IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Spencer Smith, Engineer, and Philip Hathaway,
Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF
"
Sealed the 12th September 1860, and dated the 13th March 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Spencer Smith and Philip
Hathaway at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their
Petition, on the 18th March 1860.
We, SPENCER SMITH, Engineer, and PHILLIP HATHAWAY, Gentleman, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF CHAINS AND OTHER SIMILAR ARTICLES," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to certain improvements in the manufacture of the
links of chains and such like articles from the ribbons, strips, or fillets of iron
or other suitable metal by coiling or lapping one layer over another, upon a
mould or moulds of the requisite form, and set in motion by hand or by
mechanical means, the inner and outer ends of such strips being secured by
rivetting or any other means, and each piece or completed article is then gal-
vanized; or if any alteration in the form is necessary after the operation of
lapping up or winding on has been performed, such alteration or adjustment of.
form must be effected before submitting to the process of galvanising. To
form the links of chains of round or oval section, the ribbon or strip is first cut
or otherwise formed into a tapered band of the required length, of a suitably
increased width in the centre of the length thereof, similar to the section of a
long parabollic spindle or shaft; and other objects or articles are formed in like
manner, and afterwards galvanized for the purpose of consolidating or massing
the whole.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Spencer Smith and Philip Hathaway in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 13th September 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, SPENCER
SMITH, Engineer, and PHILIP HATHAWAY, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-third year of Her reign.
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the said
Spencer Smith and Philip Hathaway, Her special licence that we, the said
Spencer Smith and Philip Hathaway, our executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as we, the said Spencer Smith and Philip Hathaway,
our executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with,
and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend;
within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for " IMPROVEMENTS. IN THE MANU-
FACTURE OF CHAINS AND OTHER SIMILAR ARTICLES," upon the condition (amongst
others) that we, the said Spencer Smith and Philip Hathaway, our executors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under our, or their, or one of
their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature
of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed,
and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within
six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Spencer Smith and Philip Hathaway,
do hereby declare the nature of our said 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 certain improvements in the manufacture of the
links of chains and such like articles from ribands, strips, or fillets of iron or
⚫ other suitable metal, by coiling or lapping one layer over another, upon a mould
or moulds of the requisite ferm, set in motion by hand or mechanical means,
the inner and outer ends of such strips being secured by rivetting or any other
means, and each piece or completed article is then galvanized; or if any
alteration in the form is necessary, after the operation of lapping up or winding
on has been performed, such alteration or adjustment of form must be effected
before submitting the article to the process of galvanizing.
To form the links of chains of round or oval section, the riband or strip is

page_text: first cut or otherwise formed into a tapered band of the required length, of a
suitably increased width in the centre of the length thereof, similar to the
section of a long parabollic spindle or shaft; and other objects or articles are
formed in like manner, and afterwards galvanized, for the purpose of consoli-
dating or massing the whole.
For the purpose of forming iron links of a square section, whether of oval.
or other form, we take strips of the toughest metal, cut to the width of the
link for which it is required, and by tapering or thinning down the end, com-
mence coiling it around the mould or block, by inserting the point in a notch
prepared for the purpose, and by continuing the winding until the requisito
thickness is attained we are enabled to finish the link, the end having been
previously tapered or thinned off to the requisite extent.
Before commencing the operation of winding on of the ribbon, strip, or
fillet, short lengths of binding wire are laid into notches or grooves provided;
for them in the mould or block, and when the operation of winding has been
completed and the link thus formed of the section due to the form of the riband,
strip, or fillet, and of the shape due to the block upon which it has been wound,
the binding wires are opened out from the block and firmly secured around the
link for the purpose of holding it in shape when removed from the mould or
block for the purpose of being subjected to the process of galvanizing.
The riband, strip, or fillet, whatever its shape or form may be, should be
pickled or otherwise freed from grease, oxide, or any other matter which would
prevent perfect metallic contact, or the perfect galvanizing into a solid mass of.
the various layers.
For round links, or links of circular section, whatever the shape or form of
the link may be, that is, nearly round, a short oval link, or a long oval link of
whatever form or figure may be preferred, we take sheets of metal of a suitable.
length and thickness, and cut therefrom ribands, strips, or fillets of tapering
width, narrow at the one end and becoming wider at the middle, and again.
narrowing off to the other end; the proportion of the tapering ends to the
parallel portion of the length of each strip, or of the central portion or approxi-.
mately parallel part to the tapered ends, may of course be varied to suit the.
change of section or the proportion of the thickness of the metal strip to the
thickness of the link or to the number of coils composing the link. Wo prefer,
however, to form links of circular or oval section of many coils of thin metal
in preference to few coils of thicker metal; and when iron is used, we prefer to:
employ the toughest description of material, which has been subjected to
repeated rollings or other equivalent treatment for the purpose of condensing
and improving the structural character and increasing the strength.

page_text: Instead, however, of cutting out from sheet iron the riband, strips, or fillets
in the shape. desired, and leaving them of uniform, thickness, we prefer, for
some purposes, to take rods of iron, and by means of rollers, suitably grooved,.
so as to produce the narrowing or tapering to the required extent, and also the
thinning from the centre part towards each end, as may be most useful or,
desirable for giving the requisite form to the section of the link.
By employing rollers of large diameter, having their surfaces suitably cut,,
and by mounting them concentrically or eccentrically, the strips may be formed
either of uniform thickness or tapered, instead of being parallel in thickness,.
whilst the breadth of the strip is at the same time tapered.
Instead of employing binding wires, as before described, for securing the link.
when coiled up, we prefer, for some purposes, to fasten the inner end by point-
ing it and turning it upward and piercing a corresponding hole in the strip of
metal at the termination of the first coil, and' inserting the. point of the end
thereinto, and, in like manner, either drill a hole in the last coil or outside
layer, and by suitably forming. a point at. the outer end. and inserting it into
the hole, thus prevent the tendency to unlap; or by drilling a small hole into
the outer and next coils below, insert in the hole thus formed a soft metal
rivet which will suffice to hold the link in form until it is galvanized.
When "stud links," or links having stays or studs across them, are. required,
we form the links in the ordinary way, and by cutting short pieces of metal
tube into a suitable form they are sprung into. their place, and: galvanized
with the link; solid studs, may, however, be inserted, and where a rivet
cannot be passed through from side to side of the link, as where a piece of
tube is employed for a stay, a thin band of metal may be wrapped around the
sides of the link and the sides of the stay, and may be secured thereto by a
rivet or otherwise. The thin tube stay may, however, be made to grasp the
sides of the link, or be so cut as to. enable the points to surround, lap over,
or cross each side, and thus bind the whole together.
After making a number of single links upon part moulds" or compound
blocks, which separate for the purpose of relieving or withdrawing the link
when wound up, we join them together for the purpose of. forming a chain,
either by any of the well-known means for interweaving compound links, or
by the following means or method; that is to say, we form a ring mould
in parts or pieces having a groove in the edge thereof of the form of the
section of the link, and this "part mould" has a sufficiently large opening
in the centre to receive the end of the previously completed link; and as the
mould is supported internally at the top and bottom upon rollers or studs pro-
jecting from the face of a bracket or standard, motion is communicated to the

page_text: mould by means of a toothed wheel attached to one side thereof (having also
an eye or opening in the centre similar to the mould), and gearing thereinto
is a pinion attached to the standard or bracket, which may be driven by hand
or other power. Thus, the periphery of the wheel and the mould is caused to
revolve within the link previously completed, and it is by reason of the "part
mould" and the wheel (or means of turning it) being suspended from or upon
two or more studs or friction wheels, that we are enabled to thread together
pieces of chain, or connect links previously made by any other means, whilst
they remain stationary the process of winding up or forming the additional
link being performed within and around the one end of the link or links
previously made.
Where links of square section have been made, and the angles being square
are objectionable, we remove the sharp edges by means of rose cutters
mounted upon a spindle and revolving at a suitable velocity, the edges of the
link being caused to turn between the cutters, so that they may be removed,
and the link thus treated should be again galvanized.
Having now described the nature of our said Invention, and the manner in
which we prefer to put the same into practice, we wish it to be understood
that what we claim is,
First, the mode of making or constructing links and forming chains there-
from, as herein described.
Second, the mode or method of constructing or forming chains and other
similar articles out of ribands, strips, or fillets of iron or other metal coiled or
wound up into form, and afterwards galvanized or massed together, as herein
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Spencer Smith, on behalf of myself
and Phillip Hathaway, have hereunto set my hand and seal, this
Thirteenth day of September, One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
Witness,
F. H. ROBERTS,
19, Salisbury St, W.C.
SPENCER SMITH. (L.S.)