IMPROVEMENTS IN BEARINGS AND SPRINGS FOR VEHICLES
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Kitchen Hydes, of 15, Southampton Buildings,
in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BEARINGS
AND SPRINGS FOR VEHICLES."
Sealed the 16th May 1879, and dated the 21st February 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Kitchen Hydes at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 21st February 1879.
WILLIAM KITCHEN HYDES, of 15, Southampton Buildings, in the County of
Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN BEARINGS AND SPRINGS FOR VEHICLES."
This Invention relates to improvements in the detail parts of vehicles, chiefly
applicable to bicycles.
Firstly. This Invention relates to an improved, compact, and simple bearing
applicable to the front wheels of bicycles, admitting of the cranks and pedals being
brought as near to the longitudinal centre line of the bicycle as possible.
This improved bearing is of the following general construction, that is to say:-
The axle at and from the wheel boss is plain, and it has fitted to it or fixed
thereon a steel or iron collar; this collar is recessed or grooved circumferentially
so that flat ended rollers can revolve therein, the boss of the crank is so fixed
on the axle as that its inside face will form one side of the groove in which the
said rollers revolve, the crank boss will be secured to the axle in any ordinary
manner, and the axle can be extended through the said crank boss and screwed
or chased for a nut to prevent the said crank boss working off the axle; the casing
which holds the rollers in place will be solid (in one piece) and will be fixed to
the bicycle fork by a screw, screws, or other means, or it may form part of the
said fork; the said casing will be turned or shaped internally to the form (or
thereabouts) of the groove in the said collar, and will bear on the rollers or balls
directly without the intervention of collars or ferules.
As a modification of the above improved construction of bearing, a part only of
the groove may be in the collar aforesaid, and part of the said groove in the boss of
the crank, and as a further modification of the above described bearings the groove
can be V shaped, and double coned rollers employed (instead of the flat ended
Price GI

page_text: rollers), the bearing for the rollers being partly in the collar and partly in the end
of the crank-boss, or as a further modification in the construction in the improved
bearing the inside face of the crank-boss and the collar can be curved or tapered to
admit of the use of balls instead of flat-sided or double coned rollers.
Secondly. This Invention consists of an improved bearing applicable to the
front wheels of bicycles of the construction next described, that is to say:-
On the axle will be fixed or fitted a collar grooved circumferentially, the said
groove being square to admit flat ended rollers; or the said groove being V shaped
to admit double coned rollers; or the said groove being curved or coned to admit
balls, the crank will be fixed on the end of the axle so that its inner face fits up to
the said collar, and will be secured to the axle in any ordinary manner.
The casing surrounding and keeping in position the said rollers or balls will be
in halves, the two halves being bolted together in the ordinary manner, and half of
the casing may be part of the bicycle fork, or the said half of the casing may be
connected to the said fork in any ordinary manner. The casing will bear directly
on the rollers or balls without the intervention of collars or ferules.
Thirdly. This Invention consists of an improved bearing applicable to the hind
or back wheels of bicycles, and is of the following construction, that is to say:―
A hollow axle is extended through or prolonged beyond the boss of the wheel,
and from the outside face of the said boss of the wheel (or thereabouts) it is tapered
down to its extremity upon and around the tapered axle, and inside a suitably
formed solid casing (that is, a casing in one picce, the said casing forming part of
the bicycle fork or being connected therewith) are tapered rollers which have their
bearing on the tapered axle, the end of the fork (forming the casing for the rollers)
being secured in its place by a bolt passing through the hollow axle, and by a nut
at the extreme end thereof.
As a modification of the above bearing the axle may be parallel and flat, and
flat sided rollers used therewith, or instead of coned rollers balls may be employed
cither with a parallel or tapered axle as above described, and instead of the casing
being in one piece it may be in two parts, one part forming part of the fork, and
the other part being secured thereto in any ordinary manner.
An oil cup can be fixed on the axle through which oil will be supplied to the
axle and rollers or balls inside the case, and a leather washer can be inserted
between the casing and the boss of the wheel to keep in the oil and keep out the
dust and dirt.
Fourthly. This Invention consists of an improved bearing applicable to the back
wheels of bicycles, and is of the following construction, that is to say:-The axle is
solid, and is parallel, and is grooved at a point near its extremity to admit flat
sided rollers, double coned rollers, or balls; the casing is in halves (so to say), one
half forming an ordinary cap, and the other half being part of or connected with the
bicycle fork, the two being joined together by screwed bolts or otherwise; suitable
covering of ordinary construction is provided to keep in the oil and keep out the
dust.
In the above general description of the improved bearing one end only of the
axle and parts connected therewith are mentioned, but the same description applies
to the other end of the axle of a bicycle or other vehicle.
The improvements in springs chiefly applicable for bicycles consisted in
corrugating them in that part wherein the seat or saddle being made to fit into the
corrugations in the spring for the purpose of preventing it from sliding or slipping
along the said spring. The bearing for the loose end of the spring consisting of a
slotted roller turning freely in a bracket, so that when the spring is depressed and
straightened it will move freely in the slotted roller, which said roller moves freely
in the bracket, the bearing thus accommodating itself to the various positions of
the loose end of the spring.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Kitchen Hydes in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 20th
August 1879.
WILLIAM KITCHEN HYDES, of 15, Southampton Buildings, in the County of
Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN BEARINGS AND SPRINGS FOR VEHICLES."
This Invention relates to improvements in the detail parts of vehicles, chiefly
applicable to bicycles.
Firstly. This Invention consists of an improved, compact, and simple arrange-
ment of the detail parts of a bearing in which rollers or balls are employed to
reduce friction, applicable especially to the front wheels of bicycles, admitting of
the cranks and pedals being brought near to the longitudinal centre line of the
bicycle. These improvements in the detail parts of the bearing are of the following
construction, that is to say :-
The axle from the wheel boss to the end is plain, and it has fitted to it or fixed
thereon a collar; this collar is recessed or grooved circumferentially so as to form
a pathway or part of a pathway for balls or rollers; the boss of the crank is so
formed and fitted to the axle as that it will form part of the groove which con-
tains the said balls or rollers. The crank boss is secured to the axle in any
ordinary manner. The casing which holds the rollers or balls in place will be solid
(in one piece) and will be fixed to the bicycle fork by a screw or screws, or by other
means, or the said casing may form part of the said bicycle fork.
The casing will be turned or shaped internally to the form (or thereabouts) of
the groove in the said collar, and will bear directly on the rollers or balls without
the intervention of a bush or ferrule.
In the accompanying two Sheets of Drawings, Fig. 1, Fig. 2, and Fig. 3 illus-
trate in detail the improved bearing as above firstly described, the same detail
parts in each Figure being distinguished by similar letters of reference.
Fig. 1 is a vertical section of the casing, balls, and axle, as taken through the
dotted line Y, Z, (Fig. 2), but showing the antifriction balls in elevation. Fig. 2
is a sectional elevation of the wheel boss, bicycle fork, casing, crank boss, part of
the crank, and collar, but showing the axle and balls in elevation. A is the axle;
B, the collar; C, the balls; D, the crank boss; E, the case; F, a key or wedge
which secures the crank to the axle; G, a nut to adjust the position of the crank
and collar on the axle ; H, the bicycle fork; and J, the boss of the wheel. Fig. 3
is a sectional elevation of a bearing constructed according to my improvements as
firstly described with rollers C¹, the groove or recess in the collar B being sufficiently
large to admit the rollers, and the face of the crank boss D forming one side of the
pathway or groove in which the said rollers revolve.
Secondly. This Invention consists of improvements in the detail parts of bearings
in which rollers or balls are employed to reduce friction chiefly applicable to the
back wheels of bicycles, that is to say, a hollow axle is extended through or
prolonged beyond the boss of the wheel, and from the end of the axle to a point
near the said boss of the wheel the axle is recessed, forming a pathway for rollers
or balls; the rollers or balls are secured in position by a solid case (a case in one
piece), which is fastened by a set screw or otherwise to the fork of the bicycle, and
the axle and forks are secured together by a bolt passing through the hollow axle
and by nuts at the ends thereof. In Sheet 1 of the accompanying Drawing,
Fig. 4, Fig. 5, Fig. 6, and Fig. 7, illustrate in detail the improved bearing as above
secondly described; K is the hollow axle; L, two of the rollers; and L¹, the balls
with which the case M is filled; M, the case; N, the bolt; and O and O', the nuts
which secure the forks and cases and the axle together; P is an oil cup for lubri-
cating the axle and rollers.
Thirdly. My Invention consists in improvements in the springs of bicycles and
other similar vehicles, that is to say, the spring is corrugated or formed in hollows

page_text: and rounds, and the underside of the. saddle block or saddle tree. is similarly
shaped to fit the improved form of spring to prevent it sliding along the spring;
the bearing for the loose end of the spring is a slotted roller working freely in a
bracket on the backbone of the bicycle, the end of the spring being plain and being
inserted in the slotted roller is free to move in and through it, thereby forming &
self adjusting bearing. In Sheet 2 of the accompanying Drawings, Fig. 11 shows
a side view and Fig. 12 a plan of my improved spring, and its bearing U is the
spring corrugated for the saddletree V to fit into, the said spring having a plain
end to enter the adjustable bearing; X is a bracket fixed on the backbone Y₁;
and W is the slotted roller in and through which the spring is free to work.
:
Having now particularly described and ascertained in what manner my Inven-
tion is to be or inay be performed and carried into effect, I desire that it may be
understood that I make no claim to the exclusive use of balls rotating on angular
or curved surfaces, the same being in public use, nor to the arrangement of bearing
illustrated in Figs. 8, 9, and 10, of Sheet 1 of the accompanying Drawings, but
what I do claim as my Invention and secured to me by the hereinbefore in part
recited Letters Patent is, improvements in bearings and springs for vehicles as
herein before specified and described in detail, and illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5,
6, 7, 11, and 12 in the accompanying two Sheets of Drawings.
In witness whereof, J, the said William Kitchen Hydes, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty seventh day of July, One thousand eight
hundred and seventy nine.
.
WILLIAM KITCHEN HYDES. (L.S.)