Improvements in the Hubs or Centres of Cycle and other like Wheels.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Sept., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 13.h Nov., 1891-Accepted, 19th Dec., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Hubs or Centres of Cycle and other like
Wheels.
I, RICHARD GREEN of the Lion Cycle Company of Eagle Foundry Broad
Street in the City of Birmingham Cycle Manufacturer, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
:-
This invention relates to the hubs of cycle and other like wheels, and has for its
object:-
First. The building up of a hub or wheel centre partly of gunmetal and partly of
solid steel, that is to say, making the middles or waist parts of hubs or wheel centres
of gunmetal, and the hub heads, into which the waist parts are fixed, out of a solid
steel blank.
Secondly. The making of a combined hub head, chain wheel, and bearing bush or
cup, from a single blank of solid steel by a stamping process commonly known.
Thirdly. In a means whereby the spoke ends which are screwed into the heads of
a hub, or hubs, of a cycle wheel, are prevented from breaking off at the point where
they screw into the said hub heads.
I will now proceed to describe a hub or wheel centre (for the back wheel of a
cycle) made according to the first and second parts of this invention.
The hollow waist or middle part of the hub or wheel centre is made preferably
of gun-metal contracted at its middle, and with increased diameters formed at its
two opposite ends, which are externally wormed and screw into corresponding
wormed recesses, formed within the interior of the solid parts, constituting the heads
of the said hubs, or wheel centres, as hereinafter described.
The hub heads or combined hub head, chain wheel, and bearing cup, or bush,
consist of a concentric sleeve, partitioned off in its interior and about its middle, by
a concentrically depending ring, or flange, which is centrally and axially pierced,
at its middle to allow the axle to work therethrough, thus forming two separate
chambers, one chamber constituting the bearing cup, or bush, in which the balls
revolve and roll, and the other chamber which is wormed internally, for screwing
and fixing on to, the externally wormed before mentioned increased diameter, of the
middle part or waist of the said hub or wheel centre.
This said partitioned-off sleeve which constitutes the hub head, has a number
of projecting teeth, formed and fashioned on its periphery, and made solid with it,
and which said projecting teeth constitute the chain-wheel for the driving of the
cycle.
The increased diameters of the two opposite ends of the waist or middle part of
the hub as already described, and which are externally wormed, are then screwed
into the internally wormed chamber, formed in the hub heads, and are there
fixed.
By this means I am enabled to build-up a hub or wheel centre, having a com-
bined head, chain wheel; and bearing cup, made solid in one piece of hardened steel,
and provided with a soft metal waist, or middle part, whose increased diameters at
the opposite ends, and which screw into the hub heads as aforesaid, form a part of
the third portion of this invention.
The said hub heads, or combined hub head, chain wheel, and bearing bush, or
cup are stamped" solid from a blank of thick sheet steel by means of dies and
pressure.
In carrying out the third part of this invention, which relates to the fixing of the
spokes in the hub heads, I drill a number of radially disposed plain holes through

page_text: aforesaid, and also a like number of wormed holes in the increased diameters of the
waist or middle part, the said plain holes coming coincident with the wormed
holes.
The spokes are then first introduced down. through the plain holes in the hollow
sleeve and then screwed home into the wormed holes in the increased diameters of 6
the waist or middle part, thus, by the spokes passing through the plain holes in the
hollow sleeve which forms a steadying hole or support for the said spokes, they are
not liable to be broken off, at the end which screws into the wormed hole of the
increased diameters of the waist or middle part of the hub.
As a modification I may make only one of the hub heads (the one on which the 1
chain wheel is required) of hardened steel as before described the head on the
opposite end being cast in gun-metal in one piece with the waist or middle part.
As a further modification I may make the waist or middle part as well as the
hub heads, of steel, and introduce split gun-metal bushes into the hollow parts of
the hub heads respectively, and into which said split bushes, the ends of the spokes 1
I would be screwed and fixed.
Dated this 4th day of September 1891.
RICHARD GREEN,
By Henry Skerrett,
Agent for Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Hubs or Centres of Cycle and other like
Wheels.
I, RICHARD GREEN of the Lion Cycle Company, of Eagle Foundry, Broad
Street, in the City of Birmingham, Cycle Manufacturer, 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:―
This invention relates to the hubs of cycle and other like wheels, and has for its
object, first, the building up of a hub or wheel centre, partly of gun metal, and
partly of solid steel, that is to say, making the middles or waist parts of hubs or
wheel centres, of gun metal, and the hub heads, into which the waist parts are
affixed, out of a solid steel blank; secondly, the making of a combined hub head,
chain wheel, and bearing recess or ball race, from a single blank of solid steel, by
drop forging or stamping; thirdly, in a means, whereby the inner spoke ends, which
are screwed into the heads of a hub or hubs of a cycle wheel, are prevented from
breaking off at the junctions of the screwed parts with the plain parts.
In carrying out the first and second parts of my invention, in connection with the
back wheel hub of a safety bicycle, the hollow waist or middle part, which is
preferably of gun metal, has ends of increased diameters, which are externally
wormed and screw into corresponding inside wormed recesses, formed at the inside
parts of the steel heads.
The hub heads, or combined head hub, chain wheel and bearing cup or ball race,
consist of a wheel or annulus, semi-partitioned off about its middle in the plane of
itself, and with the said partition pierced about its middle, wherethrough the axle
of the wheel passes.
Thus the said head end has a double chamber, to wit, the bearing cup or ball
race, and the recess for taking the end of the waist, and has also upon its periphery,
chain wheel teeth.
The other head end of the wheel centre or hub, is made like the one last described,
other than without the teeth on its outer periphery.
Into the back recesses of the said heads, the ends, or the enlarged ends, of the
waist, screws.
In the case of the hub of a front wheel, both heads are alike and toothless.
By the building up of hubs or wheel centres, as aforesaid, the heads, or the steel

page_text: end parts of them, admit of being hardened to any degree required, in order to
resist wear.
The said heads, or combined hub head and chain wheel, are stamped solid, from
a sheet of thick sheet steel.
In carrying out the third part of my invention, radially directed holes are drilled,
both through the metal of the inside part of the head, and into the soft metal
interior, and which latter holes are tapped, and wherein the screwed ends of the
spokes take, while the plain parts of the spokes, immediately above the screwed end,
take through plain holes in the heads.
In fitting, the spokes are first introduced through the plain holes, and then
screwed home into the wormed holes in the soft metal of the waist.
As a modification, one end only of a hub may have a steel head, while the other
may be made out of the same metal of the waist.
As a further modification, the waist or middle part, as well as the hub heads, may
be made of steel, and at rears of the heads, split gun metal bushes may be inserted
in recesses made to receive them.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings, represents in elevation, a hub or wheel
centre constructed or made up according to my invention. The said wheel centre
has its waist and combined end parts, made from gun or like soft metal, while the
heads or head ends are made from steel by stamping or drop forging.
Figure 2 represents a longitudinal section of the same, showing the wormed ends
of the spokes taking into the soft gun metal, which forms, as it were, the core to the
steel head ends, which are stamped soft, and then subsequently hardened.
By this building up of a wheel centre from dissimilar metals, the parts which are
required to resist great wear, such as the combined head and cup, or the combined
head, cup and chain wheel, in the case of the hub of a back wheel of a cycle, is made
of steel, and hardened.
The same letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in Figures 1 and 2.
a is a gun metal waist or hollow middle part, with annular flanged ends a³, which
form, as it were, inner cores of soft metal into which, the wormed ends of the
spokes, take. bare heads or end caps of hardened steel, and each of which
comprehends an annular rim &, which is internally screwed, and takes upon the
flanges a, annular rim 6, a bearing cup or ball race, a body part *, and a back
wall 6, with a spindle hole 6º, made through it, and coming coincident or linable
with the middle of the waist.
dare
are plain holes, made through the steel of the flanges 63, and a³ are tapped
holes, made in the rims or flanges of the soft metal waist or middle part u.
the spokes, whose screwed inner ends d, take into the tapped holes, and with the
shanks and plain adjacent metal parts d³, of the said inner ends, taking through the
plain holes b', in the steel rim b
Figure 3 represents a safety cycle back wheel hub, or a combined wheel centre
and chain wheel, constructed according to my invention.
Figure 4 is a longitudinal section of the same, and Figure 5 is a cross section, on
the dotted lines A B Figure 4.
Figure 6 is an end view of the chain wheel end of the hub, while Figure 7 shows
the parts of the said wheel centre with chain wheel separately, or the parts thereof
separated.
The same letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in Figures 3 to 7.
a is a gun metal waist or hollow bearing middle part, with annular flanges a', «³,
directed from the terminal ends of the same, and which form, as it were, inner cores
of soft metal, wherein the wormed ends of the spokes take, and upon which the
heads or head ends b, 6¹, come.
The head b, at one end of the wheel centre, consists of an annular flange ³,
bearing cup or ball race b', body b, back wall 6, with spindle hole 6º, made through
it, and coming coincident or linable with the hollow waist.
In the end, is an annular collar, internally screwed, and taking upon the
externally screwed bossed end a¹, of the neck a, and with the spokes d, taking

page_text: through the plain hole d', of the said rim, and screwing into the tapped holes a³,
made in the soft metal flange a¹.
c is a chain wheel, formed in one piece with the said end 6', and a bearing cup or
ball race 6, and parts 6, 6, and 6º, alike unto the other end.
Figure 8 represents a wheel centre, constructed according to another form of my
invention, and a modification of the preceding figures.
In this arrangement, the waist and head ends, combining with them the chain'
wheel and cup bearings, are made solid or in one piece, and of hardened steel, with
a soft metal or a gun metal bush, fitted into the backs or inside parts of the said
heads, and which said bushes are tapped, and wherein the screwed ends of the
spokes, take.
Figure 9 is a transverse section of the same upon the dotted lines CD.
a is the waist, b one end or head, and 6' the other end, made solid or in one piece,
and of hardened steel, with the waist a, and which ends have sunken within their
back or inner sides, recesses ³, wherein soft metal segmental bushes a², with
tapped holes a³, are fitted, so that the shanks of the inner ends of the spokes next
to the wormed extreme ends, pass through plain holes in the hard metal, and with
their screwed ends taking within the soft metal bushes or rings a², which are pre-
vented from rotating within their recesses by ribs a, taking into grooves &³, formed
within the outer circumferences of the recesses 6º.
Figure 10 represents a split bush only, instead of a segmental one, as in Figures 8
and 9.
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 :-
First :-A hub or wheel centre, consisting essentially of a soft metal (preferably
gun metal) waist or middle part, and attached hardened steel ends or heads, sub-
stantially as described and set forth in Figures 1 to 7.
Secondly: A hub or wheel centre, having a soft metal (gun metal) enlarged ended
waist or middle part, and steel heads or ends fitted to the said enlarged parts,
hence a composite hub or wheel centre, substantially as described and set forth in
Figures 1 to 7.
Thirdly: In a hub or wheel centre head, consisting of a steel end, comprehend-
ing a body part, bearing cup or ball race, sunken rear attachment part, and chain
wheel; or a hub or wheel centre head, consisting of a steel end comprehending
body part, bearing cup or ball race, and sunken rear attachment part, and which
said parts are made solid or in one piece, substantially as described and set forth in
Figures 1 to 7.
Fourthly: In a hub or wheel centre, fitting the inner screwed ends of the
spokes of a wheel into a core or soft metal inner part, located in the head, and
with the plain parts of the spokes contiguous to, or disposed above the said
screwed ends, passing or taking through plain bearing holes, made through an
outer part of the head or end, substantially as, and for the purpose, as described
and set forth.
Fifthly :-
In a hub or wheel centre, making the whole of the same as repre-
sented in Figure 8, less the inner located soft metal bush or core, of steel, as
described and set forth.
Sixthly:-The combination with a solid steel hub, of an inner soft metal core or
bush part, as set forth in Figure 8.
DL 80th daha- 1901