Improvement in Sprocket Chains.
Year: 1897

page_text: Improvement in Sprocket Chains.
I, HARRY EARNEST STAHL, Machinist, of Number 226 South Warren Street, in
the City of Trenton, County of Mercer, and State of New Jersey, in the United
States of America, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the saine is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to sprocket chains, adapted for general use, but more
especially for use upon bicycles and other vehicles of like character, and to that class
of such chains wherein the links and their connecting pins or journals are
removable to permit any part of the chain to be readily and easily removed and
replaced without the use of tools other than a pocket knife or other simple pocket
implement.
The invention is designed to provide a chain of this character of improved
construction and having latch or key devices of improved character which perform the
double office of securing the removable links and their pins or journals and of locking
said pins or journals against rotation in the links according to their natural
tendency.
In the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification and wherein
I have shown the said invention :-
Figure 1 is a side view of a section of the improved chain ;
Figure 2 is a plan view of the same ;
Figure 3 is a perspective view of a shorter section of the chain;
Figure 4 is a detail perspective view of one of the keys or latches;
Figure 5 is a detail view showing one of the pins or journals;
Figure 6 is a side view illustrating the use of a modified form of latch or key;
Figure 7 is a detail perspective view of one of the latches or keys shown in
Figure 6;
Figure 8 is a side view showing another form of the latch or key; and
Figure 9 is a detail perspective view of one of the latches or keys shown in
Figure 8.
In these drawings the letter A designates the side link-bars; B, the connecting pins
or journals; and C, the straps which connect the links A and form intermediate links,
being of the usual figure-8-form.
Each pin or journal has a head 6 at one end and a surrounding groove or
depression 6' near its opposite end. See Figures 3 and 5. These pins are passed
loosely through the apertures of the bars A, and the two pins of each link are
inserted from opposite sides.
D designates the improved latches or keys, each of which consists of a small strip or
piece of metal, preferably spring-steel, and having in one end an open slot d which is
adapted to engage the groove b' of one of the pins in the manner best shown in
Figure 3. In the form shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3, each latch has at the opposite
end a tail or extension d' which is adapted to fit a diametric groove d' formed in the
head 6 of the preceding or succeeding pin. Intermediate of its ends the latch has
opposite inwardly bent lugs which are adapted to catch over the upper and lower
edges of the link-bar. Each latch is so made that it has a natural tendency or tension
such as to cause it to clasp or hug the link-bar tightly.
In the form of latch shown in Figures 6 and 7, the lateral lugs & are omitted, and

page_text: shoulders d' are provided at the base of the extension d. These shoulders are
adapted to engage the head of the pin in the manner shown in Figure 6 and thereby
prevent the latch from moving endwise in this direction.
Two of the latches are applied to each of the links, one upon the outside of each of
the bars A. and in reverse directions so that each of the two pins of the link has its
headed end engaged by the tail or extension of one of the devices and its grooved
end by the slot of the other of said devices. In this manner the said links and pins
are held in place, the bars A, A, are pressed inwardly to take up any lateral wear, and
the said pins or journals are locked against rotation, a movement which it is very
desirable to guard against; that is to say, their rotation in the bars A.
In the form of latch shown in Figures 8 and 9, the tail or extension d' is omitted,
the lugs d³ being formed upon this end of the latch. At the slotted end the latch has
a small projection d' (Figure 9) which engages a flattened or grooved side of that
pin which is engaged by its slot d. (See Figure 8.) In this form each latch locks
against rotation that pin whose grooved end it engages instead of the preceding or
succeeding pin as in the two forms first described.
The latches may be readily removed by forcing the point of a knife or other suitable
implement between them and the bars A.
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 :-
1. In a sprocket chain, the detachable latch devices which secure the links and pins
in place and which also engage the end puitions of the pins in a manner to prevent
their rotation.
2. In a sprocket chain, a link having its two connecting pins inserted from
opposite sides and having each a head at one end and a groove near its opposite
end, the removable side-bars, and the latch devices which ongage the said pins to
secure said bars and also to lock the pins against rotation, as described.
Dated thie 9th day of March 1807
Dated this 9th day of March 1807
JENSEN & SON,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents.