Year: 1897

page_text: I, FELIX ROSENBERG, of 5, Gitschinerstrasse, Berlin, in the Empire of Germany,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Solid round iron was at first employed for making the frames of bicycles and the
like, but such frames were on the one hand too little resistant to the great strain to
which a bicycle is permanently subjected and on the other hand the total weight of
the bicycle was so considerably increased that the capabilities of the same were thereby
very unfavourably affected.
Tubes were therefore soon utilised in place of solid iron bars for making bicycles
of all kinds. By this means the resistance or strength was considerably increased,
but with it also the cost of production, whilst the weight was still not reduced to the
extent desired.
This invention has for its object therefore to produce a bicycle which diminishes
the total price of the cycle to the extent of 30/- or 40/-, whilst affording sufficient
strength, and yet allows of a light and pleasing construction.
For this object the frame is made in the form of open or lattice work of stamped,
pressed or cast plates made of any suitable material.
The frame thus formed carries at any suitable point the saddle and the front wheel
fork which is preferably formed in a similar way and provided with the handle bar
which also is stamped out of the same plate as the front wheel fork and may be bent
outwardly. The front sprocket with the pedals is preferably carried by a separate
arrangement of bars and may also be stamped.
The aforesaid frame is preferably formed of two walls which complete and
strengthen one another, whilst for further strength U-irons, L-irons or other
suitably shaped irons may be rivetted to them. The walls are stamped out as a
single plate, by which means in addition to the single or separate bars there remains
so much material that the same may be bent round for the purpose of forming
flanges in any suitable manner in order to allow of the formation of a resistant
profile or section. The selection of a suitable profile may naturally be left to practical
judgment in each case. The main bar as well as the struts of the frame are stamped
out of one piece with side flaps which are afterwards bent round and thus form
flanges of the preferably U-shaped profile. In order to strengthen the joints or
points where two struts branch from a main bar, extra flaps may also be simultaneously
stamped out of the material of the whole plate connected at one point with the
material of the actual lattice work by means of a narrow bar. By bending this flap
round the bar the joint may be covered by the flap which may be of any suitable form
so that after being suitably fastened it assists very considerably to strengthen the
whole system.
If the frame consist of two walls these may be stamped so as to adhere together
out of a single plate and be brought into the correct position to one another by being
bent round. It may also be mentioned that the selection of the section which is to

page_text: be made by bending the flanges must be left to practice and that a suitable
strengthening of the whole system by rivetting on special profile irons may be
effected.
The front wheel fork is preferably constructed in a similar manner. The wheels
or rather the spokes of the wheels may also be formed by stamping out of a solid
plate and subsequently bending round the separate spokes to form profile bars
or tubes.
Two sets of spokes are employed in this case which are attached by means of lugs
or flaps to the rim and to the nave respectively. The separate spokes have of course
a flat shape after the stamping and are then by bending round the edges brought
into a tubular form or into the form of any other suitable and resistant section.
The spokes in being stamped out of the material of the plate may again branch
off into bifurcated or double ends.
The tightening of the rim takes place as usual by screwing up the ends of the
spokes. For this object the lower tubular shaped end of the spokes may serve for
receiving a screw threaded-wire provided with a head so that by turning a nut screwed
on the threaded end a regulation or adjustment of the tension of the spokes may be
effected.
The lower tubular end of the spoke may however itself be provided with a thread,
and on this thread a nut serving for tightening may be screwed, in which case a wire
as a filling piece or reinforce is inserted in the tubular end.
Dated this 30th day of August 1897.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpol, Agents for the Appliant.
I, FELIX ROSENBERG, of 5, Gitschinerstrasse, Berlin, in the Empire of Germany,
Engineer, 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 :-
Solid round iron was at first employed for making the frames of bicycles and the
like, but such frames were on the one hand too little resistant to the great strain to
which a bicycle is permanently subjected and on the other hand the total weight of
the bicycle was so considerably increased that the capabilities of the same were
thereby very unfavourably affected.
Tubes were therefore soon utilised in place of solid iron bars for making cycles of
all kinds. By this means the resistance or strength was considerably increased, but
with it also the cost of production, whilst the weight was still not reduced to the
extent desired.
This invention has for its object therefore to produce a bicycle which diminishes
the total price of the cycle to the extent of 30/- or 40/-, whilst affording sufficient
strength, and yet allows of a light and pleasing construction.
For this object, the invention consists in forming the frame and wheels each out of
one piece in order to avoid the necessity of making joints at the angles, such as
required where the frame or the like is built up of separate bars rods or tubes. In
carrying the invention into effect the said object is preferably attained by stamping
and pressing plates of any suitable material such as steel or aluminium for instance
into the form of open or lattice work of the desired configuration, but the same end
may be attained by casting if desired. The stamping must be so effected that a little
extra material or margin is left all round the configuration of the stamped part,

page_text: which margin is afterwards turned over under the press in order to form stiffening
flanges.
In the accompanying drawings:-
Figure 1 is a diagrammatic elevation of a bicycle constructed on this improved
principle.
Figure 2 a portion of the frame with lugs or points of connection and stamped
out of one piece ;
Figure 2 detail view showing the union of the two walls of the frame;
Figure 3 a diagrammatic elevation, and Figure 4 a cross section of a wheel formed
by stamping out of a solid plate ;
Figure 5 a lateral elevation of a wheel formed of spokes branching off into two
parts and formned from a solid plate.
Figures 6 and 7 means for attaching the end of the spokes.-
The frame is preferably formed of two symmetrical walls which complete and
strengthen one another when riveted together whilst for further strength U-irons,
L-irons or other suitably shaped irons may be riveted to them but the frame may in
some cases be formed of a single wall. The walls are stamped out of a single plate
as aforesaid, a sufficient margin being left all round the configuration for the purpose
of forming flanges as before described in order to allow of the formation of a resistant
profile or cross section. The selection of a suitable profile may naturally be left to
practical judgment in each case.
Figures 2 and 2ª show as an example the formation of a frame R with two sym-
metrical walls in which two struts or stiffening bars b and c branch off from the inain
bar a of the frame and the said main bar a as well as the struts b and c of the frame
are stamped out of one piece with side margins a², 62, c² as indicated in dotted lines
which are afterwards bent round and thus form flanges giving a preferably U-shaped
profile or cross section. The union of the two walls is effected by lugs d formed on
the flanged edges which lugs are riveted together as shown in Figure 2ª. In order
to strengthen the angles or points where two struts branch from a main bar, extra
flaps or lugs may be left at these points when stamping out the material of the whole
plate said lugs being similar to the lugs & aforesaid. By bending these lugs round
the angles the latter may be covered by the lugs which may be of any suitable form
so that after being suitably fastened they assist very considerably to strengthen the
whole system.
The frame R thus formed, carries in the usual manner, as shown in Figure 1, at
any suitable point the saddle S, the front sprocket T with the pedals K, and the front
wheel fork with the handle bar. The steering head is formed by each wall of the
frame being made half round at this point and connected by flanges as will be readily
understood and similarly the saddle support may be held by a socket or clip formed
by turned over lugs, and the barrel for the pedal shaft be formed by turning over the
metal in tubular form at the lower points of juncture.
If the frame R consists of two walls as before described these may both be stamped
out of a single plate so as to adhere together at two adjacent edges and be brought
into the correct position to one another by being bent round and then a union effected
by the lugs d. It may also be mentioned that the selection of the section which is
to be made by bending the flanges a² 62 c² must be left to practice and that a suitable
strengthening of the whole system by rivetting on additional angle irons where
required may be effected.
The wheels or rather the spokes of the wheels may also be formed by stamping out
of a solid plate and subsequently bending round the separate spokes to form profile
bars or tubes.
As shown in Figures 3 and 4 two sets of spokes e are employed in this case which
are attached by means of lugs or flaps e, e² to the rim F and to the nave f respectively.
The separate spokes 6 have of course a flat shape after the stamping and are then by
bending round the edges brought into a tubular form or into the form of any other
suitable and resistant section.

page_text: In another form of construction shown in Figure 5, the spokes g are stamped out
of the material of the plate and also branch off into bifurcated or double ends or
bars h and i.
The tightening of the rim takes place as usual by screwing up the ends of the
spokes. For this object, as shown in Figure 7, the lower tubular shaped end m of
the spokes e may serve for receiving a screw threaded wire provided with a head
so that by turning a nut n screwed on the threaded end a regulation or adjustment
of the tension of the spokes may be effected.
The lower tubular end m of the spoke.may however, as shown in Figure 6, itself be
provided with a thread, and on this thread a nut n serving for tightening may be
screwed, in which case a wire k as a filling piece or reinforce is inserted in the tubular
end m.
The same arrangement may of course be employed for the ends of the spokes h
and shown in Figure 5.
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. In cycles, the construction of the frame and the spokes of both wheels, by
stamping from a solid plate of material the figure of the frame and of the spokes, and
leaving in addition to the separate bars or spokes so much material that, by bending
over this surplus material, resistant sections of any suitable form are obtained, sub-
stantially as hereinbefore set forth.
2. A cycle frame composed of two separate lattice work girders or perforated plates,
the two parts of which are connected and stiffened by means of flanges, substantially
as herein before described.
DJ IL
.
1000
W. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6,, Lord Street, Liverpool, Agents for the Applicant.