The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-08-17
WILL BE CHAINLESS
NEW BICYCLE WILL BE WORKED
WITH THE BEVEL GEAR.

l
Chain and sprocket Wheels Will n
Doubt survivs-Ciamor Is Made That tn
Chain Is the Highest Perfection Possibl
of Being Reached In Bicycle, II Kep
CIean-DstaiIs Of the Matter.
Chicago, Aug. 1S.-Is the chainles
wheel the coming bicycle?
The question is one whose discusyol
Incomes every day more pdevalent. Tn
cnain is a cause OF more or less dis
satisfaction. Moreover, the rapid serie:
Of improvements which the bicycle ha!
undergone has led the public uncon
sciously to expect a continuance OF i'm
provemerts in as rapid a successor a:
the past has brought forth. The chair
end its possible removal have come Il
be pretty generally regarded as the point
for the bicycle mechanics consideration
In fact. the chainless wheel has been dis
discussed and experimental upon since
almost TIE time OF the safety machne's
introduction.
II must be admitted that the greater
| part of the existing objectors TO the
| chain are TO be charged 10 the careless
ness and lack OF mechanical ingenuity
OF the bicycists themselves. One who
ever removes his chain to soak II IN
benzine or gasoline IS rare. The average
rider occasionally smears his chain with
f, some iubricating oil, and is satlshed. he
| is not aware that lubricating oil does
| not soak in the joints Of the cna'n, thal
il does not remove the dirt and rust, and
that It leaves a sticky surface TO which
dust particles are bound to adhere. The
| dust that rises from a macadam pave
ment, generally would be found to be
| minute fragments of granite. A more
| destructive agent than these, working
| into chain and cutting the steel, hardly
could be found if searched for. Themud
| that fl es up from the pavements has the
| same constituency and effect. any dirt,
cutting or otherwise, ot course has the
additional effect of clogging a chains
| workings ard adding to friction.
TO REGULATE THE CHAIN.
Again, the average rider has no con-
ception Of the method OF regulating a
chain n case of a deviation, stretch or
accident. Il his gearing goes wrong in
any way he is helpless What he waits
is bicycle that is in no way subject to
accid INT. If all the agents would give
their buyers ten minutes instruction at
the time of purchasing, and all buyers
could be pursuaded TO wait those ten
minutes 10 receive the instruction,
great deal of the present difficulty with
the chain would vanish.
However. not all Of it. Manufacturers
come in for heavy share Of the blame
for the chains unsatisfactory perform
ances. The adjustment between the
chain and the sprocket wheels should be
as nearly as possible perfect; otherwise
the Inks do not take their proper posi-
ton UDon the teeth OF the sprocket. or
fail 70 leave the sprocket Clean" That
is, the link. sitting unnaturally upon the
sprocket tooth. may scrape instead of
slipping away easily at the point where
il leaves the wheel. The sprockets them
selves ought to be milled out with the
greatest care; perfect harmony OF &C.
ton otherwise is almost impossible. Yet
in a great many factories the sprockets
are stamped out, with wrecked results.
Il
of deviations, sometimes on a wheel that
is not even round. Explanation of the
results of such negligence is of course
unnecessary.
OF the variety OF mechanical devices
which have been tired as a means of
transmitting bicycle power without the
use of chain, the one now most be-
lieved in is that familiar to mechanics
as the "5evel gear" To understand this
contrivance IL may be we'll 10 consider
II n IS simple as possible an applica-
ton.
EXPLANATION OF BEVEL GEAR.
Sharpen two lead pencils so squarely
that the point makes approximately a
right angle. Hold the two pencils in a
vertical position. point downward. a few
inches apart. Now, suppose that one of
the pencils has revolving power that |
You wish 10 transmit to the other.
Sharpen a third pencil at both ends. |
making the points Of such shape that |
they will lit evenly against the points |
of the first two pencils if placed against |
them in a horizontal position. Let the |
latter ne done; the first two pencils, still |
held parallel 70 each other, are connect |
ed by the third pencil. Now. it VII be |
seen that the rotation Of the first pencil |
can, by the contact of the points, be |
TO the now second pencil |
the horizontal one. In the same way |
the second pencil can communicate II.
motion to the third. which revolves in
the same direction as the first.
The principle involved in this transfer
cf motion is that Of the bevel gear, the
term being derived from the fact that
the gearings are 5eveled in shape. in
stead OF straight. When the principle
is applied 70 a working mechanism where
any considerable resistance is 70 be over
come the gears are cogged. Their shape
s that of a truncsted cone. AS with the
cog gear. speed may be sacri-
iced 70 power. or power 10 speed, in any |
desired degree by the disposition Of the
relative signs Of the cones. Il will be
seen, further that the BICYCLE may sup
oly ne power OF the forward sprocket
instead Of by rod. according to the lead
1eccil illustration.
Several manufacturers are enieavor-
ng 10 develop wheel operating on the
,eveI gear principle. They have sue
,eedad 50 far as % get apparently good
'esults. Bevei gear wheels have been
made which. suspended of ina floor,
hox less friction than any chain b.cy-
lie on the market; the test is the number
Z revelations which the h'nd wheel viii
make IL response 10 a given impulse.
DRAWBACKS OF BEvEL GEAR.
But the p-sctical test is use on the
oad. IN riding UP I'LL. through heavy
liz, or under any conditions where a