Improvements in and connected with Driving Mechanism and Hubs for Velocipede Wheels
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 27th June, 1898
Complete Specification Left, 27th Apr., 1899-Accepted, 27th June, 1899
DAVICIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Driving Mechanism and Hubs
for Velocipede Wheels
J PHILIP LOUIS RENOUF of 19 & 20 Holborn Viaduct in the City of London
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:
My improvements relate particularly to hubs or hub axles which are furnished
with two clutch mechanisms, one to drive the machine but to allow it to overrun the
pedalling gear and one to apply brake power when the pedal action is reversed.
In some cases I substitute for the usual rollers in the clutch balls lying in and guided
by grooves; sometimes the ends of the hub. or the ends of a sleeve driven by the hub
pinion or corresponding part from the guiding grooves: sometimes they form
annular clutches. Sometimes the clutch mechanism is provided in the centre of
the hub.
Where on such hubs both clutches, the brake and the drawing pinion or corre-
sponding part have been all mounted on the same side of the hub, some of the parts
are unduly cramped as to bearing surface, and the width of the hub increased with
detrimental effect on the framework of the velocipede besides making the use of a
gear case difficult: I therefore prefer to keep the pinion or corresponding part only
on one side of the hub, and apply the brake either on the opposite side of the hub or
in the inside of the same. I also prefer to decrease friction by isolating the brake
work, the hub and the driving gear from each other by ball bearings. In order to
do this the pinion or corresponding part is attached to or forms part of a long inner
sleeve, mounted on the axle on balls: the hub lies over the same. resting either on
two rows of balls supported by the sleeve, or else on one row supported by the sleeve
and on one row supported more directly by the axle.
In some cases one cone is fixed about the central part of the axle and two cones
are screwed about the axle to afford the required adjustments for both parts; or one
double cone, in connection with both parts is capable of lateral motion and is located
by the action of one adjusting cone only. This moveable cone piece is carried by
the pinion and carries the roller or preferably the ball clutch mechanism acting on
the brake.
The brake itself is either of the usual opening or expanding band type, but I
sometimes use lateral dise or cone friction, sometimes expanding arms or links
and sometimes a coiled spring or band: one end of the latter is fixed to the
axle and one to the brake clutch, so that relative motion between the latter causes

page_text: the band or spring to expand against the inside of the hub and thereby lock it to
the axle.
Dated this 27th day of Juna 1000
Improvements in and connected with Driving Mechanism and Hubs
for Velocipede Wheels.
I PHILIP LOUIS RENOUF of 19 & 20 Holborn Viaduct in the City of London
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement;- -
My improvements relate particularly to hubs or hub axles which are furnished
with two clutch mechanisms, one to drive the machine, but to allow it to overrun
pedalling gear, and one to apply brake power when the pedal action is reversed. I
generally use the ordinary roller and cam clutch, but I sometimes find it convenient
to use balls instead of cylindrical rollers, especially where springs would not be
easily placed to keep the rollers in position.
As the brake, I may use the ordinary contracting or expanding band, by attaching
one end of the band to an annular hardened clutch ring, or may use lateral disk or
cone friction, or may expand arms or links against a drum on the hub, or I may
use a spiral band.
I prefer to mount the driving clutch inside the hub, thus obtaining a more
central grip than is usual, and I also prefer to mount the brake apparatus either
inside the hub or on the side opposed to the driving gear, thus avoiding all cramping
up of parts, whilst obviating the necessity of specially clumsy fork ends and
facilitating the use of a gear or chain cover.
I preferably isolate the hub from driving pinion or equivalent part and from the
brake parts by balls, thus minimising the friction caused by relative motion when
the brake is not in use.
Referring to the drawings, Figs. 1, 3, and 4 shew hubs of this description in part
section and in section.
In each drawing. A is a hardened sleeve mounted on ball bearings on the axle B:
It may form part of the pinion for chain or other driving gear as in Figs. 3 and 4.
or it may be surmounted by a detachable piece C as in Fig. 1, fixed in the usual
way. Part of this sleeve is cut to form the driving cams for rollers e, which are
surrounded by a hardened sleeve d, which is gripped by these rollers when A is
rotated in a forward direction. This sleeve d forms at the same time one of the
bearing cups of the hub D, and is preferably keyed to the hub as shewn by the dotted
lines on Figs. 3 and 4.
e, e' are split sleeves placed over A in order to keep the rollers of the clutches in
position.
Fig. is a part section of a brake mechanism across the line P. Q on Fig 1.
In Fig. 1. the inner end of sleeve A is formed with three longitudinal keyways or
slots, one of which is indicated by a dotted line: over this is slid a hardened cone
bearing piece F: it is obvious that if the cone piece G be held to the frame of a
velocipede and the axle B be turned the four rows of balls by means of which the
sleeve A rests on axle B and the hub D on this sleeve itself can all be adjusted.
This cone piece F is grooved on its largest diameter and contains a series of balls
which act as part of the brake clutch, as is more readily understood by reference to
Fig 2. G is a hardened plate screwed over the axle B. and prevented from turning
by the pegg. which will lodge on any convenient part of the frame: the central

page_text: portion forms one of the main bearing cones, and the inner face is slotted to receive
several segmental arms H, H. The outer or segmental parts of these arms are pre-
ferably padded with pliable material h, h, whilst the inner stems are cut so as to form
inclines resting on the balls on piece F. When the rotation of this piece is reversed,
the parts H expand against the surrounding hub end, thereby tending to lock it to
piece G, which is itself fixed to the frame, and a powerful brake is thereby applied.
In Fig. 3, the sleeve A has a second or reverse clutch cut on it to grip a series of
rollers, which are surrounded by a hardened ring 1. K is a spiral band fixed to
this ring at and at 1 to, L, a boss on the strengthened axle B. at the other end.
When the rotation of A is reversed, this band I will therefore be twisted so that it is
expanded against M. a lining of the hub made of vulcanized fibre or other suitable
material.
In Figure 4 the inside of the hub D carries by means of longitudinal keys the
loose blocks n, m, n, which may be mere disks or may be conical: alternating with
these are corresponding parts o, o, and O. capable of longitudinal motion along keys
on the strengthened axle B: R is a resistance block locked (by a lefthanded thread
on a righthand driven hub) to axle B. and the block O is grooved to receive a series
of balls, as well as face cams cut on the circular edge of sleeve A: when, therefore.
A is reversed. these face cams and balls push O towards R creating great brake
friction with little pressure. It will be noticed that when the brake is being applied
there is no tendency to throw the hub out of centre, nor does the strain of the brake
pass through the bearings on which the hub is resting.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed. I declare that what I
claim is:
1. In-so-called-free-running-babs-for-velocipedes-the-sleeve-A-solid-with-a-driven
pinion (or-having-a-driven pinion-or-equivalent-attached-to-the-same)-being-mounted
on-ball-bearings-on-the-axle-B-and-being-separated-from-a-hub-D-by-ball-bearings,
substantially-as-described.
2.-In-the-hub-of-a-velocipede-a-sleeve A-mounted-directly-on-the-axle-(and-not-on
the-hub)-carrying-two-sets-of- elutehes-ent-in- opposite-directions-and-for-the-par.
pores-of-breaking-or-of-driving,-sabstantially-as deseribed.
1. A segmental brake in which arms furnished with cam ends and balls or
rollers are moved radially in slots in the part G by a rotating centre, substantially as
described and as illustrated in Fig. 2.
+ The combination of a spiral situated inside the barrel of a free-running
hub D and expanded by the reversal of a clutch mechanism as described and
illustrated.
The combination of a face cam with balls or rollers for the purpose of creating
brake friction by lateral motion as illustrated in Fig. 4 and substantially as
described.
6. The combination of a movable pressure block travelling along an axle with
blocks or discs inside a free-running hub and actuated by reversal of the hub pinion
substantially as described and illustrated.
The combination of a roller clutch driving gear inside the barrel of a hub
with a brake of the construction claimed in Claim 1 of the Amended Specification
situated outside the hub and on the side opposed to the driving pinion for the
purposes and substantially as described.
6. A pinion sleeve A inside the free running hub of a clutch-driven velocipede
and traversing the whole hub in uninterrupted 1 continuity for the purpose of
actuating a brake on the side opposed to the pinion, for the purpose described and
as illustrated.
Dated this 27th day of April One thousand eight hundred and ninety-nine