Improvements in Chains for Bicycle, Tricycle, and other like Vehicles, also for Lawn Mowers and similar Machinery.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Sept., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 20th June, 1889-Accepted, 20th July, 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Improvements in Chains for Bicycle, Tricycle, and other like
Vehicles, also for Lawn Mowers and similar Machinery.
I JOSEPH APPLEBY of 60 Caroline Street Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My Invention consists of improvements in chains for bicycle, tricycle and other
like vehicles, also for lawn mowers and similar machinery. In carrying out my
invention in place of the ordinary chains now in use for such purposes my chain is .
constructed in such a manner that the several working parts can be hardened and
tempered before it is fit up into chain; thereby increasing the amount of wear and
rendering it less liable to breaking it being riveted up with soft steel rivets. I will
now proceed to describe the method upon which my chain is manufactured. I first
take a short block of steel (or other material) to correspond with the width of the
teeth of the wheels. I then drill one hole through each end of the aforesaid block,
each end being semi-circular in form, I next take two side blanks, of any shape
desired, with holes pierced or drilled (one at each end), to fit a short wire or rivet.
To form my joint pins or rivets, I make them in two parts instead of one, (as are
used in chains of a similar make,) by first taking a square steel blank having teeth
or other projections on two opposite edges, and form it into a tube at the press or by
other similar means. This tube is made slightly longer than the said block; it is
also made sufficiently small to pass through the hole in the block free, having the
aforesaid teeth or other projections on each end of the tube, this tube may now be
hardened and tempered. I next take a short piece of soft steel wire (round) drawn to
fit the said steel tube tight (without shoulders) sufficiently long to rivet up the chain.
After hardening & tempering the aforesaid blocks and tubes (also blanks if required)
I will proceed to fit the chain together, first by putting the hardened steel tubes on
the soft wires or rivets to the centre, thus forming a substantial joint pin. I then
take one of the aforesaid side blanks and insert one of these tubed joint pins or rivets
in each hole of the said side blanks to the end of the steel tube, after placing one of
the blocks on each pin or rivet I take a second side blank and fit on the other ends
of the said rivets and press them down, at the same time pressing the teeth of the
said steel tube into the side blanks which forms a substantial shoulder leaving suffi-
cient space to allow the said blocks to work freely, after which it is riveted on each
side. by this means preventing the aforesaid joint pin turning round, and wearing
the holes in the said side blanks away, and thus preventing them becoming loose. It
is necessary to proceed in this manner until the chain is made the desired length, it is
then joined together in the ordinary manner by a small screw and locknut, the chain
is then complete. My improvement may also be applied to other chains where the
blocks are formed out of a series of blanks pierced at each end in which case I should
use a second steel toothed tube to fit outside the toothed tube on joint pin. The two
outside blanks of this block are countersunk so that the said teeth of the second tube
may be pressed into them thus fixing them firm together without extra rivets, the
blanks being made out of iron or similar material, it may be hardened leaving the
outside soft and the inside steel tube hard. This improves the wearing surface it
having a long bearing instead of wearing on the edges of the holes in each of the
said blanks.
Dated this 19th day of September 1888.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Chains for Bicycle, Tricycle, and other like
Vehicles, also for Lawn Mowers and similar Machinery.
I JOSEPH APPLEBY 60 Caroline Street Parish of Birmingham in the county of
Warwick, 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 :-
I will now proceed to describe the method upon which my chain is manufactured.
Fig. 1 represents a short block of steel (or other material) to correspond with the
width of the teeth of the wheels. I then drill one hole through each end of the aforesaid
block, each end being semi-circular in form, as shewn in Fig. 2. I next take two side
blanks (of any desired shape) with holes pierced or drilled one at each end to fit a
short wire or rivet as represented in Fig. 3. To forin my joint pins or rivets I make
them in two parts instead of one (as are used in chains of a similar make. Fig. 4
represents a square steel blank having teeth or other projections on two opposite edges
and form it into a tube at the press or other similar means as shewn in Fig. 5 this
tube is made slightly longer than the said block Fig. 1 it is also made sufficiently
small to pass through the hole of the block free, having the aforesaid teeth or other
projections on each end of the tube, this tube may now be hardened and tempered. Fig. 6
represents a short piece of soft steel wire round, drawn to fit the said steel tube,
Fig. 5, tight (without shoulders) sufficiently long to rivet up the chain after
hardening and tempering. I will now proceed to fit the chain together, first by putting
the hardened steel tube Fig. 5 on the soft wire or rivets Fig. 6 to the centre thus
forming a substantial joint pin as shewn in Fig. 7. I then take on of the aforesaid
side blanks Fig. 3 and insert one of these tubed joint pins or rivets Fig. 7 in each
hole of the said side blanks to the ends of the steel tube Fig. 5 after placing one
of the blocks Fig. 1 on each pin or rivet I take a second side blank and fit on
the other ends of the said rivets and press them down at the same time pressing
the teeth of the said 'steel tube Fig. 5 into the said side blanks, which forms a
substantial shoulder leaving sufficient space to allow the said blocks Fig. 1 to work
freely after which it is riveted on each side as represented in section Fig. 8. by this
means preventing the joint pins turning round and wearing the holes of the said
side blanks away and thus preventing them becoming loose. Fig. 9 shows the blanks
Fig. 3 after the steel tube Fig. 5 has been pressed into it. It is necessary, to
proceed in this manner until the chain is made the desired length it is then joined
together in the ordinary manner with a small screw and locknut, the chain is then
complete. My improvement may also be applied to other chains where the blocks.
are formed out of a series of blanks pierced at each end in which case I should
use a second steel tube toothed as shewn in Fig. 10 to fit outside the toothed
tube on joint pin Fig. 7; the two outside blanks are countersunk so that the said
teeth of the second tube Fig. 10 may be pressed into them thus fixing them firm
together, without extra rivets as shewn in Fig. 11. Fig. 12 represents an end iview
of Fig. 11. The blanks being made out of Iron or similar material it may be hardened
leaving the outside soft and the inside steel tube hard this improves the wearing
surface it having a long bearing instead of wearing on the edges of the holes.in
each of the said blanks.
Having now described the nature of my invention and the manner in which the
same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that what I consider to be novel
and original and therefore claim as my invention is:
First. The combination of the soft steel wire., with the hardened steel tube with
teeth: or other projections for the purpose and in the manner described and represented
from Figs. 4 to 9 inclusive.

page_text: Secondly. The combination of this said joint pin formed in two parts with a second
steel toothed tube, in chains formed out of a series of blanks as described and repre-
sented from Figs. 4 to 12 inclusive.
JOSEPH APPLEBY..