocking
joints of the side bars.
Dated this 23rd day of August 1897.
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents.
I, JOHN WILLIAM MACKENZIE, of the Firm of Wheatley and Mackenzie,
Engineers and Patent Agents, of 40, Chancery Lane, London, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention (a communication to me from Christopher W.
Levalley, of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in the United States of America, Gentleman)
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 that class of chains wherein independent side bars are
coupled together in pairs and to the next succeeding pair, by bolts passing
through the knuckling point from side to side, and are spaced by shoulders on
said bolts, or by barrels or sleeves encircling the bolts and free to turn thereon,
and the invention consists in forming one end of each side-bar with an annular
lateral recess, and the other end with an annular lateral flange adapted to inter-
lock with and turn in the recess of the next adjoining link, whereby longitudinal
strain upon the links is taken up by the flange, practically relieving the bolt;
in so shaping the inner walls of said recess and flange as to afford an annular
chamber between the two for the reception of lubricant: in combining with the
uniting bolt and with the side bars a spacing sleeve encircling said bolt and free
to turn thereon, and annular sockets surrounding the bolt holes through the inner
pair of side bars at each joint which receive the ends of said barrel and act as
bearings therefor, thereby materially taking the thrust of the sprockets off the
bolt and shielding the joint from dirt; in providing the sleeve or barrel with

page_text: internal chambers for, lubricant; and in the various other combinations and
details of construction hereinafter pointed out and claimed.
In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a top plan view, partly in section of a fractional
length of chain embodying my invention.
Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof.
Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the correspondingly marked line in the first
figure, and
Fig. 4 is a section on line 4-4 of said first figure.
A refers to the side bars of the chain. These are formed with an inwardly
bending body portion a and discoid ends A1, A2, arranged in parallel planes,
lengthwise of the chain the end A¹ setting out sufficiently far from the plane
of the opposite or insetting end to close over and fit against the exterior face of
the insetting end of the next adjacent side bar. The outward end A¹ of each
side bar is formed with an internal annular recess, a¹, concentric with the bolt
hole, a, therethrough, while the insetting end A2 of said bar is provided with
an external annular flange, a², also concentric with the bolt hole, a¹¹, there-
through, and as to its outer periphery, and adapted to fit snugly within the recess
of the next adjacent link and turn therein as in a bearing. The side bars are
thus interlocked at the joints relieving the cross bolts A³ which unite the bars,
to a very great extent from strain although of course the bolts may help when the
strain is very severe.
The inner periphery of the flange, a¹, and the counter face of the recess, a³,
are cupped or hollowed to leave an annular chamber, a³, suitable for the reception
of a lubricant to supply the interlocking joint and the bolt.
A snug or stop, a, on the outer face of each side bar adjacent to the bolt hole
through the outsetting end thereof is arranged to fit against the head of the
connecting-bolt or one of the facets thereof, thereby keeping the bolt always in
place with the side bar, and a nut, a, holds the bolt in place. The inset of the
body of the side bar is corrected on the inner face by flanges, a, which prevent
the sprocket from riding upon the butt end of the innermost bars at each joint,
while on the outer faces are reversely set flanges, a', which act as clearers in
the knuckling action, to the joints between their successive side bars.
Special wings or flanges, B, of various shapes and styles will be cast or formed
on some of the links or side bars for all sorts of purposes, and other side bars
will advisedly be made interchangeable and replaceable except as their interchange
may be limited by such wings, or the necessity to keep one edge uppermost.
As thus far described in the absence of shoulders upon the bolt, the side bars
will not be held apart or spaced. Instead of such shoulders it has been custom-
ary in this type of chain hereinbefore referred to to use a sleeve or barrel
enclosing the bolt, and turning thereon by contact with the sprockets, so that it
rides on and off the sprockets easily and wear is distributed. Such a sleeve or
barrel I prefer to use and have shown in the drawings where C represents the
sleeve or barrel, and c chambers to hold a supply of lubricants or to receive oil.
The ends of the barrel go into annular sockets, c', surrounding the bolt holes
through the interlocking ends of the side bars, and are free to turn therein, but
spread the bars apart by their abutting against the webs or partitions c² forming
the bottoms of these sockets. The main function of the sockets is to keep dirt
out of the joints and off the bolt, to protect them from undue wear.
They also relieve the bolts from the lateral thrust of the barrels as the latter
engage with the sprockets and transmit it to the interlocking joints of the side
bars.
With this construction the cross-bolts simply hold the side bars and the barrels
in place and leave them properly positioned for free movement with little or no
strain upon the bolts either longitudinally or laterally; the barrels are free to
turn in their sockets, and the interlocked side bars free to work upon each other:
the strain of the barrels comes directly through the sockets in the side bars and

page_text: not upon the cross bolts, and thence it goes to the annular recesses and inter-
locking flanges.
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:-
1. The combination with the side bars and with the cross-bolts uniting them
and suitable means for spacing said side bars on the cross bolts, of the inter-
locking annular flanges and recesses concentric with the bolt holes through said
side bars.
2. The combination with the side bars and with the cross-bolts uniting them
and suitable means for spacing said side bars on the cross-bolts, of the inter-
locking annular flanges and recesses concentric with the bolt holes through said
side bars, and the lubricant chambers between the peripheries of said flanges
and recesses.
3. The combination with the side bars and with the cross bolts uniting them,
of the barrels having lubricant chambers within their bores.
4. The combination with the side bars and with the cross bolts uniting them,
of the barrels encircling the said cross bolts and the sockets surrounding the
bolt holes through the inner side bars at the joint, receiving and shielding the
ends of said barrels, and affording bearings within which they rotate indepen-
dently of the bolts.
5. The combination with. the side bars and with the cross bolts uniting them,
of the barrels encircling said cross bolts and the sockets surrounding the bolt
holes through the inner side bars at the joint, receiving and shielding the ends
of said barrels.
6. The combination with the side bars, having annular lateral recesses and
flanges concentric with the bolt holes therethrough and having bearing sockets
at one end in their inner faces and around said bolt holes, of the cross-bolts
uniting said side bars and the barrels encircling the cross-bolts and entering at
their ends into said sockets and turning therein.
7. The combination, with the side bars having discoid ends and insetting
bodies, of the clearing flanges exterior to said bodies.
וד
T
1
00 1 1
1000
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents.