IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MODE OF MAKING OR FORMING THE LINKS OF IRON OR STEEL CHAINS AND CHAIN CABLES, AND FOR MACHINERY TO BE USED THEREIN
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Homfray, of Witley Lodge, in the Parish of
Halesowen, in the County of Worcester, Gentleman, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MODE OF MAKING OR FORMING THE LINKS OF
IRON OR STEEL CHAINS AND CHAIN CABLES, AND FOR MACHINERY TO BE USED
THEREIN."
Sealed the 16th June 1865, and dated the 8th April 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Homfray at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
8th April 1865.
I, ALFRED HOMFRAY, of Witley Lodge, in the Parish of Halesowen, in the
County of Worcester, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MODE OF MAKING OR FORMING THE LINKS OF
IRON OR STEEL CHAINS AND CHAIN CABLES, AND FOR MACHINERY TO BE USED
THEREIN," to be as follows:-
I take the round metal bar from which I form the link, cut it into lengths
the size of the proposed link, either with a scarf or straight end or joint, and
heat the pieces to a welding heat; I place each heated piece in succession
upon a hollow metal frame or anvil in the centre of which two iron or steel
jaws work upon pins. The jaws are hollowed to the shape of the link and
grooved, so that in closing they force the heated metal to assume the shape of
the link without destroying the roundness of the metal. Over the frame or

page_text: anvil I put a hammer or descending shaft, of iron or steel, which works per-
pendicularly in a frame. Upon such hammer another hammer is made to
slide, and on the front face of the sliding hammer I affix a mandrel or oval
piece of metal of the exact shape and size of the inside of the link I propose
to form, with a groove at the lower end to fit and receive the top of the last-
formed link of the cable or chain, and a groove across it to receive the stud.
When the hammers fall the sliding hammer with the mandrel affixed falls
first, and by its weight drives the heated bar through the aperture in the
metal frame or anvil and closes the jaws tightly upon and so forces the heated
metal to clip the mandrel. The second or fixed hammer then falls on the top
of the jaws and welds the link; or if I wish, falls directly on the joints of the
heated metal and welds them. When the fixed hammer rises the sliding
hammer rises with it with the link upon the mandrel, and thus opens the jaws
ready to receive the next link; I then thread another heated bar through the
link so formed and forge that in the same way, and so on until the cable or
chain is completed. If any link should be imperfectly welded I re-heat it
and again put it through the machine.
The front of the metal frame
My machinery consists of a hollow metal frame or anvil, inside of which
are fixed two iron or steel plates or jaws working on pins or centres, and with
grooved edges, and so shaped that they either close simultaneously or one
before the other; when closed the jaws or plates form a hollow frame fitting
the exterior edge of the proposed link of the chain or cable. At the back of
the metal frame or anvil are two reversed jaws or tappets connected with and
affixed to the interior jaws, and so shaped that a descending blow falling on
such reversed jaws or tappets will force the interior jaws together, and so
press the metal bar into the shape of the link.
or anvil has a groove cut in it to enable the last welded link of the chain or
cable to pass through it. Above and at right angles with the metal frame or
anvi a metal shaft or hammer slides in a frame. Upon this metal shaft
another shaft or hammer is made to slide so as to fall by its own weight before
the main shaft strikes the anvil. On the front face of the sliding shaft I place
a mandrel or oval metal plate shaped to the size and form of the inside of the
link and grooved at the bottom to receive the end or projection of the last
welded link, and also grooved across its face to receive the stud. The sliding
shaft or hammer is grooved to admit the side of the metal frame or anvil and
allow the sliding hammer to strike inside the frame upon the heated bar, and
outside upon the reversed jaws or tappets, and so close the interior jaws. The
bottom of the main shaft or hammer is made flat when I wish it to strike the
ends of the interior jaws, or is grooved when I wish it to strike the ends of the

page_text: metal bar directly. In the latter case the jaws are either shortened to admit
the end of the hammer, or are made to fall back before the main shaft or
hammer strikes. My machinery can be worked by any motive power, either
perpendicularly, as I have above described it, or horizontally.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Alfred Homfray in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
3rd October 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALFRED
HOMFRAY, of Witley Lodge, in the Parish of Halesowen, in the County of
Worcester, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-eighth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Alfred Homfray, Her special licence that I, the said Alfred Homfray,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Alfred Homfray, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "Im-
PROVEMENTS IN THE MODE OF MAKING OR FORMING THE LINKS OF IRON OR STEEL
CHAINS AND CHAIN CABLES, AND FOR MACHINERY TO BE USED THEREIN," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Alfred Homfray, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their,
or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be
performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Alfred Homfray, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
My Invention consists of a rapid and inexpensive method of manufacturing
iron or steel chains and chain cables, which has the following advantages:-

page_text: Each link, whatever its thickness, has a true and regular shape. The link is
turned and the weld effected at one heat. The weld is made by one blow,
and is as strong or stronger than any other part of the link. I can at will
secure an extra thickness of metal at the weld, and also weld the link on the
top, the side, or the shoulder. Iron and steel chains and chain cables are
mostly made by hand labour; the link is heated several times in making the
scarf, turning the link, and welding it, and the weld is often imperfect from
the metal having been burnt or crystallized by repeated blows of the hammer
whilst cooling. I heat the link but once and weld it at one blow, and thus
obviate these defects. I can also make a chain or chain cable of any strength
as readily as the usual sizes by using a more powerful machine. I can weld
with any kind of joint, but prefer a butt or straight joint.
The mode by which I form a chain or cable is as follows:-I cut the
round bars of iron or steel of the required size into straight pieces, each
sufficient for a link. I heat the ends of each piece to a welding heat in a fire
with a double blast; when the ends are at a welding heat I place the piece
of metal in my machine across the opened jaws; I let the shaft fall, the
bottom of the mandrel strikes the centre of the heated metal and drives it
downwards, and the jaws close upwards on each side and force the metal to
clip the oval mandrel; I then let the welding hammer fall, the die at the
bottom of which strikes the two ends of the heated metal at their junction and
welds them; I raise the shaft and welding hammer, and remove the link from
the mandrel, and cut off or smooth over any surplus metal which has escaped.
I thread another piece of heated metal through the last formed link and form
another link in the manner above described, and so on until the chain or cable
is completed. When making stud cables I put the stud into an aperture cut
across the face of the mandrel and then close the link upon it at one operation.
As the chain or cable is lengthening it falls through the anvil and is drawn
out by the workmen,
My machinery consists of a hollow metal frame or anvil, inside of which are
fixed two iron or steel plates or jaws working on axles. The inside edges of
the plates or jaws are grooved; when closed they form a hollow oval frame
fitting the exterior of the proposed link except at the top, where they do not
meet, to admit the welding die, herein-after described. The jaws and axles
close upwards, and are so centered that in closing they clip the heated iron or
steel rod and force it to assume the shape of the proposed link;
when opened
the jaws allow the chain cable as it is made to pass freely between them. At
the back of the metal frame or anvil are two metal tappets or reversed jaws
or levers connected with the interior iron or steel plates or jaws above described

page_text: by the aforesaid axles; these tappets, when struck by the sliding shaft next
described, force the interior jaws together. Above and into the centre of the
anvil a metal shaft is made to slide up and down, the top of which shaft works
in a frame, and the bottom of which is bevilled to fit the tappets or levers ;
this shaft, on falling, strikes the tappets or levers and by its weight closes the
jaws. In the front of the sliding shaft a mandrel or oval metal plate is let or
fixed shaped to the size of the inside of the proposed link, and grooved at the
top to receive half the thickness of the link. This mandrel has an aperture
or cross slit in the bottom which receives the top of the last-formed link; the
mandrel has also a slit across its face to receive the stud. The mandrel is
moveable and can be reversed when it is required to weld the link at the side
or on the shoulder. The mandrel stands out from the face of the sliding shaft,
so that as the sliding shaft falls the bottom of the mandrel strikes the heated
rod and drives it into the jaws. On the sliding shaft above described another
shaft slides, which I term the welding hammer. At the bottom of the welding
hammer a moveable die is fixed which fits the aperture between the top of the
jaws, and when the welding hammer falls strikes the top of the mandrel.
The die is grooved to half the diameter of the thickness of the link. The
welding hammer has also attached to it two clips or pieces of metal, which
when the hammer falls clip the outside of the jaws and hold them firmly
against the link. The machine is so constructed that the sliding shaft falls
before the welding hammer. Both the sliding shaft and the welding bammer
rest on the anvil; they are lifted by cams or other lifting machinery now in
use, and bend and weld the link by their weight. The whole machine is
framed together.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Homfray, have hereunto set my
band and seal, this Thirtieth day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
ALFRED HOMFRAY. (L.S.)