Improvements in or connected with Gear Cases for Velocipedes and other Chain Driven Vehicles.
Year: 1898

page_text: This Print is in accordance with the Original Specification as it stands after
Amendment (under Section 11 of the Patents, &c. Act, 1883) as required by
the decision of the Law Officer of the 15th day of February 1899.
Improvements in or connected with Gear Cases for Velocipedes and
other Chain Driven Vehicles.
We, RICHARD HENRY LEA and GRAHAM INGLESBY FRANCIS, both of 11, Lower
Ford Street, Coventry, in the County of Warwick, Cycle Manufacturers do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
-
Our invention relates to improvements in or connected with gear cases employed
in connection with velocipedes and other vehicles driven or operated by a chain or
chains.
In such gear cases the qualities of dust exclusion, light weight, noiselessness, non-
liability to become displaced in relation to the chain, smart appearance, and yielding
ready access to the chain, are by no means easy to bring into harmony; and as a
matter of fact, so far as we are aware in all the gearcases at present in use
there are only obtained some of the desiderata referred to, by sacrificing the
other.
Our improvements consist, essentially, of a novel combination and arrangement
of gear case, having its component parts constructed relatively of metal and celluloid,
as hereafter described.
We are aware that gear cases have previously been made, partly composed of
metal and partly of celluloid, but all the arrangements of which we have any
knowledge, only to a small extent secure the advantages which should be
aimed at.
According to our invention we form the foundation and the entire rear part of
the case of metal, and this part is conveniently made to divide on about a plane
extending between the centre of the pedal or driving axle and the centre of the
driven wheel. When the case is to be applied to say, rear driven bicycles, such a
construction allows the composing portions of the foundation and rear part to be
brought together and secured to the lower rear stay, and to enclose the rear sprocket
wheel. The foundation when thus placed forms a complete case excepting that
upper and lower segmental parts towards the front of the case are wanting, and
these parts we form separately and of celluloid the dividing line between
the segments and the foundation extending horizontally above and below the
longitudinal centre line of the case, from the front to near the rear end, where the
said dividing lines curve respectively upwards and downwards to the upper and
lower edges of the foundation.
The celluloid segments may be fitted to the metal parts in any convenient
manner, but we prefer to form a seating, groove, or rabbet, either on the edges of
the segments or the foundation, to exclude dust and keep the relative parts in

page_text: position. Means are provided such as lugs and screws, to fix the the celluloid
segments.
The celluloid segments must not be slidden endwise along the grooves or the
celluloid will buckle up and become damaged, but the rear end of a segment
should be inserted and then the segment turned thereon scissor-fashion, into its
proper position.
This particular and novel arrangement" effectually combines the good points of
the all metal case, and also of the all-celluloid case, whilst at the same time the
most objectionable features of both types are eliminated:
"
Freedom from noise, caused by the chain coming into metallic contact) is secured
by the celluloid being in just those positions where the chain is most liable to "
or "whip."
sag
The appearance of our case is much lighter than the all-metal case, and not only
can the chain be seen, but may be instantly got at for cleaning &c. by the removal
of one or both of the celluloids. As this in no way interferes with the fixing of
the gear case itself, the operation may be performed by a non-expert with
impunity.
Retaining as we do the use of metal for the foundation and for the entire rear
portion of the case, we lose none of the rigidity and compactness, which are
characteristic of the all-metal case; whilst, on the. other hand, we secure all the
advantages to be derived from the use of celluloid, and reduce to a minimum the
tendency of the latter to become warped or distorted. Our celluloid segments.are
thoroughly supported, and it is obvious that when detached they can be readily
cleaned internally.
Datad.thin 54th day of T1000
Improvements in or connected with Gear Cases for Velocipedes and
other Chain Driven. Vehicles.
1.4
+1 +
We, RICHARD HENRY LEA and GRAHAM INGLESBY FRANCIS, both of 11, Lower Ford
Street, Coventry, in the County of..Warwick, Cycle. Manufacturers, 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:-"
Our invention relates to improvements in, or connected with, gear cases employed
in connection with velocipedes and other vehicles, driven or operated by a chain or
chains.
,'
In such gear cases, the qualities of dust exclusion, light weight, noiselessness,
non-liability to become displaced in relation to the chain, smart appearance and
yielding ready access to the chain, are by no means easy to bring into harmony; and
as a matter of fact, so far as we are aware in all the gear cases at present in use,
there are only obtained some of the 'desiderata referred to, by sacrificing the others.
Our improvements consist essentially of a novel 'combination and arrangement of
gear case, having its component parts constructed relatively of metal and celluloid,
as hereafter described..
まい
***
We are aware that gear cases have previously been made, partly composed of
metal and partly celluloid, but all the arrangements of which we have any
knowledge, only to a small extent secure the advantages which should be aimed at.
Our invention will be readily understood by the following description having
reference to the accompanying drawings, wheréon Fig. 1 shews an example of our
gear case applied, a part of same being displaced. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the

page_text: rear portion of the case detached from the machine.' Fig. 3 is a side elevation'
shewing the parts composing the metal body detached and separated. Fig. 4 is an
elevation shewing the side of the gear case detached, obverse to that shewn at
Fig. 1 and drawn to a somewhat larger scale than the latter figure, and Fig. 5 is a
transverse section of the case, taken on the line X Y of Fig 4.
Similar letters of reference refer to like parts in the several figures of the
drawings.
"According to our invention we form or construct the body of the case, of metal,
and this body is made in two parts A and B, the division being on or about a plane
extending between the centre of the pedal or driving axle C, and the centre D of the
driven wheel. When the case is to be applied to, say, rear chain-driven bicycles,
the construction allows the composing portions A and B of the body to be brought
together, as at Figs. 1 and 4, and secured to the rear lower stay tube, which passes
through the interior of the body, by a suitable bracket fixed thereon, to which
bracket the portions A and B of the body may be connected by screws A¹
and B. The parts A and B can be readily fixed to each other by for example lug
and screw connections F F F¹. Such is a convenient construction for the body of
the case, which body as before stated also serves to enclose the rear sprocket
wheel.
The body when thus placed forms a complete case excepting that upper and lower
segmental parts towards the front of the case are wanting, and these parts we form
separately and of celluloid marked G H. The dividing lines J K between the
segments G H and the body A. B, extend horizontally above and below the
longitudinal centre line of the case, from the front to near the rear end, where
the said dividing lines come respectively upwards and downwards to the upper and
lower edges of the body.
The celluloid segments may be fitted to the metal parts in any convenient
manner, but we prefer to form a seating, groove or rabbit either in the edges' of the
segments or the body, to exclude dust and keep the relative parts in position.
The celluloid segments must not be slidden end wise along the grooves or the
celluloid will buckle up and become damaged, but the rear end of a segment should
be inserted as at Fig. 1, and then the segment turned thereon scissor-fashion, into
its proper position. Means are provided whereby the segments G H can be fixed
in position such as by screws G¹ H¹, or any other suitable devices.
This particular and novel arrangement effectually combines the good points of
the all-metal case, and also of the all-celluloid case, whilst at the same time the
most objectionable features of both types are eliminated.
Freedom from noise (caused by the chain coming into metallic contact) is secured
by the celluloid being placed in just those positions where the chain is most liable
to "sag" or "whip."
The appearance of our case is much lighter than the all-metal case, and not only
can the chain be seen, but may be instantly got at for cleaning, &c., by the removal
of one or both of the celluloid segments.
As this in no way interferes with the fixing of the gear case itself, the operation
may be performed by a non-expert with impunity.
Retaining, as we do, the use of metal for the body which includes the entire rear
portion of the case, we lose none of the rigidity and compactness which are
characteristic of the all-metal case; whilst on the other hand, we secure all the
advantages to be derived from the use of celluloid, and reduce to a minimum the
tendency of the latter to become warped or distorted. Our celluloid segments are
thoroughly supported, and it is obvious that when detached they can be readily
cleaned internally.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is
:-
1 The construction and arrangement of crear casos. by the removal from a instal

page_text: gear case of upper and lower parts of same, to expose upper and lower parts of one
chain wheel, and a portion of the length of the upper and lower runs of the chain,
and the fitting to such a metal case of detachable upper and lower completion
segments, made of transparent or semi-transparent celluloid, supported by grooves,
rabbets, or the like from the edges of the metal case, substantially as and for the
purposes hereinbefore described and illustrated with reference to the accompanying
drawings.
2. A. gear case for velocipedes and other chain driven vehicles, composed of a
horizontally divided metal body, adapted when placed together and in position, to
cover one chain wheel, and to extend to and in front of the other chain wheel, for
a certain vertical distance, on each side of the longitudinal centre line, in combina-
tion with upper and lower completion segments, of transparent or semi-transparent
celluloid, detachably fitted above and below a length of the chain and the (other-
wise) partially covered chain wheel, whereby the celluloid segments are supported
by the metal body and chain and chain wheel can be inspected, and may be got at
by removal of the celluloid seginents, substantially as described and illustrated with
reference to the accompanying drawings.
3. The construction and arrangement of gear case for chain driven velocipedes
and vehicles, comprising upper and lower removable segments, composed of
transparent or semi-transparent celluloid, the whole remaining portion or body
being composed of metal, all combined, substantially as and for the purposes
herein before described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Daved this wise day of pin 1990.
BREWER & SON,
London and Leeds, Agents for the Applicant.