IMPROVEMENTS IN CHAIN LINKS
Year: 1884

page_text: I, THOMAS BEDINGTON, of Wordsworth Road, Small Heath near Birmingham, in
the County of Warwick, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of said
invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN CHAIN LINKS," to be as follows :—
Chain links of the ordinary construction are joined or connected together at their
sides by a scarf or other joint welded together, in order to effect a sound and strong
joint, and to produce a link that shall be equally strong at all parts.
The object of my invention is to produce a chain in which the ends of the links
are connected together at their sides by a locking joint; that is, the side of cach
link is jointed by a head or bulbus part on the one end taking into a corresponding
cavity on the other end of the link, and on the two being locked together and
closed, a link for a chain is produced without the welding of the ends.
My improvements are particularly applicable to Surveyor's chain, chain for
communicating motion, and for other purposes.
I will first describe a chain in which the links are cut out from sheet metal.
The flat blank of the link is cut out from sheet metal by a tool which is inclined
on one part, so that the link is cut out at one operation and one of the joining ends
bulged out of the plane of the link proper, so that the adjacent link or links can be
passed through the gap or opening which is afterwards closed and locked by
bringing the ends of the link into the same plane.
The joint of the link consists of a swell or protuberance on the one end, taking
into a like cavity formed within à bulbus part on the other end of the link which
is situated on the side thereof, so that on the locking together of the one within
the other, a chain link without welding is thereby formed.
When tho chain links are to be made from rod or bar iron, I fashion out the ends
into the desired protuberance and concavity, and afterwards bend the blank into a
link, the ends being locked together as before described, or I produce the blank to
be formed into a chain by the process of casting in malleable iron, which is
afterwards turned up into a link with the locking joint.
When the joint of the link is required to be made additionally strong, the
protuberance end of the link is furnished with curved arms situated on both sides
of the said protuberance, which embrace the outer metal of the enlargement on the
other end of the link in which the concavity is formed.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
I, THOMAS BEDINGTON of Wordsworth Road, Small-Heath near Birmingham, in
the County of Warwick Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of said
invention for-" IMPROVEMENTS IN-CHAIN LINKS " and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement:-
-
Chain links of the ordinary construction are joined or connected together at
their sides by a scarf or other joint welded together, in order to effect a sound and
strong joint, and to produce a link that shall be equally strong at all parts.
The object of my invention is to produce a chain in which the ends of the links
are connected together at their sides by a locking joint; that is, the side of each
link is joined by a head or bulbous part on the one end taking into a corresponding
cavity on the other end of tho link, and on the two being locked together and
closed, a link for a chain is produced without the welding of the ends.
My improvements are particularly applicable to Surveyor's chain, chain for
communicating motion and for other purposes.
I will first describe a chain in which the links are cut out from sheet metal.
The flat blank of the link is cut out from sheet metal by a tool which is inclined
on one part, so that the link is cut out at one operation, and one of the joining ends
bulged out of the plane of the link proper, so that the adjacent link or links can be
passed through the gap or opening which is afterwards closed and locked, by
bringing the ends of the link into the same plane.
The joint of the link consists of a swell or protuberance on the one end, taking
into a like cavity formed within a bulbous part on the other end of the link, which
is situated on the side thereof; so that on the locking together of one within the
other, a chain link without welding is thereby formed.
When the chain links are to be made from rod or bar iron, I fashion out the ends
into the desired protuberance and concavity, and afterwards bend the blank into a
link, the ends being locked together as before described, or I produce the blank to
be formed into a chain by the process of casting in malleable iron, which is
afterwards turned up into a link with the locking joint.
When the joint of the link is required to be made additionally strong, the
protuberance end of the link is furnished with curved arms situated on both sides
of the said protuberance, which embrace the outer metal of the enlargement on the
other end of the link in which the concavity is formed.
I will now proceed to describe with reference to the accompanying Drawing, the
manner in which my invention is to be performed.
Figure 1 is a front elevation of a chain link made according to my invention, cut
or stamped out from sheet metal—Figure 2 is an edge view of the same-Figure 3.
is also an edge view, the link being slightly opened out laterally so as to show the
plane in which the terminal ends of the said link lie, before they are interlocked
after the linking together of the adjacent links to constitute a chain-Figure 4 is a
front elevation, the link being opened out to better exhibit the terminal ends before
they are interlocked-Figure 5 is the link figure 1 with the adjacent links connected

page_text: with it to form a chain-In Figure 6 the link is made from a bar or rod of flat or
round iron instead of from sheet metal as in figure 1-The rod figure 7 is cut to
the required length and its ends flattened out to somewhat the form represented,
which are afterwards cut and shaped as represented in figure 8-The rod is then
bent into the form of a link and its terminal ends locked together.
When the joint of the link is required to be made additionally strong, the
protuberance end of the link is furnished with curved arms, as represented in
figure 9.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 9
of the Drawing.
a is the link, and b the swell or protuberance on one end which takes into a like
cavity c formed within a bulbous part c on the other end of the link; so that on
the locking together of the one within the other, a chain link without welding is
thereby formed as represented in figure 1.
When the chain links are to be made from rod or bar iron, I fashion out the
ends d d from the ends of the bar & figure 7, and then shape them as in figuro 8,
and the rod or bar afterwards bent into a link and the ends locked as in figuro 6-
In figure 6 the link is made from half round motal of a double length, and bent
into a link which is additionally strong by the joint being made from one half only
of the metal.
In figure 9, b is the protuberance end of the link furnished with curved arms 6ª 6ª
situated on both sides of the protuberance, which latter embraces the outer sides of
the enlargement c on the other end of the link in which the concavity c³ is
formed.
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
Making chain links without welding by connecting together the ends of the said
links by a locking joint; consisting of a head or bulbous part on one end, taking
into a corresponding cavity formed within an enlargement on the other end of the
link; the ends being locked together by the closing of one within the other, and a
perfect link thereby formed without the welding of the ends, as described and
illustrated in figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 64, 7 and 8 of the accompanying Drawing; also
the modification of the locking joint represented in Figuro 9.