Improvements in Driving Chains for Velocipedes and other Machinery.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Dec.. 1898
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Driving Chains for Velocipedes and other Machinery.
We, ARTHUR HUNNABLE, George Street, Romford, Essex, Engineer, WALTER
HUNNABLE 15, Wellesley Road, Ilford, Essex, Builder, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows;-
Improvements in driving chains for vilocipede & other machinery.
Our invention consists in means of construction which reduce the friction & give
speed & longer life to the chain. First we make two side plates both alike,
these plates or links as they might be termed, these plates are made to form a
complete link in combination with three rollers & anti friction rollers, & one link
has got what we term the female end & the other the male thus one may engage
with the other & make up any length chain. The said side plates are stamped
out either from plain sheet metal or from bar if in bar it is for the purpose of the
dies forming two Bosses, the bosses being of a suitable size to allow a hole to be
drilled large enough to receive a rivit & anti friction roller through the inside &
another roller on the out side. Each side plate shaped with two circular shaped
ends & a circular shaped centre thus two hollows are sunk. In between the three
circular shape to lighten and give a better appearance to the plates. Each cir-
cular shape is wide enough to be drilled through the centre without weekening the
link through each hole, a rivits have to pass but one hole that is the female hole
is large enough to receive both rivits & anti friction rollers thus it will be seen
that the riviting end of the rivit fasten in the female end of the next link, Now
I will discribe the special feature of the centre rivit & roller they are for the pur-
pose of engaging on to the tooth wheels and only take strain while thus engaged
after it passes on the straight, there is no strain upon it. The internal part of
this roller is larger than the rivit & the space filled with a number of small
rollers either cut from ordinary silver steel or turned steel wire. We may dis-
pence with the centre rivit by leaving a boss on as afore discribed, but this
boss would not need any hole through for a rivit so it would be cuttered as small
as the rivit would be. We might also when using the boss make the boss large,
enough to take a roller & the number of small rollers in between the roller &
the outer part of the boss & drill a small hole through the centre to take a rivit
which would be for the purpose of clinching the two bosses together & leave the
roller free thus making a firmer link we may make the afore said combination
with the straight side plates then one would be a complete female link & one a
male. One special advantage of this centre roller is the rivit can be removed &
a larger external roller fitted without the chain being taken apart after ware takes
place.

page_text: Improvements in Diving Chains for velocipedes and other machinery.
We, ARTHUR HUNNABLE, of George Street, Romford Essex, Engineer, WALTER
HUNNABLE, of 15, Wellesley, Road Ilford, in the County of Essex, Builder, 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:-
Our invention relates to improvements in the construction of chains as used
in connection with sprocket wheels for driving velocipedes and other machinery,
the object of our said invention being to reduce friction in the contact between
the said chain and wheels, and to prolong the life of the said chain, by arrang-
ing that the centre stud of each ink is the only one which engages with the
teeth of the wheels, while the end studs alone bear the tensional strain or pull
upon the said chain.
Our improved chain consists essentially of alternate male and female links, each
consisting of a pair of plates having a central bearing roller and two articulating
joints, the centres and ends of which said plates are of circular formation, and in
such circular parts are provided the studs and rivets by which each pair of plates
are connected together the said central stud or rivet carrying an anti-iriction roller
which alone engages with the teeth of the sprocket wheels, while the end studs or
rivets form the means of articulation between one link and the next, the said
articulations being (like the said central roller) rendered frictionless by an
ingenious interposition of a series of small rollers, as hereinafter explained.
Figs. 1 and 2 are side elevation and plan respectively of a portion of a chain
according to one method of construction, upon the principle of our invention,
Figs. 3 and 4 being sections upon the line A B of Fig. 1 and EF of Fig. 2
respectively.
Fig. 5 is an elevation of one of the plates used in the construction of the male
links of the chain.
Fig. 6 is a view of part of a sprocket-wheel and chain according to this arrange-
ment of our invention.
Figs. 7 and 8 are views similar to Figs. 1 and 2, but illustrating an alternative
method of construction of the link plates.
Figs. 9 and 10 are central section and inside elevation respectively of a male
link plate according to this arrangement, Fig. 11 being a section of rig. 7 upon
the line CD.
Fig. 12 is a side elevation of an even toothed or ordinary sprocket wheel for
use with the arrangement of chain illustrated by Figs. 7 to 11, while Fig. 13
illustrates the disposition of the rollers for twin-roller chains.
Referring to the arrangement illustrated by Figs. 1 to 6 we provide of suitable
metal a pair of plates A and B, for the construction of the male links of our
improved chain, the ends of these being of circular formation and of such dimen-
sions as to permit the drilling out or otherwise forming therein of holes a and b
(Fig. 5). The centre of each of the said plates is also of circular formation upon
its upper, and may be, its lower surfaces the former being to permit the provision
of a hole c, the three said holes ab and c being so arranged that their axial
centres describe a sector of a circle having a radius approximating to that of the
radius of the teeth of the sprocket wheels upon which the said chain is to be
used (as suggested by the dotted line in Fig. 5). The said plates are connected
together by a shouldered and burred over rivet d, and encircling this is a sleeve
or collar C, between which and the livets & are interposed any number of steel-

page_text: wire or other smooth-faced rollers.e, which provides that the said sleeve or collar
may be capable of free and easy rotation upon d.
The female link we construct of a pair of similar shaped like metallic plates D
and E, each having formed therein three small holes like c in A B, the axial
centres of the said three holes describing a sector of a circle of the same radius,
and placed in exactly the same positions as the holes abc in the plate A B. The
said plates 1 and I of the female link are connected at their centres by the means
of a shouldered and burred over rivet f, engaging with the said central holes; and
encircling the said rivet f is a sleeve or collar C, between which and the said
rivet is interposed any number of the rollers e, so that the said sleeve or collar C
may be capable of free and easy rotation upon ƒ in the same way as C upon d
in the male link.
In order that the ends of the female links may articulate with the ends of the
male links the ends of the plates D and E are bent outwardly until the width
of the space between the said ends is such as to freely and easily receive the ends
of the male links, and to effect the connection or articulation between the said
male and female links, we provide a pair of metallic cylinders G and H, cach
of such length as to occupy the holes a and b in the plates A and B, and finish
flush with the outer surfaces of the said plates, or have their ends embedded in
recesses formed around the inner faces of the peripheries of the said holes, a
shouldered rivet being then passed through the centre of each of the said
cylinders, when the space between the said rivets and cylinders would be occupied
by any number of the before mentioned metallic rollers c. The ends of the
plates D and E would then be sprung over the ends of the male links, until the
end holes in the said plates D and E engage with the protruding ends of the
rivets j, when by burring over the ends of the said rivets the male and female
links may be connected together, a free, easy and frictionless articulation being
thus effected between the male and female links by reason of the interposed
metallic rollers c.
In order to adapt sprocket wheels of ordinary formation suitable for use with
this form of chain we find it expedient that the spaces between the teeth of the
wheel should be of greater and lesser depth alternately, so that when the chain
is caused to gear therewith, as at Fig. 6, the bearing rollers C may occupy the
lesser or shallow spoke spaces J in the wheel K, while the articulation cylinders G
and H may occupy the greater or deeper spaces L, as shewn, from which it will
be understood that when the chain is at work the anti-friction bearing rollers C
would form the only actual working contact between the chain and the wheel,
and that by reason of the free and easy rotation of the sleeve or collar C, upon its
rollers e, the friction caused by the chain entering into contact with, and leaving
the wheel is reduced to its very lowest possible point, while the tensional strain or
pull of the chain is borne by the articulating rivets and their friction.."<
cylinders G and H.
In Figs. 7 to 11 inclusive we illustrate an alternative method of construction,
which also renders the chain adaptable for use with sprocket wheels of ordinary
formation. In this arrangement the plates D and E of the female links are
straight or approximately so, like the plates A and B of the male links, the said
plates D and E being rendered of sufficient distance apart by the employment
in these of sleeves or collars C₁ of greater length than the collars C in the male
links. In this form of chain (and may be in that previously described) we may
find it convenient, instead of forming holes a and b in the male link plates A
and B and employing loose cylinders G and H for engaging with the said holes,
that by the use of suitable dies or and pressure or swaging tools to provide an
equivalent of such cylinders by forming approximate half cylinders G and H¹
upon the inner faces of the plates A and B, and at the same time half studs M
and N in place of the holes c, as illustrated at. Fig. 9, so that when A and B are
placed together, the said half studs M and N serve as an equivalent for the rivet d,
and the said half cylinders G and H', as equivalents for the cylinders G and H

page_text: as illustrated by Fig. 11. The plates D and E may also have studs M' and N¹
formed thereon for carrying in like manner the metallic rollers e and the sleeve
or collar C, the said studs al' and ', like the studs M and N, being held together
by a through rivet or burred pin, if desired, as suggested by dotted outline at d¹
in the latter figure, the articulation of the male and female links being effected
by rivets, and metallic rollers e, interposed between these and G₁ and H' as in
the said previous method.
In this arrangement the holes a and bare of the same size as the hole c in the
previous arrangement, and the said holes and the studs M or N would be in align-
iment with each other, as shewn in Fig. 10, or approximately so, so that when the
chain is in use upon an ordinary sprocket wheel such as K, the anti-friction
bearing-roller C may take the bearing upon the bottom of the space between any
two teeth, the articulating cylinders G and H or their equivalent half-cylinders G
and being clear of the adjoining tooth spaces, as illustrated by Fig. 12.
In cases where it may be necessary to reduce the external diameter of the bear-
ing collars or sleeves, or the cylinders covering the articulating joints of the
chain, or to enlarge the rivets passing through the said bearing collars or sleeves,
or joints, we may find that the space between such rivets and the said collars or
sleeves or cylinders may be too small to admit of the presence of the anti-friction
rollers as described, in which case such anti-friction rollers may be dispensed
with, which still leaves in our improved chain a single bearing joint instead of a
compound bearing joint as found in all roller chains hitherto made and used.
We may also find it convenient to adapt our said chain for use upon the well
known twin-roller sprocket-wheels, and to effect this without departing from the
principle involved we may employ plane or flat or angled plates as may best suit
this arrangement, the rollers and the bearings for the rollers being placed in
such a position as to engage in pairs between the teeth of such sprocket wheels
in the usual way an example of the arrangement of the rollers for such a chain
being shewn by Fig. 13 and by dotted outline in Fig. 10.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is; -
1st. The improved driving chain for the wheels of velocipedes and other
machinery, in which each link has one bearing roller and two articulating joints,
with or without the use of anti-friction rollers, substantially as herein described
and shewn.
2nd. In an improved driving chain for velocipedes and other machinery, the
combination of a pair of plates AB, having holes b and c, the said plates being
connected by a rivet d engaging with the said holes c, the said rivet being enclosed
by a sleeve or collar C, placed between A and B, with metallic rollers e interposed
between the said rivet and collar or sleeve, the whole forming the inner or male
link of the chain, the ends of the said male links being placed between and con-
pected to the ends of female links, consisting of plates D and E, by the means
of metallic cylinders G and 11 engaging with holes a and in the male link,
and a rivet j engaging with holes a and in the plates D and E, and having
metallic rollers e interposed between G and j, and H and j, the said plates D
and E being connected together centrally of their lengths by the means of a
shouldered rivet f, the said rivet being enclosed by a collar or sleeve C, placed
between and E, with metallic rollers e interposed between C and f, the posi-
tions of the said holes abc in the plates A. B, and the holes e in the plates DE,
each describing a sector of a circle of approximately the same radii as that of
the teeth of the sprocket wheels K, with which the chain is to gear, substantially
as herein described and shown by Figs. 1 to 6 inclusive of the accompanying
drawings.
Brd. In an improved driving chain for velocipedes and other machinery, the
combination of a pair of plates A B, having formed integrally therewith semi-

page_text: cylinders G and H₁ and central studs M and N collectively forming the male
link of the chain, the said studs being enclosed by a sleeve or collar C, between
which and the said studs are interposed metallic rollers e, the ends of the said
male links being placed between the ends of female links, consisting of plates I)
and E, with central studs M¹ and N¹ enclosed by a collar C. and interposed
metallic rollers e, the articulation of the said male and female links being effected
by rivets passing through G¹ and H', with interposed metallic rollers e, sub-
stantially as herein described and shewn by Figs. 7 to 12 inclusive of the appended
drawings.
4th. The improved construction of driving chain, characterized by the preced-
ing claims, having its rollers arranged so as to render such chain adaptable for
use with and upon twin-roller sprocket wheels, substantially as herein set forth.
Dated this 18th day of Sentombor 1800
GEO. THOS. HYDE,
1, Broad Street Buildings, Liverpool Street, London, E.C.,
Agent for the Applicants.