Improvements in Driving Chain for Velocipedes and Machinery.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 19th May, 1891
Complete Specification Left, 15th Oct., 1891-Accepted, 21st Nov., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Driving Chain for Velocipedes and Machinery.
I ROBERT FREDERICK HALL of The R. F. Hall Manufacturing Co. Limited
of Sampson Road North Birmingham in the County of Warwick Manufacturers
of Cycle Materials do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
In chain for driving velocipedes and machinery as ordinarily made the width of
the gaps or spaces between the side bars of alternating links is different the width
of the spaces between the "outside links" by which the roller or inner links
are jointed together being greater than those of the said inner links in con-
sequence of the said outside links being jointed externally to the said inner
links.
The disadvantage attending the use of this the ordinary driving chain is the
absence of a continuous side support for the links and the possibility that the chain
may ride or catch on the top of the teeth of the chain wheel as the said chain
approaches and engages with the teeth of the said wheel.
My invention consists in making driving chain in the manner hereinafter
described whereby all the links of the chain have practically the same width
of gap or space and hence the chain in working over the chain wheels has a
continuous side support and the defect hereinbefore pointed out is wholly or mainly
obviated.
-
In making a driving chain according to my invention I use with the inner or
roller links outside links" constructed as follows. I bend or shape the outside
links so that when they are rivetted to the pins of the inner links they have
practically the same width of gap as the said inner links that is the middle portion
of each of the bars of the outside links is bent into a figure somewhat resembling a
flattened bow leaving the disc or circular ends of the bars unoperated upon. The
convex sides of the said bars are turned inwards or towards one another when
they are rivetted to the inner links and the width of the gap of the "outside
links" is thus made practically the same as that of the inner links.
The bent or inwardly bowed links may either be plain or have a hollow rib or
corrugation made in them for increasing their tensile strength the convex side of
the rib being situated on the outside of the link.
I do not limit myself to any particular way of making the bent or inwardly
bowed bars of the outside links as they may be fashioned by stamping or
pressing plain link bars of the ordinary kind; or they may be made by forging or
from steel rolled of the required figure. Or instead of bowing or inwardly bending
the bars of the side links the same object may be obtained by rivetting bow shaped
pieces of steel to those sides of the link bars which are to form the inner sides of
the finished links.
Dated the 10th day of ML 1901
W. T. WHITEMAN,
Agent for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Driving Chain for Velocipedes and Machinery.
I ROBERT FREDERICK HALL of The R. F. Hall Manufacturing Co. Limited
of Sampson Road North, Birmingham in the County of Warwick Manufacturers
of Cycle Materials do hereby declare the nature of my invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
In chain for driving velocipedes and machinery as ordinarily made the width
of the gaps or spaces between the side bars of alternating links is different, the
width of the spaces between the "outside links" by which the roller or inner
links are jointed together being greater than that of the said inner links in
consequence of the said outside links being jointed externally to the said inner
links.
The disadvantage attending the use of this the ordinary driving chain is the
absence of a continuous side support for the links and the possibility that the chain
may ride or catch on the top of the teeth of the chain wheel as the said chain
approaches and engages with the teeth of the said wheel.
My invention consists in making driving chain in the manner hereinafter
described whereby all the links of the chain have practically the same width of gap
or space and hence the chain in working over the chain wheels has a continuous
side support and the defect hereinbefore pointed out is wholly or mainly obviated.
In making a driving chain according to my invention I use with the inner or
roller links outside links" constructed as follows. I bend or shape the outside
links so that when they are riveted to the pins of the inner links they have
practically the same width of gap as the said inner links that is the middle portion
of each of the bars of the outside links is bent into a figure somewhat resembling a
flattened bow leaving the disc or circular ends of the bars unoperated upon. The
convex sides of the said bars are turned inwards or towards one another when
they are riveted to the inner links and the width of the gap of the "outside links'
is thus made practically the same as that of the inner links.
The bent or inwardly bowed links may either be plain or have a hollow rib or
corrugation made in them for increasing their tensile strength, the convex side of
the rib being situated on the outside of the link.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawing represents in side clevation and Figure 2
in plan a piece of driving chain for velocipedes and machinery constructed according
to my invention;
Figure 3 represents in side elevation; Figure 4 in plan (partly in horizontal
section) and Figure 5 in end elevation (partly in cross section) a portion of the
chain drawn to a larger scale;
Figure 6 represents in longitudinal section and Figure 7 in side clevation and
.cross section one of the outside links of the chain drawn to the same scale as
Figures 3, 4 and 5.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several figures of
the drawing.
a, a are the ordinary roller or inner links of the driving chain and b, bare the
outside links of the same made according to my invention jointed by rivets at c, c
to the said inner links a a in the ordinary way. It will be seen by an examination
of the drawing that each link of the outside links is bent or fashioned into a
figure somewhat resembling a flattened bow leaving the disc or circular ends,
unoperated upon. In jointing the inwardly bowed links b, b to the inner links a, a
the convex sides of the said links are turned inwards or towards one another
(see Figure 4) and their disc or circular ends 2, are riveted at cc to the inner
links a n.
By combining with the inner links aa the inwardly bowed outside links b, b

page_text: represented, the width of the gap or space of the said outside links is practically
the same as that of the inner links a, a and the driving chain thus made has a
continuous side support in working over the chain wheels with which it is geared
and the defect herein before referred to of ordinary driving chain is remedied.
In the accompanying drawing I have represented and prefer to make each of the
outside links & constructed according to my invention with a longitudinal hollow rib
or corrugation b³ convex side outward for increasing the tensile strength of the link
but the inwardly bowed links may be made plain that is without the hollow ribs, or
corrugations represented.
"
I do not limit myself to any particular way of making the bent or inwardly
bowed or inwardly projecting bars of the "outside links as they may be
fashioned by stamping or pressing plain link bars of the ordinary kind; or
they may be made by forging or from steel rolled or bent of the required
figure.
Figure 8 represents a link made by stamping from the link blank represented
in Figure 9. In this case the stamped link blank Figure 9 has the width
represented and the side pieces d, d are bent at right angles to the body of the
blank to form the parallel inwardly projecting pieces or ribs d d of the finished
link Figure 8.
Figure 10 represents a link made from a rolled section of steel.
In this case
each link blank has at its middle a solid inwardly projecting piece f the projecting
pieces of the two bars being turned towards each other in the finished chain.
Figure 11 represents a link formed from a bent strip of steel having the sectional
figure of the link to be made, that is, is provided with a bowed or inwardly pro-
jecting part resembling that in the link represented in Figures 1 to 7 excepting
that the middle bent part is without a hollow rib or corrugation.
Or instead of bowing or inwardly bending the bars of the outside links or
providing them with a solid inwardly projecting piece or pieces of the kinds
represented, the same object may be obtained by riveting bow or other shaped
pieces of steel to those sides of the link bars which are to form the inner sides of
the finished links.
This modified link is represented in Figure 12 where the separate projecting
piece riveted to that face of the flat link which is to form the inner face in the
finished chain is marked g. The separate projecting piece y may be brazed to the
inner face of the link instead of being riveted thereto.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my inven-
tion and the manner in which the same is to be performed I declare that I
claim as my invention of "Improvements in driving chain for velocipedes and
machinery
:-
The combination with the ordinary roller or inner links of driving chain of
outside links inwardly bent at their middles into flattened bow figures and having
preferably longitudinal hollow ribs or corrugations made in them, the convex sides
of the said inwardly bowed links being turned inwards or towards cach other sub-
stantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing
whereby all the links of the driving chain have practically the same width of gap
or space for the purpose described; also the modified outside links in which an
inwardly projecting solid piece or pieces of the kinds described and represented is
or are used in place of the inwardly bowed or bent middle part of the link; also
the modified outside links in which separate bow or other shaped pieces of steel are
riveted or otherwise secured to the inner sides of ordinary plain outside links as
hereinbefore described and illustrated.
Dated the Tenth day of October 1891.
ROBERT FREDERICK HALL.