IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF MACHINE DRIVING CHAINS
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake,
A
& Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF MACHINE DRIVING CHAINS."
communication from abroad by William Dana Ewart, of Denver, Colorado,
United States of America.
Sealed the 7th November 1879, and dated the 13th May 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 13th May 1879.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF
MACHINE DRIVING CHAINS." [A. communication from abroad by William Dana
Ewart, of Denver, Colorado, United States of America.]
This Invention relates to improvements in the construction of the hook or
coupling device by which the links of a driving chain are coupled, and whereby
the said links can be attached and detached without bending, displacing, or
opening the coupling device.
In carrying the said Invention into practice the coupling device is made
sufficiently large to receive two end bars, so that one end bar of each of two links
is held in the coupler; the coupler is made open so that when one of the links,
whose end bar it receives is thrown into a certain position, it can be removed from
or inserted into the coupler, thereby enabling me to remove and replace the links
in the chain at pleasure.
The form of the links is rectangular, having side bars and end bars; I make the
links of this form to prevent their ends slipping past each other when coupled
together and to secure a close fitting joint where they are coupled, and at the same
time to present a suitable opening to receive the sprockets of a sprocket whee!
when the chain is in use as a driving chain.
The said coupling device is made so as to receive the end bars in such a way
that they cannot be removed without an adjustment to a certain position and will
not uncouple in the ordinary use of the driving chain. The aforesaid side bars

page_text: have depressions near the end bars to admit of their passing through an opening
in the coupling device, so that in order to couple or uncouple these links it is
necessary when thrown into a certain position relative to the coupling device
to slide the link laterally, passing the side bar of the link through the said
opening.
It will be observed that the end bars may be made of such shape as to pass
through the said opening when the link is thrown into certain relative positions
without the lateral adjustment above described when the aforesaid depressions
may be dispensed with. Various modifications may be made for coupling and
uncoupling these links either by modifying the construction of the coupling device
or the configuration of the end bars of the links, as, for instance, there may be pro-
jecting points or lugs on the end bars of the links and corresponding slots in the
coupling device, or vice versa, which secure and prevent the coupling and un-
coupling of the links only when thrown into certain positions and adjusted in a
particular manner, the purpose being, to make a driving chain with close fitting
compact coupling-joints for coupling the open links together and holding them,
substantially as herein described, so that in the ordinary use of the driving-chain
the links will not uncouple, but at the same time the coupling device which is not
a part of the link is so constructed that when the links are adjusted to certain
relative positions to the coupling device the coupling and uncoupling can be
éffected.
This enables the user of the said improved driving chain to lengthen and shorten
his chain at will, or to insert a new link or a new coupler to repair his chain
without the use of a forge or mechanical tools.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
12th November 1879.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF
MACHINE-DRIVING CHAINS." A communication from abroad by William Dana
Ewart, of Denver, Colorado, United States of America.
This Invention relates to improvements in the construction of the hook or
coupling device by which the links of a driving chain are coupled, and whereby the
said links can be attached and detached without bending, displacing, or opening
the coupling device.
In carrying the said Invention into practice the coupling device is made
sufficiently large to receive two end bars, so that one end bar of each of two links
is held in the coupler; the coupler is made open so that when one of the links
whose end bar it receives is thrown into a certain position it can be removed from
or inserted into the coupler, thereby enabling me to remove and replace the links
in the chain at pleasure.
In the accompanying Drawing,-
Figure 1 represents a top view or plan of two links of a driving chain, with the
hook or coupling device coupling the links together according to this Invention,
and
Figure 2 is a longitudinal section of the same at the line x, x, Figure 1, with
dotted lines showing the position into which one of the links is thrown when being
coupled or uncoupled.
The form of the links A shown in the Drawing is rectangular, the said links
having side bars a, a¹, and end bars b, b¹. I make the links of this form to prevent
their ends slipping past each other when coupled together and to secure a close
fitting joint where they are coupled, and at the same time to present a suitable
opening to receive the sprockets of a sprocket-wheel.
The said coupling device B is so made as to receive the end bars, as clearly shown
in the Drawing, in such a manner that they cannot be removed without an adjust-
ment to a certain position, and will not uncouple in the ordinary use of the driving
chain.
The side bars a, a', shown in the Drawing, have depressions c near the end bars
to permit of their passing through the opening d in the coupling device, so that in
order to couple or uncouple these links A it is necessary (when they are thrown into
the position relative to the coupling device, as shown by the dotted lines, Figure 2,)
to slide the link laterally passing the side bar of the link through the opening d.
It will be observed that the end bars may be made of such shape as to pass through
the opening & when the link is thrown into certain positions without the lateral
adjustment above described, in which case the depressions c may be dispensed with.
Various modifications may be made to perinit the coupling and uncoupling of these
links, that is to say, I may modify the construction of the coupling device or the
configuration of the end bars of the links; for instance, there may be projecting
points or lugs on the end bars of the links and corresponding slots in the coupling
device, or vice versa, which secure and prevent the coupling and uncoupling of the
links only when they are thrown into certain positions and adjusted in a particular
manner. The purpose of these contrivances is to make a driving chain with close
fitting compact coupling-joints for coupling the open links together and holding
them, substantially as herein described and shewn, so that in the ordinary use of
the driving chain the links will not uncouple, but at the same time the coupling
device which is not a part of the link is so constructed that when the said links are

page_text: adjusted to certain relative positions to the coupling device the coupling and un-
coupling can be effected.
The user of the said improved driving-chain may lengthen and shorten the same
at will, or insert a new link or a new coupler to repair the chain without the use
of a forge or other apparatus.
Having thus fully described the said. Invention as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent, and the manner of performing the same, I wish it understood
that I claim,
The combination in a driving chain of the independent coupling device with
which the links are coupled together, and so held as to work freely in all of the
ordinary positions which they assume while in use as a driving-chain without
uncoupling, and the links so constructed that their coupling and uncoupling can
be effected when the driving-chain is not in use by throwing them into certain
positions relatively to the coupling device and making certain specific adjustments
relatively thereto, substantially as set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twelfth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy nine.