An Improved Chain Coupling, chiefly for Use in Mooring Chains.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Oct., 1896-Accepted, 5th Dec., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Chain Coupling, chiefly for Use in Mooring Chains.
I, OTTO KLATTE, of Neuwied on the Rhine, in the Empire of Germany,
Director of "Walzwerk Germania," 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 a coupling device serving to connect the ends of
mooring chains, its characteristic feature consisting in its having two ball and
socket joints'arranged in the longitudinal direction of the chain and between these
two joints, two hinges arranged in relatively transverse directions and passing one
another rectangularly; the bolts of these hinges may be provided with shackles,
so that the coupling device is enabled to turn pivotally in any direction, to be easily
detachable and further, so that after being disconnected, each half of the device
may be independently applicable as a coupling.
This coupling device is represented in the accompanying drawing, of which
Figure 1 is a side-elevation partly in section and
Figure 2 a plan thereof.
The coupling device comprises two ball and socket joint bearings a a, each of
which has two perforated cars a' a' arranged opposite one another. The bearings a
are so arranged relatively to each other, that the ears a¹ of one bearing are placed
at an angle of 90 degrees relatively to the ears of the other. Between the four
ears a block b is placed which is provided with two holes or bores at right angles
to one another. One of these bores is co-axial with the holes in the ears of one
hearing, while the other bore is co-axial with the holes in the ears of the other
bearing. The bores may be located at any suitable distance from one another,
the block being made longer or shorter as the case may be.
According to the drawing the bores are located as closely together as practicable.
Through the holes provided in the ears of each bearing and through the adjacent
bore provided in the block b a bolt c is passed, to the outer extremities of which a
shackle d is attached. Before the block b is put in place, a ball e is inserted into
each hearing a, the said ball being furnished with a stem e'. This stern el is
passed through a central hole provided in the bearing a and through an axial hole
of the chain swivel f. The stem e¹ is provided with a heade located in the
central opening of the swivel link f. To the outer extremity of this swivel link f
two chain links g, each provided with a cross piece, are connected, and to the
outermost of the said chain links an ordinary shackle h is linked.
The links f, g, g may be made of the same material and from one piece, and be
produced either by rolling, pressing forging or any other suitable operation.
If the coupling device described is required to be divided or to be detached
from the extremities of the chain, it is only necessary to force out by striking it,
one or the other of the two hinge-bolts c or one of the bolts of the ordinary
shackles h as the case may be, should one of the bolts not yield, the other in all
probability will.
This coupling device in connection with the shackles d arranged on the hinge
bolts c serves, owing to its swivel and pivotal action, to replace the two mooring
shackles commonly used and this substitution may occur to larger extent in
propertion as the bores in the block bare more distant from each other.
Therefore, in case of need the anchor and chain may be easily detached from a

page_text: ship and the mooring chain he readily fixed to a buoy, whence it may be subsequently
removed as found convenient. This improved coupling device therefore is especially
suitable for warships.
Each half of the coupling device may be used separately as an independent
coupling.
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. A device for coupling chain ends, having this distinctive feature, that the eye
of an ordinary swivel is replaced by a ball which is located in a corresponding
spherical bearing through the smaller orifice of which bearing the stem of the ball
passes, and which bearing at the other extremity is connected to the other extremity
of the chain by means of a hinge bolt or, if so desired, by means of a shackle, in
order to obtain a pivotal action of the coupling device in all directions to render
the same easily detachable, and further, to enable it to be utilized to replace
mooring-shackles such as heretofore used.
2. A double coupling device, formed by two couplings of the kind referred to in
the preceding claiming clause, in such a manner that the bearings of both couplings
are, by means of their hinge bolts pivotally connected to a block placed between
the bearings, which block is provided with two bores for receiving the bolts; these
bores passing rectangularly relatively to each other and to the longitudinal direction
of the chain; for the purpose of increasing the pivotal action and flexibility, and
of enabling one half of the coupling to be used separately and independently,
should the other half be lost or otherwise.
Dated this 29th day of October 1846.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.