Improvements in the Means of Connecting the Rear Axles of Cycles with the Framings thereof.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Sept., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 11th June, 1898-Accepted, 30th July, 1898
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Means of Connecting the Rear Axles of Cycles
with the Framings thereof.
We, WOLSELEY SHEEP SHEARING MACHINE COMPANY, LIMITED, of Sydney
Works, Alma Street, in the City of Birmingham, Manufacturers, and HERBERT
AUSTIN, of the same address, Works Manager to the said Company, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The means of connecting the fixed rear axle of a cycle with the framing have
heretofore involved the formation of the axle with screwed ends and the use of
nuts on such ends for the purpose of tightening them within the portions of the
frame through which they have passed; and it has usually been necessary, for
the purpose of clearing the ends of the axle from the framing, in removing the
rear wheel from a machine, either to spring apart the two sides of the framing,
which is very objectionable, or else to draw the axle backwards which involves
disconnecting the chain and throwing out the adjustment.
Moreover, the methods heretofore adopted for fixing the axle to the framing
have necessitated the cranking or bending of each side of the rear fork in order
to bring the hinder portions thereof parallel with one another.
Now, this invention has for its object improved means of connecting a rear
axle with the framing of a cycle, which admit of the ends of the axle being quite
plain except for a notch formed in one side thereof if such is required, and the
entire axle being formed of the same diameter throughout, which enable the rear
wheel to be readily removed without springing the frame and without discon-
necting the chain or altering the chain adjustment, and which admit of the two
sides of the back fork being made straight from end to end, that is to say, without
any crank or bend therein.
The rear axle is made, according to this invention, with plain cylindrical ends,
except for the notch aforesaid if such is used, and these are held in clips which
depend from the sides of the hind fork and are swivelled thereto so that in putting
the axle in place the clips readily adapt themselves to the angles which the axis
of the axle makes with the axes of the fork sides, and the clips are tightened
up to fix the ends of the axle therein by means of a screw device which also tightens
the clips to the hind forks so that they become rigid therewith and cannot then
swivel. The means of connecting the clips with the sides of the fork comprise
parts which pass through slots formed through the undersides of the sides of
the fork into the interior of such sides, and these interior portions are capable
of being drawn back within the fork sides, when the clips have been slackened,
by means of suitable screw devices, to effect the chain adjustment. One or each
end of the axle may be formed with a notch with which the screw device by
which the clip is tightened up engages, thereby rendering it impossible for the
axle to turn even if the clips should become slack.
According to a convenient application of the invention, each clip consists of a
block slit horizontally from one side to near the other, of a channel in each face

page_text: of the slit to receive the end of the axle, and of a transverse or vertical hole to
receive the pin by which the clip is tightened up and swivelled and fixed to the
fork side. A socket piece having a flat underside is brazed around the back end
of each tubular fork side, and a slotted hole is formed through the bottom of the
socket piece and through the tube around which it is brazed. A pin is passed
through this slot and through the clip and is provided with a nut on its lower
end. The portion of this pin which is within the tube is connected with a
horizontal pin which passes through a loose cap fitted into the hinder end of the
socket piece, and this horizontal screw is provided with a nut on its outer end by
means of which it may be drawn back through the cap. When the ends of the
axle have been placed within the clips the nuts on the ends of the screws which
pass vertically through the clips are tightened up, thereby tightening up the
clips and tightening the clips against the undersides of the socket pieces. When
it is desired to tighten the chain, the nuts on the screws which pass through the
clips are slackened back, and then the screws which pass through the caps are
drawn back, and when the adjustment has been effected the clips are again
tightened up. If it is desired to remove the rear wheel from the machine, the
nuts on the pins which pass through the clips are unscrewed therefrom, and the
clips are then lowered down from the pins. The ends of the axle may pass
through the clips in such position that portions of their cylindrical surfaces will
enter within the vertical holes within the clips, and notches are formed therein
which when the ends are properly in position complete the cylindrical surfaces
of the transverse holes through the clips and fit against portions of the pins
which pass through the clips, whereby the axle is securely prevented from turning
even if the clips become slack. The socket pieces may each be formed with
branch sockets, or other provision be made for the connection of the upper back
stays therewith.
The invention is capable of considerable modification, as will be obvious; for
instance, in lieu of the clips being formed in the manner above described, they
may each consist of two separate parts or washers, which are caused to grip the
end of the axle, and are also fixed tightly to the socket piece by means of the
vertical pin aforesaid which passes through them. In such case, the pin may
be formed with a portion of oblong section with a transverse hole through it,
and the end of the axle pass through such hole in the pin, the vertical holes
through the washers being of a shape to suit the oblong portion of the pin.
Dated this 10th day of September 1897.
STEPHEN WATKINS,
Wolverhampton, Agent for the Applicants.
Improvements in the Means of connecting the Rear Axles of Cycles
with the Framings thereof.
We, WOLSELEY SHEEP SHEARING MACHINE COMPANY, LIMITED, of Sydney
Works, Alma Street, in the City of Birmingham, Manufacturers, and HERBERT
AUSTIN, of the same address, Works Manager to the said Company, 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:
The means of connecting the fixed rear axle of a cycle with the framing have
heretofore involved the formation of the axle with screwed ends and the use of
nuts on such ends for the purpose of tightening them within the portions of the

page_text: frame through which they have passed; and it has usually been necessary, for
the purpose of clearing the ends of the axle from the framing, in removing the
rear wheel from a machine, either to spring apart the two sides of the framing,
which is very objectionable, or else to draw the axle backwards which involves
disconnecting the chain and throwing out the adjustment.
Moreover, the methods heretofore adopted for fixing the axle to the framing
have necessitated the cranking or bending of each side of the rear fork in order
to bring the hinder portions thereof parallel with one another.
Now, this invention has for its object improved means of connecting a rear
axle with the framing of a cycle, which admit of the ends of the axle being quite
plain (except for a notch formed in one side thereof, as hereinafter described,
if such is required) and the entire axle being formed of the same diameter
throughout, which enable the rear wheel to be readily removed without springing
the frame and without disconnecting the chain or altering the chain adjustment,
and which admit of the two sides of the back fork being made straight from
end to end, that is to say, without any crank or bend therein.
The rear axle is made, according to this invention, with plain, cylindrical ends,
except for the notch aforesaid if such is used, and these are held in clips which
depend from the sides of the hind fork and are swivelled thereto so that in putting
the axle in place the clips readily adapt themselves to the angles which the axis
of the axle makes with the axes of the fork sides, and the clips are tightened
up to fix the ends of the axle therein by means of screw devices which also tighten
the clips to the hind forks so that they become rigid therewith. The means of
connecting the clips with the sides of the fork comprise parts which pass through
slots formed through the undersides of the sides of the fork into the interior of
such sides, and these interior portions are capable of being drawn back within
the fork sides, when the clips have been slackened, by means of suitable screw
devices, to effect the chain adjustment. One or each end of the axle may be
formed with a notch with which the screw device by which the clip is tightened
up engages, thereby rendering it impossible for the axle to turn even if the
clips should become slack.
A convenient application of the invention is illustrated by Figures 1 to 4, in-
clusive, of the drawings herewith, of which Figure 1 is a side elevation shewing
the connection between the lower back stay or tubular fork-side and upper back
stay at one side of a machine, and shewing the hind axle to be connected with
the lower back stay. Figure 2 is a back end view of the parts shewn by Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a longitudinal section through the parts shewn by Figure 1; and
Figure 4 is a vertical section through the parts shewn by Figure 1, taken in
the plane indicated by the broken linex of Figure 3, as seen from the forward
side of the section.
A is the lower back stay or tubular fork-side, 13 the hind axle, and C the clip
by means of which the end of the axle is held. The clip C consists of a block
which has a horizontal slit c cut in from its rear end to near its forward end,
dividing it into upper and lower portions which are connected together beyond
the forward end of the slit. A channel is formed, conveniently by drilling a
hole sideways through the block previously to cutting the slit, in cach face of
the slit, to receive the end of the axle, and a transverse or vertical hole is formed
through the upper and lower portions of the clip to receive a pin D by means
of which the clip is swivelled, tightened up and fixed to the stay A. A socket-
piece E, having a flat underside (as shewn by Figures 2 and 4), is brazed around
the rear end of the stay A, and a slotted hole a is formed through the bottom
of the socket-piece and through the tube A around which it is brazed. The
inner end of the pin D passes up through the slot a, and is connected with a
horizontal pind which passes through a loose cap F which is fitted into the
hinder end of the socket-piece E; and this screw d is provided with a nut e by
means of which it may be drawn back through the cap. The inner end of the
screw d is formed as an eye d, into which the upper end of the pin D is screwed;

page_text: and this eye d', which answers the purpose of a head to the pin D, is preferably
shaped at its underside to fit down upon the cylindrical surface of the interior
of the stay A. The pin D has a nut 9 on its lower end, by means of which the
clip C is tightened around the end of the axle B and the clip also tightened
up against the underside, or flat surface, of the socket-piece E.
Both ends of the axle B are, of course, similarly connected with the correspond-
ing lower back stays, and the same provision for the chain adjustment is, of
course, made at both sides of the machine; and, in describing how the axle is
fixed, and the chain adjustment effected, we will refer to the parts in the plural,
indicating the parts which are on the opposite side of the machine in addition
to those illustrated.
When it is desired to connect the ends of the axle B with the stays A, the
clips C, while detached from the pins D, are slipped over the ends of the axle.
The clips are then pushed up around the pins D, and the nuts g are run onto
the lower ends of the pins and are screwed up tight, whereby the ends of the
axle are securely gripped between the upper and lower portions of the clips,
and the clips themselves are securely tightened against the undersides of the
socket-pieces E and are thus made rigid therewith. If the chain requires to be
adjusted, the nuts g are slackened to slacken the clips from the back stays A,
and by turning the nuts e upon the pins d the clips C, and consequently the
axle B, may be moved endways of the machine to adjust the chain tension, after
which of course the nuts g are again tightened up.
It will now be readily seen that as the clips C are swivelled upon the pins D),
that is to say are passed over round pins for fixture to the lower back stays,
either of the clips will turn on the corresponding pin to allow the other clip
to be brought into proper position for engagement with the other pin, and that
there is no need to make the hind ends of the two lower back stays parallel
with one another.
When it is desired to remove the rear wheel from the machine, the nuts g
are unscrewed from the pins D, and the clips are then lowered down clear of
the pins.
Each end of the axle B may pass, as one end is shewn by Figure 3 to pass,
through the corresponding clip in such position that its cylindrical surface will
enter within the vertical hole through which the corresponding pin D passes;
and in such case notches are formed in the axle which, when the ends thereof
are properly in position, complete the cylindrical surfaces of the holes through
which the pins 1) pass and fit against such pins, whereby the axle is securely
prevented from turning or moving endways even if the clips become slack.
Figure 5 is a plan view of one end of the axle shewing a notch f formed in
the side thereof to receive a portion of the corresponding pin D. A notch f
may be formed in one end of the hind axle only, if preferred, in which case
the axle will still be prevented from turning or moving endways even if the
clips become slack. The clip which receives the unnotched end of the axle
would, of course, be in such position in relation to the corresponding pin D
that the hole for the axle would not pass through any portion of the hole for
the pin.
The socket-piece E is shewn to be formed with a branch socket E¹ for the
connection of the upper back stay A¹ therewith; but any convenient provision
may be made for the connection of the upper back stay with the lower.
It is not, of course, essential to surround the rear end of the lower back stay A
with a socket piece E having a flat under face as shewn, as in lieu of such socket
piece a packing piece or washer h Figure 6 (which corresponds to Figure 2
above described) may be used, which is formed with a concave upper face to fit
against the curved surface of the underside of the stay. The pin D passes through
the washer h, and this washer is, of course, moved endways along the stay in
adjusting the tension of the chain.
It will be obvious that the axle B may, if desired, be of the same diameter

page_text: throughout its length. It is preferred, however, to avoid unnecessary size of
parts, to reduce the diameter of each end b.
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. The improved means of connecting the rear axle of a cycle with the framing
thereof, which comprise vertical pins projecting from the framing, clips through
which such pins pass, and means for tightening up the clips to grip the ends
of the axle, substantially as described.
2. The improved means of connecting the rear axle of a cycle with the framing
thereof, which comprise vertical pins, slots through the hinder ends of the
framing, through which such pins pass, movable portions within such ends of
the framing with which the inner ends of the vertical pins are connected, clips
through which such vertical pins pass, openings between the gripping faces of
the clips to receive the ends of the axle, and nuts on the outer ends of the pins
by means of which the clips are tightened up to grip the ends of the axle and are
tightened rigidly in place, substantially as described.
3. The improved means of connecting the rear axle of a cycle with the framing
thereof, which comprise vertical pins from the hinder ends of the framing, clips
each formed as a block slit in a horizontal plane from one end to near the other
and formed with a vertical hole for the passage of a pin therethrough and with
channels in the opposite faces of the slit to receive an end of the axle, and nuts
upon the ends of the pins, all substantially as described.
4. The general combinations and arrangements of parts, substantially as
described with reference to the drawings herewith, constituting means of connect-
ing the rear axles of cycles with the framings thereof.
تمع
T
1000