Machine for the manufacture of chains, in particular of the type known as rope chain in the goldsmithery industry

A machine for the manufacture of chains, in particular of the type known as "rope chain" in the goldsmithery industry, comprising:

• (a) a unit for feeding a metallic filiform material and for the formation of a coil from said material, each turn of said coil constituting a link for the chain;
• (b) a link separation unit for cutting off coil turns from said coil;
• (c) a chain linking unit for connecting said link to the already formed chain;
• (d) link take-up means alvernatively cooperating with said link separation unit for keeping the link and with said chain linking unit, said means being displaceable from a take-up position to a linking position and viceversa;
• said links separation unit comprising at least a pair of blades operating like scissors on a cutting plane substantially tangent to the internal profile of said coil and perpendicular to the branch of coil turn to be cut, means being provided for adjusting the inclination of said cutting plane with respect to the horizontal plane;
• said chain linking unit comprising a calibrated passage for the chain having a decreasing section with minimum diameter meter at the outlet end of said passage substantially equal to the diameter of the chain to be produced, said chain being kept within said passage by the pressure of the links against the inner wall thereof;
• said link take-up means in said linking position being aligned with said chain linking unit for connecting the link to the already formed chain and being adapted to partially rotate about the alignment axis while simultaneously advancing toward said passage so as to force the chain to pass therethrough, thereby causing the progressive approach of the ends of the links until said links are completely closed.