Improvements in and appertaining to Velocipede Axles.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Apr., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 25th Jan., 1893-Accepted, 11th Mar., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and appertaining to Velocipede Axles.
I, WILLIAM STARLEY, of the firm of Starley Brothers, of St. John's Works,
Coventry, in the County of Warwick, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to such velocipede axles as have two wheels, but it is
especially applicable to velocipede axles divided into two parts, each part carrying
a driving wheel and each part driven by means of the contrivance known as
Starley's balance gear, described in the Specification to Patent No. 3388 of 1877
granted to James Starley.
The object of the invention is to hold together the two parts of the driving axle
while also carrying and at the same time enclosing the differential gear, and the
necessary ball and other bearings so as to prevent the access of dust.
In carrying the invention into effect as applied to a tricycle driving axle
arranged with Starley's balance gear, I construct a divided casing which when
fastened together encloses the balance gear, and to the opposing sides of the said
casing I attach tubes of sufficient diameter to enclose the two parts of the driving
axle. Grooves, recesses or cone surfaces are formed on the inner surfaces of the
divided casing to oppose similar grooves, recesses or cone surfaces arranged behind
the two bevil wheels which form part of the differential gear. Balls are arranged
to run in the spaces so produced, and so the two inner ends of the divided axle are
supported on ball bearings immediately behind the bevil wheels. The parts of the
divided casing I prefer to screw together, and so adjust the enclosed ball bearings;
and I may lock the joint by a small set screw, but this may be dispensed with, as
the method of fixing the frame of the tricycle to the tubes enclosing the axle
prevents the joint from unscrewing. Instead of screwing the two halves of the
casing together I may attach them by means of flanges and bolts, studs or pins
which may or may not be arranged so as to be capable of adjusting the enclosed
ball bearings by screwing up.
Each outer end of the divided axle carries a driving wheel and each wheel hub
is fastened to the axle by a key, square, screw and nut or other well known device,
and I form between the interior surface of each hub and the outer end of each
tube enclosing the axle suitable surfaces to produce ball bearings. The outer ends
of the tubes may carry cups and the inner ends of the hubs may be conical so as to
run the balls between the cup and cone surfaces. The tubes also may carry cones,
and the hubs cups to form ball bearings. Any suitable surfaces may be arranged
between the opposing ends of the tubes and the wheel hubs to form ball bearings,
and any known adjusting device may be applied.
The pieces forming the ball bearing surfaces may be adjustably clipped into the
ends of the tubes by slitting the end of the tube to allow it to be compressed and
compressing it on the cup on cone piece by a suitable clamp or clip.
The Starley balance gear comprises besides two opposing bevel wheels attached
to the opposing parts of the axle, a central chain wheel carrying two freely rotating.
pinions which pinions gear into the bevil wheels and so drive the two parts of the
axle but in such manner that the rotation of the wheels is varied to suit a curved
path or other cause tending to require one wheel to stand while the other rotates.
The casing I have described is therefore provided with suitable apertures to allow
the driving chain to act on the chain wheel.
By the arrangements herein before described I greatly reduce the number of
parts required in connection with the driving axle of a tricycle or like velocipede
and also reduce the weight

page_text: I likewise entirely cover and hide the axle, its bearings and the balance gear,
and so render such bearings and balance gear entirely dust proof while I effectually
prevent grease from coming in contact with ladies' dresses.
Dated this 23rd day of April 1892.
MARKS & CLERK,
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and appertaining to Velocipede Axles.
I, WILLIAM STARLEY of the firm of Starley Brothers, of St. John's Works,
Coventry, in the County of Warwick, 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 such velocipede axles as have two wheels, but it is
especially applicable to velocipede axles divided into two parts, each part carrying
a driving wheel and each part driven by means of the contrivance known as
Starley's balance gear, described in the Specification to the British Patent
No. 3388 of 1877 granted to James Starley.
The object of the invention is to hold together the two parts of the driving axle
while also carrying and at the same time enclosing the differential gear, and the
necessary ball or other bearings, so as to prevent the access of dust.
Referring to the accompanying sheet of drawings
Figure 1 is a section showing the application of my invention to a tricycle shaft.
Figure 2 is a transverse section on the line a, y, Figure 1 that is through the
differential gear, while Figure 3 is an external plan corresponding to Figure 1.
In carrying the invention into effect as applied to a tricycle driving axle arranged
with Starley's balance gear, I construct a divided casing as A, B (Figures 1 and 3),
which when fastened together encloses the balance gear of which the parts are
indicated by the letters a, b, c, d, e, (Figures 1 and 2), and to the opposing sides of
the said casing I attach tubes C, C of sufficient diameter to enclose the two parts f, g
of the driving axle. Grooves, recesses or cone surfaces are formed on the inner
surfaces of the divided casing A, B to oppose similar grooves recesses or cone surfaces
arranged behind the two bevil wheels a, b which form part of the differential gear.
Balls are arranged to run in the spaces so produced as indicated at A¹, B' (Figure 1),
and so the two inner ends of the divided axle f, g are supported on ball bearings A', BI
immediately behind the bevil wheels. The parts A, B of the divided casing I
prefer to screw together as shown, and so I adjust the enclosed ball bearings; and
may luck the joint at any desired position required for adjustment by a small
set screw; but this may be dispensed with as the method of fixing the frame of
the tricycle to the tubes C, C enclosing the axle f, 9 prevents the joint from
unscrewing. This is clearly shown at Figures 1 and 3 where the ends of the
tubes C, C slip into recesses in the respective halves of the casing A, B, and
clips D, D clip the tubes C, C screwed up by nuts while the tubular stays E, E
form part of the framework of the tricycle. The tubular stays F also form part
of the frame and so the tubes C, C carrying and enclosing the axle are effectively
and directly connected to the frame carrying the weight of the rider. Instead of
screwing the two halves of the casing together I may attach them by means of
flanges and bolts, studs or pins which may or may not be arranged so as to be
capable of adjusting the enclosed ball bearings by screwing up.
Each outer end of the divided axle f, y carries a driving wheel, and each wheel
hub ask, (Figure 3) is fastened to the axle by a key, square, screw and nut or
other well known device, and I form between the interior surface of each hub k
and the outer end of each tube C enclosing the axle, suitable surfaces to produce
ball bearings as C. The outer ends of the tubes may carry cups G, G and the

page_text: inner ends of the hubs k, k may be conical as shown in the drawings so as to run
the balls between the cup and cone surfaces. The tubes, however, may carry
cones, and the hubs, cups, to form ball bearings. Any suitable surfaces may be
arranged between the opposing ends of the tubes and the wheel hubs to form ball
bearings and any known adjusting device may be applied. The pieces or the cups
as G forming the ball bearing surfaces may be adjustably clipped into the ends of
the tubes by slitting the end of the tube to allow it to be compressed, and com-
pressing it on the cup or cone piece by a suitable clamp or clip. In Figures 1 and 3
the clipping device used to connect the stay tubes F, F may also be adapted to
allow alteration of the adjustment of the cups G, G.
The Starley balance gear comprises, besides two opposing bevil wheels a, b
attached to the opposing parts f,g of the axle, a central chain wheel e carrying two
freely rotating pinions c, d which pinions gear into the bevil wheels and so drive
the two parts of the axle, but in such manner that the rotation of the wheels on
the hubs k, k is varied to suit a curved path or other cause tending to require one
wheel to stand while the other rotates. The casing A, B which I have hereinbefore
described is therefore provided with suitable apertures to allow the driving chain
to act on the chain wheel e.
By the arrangement hereinbefore described I greatly reduce the number of
parts required in connection with the driving axle of a tricycle or like velocipede
and also reduce the weight.
I likewise entirely cover and hide the axle f, g, its bearings and the balance gear
and so render such bearings and balance gear entirely dust proof while I effectually
prevent grease from coming in contact with ladies' dresses."
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In a divided velocipede axle, a tubular or like casing to contain and hold
together the axle by means of ball or other bearings and so support the divided
axle substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore described.
2. The combination of a divided axle, a tubular or cylindrical casing also divided
and ball or other bearings acting between the casing and the axle, and enclosed
differential or like gear substantially as hereinbefore described.
3. The combination of a divided casing with tubular extensions, with enclosed
differential gear, divided axle, ball bearings between the differential gear and the
casing, ball bearings at the external ends of the tubular extension, and adjustments
for the casings and bearings substantially as hereinbefore described.
4. The improved velocipede axle hereinbefore described with reference to
Figures 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings.
-
1609
bed this 24th day of January 1890.
MARKS & CLERK,
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents for the Applicant.