Improvements in or relating to Joints for Frames for Cycles and other Vehicles, and for Tubular Structures generally.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Nov., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 3rd Sept., 1897-Accepted, 3rd Nov., 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Joints for Frames for Cycles and
other Vehicles, and for Tubular Structures generally.
We, HENRY BELCHER, General Manager, of Messrs. Humber & Company Ltd.,
Beeston, in the County of Nottingham, FREDERICK EASOM of 53 City Road, Beeston
in the County of Nottingham, Engineer, and FREDERICK WESTWOOD of Aitken
Chambers, Cannon Street, Birmingham, Warwickshire do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to joints for tubular structures of various kinds including
cycles and auto-cars and may be carried out in the following mauner.
The chief object in view is to dispense with the brazing now commonly used in
making tubular joints.
In carrying out the invention we employ tubes which are preferably, though not
necessarily straight and cut to the required length; the ends of these are received in
cast, stamped or other lugs into which they fit as closely as practicable. Portions of
the lugs are split so as to allow of their being closed up tightly around the tube.
The means for closing the lugs tightly upon the tubes may be varied, but we find a
suitable method is to form a hole through the lug and tube and place a bolt through
it with a nut on the outside and a suitable washer or washers, preferably shaped to
the lug if necessary. By screwing the nut home upon the bolt the lug is pressed on
to the tube and holds it securely.
To prevent the tube from collapsing under the pressure of the bolt and nut we may
employ a transverse tube inside the tube and around the bolt; this transverse
tube may pass through the walls of the main tube or not as required and may
be secured in any desired manner as by rivetting, sweating screwing or other-
wise. The transverse tube may be circular or other shape in cross section and may
be serrated at its ends. Instead of separate washers projections or protuberances may
be formed upon the lugs-especially when these are cast so as to provide a fair surface
for the nut. Instead of placing the bolt centrally through the inain tube as well as
the lug it may pass through ears upon the lug only or may engage with a portion of
the tube. Or the bolt may be out of the centre so as to pull the lug around the tube.
Another means of securing the lug to the tube, particularly in the steering head
of a cycle or other vehicle, is to swell out the portion of the lug into which the tube
fits and swell out the tube itself inside the lug which for additional security may be
sweated rivetted brazed screwed or otherwise secured to it.
The bolt may in some cases be tapered and passed through as previously first
described, the interior of the tube being filled by preferably two blocks or pieces of
metal say aluminium or aluminium alloy to save weight so that as the tapered bolt
was drawn through by its nut it would tend to separate these blocks and enlarge the
tube, the end of which may be split, inside the lug which in this case would not be
split. Or a tapered plug may be forced into the divided end of the tube by means
of an eccentric bolt or by a bolt lying in the axis of the tube and adapted to force
the tapered plug in the necessary direction; in this case also the lug would not be split
but might be tapered inside in the same direction as the plug.

page_text: The above described method of jointing may be applied to structures having double
tubes with a web between instead of single tubes.
Dated this 3rd day of November 1896.
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicants.
Improvements in or relating to Joints for Frames for Cycles and
other Vehicles, and for Tubular Structures generally.
We, HENRY BELCHER, General Manager of Messrs. Humber & Company Ltd.
Beeston, in the County of Nottingham, FREDERICK EASOM, of 53 City Road, Beeston,
in the County of Nottingham, Engineer, and FREDERICK WESTWOOD of Aitken
Chambers Cannon Street, Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, 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 relates to joints for tubular structures of various kinds including
cycles and auto-cars and may be carried out in the following manner.
The chief object in view is to dispense with the brazing now commonly used in
making tubular joints.
In carrying out the invention we employ tubes which are preferably, though not
necessarily straight and cut to the required length; the ends of these are received in
cast, stamped or other lugs into which they fit as closely as practicable. Portions of
the lugs are split so as to allow of their being closed up tightly around the
tube. The means for closing the lugs tightly upon the tube may be varied, but
we find a suitable method is to form a hole through the lug and tube and place
a bolt through it with a nut on the outside and a suitable washer or washers,
preferably shaped to the lug if necessary. By screwing the nut home upon the
bolt the lug is pressed on to the tube and holds it securely.
To prevent the tube from collapsing under the pressure of the bolt and nut
we may employ a transverse tube inside the tube and around the bolt; this
transverse tube may pass through the walls of the main tube or not as required
and may be secured in any desired manner as by rivetting, sweating, screwing or
otherwise. The transverse tube may be circular or other shape in cross section and
may be serrated at its ends. Instead of separate washers projections or protuberances
may be formed upon the lugs-especially when these are cast so as to provide a fair
surface for the nut. Instead of placing the bolt centrally through the main tube as
well as the lug it may pass through ears upon the lug only or inay engage with a
portion of the tube. Or the bolt may be out of the centre so as to pull the lug
around the tube.
Another ineans of securing the lug to the tube, particularly in the steering head of
a cycle or other vehicle is to swell out the portion of the lug into which the tube
fits and swell out the tube itself inside the lug which for additional security may be
sweated, rivetted, brazed, screwed or otherwise secured to it.
The bolt may in some cases be tapered and passed through as previously first
described, the interior of the tube being filled by preferably two blocks or pieces of
metal say aluminium or aluminium alloy to save weight so that as the tapered bolt
is drawn through by its nut it will tend to separate these blocks and enlarge the
tube, the end of which may be split, inside the lug which in this case would not be
split. Or a tapered plug may be forced into the divided end of the tube by means
of an eccentric bolt or by a bolt lying in the axis of the tube and adapted to force
the tapered plug in the necessary direction; in this case also the lug would not be
split but might be tapered inside in the same direction as the plug.

page_text: The above described method of jointing may be applied to structures having double
tubes with a web between instead of single tubes.
In the accompanying drawings
Figure 1 is an underside view of one form of tubular joint constructed in accordance
with this invention.
Figure 2 is a part section of the same,
Figure 3 is a side elevation partly in section of another form of joint,
Figure 4 is a plan of the same.
Like letters indicate like parts throughout the drawings.
Referring to Figs. 1 and 2 the lug A is split as at A to allow of its being closed
up tightly around the tube B. With this object a hole is formed through the lug and
tube and a bolt C passed through it, a nut D screwing on to the end of the bolt
against the side of the lug which may be flattened if desired to give a good bearing
surface. A stud E formed upon the underside of the head C of the bolt engages
with a recess in the lug A and prevents the bolt from turning when the nut Dis
screwed up.
To prevent the tube B from collapsing under pressure of the bolt
and nut a transverse tube F may be employed inside the tube B and around the
bolt C.
In the form of joint shown in Figs. 3 and 4 the end of the tube B is slit as at B¹
the interior being filled by two blocks or pieces G G¹ of metal say aluminium or
aluminium alloy to save weight. The bolt C in this case is tapered and drawn
through by the nut D in such manner as to expand the end of the tube B inside the
lug A by forcing apart the blocks G G¹ In this case a feather or cross piece C² is
forined upon the head of the bolt C, which by engaging with a recess or slot in the
lug A prevents the bolt from turning when the nut is screwed up. The latter here
takes a bearing against a washer H which may be shaped to the lug.
The above mentioned methods of jointing tubes are particularly suitable for use in
uniting aluminium tubes the parts being strengthened where necessary by steel
bushes or liners.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is
1. In a tubular joint the employment of a transverse wedge substantially as and
for the purpose described.
2. Uniting a tube and split lug by a bolt passing through both tube and lug so
as to cause the latter to grip the end of the tube in the manner described.
3. In a tubular joint the combination with a split lug A of the tube B with or
without a transverse supporting tube such as F and a bolt passing through both the
Jug and tube B substantially as described.
4. Uniting a lug and split tube by a transverse tapered bolt expanding blocks
within the end of the tube in the manner described.
5. In a tubular joint the combination with a lug A of a tube B with split end,
blocks G G¹ in the end of the tube B and a tapered bolt passing transversely through
both lug and tube between the blocks substantially as and for the purpose
described.
6. The complete tubular joint substantially as described and illustrated in
Figures 1 and 2 or Figures 3 and 4 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 1st day of September 1897.