Improvements in Bicycles, Tricycles, and other Velocipedes.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Oct., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 10 h July, 1894-Accepted, 11th Aug., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Bicycles, Tricycles, and other Velocipedes.
I JOHN VERNON PUGH,. of Whitworth Works, Rea Street South Birmingham
in the County of Warwick, Mechanical Engineer do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
My improvements have reference principally to the pedals of bicycles tricycles
and other velocipedes but are also applicable to the wheels of bicycles tricycles
and other velocipedes.
I will describe my improvements in connection with the pedal of a velocipede.
I make on the outer end of the axle on which the pedal turns a conical head, the
said head being made in one piece with the axle instead of being made separate
therefrom and connected by screwing as usual. Surrounding the axle is a tube in
which the axle works freely. To the ends of this tube the inner hollow cones
constituting parts of the bearings between which the anti friction balls work are
connected by screwing to the ends of the tube respectively. A closing cap at each
end of the axle screws into a cup in the end plate of the frame of the pedal and
thereby locks the hollow cones in position. The said closing cap may constitute a
third bearing surface for the antifriction balls.
In order to adjust the bearings of the pedal on its axle it is only necessary to
turn in the required direction the inner bollow cone on the tube when the said
hollow cone travels on the screw on the tube and effects the required adjustment.
The adjustment may be effected by turning one or both of the hollow cones. By
the action described the distance between the bearing cones can be varied and the
tightening up or slackening of the bearing effected.
By my improvements the essential parts of the pedal are secured against dust;
the manufacture of the pedal is simplified and the bearing parts are stronger and
less liable to derangement than when constructed in the ordinary manner.
The application of my improvements to the hubs and bearings of the wheels of
bicycles, tricycles and other velocipedes differs in no essential respect from their
application to the pedal of the said vehicles as herein before described.
Dated this 27th day of October 1893.
W. T. WHITEMAN,
Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Bicycles, Tricycles, and other Velocipedes.
1 JOHN VERNON PUGH, of Whitworth Works Rea Street South, Birmingham
in the County of Warwick, Mechanical Engineer do hereby declare the nature of
my invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My improvements have reference principally to the pedals of bicycles, tricycles
and other velocipedes but are also applicable to the wheels of bicycles, tricycles,
and other velocipedes.
I will describe my improvements in connection with the pedal of a velocipede.
I make on the outer end of the axle on which the pedal turns a conical head,
the said head being made in one piece with the axle, instead of being made separate
therefrom and connected by screwing as usual. Surrounding the axle is a tube in
which the axle works freely. To the ends of this tube the inner hollow cones

page_text: constituting parts of the bearings between which the anti-friction balls work are
connected by screwing to the ends of the tube respectively. A closing cap at each
end of the axle screws into a cup in the end plate of the frame of the pedal and
thereby locks the hollow cones in position. The said closing cap may constitute a
third bearing surface for the anti-friction balls.
In order to adjust the bearings of the pedal on its axle it is only necessary to
turn in the required direction the inner hollow cone on the tube when the said
hollow cone travels on the screw on the tube and effects the required adjustment.
The adjustment may be effected by turning one or both of the hollow cones. By
the action described the distance between the bearing cones can be varied and the
tightening up, or slackening of the bearing effected.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawing represents in front elevation; Figure 2
in side elevation, Figure 3 in plan and Figure 4 in vertical section, a velocipede
pedal containing my improvements;
Figure 5 represents a similar section to Figure 4, portions being omitted drawn
to a larger scale ;
Figure 6 is an elevation of the inner end of Figure 5 and Figures 7 and 8
represent respectively sections on the lines x, x and y, y Figure 5';
Figures 9.and 10 represent two of the parts of the pedal detached as hereinafter
described.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several figures of
the drawing.
A is the taper pin constituting the pedal axle the said taper pin having on its
inner end the screw threaded part a for securing it to the crank of the velocipede.
The pedal axle A also has at its inner end the conical part a³ and collar a³ and at
its outer end the conical head a*. The conical part a² and conical head a' constitute
the fixed cones of the pedal bearing.
The other parts of the pedal are constructed and arranged as follows. On to the
screwed ends of the tube B (shown separately in Figure 9) the angular nuts b, b
are screwed the said nuts having on their outer ends the flanges 62, 62 the outer
surfaces of which are in the form of hollow cones or have a slight dished or concave
figure as represented. These hollow cones 63, 62 are screwed into the internally
screwed bosses c³, c³ at either side of the pedal frame c. An externally screwed
ring dis screwed into the tubular boss c² on the inner side of the pedal frame, a
thin sheet metal washer e being interposed between the said ring d and the hollow
cone 62 shaped projections e³ on the washer e take into V shaped notches in
the tubular boss c³ to prevent the turning of the washer in the said boss on the
screwing of the ring d against it.
g
The parts having been arranged in the manner described the pedal axle A is
introduced into the tube B the balls for the bearing at the inner end of the axle
being introduced between the fixed cone a² and the hollow cone and ring d. The
balls for the bearing at the outer end of the pedal are introduced between the fixed
cone a and the hollow cone and the outer bearing is closed by the cap f, the
cylindrical part of which constitutes a third bearing surface for the balls of the
outer bearing as will be seen by an examination of Figure 5. A sheet metal
washer similar to the sheet metal washer e at the inner side of the pedal is inter-
posed between the closing cap and the hollow cone 63 at the outer end to prevent
the closing cap when fully advanced communicating a rotary motion to the hollow
cone b² and thereby altering the adjustment of the bearing. The collar a at the
inner end of the pedal axle A constitutes a closing disc for the bearing at that end.
Instead of the bearing balls working against the fixed cones, hollow cones and closing
ring or cap the said bearing balls may by modifying the shape of the hollow cones
and cap as represented in Figure 10 work between the hollow and fixed
cones only.
When in consequence of wear it is required to re-adjust the bearings it is only
necessary to turn one or other of the hollow cones 2, by means of a spanner on its
angulat part, further into the boss c² of the pedal frame; the ring d or closing

page_text: capf being first slightly unscrewed to permit of the said adjustment of the hollow
cones 62 and the said hollow cones being then locked by screwing the ring d and
closing capfagainst them.
Although I have represented my improvements in connection with a pedal of the
kind commonly called a rat trap pedal I wish it to be understood that my
improvements are applicable to pedals having india rubber and other treads.
In Figures 11 and 12 I have represented my improvements applied to velocipede
wheel hubs.
A is the axle or spindle of the wheel having the fixed cones a², a² and B is the
tube constituting the body of the hub, the said tube B being screwed at its ends.
On to the ends of the tube B the screw nuts b, having the outer conical faces b²,
are screwed and on to the said conical parts 62 the tubular parts c² of the spoke
flanges c of the hub are screwed. After the introduction of the bearing balls the
open ends or cups of the bearing are closed by the caps f, f as will be understood
from an examination of the drawing. The parts of the bearings are adjusted in
essentially the same way as the parts of the bearings of the pedal herein before
described.
In applying my improvements to the hub of a driving wheel I prefer to give one
of the flanges c a conical figure and form on the other flange c the pinion drum c³ as
represented in Figure 12. In order to ensure that the driving force communicated
to the wheel shall be distributed through the whole of the spokes of the said wheel,
the conical flange c at one end of the hub must be connected to the pinion drum c³
of the other flange c of the hub. This I prefer to do by making the spokes of the
wheel of a little more than double their ordinary length and after screwing one end
of the wire of each of the double spokes into a nipple in the rim of the wheel the
said wire is passed through a hole in the pinion drum and then through a hole in
the conical flange c, not opposite the hole in the drum c³, so that the wires between
the conical flange c and drum c³ cross at an angle and are thus capable of trans-
mitting the driving force of the pinion drum to the conical flange c in either
direction; the free end of the wire is then screwed into another nipple in the
rim of the wheel. In all other respects the hub Figure 12 resembles the hub
Figure 11 herein before described.
By my improvements the bearings of pedals and wheel hubs are secured against
dust; the manufacture of the pedals and wheel hubs is simplified and the bearing
parts are stronger and less liable to derangement than when constructed in the
ordinary manner.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that I claim as
my invention;-
First. The construction and combination of the parts of pedals of bicycles,
tricycles and other velocipedes hereinbefore described and illustrated in Figures 1
to 10 both inclusive of the accompanying drawings; that is to say, making each
of the said pedals of a tubular part surrounding the pedal axle on to the ends of
which tubular part the hollow cones of the ball bearings are screwed, the said
hollow cones together with a bearing ring at the one end and a closing cap at the
other end taking into internally screwed tubular bosses on the sides of the pedal
frame and constituting with the fixed cones on the pedal axle the ball races of the
bearings substantially as described and illustrated.
Secondly. Modifying the parts claimed in the preceding claim so as to adapt
them to the construction of the hubs of the wheels of velocipedes substantially as
hereinbefore described and illustrated in Figures 11 and 12 of the accompanying
drawings.