Improvements in Chains, more especially intended for Conveyors.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Feb., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 5th Nov., 1895-Accepted, 7th Dec., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Chains, more especially intended for Conveyors.
I, JAMES MAPES DODGE, of Clapier and. M.Kean Streets, Germantown, in the
City of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, one of the. United States of
America, Mechanical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows :—
The object of this invention is the construction of a chain for conveyors or other
purposes by a series of rods hinged together so as to allow a free articulation of
the rods in one direction and to permit easy and economical detachment of the
rods and parts.
The rods each carry at one end a socket and at the other end a bearing block
the bearing block of one rod and the socket of the other rod being adapted to
and cooperating with each other as hereinafter described when the parts are
assembled into a chain.
Conveyor flights may be secured to lugs on the sockets. Each socket has in one
side an elongated slot and in the opposite side in line with this slot an aperture.
That end of the rod which carries the said socket has a square end portion and
a head. The relative shape and dimensions of the socket and the head of the rod
being such that the rod and its head can be passed through the said slot; the rod
being also passed through the aperture of the socket until the head of the rod comes
to a bearing against the shoulders of the socket.
The socket has a cylindrical chamber within which is received and works a
cylindrical bearing block and in 'the underside of the socket is an aperture for the
purpose hereinafter described.
The bearing block has a transverse square opening through which that end of
one of the rods which carries the block when the parts are assembled into a
chain can be passed and within which the squared end portion of said rod
snugly fits.
The end of the rod carrying the said bearing block has a screw thread for the
reception of a nut, serving to detachably secure the bearing block upon the rod.
The parts described are thus assembled to form a chain.
A rod is passed through an elongated slot and aperture of the socket until its
head comes to a bearing against the shoulders within the socket; a cylindrical
bearing block is then slidden laterally within the chamber of the said socket which
chamber is for the purpose made open at one or both ends and is brought into
position; another rod is then passed through the elongated slot of the socket and
through apertures of the bearing block so that its screw threaded end shall project
through an aperture in the underside of the socket far enough to allow the nut to
be screwed upon the threaded end the rod is then retracted until the nut comes to
a bearing against the flattened portion of the bearing block and between lugs
formed upon the said block which lugs serve to prevent the nut from turning.
When the parts have been connected and brought into the position which they
will occupy when in use in a chain under tension the rods are securely coupled
by a hinged joint allowing articulation of the rods in one direction only since the
longitudinal axis of the bearing block is at right angles to that of the rods and
the said bearing block is free to work within the cylindrical chamber of its
socket and the rod carrying the said bearing block has a necessary play within
the elongated slot of the socket.

page_text: I prefer to arrange bearing plates between the socket and the block to take the
wear of the parts so that these plates may be removed and replaced when worn;
this construction, however is not essential."
To uncouple the rods it is only necessary to kink the chain so as to pass the
screw threaded end of the rod through the open portion in the slot, the nut is then
unscrewed when the said rod can be readily removed from the bearing 'block and
socket and the bearing block be slidden out of the socket after which the rod
carrying the socket is free to be passed through the slot in the latter.
A chain constructed in accordance with my invention while useful for various
purposes is especially applicable to the construction of conveyors as they can be
so readily taken apart for the purpose of repairs or alterations and put together
again and if breakage occurs it will be of the rods rather than of the sockets,
making repairs simple and easy.
The parts may he readily modified without departing from my invention for
example in some instances the head of the bolt may be confined within the
bearing block and the nut be secured to the opposite end of the bolt in this
instance the bolt is first passed through the opening in the socket and in the
bearing block until the head comes to its seat in the bearing block then.the nut is
passed up into the opening of the adjoining socket and the rod passed through
the opening therein and the nut is screwed upon the rod.
In some instances the aperture in the underside of the socket may be only large
enough for the passage of a nut the nut being passed up through the said aperture:
and screwed on to the rod without projecting the rod. The rod may be screw
threaded at both ends and adapted to nuts, and keys may be used in place of..the
nuts without departing from my invention.
Dated this 14th day of February 1895.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Chains, more especially intended for Conveyors."
I, JAMES MAPES DODGE, of Clapier and McKean Streets, Germantown, in the
City of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, one of the United States of America,
Mechanical Engineer, 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 :—
The object of my invention is the construction of a chain for conveyors or other
purposes, of a series of rods hinged together, so as to allow of free articulation of
the rods in one direction, and to permit easy and economical detachment and
replacement of the parts.
In the accompanying drawings-
Figure 1 is a side view of a section of a conveyor embodying my invention:
Figure 2 a plan view:
Figure 3 a longitudinal view, partly in section, showing the manner in which the
rods are hinged together:
Figure 4 is a sectional plan view on the line 4-4, Figure 3:
Figure 5 is a view showing one method of connecting or attaching the parts of
the device:
:
Figure 6 is a perspective view of a socket constituting one of the elements of the.
hinged joint:
Figure 7 is a perspective view of a bearing. block constituting the other element
of the said hinged joint; and
Figures 8, 9, 10 and 11, are views of modifications.of.my invention.
Aj

page_text: AA are rods, each carrying at one end a socket B, and at the other end a
bearing block D, the bearing block of one rod, and the socket of another rod,
being adapted to, and co-operating with each other as hereinafter described, when
the parts are connected together to form a chain.
C (Figures 1 and 2) are conveyor flights, secured to lugs 62 on sockets B, as
shown.
The socket B, preferably of the shape shown in Figures 3, 4 and 6, has in one
side an elongated slot B, and in the opposite side, in line with said slot B³, an
aperture b.
That end of rod A which carries said socket, has a squared end portion a', and
a head a; the relative shape and dimensions of slot B of the socket, and head a
of the rod, being such that the rod and its head can be passed through the said
slot, the rod being also passed through the aperture b of the socket, until the
head a of the rod comes to a bearing against the shoulders 6', of the socket.
The socket B has a cylindrical chamber B', within which is received, and works,
a cylindrical bearing block D, and in the underside of the socket B is an
aperture B³, for a purpose hereinafter indicated.
Bearing block D has a transverse square opening d, through which that end of
one of the rods, which carries said block, when the parts are connected together
to form a chain, can be passed, and within which the squared end portion a³ of said
rod snugly fits.
The end of the rod A carrying the said bearing block, has a screw thread a³, for
the reception of a threaded nut c, serving to detachably secure the bearing block
upon the rod. The parts described, are thus connected to form a chain. A rod A
is passed through the slot B2 and aperture 6 of the socket B, until its head a comes
to a bearing against the shoulders within the socket, as shown in Figure 3;
a cylindrical bearing block D is then slidden laterally into the chamber B₁ of said
socket, (which chamber is for this purpose made open at one or both ends), and is
brought into the position shown in Figure 5.
Another rod A is then passed through the slot B2 of the socket, and through
the apertures d of the bearing block, so that its screw threaded end shall project
through the aperture B³ in the underside of the socket, far enough to allow the
nut to be secured upon the said screw threaded end.
Rod A is then retracted until the nut c comes to a bearing against a flattened
portion of the bearing block D, and between lugs d' d' formed upon the said
bearing block, and which serve to prevent the nut from turning.
When the parts have been thus connected and brought into the position
illustrated in Figure 3, which is that which they will occupy when in use in a chain
under tension, the rods are securely coupled by a hinge joint, allowing articulation
of the rods in one direction only, since the longitudinal axis of the bearing block D
is at right angles to that of the rods, and the said bearing block is free to work
within the cylindrical chamber B¹ of its socket B, and the rod A carrying the said
bearing block has the necessary play within the slot B2 of the said socket.
I prefer to arrange bearing plates ee¹ between the socket and the bearing
block D, to take the wear of the parts, so that these plates may be removed and
replaced when worn. This, however, is not essential.
The bearing plate e is mounted in the socket between lugs, which prevent it from
turning with the block, while the bearing plate e¹ I prefer to make loose so as to be
removable with the bearing block D from the socket; said bearing plate e¹, when
mounted in the socket, being prevented from turning by projections e² shown in
dotted lines in Figure 3.
To uncouple the rods, it is only necessary to bring the parts into the position
shown in Figure 5, unscrew the nut c from the rod A carrying it, when the said
rod can be readily withdrawn from the bearing. block and socket, and the bearing
block slid out of the socket, after which the rod A carrying the socket, is free to
be passed through the slot B2 of the latter.
A chain constructed in accordance with my invention, while useful for a variety

page_text: of purposes, is especially applicable in the construction of conveyors. A conveyor
so constructed, can be readily taken apart for purpose of repair or alterations, and
put together again and if breakage occurs, it will be of the rods rather than of the
sockets, making repair simple and easy.
I wish it understood that I do not confine myself to the precise details of
construction and arrangement herein above set forth, as these may be to some
extent varied or departed from, without departing from the spirit of my
invention.
For example, in the modification shown in Figure 8, of the drawings, the head
of the bolt is confined within the bearing block and the nut is secured to the
opposite end of the bolt; in this instance, the bolt is first passed through the
opening in the socket and in the bearing block until the head comes to its seat in
the bearing block, then the nut is passed up into the opening of the adjoining socket
and the rod passed through the opening 6 therein and the nut is then screwed upon
the rod, as clearly shown in the said figure.
In Figure 9, the aperture B³ in the lower part of the socket is made large
enough only to allow of the nut c being passed up through the said aperture and
screwed onto the end of the rod A without projecting the rod through the opening,
as shown in Figure 5.
In Figure 10, I have shown the rod screw threaded at both ends and adapted to
nuts passed up through the opening B³ in the socket, one nut screwed onto one rod
and the other out screwed onto the adjoining rod. The rods in this instance are
shown as square, but they may be oval or otherwise shaped so as to prevent them
turning in their sockets or bearing blocks.
In Figure 11, I have shown the rods secured to the bearing block and to the
socket by keys.
It will be understood that in some instances a key may be used in the other
modifications, in place of the head or nut and that the threaded rods for instance,
as shown in Figure 10, may be screwed into orifices in the socket and bearing
block, without departing from my invention.
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
claim is :-
1. A chain link or unit composed of a rod carrying at one end a slotted socket
having a cylindrical chamber, and at the other end a cylindrical bearing block
snugly fitting in the said chamber, the said bearing block being detachably con-
nected to the rod, but so as to be rigid thereon when the parts are in place, and the
longitudinal axis of the said bearing block and of the cylindrical chamber in the
said socket, being parallel with each other, and at right angles to the longitudinal
axis of the rod, all substantially as hereinbefore described.
2. A chain link or unit composed of a rod carrying at one end a slotted socket
having a cylindrical chamber, and at the other end a cylindrical bearing block,
both bearing block and socket being detachably connected to the rod, but so as to
be rigid thereon when the parts are in place, and the longitudinal axis of the said
bearing block and of the cylindrical chamber in the said socket, being parallel with
each other, and at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the rod, all substantially
as herein before described.
3. A socket B having cylindrical chamber B' adapted for the reception of a
cylindrical bearing block, the said socket also having a slot B, and aperture 6 and
an aperture B, all substantially as hereinbefore described.
4. In a conveyor section, the combination with a headed rod, of a socket made
in a single piece having a slot in one side and an opening in the opposite side in
-line with the said slot, the rod being adapted to be passed through the said slot
and opening, and the head to be confined within the socket, substantially.as
hereinbefore described.
1
5. The combination of a socket B, a bearing block adapted to the said socket,

page_text: a rod adapted to the socket, another rod adapted to the bearing block, the said
socket having an aperture B³ for the passage of the head of the rod carried by
the bearing block, when the parts are to be uncoupled, substantially as herein-
before described.
6. The combination of two rods, a socket secured to one of the said rods, a
bearing block secured to the other rod, the said socket having an aperture for the
passage of the rod of the bearing block, a nut adapted to the said rod, the aperture
being of sufficient diameter to allow for the passage of the nut to the bearing block,
so that the bearing block can be turned into position, substantially as hereinbefore
described.
7. The combination of the socket made in a single piece, a bearing block adapted
thereto, the said socket having an opening B and a slot B, a headed rod adapted
to the said opening, a rod adapted to pass through the slot in the socket, the
bearing block having an opening, a nut confining the rod in the bearing block and
the socket having an aperture for the withdrawal of the nut, substantially as
hereinbefore described.
8. The combination of the socket, rod attached thereto, a bearing block adapted
to the socket, a rod secured to the bearing block and passing through a slot in the
socket, detachable segmental wearing plates mounted on each side of the rod
between the socket and the bearing block, substantially as described.
Dated this 5th day of November 1895.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.