Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 27th June, 1887
Complete Left, 19th Mar., 1888
Complete Accepted, 1st June, 1888
I, WILLIAM D. EWART, of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois,
United States of America, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
-
My invention relates to that species of chain cable designed for use in connection
with drive-wheels or chain-wheels, and in which some sort of bearing-blocks are used,
arranged intermediately of the connected links and operating to form the working
and bearing-surfaces at the articulate joints of the chain. In this species of the
chain, as heretofore made, there have been smaller bearing-surfaces than are desirable
for many uses where the parts of the chain come in contact with the working faces of
the teeth of the wheels, and it has been necessary to have the peripheries of the latter
made grooved (or disk-shaped in cross section) in order to have the chain properly
supported by the wheels' periphery in the direction of the radii of the latter. As
heretofore made, this species of chain has been adapted to run over wheels in either
one of the two directions in which the chain links are adapted to articulate or turn on
each other; but my improved chain is intended to be run only in one of the two
ways in which a cable chain usually run, and my invention has for its main object
to provide for use a chain of the species mentioned, adapted to work or to turn only
in one direction, though flexible in the other direction also, and in which the inter-
mediately arranged bearing and wearing-blocks shall afford not only bearing and
wearing-surfaces for contact with the working faces of the teeth of the chain wheel,
that are substantially equal in width with the teeth, but shall also have bearer-
surfaces adapted to properly support the chain laterally on a wheel having a plane or
flat periphery; and to this main end and object my invention consists in a cable chain
provided with intermediately arranged duplex bearer-blocks or devices which work
one on the other and constitute the bearing-surfaces of the articulate joints of the
chain when the latter is bent in the one direction in which it is designed to run over
the wheels, and which also operate to afford large bearing surfaces to the teeth of the
wheel and to properly support the chain laterally on a wheel having a periphery plane
or flat in cross section.
In carrying out my invention each bearer-block is composed of two individual
parts or blocks engaged one with the other and so interposed between the two

page_text: adjacent ends of the links as that either part is engaged with the semi-circular end of
one of the two links. The outer one of these parts is of semi-circular configuration
and has cut into its exterior surface a groove whereby it is placed against the inner
side of the respective link, whilst in its inner surface is formed a saddle-like bearing-
surface or housing. In this housing fits with its correspondingly shaped outer
surface the inner part or block, having a curved groove on its inner face to receive
the respective end of the other link The arrangement is such as that each of the
two parts moves allways with the chain link engaged therewith during the movement
of the latter while the chain is in a working condition, whilst at the same time, the
inner part turns with its link in the housing of the outer part whenever the links may
be turned. At the same time the link engaged with the inner part or block is capable
of an articulate sideward movement relatively to its block by turning within the
grooved seat of said block within which the semi-circular end of said link is fitted.
The outer block having leg-like portions extending beyond the diameter of its semi-
circular curve, is incapable of any movement relatively to the link engaged with it
so long as the parts of the chain are maintained in a working or taut condition.
Therefore when the parts are all together and the chain in operation, the relative
movements of the links, as the chain passes over or around the usual chain-wheels,
occur in such a manner that the blocks never move relatively to their respective links,
but turn or move relatively to each other, so that all the wear and tear comes on these
blocks and upon no portions of the links proper of the chain. At the same time, the
links held by the inner blocks are capable of movement relatively to these blocks, so
that the flexibility, so to speak, of the chain in the direction opposite to that in which
it is designed to run over the wheels, is not destroyed by the use of the duplex bearer
contrivance.
Each outer block or part being made with a leg-like extension which renders them
too long for extrication from the link in the same manner as the inner block, may be
removed from their respective links, and are slabbed off at one of the leg-like portions
whereby, in detaching the parts of the chain, these blocks may be extricated from
their links by first moving them toward the middle of the link and then turning them
laterally relatively to the link until the slabbed-off portion passes away from the side
bar of the link. Each of the outer blocks is made with its curved exterior surface of
such size and extent that in the use of the chain on the ordinary toothed wheels the
working faces of the teeth of said wheels will come into contact with these surfaces so
as that the latter will constitute the entire bearing and wearing against the teeth of
the wheel. These surfaces are continued so as to coincide with the outermost line or
portion of the link seated in this block, so that in running the chain over a toothed
wheel having a plane or flat periphery, said surfaces come to a bearing on the flat
periphery of the wheel intermediately of the teeth thereof and will, during the working
of the chain, serve as sufficiently broad or extended supporting and bearing-surfaces
for the chain against the periphery of the wheel in the direction of the radii of
the latter.
By the described arrangement a cable drive chain is produced in which not only
the links are relieved of all frictional or wearing contact with each other, but in
which also one of the parts of the duplex bearer contrivance affords an extended or
ample frictional wearing surface to coact with the working faces of the wheel's
teeth and also sufficiently broad and durable bearing-surfaces to cooperate with the
flat periphery of the wheel intermediately of the teeth, and properly support those
links of the chain which travel in a plane transverse to the axis of the chain wheel.
Dated this 26th day of June 1887.

page_text: Improvements in Driving Chains.
I, WILLIAM D. EWART of Chicago in the County of Cook and State of Illinois,
United States of America, 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 that species of chain cable designed for use in connection
with drive-wheels or chain wheels, and in which some sort of bearing-blocks are used,
arranged intermediately of the connected links and operating to form the working
and bearing surfaces at the articulate joints of the chain. In this species of chain,
as heretofore made, there have been smaller bearing-surfaces than are desirable for
many uses where the parts of the chain come into contact with the working-surfaces
of the teeth of the wheels, and it has been necessary to have the peripheries of the
latter made grooved (or disk-shaped in cross-section) in order to have the chain
properly supported by the wheels' periphery in the direction of the radii of the latter.
As heretofore made, this species of chain has been adapted to run over wheels in
either one of the two directions in which the chain-links are adapted to articulate or
turn on each other but my improved chain is intended to be run only in one of the
two ways in which a cable chain is usually run, and my invention has for its main
object to provide for use a chain of the species mentioned, adapted to work or to turn
only in one direction, though flexible in the other direction also, and in which the
intermediately arranged bearing and wearing blocks shall afford not only bearing
and wearing surfaces for contact with the working-faces of the teeth of the chain wheel,
that are substantially equal in width with the teeth, but shall also have bearer-surfaces
adapted to properly support the chain laterally on a wheel having a plane or flat
periphery and to this main end and object my invention consists in a cable-chain
provided with intermediately-arranged duplex bearer-blocks or devices which work
one on the other and constitute the bearing-surfaces of the articulate joints of the
chain when the latter is bent in the one direction in which it is designed to run over
the wheels, and which also operate to afford large bearing-surfaces to the teeth
of the wheel and to properly support the chain laterally on a wheel having a periphery
plane or flat in cross-section, all as will be hereinafter more fully explained, and as
will be more particularly defined and pointed out in the claims of this specification.
To enable those skilled in the art to which my invention relates to inake and use
my improved chain, I will now proceed to more fully describe the latter, referring by
letters to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification, and in
which I have shown my invention carried out in that form in which I have so far
practiced it.
In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a side-view of one of the links of a chain made according
to my invention. Fig. 2, is a top view of the same. Fig. 3 is a view similar to
Fig. 1, showing the articulate movement of the links relatively. Fig. 4 is one of the

page_text: parts of the duplex bearer-block contrivance that is interposed between the adjacent ends
of each pair of links, detached from the rest of the chain, and Fig. 5 is a perspective
view of the other one of said pieces.
At Figs. 4 and 5 I have shown the detached parts on a somewhat enlarged scale, and
at Fig. 2 I have represented in dotted lines the movement of the coupled links, which
will be referred to hereinafter.
In the several figures the same parts will be found designated by the same letter
of reference.
A and B are two similarly constructed links between the adjacent or coupled ends
of which are interposed the two parts or pieces C and D of the intermediately-arranged
bearing and wearing blocks. One of these blocks or pieces (marked D) is of larger con-
formation, and is so arranged with the end of the link A that, although it is removable
from said link when the links of the chain are backed up and out of a working-position, it
moves always with the chain-link during the movement of the latter while the chain
is in a working condition, while the other block or piece, C, is so shaped and combined
with one end of the other link, B, and with the other block or piece, D, that, as shown,
at Fig. 3, whenever the links A and B may be turned relatively, as indicated at said
figure, the block or device C will move with the link B, but turn in or against the
block D of the other link, the curved or saddle-like bearing-surface E of said piece C
turning within the correspondingly-shaped bearing-surface or housing F of the
block D. At the same time the link B is capable of an articulate movement at its
end relatively to its block C by turning within the grooved seat c of said block ()
within which the semi-circular end of the link B is fitted. This relative movement
of the link B and its block C is indicated by the dotted lines at Fig. 2. The
link A is somewhat similarly seated at its semicircular end within the grooved
periphery of its block or piece D; but said block or piece D, having leg-like
portions extending, as shown, beyond the diameter of its semicircular curve, is
incapable of any movement relatively to the link so long as the parts of the chain are
maintained in a working or taut condition. Therefore, when the parts are all together
and the chain in operation, as shown at Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the relative movements
of the links, as the chain passes over or around the usual chain-wheels, occur in the
direction indicated at Fig. 3, and in such manner that, while the bearer blocks D
never move relatively to the links A, nor the blocks C relatively to the links B, the
said bearer-blocks or devices C and D turn or move relatively to each other, as
indicated at Fig. 3, so that all the wear and tear comes on these blocks and upon no
portions of the links proper of the chain. At the same time, as before explained, the
links B are capable of movement relatively to the blocks (, in the manner indicated
by dotted lines at Fig. 2, so that the flexibility, so to speak, of the chain in the direction
opposite to that in which it is designed to be run over the wheels, is not
destroyed by the use of the duplex bearer-block, contrivance shown and so far
described.
Each of the block portions or devices D, being made with a leg-like extension,
which renders them too long for extrication from the link in the same manner as the
blocks or devices C, may be removed from the links B, and are made with cut-aways
or are slabbed off at one of the leg-like portions and at one side, as plainly shown at e
in the drawings, whereby, in detaching the parts of the chain, these devices D inay
be extricated from the links A by first moving them toward the middle of the link
and then turning them laterally relatively to the link until the slabbed-off or cut-
away portion e passes away from the side bar of the link.
Each of the parts or devices D, (that are, as before explained, designed to be
immovable relatively to the links A during the working of the chain,) is made, as
shown, with its semicircular or curved exterior surface f (see Fig. 2) of such size
and extent that in the use of the chain on the ordinary toothed wheels the working-
faces of the teeth of said wheels will come into contact with these surfaces f, which
surfaces will constitute the entire bearing and wearing surface against the teeth of the
wheel and said devices D are also made, as shown, with the continuation of these
surfaces at
about coincident with the outermost line or portion of the link A, so that in

page_text: running the chain over a toothed wheel having a plane or flat periphery these some-
what extended and flat surfaces of the devices D will come to a bearing on the
flat or plane periphery of the wheel intermediately of the teeth thereof and (by reason
of the devices D being immovable relatively to the links A will, during the working
of the chain, serve as sufficiently broad or extended supporting and bearing surfaces
for the chain against the periphery of the wheel in the direction of the radii of the
latter.
It will be seen that by combining with the links the devices C and D, con-
structed and operating together and with the links, in the manner described, I produce
a cable-drive-chain, in which not only are the links relieved of all frictional or
wearing contact with each other, but in which also one of the parts of the duplex
bearer-block contrivance affords an extended or ample frictional wearing-surface to
coact with the working-faces of the wheels' teeth, and also sufficiently broad and
durable bearing-surfaces to co-operate with the flat periphery of the wheel inter-
mediately of the teeth and properly support those links of the chain which travel in
a plane transverse to the axis of the chain-wheel.
Of course many modifications or changes in the precise details of structure shown
may be made without departing from the principle of this invention as for instance,
in lieu of having the saddle-like seat or curved bearing receptacle E of the piece C
being rectangular in cross-section, as shown, the said saddle-like seat may be made
of any polygonal form, or curved if desired in cross-section and the housing or bearing-
portion F of the piece D made to correspond in contour in cross-section.
of
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is:
1. In combination with the links A and B of an ordinary cable chain of the type
shown, a duplex friction or bearer block contrivance composed of a part, D, which is
immovable relatively to the link with which it is combined during the working of the
chain, and a part or device, C, adapted to turn within or move against the device D
and with the link with which it is combined, but at the same time not destroying the
flexibility of the chain in the direction opposite to that in which it is designed to be
run over the wheels.
2. In combination with the links A and B, a bearer-block or device, C, adapted to
turn with one of the links, and a bearer-block or device, D, adapted to move with the
other link, and formed or provided with bearing-surfaces at f, which work against the
teeth of the chain-wheel and relieve the chain of all frictional contact with
the working-faces of said teeth.
3. In combination with the links A and B and an interposed bearing-block, C, a
bearer-block or device, D, which is immovable relatively to the link with which it is
combined during the working of the chain and is formed or provided with bearing-
surfaces at, which rest and bear upon the plane or flat peripheral surface of the
chain-wheel intermediately of the teeth of the latter, substantially as and for the
purpose hereinbefore set forth.
Dated this Sixteenth day of March 1888