A Combination Cone and Crank for Safeties, Bicycles, Tricycles, and other purposes
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Nov., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 8th Aug., 1892-Accepted, 17th Sept., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A Combination Cone and Crank for Safeties, Bicycles, Tricycles,
and other purposes.
FREDERICK TOWNEND, of Townend Bros. Limited, Gosford Street and Paynes
Lane, Coventry, Machinist, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
ollows:-
A combination crank & cone, forged in one piece, for attaching & adjusting the
earings of crank axles for bicycles, tricycles, safety bicycles & other machines.
The adjusting cone forming a part of the crank itself avoids all screwing &
djusting of the cone itself on the spindle & dispenses with all lock nuts, D washers
the screwing of the axle, thereby strengthening & lightening the same, the
djusting screw by means of an arrangement of a nut at each end enables the
rank to be withdrawn more readily, by simply loosening one nut & tightening
he other.
Dated this 6th dow of Naramban 1901
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A Combination Cone and Crank for Safeties, Bicycles, Tricycles,
and other purposes.
"
I, FREDERICK TOWNEND of Townend Brothers Limited, of Gosford Street and
Paynes Lane Coventry in the County of Warwick Machinist 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 the adjustment of the bearings of the pedal crank axle
and to the attachment and detachment of cranks to and from the pedal crank axles
of bicycles, tricycles, safety bicycles and other velocipedes, and has for its objects
increased ease of attaching and detaching the various parts, ease of adjusting the
bearings, increased security of bearing adjustment, greater strength and decreased
weight and cost.
In carrying out this invention I form the adjusting cone or collar of the bearing
in one piece with the boss of the crank and bore then with a parallel hole of such
a diameter that the crank and cone fit on the axle with a sliding fit, the cone or
collar being brought into its place in the bearing and the axle reaching not quite
up to the outer face of the crank so as to allow space for adjustment. The cone is
preferably hardened by any suitable process to withstand wear but the boss of the
crank is left soft enough to be sufficiently tough. The end of the axle is drilled
concentrically with a small hole in the boss of the crank, or a screw and washer of
suitable proportions may be used if preferred. The crank and cone are attached
to the axle by a transverse taper cotter passing through the former and impinging
on the latter in the usual way, except that the flat on the axle is wider than the
flat on the cotter. When the bearing requires setting up, the cotter is loosened and
the screw at the end of the axle turned inwards thus drawing the crank and cone
closer into the bearing. When the bearing, is sufficiently set up the cotter is
tightened fixing the parts in the desired position.
I make the taper cotter with a parallel threaded prolongation projecting from the
larger end as well as the usual threaded prolongation on the smaller end. I place
a nut on the first prolongation and by screwing it down so as to bear against the
FD77

page_text: boss of the crank, after first unscrewing the nut on the other end, I am able to
loosen the cotter without hammering it. Hammering the cotter is liable to swell
and spoil its thread and to jar the entire machine. The use of this improved cotter
is not. necessary to the use of the combined crank and cone above described, and
other suitable forms of attachment may be substituted if preferred.
In order that my invention may be well understood I append drawings which
show the general form and arrangement of parts of my invention but modifications
can be made without departing from the spirit of my invention. In the drawings
similar letters of reference refer to similar parts.
Figure 1. is a sectional front view of my improved cone and crank fitted to the
pedal crank axle of a rear driven safety bicycle.
Figure 2 is an end view of the same and Figure 3 a side view of the improved
cotter and nuts.
A is the cone or collar made in one piece with the boss of the crank B fitting on
to the parallel, part of the axle C, which it partly overhangs. D, D are the balls
of the bearing which is adjusted by the conc A. 'A' is the fixed cone on the other
end of the axle C. F is the concentric tapped hole in the end of the axle and G is
the screw with head larger than the hole in the boss of the crank, which, with the
cone A, it carries with it when turned inward. C₁ is the flat on the axle which is
wider than the transverse taper cotter H which bears against it. The flat Cis
wider than the cotter for the same reason that the axle C, does not come up to the
face of the crank B, namely to allow space for the cone A and crank B to move
through when adjusting the bearing E.
The cotter H besides being provided with the usual threaded portion J and
nut Kat its smaller end has also a threaded portion L with nut M at its larger end
for the purpose of withdrawing the cotter as hereinbefore described.
As a modification the cone A may be seperate from the boss of the crank B,
but is attached thereto and caused to move therewith by sweating, tonguing or
other convenient means.
The crank and cone moving together, and the axle being free from the usual
external thread, lock nut and Ď washer, the parts are more easily put together and
seperated and the bearing more easily adjusted than when constructed in the usual
manner. The transverse cotter H prevents the cone from winding up and locking
the bearing. The absence of the external lock nut and D washer on the axle
enables it to be made lighter, stronger and cheaper than is now the case.
I am aware that the adjusting cones of bearings have been made in one piece
with or made to move with the bosses of the adjacent detachable cranks as e.g. set
forth in the Specification of James Starley junior and John Kemp Starley dated
the 18th day of November 1876 and numbered 4478, and also that screws and
washers have been fitted for ornamental purposes to the ends of crank axles. Also
that cotters have been made with threaded portions for nuts to work on at each end,
but I do not claim any of such arrangements as my invention but
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. The combination of a bearing cone or collar made in one piece with or attached
to and moving with the boss of a crank fitted on a parallel axle with an adjusting
screw with enlarged head or washer set in the end of the axle and acting against
the said crank and cone substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
2. The combination of a bearing cone or collar made in one piece with or
attached to and moving with the boss of a crank, fitted on a parallel axle with an
adjusting screw set in the end of the axle and acting against the said crank and
cone and with a transverse cotter acting on a wide flat on the axle or their
equivalent for. attaching the crank and cone and for adjusting and locking the
bearing of a velocipede substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

page_text: 3. The combination of a taper cotter having a threaded portion at its larger end
for a nut to work on to release the said cotter with a detachable crank for a
velocipede substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
Dated this 5th day of August 1892.
WILLIAM BESTWICK MAXFIELD,
The "Central" Office for Patents, &c.,
19, Bowling Green Street, Leicester, Applicant's Agent