The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-11-06

a revolving resistance was obtained,
and then by shovelling sand and mud
into the chain and sprocket test OF
the chain pull was made. With the
old form of sprocket the chain pun
varied from as to $50 pounds, while
with the same rolling resistance the
pull on the chain with roller sprockets
varied only from 40 to SO pounds while
the sand and mud were being added.
A manufacturer in Ohio will bring
out in about two weeks a chain wheel
with some entirely novel bearings, also
chain wheel with cushion frame,
and he will offer gear cases on option.
About the first of the year this same
maker will place on the market n chain
less wheel of entirely new mechanism.
It will be without bevel gear or spur
gears, clutch, or friction action-a
wholly original method of power trans
mission--although il is not claimed that
il involves any new mechanical prln-
ciple. In external appearance 1t VIII
resemble the new bevel gear wheel,
except that the box at the crank axle
will he larger and Of different shape
and there will he a box at the rear
smaller than the one in front and dit-
ferent in shape from it, as well as be-
ing different from the incascment or
the bevel gear. What the internal
mechanism is is not likely to become
known until the maker chooses to eX-
ploit, although it seems certain there
must be a revolving driving SHAFT run
ming inside the rear fork.
A peculiar driving gear viii be put
out by New York manufacturer
which comprises wheels with spur
teeth at the crank and rear aXles, with
a flexible driving rod moving longi-
tudinally between. This wheel, how
ever is intended to figure only in a
secondary character with the chaln
wheel of the maker. In the line OF Ola
ideas revived, a manufactures VINO Is
not among those in the first row mas
developed a driving method using a
series of balls which move in channel
around the rear and crank aNles in
much the same elliptical fashion as a
chain, one ball forcing the other ana
all rotating as they move.
CHAINLESS WHEELS.
A chainless wheel without hevel
gears that has been exhibited in New
York for several months past VIII be
put out in q small way by it's inventors,
but may figure quite largely because OF
the possibility of the mechanism beng
attached to the ordinary bicycle frame
by removing the sprockets ana chaih'
IT is what Mechanics call a spur scar,
having direct cogs engaging parallel
from. one wheel to another. There IS
| a sprocket wheel on the crank consld-
erably larger than the ordinary front
sprocket with its teeth cut more
square, nearly rectangular. on the
rear hub is a sprOcket of about the
ordinary size with similar teeth. be
| tween the sprockets is one large en-
| ough to fill the space and have the
| teeth or it's periphery engage with
| those on each of the others. only the
| rim of the center sprocket reVolVes'
the major part of the sprocket being
! held stationary by means of bolts pass
| ing through it and the rear fork. The
| rim on which the teeth are cut Is
| sliced free from the other part, leaN-
ing a space between the thin outer
rim containing the teeth and the other
norton of the sprOcket sufficiently
large to contain small ball bearings on
which the rim revolves. The action of
this center sprocket ran be pictured in
the mind by imagining the tire of a
wheel separated from the felloes or rim
by a series of marbles and the tire re-
yolving, while the rim remains sta
| tionary, the tire having on it the teeth
necessary for power transmission. This
entire mechanism is inclOsed and II
has many good points, the objections
urged against it being on the theoreti-
cal ground that it involves more fric-
! ton than chain transmission and i;
! likely to be rendered imperative wher
the wheel is thrown little bit out OF
alignment.
a New York manufacturer has de-
Vised a wheel with an adjustable frame
so that it can be adapted for a rider
with any length Of limb. 1t can bt
converted from a diamond frame to {
drop frame and changed from q Thee
having a 22-inch seat-post mast to one
of "a or 26 inches, at pleasure. In fact
the entire lines Of the wheel can lac al
tered to suit the owners fancy. The
inventor of this has also produced wha
he calls a revolving chain cover to bt
used as a substitute for a gear-case
IT is made Of thin rubber, moulded il
the shape of a hollow square. 1t fit!
over the chain and travels around witt
1t, being opened at the sproCkets auto
matically by a spYeader. Within tht
last two months a pneumatically driv
en- wheel and one with hydraulic powe
nave been worked out, but it is doubt
full If they are put on the market il
any quantity next year.
OTHER NOVELTIES.
Summarizing the different styles o
wheels, there will be ten, and pos
sibly two or three more, bevel gea
cycles made on the same pattern. Fac
of the makers of these bevel gears vii
also produce wheels with the Ordin
airy chain transmission. One of ther
will offer an inclOsed chain as a regu
lar model, while two others will of
fer gear-cases as an option with eXtr
charge. The leader in this cOmpan
of ten, who is the holder Of the pat
ents for the bevel gear, will produce
chain wheel without brazings, tn
joints being screwed together so tina
any rider can dismember the frame.
Omitting all those makers Of tn