IMPROVEMENTS IN WATCH CHAINS
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Melville Clark of the firm of A M and
W Clark of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agents,
for an invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN WATCH CHAINS A communication
from abroad by William Charles Edge, of Newark in the County of Passaic
and State of New Jersey, United States of America.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Alexander Melville Clark at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 18th August 1882.
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK of the firm of A. M. and W. Clark of 53 Chancery
Lane in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agents. IMPROVEMENTS IN WATCH
CHAINS A communication from abroad by William Charles Edge of Newark in
the County of Passaic and State of New Jersey, United States of America.
Figure 1 represents a front elevation of a machine for shaping the watch chain
according to this Invention. Figure 2 is a face view of a modification thereof.
Figure 3 shows an ordinary fox-tail chain. Figures 4 and 5 are side views of the
improved watch chain. Figure 6 is an end view of the same. Figure 7 is a
perspective view of a link of the chain shown in Figure 3, and Figure 8 a
perspective view of the link of the improved chain which is shown in Figures 4
and 5. Figures 9 and 10 are views of other forms of the chain. Figure 11 shows
a modification of the press for shaping the chain.
This Invention has for its object to make out of an ordinary chain, a flat chain
having a projecting rib on each side. The ordinary chain is made out of U shaped
links. Each liuk is first straight and pushed through the upwardly projecting loops
of two connected bent links and its ends are then bent upwards to receive further
straight links through them, the chain being thus built up of the links of the kind
shown in Figure 7.
My endeavour is to produce a chain composed solely of such links, which chain
shall have ribs on the faces as indicated at a a in Figures 4. 5. 6. 9 and 10 and
which chain shall otherwise be quite flat. To this end I take the ordinary chain

page_text: such as that in Figure 3 which is composed of links like that shown in Figure 7,
and introduce it between the grooved rollers A and B (see Figure 1) or between
dies A and B figure 11 which will compress the chain but leave a projecting rib
on each face, or there may be more than one groove in each of the dies or rollers
as in Figure 2, in which case there will be more than one projecting rib on each
face. The result of the pressure on each link will be to transform it from the
outline shown in Figure 7 to that shown in Figure 8, namely, to press its ends flat
together and render them practically flat, and to bend out its middle portion to
form there the projecting bulges b which in the completed chain produce the ribs a
said ribs being made up of diagonally placed sections of links.
I am well aware that it is not new to shape a continuous bar so as to leave a
rib or ribs on its face or faces by passing it through rollers such as are shown in
Figures 1 and 2, and I do not claim anything in the process of treating known
substances by such rollers, but to my knowledge a flexibly jointed chain for
ornamental or other purpose has never been produced out of links made flat and
with projecting ribs.
Such a flat chain when produced in accordance with the foregoing specification
is very flexible, is much more easily cleaned than the ordinary chain which has
deep recesses or grooves in its faces in which the dirt will settle to such an extent
as will render the cleaning of the chain practically impossible, but when the
ordinary chain has been pressed according to the present Invention, all recesses
disappear and the rounded wire links present flattened faces on the outside and in
every respect the appearance and the utility of the chain is thus increased.
chain may be made with four projecting ribs a as in Figure 10, and may afterwards
be slightly twisted as shown.
links as in
It may also be made with open
Figure 9.
Having described the nature of the said Invention and the manner of performing
the same, I declare that what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters
Patent is.
The
A chain composed solely of links that have bulging out portions b, said chain
being flat throughout with the exception of projecting ribs a a on its faces,
substantially as herein shown and described.
In Witness whereof I the said Alexander Melville Clark have hereunto set
my hand and seal this seventeenth day of August A.D. 1882.