Improvements in Velocipedes.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 17th May, 1893
Complete Specification Left, 19th Mar., 1894-Accepted, 17th May, 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Velocipedes.
I PHILIP LOUIS RENOUF of 16 Grosvenor Road, Coventry in the County of
Warwick, Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows
The object of this invention is, whilst facilitating the construction to render
some of the essential parts of a velocipede changeable and readily detachable and
adjustable and increase their adaptability to varying requirements, without
increasing complication or diminishing strength.
The frame is constructed of straight tubes throughout, and the upper tube con-
nected with the socket and with the seat lug attached to these parts by screwing,
bolting, cottaring or clamping, but not brazed; the diagonal tube from seat lug to
pedal bracket is provided with a lng at such a distance from the bracket, that if
the upper tube be disconnected from the seat lug and fixed to this lower lug, the
frame, from a diamond shape is converted to an open one suitable for female riders
without the addition or subtraction of a single essential part.
The thrust on this lower lug is preferably relieved by a light stay or stays
resting on the chain stays.
The ends of the latter are sometimes flattened and form open slots for the purpose
of chain adjustment, and supported by the back stays in such a way that the latter
can be removed for admission or detachment of the chain case.
The ends of these back stays are preferably made of sheet metal of such shape
that they snugly cover the chain stay or fork ends and close them up when in
position and are furnished with a slot or with one or two projections to carry the
chain adjusters.
One cup of the bracket, which is preferably of the barrel variety is grooved
centrally and has solid sides so as to exclude grit and provide a hold for the
purposes of adjustment, and the cranks are preferably furnished with conical ends
into which the pedal pius are screwed, thus affording longer support and dispensing
with separate parts.
Sometimes however the pedal pin is first screwed into a separate adjusting cone
lying against the face of the crank, one pair of nuts only being dispensed with.
Sometimes the detachable and variable top rail is formed out of two parallel
tubes.
Dated thin 15th FM 1000
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Velocipedes.
PHILIP LOUIS RENOUF, 16, Grosvenor Road, Coventry, in the County of
Warwick, 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 :-
The object of this invention is, whilst facilitating the construction, to render
some of the essential parts of a velocipede changeable, readily detachable, and
adjustable, and to increase their adaptability to varying requirements, without
Pains 811

page_text: increasing complication, or diminishing strength. For these purposes on so called
diamond framed velocipedes I render the top tube or tubes detachable, in the
manner usual where a machine suitable for the use of females has to be
strengthened when used by heavier riders of the male sex ; but whereas hitherto,
when the lower tube had to be made sufficiently strong, and therefore heavy and
clumsy, to be independent of the upper tube, and the upper tube or tubes had
to be left behind when the machine was to be used by a lady, and therefore not
always available, or else had to be carried in some way which rendered the
machine unsightly in one or in both combinations, I construct the machine as
illustrated in Fig. 1. The lower rail C which connects the steering socket A. and
the bottom bracket B is of the same strength and form as in the so called diamond
frame machines. Socket A is provided with two lugs, a', a², and the diagonal
tube E is provided with a lug 2 so situated that the distance from a² to e² is
exactly equal to the distance from a¹ to the bolt hole of the seat pillar clip, or else
a special lug fixed at e¹. D is a detachable stay, which may consist of one tube,
(or of a pair of tubes), in length equal to this distance: when D is mounted
between A¹ and e¹ the frame is of the ordinary diamond pattern: when D is
mounted between a² and e² a perfect frame of the open fronted type is presented.
To obviate the great weakness of machines of this latter class, in consequence of
the great thrust against the diagonal tube just above the bottom bracket, I fix a
strut F, or a pair of struts, resting on the chainstays G. The bottom bracket is
preferably of the barrel type, but to obviate the usual difficulty in removing the
axle and to increase the stability of the bearings, I provide an adjustment of the
expanding type, i.e. one in which the wear on the axle is outward, not inward as
usual, the adjusting cup being screwed outward to take up the wear the adjusting
cap or cup being shewn in section in Fig. 2; the whole is made out of a single
piece of steel with a central groove to receive the balls, and the front is provided
with a pair of holes o, o', or else with a projection, or projections, to fit a suitable
spanner; all loose dust caps are thus dispensed with.
and nut.
Where the pedal pins are screwed into the crank they are either fixtures,
involving great loss in case of damage, or they are detachable, involving great
trouble owing to the difficulty of finding sufficient support and space for both pin
I therefore sometimes widen the end of the crank I, Fig. 3, by a cone
shaped projection on which forms part of the pedal bearing and recess the back
of the crank to receive a locknut 2, sometimes, as in Fig. 4 a cone L is separate
from the crank and being provided with two or more flats, and 12 acts as a
locknut the pedal pins K are provided with slots for a screw driver and screwed
through the cone i¹ or the cone L into the crank end and locked into position either
by the nut or by turning back the cone L. Sometimes the screwed end of the
pedal pin is provided with a right and a left handed thread, or else with two
threads of varying diameters and also varying pitches, the threads in the cone,
crank and nut being made to correspond.
:
.
The chain stay G is flattened at the end g¹ shewn separately in Figs. 5, 6 & 7
and provided with a slot for the purpose of chain adjustment. The back stay H
is brazed to a sheet metal plate ; this plate is also slotted and cut to fit exactly
over the pressed tubular fork end g. The ends of g' are preferably turned up,
as shewn in plan in Fig. 5 to prevent the plate and the stay H from slipping
out of position when not firmly secured by the axle nut, and the end of plate
is frequently turned up and slotted or perforated for the purpose of holding the
screw of the adjusting piece usually employed on velocipedes. This end h² is shewn
in plan, before being bent up, in Fig. 6. It is obvious that when the wheel pin is
passed through both the slotted tubular end of G and the plate h', and secured by
a nut, the flattened tubular part g' will be materially supported and the stays H & G
firmly united.
By this means several comparatively heavy stampings are dispensed with and
a very light and cheap fork end provided, whilst the back stay H is readily
detachable and will therefore facilitate the mounting of a chain. case or cover.

page_text: 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. A velocipede frame, so shaped and furnished with a detachable upper stay,
or pair of stays, of such shape and length that according to its position either a
diamond frame, or an open fronted or low built frame for ladies' use is provided,
the machine being of perfect shape in either form.
2. The strut or struts F, resting on the chain stays G and meeting the thrust
imposed by a lowly rail D on a diagonal tube E in the manner described.
3. An undercut or centrally grooved ball bearing cup or piece F made for the
purpose of adjustment and for the exclusion of dust as illustrated in Fig. 2 and as
described.
4. The crank I Fig. 3 provided with a projecting ball bearing cone for the
purpose of receiving a pedal pin as described.
5. The piece L, Fig. 4, acting both as adjusting cone, and as locknut.for a pedal
pin, substantially as described.
6. A pedal pin screwed through a cone lying on the face of a crank end and
adjusted and locked thereto by means of threads of varying pitch or by means of
left and right handed threads, substantially as described.
7. A slotted plate or washer ' forming the extremity of back stay H, Figs. 1, 5
6 & 7 and supporting a tubular chainstay G in the manner described.
8. The combination of a flattened fork end and a slotted plate forming a chain
adjustment in the manner described.
9. The slotted stay end plate
forming at ² a guide or holder for the purpose
of chain adjustment substantially as described.
Dated this 16th day of March 1894.
PHILIP LOUIS RENOUF