US761812A - Mending-link. - Google Patents

Description

Nd. 761,812. PATBNTED. JUNE 7, 1904.

- J. D. AUSTIN.

MENDING LINK. APPLICATION FILED 001'. e. 1903.

N0 MODEL.

UNITED STATES Patented June 7, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

MENDlNG-LINK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 761,812, dated June '7, 1904.

Application filed October 6, 1903.

To all w/tont it may concern.-

Be it known that I, J 01m 1). AUSTIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Thonotosassa, in the county of Hillsboro and State of Florida, have invented a new and useful Mendfor its object the production of a simply-constructed and easily-applied device by which the adjacent ends of two chains or similar devices or the adjacent ends of two sections of a broken chain may be readily connected without detaching the chain; and the invention consists in certain novel features of the construction, as hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the drawings illustrative of the invention, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improved mending-link applied. Fig. 2 represents the two parts of the device in perspective and disconnected. Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1, illustrating amodification in the construction.

In a mending-link and similar devices as heretofore constructed one class requires the removal of the chain to a blacksmith-shop to enable the mending-link to be heated before insertion, while another class requires to be cold shut by the application of a bending force to the link. The first requirement is often. a very expensive and troublesome one, especially when the forge is remote from the 10- cality where the chain is employed, entailing long delay and serious interference with work, and the other requirement necessarily re-- quires the employment ofcomparatively soft and malleable links, either of less strength than the other links of the chain if of the same size or of larger size if of the same strength.

In chains employedupon chain or sprocket wheels the links must necessarily be of the same size and of uniform interior diameter, and a mending-link to be employed in a chain of this character must therefore correspond both in size and location when in action to Serial a. 175,919. (No model.)

' the other links of the chain to cause it to run with the other links in proper order upon the teeth of the wheel.

Another essential requirement of a mend- T ing-link capable of'ernployment upon chain or sprocket pulleys is that it must conform substantially in weight with the other links, so that the fbalance of the chain shall not be disturbed or' produce unequal action.

All of the above requirements are fully met in the improved mending link herein disclosed, which consists of twin separablemembers approximately Lshaped, the long arm 10 of each member being straight and terminating in an eye 11 and the short arm 12 bowed or curved outwardly, as at 13, intermediately of itsilength to form a seat centrally of the mending-link for the engaging links 14, as shown, so that when the draft is applied the adjacent engaging links of the chain (indicated at 14:) will be certain to be seated in the hollows in the short arms and insure a direct draft upon the stronger parts of the L- shaped members and prevent lateral strains against the members at their juncture with the tenons and all danger of the separation of the two parts forming the mending-link obviated. The bars being made of a substantially uniform diameter throughout provide for a forging which is cheap to manufacture and which has no projections to engage passing objects and be broken. It will here be noted that the outer end of the seat terminates at the inner edge of the adjacent tongue 15, whereby the seat does not have any projected unbraced portions liable to become broken under the action of strains and blows.

The short arms 12 are provided with terminal tongues 15, reduced in size, whereby shoulders 16 are formed at the base of the tongues, the tongues being disposed perpendicular to the long'arms 10;

The outer portions of the eyes 11 are slightlyflaring, as shown, to provide for the riveting or upsetting of the outer ends of the tongues after insertion in the eyes to prevent their removal.

The extremities of the long arms 10 are exover the adjacent portions of the short arms 12 to reinforce them and relieve the tongues 15 from a large portion of the strains.

The arms 10 12 may be constructed to conform substantially in area with the links of the chain into which they are connected, as by means of the novel construction herein shown. The mending-link is fully as strong, if not stronger, than the other links. Hence the mending-link does not enlarge the chain at the points where introduced or change its general contour or length.

It will be noted that the distance between the short arms 12 of the mending-link is the same as the end portions of the links let with which it is engaged, While the distance between the long arms 10 is the same as between the side portions of the engaged links, so that when connected into a chain all the links correspond, as heretofore described. By this arrangement the engaged links 14 will automatically seat themselves centrally in the bowed portions 13 and not contact when under strain with the long portions 10.

In Fig. 3 a slight modification in the construction is shown, consisting in forming one of the shorter arms 12 longer than the other, so that when connected the interior of the mending-link has a larger area at one end than at the other. This form will be employed for connecting a draft-hook or similar member to the end of a chain, such members being necessarily larger than ordinary chain-links to re sist the tendency to straighten out under strains. This is an important l'eatu re ol' the invention and adds materially to its value and eliiciency and also its scope and increases its utility.

Another important advantage oi the construction of mending-link herein disclosed is that this link is stronger than the ordinary links of the chain or the broken link which it displaces, so that no loss of strength occurs by employing the improved link or connecting one or more chains or sections of chains 1 and without increasing the general size of the chain at the point where the improved link is inserted. This is a very important consideration in devices 01. this character and adds materially to its value and operativeness.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is A mending-link comprising twin separable members each of which consists of an approx imately L-shaped member terminating in an

Images