Improvements in Velocipedes.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Aug., 1896-Accepted, 3rd Oct., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Velocipedes.
1, HENRY W. HENNEBERG, of 485 Wells Street, in the City of Chicago, State
of Illinois, United States of America, Mechanie 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 :-
My invention relates to a novel construction in a bicycle and more particularly
to the frame thereof, the object being to provide a cheap and durable device of
this character, and consists in the features of construction and combinations of
parts hereinafter fully described and claimed.
In the accompanying drawings illustrating my invention,→
Figure 1 is a side olevation of a bicycle constructed in accordance with my
invontion.
Fig. 2 is a detail perspective view of the frame thereof.
Fig. 3 is a detail top plau view of the clip by which the seat support is secured to
the frame.
Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of the clips I employ to strengthen the frame
at various points adjacent the joints between the same and other parts of the
bicycle.
Fig. 5 is a detail side elevation of the guides formed in the rear end of the frame
in which the shaft of the rear wheel is adjustably secured.
Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 1.
Fig. 7 is a detail sectional view taken on the line 7-7 of Fig. 1.
Fig. 8 is a detail front elevation of part of the fork.
Fig. 9 is detail side elevation of the lower end of the fork.
Fig. 10 is a detail sectional view taken on the line 10-10 of Fig. 8.
Fig. 11 is a detail sectional view taken on the line 11-11 of Fig. 8.
Referring now to said drawings, A indicates the frame of a bicycle constructed
in accordance with my invention, which consists preferably of a single piece of
heavy steel wire bent according to the following description to receive various
other parts and provide means for suitably securing the same.
Beginning at the point 1, where said frame is secured to the lower end of
the sleeve 2 which forms a pivot for the fork 3, said wire is bent to fit around the
collar 4 in the groove 5 thereof. This bent is equal to about one-third of the
circumference of said collar beginning from the foremost point of the same, and at
the point 6 said wiro bent outwardly and extends straight downwardly as indicated
at 7 to the point 8 at which the bearing for the crank shaft is to be secured where
it is bent upwardly to form a loop 9 in which the bearing 10 of the crank shaft is
to be secured. Said loop 8 is equal in inside diameter to the outer diameter of
Baid bearing 10 and is completed on the inside of said wire at the point 8, thus
decrensing the width of said frame behind said loop. From said loop 9 said wire
extends straight back as at 11 to the rearmost portion 12 of the trame where it
turns upwardly and back as at 13 parallel with said portion 11 to the point 14.
By means of this bend I form the equivalent of the slot usually made in bicycle
frames in which the shaft of the rear wheel is adjustably secured. From the
point 14 said wire is bent upwardly to the point 15 adjacent the point at which the
seat post 16 is usually connected and at which it is bent so as to continue at a very
slight upward incline to the point 17 where it is beut to form a loop 18 to fit the
groove in a collar 19 on the upper end of said sleeve 2 in a similar manner as said
groove in said collar 4. From this loop 18 said wire continues back again, being

page_text: subjected to the same operations as above described, though, of course, reversed,
to form the other side of the frame, the two ends coming together at 1 and forming
a loop 20 of the same shape as said loop 18 at that point.
After said frame A has thus been formed the sleeve 2 is inserted in said
loops 18 and 20 and said collars 4 and 19 brazed therein, thus forming a practically
indestructible joint between the same. Said loop 19 is bent slightly upwards and
said loop 20 downwards, so that they are parallel with each other and at right
angles to the angle of inclination of said fork 3.
The bearing 10 of said crank shalt is secured in said loops 9 in the following
manner. A hollow T coupling 21 having an inner diameter equal to the inner
diameter of said loops 9 is inserted between said loops so that together they form a
sleove to receive said bearing 10, which is inserted therein and securely fastened in
any suitable manner. The ends of said T coupling 21 form collars against which
said loops 9 abut, thus determining the width of said frame at this point, while in
the stem thereof the end of the seat post 16 is secured, as shown in Fig. 7. Said
seat post 16 extends upwardly therefrom and passes through an opening 22 in a
clip 23 which is mounted upon said frame adjacent the portion 15 thereof in an
obvious manner. Clips 24, 25 and 26 are also mounted upon said frame A. behind
said loops 9, 18 and 20, respectively, to prevent the same from spreading.
The shaft 27 of the rear wheel is secured to said framo A in the following mannor.
Said shalt is screw-threaded at its ends in the usual manner and the collars 28 and 29
forming the cones of the ball bearings for said wheel are placed thereon in the
desired position, obviously after it has been inserted in the hub. The ends of
said shalt 27 are then inserted in the guide slots 30 of said frame and a clip 31,
bent at its ends to conform to the shape of said wire, is passed over each of said
projecting ends of said shaft and clainped thereon by nuts 32 which clamp the
portions 11 and 13 between the said collars 28 and 29 and said clips 31. In this
manner make the cheapest possible connection between said parts and at the same
time afford means for adjusting the shaft 27 to regulate the tautness of the sprocket
chain.
It will be noted that by bending the wire of the frame A so as to form the
upwardly extending loops 9, I provide greater strength for said frame as, when
pressure is brought to bear upon said loops they will contract and clamp the
sleeve 10 more tightly between them and leave no possibility for said frame to
give way, as would be the case if said loops extended downwardly.
The fork 3 is also formed of two pieces of wire secured at their ends in openings 33
in plates 34 and 35 secured to the lower end of the shaft 36 of said fork. Suid
wires extend downwardly in alignment with said shaft 36 and are curved slightly
forwards at their lower ends to conform to the usual shape of the forks of bicycles.
At the lower end of said fork said wires are bent to form loops 37 in which the
shaft 38 of the frout wheel is adapted to be secured in the same manner as shaft 27
is secured in the guide slot 30. As the inner diameter of said loop 37 is, however,
greater than the space between the wires immediately above the same I find it
unnecessary to insert a washer or clip between the same and the nuts.
A bicycle constructed in accordance with the above is as strong as any now
made from tubing and is exceedingly cheap to manufacture. Besides this it has
the advantage that in case of accident a bend in the frame can easily be repaired
by any blacksmith with small expense and small loss of time.
I do not, of course, wish to be limited to the exact construction in every detail
as herein shown and described, as I contemplate varying the same as may be
required to suit various conditious and circumstances. My device could obviously
also be applied to a velucipede or tricycle with equal advantage.
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 :
1. In a bicycle or velocipede, a frame composed of wire bent to form loops at

page_text: its forward ends to receive the pivot of the fork, and loops at its lower middle
portion to receive tho bearing for the crank shaft.
2. In a bicycle or velocipede, a frame composed of wire bent to form loops at
its forward ends to receive the pivot of the fork, and upwardly extending loops at
its lower middle portion to receive the bearing for the orank shaft.
3. In a bicycle or velocipede, a frame composed of wire bent to forin upwardly
extending spiral loops at its lower middle portion to receive the bearing for the
crank shaft.
4. In a bicycle or velocipede, a frame composed of wire bent to form upwardly
extending spiral loops at its lower middle portion to receive the bearing for the
crank shaft and having its rear end portion bent to form guide slots in which the
shaft of the rear wheel may be adjustably secured.
5. In a bicycle or velocipede, a frame composed of a single piece of wire bent
to form loops at its forward end to receive the pivot of the fork, bent at its lower
middle portion to form upwardly extending loops to receive the bearing for the
crank shaft, and bent at its rear end to form guide slots in which the shaft of the
rear wheel may be adjustably secured.
6. In a bicycle or velocipede, a frame composed of wire bent to form loops at its
lower middle portion to receive the bearing for the crank shaft, a T coupling
mounted upon said bearing between said loops, and a seat post secared at its lower
end to said T coupling.
7. In a bicycle or velocipede, a frame composed of wire bent to form upwardly
extending spiral loops at its lower middle portion to receive the bearing for the
crank shaft, and means for holding said loops against lateral movement consisting
of a T coupling mounted between the same against the ends of which said loops
ahut, and a clip adjacent said T coupling adapted to hold said loops in contact with
said T coupling.
8. In a bicycle or velocipede, a frame composed of a single piece of wire bent
to form guide slots at its rear end in which the sliaft of the rear wheel is adapted
to be adjustably secured, bent at its lower middle portion to form upwardly
extending loops in which the bearing for the crank shaft is adapted to be secured,
and means for holding said loops against lateral movement consisting of a sleeve
mounted between the same against the ends of which said loops abut, and a clip
for holding said loops in contact with said 'ende of said sleeve mounted adjacent
the same.
9. In a bicycle or velocipede, a frame composed of a single piece of wire bent
to form guide slots at its rear end in which the shaft of the rear wheel is adapted
to be adjustably secured, bent at its lower middle portion to form upwardly
extending loops in which the bearing for the crank shaft is adapted to be secured,
and a T coupling mounted between said loops and adapted to receive the end of
the seat post.
10. In a bicycle or velocipede, u frame composed of a single piece of wire bent to
form guide slots at its rear cud in which the shaft of the rear wheel is adapted
to be adjustably secured, bent at its lower middle portion to form upwardly extending
loops in which the bearing for the crank shaft is adapted to be secured, a
T coupling mounted between said loops and adapted to receive the crank shaft
bearing and the end of the seat post, and means for holding said loops against
lateral movement consisting of a clip mounted adjaceut said T coupling and
adapted to hold said loops in contact with the ends of said T coupling.
11. In a bicycle or volocipede, a frame composed of a single piece of wire bent
to form upwardly extending loops at its lower middle portion to receive the
bearing for the crank shaft, bent at its rear end portion to form horizontal guide
slots in which the shaft of the rear wheel may be adjustably secured, and a seat
post mounted on said frame and secured uear its upper end to the upper portion
of the frame by means of a clip provided with an opening to receive said sout
post and having its ends bent around said frame.
12. In a bicycle or velocipede, a frame composed of wire bent to form guide

page_text: slots at its rear end portion in which the shaft of the rear wheel is adapted to
be adjustably secured.
13. In a bicycle or volocipode, a frame composed of wire bent to form upwardly
extending spiral loops at its lower middle portiou, and a seat post mounted in
said frame secured at its lower end in the stem of a T coupling mounted
between enid loops in said frame aud secured to the frame at its upper end by
means of a clip provided with an opening to receive said seat post and having
its ends bent around said frame.
14. In a bicycle or velocipede, a frame composed of wire beut to form upwardly
extending loops at its lower middle portiou to receive the bearing for the crank
shaft, loops at its forward end to receive the pivot of the fork, and a fork pivotally
mounted in said frame aud composed of wires bent to form loops at their lower
euds to receive the shaft of the front wheel.
15. In a bicycle or velocipede, a frame composed of wire bent to form upwardly
extending loops at its lower middle portion to receive the bearing for the crank
shaft, bent at its rear end portion to form guide slots in which the shaft of the
rear wheel is adapted to be adjustably secured, loops at its forward end to
receive the pivot of the fork, and a fork pivotally mounted in said frame and
composed of wires bent to form loops at their lower ends to receive the shaft
of the front wheel.
16. In a bicycle or velocipede, a fork comprising a shaft having perforated
plates secured at its lower end, aud wires bent to form loops at their lower ends
to receive the shaft of the front wheel mounted at their upper ends in said
perforated plates.
Dated this 18th day of July 1896.
HENRY W. HENNEBERG.
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.