US2538356A

US2538356A - Joiner link

Info

Publication number: US2538356A
Application number: US10050A
Authority: US
Inventors: Donda Charles
Original assignee: Taylor Chair Co
Current assignee: SG Taylor Chain Co Inc; Taylor Chair Co
Priority date: 1948-02-21
Filing date: 1948-02-21
Publication date: 1951-01-16
Anticipated expiration: 1968-01-16

Description

Jan. 16, 1951 Filed Feb. 21, 1948 C. DONDA JOINER LINK C/czzjezs" jo zaa 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

C. DONDA Jan. 16, 1951 J OINER LINK 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 21, 1948 INVENTbR. [ficzzZea ,Dorzch BY Patented Jan. 16, 1951 .JOINER LINK Charles Donda, Chicago, 111., assignor to S. G.

Taylor Chain Company, Hammond, Ind., a corporation of Illinois Application February 21, 1948, Serial No. 10,050

3 Claims. (01. 59-85) This invention has to do with improvements in joiner links, a joiner link being an open chain link provided with means for bridging the gap thereof when the chain is in use, but adapted to enable the link to be opened for the purpose of coupling the same to one or more closed linksjor to the eye of a hook or other load-handling equipment.

The. principal object is to devise a joiner link which, while meeting all the fundamental reqnisites of an acceptable item of that character, such as complete dependability and susceptibility of being quickly and easily opened and closed, is, in addition, capable of being produced at minimum cost.

A cardinal feature of my improved joiner link is-that the gap of the open link is bridged by a pair of complementary tie members, substam tially identical, which are disposed oppositely at either side of the link and operate conjointly. to embrace the two end portions of the link. Typically and preferably the two tie members are secured in clamping engagement with the link by means of a socket-head screw which can easily 'andquickly be removed and replaced for the purpose of opening and closing the link; and the tie members preferably are recessed at each end to form pockets in which the respective end portions of the links are nested.

The link and tie members are so designed that the load is transmitted therebetween through what may appropriately be termed a shear coilpling; and this is accomplished most conveniently by providing the end portions of the link with laterally extending integral-lugs which engage recesses or apertures formed in the tie members and closely fitting said lugs.

The outstanding advantage inherent in the above-outlined construction lies in the fact that both the link and the tie members can be forged so accurately that subsequent machining and dressing operations are reduced almost to insignificance. v Another feature of my invention, which is particularly applicable to large joiner links, resides in the fact that the laterally projecting lugs on each end. portion of the link may be staggered lengthwise of the link, thereby facilitating attachment of relatively small closed chain links which might not be attachable to the joiner link if the lugs on each end portion thereof were disposed co-axially.

Other objects and features of my invention will be brought out as the ensuing detailed description progresses.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is an elevational View of a chain hitch including four joiner links in accordance with the subject invention and illustrating a typical application of the same;

Fig. 2 is an elevational View of a joiner link, illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention, a portion of one of the tie members being broken off in this view for the purpose of more clearly depicting the internal construction;

Fig. 3 is an exploded view showing the several components of the joiner link of Fig. 2 in perspective;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary detail view illustrating how the staggered arrangement of the laterally projecting lugs better enables attachment of small closed chain links to the joiner link;

Fig. 5 is an elevational view illustrating a modification or alternative embodiment of the invention; and

Fig. 6 is a transverse section taken at line 6-45 of Fig. 5. v

The chain hitch illustrated in Fig. 1 comprises a relatively large closed link or loop l0 adapted to be hung on a derrick or crane hook, not shown, and having attached to it a pair of identical short chains l'l terminating at their lower ends in hooks I 2 each having an eye portion l2a.

The chains ll each consist of any convenient number of articulated closed links [3 and two joiner links M, one at each end designed to facilitate attachment of said chains to the loop l0 and the hooks l2. The use of joiner links makes it convenient to substitute chains ll of various lengths from time to time, as the need arises, and to add and subtract the number of chains attached to loop l0.

Because the need for such alterations may arise rather'frequently, it is important that the joiner links be susceptible of being opened and closed quickly and easily; and it is, of course, even more important that the joiner links be safe and dependable.

The improvedjoiner link depicted in Figs. 24 comprises an open link ll, the ends l8 and [9 of which are'separated by a gap 20, and a pair of tie members 2| and 22 which are secured to ether by a socket screw 23 in clamping engagement with the two end portions of link l'l. Each end portion of said link is curved inwardly to conform generally with the curvature of the tie member and thereby provides the required lengths to ac commodate two

lugs

25 and 26 which are spaced apart and extend laterally from opposite sides of the link.

Each of the two tie members 2| and 22 is preferably a forging of generally crescent configuration having in each end a

recess

28, 29, formed to receive and fit one curved end portion of the link. Recesses 28 and 29 of each tie member register with corresponding recesses in the other tie member to form pockets in which the two end portions of the link are snugly nested; and the walls of said pockets are apertured as at 30 and 3| to receive the

lugs

25 and 26.

The two tie members are rounded externally so as to provide suitably curved surfaces for contacting the chain links or rings bearing thereon, but the contiguous faces 33 of said tie members are fiat and may bear against each other or be slightly spaced apart.

The two tie members 2| and 22 are nearly identical and differ only in that one of them has a tapped hole 34 designed to engage the thread of screw 23, while the other is provided with a counterbored hole 35 adapted to clear the shank of said screw and to receive and form a seat for the head thereof.

As previously stated, the principal reason for staggering

lugs

25 and 23 is to make it possible to attach to the joiner link relatively small closed chain links which could not be passed over either end of the link if the lugs were disposed coaxially. This is adequately illustrated in Fig. 4 wherein there is shown a small closed chain li k 36 in the process of being threaded on to one leg of the link I'I. It will be self evidentfrom the illustration that link 36 can easily be manipulated past the staggered lugs 25 and 28whereas there would not be sufiicient clearance if the two lugs were placed in axial alignment. Moreover, it will be apparent that even smaller link 36 than that shown can be passed over the staggered lugs.

For smaller joiner links and even for large ones where the necessity of attaching small links does not obtain, the modified construction illus trated in Figs. 5 and 6 can be utilized. Here, the open link 40 difiers from the previously described open link I! principally in that the laterally projecting lugs M and 42 at each endare situated in axial alignment. The two tie members 43 and 44 are, in substance, the same as the previously described tie members 2! and 22,and they are secured together by a socket screw 45 corresponding to previously described socket screw 23. 1

It will be seen that, in conformity with the previously stated object, the subject invention provides ajoiner link construction which is exceedingly economical to manufacture, by reasonof the slight amount of machining required, while entailing no sacrifice from the standpoint of strength and dependability-or from the standpoint of the quickness and ease with which the link can be opened and closed.

While I have shown, by way of example, only two of the preferred embodiments of my invention, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that there are numerous possible modifications and alternatives within the purview of my inventive concept and, accordingly, I do not wish to be limited otherwise than as indicated by the terms of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. The combination with an open chain link,

of a pair of complementary tie members disposed oppositely at either side of said link and each bridging the gap between the ends of the link, each of said tie members being recessed at each end to form pockets for reception of the end portions of said link, said tie members conjointly embracing the two end portions of the link and each pocket of the tie members beng formed with an orifice opening laterally through a side wall of the pocket, each end portion of said link having at least two laterally projecting portions, each extending through one of said orifices and in shear relation to the tie member in which such orifice is formed, individually, and means for detachably securing said tie members in clamping engagement with said link.

" 2. The combination with an open chain link, the open ends of which are curved toward each other, of a'pair of complementary tie members disposed oppositely at either side of said link and e'ach'bridging the gap between the ends of the link, each of said tie members being recessed at each end to form curved pockets for reception of the curved end portions of said link, said tie members conjointly embracing the two end portions of the link and each curved pocket being formed with an orifice opening laterally through a side wall of the tie member, each end portion of said link having a pair of integral laterally extending lugs, the lugs of each pair being staggered on opposite sides of the link and positioned to extend through the orifices formed in opposing pockets of said tie members and in shear relation to the tie member in which such orifice is formed, and means for detachably securing said tie members in clamping engagement with said link.

3. In combination, an open chain link, each end portion of which is curved toward the other end and has a pair of laterally projecting lugs, the lugs of each pair being located on opposite sides of the link and in staggered relation lengthwise of-the link; a pair of complementary tie members disposed oppositely at either side of said link and each bridging the gap between the ends of the link, each of said tie members overlapping the two end portions of the link and each recessed at both ends to formpockets in which the end portions of the linkare nested, each said 'tie member being apertured near each endto en gage, in shear relation, a lug on each end por-, tion of the link, and screw means securing said tie members in clamping engagement with said link. CHARLES DONDA.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 785,881 Hill Mar. 28, 1905 1,280,906 Vogt Oct. 8, 1918 2,162,123 Richter June 13, 1939