Certain Improvements in and Connected with Cycle Gear Cases.
Year: 1896

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Certain Improvements in and Connected with Cycle Gear Cases.
I, FREDERIC ERNEST HANMAN, of National Cycle Saddle Works, Sydenham
Road, Sparkbrook, Birmingham, Warwickshire, Cycle Saddle Manufacturer, do
hereby declare the nature of this Invention to be as follows:-
This Invention has reference to cycle gear cases and particularly those which
are made of leather, American cloth, or like material, supported by a metal
trame, and this Invention consists firstly of improved means for connecting
together the edges of the divided parts of the said cycle gear cases so as to
facilitate the attachment of the gear case to the cycle or the removal of the gear
case therefrom. The object of the second part of this Invention is to provide
means whereby the leather, American cloth, or other gear case can be stretched
tightly when in position so as to effectually prevent the sides of the gear case
from sagging or coming in contact with the enclosed gearing.
Each of
The said gear cases have to be made in halves or otherwise with certain slits
or divisions to enable the gear case to be placed on the bicycle and to be removed
therefrom. By the first part of my Invention I am enabled to make a secure
attachment of the divided parts and to strengthen their edges and enable them
to be very readily disconnected when required and be securely connected
together again. This I carry out as I will now describe as applied to a leather
gear case:--Fixed to each of the two edges of the divisions of the gear case
which are required to be connected together, I provide a thin metal strip, that
is to say, there are two of these metal strips fixed respectively to the two edges
of the leather preferably by prongs formed on the strip and inserted through
holes in the leather and clenched over on the other side of the same.
these metal strips projects slightly beyond the two edges of the leather and is
rebated and has the projecting edge turned backwardly thus forming a kind of
hooked edge. The metal strip on one side of the division overlaps the metal strip
on the other side of the division the hooked edges of the strips being
on the
adjacent sides of the same and at a short distance apart and projecting in opposite
directions. I provide a thin parallel metal strip which I call the locking
strip and which connects the first said strips together by being slided in
between the two said strips so as to engage in the hooked edges of both. By first
removing the locking strip the two other strips are separated; or by placing the
two first said strips together in the manner above described the locking strip can
he inserted between them and so as to engage with the hooked edges of both and
thus secure them together. The locking strips for the ends of the gear case may
be bent into a U-shape so that the two ends of this bend strip will respectively
engage and lock together the connecting strips at the back and front of the gear
case.
In another arrangement of this part of my Invention the edges of the first and
second strips are rebated but are not hooked, and the sliding locking strip which
connects them together is made from a strip of metal which is about three times

page_text: wider than the finished locking strip and this is doubled and folded longi-
tudinally upon itself to such a shape as to embrace both sides of the rebated edges
and the backs of the rebates and thus secure the first and second strips together
when the locking strip is slided along the same..
In carrying out the second part of my Invention I provide a channel section
metal frame of the usual ovoid shape, but instead of being made in one piece as
heretofore this metal frame is made in halves, that is to say, the ends are divided
and shaped so as to overlap and engage and slide together and thus permit of the
width of frame being slightly increased to put the leather or like covering in
tension. Each half of the said metal frame is provided with two or more light
hollow arms or struts which bear against the bottom tubular stay of the safety
bicycle, and these struts are by preference made of a strip of thin sheet metal
which is bent into somewhat of a U-shape, the bottom of the U being attached
to the cycle frame and the driving chain running between the two arms of the
U, which latter are at their ends by preference made to overlap and are bent
into somewhat of a semicircular form so as to fit against the said tubular stay.
The two hollow arms or struts of one half of the frame are not permanently fixed
thereto but are connected thereto by means of a screw or screws so that by this
screw or screws the said frame can be raised off the ends of the struts so as to
slightly increase the width of the frame and put the leather or like covering in
tension.
It will be seen that by making the gear case frame in halves and with the
adjusting struts as above described, the width of the frame can by means of the
screws be readily slightly increased after the leather covering has been placed
upon it so as to put the leather covering in tension and prevent any sagging of
the leather or possibility of its coming in contact with the enclosed gearing.
Dated this 16th day of October. 1896.1
CHARLES BOSWORTH KETLEY,
Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIE CATION.
Certain Improvements in and Connected with Cycle Gear Cases.
I, FREDERIC ERNEST HANMAN, of National Cycle Saddle Works, Sydenham
Road, Sparkbrook, Birmingham, Warwickshire, Cycle Saddle Manufacturer, 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 has reference to cycle gear cases and particularly those which
are made of leather, American cloth or like material, supported by a metal
frame, and this Invention consists of improved means for connecting together the
edges of the divided parts of the said cycle gear cases so as to facilitate the attach-
ment of the gear case to the cycle or the removal of the gear case therefrom.
The said gear cases have to be made in halves or otherwise with certain slits
or divisions to enable the gear case to be placed on the bicycle and to be removed
therefrom. By my Invention I am enabled to make a secure attachment of the
divided parts and to strengthen their edges and enable them to be very readily
disconnected when required and be securely connected together again.
This I carry out as I will now describe by referring to the accompanying
drawings which illustrate my Invention as appled to a leather gear case. Fig. 1 is
a side elevation of an ordinary leather gear case with my Invention applied and
Fig. 2 is a cross section of the same on line X X of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 shews one of
my improved fastenings of the said gear case and Figs. 4, 5 and 6 shew the parts

page_text: of the said fastening separate from each other; Fig. 7 shews a modified form of
a part of the said fastening; Fig. 8 is an end view of a modified form of the, said
fastening; Fig. 9 is an end view of the separate parts of the fastening shewn by
Fig. 8 and Fig. 10 is a general view of one of the parts of the same.
The same letters of reference indicate the same or corresponding parts in all
the figures of the drawings.
Referring firstly more particularly to Figs. 1 to 6 both inclusive, A is a leather
gear case provided with the usual slits or divisions a' a² at front and back extending
for a certain distance inwardly from each end and also laced at the bottóm a³ to
permit of the gear case being readily fixed on the bicycle and readily removed
therefrom.
My improved fastenings are constructed and applied to the gear case as
follows:
Fixed to each of the two edges of each of the divisions of the gear case which
are required to be connected together I provide a thin metal strip, that is to say,
for each division, say that marked a², there are two metal strips B C one of
which namely that marked B is fixed to the edge a³ of the slit of the gear case
and the other strip C is fixed to the other edge at of the same by prongs formed
on the strips and inserted through holes in the leather and clenched over on the
other side of the same. These prongs are clearly shewn in Figs. 3, 4 and 5 where
those formed on the metal strip B are marked 61 and those formed on the metal
strip C are marked e¹. These metal strips B C project slightly beyond the
edges a³ a of the leather to which they are fixed and these projecting parts 62 2
are rebated and their edges 3 3 are turned backwardly towards the prongs.
thus forming a kind of hooked edge to each strip. The projecting rebated part 2
of the strip B on one side of the division a2 overlaps the projecting rebated
part 2 of the strip C on the other side of the division, the hooked edges b³ ³ of
the strips being on the adjacent sides of the strips and at a short distance apart
and projecting in opposite directions. This will be clear by an examination of
Figs. 1, 2 and 3. I provide a thin parallel metal strip D (shewn separately by
Fig. 6) which I call the locking strip and which connects the strip B and the strip C
together by being slided in between them as shewn in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, so as
to engage in the hooked edges 63 3 of both. In Figs. 1, 2 and 3 this locking
strip is shewn in position. By first removing the locking strip D the other two
strips B C are separated. By placing the strips BC together in the manner
above described and shewn in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 the locking strip D can be
inserted between them and so as to engage with their hooked edges 63 3 and thus
secure them together. The end of the locking strip D is by preference turned up
as shewn to facilitate grasping it for removal.
The locking strips for the ends of the gear case may if desired be bent into a
U shape as shewn in Fig. 7 so that the two end parts D1 D2 of this bent strip
will respectively engage and lock together the connecting strips B and C at the
back and at the front of the gear case.
In another arrangement of my Invention as shewn by Figs. 8, 9 and 10 the
strips B and C have their projecting parts 62 rebated as shewn in Figs. 8 and 9
but the edges of these rebated parts are not hooked nor do they overlap each
other but each of their rebated parts 62 has a sunk channel formed in its face
by bending the sheet metal from which the strip is formed to the shape shewn
in Figs. 8 and 9; these channels are marked respectively b and they are
narrower at their mouths than inside. The locking strip D which connects the
strips B and C together is made from a strip of sheet metal which is about three
times wider than the finished locking strip and the strip is doubled and folded
longitudinally upon itself to about the shape shewn so as to form the two raised
longitudinal ribs which correspond with and enter and embrace the grooves
or channels 6 c4 of the strips B and C thus securing the two strips B and C
together as shewn in Fig. 8 when sliding along the same. To separate the strips B
and C the locking strip D has to be slided endwise out of the channels 64. It

page_text: is to be understood that my Invention is made in various lengths and can be
applied to any of the slits or divisions of the gear case as may be required.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said In-
vention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. The improved fastening for securing together the edges of the slits or divi-
sions of gear cases, consisting of two rebated thin metal strips made with prongs
for fixing to the edges of the gear case each of which strips has a hooked edge
which overlaps the other strip, and a locking strip adapted to slide between the
overlapping parts of the first two said strips and engage with their hooked edges
and thus secure the strips together, substantially as described.
2. In a fastening for securing together the edges of the slits or divisions of
gear cases, the combination of the hooked edge and pronged strips B C and the
locking strip D or D1 D2 all constructed and arranged in the manner and for the
purposes substantially as hereinbefore set forth.
3. The improved fastening for the slits or divisions of gear cases constructed
and used substantially as herein before described and illustrated by Figs. 1, 2, 3,
4, 5, 6 and 7 of the accompanying drawings.
4. The improved fastening for the slits or divisions of gear cases constructed
and used substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated by Figs. 8, 9
and 10 of the accompanying drawings.
5. A cycle gear case made with slits or divisions the edges of which are fitted
with and secured together by the improved fastenings constructed in any of the
several ways and applied to the gear case in the manner substantially as herein-
before described and illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 17th day of July 1897.
CHARLES BOSWORTH KETLEY
Agent for the Applicant.