Improvements in Appliances for Adjusting and Maintaining the Tension of Chains, Bands, and Belts in Velocipedes and the like.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Feb., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 24th Nov., 1899-Accepted, 30th Dec., 1899
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Appliances for Adjusting and Maintaining the
Tension of Chains, Bands, and Belts in Velocipedes and the like.
We, THE NEW ROCK CYCLE MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LIMITED, SAMUEL
FITZWILLIAM HANNAM, LUKE MARSDEN WARBURTON, and ALFRED WARBURTON,
all of John Street, Sheffield, in the County of York, Cycle Manufacturers, do
hereby declare the nature of our said invention to be as follows:-
The object of our invention, is to provide the means of more readily adjust-
ing and securing the mechanism employed for regulating the tension of chains,
bands, and belts (hereinafter referred to as the chain) of velocipedes and the
like.
The most obvious method of increasing the tension of an endless chain is by
moving the axles of the wheels with which it is geared,, wider apart. In veloci-
pedes this is usually effected by moving one of the axles, the bearing of which
is carried in a slot or by an alternative method eccentrically in a disc suitably
fixed in the frame of the machine, and several patents have been obtained
with this object in view.
Our invention relates to improvements in both methods and we lay no claim
to novelty in the mere employment of a slot or an eccentric, both of which,
however, it will be necessary to describe in order that the nature of our improve-
ments may be fully understood. The principle of our invention will be the
same whether it is applied to the bearings of the driving wheel or to the bearings
of the pedal shaft. As however, the former would be the most suitable arrange-
ment we will describe our improvements as applied to the bearings of a driving
wheel shaft.
First as for the slot arrangement.
+1..
As at present constructed the ends of the main fork of the machine are pro-
vided with horizontal slots which carry the ends of the driving wheel spindle,
and by means of the nuts on the outside of the said spindle, which are used
also for the adjustment of the bearings, the spindle is secured in the slots.
The spindle is also provided with slide blocks fitting into the ends of the fork
and to each of these blocks is attached a screwed bridle rod near each end, which
passes through a movable crosshead held onto the open ends of each slot by two
pins, and by means of a nut placed on the end of each bridle rod, outside the
crosshead, the spindle may be drawn to the end of the slots, and in this way
the centre of the wheels being made wider apart the tension on the chain is
proportionately increased.
The objection to this method however, is, that before any movement of the
spindle can take place the nuts which adjust the bearings as well as secure the
spindle in the slots, have to be unscrewed sufficiently to release the spindle,
and this loosening of the nuts also disturbs the adjustment of the bearings
and the object of our invention. is to obviate this objection.
We effect this by providing the slide blocks to which the bridle rods. are
attached with open ended slots which are in line with the bridle rods, but at
the opposite ends of the blocks, these open ended slots thereby run parallel
with the slots in the ends of the main fork. At the closed ends of the slots
in the fork we fix studs provided with grooved washers and nuts so that when

page_text: the open ended slots, which are attached to the slide blocks, are fixed in posi-
tion, the fixed studs pass up the open slots and by means of the grooved washers
which prevent the open ends of the slots being stretched open, the slide blocks
by which the spindle is moved are secured by screwing down on to the washers
the nuts on the fixed studs.
It will thus be seen that when the bearings have once been adjusted the
spindle, by means of the said slide blocks herein before described, can be entered
into the open ended slots in the fork and the slide blocks by means of the open
ended slots attached thereto and the fixed studs can be secured in position with-
out in any way interfering with the adjustment of the bearings, and in like
manner, by simply slackening the nuts on the fixed studs, the spindle can be
drawn outwards and the tension adjusted, or the wheel with its bearings, slide
blocks and appurtenant fittings can be bodily removed from the fork, without
unscrewing the nuts or in any way interfering with the adjustment of the
bearings on the spindle.
Second as for the alternative method, eccentrically in a disc.
At the ends of the main fork we form eyes or straps to receive the discs
which carry the wheel bearings eccentrically as. already described. One side
of each strap is provided with an internal rim or flange which is used for pre-
venting the discs falling out. The discs themselves being made in two parts,
one part having two diameters to correspond to the inside diameter of the strap
and of the inside diameter of the rim or flange of the strap, the second part
of the disc is connected to the first part from the opposite side of the strap and
-is-made-of-the-same-diameter-as-the-larger portion of the first half of the disc.
When the two parts are secured together by set screws or their equivalents, a
groove or channel is formed in which the internal rim or flange of the strap
enters and prevents the disc, when once put together and secured as described,
from falling out on either side. The periphery of the disc_or_what_may__be_
called the two flanges of the disc are formed like a worm wheel.
The outer end of the eye or strap is divided or split and provided with two
lugs, these lugs are recessed or bored to receive the bearings, or a pin which
forms the bearings of a worm, which worm occupies a position between the
two lugs, so that it gears with the wormed periphery of the disc. By making
the pin of the worm with a head and nut like a bolt, the lugs can be secured
tightly on to the worm and locked.
In the body of the worm we provide a number of barring holes so that it
_can_be_turned-by-inserting-a-small-tommy-bar-in-the-said-holes. In-this-way-
the disc may be turned in the strap, half a revolution of the disc being sufficient
to move the axle of the driving wheel to the extreme distance obtainable by
the throw of the eccentric.
The nature of the gearing between the worm and the wheel allows of the
adjustment to be made with the greatest nicety and likewise for such adjust-
ment to be maintained. If however it should be found, that by vibration the
worm itself, has a tendency to revolve, then it, or the strap, or both, can be
further secured in position by the tightening of the bolt, screw, or pin of the
worm in the lugs of the strap.
Of course when the adjustment is made on the driving side, the strap on the
off side would likewise be slackened so that the disc on that side would follow
the movement of its fellow disc, and when the adjustment has been completed
this strap would likewise be secured by the bolts, screws, or pin as already
described.
In some cases the off side may be provided with a wormed disc and worm,
the same as on the driving side.

page_text: Improvements in Appliances for Adjusting and Maintaining the
Tension of Chains, Bands, and Belts in Velocipedes and the like.
We, THE NEW ROCK CYCLE MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LIMITED, SAMUEL
FITZWILLIAM HANNAM, LUKE MARSDEN WARBURTON, and ALFRED WARBURTON,
all of John Street, Sheffield, in the County of York, Cycle Manufacturers, do
hereby declare the nature of our said invention and in what manner the same.
is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement:-
-
The object of our invention is to provide the means of more readily adjust-
ing and securing the mechanism employed for regulating the tension of chains,
bands, and belts (hereinafter referred to as the chain) of velocipedes and the
like.
The most obvious method of increasing the tension of an endless chain is by
moving the axles of the wheels with which it is geared, wider apart. In veloci-
pedes this is usually effected by moving one of the axles, the bearing of which
is carried in a slot or by an alternative method eccentrically in a disc suitably
fixed in the frame of the machine, and several patents have been obtained
with this object in view.
The principle of our invention will be the same whether it is applied to the
bearings of the driving wheels or to the bearings of the pedal shaft. As how-
ever, the former would be the most suitable arrangement we will describe our
improvements as applied to the bearings of a driving wheel shaft.
The nature of our invention will be better understood on reference to the
accompanying sheets of drawings which illustrates a form of construction as at
present used as well as our improvements thereto.
Fig. Is a side view of one end of a main fork of a bicycle.
Fig. 2. Is an end elevation of the same and
Fig. 3. A plan or edge view of the same.
Fig. 4. Is a side view of one of the slide blocks.
Fig. 5. Is a plan or edge view of the same.
Fig. 6. Is a plan of the ends of a main fork of a bicycle fitted with the
slide blocks carrying the wheel spindle.
Fig. 7. Is a side elevation of the same.
The same letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.
As at present constructed the ends of the main fork, A, of the machine are
provided with horizontal slots B which carry the ends of the driving wheel
spindle, C, and by means of the nuts D on the outside of the said spindle, which
are used also for the adjustment of the bearings, the spindle is secured in the
slots. The spindle is also provided with slide blocks, E, fitting into the ends
of the fork and to each of these blocks is attached a screwed bridle rod, F,
near each end, which passes through a movable crosshead, G, held on to the
open ends of each slot by two pins, H, H, and by means of a nut, I, placed on
the end of each bridle rod, outside the crosshead, the spindle may be drawn to
the end of the slots, and in this way the centre of the wheels being made
wider apart the tension on the chain is proportionately increased.
The objection to this method however, is, that before any movement of the
spindle, C, can take place the nuts, D, which adjust the bearings as well as
secure the spindle in the slots, have to be unscrewed sufficiently to release the
spindle, and this loosening of the nuts also disturbs the adjustment of the
bearings and the object of our invention is to obviate this objection.

page_text: We effect this by providing the slide blocks, E, to which the bridle rods, F,
are attached with projecting forks, E', having open ended slots, J, which are
in line with the bridle rods, F, but at the opposite ends of the blocks, these
open ended slots thereby run parallel with the slots, B, in the ends of the main
fork, A. At the closed ends of the slots B in the fork A we fix studs K, pro-
vided with grooved washers, L, and nuts, M, so that when the open ended
slots, J, which are attached to the slide blocks, EE, are fixed in position, the
fixed studs, K, pass up the open slots and by means of the grooved washers, L,
which prevent the open ends of the slots being stretched open, the slide
blocks, E, E, by which the spindle is moved are secured by screwing down on
to the washers, L, the nuts, M, on the fixed studs, K.
.
It will thus be seen that when the bearings have once been adjusted the
spindle, U, by means of the said slide blocks, E, herein before described, can be
entered into the open ended slots B, in the fork, A, and the slide blocks by
means of the open ended slots, J, attached thereto and the fixed studs, K. can
be secured in position without in any way interfering with the adjustment of
the bearings, and in like manner, by simply slackening the nuts M, on the
fixed studs, k, the spindle with its bearings and slide blocks can be drawn out-
wards and the tension adjusted, or the wheel with its bearings, slide blocks and
appurtenant fittings can be bodily removed from the fork, without unscrewing
the nuts D or in any way interfering with the adjustment of the bearings on
the spindle, C.
As it has been necessary in order that our invention may be clearly under-
stood to illustrate and describe certain parts and appliances which are in
common use we wish it to be understood that we lay no claim to such parts in
our present invention and
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:-
(1). In appliances for adjusting and maintaining the tension of chains,
-bands-and belts in velocipedes and the like vehicles, the arrangement and com-
bination of parts and appliances-comprising specially formed slide blocks, E,
which carry the bearings of the wheel spindle and which are fitted-into_the_
open ended slots, B, in the main fork, A, of a cycle, the special formation
of each such slide block consisting of a projecting fork, E, with an open
ended slot, J, which engages with a stud, K, fixed at or near the closed end of
the previously mentioned slot, B, the stud, K, provided with a grooved
washer, L, and nut, M, by means of which the slide blocks E, E, may be secured,
adjusted or released as may be required in the slot B, of the main fork, A, in
the manner and for the purposes substantially as herein described and illus-
trated on the accompanying sheet of drawings.
Doted this 23rd day of November 1899.
R. HEBER RADFORD,
Agent for the Applicants.