Improvements in the Manufacture of Axles for Cycles and the like.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Sept., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 29th May, 1896-Accepted, 4th July, 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Axles for Cycles and the like.
We, EDWIN LEADBEATER, of Penistone Road, Sheffield in the County of
York, Steel Manufacturer, and JOHN HENRY SWIFT, of Wadsley, near Sheffield
aforesaid, Steel Manager, do bereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to the manufacture of axles for cycles and other vehicles,
and more especially to the preliminary process of manufacturing the bar or
"mood" from which the axles are subsequently made.
The object is to produce a bar or "mood" having a central portion of steel
so soft that it will not harden, and the surrounding portion of steel of a temper
that can be hardened to an extreme degree of hardness when required.
In carrying out this invention we take two pieces of steel of- suitable length, of
a temper that will readily harden, and of an oblong cross-section, say for example
2 inches by 1 inches. These are provided with longitudinal semicircular grooves
made.centrally down one of the broader sides of the bar, to receive and enclose a
round bar.
We now take a round bar of soft steel say one inch in diameter which we place
between the two bars in the grooves before mentioned and bring the whole to a
welding heat, and then by any suitable process such as by hammering, rolling,
pressing, or the like, the three bars are welded together and thoroughly united so
as to form a solid bar or "mood" from which by subsequent processes the axle is
formed.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Axles for Cycles and the like.
We EDWIN LEADBEATER of Penistone Road Sheffield in the County of York,
Steel Manufacturer and JOHN HENRY SWIFT of Wadsley, near Sheffield
aforesaid, Steel Manager, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same has to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to the manufacture of axles for cycles and other vehicles
and more especially to the preliminary process of manufacturing the bar or
"mood" from which the axles are subsequently made.
The object of the invention is to produce a bar or "mood" having a central
longitudinal portion of steel of a nature so soft that it will not harden, and the
surrounding portion of steel of a temper that can be hardened to an extreme
degree of hardness when so required.
We have illustrated our process or how we carry it into effect, in the annexed
sheet of drawings, similar letters indicate similar parts in all the figures.

page_text: Fig. 1, represents a piece of the outside or hard steel.
Fig. 2, represents a piece of the inside or soft-steel.
Fig. 3, represents the end view of all the component pieces of steel and the
manner of arranging them.
In carrying our invention into practice, we take two pieces of steel of a temper
that will readily harden, and of suitable proportions and length for the purpose it
is required for, thus for example only and for cranks for cycles a suitable size
would be two inches by one and three quarters, each piece having a longitudinal
groove down the centre of one of its broadest sides, see Fig. 1, which represents
such a piece A, being the bar, and. B, the groove.
This groove is preferably semicircular in form as shown in the end view, but it
may be of other form if desired, and it may be formed by rolling or otherwise and
its use is to receive a corresponding bar of soft steel.
We now take a bar C of soft steel preferably round as shown in Fig. 2, but
it may be of other cross sectional form to correspond with the groove in the hard
bars A, say for example of one inch diameter which would be suitable for the
sizes of bars before given, and we place this between two grooved bars as
indicated in Fig. 3, so that it is enclosed within the grooves B of the two bars A
and A, Fig. 3.
The bars are then brought to a welding heat, and by any suitable process such
as rolling, hammering, pressing or the like, the three bars are welded together, and
thoroughly united so as to form a solid bar or "mood" from which by subsequent
processes the axle is formed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is:
1. The method of producing a bar or "mood" for the manufacture of cycle
axles with a soft core and a hard exterior, substantially as hereinbefore described
and set forth.
A bar or "mood" constructed from three pieces of steel, the centre one being
soft and the outer ones being hard, welded together in the manner herein before
described and shown.
Dated the 20th do of Mov 1806
ROBT. F. DRURY, C.P.A.,
Bank Buildings, George Street, Sheffield, Agent for Applicants.