A Bicycle Wheel Hub with Driving Mechanism.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 1st July, 1895--Accepted, 21st Sept., 1895
A Bicycle Wheel Hub with Driving Mechanism.
I, SEWARD THOMAS JOHNSON, residing at Railroad Street, in Noblesville,
County of Hamilton, and State of Indiana. Machinist, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention and in what mauner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in "bicycle wheel
hubs" and consists in an arrangement of speed reducing gears inclosed in said hub
and a clutch mechanism, by the longitudinal movement of which, said gears are
hrown either into, or out of operative engagement, and will be hereinafter more
fully set forth.
The object of my invention is to provide a bicycle wheel hub, in which are
inclosed a combination of gear wheels, by and through which a more increased
propelling force is imparted to the hub of the wheel, and to provide a clutch
mechanism whereby the said gearing may be placed either in operative or
inoperative engagement with the driving gear wheel, while the said wheel is either
in motion or at rest, and means whereby the said clutch mechanism may be operated
to maintain said gears at rest and permit the free and independent rotation of the
wheel and its hub in either direction; also, to provide means whereby the frictional
resistance of the mechanism will be reduced to a minimum, to reduce the mechanism
into a more compact form for the purpose of not only decreasing the distance
between the points of support of the axle, but also to bring the plane of action of
the driven sprocket wheel of the hub as close as possible to the plane of the centre
of the rim or tire of the wheel, thereby reducing the bending stress on the axle.
I attain these objects by means of the arrangement of the mechanism illustrated
in the accompanying drawings in which similar numbers of reference designate like
parts throughout the several views.
Fig. 1 is a sectional view of the hub taken through the line A, B. See Fig. 2:
Fig. 2 is an end sectional view of the end of the hub, taken through the
line C, D. (Figure 1).
Fig. 3 is a detail view of the fixed axle of the wheel and showing the clutch
mechanism of the reducing gearing attached thereto;
Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of another modified form of the hub taken
through the line E, F. See Fig. 5.
Fig. is an end sectional elevation of the same taken through the line G, H.
See Fig. 4;
Fig. 6 is a sectional perspective view of the shifting sleeve for moving the
pinion on the axle longitudinally;
Fig. 7 is a broken detail perspective view of the cam collar of the shifting
sleeve;
Fig. 8 is a detail perspective view of the gear pinion clutch of the hub;
Fig. 9 is a detail perspective sectional view of the gear pinion clutch, mounted
loosely on the fixed axle; and,
Fig. 10 is a detail perspective view of the fixed clutch on the fixed axle.
The stationary or fixed axle 2, of the hub has its ends 3 threaded to receive the
ball bearing ways or races 4, (preferably of steel) against the flat end surfaces of
which the ends 1 of the fork of the bicycle frame are clamped by the securing
nuts 5 screwed on the threaded ends of the said axle 2 by which the latter is
rigidly held to said frame of the bicycle.
The hub of the wheel is formed in one integral piece, composed of a sleeve piece

page_text: having an internal diameter sufficiently great to inclose, without touching, those
pieces of mechanism secured on the fixed axle, and on the sleeve 6 having the enlarged
ends 7, are formed integral thereon, the spoke discs 8 and 9 and the gear wheel
carrying disc 10, which latter discs 9 and 10 are connected or stayed together by
the distance bars 11, formed integral on the inner opposite fares thereof.
The enlarged ends 7 of the hub are adapted to receive the ball bearing ways or
races 12 of the ball bearings 13, wherein said ways securely and tightly fit. In
order that said ways or races 12 be additionally secured in said bub, I slit or split
the ends thereof longitudinally and form tapering threads on their exterior
peripheral surfaces wherein the clamping nuts 14 are screwed and whereby the said
enlarged ends 7 are compressed to reduce their diameter and to more firmly clamp
the said races therein.
The spoke disc 8 is of the usual form, but the disc 9 is recessed or dished in such
a manner that the disc 10, falls within or is capable of being inclosed in said recess.
The disc 8 is drilled with a series of holes near its peripheral edge wherein the
spokes of the wheel are secured, and the flared or outwardly turned flanged
portion ga of the disc 9 is also drilled in a similar manner and for the same purpose.
Each of the discs 9 and 10 are drilled to receive the bearing studs or journals 15
which are firmly secured therein and are arranged with their axes at equal radial
distances from the axis of the said hub and on these studs are journaled the gear
pinions 16.
The internal gear wheel 17 meshes with the intermediate gear pinions 16 and is
provided with the outwardly projecting sleeve 18 formed integral on the web or
disc 19 and which is provided for the purpose of obtaining a longer journal bearing
on the end of the hub whereon said internal wheel 17 is journaled.
The teeth of the internal gear wheel 17 are preferably formed in an annulus or
ring (preferably of steel) and which is turned to nearly fit and be driven tightly
into the recessed portion of the disc 19.
The sleeve 18 has a thread formed on its exterior surface to receive the chain
driven sprocket wheel 21 which is securely screwed thereon and against which the
liners 22, which are composed of a number of thin washers, are held firmly in
position by the locking nut 23 also screwed firmly on said sleeve against said
sprocket.
The screw nut 14 screwed on the ends 7 of the hub serves also for the purpose
of a journal collar against which the end of the sleeve of the internal gear 17 bears
and by which said internal gear is held in position and prevented from moving in a
longitudinal direction.
In the fixed axle 2 is formed the slot 20 in which the gib key 24 accurately fits,
and is adapted to slide longitudinally therein. The gib-key 24 is slit longitudinally
and centrally the greater portion of its length and the edges of the said slit are
threaded with a tapering thread and adapted to receive the threaded end of the
shifting rod 25 by the turning of which the key is expanded to firmly hold the end
keeps 26 and 27 between which the gear pinion 28 is held and freely turus on the
fixed axle. See Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 9. The end keep washers are adapted to
clamp only the expanded key 24 and are of a sufficient internal diameter to loosely
slide on the axle, and are applied on the said key by springing the key in, when
the shifting rod 25 is removed, which permits the said keep washers to be passed
over the gibbed ends of the said key, after which the said shifting rod is passed
through the hollow portion of the gib key and screwed into the slit of said key to
expand the latter to firmly hold said keep washers.
The clutch rod 25 projects beyond the end of the axle 2 and has the
shifting rod sleeve 29 loosely mounted on the reduced end thereof, whereon it
is held by the retaining nut 30, and is free to turn on said reduced or neck
end of the rod.
On the prolonged threaded end of the axle 2 is firmly and rigidly secured, the
cam roller 31 in the peripheral surface of which are formed the inclined or helical
groove 32 wherein a single ball bearing is introduced, one to each groove and are

page_text: neatly fitted in said grooves and held therein by the inclosing sleeve 29 which has
an annular or straight groove adapted to also receive the projecting portion of the
ball bearings of the cam sleeve, thus as the said sleeve 29 is turned, the shifting
rod and its key are moved longitudinally and on a direction corresponding with the
direction of the inclination of the grooves of the collar 31.
At or near the middle portion of the axle 2 is firmly secured the fixed sleeve 33
which is formed with an equal number of internal gear teeth adapted to engage the
teeth of the pinion 28 to hold it from rotating, and in the enlarged end of the hub
of the wheel at the opposite end of the pinion 28, is securely pressed therein a
similar clutch 34 which is also adapted to receive in engagement the pinion 28 by
which said pinion is caused to rotate with said hub, being locked therewith, that is,
the entire gearing of the hub between the pinion 28 and the driven sprocket 21 is
locked, and the hub and its wheel receive their motion of rotation directly through
the said sprocket. Another modified form of the hub is shown in Figs. 4 and 5 in
which the opposite ends of the hub are detached and is composed of the sieeve 6ª
and the discs 9c on the face of which are formed the distance bars 11" which are
adapted to bear or contact with the face of the disc 10% for the purpose of
maintaining said dises at their proper distance apart to permit the free working
of the mechanism held between them.
The disc 8 is similar to the disc 8 of the first form of hub, but the disc 9° is
formed somewhat differently, having an inwardly flaring flange which is drilled to
receive the spokes of the wheel as previously described. The discs 9b and 10" are
of equal diameters and are drilled to receive the bearing bolts 15 in the same
manner as in the discs of the first hub, but the said bolts have an additional
function, that is, to brace and firmly hold the dises 9 and 10ª against the distance
bars 11ª.
The bearing rollers 35 are journaled on the journal bolts 15 on opposite sides of
the intermediate pinions 16 and are adapted to freely turn thereon. The chain
driven sprocket wheel 21ª is formed with the internal gearing 17ª which meshes
with all the intermediate gear wheels 16.
The opposite sides of the sprocket wheel 21 are recessed and adapted to receive
the rings 36 which are firmly pressed therein to form bearing roller surfaces
for the rollers 35 wherein they turn and by which the said internal gear
wheel 17 is maintained concentrically with the axis of the fixed axle 2, around
which it rotates.
:-
The operation of both wheels is alike and which I will now proceed to explain:
When it is required to ride a bicycle up a steep hill or incline, the gear
pinion 28 is moved longitudinally on the fixed axle 2 till it engages the ends of its
teeth in the fixed clutch sleeve 33 by which said pinion is held from rotating, and
the wheel and its hub are driven through the internal gear wheel 17, and the
gear pinion meshing with the said internal gear wheel and the fixed pinion by
which the said wheel is rotated at a very reduced speed and consequently with
a greater propelling force.
When it is required to permit a bicycle to descend a hill or decline with the
least amount of frictional resistance the shifting rod 25 is operated to move the
pinion 28 into mid position between the fixed clutch 33 and the rotating or hub
clutch 34, that is, out of engagement with either, in which position of said
pinion, the wheel is free to rotate without imparting motion to the speed reducing
gears, or the internal drive gear 17, that is, to say, the chain driven sprocket 21 is
at rest and consequently the treadle shaft will be at rest.
Finally when it is desired to drive the bicycle at its full velocity, the pinion 28
is moved into engagement with the hub clutch 34 in which position all the gearing
is locked with the hub, thereby rigidly locking the chain driven sprocket wheel 21
to turn with the hub at the same velocity.
The herein described gearing I do not claim broadly as my invention, being
aware that planet wheel gearing rotating or moving in connection with a central
fixed wheel and an exterior driving internal gear wheel by which motion is

page_text: communicated to said intermediate or planet wheels to cause them to rotate round
their own axis and around the axis of the fixed central wheel, have been used
heretofore, and are well known.
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. In a bicycle wheel hub, the combination with a fixed axle and a rotative hub
mounted thereon, of a gear wheel on said axle adapted to turn and to slide
longitudinally thereon, an interual actuating gear wheel of said hub, intermediate
gears meshing with said fixed wheel and said internal wheel and means for locking
said central pinion to said axle.
I
2. In a bicycle wheel hub, the combination with a fixed axle and a rotative
wheel hub mounted thereon, of a central gear pinion adapted to turn and to slide
longitudinally on said axle, an internal actuating gear wheel mounted on said hub,
intermediate gear wheels carried on said hub and meshing with said internal gear
and said central gear, and means for alternately locking said central wheel with
said axle and said rotative hub.
3. In a bicycle wheel hub, the combination with a fixed axle and wheel mounted
thereon, of a gear wheel on said axle adapted to turn and to slide longitudinally
thereon, an actuating internal gear wheel mounted on one end of said hub, inter-
mediate gear wheels carried by said hub and meshing with said gear and said gear
fixed on said axle, a fixed clutch on said axle and a clutch in said hub, both of
which are on opposite ends of said axle wheel, and means whereby said gear wheel
may be alternately engaged with either clutch, substantially as and for the purpose
set forth.
4. In a bicycle wheel hub, the combination with a fixed axle and a wheel hub
mounted thereon, of a gear wheel mounted on said axle and adapted to turn and to
slide longitudinally thereon, an actuating internal gear wheel journaled at the end
of said hub, intermediate gear wheels carried by said hub and meshing with said
internal gear and said central gear, a fixed clutch, and a clutch adapted to turn
with said hub, and suitable means whereby said central pinion can be alternately
engaged with said fixed clutch and said hub clutch, substantially as and for the
purpose set forth.
5. In a bicycle wheel hub, the combination with a wheel hub and a fixed shaft
whereon said hub is mounted said shaft having an hollow end portion and a slot
formed at the end of said hollow portion, a gear pinion mounted on said shaft, and
adapted to turn and to slide longitudinally thereon, an internal gear wheel mounted
on said hub, intermediate gears carried by said hub and meshing with said internal
gear and the gear pinion on said shaft, a gib key in said slot adapted to engage the
ends of said pinion, a cam rigidly secured on the end of said shaft, a sleeve adapted
to engage said cam and suitable means for connecting said sleeve to said shifting
key, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
6. In a bicycle wheel hub, the combination with a wheel hub and the fixed axle
whereon said hub is mounted, said axle having an hollow tubular end portion and a
slot formed at the end of said hollow portion, of a gear pinion adapted to turn and
to slide longitudinally on said axle, an internal gear wheel journaled on said hub,
intermediate gears carried by said hub and meshing with said internal gear wheel
and said gear pinion, a key accurately fitting and adapted to slide longitudinally
in said slot, keeps on said eye, a cam on the prolonged end of said axle, a sleeve
adapted to engage said cam, and suitable means for connecting said cam to said
key and for expanding the latter, all substantially as and for the purpose set
forth.
7. In a bicycle wheel hub, the combination with a fixed axle supported at both
ends and a wheel hub mounted thereon, said axle having an hollow end portion and
a slot connected to the end of said hollow portion, a gear pinion mounted on said
axle and adapted to turn and to slide longitudinally thereon, an internal gear wheel

page_text: journaled on the end of said hub, intermediate gear wheels carried by said hub and
meshing with said internal gear wheel and with said gear pinion, an expansible gil,
key in said slot and adapted to slide longitudinally therein, a collar having
peripheral cam grooves, a sleeve enveloping said collar and having an internal
annular groove adapted to receive said ball bearings, a rod connecting said shifting
sleeve and said sliding key, and means whereby said key may be expanded
outwardly, all substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
8. In a bicycle wheel hub, the combination with a fixed axle, a hub mounted
thereon and composed of eud separable sections, and opposing discs formed integral
on said hub sections, of suitable journal bearings having their ends secured on said
discs, gear wheels ou said journals, friction rollers, on opposite sides of said gear
wheels, a pinion adapted to slide longitudinally and to turn on said axle, a chain
driven sprocket adapted to inclose and to rotate on said friction rollers, an
internal gear meshing with said intermediate gears, and suitable means whereby
said pinion may be locked on said axle, substantially as and for the purpose set
forth.
9. In a bicycle wheel hub, the combination with a fixed axle, a hub mounted
thereon and composed of end separable sections, and opposing discs formed integral
on said hub sections, of gear carrying journals secured in and between said discs,
intermediate gears on said journals, friction rollers on opposite sides of said gear
wheels, a chain driven sprocket inclosing and turning on said friction rollers, an
internal gear wheel inclosed in said sprocket and meshing with said gear wheels, a
gear pinion on said fixed axle and adapted to turn and to slide longitudinally
thereon, and meshing with said intermediate gears, a fixed clutch on said axle, and
means whereby the said pinion may be moved into engagement with said clutch,
substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
10. In a bicycle wheel hub, the combination with a fixed axle, a hub mounted
thereon, and composed of end separable sections, and journal carrying discs formed
integral on the inner ends of said hub sections, intercepting bars between said discs
and suitable clamping bolts passing through said discs, of intermediate gear wheels
journaled on said bolts, friction rollers on opposite sides of said intermediate gears
and between said discs, an internal gear wheel having its sides recessed and
meshing with said intermediate gears, chain driven sprocket teeth formed on the
outer peripheral surface of said interual gear, bearing rings secured in said recesses
of said internal gear and inclosing and running on said friction rollers, a gear
pinion adapted to turn and to slide longitudinally on said axle, a fixed clutch on
said axle, and means whereby the said pinion may be moved into engagement with
said clutch, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
11. In a bicycle wheel hub, the combination with a fixed axle, a rotative hub
mounted on said axle, and journal carrying discs on said hub, of intermediate gear
wheels journaled between said discs, friction rollers on opposite sides of and on the
same axes of said intermediate gears, and annulus inclosing said discs and having
sprocket teeth formed on its exterior peripheral surface and internal gear teeth
formed on its interior periphery, and meshing with said intermediate gear wheels,
bearing rings secured in said annulus on opposite sides of said internal gear wheel
teeth, and adapted to surround and to turn on said friction rollers, a fixed clutch
on said axle, and a clutch in said hub, a pinion meshing with said intermediate
gears and adapted to turn and to slide longitudinally on said axle, and means
whereby said pinion may be alternately engaged with said clutches and held in
disengagement between said clutches, substantially as and for the purpose set
forth.
D
MARKS & CLERK,
18 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents.