Improvements in Wire Chain.
Year: 1887

page_text: Improvements in Wire Chain.
I, RICHARD ALVIN BREUL, of Bridgeport, Connecticut, United States of America,
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN WIRE
CHAIN, and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
My invention relates to the manufacture of chains, and has for its object to produce
a chain the links of which are formed from independent pieces of wire and are so
interlocked in the process of manufacture as to produce at a minimum expense a
chain having an ornamental appearance and so strong in every part that no amount
of strain that can be applied short of breaking the metal itself shall be able to separate
the links. With these ends in view I have devised the simple and novel chain of
which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a
specification.
Figure 1 is an elevation of one side of the chain; Fig. 2, an elevation of the
opposite side and Fig. 3, an edge view, the upper portion thereof showing the
links in section.
•
1 denotes the bow of the link, 2, the shank, and 3 the hooks. As already stated,
each link is made from a single strip of wire, which may of course be made of any
suitable metal, and plated, japanned, or finished in any desired manner.
The uses to which I contemplate applying my improved chain are without limit.
Its strength and cheapness adapt it admirably for all the uses to which what is termed
plumbers" and "sash" chain are applied, and when plated or made of finer grades
of metal it makes an ornamental watch-chain. Each link is formed by curving the
metal from the center of the blank or strip and bringing the ends towards each other.
This portion I term the "bow" of the link. The two ends are brought close together,
preferably touching, or nearly touching each other, to form the shank 2 of the link.
This shank is passed through the bow of the next link, bent around it, and back upon
itself. After being passed around the bow of the other link the ends are curved
outward from each other and bent backward, and then curved inward around the
opposite sides of the lower portion of the bow of the link, the extreme ends of the

page_text: piece of wire of which the link is formed, constituting hooks 3, which, as already
stated, engage
the opposite sides of the bow of the link so that when strain is applied
it is impossible to separate the links.
It will, of course, be understood that the exact shape of the bow, shank, or hooks
of the link is not of the essence of my invention, the gist of which lies in the broad
idea of curving the double shank of each link around the bow of another link, and
forming hooks at the ends, which engage the loop from the outer side, as clearly
shown in Figs. 1 and 2. It should be understood, furthermore, that the method of
making the chain has nothing whatever to do with this application.
So far as my present invention, that is, the chain itself-is concerned, it may be
made in the manner described, or in any suitable manner. It will be observed in
Fig. 3 that the double shank of each link-that is, the portion which I have
described as bent around the bow of another link-in fact, forms eyes, which I
have designated as 4.
It is apparent that the chain may be made by passing each strip or blank of wire
through the eye of the link last formed and then proceeding to form a new link.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I say is
:-
As a new manufacture, a chain consisting of links made from independent pieces
of wire, cach link being bent backward upon itself from the centre to form a bow,
the double shank passing through the bow of the next link, and the ends being
provided with hooks which engage the opposite sides of the lower portion of the
bow of the link of which they form a part.