US1430834A - Chain-link construction - Google Patents

Description

E. NICHOLS. 0mm LINK CONSTRUCTION. APPLICATION- FILED APR 12 1919 1,430,834. 1' V Pat-med 00t.3,1922.

4 INVENTOR. EMSAEE NICHOL s.

I ATTORNEYS Patented Hot. 3, 1922.

EDGAR B. NICHOLS. 03E ROCHESTER, NEVT YORK.

CHAIN-LINK CONSTRUCTION.

Application filed .[lnril 12,

To (all 107mm it may cm'zcern:

Be it known that I, linens B. NIorioLs, a citizen of the United States. and a resident of Rochester, county of mace, and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Chain-Link Construction; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals refer to like parts.

This invention relates to chain links of the block type and is an improvement over the form of link shown in my former application Serial No. 225,998 filed April 1, 1918.

The feature of the present invention is in forming the link from one piece of metal and bending the same so as to provide holes at the end thereof for the reception of piv oted pins such as are used in connecting the side plates of the ordinary construction to the block portion of the link.

A further feature of the invention is in so arranging the parts of the metal forming the block portion of the link as to give added strength thereto without materially adding to the weight of the block, and at the same time lessen the cost of production of all the parts of the link.

A further feature of the invention is in so constructing the material, which consists of asection of flat sheet metal, that the fibre of the metal will preferably run parallel with the stress in the link and will extend around the pins of the chain.

A. further feature of the invention is in so forming the parts of the link structure that said parts, when completed, will interlock, such interlocking parts rendering it possible, under certain conditions, to dispense with welding the parts of the link structure together at a point between the openings for the pivot pins.

In the accompanying drawings, which are made a part of this application, Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the block portion of a link showing the meeting ends thereof interlocked together. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the interlocking ends after the same have been welded together. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a different form of locking means. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a further modified form of locking means for the ends of a link structure. Fig. 5 is a top plan view thereof. Fig. 6 is a perspective View of a further modified form of inter- 1919. Serial No. 289,651.

locking means. Fig. 7 is a top plan view thereof.

In the formof structure shown the block portions of the link are formed from sheets of metal. which sheets are of properwidth to form parts of the chain structure. and these widths may be varied. in accordance with the different widths of links desired. or

increased to correspond with the size of the 55 sprocket with which the links cooperate. The block link 10 is formed by bending the ends 11 and 12 of the strip in loop formation until said ends are brought together over the middle portion of the metal strip, the

end 11 having an inwardly bent portion 13, while the end 12 is bent to form a channel 1 into which the end 13 seats, thereby inter- I locking said ends together, which completes the formation of a block link when the same is to be used with a chain having a minimum amount of stress thereon. lVlien the chain structure is to be subjected to heavier strain, the ends 11 and'12 are welded together and to the middle portion of the strip as best shown at 15 in 2 of the drawings. The ends'of the strip of metal, after being interlocked, are preferably forced inwardly until they rest against the middle portion of the strip so as to form pin openings 16 at each is provided with a substantially l..-shaped channel 18 for the reception of the end 17. In Fig. 4 of the drawings the metal strip 1.0 is similar to the structure shown in Figs. 1 and 2, except that the ends 11 and 12 are slit longitudinally to form tongues 19, 20,

21 and 22 respectively, the tongue 19 having a depending end 23 which engages a channel 2 1. formed in the end of the tongue 21. The tongue 20 is bent to form a channel 25 for the reception of the projection 26 on the tongue 22, the ends 11 and 12 having reversed and adjacent tongue and groove connections. (see Figs. 41 andfi).

Figs. 6 and 7 show a further modified interlocking structure, in that each of the ends 11 and 12 are prolonged, the width thereof reduced substantially one half to form tongues 27 and 28 respectively on the parts 11 and 12, the inner edge of said tongues having lateral extensions 29 and 30 which enter ofisets 31 and 32 in the inner edges of the tongues 27 and 28 respectively, while the ends of the tongues are provided with ex tensions 33 and respectively which enter recesses and 36 respectively, thus forming a lock against longitudinal as well as lateral strain in the parts of the link structure.

Under normal conditions the interlocking features of the various forms of link structure shown will be suflicient to produce a finished structure, but it will be understood that in addition to providing these interlocking features the folds of the strip of metal may be welded together so as to form a solid structure, thisbeing preferable where the block link of a chain is formed of the sheet metal strip and subjected to very heavy strain.

In preparing the strips of metal they are cut from a sheet of metal, and longitudinally thereof so that the fibre of the metal will extend longitudinally of the strip, whereby when the strips are bent into proper shape to form the block links, the fibre of the metal will run parallel with the strain and will extend around the pins employed for securing the link blocks into chain formation. By constructing the link in this manner the cost of manufacture thereof is very greatly reduced as they can be manufactured with less effort and the strength thereof maintained and multiplied without adding to the cost of. production.

The invention claimed is:

1. The process of forming a link for sprocket chains consisting in bending the sitely turned halves of one end into engagement with the corresponding portions of the other end of the strip.

3. The process of forming a link for sprocket chains consisting in bending a flat strip of metal upon itself so that the ends thereof are interlocked and are pressed upon the middle portion, leaving pin bearing loops at the outermost bends, and securing said interlocked ends by welding.

a. The process of forming a link for sprocket chains consisting of bending Widthwise a fiat strip of metal and bringing the ends thereof to the middle portion; interlocking the ends of the strip with each other, and pressing said interlocked ends upon the middle portion of the strip and securing them thereto by welding.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto afiixed my signature.

EDGAR B. NICHOLS.

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