Improvements in the Manufacture of Weldless Chains and in Machinery Employed therein.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 13th July, 1899
Complete Specification Left, 12th Apr., 1900-Accepted, 23rd June, 1900
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Weldless Chains and in
Machinery Employed therein.
I, ALEXANDER GEORGE STRATHERN, of Strathearn, Stepps, in the County of
Lanark, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in the manufacture of weldless chains,
and in machinery for the purpose, such as described in my Application for
Patent No. 18848 of 1898, and has for its object particularly the provision of
improved means for rotating the dies through the desired arc of a circle in order
to effect the stamping of the links upon a bar of cruciform or other section.
In carrying out the invention I provide a rectangular frame at the corners of
which are centred short shafts each carrying an eccentric or crank arranged to
act upon sliding blocks carried in guides in and extending towards the centre of
said frame. These blocks have arms pivoted to their inner ends which carry
wedge shaped dies adapted to enter the angles of the cruciform bar or into the
core of a bar of other shape when the sliding blocks are advanced by the action
of the cranks or eccentrics.
The oscillating arms preferably carry two or more dies which would permit of
the said dies being brought into operation alternatively or successively. The
cranks or eccentrics are geared together by spur wheels in order to cause the
dies to press simultaneously on the bar. The acting faces of the dies are curved,
the curve being described from a centre considerably to one side of the pivot, so
that after the dies have been pressed into the core of the bar a further rotation
of the crank or eccentric causes them to rotate and crush the bar into link form.
The movement of the dies is controlled by a cam and sliding sleeve, the latter
being connected to the die arms by rods. The cam consists of a sleeve which
surrounds a hollow shaft and has a scroll cut in it, portions of which scroll are at
right angles to the axis of said sleeve and other portions inclined at other angles
thereto, whereby the desired longitudinal movement is imparted to the sleeve by
means hereinafter described. The cam slides on the hollow shaft to which it is
connected by a feather key, said shaft being caused by gearing to revolve at
half the speed of the crank shafts, and the cam is connected to the sliding sleeve
by a loose ring made in halves which allows the cam to rotate while the sleeve
has a reciprocating motion only, the sleeve being prevented from turning by an
extension upon it engaging a stationary part of the framing. The cam or sleeve
race or scroll into which a roller on a stationary shaft or pin enters is formed so
that when the dies are at their farthest out position the sliding sleeve is held
stationary. that is to say, it has no longitudinal movement, but as soon as the
dies have been pressed into the core of the bar an inclined part of the cam race
engages with the cam roller carried on the stationary shaft and effects the sliding
action of the scroll cam and the sleeve and consequently a rolling action of
the
dies before mentioned. After the dies have moved along the

page_text: bar the distance required, another straight part of the cam
race
or scroll engages with the roller on the stationary shaft until the dies are with-
drawn from the bar. Another inclined part of the cam race or scroll thereafter
comes into action and pulls the cam and sleeve along thereby rotating the die
arms the distance required to bring the second set of dies into position. The
second half of the cam race is constructed in a similar way so that a corresponding
forward oscillating and withdrawing motion is given to the second set of dies,
and when these have been withdrawn from the bar, another angular part of the
cam race causes the sleeve to return to the normal position, thereby bringing
the first set of dies back to the original starting point. The same operations
are repeated throughout the length of the bar.
1041
T... 1000
WALLACE FAIRWEATHER,
Of the Firm of Cruikshank & Fairweather,
Chartered Patent Agents,
62, Saint Vincent Street, Glasgow,
Agent for the Applicant.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Weldless Chains and in
Machinery Employed therein.
I, ALEXANDER GEORGE STRATHERN, of Strathearn, Stepps, in the County of
Lanark, 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 to improvements in the manufacture of weldless chains,
and in machinery for the purpose, such as described in my Application for
Patent No. 18848 of 1898, and has for its object particularly the provision of
improved means for rotating the dies through the desired arc of a circle in order
to effect the stamping of the links upon a bar of cruciform or other section.
The invention is illustrated by the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 being an
end view partly in section of the chain making machine, and Figure 2 a longi-
tudinal vertical section of the same.
In carrying out the invention I provide a rectangular frame P at the corners.
of which are centred short shafts Q each carrying an eccentric or crank arranged
to act upon sliding blocks F carried in guides in and extending towards the
centre of said frame P. These blocks F have arms A pivoted to their inner
ends which carry wedge shaped dies S adapted to enter the, angles of the cruciform
bar or into the core of a bar of other shape when the sliding blocks F are ad-
vanced by the action of the cranks or eccentrics on the shafts Q.
The oscillating arms A preferably carry two or more dies S which would per-
mit of the said dies being brought into operation alternately or successively.
The cranks or eccentric shafts Q are geared together by spur wheels R in order
to cause the dies S to press simultaneously on the bar. The acting faces of the
dies S are curved, the curves being described from a centre considerably to one
side of the pivot, as shewn particularly at Fig. 2, so that after the dies S have
been pressed into the core of the bar a further rotation of the crank or eccentric
and consequent further advancement of the blocks F carrying the dies S, causes
them to rotate and crush the bar into link form. The movement of the dies S
is controlled by a rotating cam T and a non-rotating sliding sleeve U, the latter
being connected to the die arms by rods V. The cam T consists of a sleeve

page_text: which surrounds a hollow shaft W and has a scroll T cut in it, portions of
which scroll are at right angles to the axis of said sleeve and other portions
inclined at other angles thereto, whereby the desired longitudinal movement is
imparted to the cam sleeve T by means hereinafter described. The cam sleeve T
slides on the hollow shaft W to which it is connected by a feather key, said
shaft W being caused by gearing R1, R2, to revolve at half the speed of the crank
shafts Q, and the cam sleeve T is connected to the sliding sleeve U by a loose
ring U made in halves which allows the cam sleeve T to rotate while the sleeve
U has a reciprocating motion only, the sleeve U being prevented from turning by
an extension U2 upon it engaging a stationary part of the framing P. The
race or scroll T' of the cam sleeve T into which a roller X on a stationary shaft.
or pin Xenters is formed so that when the dies S are at their furthest out
position the sliding sleeve T is held stationary, that is to say, it has no longi-
tudinal movement, but as soon as the dies S have been pressed into the core of
the bar an inclined part of the cam race T' engages with the cam roller X carried
on the stationary shaft X' and affects the sliding action of the scroll cam T
and the sleeve U and consequently a rolling action of the dies S before mentioned.
After the dies S have moved along the bar the distance required, another straight
part of the cam race or scroll T₁ engages with the roller X on the stationary
shaft X until the dies S are withdrawn from the bar. Another inclined part
of the cam race or scroll T¹ thereafter comes into action and pulls the cam sleeve T
and sleeve U along, thereby rotating the die arms A the distance- required to
bring the second set of dies S into position. The second half of the cam race T
is constructed in a similar way so that a corresponding forward oscillating and
withdrawing motion is given to the second set of dies S and when these have been
withdrawn from the bar another angular part of the cam race T¹ causes the
sleeves T and to return to the normal position, thereby bringing the first set
of dies S back to the original starting point. The same operations are repeated
throughout the length of the bar.
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:-
-
1. Machinery for the manufacture of weldless chains constructed, combined and
arranged to operate, substantially as described.
2. A machine for making weldless chains consisting of a rectangular frame
having guides extending diagonally towards the centre, short shafts centred at
the outer ends of said guides, and geared together, sliding blocks operated simul-
taneously in said guides by crank or eccentric portions on the short shafts, die-
carrying arms pivoted to the sliding blocks, rods connected to the pivoted arms
and to a sliding cam sleeve keyed to and surrounding a hollow shaft, a scroll on
said cam, and a roller on a stationary shaft or pin for traversing said sleeve
longitudinally in order to partially rotate the die arms, substantially as described.
3. In a machine for making weldless chains, the combination with a rectangular
frame having guides extending diagonally towards the centre, of shafts centred
at the outer ends of said guides, and geared together, crank or eccentric portions
on said shafts, sliding blocks in said guides and curved die arms pivoted to said
blocks, said cranks or eccentrics being adapted to advance and retract the sliding
blocks connected to the die-carrying arms, and means for oscillating said arms,
substantially as described.
4. In a machine for making weldless chains, the combination with a rect-
angular frame having guides extending diagonally towards the centre, and crank
shafts carried at the outer ends of said guides, and operating sliding blocks, of
die-carrying arms pivoted to said blocks, and means for oscillating said arms,
substantially as described.
5. In a machine for making weldless chains the combination of pivoted arms
carrying curved dies, rods connected to said arms and to a sliding sleeve loosely

page_text: surrounding a rotating hollow shaft, a lug projecting from said sliding sleeve and
engaging a stationary part of the machine to prevent the sleeve from turning
with the shaft, a rotating and sliding cam sleeve keyed to the hollow shaft and
connected to the loose sleeve by an annular ring, a scroll in the rotating cam
sleeve, and a roller on a stationary shaft or pin engaging said scroll to impart a
longitudinal movement to the sleeves and corresponding rotative movement to
the pivoted arms, substantially as described.
T
11 1111.
J
1000
5
WALLACE FAIRWEATHER,
Of the Firm of Cruikshank & Fairweather,
Chartered Patent Agents,
62, Saint Vincent Street, Glasgow,
Agent for the Applicant.