IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHI- NERY FOR MAKING CHAINS. OR CHAIN CABLES AND RINGS
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Murray, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark,
North Britain, Engincer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHI-
NERY FOR MAKING CHAINS. OR CHAIN CABLES AND RINGS."
Sealed the 17th December 1863, and dated the 23rd June 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Murray at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 23rd
June 1863.
I, JOHN MURRAY, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said. Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINERY FOR MAKING CHAINS OR CHAIN CABLES AND RINGS," to
be as follows, that is to say:-
This Invention has for object the making of chains or chain cables of
malleable iron in a superior and more economical manner than hitherto, the
improved machinery herein-after described being employed for that purpose,
and being also applicable for making rings not forming parts of a chain.
A machine as constructed with the improvements comprises a massive base
plate or table, which may be wholly or partially of cast iron, and which has
fitted or applied to it the various operating parts. The bolt to be formed into
a chain link is bent round a central mandril or die fitted into a recess in the
table, and down into which recess it is withdrawn when the link is completed.

page_text: When the chain links are to be of the kind termed "stud" links, the mandril
is formed with a recess, which holds the stud whilst the link is being bent
round upon it. The bending of the bolt into the link form is effected by
shaping cods or bending dies, of which there are, according to one modification,
two pairs, and these shaping cods work in guides radiating from the central
The
mandril, and are actuated by cam levers, cams, eccentrics, or screws.
bolt having been cut by hand or in a separate machine to the proper length,
and with scarfed or butt ends, according to the form of weld joint preferred,
and having been heated in a forge fire arranged to bring the middle part to a
suitable bending heat and the ends to a welding heat, it is entered into its
position through the link last formed, which is held on edge in a recess made
for it in the table top and in the mandril. The machine being put in motion,
the first pair of shaping cods commence bending the bolt, and after it is partly
bent the second pair act upon it, and the two pairs then continue their action
until the bolt is bent round closely upon the central mandril. The extreme
ends of the bolt are then bent into the proper forms by one or more strokes
from a hammer worked by steam or compressed air and acting horizontally.
The weld joint is also acted upon by a hammer acting vertically, and the weld
is completed by this hammer, or by means of alternate strokes of the horizontal
and vertical hammers. One or both of the hammers may be fitted with
shifting heads, having different dies suited to the different stages of the welding
action, the head or heads being shifted round between each stroke to bring a
different die to act on the link. The shaping cods are formed with slightly
overhanging lips, which prevent the bolt from springing up whilst being bent
and welded. The weld being completed, the shaping cods are moved outwards,
and the central mandril is withdrawn downwards, and it is by preference
whilst it is down that this mandril receives the stud for the next link, such
stud being held in position by a catch. The chain is then drawn forward the
length necessary to put the newly made link in the position for the next one
to be added to it, and this movement is effected by a rod having a hook or
clasp, the rod being caused to make a quarter of a turn to bring the link into
the proper position: To prevent the twisting of the chain or cable, this quarter
of a turn is made alternately in opposite directions, and it may be conveniently.
effected by means of inclined grooves on au enlargement of the rod acting
against a pin fixed to the framing.
The machine may be arranged to effect the welding of the joint either at
the end or the side of the link, and by changing the sizes or shapes of the
mandril and dies or shaping cods the same machine may be made capable of
making different sizes or unlinked rings of various forms. The chain links

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Murray in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
23rd December 1863.
.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
MURRAY, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, Engineer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-seventh year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs, and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said John Murray, Her special licence that I, the said John Murray, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John
Murray, 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 MACHINERY FOR
MAKING CHAINS OR CHAIN CABLES AND RINGS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said John Murray, 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 imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Murray, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed; to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement in writing, roference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and
to the letters and figures, marked thereon, that is to say?
.
My said Invention has for object the making of chains or chain cables of
malleable iron in a superior and more economical manner than hitherto, the
improved machinery herein-after described being employed for that purpose,
and being also applicable for making rings not forming parts of a chain.
And in order that my said Invention and the manner of performing the
:

page_text: same may be properly understood, I have hereunto appended a Sheet of
explanatory Drawings, to be herein-after referred to, and 'representing modifi-
cations of my improved apparatus.
Figure 1 is a plan, and Figure 2 is a side elevation, of a chain-making
machine constructed with my improvements, and the same reference numerals
are used to mark the same or like parts in both Figures.
The bolt 3
The machine comprises a massive plate or table 1, which may be wholly
or partially of cast iron, and which is supported at a convenient height on
legs 2, and has fitted or applied to it the various operating parts.
to be formed into a chain link is bent round a central mandril or die 4, fitted
into an opening in the table 1, down through which opening it is withdrawn
when the link is completed. When the chain links are to be of the kind
termed "stud" links, the mandril 4 is formed with a recess across it, which
holds the stud 5 whilst the link is being bent round upon it. The bending of
the bolt into the link form is effected by shaping cods or bending dies, of which
in the modification being described there are two pairs 6, 6, and 7, 7, and
these shaping cods work in guides, or are moved in directions radiating or
nearly radiating from the central mandril 4 and may be actuated in various
ways. In the arrangement shown each shaping cod 6 is fitted with a pin 8,
which slides in a guide groove 9, formed in or upon the table 1, and the cod
is acted upon by means of a second pin 10, which passes down through a slot
in the table 1, and is jointed beneath to a triangular lever 14 beneath the
table, as indicated by dotted lines, and centered at 15. The bolt having been
cut by hand or in a separate machine to the proper length, and with scarfed
or butt ends according to the form of weld joint preferred, and having been
heated so that the middle is at a suitable bending heat whilst the ends are
at a welding heat, it is placed in its position, as indicated by the red lines in
Figure 1, being passed through the link 16 last formed, which is held on
edge in a recess made for it in the table top and in the mandril 4. At the
time of thus putting in the bolt the shaping cods 6, 6, 7, 7, are moved out-
wards quite away from the positions in which they are represented in Figure 1,
and when the machine is put in motion the first pair of cods 6, 6, commence
bending the bolt round the central mandril 4, and their movement is such as
to follow the bending bolt normally, or as nearly as possible without rubbing
or indenting its surface. After the ends of the bolt have got across the lines
of action of the second pair of shaping cods 7, 7, these act upon them, and
the two pairs then continue their action until the bolt (3) is bent round closely
upon the central mandril 4, as shown in Figure 1. The extreme ends of the
bolt are then bent or compressed into the proper form, and the joint is welded

page_text: by one or more strokes from a hammer 17, worked by steam or compressed
air in a cylinder 18, and acting horizontally. The weld, joint is also acted
upon by a hammer 19, acting vertically, and the weld is completed by this
vertical hammer 19, or by means of alternate strokes of the horizontal and
5 vertical hammers 17, 19. The cylinder 31 of the vertical hammer 19 is
carried by an overhanging bracket 32, but in Figure 1 the cylinder 31 and
a portion of the bracket 32 are supposed to be removed; so as not to hide the
parts beneath. One or both of the hammers 17, 19, may be fitted with
shifting heads, having different dies suited to the different stages of the welding
action, the head or heads being shifted round between each stroke to bring a
different die to act on the link. The shaping cods 6, 6, 7, 7, are formed with
slightly overhanging lips, as shown at 20 in the section, Figure 3, which lips
prevent the bolt or link from springing up whilst being bent and welded; in
Figure 1, however, the lips are supposed to be broken away to show the under-
5 cut parts acting on the bolt. The acting surfaces of the shaping cods are also
slightly reduced or tapered towards their ends to prevent marks being made
on the link at the corresponding points.
In the arrangement shown the horizontal hammer 17 is made to work the
shaping cods 6, 6, 7, 7, as well as to act directly in welding the joint, and for
this purpose, as well as to work the valves of the hammers, the ram or rod
17 is extended both ways through stuffing boxes in both ends of the steam
cylinder 18. A cross head 21 is fixed on the outer end of the ram 17, and
in the under side of this cross head there is a notch or recess which receives an
engaging hooked piece 22, indicated by dotted lines, and jointed on a slide
5 23, working in guides beneath the table. The slide 23 is formed with arms
24, to which are jointed connecting links 25, having their other ends jointed
to the levers 11, and -through these levers acting on the first pair of shaping
cods 6, 6. The hooked piece 22 is put into gear with the cross head 21 by
means of a foot lever 26, which is linked to a hooked lever 27, under the
hook of which last there passes a pin on the hooked piece 22, when the slide
23 is moved outwards. The slide 23 is shown in its outermost position,
whilst the cross head 21, also in its outermost position, is a short distance
beyond it. The cross head 21 also acts on two cam levers 28, centered on
brackets 29, and having jointed to them the links 30, which actuate the
levers 14, connected to the second pair of shaping cods 7, 7. "The cam levers
28 are shaped as shown, in order that the cross head 21 may act on 'them
only when approaching the outer end of its stroke, and'in order that on the
hammer 17 moving inwards to strike its blow, the cross head 21 may-first
cause the cods 7, 7, to be withdrawn, the hammer die being shaped to cover

page_text: portions of the surface of the link just previously acted upon by the cods 7, 7,
whereby a better formation of the welded joint is obtained. The cross head
21 has attached to it a rod 33, for working the valves of the hammer cylin-
ders 18, 31, these valves being actuated respectively by the levers 34 and
85. On the lever 34 there is a sliding block 36, which is connected by a
link 37 to a hand lever 38, and is acted upon by a pin or pins adjusted in
suitable positions on the rod 33. The pins act on the under side of the
block 36, and cause the reversal of the valve at an earlier or later period of
the stroke, accordingly as the lever 38 is made to lower or raise the block
36. The valve lever 35 of the vertical hammer is worked by a gab rod 39,
which engages with a pin on the lever 34. When the work of the hammers
is done the block 36 is lifted up to its highest point, so as not to be acted
upon by the rod 33, and at the same time lifting the gab rod 39 out of gear,
in doing which a pin on the inside of the rod encounters a curved guide 40,
whereby the valve is thrown over into such a position as to admit a little
steam beneath the hammer ¡iston in order to hold up the hammer 19.
Assuming the parts to be in the positions in which they are represented, but
with the weld of the link 3 completed, the next movement would be to
admit steain to move the horizontal ram 17 inwards, and at the same time
to cause it to engage with the slide 23 and carry it inwards also; with this
movement the shaping cods 7, 7, 6, 6, would be moved outwards, and the
central mandril 4 would be withdrawn downwards by the action of a bell-
crank lever 43 on a wedge supporting the mandril block, the lever 43 being
acted on by a rod 44 jointed to the slide 23. The rod 44 is continued to
act on a lever 45, which moves outwards a tube 46 holding a few links of
the chain, and the last link formed is thereby withdrawn from over the man-
dril 4. The tube would then be turned a quarter round by the handle 47,
to place the last formed link on edge, and in position for receiving the bolt
for the next link. The fresh bolt being introduced, steam would be admitted
to move the ram 17 outwards, and the bolt would be bent into shape in the
manner already herein-before described. After moving in the bending cods
6, 6, the cross head 21 disengages itself from the slide 23, and any number
of strokes can then be given by the hammers without moving the slide 23, or
parts connected thereto. The chain may be turned a quarter round after
each link is formed by a self-acting appliance in connection with the tube 46,
the quarter turn being given alternately in opposite directions so as not to
twist the chain. The apparatus is obviously susceptible of various modifica-
tions. The parts may be arranged to effect the welding of the joint either at
the end or the side of the link.

page_text: Figure 4 is a Diagram showing a suitable arrangement of the bending cods
when the weld is made at the side of the link 8. The red line is the
direction in which the horizontal hammer acts. There are three bending cods
6, 6, 6, and the lines b, c, d, are the directions in which their outer ends are
guided whilst they are acted upon by triangular levers centred at e, f, g, and
drawn in directions parallel to the líne a by links jointed to the points h, i, j.
By changing the sizes or shapes of the mandril and dies or shaping cods, the
same machine may be made capable of making chains of different sizes or
unlinked rings of various forms. The chain links may be made with or
without studs, or they may be made of iron rolled or formed with projections
disposed so as to meet and act as studs in the completed links. The acting
faces of the bending or welding dies may be steeled or case hardened, and may
be made separate from the cods or rams carrying them. In some cases, as, for
example, in machines for making chains of large size, a cylinder may be used
for moving the bending cods separate and distinct from the horizontal hammer.
The end bending dies 7, 7, may be constructed to overlap each other, so as to
cover the ends of a scarf weld. The bolts may be heated in various ways, but
a convenient plan is to heat a large quantity in a slow coal fire to a red heat,
and to remove the bolts without losing this heat to a forge fire arranged to
apply a strong heat to the ends whilst the middle part retains its red heat.
Several bolts may be in this second fire at the same time.
The principal advantages arising from the use of the apparatus herein-before-
described are, that the bolt requires only one heat; that the chain does not
require to be moved until the formation of each link is completed; that every
link is of a uniform length and shape; and, finally, that less time, labor, and
skill are required than in making chains by hand. Considerable advantage
would also arise if parts of the apparatus were used separately. Thus with
one portion of the details the bolts may be partially bent, and they may be
thereafter re-heated for the welding, which may be effected by hand, or by
portions of the apparatus herein-before described arranged in a separate
machine.
Having thus particularly described my said Invention, and the manner in
which the same is or may be performed, I have to state that I do not restrict
myself to the precise details herein described or delineated; but that what I
believe to be novel and original, and claim as the Invention secured to me by
the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is,—
1. The making of chains, chain cables, links, or rings by means of improved
apparatus, substantially such as is herein-before described.

page_text: 2. The making of chains, chain cables, links, or rings, by apparatus con-
structed or arranged substantially as herein-before described, to bend the bolt
and weld the joint of the link or ring at one heat.
3. The bending of bolts for rings or links for chains or chain cables by
improved apparatus substantially such as is herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Murray, have hereunto set my
hand and seal; this Twenty-first day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
Witness,
EDMUND HUNT,
Patent Agent,
28, St. Enoch Square,
Glasgow.
JOHN MURRAY. (L.S.)