US2280717A - Reinforced link for antiskid chains - Google Patents

Description

. April 21, 1942.

J. R. REYBURNy 2,280,717

`REINFORCED LINK FOR ANTISKID CHAINS'y Filed NOV. lO, 1939 lll/lll A g Patented Apr. 21, 1942 REINFORCED LINK FOR ANTISKID CHAINS John R. Rcyburn, Fairfield, Conn., assigner to American Chain & Cable Company, Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application November l0, 1939, Serial No. 303,751

4 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in reinforced links for anti-skid tire chains. This application is a continuation in part of my copending application Ser. No. 132,279 filed March 22, 1937.

A broad object of the present invention is to provide a cross chain with improved reinforced tread links having caulks secured thereto in such position as to increase the overall width of the links and present projections adapted to dig into slippery surfaces so as to increase traction and prevent skidding. This broad object as disclosed in said application is accomplished preferably by providing a link with downwardly and outwardly flaring diverging lugs which eX- tend downwardly below the road engaging surfaces of the link and outwardly beyond the sides of the link.

A specic object of this invention is to provide an improved construction in which the link with which the caulks are associated is provided with side strands which have those portions to which the caulks are secured, extending and lying in the same horizontal plane.

More specifically it is an object of this invention to provide a link of the curb type having portions of its side strands lying in the same hori- Zonta] plane, with downwardly divergng lugs which project downwardly below the road engaging lobes of the link and outwardly beyond the sides of the link.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved reinforcing element in which the caulks are integrally connected by a strap which may be of considerably less cross sectional area than that of the caulks and in which the strap and the caulks are preferably so related as to form a seating surface at their juncture to seat on the side strands of the link.

Other objects of the invention will appear from the following description taken in connection with the drawing in which- Fig. 1 is a side elevational View of a reinforced link disclosing one form of my invention;

Fig, 2 is a cross section of the link shown in Fig. 1 on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 shows a link provided with a modified form of reinforcement;

Fig. 4 shows another modified form of reinforcement applied to a link;

Fig. 5 shows in perspective a blank from which the reinforcement disclosed in Fig. 4 may be formed;

Fig. 6 shows another modified form of reinforcement; and

Fig. 7 shows the manner of applying a reinforcement such as disclosed in Fig. 6 to a curb link having straight side strands oppositely inclined throughout their lengths.

Referring first to Figs. l and 2 of the drawing, I disclose in these figures a link I0 of the general curb type provided with end connecting loops l! which comprise tire and road engaging lobes and with side strands I2 which in. stead of being inclined throughout their entire length are provided with parallel portions which lie in the same horizontal plane to which are secured downwardly and outwardly flaring caulks I3 which extend downwardly below the road engaging lobes of the link and outwardly beyond the sides of the link and present their free edges I4 parallel to the road. By means of this construction the road engaging lobes are protected against ywear by the caulks and if the caulks are made of the general rectangular form disclosed they will present a large amount of material to be worn away before there is any appreciable wear on the road engaging lobes of the link.

As disclosed in Fig. 3, the reinforcement may comprise a trough shaped member I6, the ends of which constitute downwardly diverging caulks I'I, and the intermediate portion I8 of which constitutes a strap connecting these caulks and the side strands of the link. In this iigure the trough shaped member is disposed on top of the link, that is, on`the tire side of the link, and is welded to the side strands I2 of the link at the juncture of the caulks I 'I and the connecting strap I8. This provides for an extended welded surface I9 between the reinforcement and the link.

In Fig. 4 I have disclosed a reinforcement 20 applied to the link in the same general way as disclosed in Fig. 3. This reinforcement may be formed from the blank shown in Fig. 5. It comprises end portions 2I which constitute the caulks and which may 'be of relatively large cross section separated by a wide groove 22 and connected by a thin portion 23, the thin portion constitutingV a strap connecting the caulks 2|. By rounding the surface at the juncture between the strap 23 and the caulks 2I to generally conform to the curvature of the side strands of the link, I am able to increase the length of the welding surface between the side strands and the reinforcement and to locate at least a portion of the material of the caulks in line with portions of the strands so that part of the thrust on the caulks will be transmitted directly to the strands, thus reducing the tendency of the thrust to shear the weld between the caulks and the strands.

In Fig. 6 I have disclosed a reinforcement which may be made from the blank disclosed in Fig. 5 but in this ligure the trough shaped member is placed on the bottom of the link and welded thereto, the reinforcement disclosed in Fig. 5 being bent in trough form in an opposite direction from that disclosed in Fig. 4. In this gure I have indicated the reinforcement as 20a provided with caulks Zla separated by a channel 22a and connected by a thin strap portion 23a, the weld between the reinforcement and the side strands of the link being indicated at 24a. In this construction the upward thrust on the caulks is transmitted substantially entirely to the side strands, thus relieving the weld from shearing stresses, and the strap portion 23a being located substantially tangentially to the bottom faces of the strands bridges the caulks at a vpoint where the bridging connection is most effective. This strap portion 23a not only effectively prevents the spreading of the side strands of the link but it also prevents spreading of the caulks f The reinforcements disclosed in Figs. 3, 4, 5, and 6 may be welded to curb links in which the side strands are oppositely inclined as indicated in Fig. 7. In this figure a curb link is indicated generally at 39 and is provided with tire engaging lobes 3|, ground engaging lobes 32, and oppositely inclined side strands 33 and 34. The reinforcement which I have here indicated as Zb comprises a strap portion 23h and caulks 2lb.

This reinforcement is preferably twisted before it is welded to the link to cause the junctures between the strap portion 23h and the caulks 2 Ib to fit the oppositely inclined side strands of the link to facilitate welding the reinforcement to the side strands of the link.

While I have disclosed several forms of my invention, it is to be understood that these forms are susceptible to modification and that I reserve the right to all such changes as fall Within the s principles of the invention disclosed and the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

l. In an anti-skid chain, a tread link of the curb type including side strands and tire and road engaging lobes, substantial portions at least of said side strands extending and lying in the same horizontal plane, and caulks arranged normal to said portions of said side strands, said caulks diverging and projecting downwardly below the road engaging lobes and laterally beyond the sides of the link.

2. In an anti-skid chain, a chain link comprising a pair of side strands connected at each end to form an elongated closed link, and an inverted trough shaped member disposed on the bottom side of the link and having its side walls projecting downwardly below the ground engaging lobes of the link and outwardly beyond the sides of the link and welded to said side strands, the bottom wall of said member being disposed substantially tangentially with the bottom surfaces of said side strands, said side walls and bottom Wall being connected by surfaces conforming to the adjacent surfaces of the side strands and having their outer edges lying in a plane eX- tending through the side strands.

3. In an anti-skid device, a link comprising side strands and end connecting loops, and a trough shaped reinforcement provided with diverging side walls of substantial thickness and a bottom wall of less thickness, said side walls and bottom wall being connected by surfaces conforming to the transverse shape of the adjacent faces of the side strands and having one of their edges lying in the plane of one face of the bottom wall and their other edges lying in a plane extending through the side strands, said reinforcement being welded to said side strands along said curved surface at the junctures of said bottom and side walls.

4. In an antiskid chain, a tread link of he curb type comprising oppositely inclined side strands and tire and road engaging lobes, and an inverted trough shaped member disposed on the lower face of said link and having side walls of substantial thickness and a bottom wall of less thickness and having surfaces between said bottom and side walls conforming to the transverse shape and the inclination of said side strands, the outer edges of said surfaces lying in planes passing transversely through said side strands at a point above said side strands and welded to said side strands.

JOHN R. REYBURN.

v l v CERTIFICATE 0F CORRECTION. Patent No. 2,280,717'. April 21, 19112.

JOHN R. REYBURN.

It is hereby vcertified thaterror appears in the printed specification ofthe above numbered pate-nt requiring oorrection as follows: Page 2, second column, lines and )19, strike out "and welded tosaid side strands"Y and insert the same after "strands" A1nd befere the con-ma, line 14,5, same claim; andl that. thesaid Letters, Patent mould be read with this correction therein that the slune may conforn to the `record of the cese inV the Patent Qff'i'cfe,v

Signed and sealed this '25rd any of' June, A. D. 191,2.

Henry Van- Arsdale,

(Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents.

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