Improvements in Chains Suitable for Use with Sprocket or Chain Wheels for Driving and other Purposes.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Mar., 188"
Complete Left, 19th Dec., 1887
Complete Accepted, 20th Jan., 1888
Improvements in Chains Suitable for Use with Sprocket or Chain
Wheels for Driving and other Purposes.
I, ALEXANDER SPENCER, of 77, Cannon Street, in the City of London, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has reference to chains composed of a number of separate links or
parts, capable of being put together and taken apart readily without the use of loose
pins or other loose parts independent of or separate from such links, such chains being
suitable for use with sprocket or chain wheels, for driving, or communicating motion
from one wheel to another;-or-it-may-be-from-u-wheel to some object connected to or
carried by the chain or chains (such as buckets in a chain pump). Such chains as
beretofore usually constructed have been liable to give way under the strains to which
driving chains are subjected in practice; and my invention has reference to a con-
struction of links such as will obviate this defect. My improved chain, which is
composed of a number of similar interchangeable parts, capable of being connected
together and taken apart readily, and each of which parts I will for the sake of
clearness call a link is constructed as follows:-Each link comprises two longitudinal
members or parts resembling loops or flattened rings of metal (which I will herein-
after call loops) connected by a transverse piece or part at one end, from which
there is a projection I will call a neck with small trunnions, the neck and trunnions
having as seen in plan a T form. The general form and arrangement are such that
the trunnions of one link can be inserted within the loops of another, and in this way
any required number of the links can be readily connected into a chain of desired
length and the two end links of such a chain can be connected so as to form an
endless chain. Those ends of the loops further from the trunnions are or may be
made with inward projections so that the space between them at this end may
correspond to the width of the neck of a connected link adjacent thereto.
According to a modification the loops are formed each with a closed outer side so
that they resemble two narrow boxes mouth to mouth with an intervening space; the
nner edges or rims of the two loops may be so shaped as to be nearer together at the
espective ends than at the middle or intermediate part-Also at a short distance from
[Price 8d1

page_text: the outer ends the loops may be internally narrowed or made with internal projections
or shoulders between which the trunnions of another link have to be passed before
taking a bearing within the rounded outer ends of the loops; and to enable the said
trunnions to pass these narrower parts they are flattened at one or opposite sides the
whole or part of the length or made of sinaller diameter in one direction than in a
direction at an angle thereto; thus when inserted in the loops and partially rotated
they will be prevented from slipping out of place.
The links are put together at an angle so that when partly rotated out of that angle
the narrower part of the trunnion is no longer opposite the narrower space that allows
that part of the link to pass and so the links are what is commonly known as
"locked."
W. LLOYD WISE,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C.,
Agent for the Applicant.

page_text: Improvements in Chains Suitable for Use with Sprocket or Chain
Wheels for Driving and other Purposes.
1, ALEXANDER SPENCER, of 77 Cannon Street, in the City of London, 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 has reference to chains composed of a number of separate links or
parts, capable of being put together and taken apart readily without the use of loose
pins or other loose parts independent of or separate from such links, such chains
being suitable for use with sprocket or chain wheels, for driving, or communicating
motion from one wheel to another, or it may be from a wheel to some object con-
nected to or carried by the chain or chains such as buckets in a chain pump.
Such chains as heretofore usually constructed have been liable to give way under
the strains to which driving chains are subjected in practice; and my invention
has reference to a construction of links such as will obviate this defect. My
improved chain, which is composed of a number of similar interchangeable parts,
capable of being connected together and taken apart readily, and each of which
parts I will for the sake of clearness call a link is constructed as follows:-
:-
Referring to the accompanying sheet of illustrative drawings Fig. 1 is a side
elevation of part of a chain comprising two links according to my invention. Fig. 2
is a view of the same at right angles to Fig. 1.
Each link comprises two longitudinal members or parts a resembling loops or
flattened rings of metal (which I will herein after call loops) connected by a transverse
piece or part b at one end, from which there is a projection I will call a neck c with
small trunnions d the neck c and trunnions & having as seen in plan (Fig. 2) a
T form. The general form and arrangement are such that the trunnions d of one
link can be inserted within the loops a of another, and in this way any required
number of the links can be readily connected into a chain of desired length and the
two end links of such a chain can be connected so as to form an endless chain.
Those ends of the loops further from the trunnions are made with inward projections e
so that the space between them at this end may correspond to the width of the
neck c of a connected link adjacent thereto.
The loops a are shewn formed each with a closed outer side a¹ so that they resemble
two narrow boxes mouth to mouth with an intervening space but the loops may be
open; the inner edges or rims of the two loops may be so shaped as to be nearer
together at the respective ends a² a than at the middle or intermediate part a³. Also
at a short distance from the outer ends the loops are internally narrowed or made with
internal projections or shoulders h between which the trunnions of another link have
to be passed before taking a bearing within the rounded outer ends of the loops (see i
Fig. 1) and to enable the said trunnions to pass these narrower parts they are

page_text: flattened at opposite sides the whole or part of the length or made of smaller diameter
in one direction than in a direction at an angle thereto (see d¹ d'); thus when
inserted in the loops and partially rotated they will be prevented from slipping out of
place.
The links are put together at an angle so that when partly rotated out of that angle
the narrower part of the trunnion is no longer opposite the narrower space that allows
that part of the link to pass and so the links are what is commonly known as
" locked."
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
My improved links substantially as described to form chains suitable for use with
sprocket or chain wheels for driving and other purposes.
Dated this 19th day of December 1887.
W. LLOYD WISE,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C.,
Agent for the Applicant.