Improvements in Bicycles, Tricycles, and other Velocipedes.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 13th June, 1895
Complete Specification Left, 29th Feb., 1896-Accepted, 25th Apr.. 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Bicycles, Tricycles, and other Velocipedes.
I, JOHN WILSON of No. 34 Farm Road, Sparkbrook, Birmingham, in the
County of Warwick, Machinist, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
In the ordinary manufacture of the axles or spindles of bicycles, tricycles and
other velocipedes the cones on the said axles or spindles are forged in one piece
with the axle itself. This method of manufacture is attended with the incon-
venience that in hardening the said cones the axle is also hardened and rendered
brittle. In making the said axles or spindles according to my invention I form the
cones or ball races on the axle separate from the axle and fix the said cones on the
axle in the manner hereinafter described. By making the said cones separate from
the axles the cones may be hardened and the axles be left unhardened; or the
axles may be brought to any desired temper irrespective of the hardness of
the cones.
According to my invention I make the axle without the usual cones or ball
races but with two collars at the required distance apart for the separate cones,
when placed on the axle, to abut against. In order to secure the cones on the
axle and prevent their rotation thereon I make in the end part of the axle, that
is, in the part between the collar and extreme end of the axle, a series of longi-
tudinal grooves or notches parallel with the axis of the axle. These grooves are
preferably equidistant. The end of the axle thus treated has the appearance of
pinion wire of large diameter, the axle having the appearance, when looked at
in the line of the axis of the axle, of a pinion or toothed wheel. The tubular
part of the movable cone has a series of grooves the counterpart of those on
the end of the axle, so that when the said cone is placed in position on the end
of the axle the ribs and grooves of the two parts engage with one another and
the cone is incapable of turning on the axle.
Although I have only described the connection of one of the cones to the axle it
will be understood that both cones are attached to the axle in a similar manner.
I prefer to connect the pedal cranks to the crank axle and the chain wheel to
the boss of the crank at the chain wheel end of the axle in the same way as the
cones hereinbefore described: that is to say, I make internal grooves or notches in
the chain wheel to fit upon notches and grooves in the external part of the boss of
the crank. The boss of the crank is of such a length that when the said wheel is
applied to the crank the said boss projects slightly through the said chain wheel.
The said projecting part of the boss is screwed and an internally screwed ring takes
thereon for fixing the chain wheel and crank together. Or the projecting part of
the boss of the crank may be riveted over the end of the chain wheel. The crank
is internally notched or grooved for taking upon the notched or grooved end of the
axle, a shoulder formed by the junction of a reduced screwed end with the notched
or grooved part of the axle abutting against an internal shoulder or stop in the
crank. The parts are secured in position by screw nuts taking on the screwed ends
of the axle and binding the whole of the parts together.
When the cranks and chain wheel are attached to the crank axle by my.
improvements, back pedalling may be effected with as much facility and safety
as forward pedalling.

page_text: The pedal pin may be connected to the crank by an arrangement similar to that
hereinbefore described.
I may also attach the internal cones in the hubs of the front and back wheels
in a way similar to that for connecting the cones on the spindles or axles herein
before described.
Dated this Thirteenth day of June 1895.
Improvements in Bicycles, Tricycles, and other Velocipedes.
I, JOHN WILSON, of No. 34 Farm Road, Sparkbrook, Birmingham in the
County of Warwick, Machinist 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 :-
In the ordinary manufacture of the axles or spindles of bicycles, tricycles and
other velocipedes, the cones on the said axles or spindles are forged in one piece
with the axle itself. This method of manufacture is attended with the incon-
venience that in hardening the said cones the axle is also hardened and rendered
brittle. In making the said axles or spindles according to my invention I form the
cones or ball races on the axle separate from the axle and fix the said cones on the
axle in the manner hereinafter described. By making the said cones separate from
the axles the cones may be hardened and the axles left unhardened; or the axles
may be brought to any desired temper irrespective of the hardness of the cones.
According to my invention I make the axle without the usual cones or ball races
but with two collars at the required_distance apart for the separate cones when
placed on the axle to abut against. In order to secure the cones on the axle and
prevent their rotation thereon I make in the end part of the axle, that is, in the
part between the collar and the extreme end of the axle, a series of longitudinal
grooves or notches parallel with the axis of the axle. These grooves are preferably
equidistant. The end of the axle thus treated has the appearance of pinion wire of
large diameter, the axle having the appearance when looked at in the line of the
axis of the axle, of a pinion or toothed wheel. The tubular part of the movable
cone has a series of grooves the counterpart of those on the end of the axle, so that
when the said cone is placed in position on the end of the axle the ribs and grooves
of the two parts engage with one another and the cone is incapable of turning on
the axle.
Although I have only described the connection of one of the cones to the axle
it will be understood that both cones are attached to the axle in a similar
manner.
I prefer to connect the pedal cranks to the crank axle and the chain wheel to
the boss of the crank at the chain wheel end of the axle in the same way as the
cones hereinbefore described; that is to say, I make internal grooves or notches in
the chain wheel to fit upon notches and grooves in the external part of the boss of
the crank. The boss of the crank is of such a length that when the said wheel is
applied to the crank the said boss projects slightly through the said chain wheel.
The said projecting part of the boss is screwed and an internally screwed ring takes
thereon for fixing the chain wheel and crank together. Or the projecting part of
the boss of the crank may be riveted over the end of the chain wheel. The crank
is internally notched or grooved for taking upon the notched or grooved end of the
axle, a shoulder formed by the junction of a reduced screwed end with the notched
or grooved part of the axle abutting against an internal shoulder or stop in the
crank. The parts are secured in position by screw nuts taking on the screwed ends

page_text: of the axle and binding the whole of the parts together. When the cranks and
chain wheel are attached to the crank axle by my improvements, back pedalling
may be effected with as much facility and safety as forward pedalling.
The pedal pin may be connected to the crank by an arrangement similar to that
herein before described.
I may also attach the internal cones in the hubs of the front and back wheels in
a way similar to that for connecting the cones on the spindles or axles hereinbefore
described.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings represents partly in elevation and partly
in section, the crank axle of a safety bicycle and the parts connected to the said
crank axle constructed according to my invention;
Figure 2 represents the said crank axle separately;
Figure 3 represents in end elevation, Figure 4 in section and Figure 5 in side
elevation one of the separate cones to be used with the said crank axle ;
Figure 6 represents in side and end elevation the crank axle with the cones in
position thereon ;
Figure 7 represents in side elevation the driving chain wheel detached, and
Figure 8 represents in side elevation; Figure 9 in end elevation and Figure 10 in
section a portion of the crank at the driving wheel end of the crank axle.
Figures 11 to 17 both inclusive represent my improvements in connection with
other parts of a velocipede.
.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several figures of
the drawings.
I will first describe the arrangements represented in Figures 1 to 10.
In carrying my invention into effect I provide the crank axle, at the required
distance apart, with collars a, a for the detachable hardened and tempered steel
cones b, b to abut against. In the parts a², a², that is, in the parts between the
collars a and the screwed ends a³ of the same, I make a series of preferably equi-
distant grooves or notches parallel with the axis of the axle. In the hollow
cylindrical parts of the separate cones b I form a series of inwardly projecting ribs
or teeth of a size and shape suitable to engage in and fit the grooves or notches
in the ends a² of the axle. The cones b are passed onto the grooved ends of the
axles by a sliding motion until their larger ends abut against the shoulders a, a as
represented in Figure 6 and they are thus connected to the axle so as to be
incapable of rotary motion thereon. The larger hollow or tubular ends of the
cranks C,
to be connected to the crank axle, are formed with internal ribs or
projections (see Figure 10) similar to those in the hollow detachable cones band
are also connected to the ends a² of the axle by a sliding motion, the extreme
screwed ends a³, as of the axle projecting through contracted openings c² in the
tubular parts of the cranks c and the cranks are fixed to the axle by screw
nuts d screwed on the said screwed ends a³ of the axles as represented in
Figure 1.
The driving chain wheel e (Figure 7) is connected to the boss of the crank c to
be attached to the driving chain wheel end of the crank axle before the said crank
is applied to the said crank axle in the following manner. I provide the inner end
of the said crank c with a tubular boss c' having at the end adjoining the crank a
series of radial teeth or projections c³. I form in the hollow bush of the driving
chain wheel e a series of internal grooves or notches (see Figure 7) of a size and
shape suitable to engage with the teeth on the boss of the crank when the said
driving chain wheel is passed thereon by a sliding motion. The said wheel e is
fixed in position by an internally screwed ring or nut f taking on the screwed end
of the tubular boss c¹ of the crank.
By the method herein before described and represented of attaching the driving
chain wheel to the crank the said driving chain wheel may be readily detached
from the crank and replaced by another similar driving chain wheel but of a larger.
or smaller size to suit the requirements of the rider.
When a series of interchangeable driving chain wheels are not required, the

page_text: end of the tubular boss may be left plain and rivetted over the inner edge of the
hole in the chain wheel after the said chain wheel has been passed onto the boss of
the crank.
Where the method of connecting the driving chain wheel to the crank constituting
my invention is to be applied to ordinary crank axles I form the cylindrical hole in
the larger end of the crank without internal grooves or notches and the said crank
is keyed to the crank axle in the ordinary way;
In Figure 11 I have represented the bottom bracket of a safety bicycle provided
with an ordinary crank axle and with an ordinary crank at one end of the said
crank axle, the other crank, that is, the one applied to the driving chain wheel end
of the crank axle having my improvements applied to the outer part of the boss of
the crank. That is, the crank c at the driving chain wheel end of the crank axle
is provided with teeth or projections c³ on the tubular boss c and the driving chain
wheel is of the kind represented in Figure 7 and is applied and fixed to the crank
in the manner herein before described with respect to the driving chain wheel and
crank Figures 1, 7, 8, 9 and 10.
In Figures 12, 13 and 14 I have represented the hub of the back wheel of a
safety bicycle the chain wheel of which is connected and fixed according to my
invention. I form on the extension g of the hub, to which the chain wheel is to be
fixed, a series of teeth or projections 92 and I form in the hollow bush of the chain
wheel correspondingly shaped grooves or notches for taking upon the teeth or
projections of the hub when the said chain wheel is connected to the hub by a
sliding motion as seen in Figure 13. The chain wheel is fixed on the hub by an
internally screwed ring h (see Figure 1+) taking on the screwed end g³ of
the hub.
Figures 15, 16 and 17 represent the application of my invention to the fixing of
the pedal pin or spindle i to the outer end of the crank c; 2 is the toothed part of
the end of the pedal pin or spindle i and c is the internally grooved hole in the end
of the crank c. The said grooved hole c* terminates in a larger plain hole into
which the screw nut or ring k passes when screwed on the screwed end 3 of the
pedal pin i for fixing the same to the crank c.
The method of attaching the separate or detachable cones to the axles of the
wheels of velocipedes as well as to other parts of velocipedes differs in no essential
respect from the method of attaching the cones to the crank axle as hereinbefore
described with respect to Figures 1 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6.
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 bicycles, tricycles and other velocipedes
"
First. Connecting the detachable cones of the axles or spindles of velocipedes to
the said axles or spindles by making in the ends of the said axles or spindles a
series of preferably equidistant parallel grooves or notches and providing the
interior of the hollow cones with a series of teeth, internal projections or ribs for
engaging with the grooves or notches of the axles by a sliding motion substantially
as herein before described with reference to Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 of the
accompanying drawings.
Secondly. Connecting the cranks of velocipedes to the crank axles of the same
substantially in the manner herein before described and claimed with respect to the
detachable cones; also connecting the driving chain wheel to the crank at the
chain wheel end of the axle by providing the said crank with a toothed tubular boss
on its inner side with the teeth of which boss internal grooves or notches in the
bush of the chain wheel engage when the wheel is passed onto the tubular boss by
a sliding motion substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in Figures 1,
7, 8, 9, 10 and 11 of the accompanying drawings.
Thirdly. Connecting the chain wheel on the hub of the driving wheel of a
velocipede to the said hub by forming internal grooves or notches in the hollow
bush of the chain wheel for engaging with teeth on the tubular flange or extension

page_text: of the hub substantially as herein before described and illustrated in Figures 12, 13.
and 14 of the accompanying drawings.
Fourthly. Connecting the pedals of velocipedes to the cranks of the same by
forming on or near the end of the pedal pin or spindle a toothed part or toothed
collar for engaging with internal notches or grooves in the outer tubular end of the
crank, the said pedal pin being fixed to the crank by a screw nut taking on the
pedal pin and bearing against the inner side of the crank substantially as herein..
before described with reference to Figures 15, 16 and 17 of the accompanying:
drawings.
Dated the Twenty-seventh day of February 1896.