IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CHAINS OF CAST STEEL OR OTHER METAL AND MOULDS OR APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED THEREIN "
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Penman of Gateshead on Tyne in the County of
Durham, Coal and Lime Merchant-for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MANUFACTURE OF CHAINS OF CAST STEEL OR OTHER METAL AND
MOULDS OR APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED THEREIN
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Penman at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 7th March 1882.
WILLIAM PENMAN of Gateshead on Tyne in the County of Durham Coal and
Lime Merchant "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CHAINS OF CAST
STEEL OR OTHER METAL AND MOULDS OR APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED THEREIN
"3
According to my said Invention the chain will be cast in a series of three or
more "moulds" made of suitable material such, as steel iron metal or brass, or of
wrought iron only in three sections or more.
The "moulds" in their different sections will be cast or prepared in loam or in
other moulds in the usual way.
Each "mould" will be made in three or four different sections or pieces.
Moulds made in three sections are intended for the single links of the chain―
the lower section will form the base of the "mould" and will be in one piece, but
the upper part of the mould will be made in two sections, and will be placed side
by side on the lower or base section thus when the three different sections are
properly placed together they will form a complete mould for one link for the
intended chain. The "mould" will then be ready to receive the molten metal
which is run into the "mould" through a hole or "get" made at either end of one
or other of the upper sections thereof.
The "moulds" inade in four sections or pieces are intended for the other links
of the chain, that is to say, for those which will join or admit all single links
before described in order to form the complete chain. These "moulds "
are formed
as follows two sections will comprise the base or bottom and will lie side by side,
the other two sections will form the upper portion of the mould and will lie side
by side on those forming the base-When all the four sections are thus properly
Price GI

page_text: placed they will between them form a mould for a link with a hole or "get" for
the admission of molten metal at the top thereof as before described.
"
With a set of such "moulds" a chain of any length or of any number of links
or of any weight or thickness can be made or manufactured by casting and the
cutting" and the "welding" of each link is avoided,
These moulds are employed in making and joining together the several links of
a chain as follows:-
"
One half of the links for the chain will be cast singly or separately in the
"moulds" bereinbefore first described, viz-those comprising three sections or
pieces When the single or vertical links are sufficiently cool they will be attached
in a vertical position to the "moulds" secondly hereinbefore described, viz:-those
comprising the four sections there being a link at each end of the mould the loop
of each passing into the space enclosed by the mould proper for the link in this
last mentioned mould which has an opening at its centre for the passage of the
loops of the "vertical" links. Before any molten metal is let into the latter
"mould" that is to say the "mould" intended to form the horizontal or connecting
link, viz the link to join or admit the single or vertical links-a series of metallic
or wrought iron "chocks
or screws will be placed at or near the side and top
of each horizontal link mould for the purpose of preventing the vertical links
already made and so placed and fixed as aforesaid from combining with, adhering
mould
to, or being injured by the hot molten metal about to be run into the "
wherein will be formed the "horizontal" or "connecting" link. So soon as the
.said "chocks" or screws are properly placed and fixed as before described,
molten metal will be run through the "get" into the "mould" and thus every
horizontal or connecting link will be cast and formed and the entire chain itself
will be ultimately manufactured without the processes of cutting and welding
every link and at a great saving of labor and expense and the chain made
according to my said Invention will be completed without a single joint or weld.
"
"
"

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said William Penman in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
2nd September 1882.
WILLIAM PENMAN of Gateshead on Tyne in the County of Durham Coal and
Lime Merchant. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CHAINS OF CAST
STEEL OR OTHER METAL AND MOULDS OR APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED THEREIN
"
My Invention has for its object to provide means for the manufacture of Chains
for Ship's and other purposes by the process of casting in "moulds" made of steel
iron or brass or of wrought iron or other metal and in two three or more sections
as hereinafter described.
In carrying my Invention into effect I first cast single links in moulds and I
then place such single links in another mould in which another link is cast to
connect the single links and lengths thus formed may be similarly connected by
placing the end links of two lengths in a similar mould and casting a connecting
link between them.
Or in place of first casting single links and then casting other links for con-
necting them together I inay cast all the links together in one mould as hereinafter
described.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood I shall now
proceed more fully to describe the same reference being had to the several figures
on the annexed sheets of drawings the same letters of reference indicating corre
sponding parts in all the figures
Moulds made in two or three sections are provided for casting the single or
separate links of the chain. If the moulds be made in three sections the lower
section will form the base of the "mould" and will be in one piece but the upper
part of the mould will be made in two sections and will be placed side by side on
the lower or base section thus when the three different sections are properly placed
together they will between them form a complete mould for one link for the
intended chain with or without a passage for the formation in the cast link of a
stud bar or cross piece in the centre The "mould" will then be ready to receive
the molten steel or other metal which is run into the "mould” through a hole or
get" made at a suitable part of the "mould."
The moulds when made in two sections are suited for casting single links with the
moulds in a vertical position Each section of the mould will be placed side by side
and will between thein contain the necessary space for the formation of the required
link. As this casting of the single links will be readily understood from the
foregoing description I do not consider it necessary to illustrate the moulds
by drawings as their forms will depend upon the form of the link to be
produced.
The parts of the mould will of course be placed tightly together for instance by
being held in a frame cradle or holder and forced together by wedges screws or
other means The "moulds" made in four sections or pieces are intended for all
the other links of the chain that is to say for those which will join or connect the
single links cast as hereinbefore described in order to form a complete chain.
These "moulds" are represented in the accompanying Drawings. Figures 1 and 2
are vertical sections taken at right angles to each other Figure 3 is a plan and
figure 4 is a horizontal section taken on the line 1, 2 Figure 1.
The two sections a b of the mould will form the base or bottom portion of the
mould, being placed side by side in a frame cradle or holder c The other two
sections de form the upper portion of the mould and will also be placed side by

page_text: side on those a b forming the base. When all the four sections are thus properly
placed together they will between them contain a space forming a mould for a link
with a hole or "get" for the admission of molten metal for the formation by casting
of a link to connect two single links (or end links of lengths of chain) placed in the
spaces which are provided for their reception as will be understood by reference
to Figures 1 and 4 where two single links g are shewn in position.
With one, or a set of such moulds a chain of any shape or pattern and length or
of any number of links or of any weight or thickness can be made by casting and
the "cutting" and "welding" of each link is avoided.
These "moulds "may be employed in making and joining together the several
links of a chain as follows:-
these single links are
secondly hereinbefore
mould the loop of each
One half of the number of the links for the chain may be cast singly or separately
in the moulds hereinbefore firstly described and when
sufficiently cool they will be placed in the "moulds
described there being a link at each or either end of the
passing into the space f enclosed by the mould-proper for the link in this last
mentioned mould as shewn in Figures 1 and 4. h is the opening or "get" for the
passage of the molten metal to form the connecting link Before any molten
metal is let into this space a series of metal or wooden or other wedges or chocks i
will be passed between the frame holder or cradle c and the parts of the mould for
the purpose of pressing the parts together and preventing the links already made
and placed in position as aforesaid from combining with, adhering to, or being
injured by, the hot molten metal about to be run into the space wherein the
connecting link is formed I prefer to make the wedges taper both from side to
side and from top to bottom so that as they are driven into their spaces they rise
upward upon an incline is formed on the frame or cradle and effectually force the
parts of the mould together So soon as the said wedges or "chocks" are properly
placed and fixed in position the molten steel or other metal will be run through
the opening or "get" h into the "mould" and thus every connecting link will be
formed and the entire chain itself will be ultimately manufactured without the
processes of cutting and welding and at a great saving of labour and expense and
the chain made according to my said Invention will be completed without a single
joint or weld The frames or cradles c of the moulds for the formation of the
connecting links may have dovetail feet as at k which are adapted to slide in a
similar groove in a bed plate so that a number of the said moulds being mounted
upon the bed plate to slide in these grooves the said moulds can be moved to
various distances apart to accommodate any length of chain between them to
connect any length of chain together by casting a connecting link between them.
Figure 5 represents such a table in plan provided with three moulds but it will
be understood that any number may be so employed.
I will now proceed to describe the manner in which the moulds may be formed
to cast together all the links of a chain. Figure 7 represents in plan a mould for
this purpose Figure 8 is an end view Figure 9 is a section on the line 3, 4
Figure 8 and Figure 10 is a section on the line 5-6 Figure The mould is
formed in four sections or parts containing between them the spaces for all the
links so arranged that all the links can be cast together. I have shewn a mould
for casting together five links but it will be understood that the mould may in a
similar manner be arranged to cast a greater or lesser number of links All the
alternate links are cast say in a vertical position and the others in the reverse
position the spaces being arranged (as will be readily understood by reference to
the drawings so that the said spaces pass through or between the material of the
mould enclosed by the adjacent spaces in essentially the same manner as the
spaces for the single links pass through the material of the mould between the
space for the connecting link in the arrangement Figure 1-Each space for each
link will be provided with a get" or passage h (or gets or passages) for the
molten metal and with a hole or holes for the escape of air as at The "gets
may be connected by a common channel as at h² The mould is shewn as having
"
"

page_text: the sections thereof in one piece or continuous length but it will be understood
that the said sections may be made in lengths made of several parts-In any case
the sections and parts of the mould will be held in a suitable frame cradle or
holder and forced or held together by wedges chocks or screws or otheir equivalents
essentially as hereinbefore explained
The moulds herein before described and illustrated may be made in more than
four sections provided that all the sections when placed together form between
them the necessary mould or space for the casting of the link
It will be understood that the mould may be adapted for casting the links
vertically horizontally or in any suitable position
Any suitable means may be employed for forcing the parts of the moulds
together-For example screws could be substituted for or used in connection with
the wedges illustrated in the drawing-The moulds may be made of a size and
shape suited to cast links of any required size or shape with or without connecting
bars or stud pieces in the centre-Figure 6 is a Section of a form of mould suited
for casting a connecting link with such a cross piece
All the moulds will be provided with air passages or outlets (as at 7) to allow of
the escape of air when the metal is run or poured into the moulds
In order to strengthen the links the ends may be formed thicker than the other
parts as indicated in dotted lines in Figure 6
The chains after casting are or may be annealed or otherwise treated to
strengthen them in any known or suitable manner
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into
effect I would observe in conclusion that what I consider to be novel and original
and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the hereinbefore in part
recited Letters Patent is
First. The improvements in the manufacture of chains consisting in first casting
separate links and then connecting the links so formed together by casting
engaging or connecting links between them or between lengths of cast links in
moulds of steel iron or other metal substantially as herein before described with
reference to Figures 1 to 6 of the accompanying drawings
Second-The improvements in the manufacture of chains consisting in casting
the links thereof in moulds of steel iron or other metal substantially as herein-
before described with reference to Figures 7 to 10 of the accompanying drawings
Third For casting chains the employment of moulds of steel iron or other
metal provided with spaces for the reception of the links to be connected and
for the casting of the link for engaging or connecting the said links together
substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 to 6 of the
accompanying drawings
Fourth For casting chains the employment of moulds of steel iron or other
metal formed with spaces for a number of the links or all of the links of a chain
so that they are cast engaging together substantially as hereinbefore described and
illustrated in Figures 7 to 10 of the accompanying drawings
In witness whereof I the said William Penman have to this my Specification
set my hand and seal this thirty-first day of August One thousand eight
hundred and eighty two
WILLIAM PENMAN (L.S.)