Classifications

• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
  • F16G—BELTS, CABLES, OR ROPES, PREDOMINANTLY USED FOR DRIVING PURPOSES; CHAINS; FITTINGS PREDOMINANTLY USED THEREFOR
  • F16G13/00—Chains
  • F16G13/02—Driving-chains
  • F16G13/06—Driving-chains with links connected by parallel driving-pins with or without rollers so called open links
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B21—MECHANICAL METAL-WORKING WITHOUT ESSENTIALLY REMOVING MATERIAL; PUNCHING METAL
  • B21L—MAKING METAL CHAINS
  • B21L9/00—Making chains or chain links, the links being composed of two or more different parts, e.g. drive chains
  • B21L9/02—Making chains or chain links, the links being composed of two or more different parts, e.g. drive chains of roller-chain or other plate-link type
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B22—CASTING; POWDER METALLURGY
  • B22D—CASTING OF METALS; CASTING OF OTHER SUBSTANCES BY THE SAME PROCESSES OR DEVICES
  • B22D25/00—Special casting characterised by the nature of the product
  • B22D25/02—Special casting characterised by the nature of the product by its peculiarity of shape; of works of art
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
  • F16G—BELTS, CABLES, OR ROPES, PREDOMINANTLY USED FOR DRIVING PURPOSES; CHAINS; FITTINGS PREDOMINANTLY USED THEREFOR
  • F16G15/00—Chain couplings, Shackles; Chain joints; Chain links; Chain bushes
  • F16G15/12—Chain links

Definitions

• THIS INVENTION relates to chain links and more particularly to the construction of a link for a roller or other drive chain which enables power to be transmitted from one cog or sprocket to another such in situations where the driving and driven cogs or sprockets are disposed in different planes.
• 3,905,304 discloses a chain for a conveyor system having a plurality of links and a plurality of connecting bodies arranged alternately along the length of the chain. Each body is connected to a pair of links for pivotting movement relative thereto about respective mutually perpendicular axes, each link comprising a pair of link elements arranged side-by-side. Each body has a projecting lug which limits pivotting movement of one link relative to the body so that such link cannot pivot through an angle of 180 degrees from the position occupied when the chain is straight; the lug also prevents assembly of the chain with an incorrect pitch.
• roller chain links and roller drive or conveyor chain composed of a plurality of such links, which, in co-operation with complementary sprockets of known construction, result in positive power transmission in situations where the driving and driven shafts may be in different axial angular relationships to each other.
• a link for a roller chain the link being pivotally connectable to identical roller chain links at either end of said link, so that the two pivots of the link have axes of rotation normal to each other; characterised in that each of the four longitudinal sides of the link is provided with an elongated recess and adapted for the entry of a co-acting sprocket tooth, openings of opposed pairs of recesses being disposed normal with respect to each other.
• roller chain link s formed from an annulus of material of rectangular cross-section, the annulus being flattened into a shape having rounded ends and parallel straight sides, and the flattened shape bent into a U-shaped configuration having limbs of equal lengths; a sleeve member affixed in the bight of the U-shaped link; and a pin, of diameter such as to fit within the bore of the sleeve member, mounted between the rounded free ends of the limbs.
• the roller chain link is formed from an elongated blank having rounded ends, an aperture adjacent each of the ends and an elongated slot extending along the longitudinal axis of the blank intermediate the apertures, the blank being bent into a U-shaped configuration having limbs of equal lengths; a sleeve member affixed in the bight of the U-shaped blank; and a pin', of diameter such as to fit within the bore of the sleeve member, mounted between the two apertures.
• the pin may be removable in order to facilitate the connecting of adjacent links and.
• the pin may also be provided an outer sleeve which is adapted to rotate freely- about the sleeve member.
• the present invention may consist in a roller chain composed of a plurality of the above-described links.
• Figure 1 is an isometric view of a roller chain link in accordance with the present invention
• Figure 2 is an isometric view of a portion of a chain composed of the links of Figure 1;
• Figure 3 is a schematic illustration of a sprocket engaged with a roller chain of the inventive links.
• FIGs 4, 5 and 6 show alternative preferred constructions of the links
• FIGS 7 and 8 show prior art roller chain link blanks, to be more fully dealt with hereinafter.
• Figure 1 shows an inventive roller chain link, generally referenced 1, which is formed from an annulus of rectangular-sectioned rod by an operation later to be described with reference to Figure 4.
• link 1 is of substantially rectangular transverse cross-section and each of its four sides has in it a slot, formed as a consequence of its geometry, which is adapted to receive therein a co-acting tooth of a cog or sprocket.
• a sleeve member In the bights 2 of the wide end of the link is affixed - as by welding - a sleeve member. which has in it a bore 5 of a diameter such as to freely accommodate within it a pin such as 3.
• a pin 3 In the bights 2 of the narrow end of this U-shaped link, that is to say, between its rounded free ends, is affixed a pin 3 during assembly of a chain formed from such links - again as by welding.
• Each pin 3 and sleeve member 4 may be secured in their respective bights by means other than welding; for example, the bights may be deformed or crimped around more than one half of the circumference of the pin or sleeve member, either with or without additionally securing the bights in circumferential grooves or rebates in them.
• the dimension - represented by 6 - of the link dictated by the length of pin 3 is greater than the dimension 7 dictated by the length of sleeve member 4.
• the configuration of the inventive links forming a chain is substantially 90 degrees from one link to its neighbour. This will be clearly seen from Figure 2, which illustrates a portion of a roller chain composed of the links of Figure 1.
• each sleeve member may be provided with an outer 'sleeve adapted to rotate freely about the sleeve member., ideally this outer sleeve is fabricated from hardened steel. Also, the pins may well be removable in order to facilitate the connecting of adjacent links.
• an appropriate gap or void 12 is provided between each pair of teeth 10 on the periphery of sprocket 8.
• Those gaps 12 serve to accommodate those links which are connected at each end by a pin/sleeve member arrangement, the axis of rotation of which is normal to shaft 9; these links are schematically shown as squares 13.
• a roller chain composed of links in accordance with the present invention may be passed over any desired portion of the periphery of a sprocket.
• the use of two idler sprockets can result in positive drive being transmitted between a sprocket on a driving shaft and another on a driven shaft, the two shafts being in any desired spatial relationship.
• Figures 4 and 5 are largely self-explanatory and relate to two ways of manufacturing links according to the invention.
• Figure 4 involves the flattening of an annulus (14) of rectangular-sectioned rod into a shape 15 having- rounded ends 16 and parallel straight sides 17.
• Flattened shape 15 is then bent into a U-shaped configuration having limbs of equal lengths, and has affixed to it a pin and sleeve member as shown in Figures 1 and 2.
• Figure 5 illustrates a stamped-out blank from which an inventive link may be made, analogous to that shown in Figures 1, 2 and 4. -
• Figure 6 illustrates an embodiment made of cast metal.
• Figures 7 and 8 illustrate prior art roller chain link blanks; in these links, sprocket teeth can engage with the links only in different sections thereof; in other words, each of the four sides of the link- does not have a tooth-engaging slot extending over its whole length the openings of opposed slots being normal to each other.
• pitch is normally defined as the distance between the centers of two adjacent teeth on a sprocket, in multi-planar chains, "pitch" means the distance between the centers of two adjacent teeth bearing against pins whose axes are parallel.
• the present invention provides a pair of links having a "pitch" only very slightly longer than twice that of standard roller chain of equivalent specification. These links are particularly well suited to high tension applications.
• roller chain links made in -accordance with the present invention will provide the public with a new or much-improved article or, at the very least, offer to it a useful and attractive choice.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Gears, Cams (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

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ID=3699141

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (2)

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Family Cites Families (4)

• 1985
  • 1985-11-21 EP EP19850905742 patent/EP0204735A1/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 1985-11-21 WO PCT/AU1985/000289 patent/WO1986003566A1/en unknown

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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