Improvements in Driving Chain for Velocipedes and Machinery.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Mar., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 18th Nov., 1892-Accepted, 31st Dec., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Driving Chain for Velocipedes and Machinery.
I ROBERT FREDERICK HALL of the R. F. Hall Manufacturing Co. Limited
of Sampson Road North Birmingham in the County of Warwick Manufacturers
of Cycle Materials do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention has reference principally to the roller links of driving chain for
velocipedes and machinery; that is to say, those links which support a friction
roller at each end and between their inner faces, the said roller links being rivetted
together and to the ordinary side links situated between pairs of roller links; and
my said invention consists of the improvements hereinafter described in making
the half links of the said roller links and in the fittings of the said roller links.
In making the half links of the roller links according to my invention I proceed
as follows:-
I cut out at a press from strips of steel or other strong and ductile metal or alloy,
link blanks having semi-circular ends and concave sides, and by means of a punching
operation effected in a press furnished with properly shaped tools I punch in each
end of the blank a circular depression concentric with the semi-circular end of the
blank the punched out or displaced metal forming on one face of the blank an
unpierced circular projection or boss equal in thickness to about one half that of
the blank. The circular projection or boss thus punched out at each end of the
blank is pierced with a hole for the rivet to pass through. The hole for the rivet
may be made in the end of the link blank before or after the punching operation.
The depressions left in the ends of the half links by the displaced metal are filled
with ring washers which are fixed in their places by pressure. The original
strength of the link blanks is thereby nearly restored to them. The half links
thus formed have at their ends hollow projections or circular bosses proper to fit
within the ends of the friction rollers of the chain which rollers are secured between
the links and the links secured together by rivets passed through the holes in the
pierced bosses and also, through the ends of the ordinary side links upon which
the rivets are fastened as usual. The friction roller besides being supported by
the bosses on the inner faces of the half links projecting into its ends is also
supported by ring washers which fill up the space between the opposed bosses.
By this arrangement the washers form virtually a prolongation of the projecting
bosses on the half links and provide a long continuous bearing for the friction
roller the strain and wear on the said bearing being thus distributed over its whole
surface.
Roller links for driving chain made and fitted together according to my invention
are very strong and durable in use and economical in manufacture.
Dated this 7th day of March 1892.
W. T. WHITEMAN,
Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Driving Chain for Velocipedes and Machinery.
I, ROBERT FREDERICK HALL of the R. F. Hall Manufacturing Co. Limited,
of Sampson Road North, Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Manufacturers
of Cycle Materials, do hereby declare the nature of my 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 has reference principally to the roller links of driving chain for

page_text: velocipedes and machinery; that is to say, those links which support a friction
roller at each end and between their inner faces, the said roller links being rivetted
together and to the ordinary side links situated between pairs of roller links; and
my said invention consists of the improvements hereinafter described in making
the half links of the said roller links and in the fittings of the said roller links.
In making the half links of the roller links according to my invention I proceed
as follows.
I cut out at a press from strips of steel or other strong and ductile metal or alloy,
link blanks having nearly circular ends and concave or flat sides and by means of
a punching operation effected in a press furnished with properly shaped tools I
punch in each end of the blank a circular depression concentric with the nearly
circular end of the blank, the punched out or displaced metal forming on one face
of the blank an unpierced circular projection or boss equal in thickness to about
one half that of the blank. The circular projection or boss thus punched out at
each end of the blank is pierced with a hole for the rivet to pass through. The
hole for the rivet may be made in the end of the link blank before or after the
punching operation. The depressions left in the ends of the half links by
the displaced metal are filled with ring washers which are fixed in their places by
pressure. The original strength of the link blanks is thereby nearly restored
to them. The half links thus formed have at their ends hollow projections
or circular bosses proper to fit within the ends of the friction rollers of the chain,
which rollers are secured between the links and the links secured together by
rivets passed through the holes in the pierced bosses and also through the ends of
the ordinary side links upon which the rivets are fastened as usual. The friction
roller besides being supported by the bosses on the inner faces of the half links
projecting into its ends, is also supported by ring washers which fill up the space
between the opposed bosses. By this arrangement the washers form virtually a
prolongation of the projecting bosses on the half links and provide a long continuous
bearing for the friction roller, the strain and wear on the said bearing being thus
distributed over its whole surface.
I will now proceed to describe with reference to the accompanying drawing the
manner in which my invention is to be performed.
Figure 1 represents in plan and longitudinal section a roller link blank, drawn to
a large scale, cut out at a press from sheet steel or other strong and ductile metal
or alloy. I take the said link blank Figure 1 and by means of cutting tools worked
in a press I cut out of each nearly circular end a of the said blank, a hole concentric
with the said end as represented in plan and section in Figure 2, where the holes
are marked b, b. The holes b, b form the rivet holes in the finished roller links.
By a punching or pressing operation the metal around the said holes is partly
punched or pressed out or displaced so as to form on one face of the blank a pierced
circular projection or boss equal in thickness to about one half that of the blank.
The roller link in this stage of its manufacture is represented in plan and section in
Figure 3 where the circular projections on one face of the blank around the
holes b, bare marked c, c and the circular depressions in the other face of the blank,
left by the displaced metal to form the circular bosses, are marked d, d.
The ends of the links may be pierced with the rivet holes after the punching or
pressing out operation described. The depressions d, d left by the displaced metal
are next filled with ring washers as represented in Figure 4, where the ring
washers are marked e, e. The washers e, e are fixed in their places by expanding
them by pressure. By thus filling the depressions d, d Figure 3 with ring
washers e, e as seen in Figure 4, the original strength of the link is nearly
restored to it.
By the operations described there is formed a half link having at the ends of one
of its faces hollow circular perforated projections or bosses c, c proper to fit within
the ends of the friction roller of the chain.
made
Figure 5 represents in section a pair of unrivetted roller links marked f,
according to my invention combined with friction rollers markedy, g. By an
:

page_text: examination of the said Figure 5 it will be seen that the hollow circular projections
or bosses c c on the inner sides of the half links f, fpass into the ends of the friction
rollers g, g for supporting them.
The friction rollers g, g besides being supported on the bosses c, c of the half
links f, fare also supported by the ring washers h, which fill the space between
the opposed bosses c, c. One of the filling up ring washers is shown detached in
Figure 5. By the use of the ring washers h, a virtual prolongation of the
projecting bosses c, c is obtained and a long continuous bearing provided for the
friction rollers. The strain and wear on the bearing of the friction roller is thus
distributed over its whole surface.
Figure 6 represents in plan, partly in section, and Figure 7 in side elevation, a
portion of a driving chain the roller links of which are made according to my
invention. In the said Figures 6 and 7 the roller links are marked fand the
ordinary side links are marked i, i and the rivets by which the roller links and side
links are fastened together are marked k k and the friction rollers g, g.
In fitting the links of the chain together the rivet secured to one of the side links i
is passed through the boss c of one of the roller links fand the friction roller g fitted
in its place and filled with the ring washers h, h. The other or opposite roller link
is then passed on to the rivet and its boss fitted into the end of the friction roller.
The opposite side link is next passed on to the rivet and the latter rivetted on that
side link as represented in the sectional part of Figure 6. In this way the whole
of the roller and side links are secured together.
In place of the series of loose filling up ring washers h, h and friction roller gas
represented in Figures 5 and 6 a solid friction roller may turn upon the rivet of
the link as represented in Figure 8 where the solid roller is marked 1. In this
case the bosses c, c of the links fit in circular depressions in the ends of the solid
roller l.
Roller links for driving chain made and fitted together according to my invention
are very strong and durable in use and economical in manufacture.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my inven-
tion, and the manner in which the same is to be performed I declare that I
claim as my invention of "Improvements in driving chain for velocipedes and
machinery :-
:.
"
First Making the perforated circular projections or bosses at the ends of
the half links of roller links of driving chain, for supporting the friction rollers of the
said roller links, solid to or in one piece with the said half links substantially in the
manner herein before described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing; that
is to say, punching or pressing in each end of the link blauk a circular depression
concentric with the nearly circular end of the link blank, the displaced or pressed
out metal forming on one face of the link a circular projection or boss which is
pierced or perforated with a hole for the rivet, the rivet hole being made in the
end of the link either before or after the punching or pressing operation, the link
being preferably restored nearly to its original strength by filling the circular
depression with a ring washer substantially as described and illustrated.
Secondly-Supporting the friction rollers of roller links by means of ring
washers filling up the space between the opposed bosses of the said roller links,
which ring washers in conjunction with the projecting bosses of the roller links
provide a continuous bearing for the friction rollers substantially as herein before
described and illustrated in Figures 5 and 6 of the accompanying drawing; also
the modification illustrated in Figure 8 in which a solid friction roller is used in.
place of a tubular friction roller and filling up ring washers.
Dated the Sixteenth day of November 1892
ROBERT FREDERICK HALL.