Improvements in the Bearings of Bicycles, Tricycles, and other Velocipedes.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Sept., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 14th June, 1893-Accepted, 15th July, 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Bearings of Bicycles, Tricycles, and other
Velocipedes.
I, JOHN VERNON PUGH, of Whitworth Works, Rea Street South, Birmingham,
in the County of Warwick, Mechanical Engineer do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
My invention has reference to the ball bearings of bicycles, tricycles and other
velocipedes and has for its object to fix in position after adjustment in the hub of
the wheel the conical ring which constitutes with the fixed cone on the shaft or
axle the bearing surfaces between and upon which the balls work.
The said conical rings are fitted in the hub of the bearing by a screw thread on
the exterior of the ring taking into a corresponding screw thread on the end of
the hub, the adjustment of the bearing being effected by driving home more or less
the said ring. In order to fix the said ring in the position to which it has been
adjusted and prevent the accidental disturbance of the adjusted bearing I employ
the following arrangement of parts. In a projection on one side of the end of the
hub I make a vertical hole in which hole a pin or cotter is situated, the said pin
being at a short distance from the ring. The upper end of this pin is screwed and
is provided with a screw nut by turning which the pin can be raised or lowered in
the said hole. In the lower part of the said pin is a recess the interior of which is
inclined to the axis of the pin. The side of the pin containing the recess is turned
towards the ring and a crescent shaped metallic pad is interposed between the ring
and the said pin. The concave side of the pad has grooves which engage with the
screw thread of the ring and the convex side of the pad enters and bears upon the
inclined face of the recess in the pin or cotter.
The action of the parts is as follows. In adjusting the screwed ring in the hub
the screw nut on the pin is relaxed so as to allow the pin to descend to such a
distance as not to press the pad against the ring. The ring is then screwed the
required distance in the hub and the screw nut turned so as to raise the pin and
thereby cause the incline in its recess to press the pad tightly against the ring and
thereby prevent its accidental turning.
The arrangement of parts described is applicable to all parts of bicycles, tricycles
and other velocipedes which have or may have ball bearings.
Dated the 28th day of September 1892
W. T. WHITEMAN,
Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Bearings of Bicycles, Tricycles, and other
Velocipedes.
I JOHN VERNON PUGH of Whitworth Works Rea Street South, Birmingham
in the County of Warwick, 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:-
My invention has reference to the ball bearings of bicycles tricycles and other
velocipedes and has for its object to fix in position after adjustment in the bearing
case or hub of the wheel, the conical ring or cup which constitutes with the fixed cone
on the shaft or axle the bearing surfaces between and upon which the balls work.
When applied to the crank axle bearing of a safety bicycle the said conical rings

page_text: or cups are fitted in the body of the bearing case by a screw thread on the exterior
of the ring or cup taking into a corresponding screw thread on the end of the
hearing case, the adjustment of the bearing being effected by driving home more
or less the said ring. In order to fix the said ring in the position to which it has
been adjusted and prevent the accidental disturbance of the adjusted bearing I
employ the following arrangement of parts. In a projection on each end of the
bearing case, I make a vertical hole in which hole a pin or cotter is situated; the
said pin being at a short distance from the ring. The upper end of this pin is
screwed and is provided with a screw nut by turning which the pin can be raised or
lowered in the said hole. In the lower part of the said pin is a recess or cut away
part. The side of the pin containing the recess is turned towards the ring and a
crescent shaped metallic pad is interposed between the ring and the said pin. The
concave side of the pad has grooves which engage with the screw thread of the
ring and the convex side of the pad enters and bears upon the inclined or curved
face of the recess in the pin or cotter.
The action of the parts is as follows;-In adjusting the screwed ring or cup in
the bearing case the screw nut on the pin is relaxed so as to allow the pin to descend
to such a distance as not to press the pad against the ring. The ring is then
screwed the required distance in the bearing case or hub and the screw nut turned
so as to raise the pin and thereby cause the incline or curve in its recess to press
the pad tightly against the ring and thereby prevent its accidental turning.
The arrangement of parts described is applicable to all parts of bicycles tricycles
and other velocipedes which have or may have ball bearings.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawing represents in back elevation and Figure 2
in end elevation the crank axle bearing of a safety bicycle constructed according
to my invention and Figure 3 représents a horizontal section of the same taken on
the line x, a Figure 2;
Figure represents the same view as Figure 2 partly in cross section, the section
being taken on the dotted line y, y Figure 1;
Figure 5 represents in end elevation and Figure 6 in' horizontal section (the
section being taken on the line 2, Figure 5) the said bearing with the crank axle,
bearing balls and one of the conical bearing rings or cups and its appliances
removed;
Figures 7, 8 and 9 represent views of parts detached as hereinafter described.
a is the crank axle bearing case; b the crank axle working in the said case
and c, c the screwed conical bearing rings or cups between which and the enlarge-
ments or fixed cones 62, 63 on the crank axle the bearing balls or spheres d work.
One of the screwed conical bearing rings or cups c is shown detached in elevation
and plan in Figure 7. At each end of the bearing case a and preferably on
opposite sides of the said bearing case I make the projection or lump e, each of
which has through nearly its whole length a cylindrical hole in which a pin f (see
the detached views Figure 9) works, the said pin f having only a limited sliding
motion in its hole. The outer or projecting end of the said pin f is screwed and
carries the screw nut 9 by turning which in one direction the said pin f is slightly
withdrawn from its hole for the purpose hereinafter described.
In each of the internally screwed ends of the bearing case a and on the side of
the bearing case on which the projection e is situated I make a concave depression
or cut away part the said cut away part intersecting the cylindrical hole in the
said projection e. The pin working in the cylindrical hole in the projection e. has
also a concave depression f in one side the radius of which is equal to the radius
of the concave depression in the side of the internally screwed end of the bearing
case a just referred to. Situated in the depression or cut away part in the
internally screwed end of the bearing case and in the depression or cut away part f
in the pin f is a crescent shaped filling piece or pad h (shown separately in
Figure 8) the concave face of which has ribs and grooves. When the said pad h
is in its place in the bearing case a its concave face completes the circular figure
of the internally screwed end of the bearing case and the ribs and grooves in the

page_text: said concave face of the pad complete the internal screw thread formed in the end
of the said bearing case.
In order to fix and lock the conical bearing rings or cups c, c after their adjust-
ment in the bearing case the parts hereinbefore described having been, previous to
adjustment, inserted in their respective places, I turn the nuts g, g in the direction
proper to withdraw the pins f from their cylindrical holes. By this outward motion
of the said pins f the pads h are pressed forcibly against the exterior of the conical
bearing rings c, c and thereby fix and lock the said rings or cups in the position to
which they had been adjusted.
When in consequence of wear of the parts of the bearing it is wished to re-adjust
the conical bearing rings or cups c, e the nuts g, g are turned in an opposite direction
to that before referred to so as to relax the pressure of the pads on the said
conical bearing rings or cups c, c.
The said conical bearing rings or cups c, c
being now free to rotate, are screwed further into the ends of the bearing case and
are fixed or locked in their adjusted position in the manner before described.
The method of fixing the screwed conical rings or cups of the ball bearings of
hubs and other ball bearings of bicycles, tricycles and other velocipedes differs in
no essential respect from the method of fixing the conical rings in the bearing case
of a crank axle as hereinbefore described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that I claim
as my invention of "Improvements in the bearings of bicycles, tricycles, and other
velocipedes";
Fixing the conical bearing rings or cups used in ball bearings in the bearing
case or hub after the adjustment of the said conical bearing rings or cups by means
of sliding pins and crescent shaped pads taking into recesses in the sliding pins and
bearing against the exterior of the screwed conical bearing rings or cups substan-
tially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing.
Dated the Twelfth day of June 1893.
JOHN VERNON PUGH.