Improvements in Chains.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Oct., 1899-Accepted, 25th Nov.,
1899
Improvements in Chains.
I, RICHARD STAERCKE, of 23, Reichenberger Street, in the City of Berlin,
Kingdom of Prussia, German Empire, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particu-
larly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention refers to chains of the kind in which pairs of exterior links are
combined with single or separate interior links, connected with said exterior ones
by bolts or the like, and in which the latter are releived from the strain by lateral
projections forming parts of the interior links, and by a special configuration of
the exterior links, in that these are hollow-pressed and take over said lateral
projections of the interior links, so that the strain or tension is transmitted
from the exterior links to the interior ones, and reversely, directly, i.e., without
the mediation of the bolts.
My invention relates especially to the interior links or to the combination of
the above-named known exterior links with new interior links, and my invention
consists in constructing the interior links each of a bent strip produced from
sheet or band-metal, and shaped so as to represent a kind of a double-eye, having
two openings for the passage of the bolts, and having at one end the joint re-
sulting from the manufacture of the link from a strip of metal. The manu-
facture of such links is far easier and less expensive, than the mode of manu-
facture as made necessary by the use of solid rods or bars for the production of
the interior links, but the practical employment of the new interior link
depends entirely on the means for preventing the link from opening at its joint,
and to prevent this I make use of a means hitherto known only for the relieve-
ment of the bolts, but not for preventing a joint against opening. This means
is formed in general by the afore mentioned hollow-pressed exterior links, or
pairs of links, and in particular by letting these parts take over the lateral pro-
jections of the interior links. There is in this case obtained the very remark-
able effect that the parts at the joint are pressed one against the other with a
power depending entirely on the strain or tension which the chain is subjected
to, and it results therefrom that the strain or tension tends not to open-the joint
but to close it, so that the joint is consequently completely prevented against
being opened by a strain or tension of whatever strength.
In order to make my invention more clear I refer to the accompanying draw-
ing in which similar letters denote similar parts throughout the different views
and in which:-
Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section through a short part of a chain constructed
pccording to my invention, or to a few links of such a chain respectively.
Fig. 2 is a plan of the same links and
Fig. 3 is a side-view and a plan of an interior link as proposed by me.
Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing a slightly modified form of con-
struction.
Each of the interior links a is bent of a strip punched out from a sheet of
metal, and being provided at the same time with lateral projections a¹, forming,
LD 017

page_text: after the bending of the link the parts that take into the cavities of the hollow
pressed exterior links b. The two parts forming one such link bare connected
in known manner by bolts c, that are preferably manufactured also from sheet
metal, as they have nothing to do with the transmission of the power. These
bolts pass loosely through the two openings formed in the interior links a. The
joint of each of the latter is located at an end of the respective link, and a
draught occurring between a link a and a link b will always cause the latter to
close the joint of the former with a strength corresponding to the strength of
the tension which the chain is exposed to, the direction of such strain being
indicated by the arrows in Figure 1 and explained in the preamble.
Instead of using hollow-pressed exterior links of the kind shown in Figs. 1
and 2 I may make use of such as shewn in Fig. 4, in which only the cavities
for the projections a¹ of the interior links are pressed into the little plate b,
whereas the other or intermediate part retains its original thickness.
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:-
In a chain having pairs of hollow-pressed exterior links, taking over lateral
projections of interior links, so as to relieve the connecting bolts of the exterior
links from the strain, the combination with the said exterior links and bolts, of
interior links consisting each of a bent piece of sheet-metal and having each the
joint located at an end, so as to utilize the strain for the closing of the joint
substantially as described and shewn.
D
1
100
1000
GEO. THOS. HYDE,
1, Broad Street Buildings, Liverpool Street, London, E.C.,
Agent for the Applicant.