Improvements in Apparatus used in the Manufacture of Cycle Wheels, and other Circular or Annular Articles.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Dec., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 23rd Sept., 1898-Accepted, 23rd Dec., 1898
Improvements in Apparatus used in the Manufacture of Cycle Wheels,
and other Circular or Annular Articles.
We, WILLIAM CUNLIFFE, Cycle Manufacturer, and DAVID WILLIAM HOLT,
Engineer, both of Werneth Cycle Works, Bisley Street, Oldham, in the County
of Lancaster, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to apparatus to be used for drilling the rims of wheels
or for trueing cycle wheels having tangent spokes, but the apparatus can also
be applied to the drilling or trueing of other wheels or annular articles requiring
to be drilled in many places around its inner or outer circumference; and the
object of the invention is to enable such drilling or trueing process to be per-
formed more rapidly and accurately than has been possible hitherto.
The apparatus consists mainly in the arrangement in a true circle around a
centre upon a suitable frame of a series of spindles the axial lines of which
radiate from the said centre. For a cycle or similar wheel however the axial
lines of the spindles will incline slightly as well as radiate from the centre to
allow for the direction of the spokes alternately to each side or end of the hub.
These spindles are mounted so that they can move nearer to or further from
the centre, and each can slide through a driving wheel mounted thereon so that
the said wheel cannot slide, but all the wheels are driven by suitable means
simultaneously.
At one end of each spindle is a tool carrier in which a drill or a tool for rotating
the nipple of a spoke can be fixed and at or near the other end is a grooved
collar or other device by which the spindle can be moved endwise by suitable
means. Thus all (or a series) of the holes can be drilled in the rim, or in the
case of trueing tangent spokes all (or a series of) the nipples thereof can be
rotated at the same time and to exactly the same extent, and consequently the
work is much more quickly and accurately performed, than was the case when
each hole was drilled (or each spoke tightened) separately.
<
We prefer to drill the holes from outside the circumference of a cycle or
spider" wheel, and in this case the device for sliding the spindle is at or near
the outer end thereof, and we prefer to use a double collar or a grooved collar
on the spindle in or on which a clip or half clip is fitted, the said clip being
provided with a pin or projection engaging in one of a series of inclined slots
in a rotatable cam ring fitted on the frame and moving around the same centre
around which the spindles are arranged.
The motion of this ring may be effected and limited by any suitable mechanism.
The driving wheels are preferably beveled pinions, and are fitted in a circular
recess in the fixed frame, the sides of the recess serving also as bearings for the
spindles. A large bevel wheel gears into all these pinions and can be driven by
hand or power to rotate the spindles.
When drilling the spoke holes the cam ring is moved as the spindles are
rotated

page_text: When the machine is constructed or used for trueing tangent spoked wheels
the tool which may be in the form of a box key or a screw driver will engage
with the head of the nipple which may be squared or nicked like a screw, and
the cam ring will be turned to set-in the tools before the rotation of the spindles
begins.
We may construct the machine so that it can be used for either purpose by
simply changing the tools, and this will be a great advantage in many workshops.
Instead of a cam ring each spindle can be carried by a bracket or slide moved
radially by a screw rotated by a pinion, all the pinions being worked by a suitable
toothed wheel.
In the case of drilling the rim from the inside circumference, the tools would
of course be at the outer end of the spindles.
For trueing the wheels from the inside circumference allowance would be
made for passing each spoke to the centre of the spindle or tool, as in the case
of single tools now in use for this purpose.
Dated this 23rd day of December 1807
GEO. DAVIES & SON,
Agents for the Applicants, 4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester.
Improvements in Apparatus used in the Manufacture of Cycle Wheels
and other Circular or Annular Articles.
We, WILLIAM CUNLIFFE, Cycle Manufacturer, and DAVID WILLIAM HOLT,
Engineer, both of Werneth Cycle Works, Bisley Street, Oldham, in the County
of Lancaster, 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 apparatus to be used for drilling the rims of wheels
or for trucing cycle wheels having tangent spokes, but the apparatus can also be
applied to the drilling or trueing of other wheels or annular articles requiring
to be drilled in many places around the inner or outer circumference; and the
object of the invention is to enable such drilling or trueing process to be per-
formed more readily and accurately than has been hitherto possible.
The nature of the said invention and the manner in which the same is to be
performed or carried into practical effect will be readily understood on reference
to the sheet of drawings hereunto annexed and the following explanation thereof.
The drawings represent for the sake of illustration our improved apparatus as
arranged for drilling the holes and trueing the rims of a cycle wheel having
forty spokes; the arrangement or modification of the same for other similar
purposes being obvious to any competent mechanic.
Fig. 1 on the drawings is a partial underneath plan view of the apparatus,
Fig. 2 a partial sectional elevation, and Fig. 3 a partial sectional plan view
in four divisions or quarters marked A, B, C and D, and Fig. 4, a detached
portion hereinafter more particularly referred to.
The apparatus consists principally in the arrangement in a true circle around
the centre upon a suitable frame a of a series of spindles b the axial lines of
which radiate from the said centre (see Fig. 3). For a cycle or other similar
wheel however the axial lines of the spindles will also incline slightly (see
Fig. 2) as well as radiate from the centre so as to allow for the direction of the
spokes alternately to each side or end of the hub of the wheel.

page_text: These spindles 6 are so mounted in the frame a that they can move nearer to,
or further from the centre, and each can slide through a small driving pinion c
mounted thereon so that the pinion itself cannot slide, but all the pinions can
be driven simultaneously, as hereinafter described.
At one end of each spindle b is a tool-carrier d (Fig. 2) in which a drill, or a
tool for rotating the nipple of a spoke can be fixed and at or near the other end
is a grooved collar or neck 6* (Fig. 3) and a clip e (or other device) by which
the spindle 6 can be moved endwise by suitable means. Thus all (or a series)
of the holes can be drilled in the rim simultaneously, or in the case of trueing
tangent spokes all (or a series) of the nipples thereof can be rotated at the
same time, and to exactly the same extent, and consequently the work is much
more quickly and accurately performed than was the case when each hole was
drilled (or each spoke tightened) separately."
We prefer to drill the holes from outside the circumference of a cycle or
"spider" wheel and in this case the device for sliding the spindles bis at or
near the outer end thereof, and we prefer to use a double collar, or a groove bx
on the spindles (as seen at section D Fig. 3) in or on which a clip, or half clip f
is fitted (see detached enlarged view Fig. 4) the said clip being provided with a
pin or projection g fitted with two antifriction bowls one of which runs in
one of the radial slots (see section A. Fig. 3) made in the fixed frame a, and the
other in one of a series of inclined slots k (see section B Fig. 3) made in a
rotatable cam ring which is fitted in a circular groove or recess made in the
said frame, and moving around the same centre around which the spindles b
are arranged.
The motion of this cam ring may be effected and limited by any suitable
mechanism so long as the limited rotation of the said ring shall cause all the
spindles (or a series thereof) to approach to, or recede from the centre
simultaneously.
A convenient way of effecting this is shown at Figs. 2 and 3 and consists in
forming a ring of spur teeth Fig. 3 round the circumference of the cam
ring and providing a spur wheel m and a handle or lever m³ by means of
which the same may be rotated. It will be evident that instead of the inclined
slots in the rings inclined cam surfaces may be employed for giving the
inward or outward motion to the said spindles b, or instead of the cam ring, each
spindle can be carried by a bracket or slide and moved radially by a screw
rotated by a pinion, all the pinions being worked simultaneously by a suitable
toothed wheel.
The driving wheels for the spindles are preferably bevilled pinions c and are
fitted in a circular recess in the fixed frame a the sides of the recess serving
also as bearings for the spindles.
A large bevil wheel n (see Fig. 2) gears into all these pinions and can be
driven by hand or by power by means of a worm o (see Figs. 1 and 2) so as to
rotate all the spindles 6 simultaneously.
When drilling the spoke holes the cam ring 7 may be moved at the same time
so as to advance the drill spindles as they are rotated.
When the machine is constructed or used for trueing tangent-spoked wheels
the tool (which may be in the form of a box key or a screw driver or other
convenient form) will engage with the head of the nipple, which may be
squared or nicked like the head of a screw or otherwise and the cam ring will
be turned so as to "set-in" the tools before the rotation of the spindles 6 begins.
We may construct the machine so that it can be used for either purpose by
simply changing the tools, and this will be a great advantage in many workshops.
In the case of drilling the rim of a wheel from the inside circumference the
tools would of course be fitted to the outer end of the spindles, and for trueing
the wheels from the inside circumference allowance must be made for passing
each spoke to the centre of the spindle or tool, as in the case of single tools now
in use for this purpose.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is: -
1. In apparatus used in the manufacture of cycle wheels and other circular
or annular articles, the combination with a circular frame (such as a) provided
on one side with a concentric circular groove or recess between two concentric
projections or flanges, of a series of spindles or tool-carriers (such as b) mounted
radially in such flanges so that they can both revolve and slide endwise therein,
and a rotatable cam ring (such as ) provided with inclined slots (such as k)
or with cam surfaces which act simultaneously on all the spindles so as to cause
them all to slide inwards or outwards simultaneously and to exactly the same
extent.
2. In apparatus used in the manufacture of cycle wheels and other circular
or annular articles, the combination with a circular frame (such as a) carrying a
series of spindles or tool-carriers (such as b) mounted radially thereon, and each
fitted with a toothed pinion (such as c) held in a concentric groove or recess
in such frame so that they cannot move endwise, such pinions being connected
to the spindles by feathers, so that the pinions can drive the spindles (whilst
the latter can slide endwise through the former) of a large toothed wheel (such
as ) running in such groove or recess, and driving all the said spindles or
tool-carriers positively and simultaneously at the same speed.
3. In apparatus used in the manufacture of cycle wheels and other circular
or annular articles, the combination with a circular frame (such as a) provided
on one side with a concentric circular groove or recess between two concentric
projections or flanges, in which are mounted radially a series of spindles or tool'
carriers (such as b) and on the other side with a concentric groove or recess
across which the spindles also pass in a radial direction, of a rotatable cam ring
(such as fitted in the first named circular groove and provided with a series
of inclined slots (such as k) or cam surfaces, in or against which act a series of
studs, each connected, by a clip (such as f) or otherwise, to one of the said
spindles, so that on rotating the said cam ring all the said spindles or tool-carriers
are positively and simultaneously moved nearer to, or further from, the centre
of the said frame, each spindle being fitted with a toothed pinion (such as c)
through the centre of which it can slide radially, but which 'rives it by means
of a feather or key, the said pinions being carried in the concentric groove
(secondly above named) and all dri simultaneously and at the same speed
by means of a large toothed wheel (such as n) which is in gear with all the
said pinions.
All being constructed arranged and operating substantially as hereinbefore
described and illustrated by the drawings annexed.
Dated the 22nd day of September 1898.
GEO. DAVIES & SON,
Agents for the Applicants, 4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester,