Improvements in Bicycles and the like.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Oct., 1896-Accepted, 23rd Jan., 1897,
Improvements in Bicycles and the like.
I, WILLIAM HENRY FAUBER, of 74 West Jackson Street, Chicago, Illinois,
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 particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My invention relates to improvements in shafts for bicycles and in the bearings
for said shafts and means for attaching sprocket wheels, thereto.
The invention will be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying
drawing in which:
Figure 1 is an axial section of the bearing sleeve or hanger and bearings showing
the shaft itself and its integral arms in side elevation.
Figure 2 is a side view of the shaft removed from the bearings.
Figure 3 is a sectional view of the sleeve showing a slightly modified construction
thereof.
Figure 4 is an end elevation of the crank shaft with the sprocket wheel
thereon.
Figure 5 is an end view of the ball casing removed from the crank shaft showing
the balls and caging ring in position therein.
Figure 6 is a view of the central part of the hub of the sprocket wheel.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures of the
drawing.
In said drawings, A designates a transverse, tubular supporting sleeve or hanger,
which is secured in any desired manner to the frame bars of the machine, as for
instance by thimbles a a', made integral with the hanger. Said hanger is arranged
generally in the same manner-as are the similar hangers heretofore used on bicycle
frames to afford support for the bearings of the crank shaft, which latter pass
through the same.
B indicates the crank shaft of the machine, having attached to its ends integral
crank arms B' B. Said crank shaft is provided with two screw threaded parts b b¹
adapted to afford attachment thereto of the inner bearing rings or cones of ball
bearings. Said screw threaded parts are made larger in diameter than the adjacent
parts of the crank shaft, as shown. Said crank shaft is also provided at one end
with a flange for the attachment of a sprocket wheel; said flange in the instance
illustrated being arranged in the same plane with the inner part of the adjacent
crank arm and being made continuous with, or in the form of a flange upon, the
latter, as clearly shown in the drawings, Figures 2 and 4. The screw-threaded
part of the shaft which is adjacent to the flange 6 is made somewhat larger in
diameter than the screw-threaded part b, remote from said flange, to enable the
bearing ring which fits on the part 2 to pass over the part b.
The flange is arranged in the same plane with the inner side of the adjacent
crank arm and is made continuous with the latter, so that its inner face 63 is
approximately flush with the said inner side of the crank arm. Said flange b² is
provided with a plurality of screw threaded apertures 6, 6* arranged at intervals
around the crank shaft A¹.
The sprocket wheel C is provided with a flat annular central part or hub C¹
adapted to rest in contact with the inner face of said flange and provided with a
plurality of apertures c c corresponding to and adapted to register with the

page_text: apertures 6 6 of the flange b³. Screws C2 C2 are inserted through the hub C¹ and
threaded into the flange 6, whereby said parts are secured together; the heads of
the screws being countersunk into the inner face of the hub so as to lie flush with
the latter, as shown in Figure 1.
Anti-friction roller bearings for both ends of the shaft are provided, said
bearings consisting of bearing rings D D' which are detachably secured to the ends
of the sleeve A, and inner bearing rings or cones, which are mounted on the shaft
and secured in position thereon by having screw-threaded engagement with the
screw-threaded parts 6 of said shaft. Said rings D DI and EE 1 are provided
with opposing annular bearing surfaces between which are located anti-friction
balls e, as common in such bearings.
The bearing ring or cone El is provided with a flat, annular, outer surface
which is arranged to fit closely against the inner face of the sprocket wheel hub
and to thereby prevent the screws C2 C2 from working loose while the bearing ring
is in position.
In order to connect the sprocket wheel C with the crank arm A at a point
radially outside of the hub, so as to afford a driving connection of the sprocket
wheel with the crank axle separate from and in addition to the securing
screws C³ C², the hub is provided with a projecting part or arm C³ arranged to
extend outward in a plane parallel with the inner side of the crank arm B which
part is apertured as at c¹ and engages a lug B³ formed integrally upon the said
arın B in this instance, at a point distant from the center of the crank shaft
approximately equal to one half of the radius of the sprocket wheel. The said
lug B is arranged to extend laterally inward or towards the sprocket wheel parallel
with the crank shaft and the apertured part of the arm C³ is arranged to fit
accurately thereon, so that when the sprocket wheel is placed upon the crank
shaft, said wheel will be immovably engaged with the lug.
A main advantage of the construction described is that a positive driving
connection is afforded between the crank arm and sprocket wheel, while at the
same time the construction is such that the crank arm may be bent, as it often is
by accident without throwing out of line or disturbing the sprocket wheel; the
projecting arm C³ for this purpose being made of such size and strength that it
will yield and bend under a strain less than that sufficient to distort the entire
wheel. This is a feature of importance, because, while it is comparatively easy to
straighten the arm, should this become bent in the manner described, it is practically
impossible to restore a sprocket wheel to its original shape after it has become bent
or thrown out of true.
Moreover, if the crank arm be twisted, as often occurs, by the striking of the
pedal against the ground or some obstruction, the projecting arın C may also be
twisted or bent, without injury to the wheel. In any case, repairs can easily be
made, because the said arm C³ can be easily bent back to place, or straightened
when bent, distorted or twisted through accident to the crank arnı.
In order to afford roum for clearance both for the sprocket chain and the guard
therefor between the crank arm and the rim of the wheel, the latter is made dished
so as to carry the rim away from the said crank arm, as indicated in Figure 1.
The particular sprocket wheel herein shown is made of skeleton form, as usual,
having a plurality of spokes C+ C+ made integral with the rim of the hub and the
arm or part C, owing to the dished form of the wheel as a whole, extends out
from the hub at an angle with the said part C³, as indicated in said Figure 1.
A special advantage is obtained in the use of a sprocket wheel of dished form
having an arm which is located in the same plane with the wheel hub, for the
reason that by this construction, the rim of the wheel may be located at a suitable
distance from the crank arm to give room for the chain and chain guard, while at
the same time the part of the wheel which engages the crank arm may be located
close to the same, and the lug on the crank arm may be made short, with obvious
advantages with respect to both strength and appearance of the parts.
As hereinbefore stated, the screw threaded part of the shaft is made larger

page_text: than the part 6 thereof, so that the internal diameter of the ring E¹ is greater than
that of the ring E. As a consequence, the said ring E¹ may be slipped over or
past the screw threaded part 6 of the shaft and engaged with the inner screw
threaded part 6 in assembling the parts; it being of course understood that all
parts of the crank arm outside of the screw threaded part 6 are made smaller in
diameter than either of the rings E, E, so that both rings may be readily slipped
over the same in placing them upon the shaft. This construction, therefore,
obviously enables both of said bearing rings or cones to be easily applied to
the shaft, notwithstanding the presence of the integral sprocket wheel flange b³
thereon.
The employment of said integral flange for attaching the sprocket wheel to the
shaft has several advantages. One of the advantages is that its use avoids the
necessity of keying or otherwise securing the sprocket wheel upon the shaft,
thereby saving the additional length of shaft required outside of the bearing for
the attachment of the hub of the sprocket wheel, with the result of enabling the.
shaft to be made shorter and the crank to be brought closer to the bearings.
A further advantage gained by the employment of an integral flange located
adjacent to the crank arm, as described, is that it enables the periphery of the
sprocket wheel to be located approximately in the same plane with the adjacent
bearing; thereby bringing the heavy strain resulting from the tension of the
drive-chain directly upon, or in line with, the bearing, with the result of avoiding
the greater pressure on the bearings which would result if the chain acted on a
plane outside of the bearing so as to exert a leverage thereon.
The exterior rings of the ball bearings are secured to the sleeves A by being
inserted partially within the same and engaging internal screw threads on the
sleeve, the rings being provided with flanges d d which abut against the ends of
the sleeves and are provided with spanner holes d' by which they may be turned.
The screw threads on the parts bb of the shaft are oppositely directed, or in
other words are right and left hand threads, and the screw-threaded joints by which
the outer bearing rings D D' are secured in the hanger are similarly made right
and left handed, while the screw-threads are in all cases so arranged that the
turning of the shaft will tend, in case one of the bearing rings is held from turning
(as by becoming caught by a broken ball or otherwise) and the shaft.rotates
therein, to carry the ring away from the balls, instead of forcing it toward the
same. The construction, therefore, avoids possibility of the bearing being injured
or ruined by the forcing of the bearing rings together, as is liable to occur in cases
where the screw-threads of both bearings are right or left hand ones, when one of
the rings become caught and held from turning at a time when the pedals are being
driven with great speed and power.
The of cration of assembling the parts of the bearing constructed as above
described is as follows: The sprocket wheel is permanently attached to the sprocket
wheel flange before the parts are assembled. Preparatory to inserting the axle
within the bearing sleeve the bearing cone E' is placed on the screw threaded
part of the axle and the external ring D then slipped over the axle to a point
adjacent to the sprocket wheel. Commonly the bend or elbow will be brought
opposite one of the attaching thimbles a which latter will afford additional room for
the passage of the same, as clearly seen in the drawing. After the axle has been
inserted into the sleeve the ring D is then screwed into the same, the ring D
then passed over the axle arm B' and screwed into the sleeve and the cone E
thereafter also slipped over the arm and screwed to the place upon the screw
thread b.
In Figure 3 the hanger is shown as provided with notches a² a², which are cut
slightly into its ends to facilitate the passage of the shaft and crank-arm. Such
notches do not materially affect the strength of the hanger, or the security of the
attachment of the bearing rings thereto, and a construction in which such notches
are present therefore, comes within the scope of my invention.
As an improved means for "caging" of confining the balls within the external

page_text: bearing rings at the time the cones are removed from contact with the balls,
devices are shown as follows; each of the external bearing rings D D' is
provided with an outwardly extending flange d which gives to the ball race the
form of a groove or channel and prevents the balls from escaping from the groove
when the ring is held in a horizontal position, which is the position occupied by it
at the time of inserting the balls. Within the bearing ring outside of the balls is
located a holding or caging ring E2, which is detachably secured in place, so that
it may be removed for taking out the balls. Said ring E' is made thin and flat and
is split or severed at one point, as seen at e, to enable it to be compressed or reduced
in diameter for insertion in the bearing ring. To hold the caging ring accurately
in place within the bearing ring, grooves d³ are formed in the inner surface of said
bearing rings D D', into which grooves the outer margin of the casing ring enters,
by expansion of the ring when the same is released after being compressed for
insertion, in an obvious manner. By the employment of the holding or caging
rings constructed as described, the balls may be inserted in both of the bearing
rings DDI before the parts are assembled and the difficulty that would be
involved in inserting the balls separately at the time of inserting the shaft within
the bearing sleeve is thereby avoided. At the same time, the caging rings may
be easily removed and re-inserted when it is desired to take out the balls from the
bearing rings. In connection with the split caging ring thus made, I propose to
employ a felt or fabric ring or washer G, which is made of proper size to fit
within the bearing ring in contact with the flat outer face of the caging ring and
which serves to prevent access of dust and dirt through the opening between the
severed ends of the ring or elsewhere; the said washer preferably being made to
practically fill the space between the outer bearing ring and the inner ring, so as to
prevent the passage of dust through said space.
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:
1. The combination, with a machine frame and a transverse tubular hanger
attached to the frame, of a crank shaft and crank arm made integral with each
other, and ball bearings for both ends of the shaft embracing inner bearing rings
or cones which fit upon the shaft, said shaft being provided with enlarged, screw-
threaded parts upon which the said rings or cones are secured, and those parts of
the shaft and crank arm exterior to the bearings being made in all parts smaller in
size than the diameter of the shaft at said enlarged bearing surfaces, the said
hanger consisting of a closed or continuous tube, and said hanger being made of
such length and diameter with respect to the size of the shaft and its arm, and the
shaft being made smaller in diameter between the said parts which support the
bearing cones, and so small as to enable the shaft and crank arm to be inserted
end wise through the sleeve, substantially as described.
2. The combination with a machine frame and a transverse hanger consisting of
a closed or continuous tube, of a crank shaft and crank arm made integral with
each other, said crank shaft being provided at one end with an integral flange for the
attachment of a sprocket wheel, and bearings for the shaft comprising bearing rings
or cones which are secured to the shaft; said shaft having screw-threaded portions
to receive said bearing cones, of which the screw-threaded portion remote from
the flange is made of such size as to allow the passage over it of the bearing ring
located nearest the flange, whereby the parts of both bearings may be removed
over the crank arm remote from said flange, and said tubular hanger being made
of such large diameter as to enable the shaft to be inserted end wise therethrough,
substantially as described.
3. The combination, with a machine frame and a transverse tubular hanger
attached to the frame, of a crank shaft and crank arm made integral with each
other, said crank shaft being provided at one end with an integral flange for the
attachment of a sprocket wheel, and ball bearings for the shaft comprising inner

page_text: rings or cones having a screw-threaded engagement with the shaft, sail shaft
having screw-threaded portions to receive said bearing cones, of which the one
nearest the flange is larger in diameter than and screw-threaded oppositely to the one
remote from the flange, and those parts of the shaft and crank arms exterior to the
smaller screw-threaded portion being made in all parts smaller in size than the
diameter of said smaller screw-threaded part, whereby all members of both
bearings may be removed over one crank arm, substantially as described.
4. The combination with au external bearing ring provided with a ball race and
with a ring holding groove adjacent to the ball race, of a flat, split, spring-metal,.
caging ring adapted, when expanded, for engagement of its outer edge with
said groove and when compressed for insertion into the bearing ring, substantially
as described.
5. The combination with a crank shaft provided with a crank arm having an
integral lug projecting laterally therefrom at a point remote from the crank shaft,
of a sprocket wheel provided with a hub which engages the shaft and provided
with a radially arranged arm which projects outwardly from the hub and is
engaged at its free end with the said lug.
6. The combination with a crank shaft provided with a crank arm having an
integral lug projecting laterally thereupon at a point remote from the crank shaft,
of a dished sprocket wheel mounted on the crank shaft with its convex side
adjacent to the said crank arm and provided with an arm arranged to project
outwardly from the hub thereof in the plane of said hub and which is engaged
with said lug.
a
7. The combination with a crank shaft provided with an integral arm, having a
lug upon its inner side at a point remote from the crank shaft, said shaft having
also an integral annular flange adjacent to the crank arm, of a sprocket wheel
having a flat annular hub arranged to rest in contact with said annular flange, and
an integral radial arm on the hub engaged with said lug, means for attaching the
hub to said flange comprising a plurality of screws or bolts inserted through the
hub and flange and having countersunk heads on the inner surface of the flange,.
and a ring having screw-threaded connection with the shaft and bearing against
the inner side of the hub and against the said heads of the screws or bolts.
8. The combination with a crank shaft provided with an integral crank arm
having an integral lug on its inner side at a point remote from the crank shaft ;.
said shaft having also an integral annular flange adjacent to the crank arm and a
cylindric screw-threaded enlargement adjacent to said flange, of a sprocket wheel
having a flat hub in contact with said flange and provided with a radial arm
projecting from the hub and engaged with said lug screws or bolts inserted through
said hub and having countersunk heads at the inner face of the hub, and a ring
having screw-threaded engagement with said enlargement and bearing against the
inner side of said hub and against the heads of said screws or bolts, substantially
as described.
9. The combination, with an external bearing ring provided with a ball-race
and a ring-holding groove, of a flat, split, spring-metal caging ring adapted, when
expanded, for engagement of its outer edge with said groove, substantially as
described.
WILLIAM HENRY FAUBER.
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.