Improvements in the Manufacture of Chains.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Dec., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 31st Aug., 1894-Accepted, 6th Oct., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Chains.
I, GEORGE JAMES SNELUS, Ennerdale Hall, Frizington, Cumberland, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to the manufacture of weldless chains.
The chief feature of my invention consists in making and using a rod, bar, or
wire of varying section in place of a bar, rod or wire of uniform section throughout
as has heretofore been the practice. In making weldless chains, the wire is wound
or twisted upon itself to form one end of the link, about half the total length of wire
used for a link being taken up by this operation. It will be obvious therefore that if
this part of the link can be made of a reduced section, there will result a considerable
saving in weight. Moreover this saving will be effected without sacrificing any
strength since this part of the link when made of wire of uniform section is about
twice as strong as the remaining part of the link.
In order to make bars, rods, or wire, of variable section for the above purpose I
employ rolls so shaped as to make bars, rods, or wire with alternate portions thereof
of the size required for the body of the link then gradually tapering off to the
smaller size required for the twisted portion. The rolls can be made so that at
each revolution one complete section for a link is rolled with, if necessary, a spare
portion of the smaller size to allow for cutting off at the ends of the links in
manufacture; or the roll may be large enough so that each revolution produces two
or more link lengths. As a rule only the final finishing hole or groove in the rolls
need be made to exact section, the roughing holes or grooves not needing such
accurate adjustment. To provide for wear, the rolls may have several finishing
holes or grooves.
1
c
1
1000
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.
1, GEORGE JAMES SNELUS, Ennerdale Hall, Frizington, Cumberland, 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 the manufacture of weldless chains, and is intended
chiefly to provide an improved weldless chain of the construction or type now well
known as the "Triumph" chain.
The chief feature of my invention consists in making the links of the chain from a
rod, bar, or wire of varying section instead of from a bar, rod or wire of uniform
section throughout as has heretofore been the practice. In making weldless chains
of the kind above referred to the wire is wound or twisted upon itself to form one
end of the link, about half the total length of wire used for a link being taken up
by this twisting operation. It will be obvious therefore that if this part of the link
can be made of a reduced section, there will result a considerable saving in weight.
Moreover this saving will be effected without sacrificing any strength since this part
Price 71

page_text: of the link when made of wire of uniform section is nearly twice as strong as the
. remaining part of the link.
In the accompanying drawings,
Figure 1 is a view of two links made according to my invention.
Figure 2 indicates the form of the wire or rod from which the links are made.
Figure 3 shows a link as heretofore made which is of uniform section
throughout.
The end A of my improved link which is formed by twisting the wire or rod
upon itself in a well known manner is made of considerably less thickness than the
body B, so much so that the sectional area of the wire at A. is little more than half
the sectional area at B. It will be seen however that by reason of there being four
sections of wire to take the stress at A and only two at B the part A of the chain
is no weaker than the body B. Such a link on the contrary is of the same strength
throughout every part.
The bars, rods, or wires from which the links are made are rolled of the variable
section required by rolls suitably shaped to produce alternate portions thereof of
the size required for the body of the link and intermediate portions of the required
thickness for the twisted portions of the links, the one size gradually tapering into
the other; as shown in Figure 2 which represents a piece of wire sufficiently long
to make one link. The rolls can be made so that at each revolution one complete
section for a link is rolled with, if necessary, a spare portion of the smaller size, to
allow for cutting off at the ends of the links in manufacture; or the roll may be
large enough so that each revolution produces two or more link lengths. As a rule
only the final finishing hole or groove in the rolls need be made to the exact section
required, the roughing holes or grooves not needing such accurate adjustment.
Several finishing holes or grooves may be provided in each pair of rolls so as not to
unduly wear the grooves.
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 :-
1. A weldless chain the links of which are made from wire, rods or bars, of
varying section, the smallest section occurring at that part of the link which is
twisted upon itself, for the purpose specified.
2. A weldless chain made from links of the kind herein described with reference
to Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings for the purpose specified.
Dated this 31st day of August 1894
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.