IMPROVED MEANS FOR TIGHTENING THE DRIVING CHAINS OF VELOCIPEDES
Year: 1884

page_text: We JOSEPH WHITE of Earlsdon near Coventry in the County of Warwick
Watch Manufacturer and JOHN ASBURY, of Cheylesmore, Coventry in the County
of Warwick, Machinist do hereby declare the nature of our invention for IMPROVED
MEANS FOR TIGHTENING THE DRIVING CHAINS OF VELOCIPEDES, to be as follows:-
It is well known that the driving chains of velocipedes become slack from wear
and other causes, and require from time to time to be tightened up. Various
contrivances are at present in use for effecting this object, but their adjustment
cannot be relied on as permanent. We now propose to pivot the bracket bearing
which carries the pedal shaft to the main framing and to hinge to this bracket a
tension rod which is threaded at its free end to receive a pair of adjusting nuts and
to pass this threaded end of the rod through a lug on the frame, the nuts being one
on either side of such lug.
By simply turning these nuts so as to clamp the lag the bracket may be held
firmly in any desired position. Thus the chain of the chain-wheel on the pedal shaft
may readily be tightened up and there will be no tendency for the bracket to work
loose.
When, however, it is required to slacken the chain for the purpose of unshipping
it from the chain-wheel this may be readily done by slackening the nuts on the
tension rod.

page_text: We JOSEPH WHITE of Earlsdon near Coventry in the County of Warwick,
Watch Manufacturer, and JOHN ASBURY of Cheylesmore Coventry in the County
of Warwick, Machinist, do hereby declare the nature of our invention for IMPROVED
MEANS FOR TIGHTENING THE DRIVING CHAINS OF VELOCIPEDES, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement:—
It is well known that the driving chains of velocipedes become slack from wear
and other causes, and require from time to time to be tightened up. Various
contrivances are at present in use for effecting this object, but their adjustment
cannot be relied on as permanent..
In order effectually to provide against the strain of the chain upon the adjusted
chain wheel, we employ the arrangement shown in the accompanying drawing,
which represents a portion of a tricycle frame fitted with adjustable bearings for the
pedal or chain wheel shaft,-
Fig. 1 being a side elevation and Fig. 2 a plan view of the same.
In these figures A. is a portion of the frame of a tricycle and B is a forked
bracket piece hinged thereto, it being secured in place by a transverse bolt C.
The forked bearing B is fitted with ball or other bearings to receive the pedal
shaft D, on which is keyed the chain wheel E. F is a tension rod forked at one
end and hinged by its fork to the bracket bearing B. The free end of this tension
rod is threaded to receive a pair of adjusting nuts ff and it is passed through a
lug a on the frame A, the nuts ff being one on either side of such lug. By simply
turning these nuts so as to clamp the lug a, the bracket piece B may be held firmly
in any desired position, it being free to move on the transverse bolt C as its pivot.
It will now be understood that the chain of the chain wheel E on the pedal shaft D
may readily be tightened up and the tendency of the bracket B to work lose,
effectually counteracted.
When however it is required to slacken the chain for the purpose of unshipping
it from the chain wheel, this may be readily done by slackening the nuts on the
tension rod, and leaving the hinged bracket bearing free to move on its pivot.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is :-
The application to velocipedes of a bracket bearing for the pedal shaft hinged to
the frame of the velocipede and further connected therewith by means of an
adjustable tension rod in the manner and for the purpose above set forth.