Delaware gazette and state journal., 1896-02-20
A BUSY BICYCLE PLANT.
The Capacity of the Wilmington Fac
tory to be Increased.

New and Improved hhchihery al the
Works.
The new plant of The Mcdaniel &
Merrihew Cycle Mapufacturing Co.,
at Nineteenth and Tatnall streets, is
being improved, the result of which
will be an increase in the capacity for
turning out Robin Hood and Maid
Marian bicycles, which have already
gained wide reputation.
A Cincinnati tool manufacturing
company Monday shipped to the local
firm large special hub and cone lathe,
which will turn out about 50 hubs per
day. The new machine will be erected
as soon as it arrives and will probably
be in operation by the last of the week.
The hub and cone lathe now in use at
the factory has been taxed to its utmost
capacity, and has proved that it is not
able to supply the demand.
A reporter of The Gazette, who
visited the factory, was surprised at
the attention given to the minor de-
tails, which, to those unfamiliar with
the manufacture of wheels seem in
significant But with the little things
tt greatest of care is taken, just the
same as with the larger parts.
One of the special features of the
Wilmington made bicycles is the
quality of the cones and hubs, which
are turned from solid bars of Jessop
steel, which is manufactured in
Sheffield, England, and known all over
the world for its superiority. In
| making the cones and hubs the bar of
steel is placed on the special machine,
and the tools turn up the outside and
| inside of the parts and convert them
into the proper shapes Several will
| be made at one time by the new ma
chine. After the hubs, cones and
bearings are turned from solid bars of
steel, they are tempered to accurate
measurements. The method used by
the Wilmington firm is the best process
known to the bicycle manufacturer and
the best results are reached.
There is no buster place in the city
than the bicycle factory The reporter
found about 30 men at work on bicycles
in all stages of construction.
The tubing, which is standard ma
terial manufactured by the Birming
ham (England) Weldless Tubing CO.,
is cut off in regular sizes, according to
the parts of the frame for which they
are intended. From the cutter the
tubes go to the backsmiths, who,
after filling them with sand, bend or
forge them into the proper shapes
The blacksmiths pass the tubes over
to brazer, who puts the parts to-
gether in a form which is shaped after
accepted lines The connecting pieces
are put into proper shapes by the black
smiths and machinists. After the frames
are brazed they are filed by II filers,
who trim them off. The filing must
be done by hand, and consequently
there are more men at work filing than
at any other particular branch.
After the frames are neatly trimmed
off and polished on an emery belt they
are sent to the enameling room, where
there are two furnaces, each of which
has a capacity for 20 wheels. The
furnaces are brick and are constructed
after an approved recent design. Each
frame receives four coats of enamel,
and each time the enamel is placed on
three hours is required in the drying
process Therefore it takes more than
l2 hours to enamel one frame, but as
the furnaces have capacity of 40,
that number can be finished up in
about the same time. The temperature
at which they are baked is about $50
degrees, the heat being supplied by
gas. After the frames are completed
and enameled in rich olive green
color they go to the assembling room,
where the wheels and other parts are
put together. Two men do the work
in this department.
With the exception of spokes, nuts,
bolts, saddles, rims and tires the local
firm makes the bicycles from the crude
raw material. The parts which are OBJ
tanned elsewhere are Of the very best
materials and are made in the best
manner.
A workman tested the frames and
spokes in the presence of the reporter.
The strength of the frame was some
thing wonderful, and spoke which
was experimental on was tied into
knots by twisting and jerking, but il
seemed impossible to break it. The
test was quite interesting.
The tubing used Is exceptionally
large and strong and all bolts are hol.
low. The rims are light and strong.
After the wheels arc completed they
are sent to the carpenter shop, where
they are put in crates ready for shin
ment.
When the new machinery is ir
operation the firm viii have a capacity
Of from 80 to 50 wheels per week. Few
agencies have as yet been established
but the demand has been something
wonderful.
All of the small tools used in the fac
tory are made by the employees of tht
company, and for doing this work
special machines are required. Severa
men are kept busy in the manufacture
of tools.
The name plate of the firm which il
used on the bicycles is very pretty anG
quite expensive. The design was fur,
nished by Wilmington artist.
When the manufacturer of Robir
Hood bicycles was begun, it was de
termined by its makers that nothing
, but the best workmanship and mater.
ials should enter into its construction,
and to that determination more thar
to anything else is due the remarkable
success the wheel has already attained
1t was clearly understood that it would
be impossible to enter the field now anc
compete with the dozens of high
grade machines already on the market
unless an article of at least equal merit
,, was turned out. Therefore, it was
borne steadily in mind that in no re
spect must the Robin Hood lag behinc
,, other wheels, and that wherever posi-
: BILE it must mark distinct advance.
, In designing the Robin Hood, correct
! and graceful lines and immense strength
were held to be of the first Importance.
That the former object was attained
the comments upon the beautiful ap-
pearance of the machines will beal
ample testimony, and careful study
of their construction will bear out tht
latter claim. The tubing used is large,
!, and yet not SO large as to 90 TO an
,, extreme, while the gauges used (the