Improvements in and relating to Driving Mechanism for Bicycles.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Mar., 1898-Accepted, 23rd July, 1898.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Driving Mechanism for Bicycles.
I, JOSEPH GEORGE MOOMY, of 132E, 12th Street, Erie, Pa., U.S.A., Mechanical
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my 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 bicycles and consists in certain improvements in the
construction thereof as will be hereinafter fully described and pointed out in the
claims.
More particularly my invention relates to that style of bicycle popularly denominated
the "chainless " bicycles, and has reference particularly to the propelling mechanism.
The objects of the invention are to provide a gear propelling mechanism with con-
venient means for adjustment, protection from dirt, and a quickly operated means
for disengaging the driving wheel of the bicycle from the propelling mechanism and
the frame of the wheel, as well as to provide advantageous details of construction.
The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings as follows:
Fig. 1 is a sectional view of the part of the bicycle to which my invention relates
on the line 1-1 in Figure 2.
Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same part.
Fig. 3 shows a detail construction.
A, marks the crank hanger; B, one side of the lower fork, and C, the rear axle
which is secured to the fork B as in any of the usual constructions.
The crank shaft, D, is provided with the bearings, d and supports the cranks D¹.
Locked on the crank shaft is the bevel gear wheel E.
The side of the fork B¹ is formed of a tube provided with the enlargement or
pocket b, concentric with the tube B¹ and located just back of the periphery of the
gear E.
A similar enlargement, or pocket, is located near the rear end of the side, and a
transverse enlargement is placed concentric with the rear axle C.
A disk 65 preferably formed integrally with the part B¹ forms the connection to the
crank hanger and surrounds the gear E. A complete closure is effected by the plate,
60, which is screwed into the disk as shown. The upper part of the fork B¹ is in the
form of a removable cap B2 fastened by screws or bolts at 6s 64, which when removed
leaves an opening through which the inclosed parts may be inserted or adjusted. The
enlargement, b, which may be termed a bearing pocket, is milled out both in the cap
and fixed part and a sleeve F shaped to fit the pocket is inserted. A gear, G, meshes
the gear E. It is provided with the hub G¹ which extends back through the sleeve F.
A cone, g, is formed on the gear end of the hub, G¹, and a cone g¹, is screwed on to
the opposite end of the hub. These with the cups, f, and inserted balls form the
bearing for the gear G, and form what I term a double ball bearing. A lock nut g² is

page_text: An annular
The sleeve
It
provided for locking the cone gl at the point of adjustment desired.
groove b' is cut into the pocket, b, and into this is placed a ring nut, F.
Fis screw threaded so as to be engaged by the ring nut. By turning the ring nut
and holding the sleeve with the fingers, the sleeve, and consequently the gear, may be
shifted either toward or from the gear E, so as to properly adjust it to position.
will be noted that the adjustinent of the gear is independent of the adjusting means
for the bearing, so that the adjustment of either may be accomplished without affect-
ing the other. The inner surface of the cap is arranged to engage, and clamp the
sleeve, F, to thus lock the sleeve in position.
The pocket, ¹, is similar in construction and arrangement to the pocket, b, but in
the reverse direction, and contains a similar arrangement of mechanism, the several
parts of which will be readily understood from what has been said of the mechanism
contained in the pocket, b, and are lettered as follows: gear J; hub J¹; cones j j¹³ ;
and lock nut 2; sleeve I; ring nut I'; cups ii; in the sleeve, I, which with
interposed balls form bearings with the cones, j 7.
The shaft, H, is squared at its ends, h h¹, and is dropped into slots, g³ j³, in the
hubs, G¹ and J¹. A flange nut g4 j4, encircles the shaft, H, and centers it with the
hubs, G' and J¹. The central part of the shaft has the coil spring h, which allows a
slight bending of the shaft, should the pockets, 6 61, spring out of alignment.
The pocket, 69, is drilled from the inside of the fork, and has placed in it the
sleeve, K, which is provided at its ends with the cups, k k. A gear, L, meshes the
gear J, and is provided with the hollow hub, L. A cone, l, is formed on the bub
at the gear end, and a cone 1, is screwed into the opposite end. These cones
with the cups, k, and interposed balls from a double ball bearing for the gear, L,
and part of the bearing for the drive wheel N. A lock nut, 2, is provided for locking
the cone, in position to secure a proper adjustment for the bearing. The gear, L,
has an inward extention, L², which is screw threaded, and screwed into the
hub, M, of the drive wheel, N. A flange nut, M¹, preferably oppositely threaded
from that of the extension, L2, is screwed onto the outer surface of the hub, M.
flange M², of said nut engages a shoulder, 13, on the extension, L2, and thus locks the
hub, M, with the gear L.
The
The axle C is passed through the hub, L', and screwed into the bottom of the
pocket, 6º. A cone, c, is screwed into the axle at the end opposite the gear L and
this with the cup, in the hub, M, and the interposed balls forins the bearing at
that side of the wheel N. The nut c¹ which secures the axle in the fork B, locks the
cone c.
If it is desired to remove the wheel, N, for replacing the tire or other purposes, the
flange nut, M¹, is unscrewed and the extension, L2, unscrewed. The axle is then
unscrewed from the cone, c, and the bottom of the pocket, 69, and removed. This
disengages the wheel, so that it can readily be removed. A retainer shoulder, c², and
cap, m¹, hold the cone, c, in place in the hub M.
It will be noted that the removal of the wheel has not altered the adjustment of
the gears or any of their bearings so that they remain in position with the wheel
removed from the frame. It will also be noted that the replacing of the wheel, which
is simply the reverse of the operation described does not require a readjustment of
the gears or their bearings. This I consider a very important feature of my invention
as it allows the repairs which are apt to be necessary to the wheel to be made without
interfering with the adjustment of the gears or their bearings, so that when once
properly adjusted they may continue so for a long period without the interference of
unskilled hands which are apt to impair their usefulness.
By making the rear bracket containing the pockets b¹ and 6º of a single forging or
casting or pieces brazed or permanently and rigidly united, a rigid one piece bracket
is formed, which in connection with the double ball bearings in the pockets 61 and 6º
permanently hold the gears carried by said bearings at the proper angle to each
other.
It will also be noted that the adjustment of the gear one to another is independent

page_text: of the adjustment of the several bearings for the gear, so that a nice adjustment of
both bearings and gears may be readily accomplished.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim as is :-
1. In a bicycle, the combination with the frame; of the driving wheel arranged
to be secured in and removed from the frame; a bearing carried by the frame and
arranged to give support to the driving wheel when said wheel is in place and to
remain in position in the frame with said wheel removed therefrom; a gear carried
by said bearing when the wheel is in place in the frame; and a driving gear meshing
said gear.
2. In a bicycle, the combination with the frame; of the driving wheel arranged to
be secured in and removed from the frame; a bearing carried by the frame and
arranged to give support to the driving wheel when said wheel is in place and to
remain in position with said wheel removed therefrom; a gear carried by said
bearing and arranged to remain in place with the bearing and the driving gear when
the driving wheel is removed from the frame; and a driving gear meshing said
gear.
3. In a bicycle, the combination with the frame; of the driving wheel arranged
to be secured in and removed from the frame; a ball bearing carried by the
frame and arranged to give support to the driving wheel when said wheel is in place
in the frame; means for adjusting said bearing, which means are arranged to remain
in position in the frame with the wheel removed from the frame; a gear carried by
said bearing when the wheel is in place in the frame; and a driving gear meshing
said gear.
4. In a bicycle, the combination with the frame; of the driving wheel arranged to
be secured in and removed from the frame; a bearing carried by the frame and
arranged to give support to the driving wheel when said wheel is in place in said
frame; a gear carried by said bearing; a driving gear meshing said gear; and means
for adjusting said gears to each other, which means and said bearing are arranged to
remain in position when the wheel is removed from the frame.
5. In a geared bicycle, the combination of the frame having a pocket; a removable
cover for said pocket arranged to make a longitudinal opening when removed; a
sleeve in said pocket; a gear journaled with a double ball bearing in said sleeve;
means exposed by the removal of said cover for shifting the sleeve longitudinally in
said pocket for adjusting the gear; and means arranged on the cover for locking the
sleeve in the position, to which it is adjusted, when the cover is in place.
6. In a geared bicycle, the combination of the frame having a pocket as, b, with
the groove, 67, therein; the sleeve F, in said pocket; the gear, G, journaled in said
sleeve and the nut, F1, on said sleeve and arranged in the groove, b³.
7. In a geared bicycle, the combination of the frame having a pocket; a sleeve in
said pocket; a gear journaled in said sleeve; means for shifting the sleeve in said
pocket; and a removable cover for said pocket arranged to lock said sleeve in
position.
8. In a geared bicycle, the combination of the driving wheel, the frame provided
with a rigid one piece rear bracket containing the pockets 61 and 6º arranged at an
angle to each other; double ball bearings in both of said pockets, the one in
pocket 6 being arranged to give support to the driving wheel; and gears in mesh
with each other and carried by said bearings.
9. In a geared bicycle, the combination of the removable driving wheel; the
frame; a bearing carried by said frame and arranged to remain in position in
the frame when the driving wheel is removed therefrom; the gear L secured to
the driving wheel and provided with a hollow hub journaled in said bearing;
and the axle extending through said hub and secured to the frame.
10 In combination with the gear having the hub provided with a slotted opening, 7³ ;

page_text: the shaft having the square end placed in said slot; and the nut it, having the
centrally located perforation through which the shaft passes for securing and
centering said shaft.
Date D του day
1000T
NA 10TIT
JOSEPH GEORGE MOOMY.
By George Barker,
Agent for Applicant, 77, Colmore Row, Birmingham.