British Chain Manufacturing Co
of Cambria Street, South Hylton, near Sunderland.
1913 Incorporated as a Limited Company.
1913 'A NEW INDUSTRY, CHAIN-MAKING BY MECHANICAL PROCESS. During the past half-century the North-East of England has gained not a few new and lucrative industries. One that it has lost is the chain-making industry, which flourished for hundreds of years, until the low wages paid in.the Midlands rendered the north-east unable to compete. So far back as 1760 the old north-country name of Bagnall was indentified with chain-making, and now, at the present time, a direct descendant of the family, Mr R. S. Bagnall, has succeeded in interesting a local syndicate in the purchase of the British rights of the celebrated Lelong process of chain manufacture, the erection of the necessary plant and the development of the process.
As a result a company, backed by the strongest of shipping interests, has been formed to lay down works at Hylton, near Sunderland, and commercially develop the manufacture of chains. It is confidently believed that when the new conditions are properly carried out, great strides in the manufacture of chains will be made.
There can be no doubt that chains to-day need to be bigger and stronger for the extraordinary strain required in modern shipping has made increased bulk absolutely necessary. It is contended by those who know that it is humanly impossible to make certain of a perfect weld in these huge, handwelded chain links, and it is equally certain that the supply of skilled labour cannot be maintained. Hitherto many schemes have been tried on the lines of making weldless chains, but without success, the plant in every case being heavy, complicated, and costly. The virtue of the Lelong process lies in the fact that the old and tried principle of manufacture has been adhered to, with the labour and uncertainty eliminated.'[1]. The business was named the British Chain Manufacturing Co.
'The principle of manufacture by the Lelong process is as follows: — Straight bars are cut at an angle to the length required for the type of link to be made and are heated to a welding heat in an oil-gas furnace placed conveniently near to the machine. One of these bars is introduced into the machine end immediately drawn in and formed into a ring, which, rotating, is rapidly welded and forged under a pneumatic hammer. This ring is then placed into position, so that as the next bar is introduced it is threaded through it and in a like manner welded and forged. A third bar goes through this process whilst at the same time the first ring, which is still red hot, is subjected to lateral pressure and thereby formed into an ordinary chain link. This procedure is repeated until the desired length of chain is manufactured. It will thus be seen that the process is continuous, each link being intertwined, turned, welded, forged, ovalised and finished in one heat, in one machine and a simple series of operations. The machine manufactures with equal facility short link, open link, or stud link chain. By this process the bar used for making the link is heated under scientific conditions in a closed furnace free from grit or dirt. It is then rapidly introduced into the machine and the ring so formed is subjected to the hammer equally on all parts, and, as this is done in one heat and the link is not returned to the furnace, the iron throughout the finished link is of a uniform and improved quality. In cutting the bars long scarphs are formed, thereby allowing an exceptionally long weld, and the pneumatic hammer, operating with great rapidity and controlled force equally on this weld and the rest of the ring, ensures perfect welding. Waste is reduced to a minimum, the rate of production is very rapid and there is considerable economy in labour and fuel. Further, the plant capable of making a considerable tonnage per annum occupies a remarkably small space. All this tends to reduce the manufacturing cost. The proprietors of the new works are the British Chain Manufacturing Company, Limited, and in addition to the Lelong method of chainmaking the firm is specialising in an improved process for the manufacture of welding steel couplings, invented by Messrs R. S. Bagnall and T. Armstrong.' [2]
1914 Specialised in cable making by machines. [3]
1915 'FOR SALE, as a going concern, the business of the British Chain Manufacturing Ltd. (in liquidation), at Hylton, near Sunderland.— Apply to Mr. A. H. S. Glenton, 20 Collingswood Street. Newcastle-on-Tyne (the Liquidator). [4]
1916 Liquidation Sale of the entire chain making plant, including a Lelong 1909-type No. 1 chain making machine and a No. 2 machine for chains from 1/2" to 15/16" and 15/16" to 2" respectively, and a shearing Machine by Henry Pels and Co.[5]