AN IMPROVED SLIP LINK FOR COUPLING CHAINS, ROPES, HARNESS, TENSION RODS, AND THE LIKE
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Frank Kingston, of No. 31, Catherine Grove, Greenwich,
in the County of Kent, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED SLIP LINK FOR
COUPLING CHAINS, ROPES, HARNESS, TENSION RODS, AND THE LIKE."
"
Sealed the 31st January 1879, and dated the 12th August 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Frank Kingston at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 12th August 1878.
"
FRANK KINGSTON, of No. 31, Catherine Grove, Greenwich, in the County of
Kent. AN IMPROVED SLIP LINK FOR COUPLING CHAINS, ROPES, HARNESS, TENSION
RODS, AND THE LIKE."
My Invention relates to a construction of slip link or means of coupling one part
of a chain, rope, harness trace, or tension rod to another in such manner that the
parts can be readily and rapidly connected or disconnected. For this purpose I
construct the link in two parts, jointed together at the one end, with an eye half
in each part at the other end for the reception of the link or loop. Between the
two hinged parts is a space containing a helical spring, and outside the two parts
is a sliding sheath, a pin of which bears on the spring. This sheath is made taper
to fit on the exterior of the two parts of the link, which are also tapered; the
spring forces the sheath forwards so as to press the two parts of the link together,
and so close the eye which receives the link or loop; but on pulling back the sheath
the two parts of the link are opened, or are left free to open away from each other
sufficiently far to let the link or loop be drawn out of the divided eye or to be
inserted into it; and to facilitate its insertion the split of the eye may be made
trumpet mouthed.
In employing the link above described for harness it may be attached to or com-
bined with a traction spring of any known construction for easing the strain at
starting the vehicle.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent_filed by
the said Frank Kingston in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 8th February
1879.
FRANK KINGSTON, of No. 31, Catherine Grove, Greenwich, in the County of
Kent. "AN IMPROVED SLIP LINK FOR COUPLING CHAINS, ROPES, HARNESS, TENSION
RODS, AND THE LIKE."
My Invention relates to a construction of slip link or means of coupling one part
of a chain, rope, harness trace, or tension, rod to another in such manner that the
parts can be readily and rapidly connected or disconnected. For this purpose I
construct the link in two parts, jointed together at the one end, with an eye half
in each part at the other end for the reception of a link or loop. Between the two
hinged parts is a space containing a spring, and outside the two parts is a sliding
sheath, a pin of which bears on the spring. This sheath is made taper to fit on the
exterior of the two parts of the link, which are also tapered. The spring forces the
sheath forwards over shoulders so as to press the two parts of the link together, and 1
so close the eye which receives the link or loop; but on pulling back the sheath
the two parts of the link are opened away from each other sufficiently far to let
the link or loop, be drawn out of the divided eye or to be inserted into it. To
'facilitate its insertion the split of the eye may be made trumpet mouthed.
In employing the link above described for harness it may be attached to or com-
bined with a traction spring of any known construction for easing the strain at
starting the vehicle.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
5 Fig. 1 represents a front view of a link according to my Invention, closed to
form the connection from one part of a chain to another.
Fig. 2 represents a vertical section of the link opened for the purpose of discon-
necting the two parts of the chain; and Fig. 3 represents a vertical transverse
section.
•
The link consists of two limbs A and B jointed together at C like the limbs of a
pair of pincers, their lower ends forming a closed eye at D, and their upper ends
forming when closed another eye at E. Between the two limbs A and B is placed
a helical spring F, the lever end of which bears upon a bent blade spring ƒ that
butts against the interior of the limbs A and B. A sliding sheath G encloses the
middle portions of the limbs, and a pin H which passes through the two sides of
the sheaths, bears upon the upper end of the spring F.
The limbs A and B are formed with projecting shoulders at a and b respectively.
When the upper lip of the sheath G encloses these shoulders, as shewn in Fig. 1,
the upper eye E is kept closed so as to retain the link K within it; but when the
sheath G is drawn downwards to the position shewn in Fig. 2, so that its upper lip
escapes the shoulders a and b, the springs F and fare compressed, and the latter
forces the links A and B apart, opening the eye E so that the link K can be
'withdrawn.
When it is desired to close the eye E the upper ends of A and B are pressed
together by hand, and the springs F and thereupon push the sheath G upwards,
causing its upper lip to pass over the shoulders a and b so as to keep the eye E
closed until the sheath be again withdrawn.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention and the manner in which the

page_text: same is to be performed, I claim, the use of a slip link consisting of two limbs jointed
together and enclosed in a sliding sheath acted on by a spring, substantially as
herein described,
In witness whereof, I, the said Frank Kingston, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Seventh day of February, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-nine.