Improvements in Bicycles.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 25th June, 1895-Accepted, 27th July, 1895
Improvements in Bicycles.
We, FRANKLIN PIERCE BURNHAM and JEFFERSON DAVIS ALSUP, both of
Room 1410 Marquette Building, City of Chicago, County of Cook, State of
Illinois, United States of America, Gentlemen, do hereby declare the nature of our
invention for Improvements in Bicycles, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement :-
Our invention relates to bicycle crank hangers, and has for its object to produce
an improved crank hanger which allows the maximum distance between the bearings
with the minimum of tread, in any given machine.
The following is a description of our invention, reference being had to the
accompanying drawings, wherein,
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of the hanger showing the several parts in
their relative positions.
Figure 2 is a cross section on line 2-2 Figure 1.
Figure 3 is an end view of the crank hub.
Like letters of reference refer to like parts throughout the several figures.
The crank shaft sleeve A, to which the frame of the bicycle is connected, is
constructed as in ordinary bicycles and is provided at the ends with the inside
cones A' A'. The cranks B B are provided with the hollow hubs B1 B₁ which
contain the outside cones B2 B2, and which are preferably integral with said
cranks. Connected with the crank hubs B¹ B' and preferably integral therewith
are the inwardly projecting portions B³ and B which are provided with the
teeth C and D adapted to interlock and connect the two portions together. The
balls B B work between the cones A' and B2. A bolt or rod E passes through
the hubs B B and is held in place by the head E' and the nut E². The bearings
may be adjusted by means of the nut E².
In order to strengthen the connection between the projecting portions B³ and B₁
of the hubs B'B', we use a sleeve F which surrounds said projecting portions and
which is provided with the keys F1 F adapted to fit into key-ways on said
portions B3 B4. By this construction the torsional strength of the crank connection
is greatly increased.
It is evident that the teeth C and D may be dispensed with when the sleeve F
is used, and that when said teeth are used the sleeve may be omitted, but we prefer
to use both the teeth and the sleeve as shown.
The sprocket wheel G is fastened in any convenient manner to the flange Be on
the hub B' as by means of the screws G¹ G¹.
It will be seen that we have here a simple, cheap and light construction by which
we secure the maximum width between the bearings and hence a narrow tread
bicycle is secured without the disadvantage attending the narrowing of the tread
in bicycles as ordinarily constructed, such as injury to the bearings and the like.
We have described these several parts in detail but it is evident that they may be
varied somewhat in form and construction without departing from our invention;
and we therefore do not wish to be limited to the exact construction shown.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. The combination with a bicycle hanger of a crank shaft, a sleeve surrounding

page_text: said crank shaft and provided at each end with a ball bearing cone, cranks provided
with hollow hubs containing ball bearing cones and adapted to receive the ends of
the crank shaft sleeve, and a series of balls contained within said hollow crank
hubs and adapted to bear against said bearing cones, substantially as described.
2. A bicycle comprising cranks having hollow or recessed hubs integral there-
with and adapted to receive the bearing balls, each hub being provided with an
inwardly projecting portion connected rigidly thereto, said inwardly projecting
portions connected so as to rotate together, and a sleeve surrounding said inwardly
projecting portions and provided with a bearing surface for said bearing balls.
3. A bicycle comprising cranks having hollow or recessed hubs adapted to
receive the bearing balls each hub being provided with inwardly projecting
portions preferably integral therewith, said inwardly projecting portions provided
with teeth adapted to interlock, a sleeve adapted to be connected with said inwardly
projecting portions to cause them to rotate together, and a surrounding sleeve or
support provided with a bearing surface for said bearing balls, substantially as
described.
4. A bicycle comprising hollow or recessed hubs having cranks connected
thereto, said hubs provided with ball bearing cones, in the same plane as the
cranks, and being rigidly connected so as to rotate together a non-rotatable
sleeve associated with said hubs and provided with ball bearing cones opposed to
the cones in the recessed hubs, and a series of balls contained within said recessed
hubs and adapted to bear against said bearing cone.
5. A bicycle having the improvements and devices substantially as shown and
described and for the purposes specified.
Dated this with Inc. of T 100
For the Applicants,
W. LLOYD WISE,
46 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Chartered Patent Agent.