An Improved Driving Chain.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 8th June, 1895-Accepted, 13th July, 1895
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Driving Chain.
I, ADOLF MERTENS of No. 67 Lützowstrasse, Berlin in the Kingdom of;
Prussia and Empire of Germany, Engineer, 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 an improved driving chain, particularly applicable for
use on cycles, and of that class, in which a series of links having a transverse bore
at the forward and rear end are connected to flat side plates by pins or studs.
In the usual construction of chains of this kind, the ends of said studs or pins,
extending through holes in the said side plates, are rivetted, and in order to admit
of rivetting the said pins or studs must consist of a soft and not of a tempered
material. In consequence, the said studs hitherto have been subject to a compara-
tively rapid wear and tear to prevent which sleeves or shells were mounted on the
said studs, said sleeves forming bushes for the links to turn upon.
My invention consists in novel means which allow of the interposed sleeves or
bushes being dispensed with, and which nevertheless are not liable to wear and
tear, as far as practically possible.
To obtain this result, I use according to this invention studs or pivots of tempered
hard steel, and steel-links of the same degree of hardening to turn on said studs
without an interposed sleeve or bush.
As the studs of hard steel cannot be rivetted, I employ the following means for
securing the said studs within the side plates to be connected to the chain-links.
The ends of said studs, projecting into the said side plates, are flattened on one
side and within the flattened surface a notch is provided. The holes within the flat
side plates of the chain to receive the said studs are not circular, but shaped
according to the flattened ends of the studs, which fit into the said holes. When
the said studs with the links in place are fitted into the side plates, a suitable chisel
is applied to drive the soft material of the side plates into the notch of the stud, and
thereby the said side plates firmly engage with the studs and tightly hold the same
in place, as if the studs were rivetted.
To make my invention more fully understood, I will now describe the same with
reference to the accompanying drawings, in which,
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a piece of chain constructed according to my
invention,
Figure 2 is a plan of the same,
Figure 3 is a front view of a stud constructed according to my invention and
drawn to an enlarged scale,
Figure 4 is a side elevation of the same, partly in section, and
Figure 5 an end view of said stud.
A, are the links of usual shape and construction, having transverse holes a to
receive the studs C, which connect the said links A with the side plates B. As
shown in Figures 3, 4 and 5, the said studs C are set off as at C', at both ends, and
within the flattened surface a notch c is provided. The set off ends of the studs
project into the holes of the side plates, as shown in Figure 1, said holes being
shaped corresponding to the set off ends of the studs. By applying a suitable
chisel as at b Figure 1, a notch is cut into the soft material of the side plates and
the metal is driven into the notch c to fill the same and thus engage the side plate B
with the stud, thereby replacing rivetting. The ends of the studs C, may be flush
with the outside surface of the side plates B, as no rivetting is required.
:

page_text: As stated before, the links A are of hard steel and also the studs C, whereby
wear and tear is prevented and greasing made unnecessary. The use of sleeves
interposed between the links A, and studs C, is equally dispensed with.
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 :-
:-
A driving chain having links of hardened steel turning directly on studs of
hardened steel, said studs having their ends set off and in the flattened face a notch
or indentation, into which the material of the side plate may be forced to engage
with said stud, substantially as and for the purpose described.
Dated this 7th day of June 1895.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Agents for the Applicant.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Agents for the Applicant.