Improvements in Frames for Cycles, Motor Vehicles for Road Locomotion, and Machines for Aerial Navigation.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Dec., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 17th Dec., 1896-Accepted, 20th Feb., 1897
Improvements in Frames for Cycles, Motor Vehicles for Road
Locomotion, and Machines for Aerial Navigation.
I, THOMAS KEY of Fulford near York Engineer do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
To substitute for the tubes commonly used for forks stays pillars bars and other
members of frames composite tubular members of either constant or varying
diameter and of oval circular rectangular or polygonal section formed of two or
more strips of sheet metal continuous or otherwise of regular and parallel or
varying gauge and of regular and parallel or varying width cut pressed rolled
swaged channelled corrugated embossed (or all or any of them) segmentally or
otherwise and furnished on each edge with narrow external longitudinal ribs or
feathers or flanges. The segments are secured together by the flanges being
drilled or punched and rivetted or pinned at frequent intervals.
This
Members composed of two strips only may be strengthened by the insertion
(either continuous or only where requisite) of a longitudinal strip or web
extending from flange to flange and transversely bisecting the member.
web is structurally incorporated into the member by the rivets or pins above
described.
The various angles and joints in the frames may be strengthened by the insertion
of webs struts or bridges formed of strips or blauks of sheet metal suitably cut
pressed rolled swaged embossed or corrugated (or any or all of them) and
incorporated in the frames between above or below the flanges by the pins or rivets
above described.
The composite members are themselves secured to the main parts and connections
of the frames (such as sockets brackets lugs clips crowns and the like) by means of
straps or clasps formed of sheet metal either swaged channelled pressed embossed
corrugated fluted (or any or all of them) or plain structurally incorporated into
the member by means of the rivets or pins in the flanges above described. Straight
composite members formed of two segments only with a transverse bisecting web
may be still further strengthened by being spirally twisted subsequent to the
rivetting process.
It must be understood that the strips for the formation of curved members are
cut to the required shape previous to the above described process of swaging (and
the like) and rivetting the longitudinal joints or ribs being located at the convex
and concave edges of the member in order to better resist strains.
In some cases the rigid portions of frames may be entirely constructed (save
and excepting the above named brackets and the like) of only one or two strips
cut to the requisite form and pressed to the shape required and continuously
produced in such a manner that the flanges may be united by rivets as above
described.
In this latter case the main parts brackets and the like) are strapped or clasped
by the strips and reinforced at the joints by the usual internal liners or by
additional local thicknesses of the strips.
The advantages claimed for this invention are utility lightness strength
durability economy and the entire abandonment of the deleterious effects of

page_text: brazing or welding electrically or otherwise the whole of the above described
processes being performed either cold or at too low a temperature to bura the
metal.
Dated this lot den
1000
Improvements in Frames for Cycles, Motor Vehicles for Road
Locomotion, and Machines for Aerial Navigation.
I, THOMAS KEY of Fulford near York 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 :-
My invention consists in the substitution for the tubes commonly used for forks
stays pillars bars and other members of frames composite tubular members of
either constant or varying diameter and of oval circular rectangular or polygonal
section formed of two or more strips of sheet metal continuous or otherwise of
regular and parallel or varying gauge and of regular and parallel or varying width
cut pressed rolled swaged channelled corrugated embossed (or all or any of them)
segmentally or otherwise and furnished on each edge with narrow external
longitudinal ribs or feathers or flanges. The segments are secured together by
the flanges being drilled or punched and rivetted or pinned at frequent intervals.
Various sections are shewn at Figs. 1, 2, 3, 7 and 8.
Members composed of two strips only may be strengthened by the insertion (either
continuous or only where requisite) of a longitudinal web or strip extending from
flange to flange and transversely bisecting the member. This web is structurally
built into and incorporated into the member by the rivets or pins above described.
See Figs. 4, 5, and 6.
When material of thin gauge is employed the flanges may be turned over again
thus doubling the thickness of metal at the flanges and so avoid tearing at the
rivet holes.
The various angles and joints in the frames are strengthened where requisite by
the insertion of webs struts bridges and the like formed of sheet metal either flat
or pressed rolled swaged fluted embossed or corrugated (or any or all of them) and
built into the frames between above or below the flanges by the pins or rivets
before described. See Figs. 11, 12, 13.
The members are themselves secured to the main parts and connections of the
frames (such as sockets brackets lugs crowns clips and the like) by means of separate
straps or clasps formed of sheet metal either swaged channelled pressed embossed
fluted corrugated (or all or any of them) or plain structurally built into the
member and also secured to the connection by means of the rivets or pins before
described. The edges of the flanges of these straps are preferably cut irregularly
to permit of the boring of the holes and insertion of the rivets in the connections
in irregular lines. See Figs. 17 and 15.
Straight members composed of two segments only with a transverse web may
be further strengthened by being twisted spirally subsequent to the rivetting
process. It should be remembered that this twisting reduces the length of the
member.
In the case of forks handle-bar stems and seat-pillar stems (and the like) the
telescopic or rotary action of which necessitates an uninterruptedly cylindrical
external surface the stem is formed from a piece of ordinary weldless or similar
tube longitudinally split down the centre as far as required, opened out. swaged

page_text: rolled or pressed to the required section with flanged edges the completing
segment is then formed from a sheet metal strip bent and shaped and flanged as
required the two are then secured by rivetting as before described. See Figs. 9
and 16.
The strips for the formation of curved members are cut to the required shape
previous to the before described processes of swaging and the like and rivetting
the lougitudinal seams ribs or flanges being preferably located at the convex and
concave edges of the member in order to better resist strains. See Fig. 10.
In some cases the rigid portions of frames are entirely constructed (save and
excepting the before named brackets and the like) of only one or two strips cut to
the necessary shape and pressed (and the like) to the form required and con-
tinuously (or otherwise) produced and united at the flanges by rivets as before
described. See Fig. 14 illustrating a bicycle back-bone and back fork constructed
entirely from two pieces or strips of sheet metal.
Parts requiring additional strength are fortified by the insertion of separate
thicknesses of sheet metal inserted above between or below (or all of them) the
flanges and united thereto by the rivets before described.
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 motor vehicles for road locomotion and machines for aerial navigation.
forming the tubular members of frames from segmentally (or otherwise) shaped
strips of sheet metal with longitudinally flanged edges (double where required) the
segments being united together by rivets as herein illustrated and described as as
substitution for the commonly used drawn brazed or other tubes.
2. A method of reinforcing the said composite members by the insertion of
internal flat longitudinal webs. held in place by the said rivets.
3. A method of strengthening the various angles and joints in the frames by
struts bridges braces trusses webs and the like inserted in and united to the.
members at the flanges by rivets as described.
4. A method of securing the said composite tubular members to the main parts
by plain or shaped straps or clasps of sheet metal rivetted to the connections or
main parts and also rivetted to the flanges of the composite member.
5. A method of imparting additional strength to straight members composed of
two segments only together with an internal longitudinal web by being twisted.
spirally as set forth above.
6. A method of forming curved members by cutting blanks of sheet metal to the
required shape then corrugating and flanging and subsequently securing the flanges.
together by rivets as before described.
7. A method of constructing forks handle-bars seat-pillars and the like partly-
from the usual drawn or other tube and partly from segmentally shaped flanged.
strips of sheet metal secured together by rivets as before described.
8. A method of constructing the rigid portions of frames of only one or two.
strips of sheet metal formed to shape and flanged and secured together by rivets as
described. The connections are in their turn united to the frame by the said rivets
the flanged edges being cut and the rivet holes drilled or punched preferably in an.
irregular line (in the connections only) as shewn in Fig. 17.
THOMAS KEY.