Improvements in and relating to the Driving Mechanism of Chainless Velocipedes.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 18th May, 1890-Accepted, 24th Sept.,
1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to the Driving Mechanism of Chainless
Velocipedes.
I, GEORGE POPE, of Hartford, in the County of Hartford and State of Con-
necticut, United States of America, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be parti-
cularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:
My invention relates more particularly to the class of velocipedes in which
the motive power is communicated to the driving wheel through the medium of
gear wheels which form part of the driving mechanism.
The object of my invention is to provide bearings for the several shafts and
rotating members of the vehicle of a kind that will best sustain the several weights
and strains and permit the adjustment of a set of bearings adapted to receive a
thrust in one direction without disturbing the adjustment of the bearings which
are subject to strains in a direction at an angle with the first set of bearings.
To this end my said invention is characterized in that, while the side thrust on
either of the rotary shafts of the said driving-gear or on the hub of the driving-
wheel is supported by roller-bearings, the end thrust is borne by a ball-bearing at
the end of the said shaft or hub opposite the gear-wheel thereon. In this ball-
bearing the balls are arranged between a cone which is fixed with relation to the
said gear-wheel and a ball-case or step which is adjustable relatively thereto, the
points of contact of the ball-bearing being situated in a line parallel with the axis
of the said shaft or hub.
:-
Referring to the drawings:-
Figure 1 is a detail view partly in section through the rear portion of a bicycle
on a plane passing through the axes of the several shafts.
Figure 2 is a detail side view of the rear fork with the crank-shafi and rear
brackets attached to the ends thereof.
Figure 3 is a detail side view of the removable casing with parts broken away
to show the roller bearing shell and roller bearing carrier.
Figure 4 is a detail end view of said parts.
A roller bearing shell 1) which supports a roller bearing carrier E located
therein, is in turn supported within a removable casing I located in the crank
shaft bracket a¹.
The roller bearing carrier E is tubular in form and contains at each end roller
recesses, and separators and aligners el located between the recesses. Rollers F, G
are located in the recesses at each end of the roller bearing carrier, this carrier
being of a size, as to diameter and thickness of its walls, to allow the rollers F, G
to lie in contact with the outer surface of the crank shaft sleeve B and the inner
surface of the roller bearing shell D. This shell is provided at one end with a
slight enlargement or flange d resting against a shoulder located on the inner
surface of the removable casing I which prevents excessive lateral movement of the
shell toward the gear-wheel C.
A ball-case or step H is fitted in that end of the removable casing I opposite
the gear-wheel C by means of interengaging screw-threads, and a cone K is located
on the hub of the corresponding crank a³, the adjustment between the cone and
•

page_text: the ball-case for the proper contact of the balls h located between the two, being
secured by means of the ball-case H.
The gear end of the crank bracket a¹ is closed by means a cap L secured to
the bracket in any desired manner, and a felt retainer M is secured to this cap
as by means of rivets m¹. A dust washer m² is held between the felt retainer and
ide cap, closely surrounding the opening in which is located the hub of the
crank a², The casing I may be removably held in the crank-bracket a¹ in any
suitable manner, as by means of bolts passing through lugs located on opposite
sides of a thinned or split portion of the bracket, tending to reduce the diameter
of the bracket and clamping the casing firmly in place..
The lower rear fork R contains the connecting-shaft r¹, having the bevel-
gears N, n³ secured to its opposite ends. The gear N is secured in place against
removal, as by means of a tapered nut n, and against relative rotation on the
shafi, as by means of a tongue n¹ on the gear fitting a groove in the shaft. The
roller bearing sleeve $ serves the double function as a bearing for the rollers
and also as a retainer for the roller guard s, the roller bearing separator
against this guard which prevents movement of the separator in one direction
lengthwise of the shaft.
resting
A forwardly extending projection O from the rear bracket P-contains means for
longitudinal adjustment of the forward connecting-shaft gear N as well as for the
roller bearings supporting the rear end of the connecting-shaft against side thrust.
The step or ball-case T for the balls t is adjustably mounted in the projection O
by means of the adjusting nut 12 operated by a spanner in the
holes through the opening in the under side of the projection 0.
The cone is seated against. a shoulder formed by a Hange 2 on
the shaft that also supports a spacing washer 3 seated against a shoulder on the
opposite side of the flange. The roller bearing separator and aligner is held
against lengthwise movement in one direction by the spacing washer, and
against movement in the opposite direction by the gear n², the rollers being
located between the hub of the gear and the inner surface of the roller bearing.
The axle U of the driving wheel is secured at one end in an ear 12 formed on
the inner wall of the rear bracket cap p', the other end of the axle being supported
in the ordinary frame connection R¹, as by means of a lock nut u¹. The rollers u³
are located between the roller bearing V and the axle, a retainer & screwed into
one end of the hub and a roller bearing carrier held in place by a retainer ª pre-
venting lengthwise movement of the rollers on the axle. A felt dust washer ³
between the hub of the wheel and the rear bracket prevents entrance of dust
within the casing.
The rollers at the opposite end of the driving wheel hub from that just
described are located between the roller bearing and the axle, these rollers
being held against lengthwise movement by means of the roller guard and
the cone which is fixed in a relative position with regard to the gear . The
balls wo are located in the ball-race between the cone 8 and the ball-case or step w¹
that is adjustably secured within the hub of the driving wheel and on the axle,
and held in any position of adjustment by means of the frame connection R¹. A
dust washer w prevents entrance of dust to the roller bearings in this end of the
hub.
It will be seen from the foregoing description, taken in connection with the
drawings herein, that the roller bearings are especially applicable as a journal
support in the class of vehicles described, for the reason that the rollers will serve
to preserve the alignment of the gears better than ball-bearings. A further advan-
tage is that the line bearing of a cylinder is infinitely greater than the point
bearing of a ball, thereby insuring longer life to the bearing parts.
It is of the utmost importance in the construction of these bearings that the
axes of all the gear shafts shall remain in the same plane, and, as the rollers are
of the parallel cylindrical type, the axial relations are not disturbed while the
gear adjustments are taking place.

page_text: The roller bearing carrier E has two functions, namely, it preserves the proper
distance between the two sets of rollers, and also separates the individual rollers
in each set by means of the separators and aligners el projecting from the end.
The adjustable ball-case or step H and the inner face of the gear hub C act as
guards to prevent excessive longitudinal movement of the rollers, but the rollers
themselves take no end thrust; this is true of all the rollers throughout the vehicle.
The cone K is fixed against a shoulder on the crank a³, and, when the parts
are assembled, preserves a fixed position with relation to both, its crank and the
gear C. All adjustment is made by means of the ball-case or step H which is
locked in position by means of the clamp holding the removable casing I in place.
From the construction of the ball-cases and cones in each instance it will be
noted that a step-bearing is produced in which the lines of continct of the balls are
parallel with the axis of the shaft, this affording the best means for holding the
gears in proper mesh when subjected to the greatest loads. The paths at both
contact points of each of the balls are of the same length, having all the attending
advantages of such a construction. It is obviously unnecessary to provide for a
bearing thrust in both directions from the tendency of the gears to separate while
at work, thus bringing a surain in one direction only. The arrangement and con-
struction of the connecting shaft bearings are identical in principle with those of
the crank-shaft with the exception that the step bearing is so arranged as to meet
the thrust from the gear whose working face is at the greatest angle with the axis
of the shaft to which it is connected, as this pitch line angle governs the amount
of longitudinal thrust offered by a bevel gear. In the form shown, the working
face of the rear gear on the connecting-shaft has a greater angle with the driving
wheel shaft than has the working face of the gear on the forward end of the con-
necting-shaft with the axis of the crank-shaft, hence the greater amount of thrust
on the connecting-shaft is forward, and therefore the thrust bearing is arranged to
take the strain in this direction. When the angles of the working faces of the
gears on each end of the connecting shaft, with the said shafts respectively, are
the same, it is obvious that no step-bearing would be required for the reason that
the thrust in both directions would be equal. The means for adjusting the step
at the rear end of the connecting-shaft is for the purpose of insuring the proper
meshing of the forward connecting-shafi gear with the crank-shaft gear, the adjust-
ment of the rear connecting-shaft gear being accomplished by means of the spacing
washer r³. After the adjustment of the forward gears has been effected, a
spacing washer of the required thickness is employed to secure the proper contact
between the gear and the rear end of the connecting-shaft and that on the driving
wheel hub.
For obvious reasons, the axle U has a fixed position with relation to the rear
bracket cap, thus doing away with the necessity of a lock nut, and the adjustment
of the rear hub gear is effected by means of the peculiar arrangement of the bear-
ings at the opposite end of the hub of the driving-wheel.
It is to be noted that, in this type of construction, each adjustment of a rotating
part is of the simple type as distinguished from the complex adjustment usual in
the form of ball-bearings of the prior art, each of such ball-bearings being de-
pendent on the other, and, in socuring this adjustment, attention must be paid at
the same time to the proper meshing of the gears.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
1. Two shafts located at an angle with each other and operatively connected,
one of said shafts having roller bearings to support the side thrust and a ball bear-
ing to support the end thrust thereon.
2. Two shafts located at an angle with with each other and operatively connected,
one of said shafts having roller bearings to support the side thrust and a ball-

page_text: bearing adjustably mounted at one end of the said shaft for supporting the end
thrust thereon, substantially as hereinbefure described and for the purposes
specified.
3. The combination, with a rotary shaft or hub having a gear-wheel fixed there-
on, of roller-bearings for supporting the side thrust on the said shaft or hub,
and balls for supporting the end thrust thereon arranged between a cone fixed
with relation to the said gear-wheel and a ball-case or step adjustable relatively
to the same, substantially as hereinbefore described and for the purposes specified.
4. The combination, with the driving-shaft, of a roller-bearing carrier in which
rollers are supported and which is enclosed in a shell secured in a removable
casing having at one end a ball-bearing for supporting end thrust on the said
shaft, substantially as, and for the purposes, above specified.
5. The combination of a support, a shaft mounted in the said support, a roller
bearing carrier, having separators and aligners, mounted between the shaft and
support, and roller-bearings mounted in the aligners and supporting the shaft.
6. The combination with a support, a shaft mounted in the said support, a roller
bearing carrier located between the shaft and support and having recesses in the
end forming separators and aligners, and rollers located in the said recesses and
forming a support for the shaft.
7. The combination, with two shafts located at an angle with each other and
operatively connected, of a roller bearing carrier surrounding one of the said
shafts, rollers located in the carrier for supporting the said shaft, a step-bearing
located at the opposite end of the said shaft from its connection with the other
shaft, a cone secured to the said shaft outside of the step, and balls located between
the said step and cone to support end thrust on the shaft, substantially as described.
8. The combination with two shafts located at an angle with each other and
operatively connected, of a roller bearing carrier surrounding one of the said
shafts, rollers located in the carrier and supporting side thrust on the shaft, a
ball case adjustably secured to the support for the said shaft and forming a step
bearing, the shaft support, a cone secured to the shaft inside of the ball-case, and
balls located between the case and cone and supporting end thrust on the shaft,
substantially as described.
9. The combination of a rotating shaft, a support therefor, a cap closing the
end of the support, a felt retainer secured to the cap, and a dust washer located
between the cap and felt retainer, and surrounding the shaft, substantially as,
and for the purposes, above specified.
10. The combination with two shafts located at an angle with each other and
operatively connected, of roller-bearings for supporting side thrust on the said
shafts, a ball-case seated against a shoulder on one shaft at the opposite end from
its connection with the opposing shaft, a cone, balls located between said ball case
and cone, and an adjusting nut supporting the end thrust of said cone, substan-
tially as and for the purposes, above specified.
11. The combination with two shafts located at an angle with each other and
operatively connected, roller bearings for supporting side thrust on the said shafts,
a ball-case seated against a shoulder on one shaft at the opposite end from its
connection with the opposing shaft, a cone, balls located between the said ball
case and cone, an adjusting nut supporting the end thrust on said cone, and a
spacing washer located on the opposite side of said shoulder from the ball case.
Dated, Hartford, Connecticut, U.S.A., April 25th 1898.
GEORGE POPE.
D. Young & Co.,
11 and 12, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.
GEORGE POPE.
D. Young & Co.,
11 and 12, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.