Improvements in Gear Cases for Chain-driven Bicycles, Tricycles, and other Vehicles.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Feb.,
1897
Complete Specification Left, 2nd Nov., 1897-Accepted, 29th Jan.,
1898
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Gear Cases for Chain-driven Bicycles, Tricycles,
and other Vehicles.
I, ALBERT SODEN, of 141, Princes Road, Kennington Cross, in the County of
Surrey, Electro Plater, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to cases for enclosing the chains and chain wheels of
chain-driven bicycles, tricycles and other chain-driven vehicles for the purpose
of preventing mud and dust from getting into and between the links and teeth.
The object of the invention is to produce a gear case which can be readily adjusted
and firmly fitted to any existing machine, without the aid of skilled workmen
and which is comparatively cheap to manufacture.
I make my gear case in two main parts, a back and a front each being practically
one half of the finished gear case taken vertically and longitudinally. These two
parts can be stamped out of sheet metal or other suitable material, or may be other-
wise formed, and the front part divided into two by a longitudinal cut along the
line of the axles, or the front may be made in two separate parts if so desired.
Each of the parts is provided with a central aperture for the stay rod with
apertures to accommodate the pedal and driving axles. Surrounding the contral
aperture each part is provided with a shoulder and a central web for the purpose
of increasing the rigidity and of providing a substantial support for fixing the
gear case to the frame. When fitted together one of the parts projects slightly
into the other.
In fixing the parts of the gear oase to the vehicle bridged clips are fastened
round the back stay of the frame of the vehicle. The back of the case is clipped
to the stay, and the front part is opened, passed over the back, closed up, and
clamped to the back at the central web by screws which also pass through the
bridges of the clips thus fastening the whole of the gear case firmly to the frame.
By this method of fixing, when it is desired to open the gear case to tighten up
the chain, or for other purposes, the sections forming the front part can be removed
and the back part left untouched so that the position of the chain in the gear
case can be seen during the adjustment thereof.
Dated this 2nd day of February 1897.
"

page_text: manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to cases for enclosing the chains and chain wheels of
chain-driven bicycles, tricycles, & other chain-driven vehicles for the purpose of
preventing mud and dust from getting into and between the links and teeth. The
object of the invention is to produce a gear case which can be readily adjusted
and firmly fitted to any existing machine, without the aid of skilled workmen
und which is comparatively cheap to manufacture.
I make my gear case in two main parts, a back and a front each being practically
one half of the finished gear case taken vertically and longitudinally. These two
parts can be stumped out of sheet metal or other suitable material, or may be
otherwise formed, and the front part divided into two by a longitudinal cut along
the line of the axles, or the front may be made in two separate parts if so desired.
Each of the parts is provided with a central aperture for the stay
rod with apertures to accommodate the driving and driven axles. Surround-
ing the central aperture one or both parts is or are provided with a shoulder and
a central web for the purpose of increasing the rigidity and of providing a sub-
stantial support for fixing the gear case to the frame. When fitted together one
of the parts projects slightly into the other.
In the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a complete gear
case constructed in accordance with one form of my invention; Fig. 2 is a section
taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a front elevation showing detached the
two pieces which together form the front part of the gear case; Fig. 4 is a section
taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. 3; and Fig. 5 is an inside view of the back part of
the gear case.
The same letters of reference where they occur are used to indicate the same or
corresponding parts in all the figures.
The back part A, as shown in Figs. 2 and 5, is made practically all in one
piece, the extreme rear end, beyond the aperture A for the driven axle, being
provided with a hinged or pivoted section A which can be turned back, as indicated
by the dotted lines in Fig. 5, so as to fit the said back part A of the gear case to the
driven axle, or to remove it therefrom when desired. As is the aperture for the
driving axle.
This back part is fitted to the frame of a safety bicycle or vehicle by first
removing the chain and the sprocket wheel from the crank axle. The aperture
A is then passed over the crank axle; the hinged part A' is turned back, and
the aperture A adjusted on the rear axle and between the sprocket wheel and the
rond wheel thereon; A' is then closed up again and secured by the clip or equivalent
device A to the main back part A. If desired both ends of the back part may
have a hinged section, to obviate the necessity of removing the sprocket wheel from
the crank axle.
as
web A7
The back part A is provided with a central aperture A to admit the stay rod,
and adjacent thereto all around the central aperture, the back part is
shouldered, shown at A, and provided with central
ก
lying in
a plane parallel to the plane of the back part,
as shown
in Fig. 2. If desired the shoulder A may be dispensed with aud
the web A made in a line with the plane of the rear plate of the back part A.
To this central web a suitable number of angle pieces A8 are rigidly secured and
arranged in pairs, and through holes provided therein bolts can be passed so as
to clamp this part of the gear case firmly to the stay rod of the bicycle or vehicle
frame.
In the form shown in the drawings the front part of the gear case is made in two
separate pieces, B₁ and B, which fit together along the line passing through
both axles. These two parts are each shouldered and provided with central webs
which when the parts are fitted together, as shown in Fig. 1, surround
central aperture corresponding to the aperture A in the back
part A, and are also provided with apertures to admit the axles, Oue of

page_text: the pieces, B in the drawing, is also shouldered and flanged along the closed ends,
us shown at B and 13, so that when the two pieces are fitted together, these
flanges B and B enter the other piece B', and serve to keep the two pieces in
correct relative positions; or in lieu thereof one of the parts may overlap the
other B and B are plates adjustable in grooves 3, which are formed on or secured
to the pieces B and B³, to allow for the adjustment of the tension of the chain.
The two pieces B and B are secured together by means of the flanges B and
the nuts and bolts B or by equivalent means.
If desired the front part of the gear case may be made in one piece in which
case it should have a hinged or pivotted rear section like the section A' on the
back part, and if required be provided with adjustable plates for the rear axle. The
mode of construction will be understood without further description by those
having a knowledge of the construction of bicycles or other velocipedes.
The front and the back part of the gear case are shaped so that one of them
slightly enters the other, in the drawings the two parts are shown (see Fig. 2)
curved towards each other at their meeting edges, the back part being the smaller
and entering into the front part, but they may be otherwise shaped, and be
adjusted relatively to each other as circumstances may require.
When it is desired to open the gear case to tighten up the chain, or for other
purposes, the piece or pieces forming the front part can be removed and the back
part left untouched so that the position of the chain in the gear case can be seen
during the adjustment thereof.
said
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
1. A. gear case for chain driven bicycles, tricycles and other vehicles, comprising
two main parts, a back and a front, entering partly one in the other, each part
having a hinged or pivotted section or sections, apertures for the axles, aud a
central aperture surrounded by a web, substantially as described.
2. A gear case for chain driven bicycles, tricycles and other vehicles, comprising
a back part having a hinged or pivotted section or sections and angle pieces or
equivalent means whereby it may be clamped to the vehicle frame, and a front
part made in two pieces, an upper and a lower, the two parts of the gear case
entering partly one in the other at their meeting edges and each having apertures
for the axles and a central aperture surrounded by a web, substantially as herein-
before described with reference to the accompanying drawings and for the purpose
stated.
3. A gear case made in two main parts, a back and a front, constructed and
arranged substantially in the manner hereinbefore 'described and illustrated in
the accompanying drawings and for the purpose stated.
Dated this one day on
CUTT
F. W. GOLBY,
36, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agent for the Applicant.