1830-11-01 John Oldham Pinion Chain Registered Design
Novel Inventions.
Improved Gearing Chain.
AN ingenious and useful construction of gearing chain for connecting cog wheels, has lately been invented by Mr. Oldham, engineer, of the Bank of Ireland, which we think highly deserving of the attention of machinists, as it is so extensively applicable to various kinds of machinery, such as carding engines; and indeed in almost every situation where a series of toothed wheels are required to be driven by one mover. It consists of a peculiarly constructed chain, with curved links, which when passed round a drum will serve as teeth, and act as a cog wheel to turn pinions, &c.; and when stretched out straight, or placed on a flat surface, will form an endless rack. It may also be passed over and under a series of rollers, pinions, &c. forming a carrying chain instead of the commonly constructed chains, in which spiked wheels are employed to take into the links.
In carding engines, and various other kinds of machinery this improved chain will work with much better effect in connection with pinions, or wheels with common teeth, into which it is suited to gear, than the old chains, and without the possibility of slipping off, or riding over the points of spiked wheels; having a broader surface of contact and it is not at all liable to get out of order, being much stronger than the old linked chain used with spur pinions.
Plate VII. fig. 5, is a side view of a portion of the improved chain. Fig. 6, is a plan view of the same; it is formed by crescent shaped plates constituting links, which are connected together: one and two plates alternately, or two and three, or more placed side by side; the alternate links fitting in between each other at the joints, where they are connected by pins, or bolts passed through their eyes in lateral directions.
It will be seen that these curved links present on one surface of the chain semi-circular hollows like a rack, for the teeth of the pinions to take into, and that the ends of the links, where the bolts or rivets are passed through are also formed semi-circular, and the same size as the spaces or hollows of the links. These ends constitute teeth on the chain, and take into the spaces between the teeth of the pinions or wheels, and consequently drive them; or the chain itself may be driven by such pinions or wheels in the same way as a rack.
It is obvious that such a chain may be passed in various directions over wheels, on its face, and over drums at its back, and may be used with certainty of effect: as whatever motion is given to the chain, will be communicated to all that is in gear with it.
Fig. 7, shews such a chain, supposed to be endless, carried over part of the periphery of a carding cylinder, and constituting a circular rack or toothed rim, which drives all the pinions connected to it; the back of the chain is conducted over a roller, and brought into gear with other pinions or wheels; but as numerous illustrations might be produced of its applicability, it is unnecessary to say more, as its adaptation to a very wide range of machinery will at once be perceived by every practical mechanic.