Improvements in the Manufacture of Weldless Chains and in Machinery Employed therein
Year: 1898

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Weldless Chains and in
Machinery Employed therein
I, ALEXANDER GEORGE STRATHERN, Hillside, Stepps, in the County of Lanark,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:
This invention relates to improvements in the manufacture of weldless chains,
and in machinery for the purpose, the chain being produced from a bar of
cruciform or other section by a consecutive series of stamping and pressing
actions while the dies employed move each through an arc of a circle.
The present improvements relate principally to the first stage of manu-
facture, and have for object the simplifying of the process and of the machine
employed therein.
The
In carrying out this invention bars of metal of cruciform or other section are
presented between dies having a wedge-shaped form in cross section, while
longitudinally the acting faces of the dies form each an arc of a circle.
dies are arranged radially round the bar of metal and have protuberances and
depressions on their adjacent faces corresponding to the form of link desired.
The dies are operated so as to enter the angles formed by the webs of the cruci-
form bar, when a bar of this section is used, and act simultaneously on the
vertical and horizontal webs and forcing in as near as possible to the centre of
the core portion of the bar. When this point is reached the dies are caused
simultaneously to describe an arc of a circle corresponding to their length
thereby crushing the metal into links and at the same time feeding the bar
forward for the next stroke of the dies. After the dies have described the are
of a circle before mentioned they are withdrawn from the bar a sufficient distance
to permit of their being rotated into their first position when they are again
forced into the core of the bar and the subsequent operation repeated throughout
the length of the bar. The links so formed may be long or short, stayed or
unstayed and the stay may or may not be an integral part of the link.
Instead of oscillating the dies through a short are corresponding to their
length only, they may be rotated a quarter or any part of a circle so that the
dies may be carried quite clear of the bar in order that an air blast or brush
may be employed for removing any scale from the dies or the dies may be
brought under jets of water for cooling purposes, or the oscillating arm may
carry two or more dies which would permit of the dies being brought into
operation alternately or successively.
The machine to be used for operating the dies and other forming mechanism
in manipulating bars of cruciform or other section to form weldless chains con-
sists preferably of a bed-plate on which is mounted the main frame and the
bearings for the driving shaft. The main frame carries four guides through
which the four rams work. The outer ends of these rams are attached by pins
to a wedge actuated by a screw for positioning the dies. The inner ends of the
ams are formed for "the reception of oscillating or rotating arms which
C
are

page_text: pivoted to the rams and which carry the dies. The adjusting wedges are held
in a swinging frame mounted on a central bearing forming part of the main
frame of the machine. The swinging frame is actuated by a connecting rod or
rods attached to a crank or cranks on the driving shaft, which shaft is rotated
by spur or other gearing, driven by a motor engine or belt. The dies are moved
inwards by the motion of the swinging frame and are moved in a lateral direction
by rods attached to the oscillating arms and to a cam sleeve mounted on a hollow
trunnion attached to the main frame, or the arms may be moved in a lateral
direction by the action of hydraulic rams upon them or upon a crosshead con-
necting the arms carrying the dies. The cam sleeve when such is employed may
be actuated by suitable projections on the swinging frame or by an eccentric or
crank on the driving shaft with a rod attached to eccentric strap or crank and
to a lever mounted loosely on the hollow trunnion and having the necessary cam
projections attached thereto.
In an alternative form of the machine the swinging frame which actuates the
dies may be dispensed with and four hydraulic rams be placed at the corners of
the stationary framing in order to effect the forward and backward movement of
the dies, the stationary framing being modified in order to suit this arrangement.
When hydraulic rams are used as above described the dies may be connected
together in order that they may be advanced and retracted simultaneously.
As a further modification the hydraulic rams which may be capable of oscilla-
tion are connected to the outer ends of the oscillating arms carrying the dies.
These arms are pivoted in blocks sliding in guides in the framing, which blocks
on the first movement of the rams are advanced in their guides to bring the
dies to bear on the bar to be operated on whilst the further forward movement
of the rams is communicated to the oscillating arms to crush the metal into link
shape as before described, the oscillating of the hydraulic rams admitting of the
necessary change of direction of motion to effect the forming of the chain. Or
mechanically operated toggle links may be used in substitution for the hydraulic
rams.
After the chain links have been formed on the bar, the surplus metal is
removed, either by suitable cutters or punches or by rolls having the necessary
projections and depressions on their periphery. The links are then separated and
any remaining barbs removed and are then closed between dies if necessary to
give the ultimate form desired.
Dated this 2nd day of September 1808
WALLACE FAIRWEATHER,
Of the Firm of Cruikshank & Fairweather,
Chartered Patent Agents, 62, Saint Vincent Street, Glasgow,
Agent for the Applicant.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Weldless Chains and in
Machinery Employed therein.
I, ALEXANDER GEORGE STRATHERN, Hillside, Stepps, in the County of Lanark,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this 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 improvements in the manufacture of weldless chains,

page_text: and in machinery for the purpose, such as described in the Specification of my
Patent No. 20992 of 1897, the chain being produced from a bar of cruciform or
other section by a consecutive series of stamping and pressing actions while the
dies employed move each through an arc of a circle.
The present improvements relate principally to the first stage of manu-
facture, and have for object the simplifying of the process and of the machine
employed therein.
The invention is illustrated by the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 being a front
elevation partly in section of the improved machine, Fig. 2 a part plan and part
section on the line of Fig. 1, and Fig. 2ª a perspective view of the prefer-
able form of bar used in the machine to produce a weldless chain, although other
forms of bar such as round or square bars may be employed. Fig. 3 is a view of
a modified detail of the machine. Fig. 4 is a part front elevation and Fig. 5 a
part transverse vertical section of alternative mechanism for rotating the dies
through the desired are of a circle and Fig. 6 is a view corresponding to Fig. 4
of another method of effecting the same result.
In carrying out this invention bars of metal of cruciform section, such as
illustrated at Fig. 2", or of other section are presented between dies A having
a wedge-shaped form in cross section, as shown at Fig. 1, while longitudinally
the acting faces of the dies form each an arc of a circle, as shown at Fig. 2.
The dies A are arranged radially round the bar B' of metal and have protuber-
ances and depressions made as described in the specification above referred to on
their adjacent faces, corresponding to the form of link desired.
The machine to be used for operating the dies A and other forming mechanism
in manipulating bars B of cruciform or other section to form weldless chains
consists preferably of a bed-plate D on which is mounted the main frame I¹ or
side brackets and the bearings for the driving shaft C. The main frame D
carries near its centre four guides 1 through which the four rams work, each
ram consisting of a toggle lever G and sliding piece F. The outer ends of these
toggle levers are attached by pins to a wedge E which is actuated by a screw E¹
for positioning the dies. The inner ends of the rams, i.c. the sliding pieces F
are formed for the reception of oscillating or rotating arms which are pivoted
thereto and which carry or form the dies A. The swinging frame C is actuated
by a connecting rod C or rods attached to a crank C or cranks on the driving
shaft C, which shaft is rotated by spur or other gearing C, driven by a motor
engine or belt. The dies A are operated so as to enter the angles formed by the
webs of the cruciform bar, when a bar of this section is used, by the oscillation
of the frame C which is centred on hollow trunnions D2 forming part of side
brackets D, which oscillation effects the advancing of the dies A by means of
the toggle levers G carried between the wedge pieces E in the oscillating frame C
and the sliding pieces F in the stationary side brackets D', the dies A acting
simultaneously on the vertical and horizontal webs and forcing in as near as
possible to the centre of the core portion of the bar. When this point is reached
the dies A are caused simultaneously to describe an are of a circle corresponding
to their length thereby crushing the metal into links and at the same time feed-
ing the bars B forward for the next stroke of the dies A. The dies A are moved
in a lateral direction by rods H attached to the oscillating arms A and to a
sleeve I mounted on a hollow trunnion J attached to the main frame D¹, or the
arms A may be moved in a lateral direction by the action upon the sleeve I of
hydraulic rams L placed as shown in detail at Fig. 3, or by the action of these
upon the arms or upon a crosshead connecting the arms carrying or forming the
dies A. The sleeve I when such is employed may be actuated by suitable pro-
jections on the swinging frame C or by an eccentric or crank on the driving shaft
with a rod K attached to eccentric strap or crank and to toggle levers K¹ centred
one on the hollow trunnion J or main frame I)' and the other upon the sleeve I,
as shown at Fig. 2, the sleeve being moved longitudinally on the trunnion J to
rotate the dies A. After the dies A have described the arc of a circle as before

page_text: mentioned they are withdrawn from the bar by the backward oscillation of the
frame C to its normal position a sufficient distance to permit of their being
rotated into their first position when they are again forced into the core of the
bar B and the subsequent operation repeated throughout the length of the bar.
The links so formed and which are shown at Fig. 2", may be long or short, stayed
or unstayed and the stay may or may not be an integral part of the link.
Instead of oscillating the dies through a short arc corresponding to their
length only, they may be rotated a quarter or any part of a circle so that the
dies may be carried quite clear of the bar in order that an air blast or brush
may be employed for removing any scale from the dies or the dies may be
brought under jets of water for cooling purposes.
In an alternative form of the machine the swinging frame C which actuates
the dies may be dispensed with and four hydraulic rams in substitution for the
toggle levers placed at the corners of the stationary framing D¹ in order to effect
the forward and backward movement of the dies, the stationary framing being
modified in shape in order to suit this arrangement.
When hydraulic rams are used as above described the dies may be connected
together in order that they may be advanced and retracted simultaneously.
In the modification illustrated by Fig. 4 the rotation of the dies is effected
by the further oscillation of the swinging frame Cafter the dies have penetrated
to the core of the bar. The dies in this case having the curve or are of their
acting faces drawn from a centre some distance to one side of the centre of the
pivot on which they rotate thereby gaining the necessary amount of leverage
required. The motion is controlled by the action of a pin A' secured in cach of
the arms carrying the dies and moving in a recessed path 15 on the stationary
framing D, which path guides the dies in a straight line when being advanced
towards and withdrawn from the bar and also causes the dies to resume their
normal position after cach stroke.
As a further modification, illustrated by Fig. 6, the hydraulic rams which may
be capable of oscillation are connected to the outer ends of the oscillating arms
carrying or forming the dies A. These dies A are pivoted in blocks M sliding in
guides in the framing 0, which in this case is stationary, the blocks on the first
movement of the rams P are advanced in their guides N in the stationary
framing O to bring the dies A to bear on the bar B to be operated on whilst the
further forward movement of the rams (the cylinders P¹ of which oscillate on
trunnions P2 centred on the frame 0,) is communicated to the oscillating arms A
to rotate these and crush the metal into link shape as before described, the
oscillating of the hydraulic rams P admitting of the necessary change of direction
to effect the forming of the chain.
After the chain links have been formed on the bar, the surplus metal is
removed, either by suitable cutters or punchies or by rolls having the necessary
projections and depressions on their peripheries, as described in the Specification
of Letters Patent No. 20992 of 1897 granted to me. The links are then separated
and any remaining barbs removed and are then closed between dies if necessary
to give the ultimate form desired.
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:-
1. The manufacture of weldless chains by means of apparatus in which dies
of wedge shaped section, having curved longitudinal faces with protuberances
and depressions thereon corresponding to the form of link desired, are combined
with mechanism adapted to bring the dies to their working position to operate
the said dies so as to enter the angles of the bar simultaneously, and describe
the necessary curve to crush the metal into links, and to automatically feed the
har forward for the next stroke of the dies.
2. In a machine for manufacturing weldless chains the combination, with

page_text: swinging and stationary frames acting together to advance the link forming dies
upon the bar to be operated on, of pivoted dies, a sleeve moved longitudinally
by means of a toggle lever actuated through a rod from a cam on the crank shaft,
and rods connecting said sleeve and the pivoted dies to rotate these through an
are of a circle, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
3. In a machine for manufacturing weldless chains the combination, with
swinging and stationary frames acting together to advance the link forming dies
upon the bar to be operated on, of pivoted dies, a sleeve moved longitudinally
by means of rams and rods connecting said sleeve and pivoted dies to rotate these
through an arc of a circle substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
4. In a machine for manufacturing weldless chains the combination, with
swinging and stationary frames acting together to advance the link forming dies
upon the bar to be operated on, of pivoted dies guided in a path on the stationary
framing adapted to rotate these through an arc of a circle substantially as and
for the purpose set forth.
5. In a machine for manufacturing weldless chains, the combination with
hydraulic rams pivoted on a stationary casing, of pivoted dies centred in sliding
blocks advanced by these rams, the pivoted dies being rotated through an are of
a circle by the oscillation of the rams substantially as and for the purpose set
forth.
Jated finish day of sune των.
WALLACE FAIRWEATHER,
Of the Firm of Cruikshank & Fairweather,
Chartered Patent Agents, 62, Saint Vincent Street, Glasgow,
Agent for the Applicant.