Improvements in the Means or Method of Adjusting the Tension of Cycle Driving Chains.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Nov., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 18th Aug., 1897-Accepted, 18th Nov., 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Means or Method of Adjusting the Tension of
Cycle Driving Chains.
I, ALBERT HOUSE, of 63, Grantham Road, Bradford, in the County of York,
Cycle Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in the means or method of adjusting the
position of the driving wheel axle in the forks of safety bicycles for the purpose
of regulating the tension of the chain.
To carry out my invention I form comparatively large circular holes through
the ends of the forks in which discs are fitted having eccentric holes for the axle
to pass through. In this arrangement the axle is adjusted by turning the discs.
Each disc may hear against the shoulder in the hole through the fork or it may
have a flange to bear against the periphery and to fix it in any position a second
plate or clamping disc is placed in the outer or opposite side of the hole aud is
secured to the other disc by one or moro screws. The periphery of the second disc
may be bevelled and fit in a bevelled seat formed round that side of the hole and
the bevelled portion of the disc and the face of the seat may be serrated or be
formed with fine ratchet shaped teeth.
To avoid the necessity of loosening the nuts on the axle before adjusting the
discs cach disc has a pap or projection around the axle which project a suitable
distance through the clamping piece.
To apply my improvements to existing forks torminating in slotted or bifurcated
ends I form a suitably grooved projection on one side of the "stamping" to fit
into the bifurcated end of the fork which is previously reduced in length and I
secure them in position by a serew or screws passed through the said projection and
engaging the bifurcated onds. The said grooved projections may be slit vertically
so that the sides of the groove may clamp the bifurcated end between them.
Dated this 17th day of November 1896.
DRACUP & NOWELL,
Bradford, Patent Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Means or Method of Adjusting the Tension of
Cycle Driving Chains.
I, ALBERT HOUSE, of 63, Grantham Road, Bradford, in the County of York,
Cycle Engineer, 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 improvements in the means or method of adjusting the

page_text: position of the driving wheel axle in the forks of safety bicycles for the purpose
of regulating the tension of the chain.
To carry out my invention I form comparatively, large circular holes through
the ends of the forks in which discs are fitted having eccentric holes for the axle
to pass through. In this arrangement the axle is adjusted by turning the discs.
Each disc may bear against the shoulder in the hole through the fork or it may
have a flange to bear against the periphery and to fix it in any position a second
plate or clamping disc is placed in the outer or opposite side of the hole and is
secured to the other disc by one or more screws. The periphery of the second disc
may be bevelled and fit in a bevelled seat formed round that side of the hole and
the bevelled portion of the diso and the face of the seat is serrated or
formed with fine ratchet shaped teeth.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying sheet of drawings forming a part
of this Specification in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding
parts in each of the figures.
Figure 1. represents a side clevation of the back fork of a "diamond" frame
safety bicycle made in accordance with my improvements.
Figure 2. represents a similar view illustrating the application of my improve-
ments to a bicycle made with the usual "slot" adjustment.
Figure 3. represents a separate side clevation of the attachment shown in
Figure 2 and Figure 4, represents a plan and Figure 5 a sectional plan of the same.
Figure 6 to 10 represent views of detail hereinafter referred to.
In Figure 1, the forks A terminate in a circulate opening B in which the
discs C and D) are fitted. Figure 7, represents a diametrical section of the disc C
and Figure 9 a plan view of the disc D. The disc C fits against the annular
shoulder B and the disc D has a bevelled edge De fitting the bevelled seat B³ formed
in B. The bevelled faces are serrated or formed with fine teeth as shown in
Figures 6, 8, 9, and 10. The discs 0 and 1 are connected together by the screws E
on which the collars are preferably soldered in order that the disc D may be
separated from the dise C when the screws are slackened and thereby disengage
the serrations or teeth on the bevel facing and enable the discs to be more or less
turned in B to adjust the chain. A pap C is formed on C through which the back-
wheel spindle F passes. This pap projects through D) and therefore the nut s
does not bear upon the disc D. The forks on the opposite side of the driving
wheel are fitted in the same way.
To apply the stamping or attachment B to the ordinary adjustment slot as
shown in Figure 2 it is made with a shank B. This shank is made with a
groove B along the top, round the end and along the bottom to fit the sides and
end of the slot A2 at the ends of the forks A and the shank B is divided vertically
by the slit Be to enable the edges of the slot A to be clamped in the groove B³
by the sorew B'.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
1. An eccentric chain adjustment for cycles in which the eccentric is formed
with serrations or the like to lock it after adjustment, substantial as herein shown
and described.
2. The improvements in eccentric chain adjustment for cycles, substantially as
herein shown and described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 16th dor of trovst 1807
DRACUP & NOWELL,
Bradford, Patent Agents.