IMPROVEMENTS IN BICYCLES AND OTHER WHEELED VEHICLES, PART OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS IS APPLICABLE TO BEARINGS GENERALLY
Year: 1879

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by John Harrington and Henry Brent at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 4th March 1879.
JOHN HARRINGTON and HENRY BRENT, both of Ryde, in the Isle of Wight.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN BICYCLES AND OTHER WHEELED VEHICLES, PART OF WHICH
IMPROVEMENTS IS APPLICABLE TO BEARINGS GENERALLY."
Our Invention relates, firstly, to improvements in bearings for bicycles and other
wheeled vehicles, and relates to improvements in that class of bearings known as
ball bearings.
For this purpose, in lieu of separating the balls or spheres from each other in the
box in which they work, by surrounding them with a pierced ring or tube through
the perforations in which the balls or spheres project and work against the inside
of the box, we dispense with such perforated ring, and place on each side of each
series of balls or spheres a disc formed with a series of shallow radial grooves equal
in number to that of the balls or spheres in each series, and at such distances apart
as may be required for the proper separation of the balls or spheres.
Two of these discs, or in case of using two sets of balls or spheres, three of them
are connected together so as to form a cradle or frame surrounding but not
touching the axle or bush nor the interior of the box in which the balls or spheres
work.
The grooved discs are arranged at such distances apart as to permit free motion
of the balls or spheres, and yet retain them properly separated from each other.
In lieu of the radial grooves the discs may be formed with simple recesses, in
which the balls or spheres work as on pivots.
We line the interior of the box with a hardened steel bush formed with a circular
groove or grooves on its inner face, around which the balls or spheres work, and
we fit the axle with hardened steel collars or bushes meeting at the point or points
where the circle or circles of balls or spheres revolve, and at such point or points a
groove is formed in such bushes to accommodate the balls or sphers and retain
them in their correct position. In the case of a bicycle or tricycle these bushes are
retained in position by the crank which abuts against the outer bush.
These bearings are applicable to other wheeled vehicles and other purposes.
Our Invention relates, secondly, to improvements in the method of mounting the
wire spokes in the hub. For this purpose we make a rivet head at one end of the
spoke, and then thread such spoke through a thimble or bush closely fitting such
wire spoke. These thimbles or bushes are each provided with a flanged head,
against which the rivet head of the spoke abuts,

page_text: They are passed but not screwed through holes formed for them in projecting
rings or flanges attached to the hub; the other ends of the spokes may be fixed in
the metal tyre or felloe of the wheel in
any suitable manner.
When employing a rivet head on the other end of the spoke such rivet head is
formed after the thimble or bush is applied thereto.
The Invention also relates to improvements in that class of break apparatus for
bicycles and tricycles, in which a chain or break band carrying friction surfaces is
applied around a break wheel formed on the hub of the driving wheel. For this
purpose I connect the ends of the chain.or break band to the ends of a lever which
is mounted on an axis of motion at its centre, and which is provided with a set off
connected by a wire to a lever mounted on the steering bar.
By these means the chain or break band is more speedily and effectually applied
and removed than by the means heretofore adopted.
Or we interpose between the leather or other friction surface and the chain or
break band a steel spring formed of two segments of a circle sprung outwards and
carried by the fork. The lever on the steering bar, by the wire connection and
chain or break band, is caused to compress the spring and friction surfaces around
the break wheel.