Improvements in Friction Clutches for use in Cycles and Analogous Vehicles.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Sept., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 12th June, 1900-Accepted, 4th Aug., 1900
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Friction Clutches for use in Cycles and Analogous
Vehicles.
I, WALTER JAMES SIDWELL, Works Manager of The New Coventry Cross Cycle
Company, Limited, of Foleshill Road, Coventry, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to friction clutches, principally for use in connection
with the hubs of "free" wheels employed in cycles, motor-driven vehicles and
the like, but which are also applicable to cycle crank axles for actuating
back-pedalling brakes, and for analogous purposes.
The particular type of friction clutch to which my invention has reference is
that in which a series of rollers are located within inclined-bottomed recesses
formed in the periphery of a ring secured to the body of a hub or like part to
be driven and act by frictional contact to operatively connect the said hub to a
chain wheel for driving by the inner periphery of the said wheel-on being
caused to rotate by the chain-drawing the rollers up the inclines of their
recesses and wedging them between the bottoms of the said recesses and opposite
parts of the inner surface of the wheel, but when the said chain and chain
wheel are held stationary, on the rider discontinuing pedalling, the rollers are
released by the forward movement of the hub ring within the chain wheel and
taken down the inclines out of contact with the wheel periphery in which position
they remain so long as the hub and road wheel are running free. The same
action applied to crank axle clutches excepting that the recessed ring is keyed to
and rotates with the axle and the rollers act against the inner periphery of a
loose ring connected to a brake rod or the like.
The object of my invention is to render such clutches immediate and positive
in their action, or to so construct them that the whole of the friction rollers
employed are made to act simultaneously for wedging a driven part to the
driving element when the clutch is thrown into gear, and this I propose to effect
principally by the employment of a spring seating or expanding ring acting
in common upon the whole of the rollers of the clutch and tending to lift thenr
collectively up their respective inclines and into their operative positions when
the driven part is to be connected with the driving element, instead of them
being drawn up the said inclines only by the friction exercised upon them by the
differential initial movement which takes place between the two elements when
the driver is first rotated.
In carrying out one form of my invention as applied to the clutch of a "free-
wheel" cycle hub, the device consists of a thick disc secured by suitable means
to the wheel hub and provided on its outer periphery with a series of inclined-
bottom recesses, the whole being surrounded by a loose chain wheel or toothed
driving ring which is connected to the inner disc by a series of friction rollers
located in the recesses retained therein preferably by side plates or cheeks
Around one side
attached to the said disc and closing the sides of the recesses.

page_text: of the disc I form an annular channel or groove extending inwards for a suit-
able distance, say, for instance, to an extend equal to a third of thickness and
so disposed that it intersects or cuts into the bottom of each recess in such a
manner as to form a clearance or space opening from the channel into the recess,
and within the said channel I place a continuous or endless spring band or ring
formed either from a volute coiled strip of steel, length of wire or its equivalent,
so arranged that portions of it extend into the recesses in the disc and come
underneath an end of the rollers, which thus rest partially on an elastic seating
and partially upon the solid bearing formed by the intact part of the inclined
bottom. The band, which may be kept in place by one of the side cheeks, is
preferably of such a nature as to yield inwards in obedience to a slight pressure,
such as would be exercised upon it by the rollers when the latter are being held
out of action at the bottoms of the inclines when the hub is running free, but
yet is sufficiently strong to immediately lift the whole of the said rollers simul-
taneously up the said inclines when the outer driving ring is again propelled;
it being understood that in every case enough metal is left intact in the bottom
of each recess to provide efficient bearing for the rollers when in their operative
or wedging position.
As a modification, the spring band or seating may be located within an annular
channel formed around the middle of the clutch disc so that the middle of each
roller seats itself upon the said band whilst its ends take a solid bearing upon
separated inclines coming on either side of the ring, whilst as a further form I-
may employ a pair of spring rings or bands located in grooves cut on the two
outer faces of the disc and intersecting the recesses on their opposite sides. My
invention may also, with slight modification be applied to clutches in which
other connecting media than rollers are employed, whilst the application of my
improvements for clutches to be used for operating back pedalling brakes and
for use in motor driven and annalogous vehicles differs in no essential respect
from its application to a free wheel hub clutch as herein described.
Dated this 15th day of September 1899.
WALTER JAMES SIDWELL,
By Henry Skerrett,
Agent for Applicant.
Improvements in Friction Clutches for use in Cycles and Analogous
Vehicles.
I, WALTER JAMES SIDWELL, Works Manager of The New Coventry Cross Cycle
Company, Limited, of Foleshill Road, Coventry, 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 relates to friction clutches, principally for use in connection
with the hubs of "free" wheels employed in cycles, motor-driven vehicles and
the like, but which are also applicable to cycle crank axles for actuating
back-pedalling brakes, and for analogous purposes.
The type of friction clutch to which my invention has particular reference is
that in which a series of rollers are located within inclined-bottomed recesses
formed in the periphery of a ring secured to the body of a hub or like part to
be driven and act by frictional contact to operatively connect the said hub to a
chain wheel for driving by the inner periphery of the said wheel-on being
caused to rotate by the running chain-drawing the rollers up the inclines of their

page_text: recesses and wedging them between the bottoms of the said recesses and opposite
parts of the inner surface of the wheel, but when the said chain and chain
wheel are held stationary on the rider discontinuing pedalling, the rollers are
released by the forward movement of the hub ring within the chain wheel and
taken down the inclines out of contact with the wheel periphery in which position
they remain so long as the hub and road wheel are running free. The same
action applies to crank axle clutches excepting that the recessed ring is keyed to
and rotates with the axle and the rollers act against the inner periphery of a
loose ring connected to a brake rod or the like.
The object of my invention is to render such clutches immediate and positive
in their action, or to so construct them that the whole of the friction rollers
employed are made to act simultaneously for wedging a driven part to the
driving element when the clutch is thrown into gear, and this I propose to effect
principally by the employment of a spring seating or expanding ring acting
in common upon the whole of the rollers of the clutch and tending to lift them
collectively up their respective inclines and into their operative positions when
the driven part is to be connected with the driving element, instead of them
being drawn up the said inclines only by the friction exercised upon them by the
differential initial movement which takes place between the two elements when
the driver is first rotated.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings represents one form of my improved
clutch, as applied to a free-wheel hub. The cover plates of the clutch are
removed; and the toothed outer ring is in elevation, whilst the inner dise is
shown in longitudinal vertical section,
Figure 2 represents a separate elevation of the said toothed outer ring and
Figure 3 is a like view of the inner disc.
Figure 4 is an edge view of the said disc, which is the driven element of the
clutch and is secured to the hub.
Figure 5 represents a cross section of the inner dise and Figure 6; is a longi-
tudinal vertical section of the same, upon the dotted line, Figure 4.
Figure 7 represents an elevation and end view of one of the series of rollers
employed in this clutch, whilst Figure 8 represents two separate views of one
form of spring band or seating by which the said rollers are lifted into their
operative positions.
The same letter of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures
of the drawings.
In this form of our invention, the clutch consists of a disc or inner ring a,
secured by suitable means to the wheel hub e (see Figure 1), and provided on its
outer periphery with a series of inclined-bottom recesses a', the whole being
surrounded by a loose chain wheel or toothed driving ring b, which is connected
to the inner disc by a series of friction rollers f located in the recesses a retained
therein preferably by side plates or cheeks (not shown) attached to the said disc
and closing the side of the recesses. Around this inner disc I form a circum-
ferential annular channel or groove c, of a suitable depth, and so disposed that
it intersects or passes circumferentially through each recess and within the said
channel I place a spring band or ring d, formed from a coiled strip of steel, and
so arranged that portions of it extend into the recesses in the disc and come
underneath the middles of the rollers, which thus rest partially on an elastic
seating and partially upon the solid bearing formed by the intact side parts a*, of
the inclined bottoms a³. The band which is preferably of such a strength as
to yield inwards in obedience to a slight pressure such as would be exercised
upon it by the rollers when the latter are being held out of action at the bottoms
of the inclines when the hub is running free, but yet is sufficiently powerful to
immediately lift the whole of the said rollers simultaneously up the said inclines
when the outer driving ring is again propelled, it being understood that in every
case enough metal is left intact in the bottom of each recess to provide efficient
bearing for the rollers when in their operative or wedging positions. The spring

page_text: may be either formed from a strip of steel with overlapping ends, as shown, or
from an endless sleeve ring, or from coiled wire, or in any other equivalent
manner.
As a modification, the spring band or seating may be located within an
annular channel formed around one side of the clutch disc so that only an end
part of each roller seats itself upon the said band, whilst the other portions take
a solid bearing upon the intact parts of the inclines coming underneath them.
In this case the spring ring may be retained within the open-sided channel by
one of the side plates of the clutch.
As a further form I may employ a pair of spring rings or bands located in
grooves cut on the two outer faces of the disc and intersecting the recesses on their
opposite sides with a solid bearing part being left in the middle of each roller
sinking.
My invention may also, with slight modification be applied to clutches in which
balls, sliding blocks, or other connecting media than rollers are employed, whilst
the application of my improvements to clutches to be used in connection with
the crank axles and driving sprocket wheels of cycles, for operating back-pedalling
brakes and for use in motor driven and analogous vehicles differs in no essential
respect from its application to a free wheel hub clutch as herein described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
First In friction clutches for use in cycles and analogous vehicles, locating
each of the clutching rollers or equivalent devices upon a spring seating or bed,
substantially as and for the purpose as herein described, and also as set forth in
the accompanying drawings.
Secondly In friction clutches for use in cycles and analogous vehicles, the
employment of a spring seating or expanding ring or rings, located underneath
and adapted to act in common upon the whole of the rollers or equivalent devices
of the clutch, for lifting them collectively into their operative positions when
the driven part is to be connected with the driving element, substantially as
herein described, and also as set forth in the accompanying drawings.
Thirdly In friction clutches for use in cycles and analogous vehicles, the
employment of a spring seating or expanding ring, or rings, located with an
annular channel or channels formed around the inner ring of the clutch and
coming underneath the several rollers or equivalent devices, which are lifted
collectively or simultaneously into the operative positions by the expansion of
the seating ring when the driven part is to be connected with the driving
element, substantially as herein described and also as set forth in the accom-
panying drawings.
1000
WALTER JAMES SIDWELL.
By Henry Skerrett,
24, Temple Row, Birmingham, Agent for Applicant.