IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS OR MACHINERY FOR BENDING CHAIN LINKS
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Richard John Denton, of Wolverhampton,
in the County of Stafford, Agricultural Implement Maker, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS OR MACHINERY FOR BENDING
CHAIN LINKS."
Sealed the 30th April 1867, and dated the 1st November 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Richard John
Denton at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 1st November 1866.
I, HENRY RICHARD JOHN DENTON, of Wolverhampton, in the County of
Stafford, Agricultural Implement Maker, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS OR MACHINERY FOR BENDING
CHAIN LINKS," to be as follows:-
Upon a suitable standard or frame I mount a vertical spindle carrying a
bevil wheel gearing into and driven by a spur pinion upon a shaft furnished
with a clutch for throwing the pinion into or out of gear, and which shaft
carries the driving pulleys. The vertical spindle is formed or furnished at its
upper end with a block or template of the same section transversely as the
form of link required to be produced, and to this block is attached one end
of a chain or flat-linked band which runs over a pulley upon the frame of the
machine, and terminates at its other end with a counterbalance weight or
spring. Under this block or template is seated an excentric or cam by.

page_text: which the clutch may be worked so as to make it in some degree
self-acting.
The operation of the machine is as follows:-A length of iron sufficient to
form a link is placed between the bending chain or band and the block or
template, and power being applied, the revolution of the vertical spindle
carrying the template round the pressure of the chain or band bends the
iron round the template, and forms a link by throwing the machine out of
gear, the chain runs back and allows the bent link to be slipped over the top
of the template, which to admit of this is formed slightly tapered. The
spindle may be mounted horizontally instead of vertically, if preferred, and
for heavy work additional gear may be employed if requisite.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Henry Richard John Denton in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 1st May 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, HENRY
RICHARD JOHN DENTON, of Wolverhampton, in the County of Stafford,
Agricultural Implement Maker, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the First day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the thirtieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Henry Richard John Denton, Her special licence that I, the said
Henry Richard John Denton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said Henry Richard John Denton, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within
the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and
Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS OR MACHINERY
FOR BENDING CHAIN LINKS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said Henry Richard John Denton, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to
be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Henry Richard John Denton, do
hereby declare the nature of my said 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 the means of manufacturing links such as are
used in the construction of chain harrows and the like, and consists of
improved machinery for producing the same, also for bending iron for rake
teeth.
The said improved machinery or machines are constructed as follows:-
About the centre of a suitable frame I fit a strong vertical shaft, at the top of
which a revolving mandril is firmly keyed, and at the bottom of which shaft
is fixed a bevil toothed wheel or other suitable gearing driven by mechanism
herein-after described. The bottom portion of the mandril is formed with a
horizontal shelf or flange, to one side of which flange. a jointed compressing
chain of sufficient length to pass round the mandril one or more times is
secured. To the opposite end of this chain a running chain is attached
which passes over a bearing wheel, and carries a dead weight, or is acted
upon by lever and weight if preferred. In forming the links pieces of bar
and other iron cut to the required length are placed upon the flange of the
mandril with their ends at the point where the compressing chain is attached
thereto, and upon the mandril being turned the lengths of iron above men-
tioned are.compressed between the mandril and chain. The mechanism for
turning the mandril and winding the compressing chain consists of a
horizontal shaft driven by a pulley at one end, and carrying a bevilled pinion
constantly in gear with the mandril, shaft, wheel, and clutch box at the
other. The pinion runs free upon the horizontal shaft when the clutch
which slides upon a feather is disconnected. The clutch box is moved by a
lever by means of a slack chain connected thereto, which is adjusted so as to
move the lever and throw the pinion out of gear in any position of the
mandril required, or the lever may be moved by hand or by an incline plane
actuated by a pulley on the main shaft hauling a chain attached to the said
incline plane, thus moving the end of the lever as desired. The form of the
machine and the details of construction are illustrated upon the accompanying
Drawing, to which the following explanation applies:-
EXPLANATION OF THE DRAWING.
Fig. 1 is a plan view over all; Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation. The same
parts of the machine which appear in view in both Figures are lattered with

page_text: a is the frame or standard; b, the main vertical shaft; c, the bevilled
toothed wheel keyed thereto for turning the same; d is the mandril upon
which the links are turned and formed, and may be of a square or other form
as circumstances require; e is the compressing chain; f is a running chain
connecting the compressing chain with the dead weight g; h is a bearing
pulley supporting the dead weight; i shews a piece of iron in position "for
being turned into the link shewn at 1, Fig. 2; the links when formed may be
removed from the mandril by means of a lever fitted thereto for that purpose,
so as to throw them off, or they may be removed with tongs or otherwise;
j is the driving shaft, which may be turned by the pulley k or by the handle 1;
m is the bevilled pinion in gear with the bevil wheel c; n-is the clutch; o is
the lever for moving the clutch in and out of gear; this lever may be moved
by hand or by the slack chain p attached thereto, and hauled taut by being
wound round the pulley 9 on the mandril shaft; the length of this chain is so
regulated that it becomes taut by one revolution of the pulley g, so as to
release the clutch at the instant when the link is formed, when the dead
weight will cause the chain and mandril to return to their normal position;
r is a double or single incline plane, which may also be attached to the slack
chain for working the lever into and out of gear as it rises and falls, or for
throwing it out of gear only.
I claim the revolving mandril and compressing chain machine, working
either vertically, horizontally, or otherwise, for forming links of any required
shape by compression, as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Richard John Denton, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of April, One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
HENRY RICHARD JOHN DENTON. (L.S.)