Chain – staple – and horseshoe making – Chains – Links
Patent
1983-08-16
1986-05-27
Crane, Daniel C.
Chain, staple, and horseshoe making
Chains
Links
59 351, 72340, F16G 1306
Patent
active
045907587
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns a coupling link for welded chain and more specifically concerns a coupling link for welded link chain made up of two parallel spaced legs, two curved end parts joining the legs together to give the loop structure and a stud placed between the legs within the loop. The coupling link is made in two link halves that may be separated and then fixed together using a locking rod running through the two legs and the stud. The two link halves are such that each part has a short leg with a pin, a curved end part, and a long leg having a hole therein for receiving the pin of the shorter leg of the other half. The link has inner faces thereon for fixing the stud in position therebetween.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Welded link chains are used as driving connections between pulleys round which they are guided, wherein the outer faces of the pulleys must have regular pockets therein to take up the links of the chain. The links which are flat against the outer face of the pulley are joined together by upright links whose plane is in, or parallel to, the plane of the pulley. The coupling link of the present invention is constructed so that it may be run in either of the two possible positions in relation to the outer face of the pulley, that is, resting flat in a pocket in the pulley or in the plane of the pulley. In this respect it is different from prior art emergency chain repair links while, however, being similar in that it may be taken off or put on at any time desired. The coupling link of the present invention is, furthermore, to be distinguished from other coupling links that are designed for running in only one plane on a pulley, this normally being a plane parallel to the plane of the pulley.
One example of the prior art, of which the present invention is a further development, is the coupling link disclosed in the British patent specification No. 1,043,478, wherein the cross-section of the pins were made as large as possible in view of the static shearing forces. For this reason the cross-section of the pins were made so large that they extended as far as the middle transverse plane of the coupling link because in the outer direction the pins may only go as far as the start of the rounded end parts of the link. In this construction, the various parallel load bearing faces of the link were out of line with each other at the end faces of the stud. By accommodating the load bearing function, the sides, facing the rounded ends of the link, had a partly straight and a partly curved saddle line, which can be seen in the plane of this flat coupling link.
Normally the stud and the two halves of such a coupling link are drop forged. The two faces which are separated by a step on the finished drop forging then have to be machined in a number of stages. To this end, the workpiece is forged to be oversized so that the excess material can be machined away by broaching or milling.
However, such a known coupling link has shortcomings in use and there are some problems in connection with machining the link surfaces. If the flat coupling link is not positioned on the driving pulley so as to be parallel to the plane of the pulley but is flat against the outer face of the pulley, the rounded parts of the chain links next to the coupling link are turned so far that the studs thereof are violently forced against the faces of the stud of the coupling link. The saddle line of the stud of the coupling link experiences a load or force acting on the stud in a direction transverse to the plane of the coupling link. This transverse load imposes a shearing load on the locking rod. For this reason the coupling link may be damaged or even forced open resulting in breakage of the chain.
The machining, i.e. broaching, of the load bearing faces in the manufacture of such a flat chain coupling link has the effect of cutting the fiber or grain of the metal that has been produced during the forging process so that the strength of such a flat chain coupling
REFERENCES:
patent: 859082 (1902-07-01), Kenter
patent: 2353940 (1944-07-01), Staats
patent: 3442110 (1969-05-01), Walton et al.
Hannig Robert
Rast Jurgen
Crane Daniel C.
Jones David B.
VanOphem Remy J.
LandOfFree
Chain coupling link does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Chain coupling link, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Chain coupling link will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-1565395