Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 27th June, 1887
Complete Left, 19th Mar., 1888
Complete Accepted, 18th May, 1888
I, JAMES M. DODGE, of Philadelphia, county of Philadelphia, and State of
Pennsylvania, United States of America, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates especially to that species of chain cable in which the links
are indirectly articulated or connected through the medium of interposed removable
bearing or wearing-blocks which afford a larger wearing surface than is possible in
that species of chain cable in which the links are coupled directly one with the other.
This indirect articulating of the links is brought about in such a manner that the
semi-circular ends of two adjacent links of the chain take their bearings, respectively,
in correspondingly shaped grooves or saddle-like surfaces that are arranged trans-
versely to each other in an interposed piece or block, and the mode of operation is
such that in passing over any wheels in connection with which the chain may be used,
the semi-circular end of one or the other of every two links (according to the
direction in which the chain is laterally bent) must slide or turn in frictional contact
with the correspondingly shaped groove or saddle-like bearing to which it is fitted.
This necessary mode of operation produces a substantially equal amount of wear on
the saddle-like bearing-surfaces of the blocks and the interior semi-circular surfaces or
end-portions of the links.
My present invention has for its object to avoid or overcome the wear thus
occasioned in the links themselves, and this is attained by the employment of curved
bearing-pieces or bushings made of any suitable metal or materal, arranged in such
a manner, in conjunction with the link-ends and the interposed metallic blocks, as to
render the chain capable of operation without the slightest friction on any portion of
the link. The present invention may therefore be said to consist essentially in the
combination with the links and interposed wearing-blocks of a chain cable of said
construction, of bushings which practically constitute linings to the interior portions
of the semi-circular ends of the links, and that move with the links and in frictional
contact with the saddle-like surface of the grooves of the bearing-blocks proper. Each
one of the bushings is shaped so as to accomodate or seat within its peripherically
grooved face, the interior surface of the semi-circular end of one of the chain-links

page_text: and so that leg-like extensions formed on said bushing, prevent the latter from
turning, thus enforcing the movement of the bushing with the link-end whenever
the bushing shall have been properly placed within the end of the link and the
latter drawn taut and pulled home to a bearing against the saddle-like portion of
the bearing-block.
Preferably each of the bushings has its internal face made straight in cross section
of the bushing, so as to conform to the square saddle-like groove in the bearing-block
in which it is engaged.
To permit the removal and replacement of each of the bushings, the peripherical
flange-like portion of each of said bushings is cut away at one side so that after
moving the ends away from each other in the direction of the length of the chain,
the bushings may be removed by proper manipulation.
On turning either of the links relatively to the other, the bushing connected with
this link will turn bodily with the link during its oscillatory movement about the
axis of the articulation of the chain so that the wear or surface of frictional contact
will occur between the saddle-like surface of the bearing-block and the contiguous
surface of the bushing.
It will be understood that, instead of the saddle-like groove in the bearing-piece
some other form of bearing-groove may be employed and the bushing correspondingly
shaped, and that the bushings may be made to move bodily with the respective links
by other means than the leg-like extensions referred to. It will also be understood
that the cut-away portions to permit the removal of the bushings may be replaced by
other suitable means, or in case where it may not be desirable to have the bushings
removable, they may be made otherwise and permanently combined with the ends of
the links.

page_text: Improvements in Chain Cable.
I, JAMES M. DODGE, of Philapelphia, county of Philadelphia, and State of
Pennsylvania, 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 :—
This invention relates especially to that species of chain cable in which the links are
indirectly articulated or connected through the medium of interposed removable
bearing or wearing blocks, which afford a larger wearing-surface than is possible in
that species of chain cable in which the links are coupled directly one with another.
This indirect articulating is brought about in such a manner that the semi-circular
ends of two adjacent links of the chain take their bearings, respectively, in corre-
spondingly shaped grooves or saddle-like bearing-surfaces that are arranged trans-
versely to each other in an interposed piece or block, and the mode of operation is
such that in passing over any wheels in connection with which the chain may be used
the semicircular end of one or the other of every two links (according to the direction
in which the chain is laterally bent) must slide or turn in frictional contact with tho
correspondingly-shaped groove or saddle-like bearing to which it is fitted. This
necessary mode of operation produces, of course, a substantially equal amount of wear
on the saddle-like bearing-surfaces or end portions of the links.
The present invention has for its object to avoid or overcome the wear thus
occasioned in the links themselves, (which, of course, constitute the most important
and expensive part of the chain structure,) and this desired object I have attained by
the employment of curved bearing-pieces or bushings made of any suitable metal or
material, arranged in such a manner, in conjunction with the link ends and the
interposed metallic blocks, as to render the chain capable of operation without the
slightest friction on any portion of the link.
The present invention may therefore be said to consist, essentially, in the combina-
tion, with the links and interposed wearing-blocks of a chain cable as aforesaid,
of bearing-pieces or bushings which practically constitute linings to the interior
portions of the semi-circular ends of the links, and that move with the links and in
frictional contact with the saddle-like surface of the grooves of the bearing-blocks, all
as will be hereinafter more fully explained, and as will be particularly pointed out
and defined in the claim of this specification.
To enable those skilled in the art to which this invention relates to make and use
the improved chain-cable, 1 will now proceed to more fully describe the same,
referring by letters to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this
specification, and in which I have shown the present invention carried out in that
form in which I have so far successfully practiced it.

page_text: In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a top or plan view of two links of a chain made
according to the present invention. Fig. 2 is a side view or elevation of the parts
illustrated at Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a perspective view, on a somewhat enlarged scale, of
the bearing or wearing block and the bushings or linings of the link ends detached
from the links of the chain. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one of the metallic bushing
pieces or linings separated from the other parts seen at Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a partial
horizontal section at the line x-x of Fig. 2.
In the several figures the same part will be found designated by the same letter
of reference.
A and B represent two of the links of a chain cable, each of which has semicircular
ends, as shown, and C is the bearing or wearing block, which is interposed between
the coupled ends of the two links. With these links and bearing-block are combined,
as I will presently explain, bearing-pieces or bushings d, the preferable shape of cach
of which is clearly shown in the drawings.
Each one of the bearing-pieces or bushings d is shaped so as to accomodate or seat
within its peripherally-grooved face the interior surface or portion of the semicircular
end of one of the chain links, and so that its leg-like extensions at e and will prevent
any turning movement of the bushing, (in the plane of the link,) thus enforcing the
movement of the bushing with the semicircular link end whenever the bushing shall
have been properly placed within the end of the link and the latter drawn taut and
pulled home to a bearing against the saddle-like portion of the block C.
Preferably each of the bushings d has its internal face or peripheral surface made
straight in cross-section of the bushing, so as to conform to the square saddle-like
grooves in the bearing block C.
By reference to Fig. 5 it will be seen that the saddle-like groove or seat in the
block (is rectangular in cross-section and that the bearing or wearing face of the
bushing d conforms to the groove thus shaped, while the peripheral groove in
the bushing itself, in which the end of the link B is seated, is semicircular in cross-
section, to correspond with the cylindrical shape (in cross section) of the stock
composing the link end.
To permit the removal and replacement of each of the bushings & whenever
necessary for the purpose of their renewal, &c., the peripheral flange-like portion of
each of said bushings is cut away or slipped off at one side of the bushing, as
seen at e.
When the two links, with the two bearing-pieces or bushings d and the block C,
are arranged and put together in the manner clearly shown at Figs. 1, 2 and 5, the
mode of operation of the parts, it will be seen, is such that on turning either of the
links relatively to the other for instance, as indicated by the changed position of
link B in dotted lines at Fig. 2-the bushing d, connected with said link B, will
inevitably turn bodily with the link during its oscillatory movement about the axis of
the articulation of the chain, so that the whole wear or surface of frictional contact
will occur between the exterior or saddle-like surface of the block Cand the contiguous
surface of the bushing d. Thus during all the relative movements of the links of
a chain made, as shown and described, with the interposed bushings or lining-
pieces d, not the slightest frictional wear can come upon any portion of any one of
the links A and B of the chain.
Whenever it may be necessary, in order to renew or replace any of the worn
parts, (or for any other purpose,) to separate the links, the blocks C, and the two
bushings d, it is only necessary to back the links A and B relatively-i.e., move
their adjacent or coupled ends away from each other in the direction of the length
of the chain, when, by the proper manipulation, the blocks C may be removed, and
by a reverse mode of manipulation duplicate or new bushings, or blocks C, or both,
may be resupplied to the links of the chain.
It will be understood, of course, that although I have shown the blocks C with the
saddle-like grooves of the form indicated at Fig. 5, some other form of bearing groove
may be employed and the bushing d correspondingly changed in shape. It will also
be understood that although the shape of bushing shown, with the leg-like extensions f,

page_text: for the purpose of enforcing the turning of the bushing with the curved end of the
link, is the form, I prefer, the said bushings may be made to move bodily with the
links, with which they are combined, by some other means than the leg-like extensions
referred to and that although the cut-away of one of the peripheral flanges at e is
shown as the preferable means for permitting the easy detachment or removal of each
of the bushings from the rest of the structure, this end may be accomplished in some
other way
or in case where it may not be deemed desirable or necessary to have
these bushings removable, they may be made otherwise and permanently combined
with the ends of the links.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
In combination with the links A and B of a chain cable, an interposed or inter-
mediately-arranged metallic block, C, and suitable bushing-pieces or linings, d, which
move with the articulated ends of the chain-links, and which bear upon and move
relatively to the saddle-like seats or bearing surface of said interposed block, all
substantially in the manner and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth.
Dated this Sixteenth day of March 1888