Improvements in Chain-links, Hocks, and Rings.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Nov., 1897—Accepted, 19th Feb., 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Chain-links, Hocks, and Rings.
I, GUSTAV WILKE, of Grüne, near Iserlohn, Westfalia, Germany, Manufacturer,
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:-
My invention relates to an improved link for use in making chains by coupling a
long series of such links together or for single use in coupling two objects together
only, such as a snap hook or a ring. The object of the invention is to provide a link
which will allow the exchange of any worn link in a chain or to open or undo a
chain in any part and to insert other links to lengthen the chain, or also to shorten
it by taking out any number of links, without destroying a link, and also to attach
to the link any other object, which may require easy and convenient releasing there-
from. The main object however is to be enabled to make chains of such links,
which require no welding and which can resist a considerable pulling strain without
opening or tearing.
I attain these objects by the links shown in the accompanying drawing, in
which:
Fig. 1 is a view of a link seen flat ways;
Fig. 2 is a view at right angle to Fig. 1;
Fig. 3 is a sectional view along line I-I of Fig. 1;
Figs. 4 and 5 show the link in position ready for inserting or withdrawing
another link;
Fig. 6 is a plain view of a link with one end twisted so as to stand rectangularly
to the other end;
Fig. 7 is a view at right angle to Fig. 6;
Fig. 8 shows part of a chain made of links according to Fig. 1;
Fig. 9 shows part of a chain made of links according to Fig. 6;
Fig. 10 shows a link in which the ends of the wire of the closed eye instead of
standing flush against each other, are turned in opposite directions and touching
each other at the bend;
Fig. 11 is a sectional view along line II-II of Fig. 10;
Fig. 12 shows a link in which the ends of the wire forming the closed eye, instead
of standing flush against each other are turned backwards and abut against the
long shanks of the link;
Fig. 13 is a sectional view of Fig. 12 along line III-III;
Fig. 14 is a link according to Fig. 1 with that part of wire forming the outer
circumference of the eye stamped flat;
Fig. 15 is a sectional view along line IV-IV of Fig. 14;
Fig. 16 is a view of a link according to Fig. 1 with an eye formed at the other
end capable to serve as a snap hook;
Fig. 17 is a similar link the ends forming the opening eye meeting at the outer
side;
Fig. 18 is a link with the closed part turned at right angle and serving as a swivel
joint;

page_text: Fig. 19 is a link in form of a circular ring (keyring) instead of being oblong as
in other cases.
The peculiarity and novelty of my chain-link consists in this, that a piece of wire
of suitable size and length is bent at both ends in opposite directions to form three
fourths of a circular eye a, a¹ as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1.
At the same time the ends of the wire are pressed the one downwards, the other
upwards so that they form part of a screw, the rise or pitch of this screw line being
equal to half the thickness of the wire from the starting point bor to the end
cor c, that is for of a circle, so that when the wire is bent in the middle of its
length to form a link as shown in full lines in Fig. 1, the ends c & c will meet and
both eyes a and a will form a closed eye of a complete circle. At one end d of
this link the wire is single at the other, e, where the eye is formed, the wire is
double.
In order to connect an other link g to the one made the shanks f, fl are first
pressed assunder as shown in Fig. 5 and the second link g is then pushed between
the shanks, then either of the two is turned by 90°; in the figures this has been
done with the first link (Fig. 4), and now the shanks.f, f are pressed towards
each other so that the ends c and c¹ are opened, and that now the link 9 when
fulled down, enters into the eye as shown in full lines in Fig. 4, and when the
shanks f, fare left free again they, by their own elasticity, close again and hold
the link g locked. In the same manner link is joined to link to form a chain
Fig. 8.
If it is desired to take a link out of the chain for repair or in order to shorten
it or to open it for any purpose whatever, the same operations are performed in the
opposite order; first the shanks of one link are pressed towards each other (Fig. 4),
the other is then raised out of the eye, then it is turned by 90° and now the shanks
are pressed assunder (Fig. 5) so as to allow the link (g) to be withdrawen.
Links of the description shown in Figs. 1-5 form chains with links standing
alternately at right angle to each other, Fig. 8. When it is desired that all the
links lie in the same plane they must be twisted, as shown in Figs. 6 & 7 in full
lines, so as to form eyes at both ends standing at right angles to each other or as
indicated by dotted lines in the same figures, where the long part of the link forms
a long open loop. A chain made of such links is shown in Fig. 9.
Now it may happen that for very heavy loads or when the link described is
exposed to a very strong pulling strain the eyes might open, unrolling themselves,
and that then the chain is torn assunder, its continuity is broken. This is made
impossible by bending the ends h, h¹ of the wire forming the eye A outwards in
opposite directions, as shown in Fig. 11.
In this case, instead of the endfaces of the wire abutting against each other, the
hacks of the short bends touch each other in the middle of the link and so close
the eye A. In every other respect the link is the same as the one described and
the connecting an other link with it or undoing a link is done in the same way as
described before.
When a heavy strain is applied to a link of this description or to a chain made of
such links the eyes can not open or unroll themselves further, than until the hook
like ends , h meet the shanks and respectively, when they are locked so that
no further opening is possible.
The same result is obtained by the variation of the link shown by Figs. 12 & 13.
This differs from the link described at first and shown by Figs. 1-9 and that shown
by Figs. 10 and 11 in this, that the ends k, k¹ of the wire forming the eye A¹ are
bent backwards so that they abut against the shanks 1, of the link; their faces
are cut dovetail like surrounding the inner side of the shanks partly and the backs
of the sharp bends touch each other in the middle of the link. From this it will
be seen and understood, that a heavy púlling force, which tends to open or unroll
the eye, while at the same time it tends also to approach the shanks 1, hinders the
opening of the eye A and that therefore a link of this shape, or a chain made of
such links will hold at least as well as a chain made of welded links.
+19

page_text: The variation of the link shown by Figs. 14 and 15 differs from that of Figs. 1-9
only in the shape of the lower half of the wire forming the eye. Here the wire is
pressed or hammered flat so that it receives more exactly the proper form of a hook,
or egg shaped in section as will be seen at m in Fig. 14; this shape, as is well known,
is that of a properly constructed hook and therefore will also increase the resisting
power of the link against being pulled open; in every other respect this link is
exactly like the one shown in Fig. 1.
:
Now the links described may be used for making chains by connecting any number
of them together, as described above, or they may be used singly, so for instance
to form snap hooks; they may be in such case of exactly the same shape as formerly
shown, I however prefer to give them the shape shown by Fig. 16, that is to say.
to form a closed eye M at the one end by bending the wire double; towards the
eye N, which is capable of being opened, I then widen the link a little in order to
get more spring action. In other respects this link is the same as those described
and it may even serve as chain link by connecting a series of them together.
Fig. 17 represents a similar link serving as a coupling hook; the eye O, which
may be avoided or not, is exactly the same as the eye M in Fig. 16; the eye P differs
from the eye N or from the eye of my chain link in this respect that the outer parts
of the shanks forming the hook are bent to form half a circle each with their con-
cave sides looking towards each other to form a complete circle and the shanks
crossing at the inner side of the eye, and the ends meeting at the outer side, whereas
in the former cases they meet at the inner side. This deviation from the shape
of the hook of Fig. 16 has for its object an easier undoing of the hook or giving free
the object connected thereto.
In Fig. 18 I show the new link connected with a swivel. In this case an eye
or ring is bent at the one end of the link and a swivel R is placed into this ring;
the shanks S & S are then bent upwards so as to stand at right angle to the ring Q
and at the other side the eye S is formed as in the other cases. Several such swivel
pieces may be connected together to form a chain.
Finally I show in Fig. 19 a special application of my new link. In this case
the form of the link differs from the preceding ones by being made circular instead
of oblong. This circular link is intended to serve as a "keyring" or the like. The
eye T is kept closed and is opened in the same manner as in the other cases; objects
inserted therein are held in the large ring W.
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 combination with a link made of a piece of wire bent in the middle of its
length to form a loop, eyes a, and a forming each three quarters of a circle or
approximately so, the end of the wire forming the one eye, a, being turned left-
ways, the other, a', to the right and the first one pressed at the same time upwards,
the other one downwards to form of a complete (circular) screw thread with a
rise or pitch of half the thickness of the wire, so that, when both eyes are approached
so much as to cover each other, the ends of the wire meet flush and abut against each
other and form together a completely closed circular eye (Fig. 1, 2 & 3).
2.) In combination with a link made of a piece of wire bent in the middle to form
a loop an eye A, the ends h, h¹ of the wire forming said eye being bent outwards
in opposite directions and forming short hooks but touching each other at the bend
to form a closed eye, Fig. 10 and 11.
3.) In combination with a link made of a piece of wire bent in the middle of its
length to form a loop an eye A¹ the ends k, k¹ of the wire forming said eye being
bent backwards in opposite directions so that their dovetail-like endfaces abut
against the shanks 1, 1, respectively, of the link whilst their short bends touch
each other in the middle of the link (Fig. 12 & 13).
4.) In a link made of a piece of wire bent in the middle of its length to form
a loop and having a closed eye at one side made by bending the ends of the wire

page_text: to form of a circular ring each, and by laying these rings one above the other,
the pressing or hammering the lower half of the wire of the eye flat.
5.) In combination with a link made of a piece of wire bent double in the middle
of its length to form a closed eye M, an eye N made by bending the ends of the wire
in opposite directions so as to form of a circle each and that the endfaces of the
wire abut against each other. (Fig. 16.)
6.) In combination with a link made of a piece of wire bent double in the middle
of its length to form a closed eye O an eye P made by bending the outer part of
each shank to form half a circle each with their concave sides standing so as to
form together a closed circular ring with the ends meeting at the outer side of
the eye. (Fig. 17.)
7.) In combination with a link made of a piece of wire bent double at the middle
of its length to form a closed eye Q standing at right angle to the shanks S, S¹, a
swivel R held in said eye and an eye S made by bending the ends of the wire in
opposite directions so as to form 3 of a circle each and so that the endfaces of the
wire abut against each other. (Fig. 18.)
8.) In combination with a ring W an eye T made by bending the ends of the
wire of the ring in opposite directions so as to form half a circle each and so that
the endfaces of the wire abut against each other Fig. 19, the whole as described and
illustrated and for the purpose set forth.
Dated this 10th day of November 1896.
GUSTAV WILKE.
Per KARL I. MAYER,
Agent.