Improvements in Cycle Chain-adjustments.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd July, 1896
Complete Specification Left, 14th Apr., 1397-Accepted, 5th June, 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Cycle Chain-adjustments.
I, CHARLES THOMAS BROCK SANGSTER, Works Manager of The Cycle
Components Manufacturing Company Limited, of Bournbrook near the City of
Birmingham, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has relation to the chain adjustment means of safety bicycles,
whereby any excessive slackness or sag occurring in a chain consequent upon the
stretching of the same by use is taken up, aud has for its object, a simple, efficient
and strong adjustment.
In most types of chain adjusting means at present in use, the ends of the back
wheel spindle are carried in drawing-up rings having flats or squared parts upon
their inner faces sliding in flat jaws or slotted end plates fitted to the back forks,
which said jaws are a source of weakness inasmuch as they are easily beut or
thrown out of truth by a slight blow.
According to my invention, I dispense with these jaws or slotted end plates and
form the longitudinal slots, wherein the spindle ends traverse when an adjustment
is effected, out of the ends of the back forks, which are preferably round in cross
section.
In carrying out my invention I fit and braze within the back end of each of the
back fork members of a bicycle framing, a liner or inner strengthening sleeve,
with its end extending slightly beyond the fork cud in order to form a cullar upon
which the end cap of the adjustment, as hereinafter described, fits. The opposite
sides of the fork end and liner fitted therein are coincidentally slotted or formed
with outwardly open-ended gaps, of a suitable length and breadth, within which
the end of the spindle is adapted to traverse.
That part of the spindle crossing the fork end and lying withm the slots is
directed through a transverse hole formed in a drawing-up block, located inside
the fork end and having an outwardly-directed screwed stalk, which passe.. through
a central hole in the end-cap, and receives the nut by which adjustment is effected.
The drawing-up block is grooved or cut away at parts in order to produce sharp
edges which give the block a better hold within the interior of the tube and
prevent the too-free sliding movement of the same therein.
The end cap consists of a milled edge disc, with an annular flange fitting over
the collar formed by the projecting end of the liner and with a central hole through
which the drawing-up screw takes, whilst the nut threaded on the said screw takes
its abutment against the outer face of the cap.
Threaded upon the spindle are a pair of concave-faced gripping washers, one of
them being located between the hub cone and the inside of the fork end and the
other between the outside of the fork and the adjustment-clamping nut on the
extreme outer end of the spindle, so that after an adjustment has been effected by
the small nuts on the drawing up screws, the nuts on the spindle ends are screwed
up and the fork ends are clamped between the concaved faced washers which
embrace the slotted sides of the said ends and draw the same onto the drawing-up
blocks which are firmly held thereby.

page_text: In order to prevent the access of dirt or dust to the bottom bracket through the
forks, the liners, inwards of the adjustments, are fitted with brazed-in washers or
closing discs.
Dated this 22nd day of Jul 1806
improvements in Cycle Chain-adjustments.
I, CHARLES THOMAS BROCK SANGSTER Works Manager of The Cycle
Components Manufacturing Company Limited, of Bournbrook near the City of
Birmingham, 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 :-
This invention has relation to the chain adjustment means of safety bicycles,
whereby any excessive slackness or sag occurring in a chain consequent upon the
stretching of the same by use is taken up, and has for its object, a simple, efficient
and strong adjustment.
In most types of chain adjustments at present in use, the ends of the back wheel
spindle are carried in drawing-up rings having flats or squared parts upon their
inner faces sliding in flat jaws or slotted end plates fitted to the back forks or
chain stays, which said jaws are a source of weakness inasmuch as they are easily
bent or thrown out of truth by a slight blow.
According to my invention, I dispense with these jaws or slotted end plates and
form the longitudinal slots, wherein the spindle ends traverse when an adjustment
is effected, out of the ends of the back forks, which are preferably round in cross
section.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawing represent a side elevation of one of the
fork ends of a safety bicycle framing fitted or provided with a chain adjustment
constructed according to my invention.
Figure 2 is a back elevation of such fork end and adjustment, with one of the
caps on the chain stay removed to show the slots in the said stay or fork.
Figure 3 is a longitudinal section of Figure 1 upon the dotted line, and
Figure 4 is a vertical section of the same upon the dotted line '.
Figure 5 is an elevation of the spindle separately.
Figure 6 is an elevation of one of the draw block or bearings located in the
interior of the chain stay end and through the holes in which and the corre-
sponding or coincident slots in the said stays the spindle carrying the back wheel,
passes.
Figure 7 is a longitudinal vertical section of the said draw block and
Figure 8 a transverse longitudinal or horizontal section of the same.
Figure 9 represents edge views, sections and inside and outside elevations of the
washers or gripping pieces whereby, ou the lock nuts on the spindle ends being
screwed up, the draw blocks and axle or spindle carried by them, are locked in
their adjusted positions by the said washers contracting or gathering the slotted
parts of the fork ends around the said blocks.
Figure 10 shows an edge view, a section, an inside elevation and an outside
elevation of one of the fork caps, through which the screwed stem of the draw
bolt or block passes and receives a washer (shown in edge view aud section in

page_text: Figure 11) and a nut (shown in plan and elevation in Figure 12) on the outside
thereof.
The same letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures
of the drawing.
Thus, in carrying out my invention, I fit and braze within the back end a', of
each of the back forks or chain stays a, of a bicycle framing, a liner or inner
strengthening sleeve a', with its end extending slightly beyond the fork end to
forin a collar a³ upon which the end cap a', of the adjustinent, as hereinafter
described, fits. The opposite sides of the fork end and liner fitted therein are
coincidentally slotted or formed with outwardly open-ended gaps a, of a suitable
length and breadth, within which one of the ends 6', of the spindle 6 which carries
the hub c, of the back wheel is adapted to traverse.
The said part b¹, of the spindle crossing the fork end and lying within the slots
is directed through a transverse hole d', formed in a draw block d, located inside
the fork end and having an outwardly-directed screwed stalk which passes
through a central hole a, in the end-cap u, and receives the washer and nut a²,
by which adjustment is effected. The drawing-up block may be grooved or cut
away at parts in order to produce sharp edges which give the block a better hold
within the interior of the tube and prevent the too-free sliding movement of the
same therein.
The end cap a consists of a milled edge disc, with an annular flange a³, fitting
over the collar a³, formed by the projecting end of the liner and with a central
hole a, through which the drawing-up screw takes, whilst the nut threaded on the
said screw takes its abutment against the outer face of the cap.
Threaded upon one end of the spindle are a pair of concave-faced gripping
washers e, e' one of them being located between the hub cone c', and the inside of
the fork end and the other between the outside of the fork and the adjustment-
clamping nut 2, ou the extreme outer end of the spindle b, whilst the other hub
cone c², has its outside face c³, correspondingly concaved and between which and
the loose washer e, on the other end of the spindle the other fork end is gripped,
so that after an adjustment has been effected by the rotation of small nuts on the
drawing up screws, the nuts on the spindle euds are screwed up and the fork
ends are clamped between the said concaved faces or gripping parts by the slotted
sides of the said ends being gathered in or contracted around the internally located
block ends of the draw pins thereby holding the same, together with the axle
passing therethrough fast or securely in their adjusted positions.
In order to prevent the access of dirt or dust to the bottom bracket through the
forks, the liners, inwards of the adjustments, may be fitted with brazed-in washers
or closing discs.
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 :-
First. In cycle chain-adjustments, carrying the ends of the spindle in sliding
blocks or bearings located within the interior of the chain stays or back forks and
coming between the straight slots in the ends of he said stays wherethrough the
said spindle passes, and which blocks are made adjustable by screwed stalk ends
of them passing through caps on the said ends of the stays and receiving nuts
which take bearing against the outsides of the said caps, substantially as described
and set forth.
Secondly. In cycle chain adjustments, the combination with the sliding spindle-
carrying draw-blocks or bearings located in the straight-slotted ends of the chain
stays or back forks and traversed longitudinally by nuts on their screwed stalks
taking bearing against the outsides of fork-end caps through which the said stalks
pass, of concave-faced gripping washers, cheeks or equivalent means for gathering
in or contracting the said slotted ends of the stays around the internal blocks or
bearings, ou the lock nuts on the spindle cnds being screwed up, whereby the

page_text: parts are locked in their adjusted positions, substantially as described and set
forth.
Dated this 13th day of April 1897.
CHARLES THOMAS BROCK SANGSTER,
By Henry Skerrett,
24 Temple Row, Birmingham, Agent for Applicant.