IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF WELDLESS CHAINS
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Imray of No 28 Southampton Buildings Chancery
Lane in the County of Middlesex for an Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF WELDLESS CHAINS communicated to
him from abroad by Marie Louise Albertine de Briey, Comtesse de Montebello
of Paris France
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Imray at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 18th June 1883.
JOHN IMRAY of N° 28 Southampton Buildings Chancery Lane in the County of
Middlesex "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF WELDLESS
CHAINS [communicated to him from abroad by Marie Louise Albertine de Briey,
Comtesse de Montebello of Paris France]
23
In the Specification to Lettors Patent of the 9th June 1881 N° 2522 is described
a method of manufacturing weldless chains by cutting and piercing a continuous
bar of iron or steel having the form of a cross in section, so as to produce the
successive links engaged with each other, which are afterwards finished to the
required shape. This invention relates to apparatus for effecting the successive
operations required for this process, either by separate tools or by a machine in
which the tools are arranged to perform their respective operations on the heated
bar as it travels along the machine. The first set of tools consists of a punch and
matrix by which portions of the ribs of the cross are cut out so that the parts left
present the outlines of the successive links. The next tools are punches which,
by turning a cam sleeve through which the bar passes, are caused to pierce oblique
holes in the angles of the bar so as to separate the bow of one link from the bow
of the next. The metal within each link is next removed by punching, and the
links, now being separable, are rounded by forging, after which they are pressed
into an approximately elliptical form, with a middle strut if required engaged
between the two sides of each link.
In the machine for effecting these operations, the heated bar is fed forward
intermittently along the centre of the machine, along which the several sets of
tools are arranged one after the other. These tools are worked by cams on four
Den G71

page_text: simultaneously revolving shafts, which extend along the machine and revolve in
bearings arranged uniformly around the centre line. Thus, as the bar advances
step by step, each step equivalent to the length of a pair of links, the tools operate
upon it, and the finished chain passes out from the end of the machine and may be
wound on a barrel. As, owing to the forging out of the links, the length of the
finished chain exceeds that of the bar from which it is made, there is an inter-
mittent movement of delivery exceeding in its travel the movement which feeds
the bar. Both these movements can be varied to suit different sizes of chain, and
all the tools, the holders of which are arranged to work like plungers in cylin-
drical guides, can be readily removed and exchanged for other tools to suit
different sizes and shapes of link.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Imray in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 18th December
1883.
JOHN IMRAY of N° 28 Southampton Buildings Chancery Lane in the County of
Middlesex "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF WELDLESS
CHAINS A communication to me from Abroad by Marie Louise Albertine de Briey,
Comtesse de Montebello of Paris France
"
In the Specification to Letters Patent of the 9th June 1881 N° 2522 is described
a method of manufacturing weldless chains by cutting and piercing a continuous
bar of iron or steel, having the form of a cross in section, so as to produce the
successive links engaged with each other, which are afterwards finished to the
required shape. This invention relates to apparatus for effecting the successive
operations required for this process, by a machine in which the tools are arranged
to perform their respective operations on the heated bar as it travels along the
machine. The first set of tools consists of a punch and matrix by which portions
of the ribs of the cross are cut out so that the parts left present the outlines of the
successive links. The next tools are punches which, by turning a cam sleeve
through which the bar passes, are caused to pierce oblique holes in the angles of
the bar so as to separate the bow of one link from the bow of one link from the
bow of the next. The metal within each link is next removed by punching, and
the links, now being separable, are rounded by forging, after which they are pressed
into an approximately elliptical form, with a middle strut if required engaged
between the two sides of each link.
In the machine for effecting these operations, the heated bar is fed forward
intermittently along the centre of the machine, along which the several sets of
tools are arranged one after the other. These tools are worked by cams on four
simultaneously revolving shafts, which extend along the machine and revolve in
bearings arranged uniformly around the centre line. Thus, as the bar advances
step-by-step, each step equivalent to the length of a pair of links, the tools operate

page_text: upon it, and the finished chain passes out from the end of the machine, and may
be wound on a barrel. As, owing to the forging out of the links, the length of
the finished chain exceeds that of the bar from which it is made, there is an inter-
mittent movement of delivery exceeding in its travel the movement which feeds
the bar. Both these movements can be varied to suit different sizes of chain, and
all the tools, the holders of which are arranged to work like plungers in cylin-
drical guides, can be readily removed and exchanged for other tools to suit
different sizes and shapes of link.
The accompanying drawings represent a machine arranged to make at a single
heat a continuous length of chain of the kind described.
Fig. 1 is a side view, Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section on a diagonal plane, Fig. 3
shews the effect of the successive operations on the bar to convert it into a chain;
Fig. 4 is an external view to a small scale shewing the mode of drawing. the bar
into the machine at first by an attachment such as is shewn in Fig. 7. Figs 5
and 6 are sections shewing the punching and removal of the metal to separate
the links; Fig. 8 shews in detail the working of the tools, Fig. 9 is an end view
of the machine at the entering end, and Fig. 10 is a view of the opposite end;
Fig. 11 is a transverse section in the plane of the axes of the first punches;
Figs 12 and 13 shew details for the turning movement of the links between two
stampings, and Fig. 14 is a transverse section shewing the ovalling action on the
links and the setting of the struts.
A is the framing made in the form of a square tube resting on three
feet XXX', the two X¹ X' on the right being connected by a base which
carries the motor engine. The frame A is made with horizontal, vertical and
oblique guides for the various tool holders. To work these, there are mounted
around the framing four longitudinal shafts Bon which are fixed the several cams.
Motion is communicated directly to the shafts B from a motor engine shewn in
outline in Fig. 10. The engine shaft works an intermediate shaft C, a pinion E
on which turns the wheel D gearing externally with the pinion E, and internally
with pinions F on the four shafts B.
The bar passing from a furnace situated on the left of the machine, is fed into
the machine by a feeding apparatus, the stroke of which can be varied. It is
worked by a bevil wheel O on the end of one the shafts B, gearing with P, which
has on its axis a disc G having an adjustable crank pin, that by a rod H is linked
to the lever I having an arın K and pawl L which, by means of a ratchet wheel,
works the upper fluted feed roller J. Two springs M acting on levers press J on the
bar so as to cause it to move onwards, these springs being regulated by set
screws N. The bar rests on the smooth roller J¹. The successive operations on
the bar as shewn by Fig. 3 are as follows: Nos 1 and 2, Cutting the wings by the
tools a Fig. 2-N° 3, 4, 5 and 6, oblique punching by the tools 6 Figs. 2 and 11-
No 7 and 8, removing metal by the tools c Fig. 2.-No 9 and 10, forging by the
tools & Fig. 2-No 11 and 12, rounding by the tools f Fig 2. After each of the
operations 11 and 12, the appliances shewn in Figs 12 and 13 cause the links to
turn partly round so as to present successive parts to the tools-No 13 and 14,
second rounding by the tools g Fig 2-N° 15 and 16, placing of the struts by the
tools h and i and ovalling the links and squeezing in of the struts by the tools j
No 17 and 18 similar operations in planes at right angles to those of N° 15 and 16.
To draw the chain out of the machine, the discharging apparatus, Figs. 1 and 10,
is arranged with a variable stroke and having its axis supported on a slide. It is
worked by a pinion m revolving at the same rate as the shafts which work the
tools, the chain links lying in the grooves of the wheel n, whence the chain
descends into a pit or is coiled on a drum. The struts that are to be inserted in
the links are fed to the shoot z Fig 14, which has a pressing lever that permits
only one to pass at a time, to a stop on the face of the plunger q by which the
stay is advanced into the link, whereupon the tools ; press the two sides of the
link against the strut so as to clamp it between them. The discharge apparatus
has a greater stroke than the feed to allow for the length occupied by links

page_text: exceeding that of the bar from which they are formed. As chains of different
sizes have to be made, the tools are fitted in slides which allow of adjusting their
relative positions. The tools for the operation No 11 is conveniently taken as the
centre of operation, so that when a shorter chain is to be made all the tools on the
left of those have to be shifted towards the right, and those on the right have to
be shifted towards the left. The axis of the discharge wheel n can be raised or
lowered and the wheel itself can be changed to suit different sizes of chain. The
cams Q and friction rollers k for working the several tools can be shifted or
changed to suit different sizes. Each tool holder moves as a plunger, the cam
pushing it inwards and a spring R pushing it back. Besides the tools shewn,
additional stamping and shaping tools may be applied, so as to produce more certain
and rapid work. The tool holders are so arranged as to give facilities for changing
the tools. These, as well as the whole machine, have to be kept cool and clean
by water circulating and playing on them in jets.
Having thus described the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, I
claim-
The construction of chain making machine, substantially as herein described.
In Witness whereof I the said John Imray have hereunto set my hand and
seal this eighteenth day of December in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and eighty-three.
JOHN IMRAY inst