In the case of large cables only the metal is preferably heated for the eighth, ninth, and tenth operations.

I will now refer to the figures which illustrate the series of tools whereby the above mentioned operations are performed.

Fig. 1a shows a plan (the punch being in section) and Fig. 1b an elevation of the bed die of the tool by which the notches b of the first operation are performed. The feed mechanism is not shown, but might be of any ordinary intermittent kind. g is a groove in the bed, in which lies the lower vertical web of the rod, of cruciform section, the two horizontal webs lying upon the bed with the edge of the web to be notched lying just over the die, in which works the punch, B, of which B' is the cutting edge. The punch is operated in the usual way, its lower end, which does not rise out of the die, acting as a guide. B* is the beveled stop in the groove, g, which by fitting in the notches, b or b', corrects inaccuracies of the feed.

FIG. 1a.

FIG. 1b.

Fig. 2a is a sectional plan and Fig. 2b an elevation of the tool by which the second operation is performed, the same tool being also used for performing the third operation. (Illustrated in Fig. 3a.) h h are a pair of bed-dies having a space h' between them to receive the lower web of the bar, and having notches, C C and D D, in their inner ends, forming counterparts of the punches by which the pairs of mortises, c d, Fig. 2, are punched in the pair of webs lying upon the bed-dies, h. These bed-dies are fitted to slide a little in opposite directions upon a suitable bed plate and are caused by the inclined cams, i', on the guides, i, of the press head (which pass through corresponding apertures in the bed-dies, h) to approach each other at the moment the punches come down on the work, so as to grip the lower web of the rod and support the pair of webs being operated on close up to the sides of the lower web lying in the space h', while when the punches rise the bed-dies move apart, so that the web is quite free in said space h' and the rod may be easily fed forward for a fresh stroke of the press. B* is the beveled stop in the space, k', as in the tool first described. The bed-dies h have a second set of notches C' D' at their outer ends, similar to but longer than those C D, so that by reversing the bed-dies they will form counterparts for a second set of punches corresponding thereto for performing the third operation - i.e., enlarging the mortises, c d, as represented in Figs. 3 and 3a; or, instead of adapting the dies, h, to perform the two operations, separate tools may be used for the second and third operations.

FIG. 2a.

FIG. 2b.

FIG. 3a.

Fig. 4a is an elevation and Fig. 4b a sectional plan of the tool for performing the fourth operation - namely, removing the portion a*, Figs. 3, 3a, 4a, and 4b. This is done by a pair of punches, A*, corresponding in shape to the ends of the link in the rough and to the aperture shown in the bed-die, k, Fig. 4b, which has a groove, k', to admit the lower web of and to guide the rod. The beveled stop, B*, used in operating on the pair of webs, a, corresponds to the notches, b'; but in operating on the webs, a', the stop must be replaced by one corresponding to the aperture left by the removal of the portion, a*.

Fig. 5a is an elevation, Fig. 5b a plan, and Fig. 5c a longitudinal vertical section of the tool for performing the fifth operation, the work being shown in section in the latter figure. It consists of a bed-die, l, with groove, m, to receive the lower web, but terminating at a distance from the die apertures, so as to leave supports, n, for the parts, e*, of the rod to resist the downward pressure of the punches, E, which remove the portions, e, from each side of the cross stay, as shown in Figs. 5b and 5c. The correct position of the work in regard to the punches is insured by these supporting parts, n, which terminate the grooves, m.

FIG. 5c.

Fig. 6a is an elevation of the winch for performing the sixth operation.

FIG. 6a.

Fig. 7a is an elevation and Fig. 7b a plan of the tool for performing the seventh operation. P P are the punches for trimming the outside and Q Q those for trimming the inside of the ends of the links. The links adjacent to the one to be operated on are brought together into the position shown in dotted lines, the bed-die having an aperture in it to admit of this, so that both ends of the link to be trimmed may be operated on together.

The tool for performing the eighth operation consists of a pair of swages, the bottom one only being shown in Fig. 8a. The swages correspond to the intended rounded sectional form of the ends of the link, which is placed in position between the swages in a similar manner to that described for Fig. 7b, so that both ends are rounded or finished off at once.

FIG. 8a.

Fig. 9a is a plan of the bottom swage of the tool for performing the ninth operation, the upper swage corresponding thereto at least in so far as the middle part of the link to be operated on is concerned.

FIG. 9a.

The tool for performing the tenth operation is represented in elevation and plan in Figs. 10a and 10b. It consists of a pair of bed-dies, R, fitted to slide together and operated by the cams, s, on the guide rods, S, the operation being similar to that of the tool shown in Figs. 2a and 2b, except that there are no punches, and that the link which lies in the cavity of the dies is merely compressed in the lateral direction by the inward motion of the bed-dies.

My invention further comprises a modification of the above described process, which has for its object to enable the weldless stayed links to be made as short and particularly as narrow as may be necessary in order to adapt the chain to run over the sheaves of pulley blocks and to suit other purposes for which short-link welded chain has heretofore only been available.

FIGS. 10 through 12.

In the manufacture of chains by the aforesaid process of punching there is a practical minimum limit for the dimensions of the punches which cannot be reduced without compromising their efficiency, and consequently the width (and therefore the length) of the link must necessarily bear a certain proportion to the thickness of the web of metal out of which it is formed, since the breadth of the link depends on the length of the cross stay, which is determined by the breadth of the mortises forming the eyes of the link. The present modification enables these dimensions to be reduced without reducing the dimensions, and consequently the efficiency, of the punches which form the eyes of the link. The modification applies to what I have designated the fifth operation of the above described process; and it consists in punching out the middle of the cross stay (so as to leave only two short stumps jutting inward from the side members of the link), this operation serving to interrupt the continuity of the core, which was the object of the fifth operation.

For this purpose I substitute for the pair of punches illustrated in Figs. 5a and 5c a single punch, which removes that part of the "core" of the cruciform bar which is situated at the middle of the strut. This tool is represented in Fig. 11, and the effect of its operation is shown in Fig. 12. The subsequent operations, herein designated the sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth operations, are performed as hereinbefore described; but the tenth operation has the effect of closing together the two stumps, g g, until they abut together at the middle of the link and together constitute a cross strut or stay, which prevents any further lateral collapse of the link. In the operation of closing up the gap between the stumps, g g, the link is brought to the narrow form shown in Fig. 12, the eyes of the links being only just wide enough to receive the end of the adjacent link enchained therewith without gripping it. This operation is performed by a tool similar to that shown in Figs. 10a and 10b, above referred to.