Improvements in the Manufacture of Bottom Brackets, Lugs, and the like for the Frames of Bicycles and other Velocipedes.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 12th July. 1891
Complete Specification Left, 13th Apr., 1895-Accepted, 15th June, 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Bottom Brackets, Lugs, and
the like for the Frames of Bicycles and other Velocipedes.
We, WILLIAM SMITH, of 21, Whittall Street, in the City of Birmingham,
Managing Director of Thomas Smith and Sons of Saltley Limited, and WILLIAM
ROSTRON FLETCHER, of No. 1 Hadleys Buildings. Hawkes Street, Small Heath,
in the City of Birmingham, aforesaid, Die Sinker, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
This invention consists of the hereindescribed improvements in the manufacture
of bottom brackets, lugs, and the like for the frames of bicycles and other
velocipedes. Heretofore it has been customary to make the said bottom brackets,
lugs, and the like in the form of solid stampings the bosses of which have been
afterwards bored for the reception of the tubes or other parts which are required
to fit in them; or the said bottom brackets, lugs, and the like have been made as
hollow malleable iron castings and afterwards machined inside as stated above.
Now according to this invention we make the said bottom brackets, lugs, and the
like in a much more simple manner by which a saving of metal is effected and the
amount of labour required to finish the interior ready for the reception of the various
parts as aforesaid is very considerably reduced.
According to one arrangement of carrying out this invention we make from a
heated metal bar the bottom brackets, lugs, and the like each as a metal stamping
in the form which the finished bottom bracket, lug, or the like would have if divided
longitudinally in one part and opened out. When the bottom bracket, lug, or the
like is opened out as stated above it is an easy matter to make a pair of top and
bottom stamping dies to correspond therewith, and so as to stamp the bottom
bracket, lug, or the like in this form with its bosses hollow in the form which thes
are required to have when finished. The aforesaid stamping of the bottom bracket,
lug, or the like in its opened out form is then by means of closing tools or by other
means closed round and its meeting edges are welded brazed or otherwise secured
together. Or the said edges may be left a short distance apart and held together
by bolts passing through snugs formed on the stamping.
According to another arrangement of carrying out this invention instead of
making the bottom bracket, lug, or the like from a heated metal bar by stamping
as aforesaid we make the same from ductile sheet metal by means of suitable
raising dies or tools worked in a stamp or press; that is to say, we take a sheet
metal blank of the required shape and size and by means of successive stamping
or raising operations we work this blank and raise the necessary boss or bosses
upon it so that the blank ultimately has the shape stated above of the finished
bottom bracket, lug, or the like when divided in one part and opened out. The
blank in this form is then by closing tools or by other means bent and closed round
for its opposite edges to meet and be secured or connected together by similar
means to those above described with reference to making the said bottom bracket,
lugs, or the like from a metal bar by stamping.
Dated this 10th day of July 1894
CHARLES BOSWORTH KETLEY,
Agent for the Applicants.

page_text: Improvements in the Manufacture of Bottom Brackets, Lugs, and
the like for the Frames of Bicycles and other Velocipedes.
We, WILLIAM SMITH, of 21, Whittall Street, in the City of Birmingham,
Managing Director of Thomas Smith & Sons of Saltley Limited, and WILLIAM
ROSTRON FLETCHER, of No. 1 Hadleys Buildings, Hawkes Street Small Heath,
in the City of Birmingham, aforesaid, Die Sinker, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention and in what manner the same is to be perforined, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention consists of the herein described improvements in the manufacture
of bottom brackets lugs, and the like for the frames of bicycles and other
velocipedes. Heretofore it has been customary to make the said bottom brackets,
lugs, and the like in the form of solid stampings the bosses of which have been
afterwards bored for the reception of the tubes or other parts which are required
to fit in them; or the said bottom brackets, lugs, and the like have been made as
hollow malleable castings and afterwards machined inside as stated above.
Now according to this invention we make the said bottom brackets, lugs, and the
like in a much more simple manner by which a saving of metal is effected and the
amount of labour required to finish the interior ready for the reception of the various
parts as aforesaid is very considerably reduced.
According to this invention we make from a heated metal bar the bottom brackets,
lugs, and the like each as a metal stamping in the form which the finished bottom
bracket, lug, or the like would have if divided longitudinally in one part and
opened out. This stamping in its opened out form is then by means of closing
tools or by other means closed round and its meeting edges are welded brazed or
otherwise secured together. Or the said edges may be left a short distance apart
and held together by bolts passing through snugs formed on the stamping.
When the bottom bracket, lug, or the like is opened out as stated above it is an
easy matter to make a pair of top and bottom stamping dies to correspond there-
with, and so as to stamp the bottom bracket, lug, or the like in this form with its
bosses hollow in the form which they are required to have when finished.
On the accompanying drawings
Figs. 1, 2, and 3 are respectively an end view, side view, and plan of an ordinary
bottom bracket in the form which by our invention we are able to make it by
stamping and bending;
Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation and Fig. 5 is a plan of the stamping of the said
bottom bracket in the form in which it leaves the stamping dies, except that the
outer web or fin has been clipped off;
Fig. 6 is a sectional elevation of the top and bottom stamping dies for forming
the stamping shewn by Figs. 4 and 5;
Fig. 7 is an inverted plan of the top die and Fig. 8 is a plan of the bottom
die ;
Fig. 9 is a plan of the tools which we use for bending the stamping shewn by
Figs 4 and 5 approximately into the shape shewn by Figs. 1, 2, and 3;
Fig. 10 is a plan of the same tools shewing the stamping thus bent thereby ;
Fig. 11 is a sectional front elevation and Fig. 12 is a sectional side elevation of
one of the closing dies which finish the closing of the bottom bracket after it has
left the tools shewn by Figs. 9 and 10 the said bottom bracket being shewn in
position on the bottom tool.
The remaining figures illustrate the application of our invention as hereinafter
described to various well known forms of lugs used in the construction of bicycles
and other velocipedes.

page_text: Referring firstly more particularly to Figs. 1 to 12 both exclusive, A is a
stamping which, by means of the top and bottom stamping dies C and D corre-
sponding with the stamping, has been formed from a heated metal bar. It will be
seen that this stamping A has the form of the ordinary bottom bracket shewn by
Figs. 1, 2, and 3 if opened out where it is divided longitudinally at one side a¹. the
bosses a², a³, at, a on the stamping corresponding with the bosses a³, a², a³, a of
the finished bottom bracket. The bottom stamping die D has recesses d' d' d' d' d'
and pommels e e e standing up inside the same and corresponding with the
required bosses on the stamping and the top die C has pommels of cr cd
corresponding with the said recesses in the bottom D so as to form the stamping A
of the form shewn in Figs. 4 and 5 with the said bosses almost punched through
except for a thin web a in each of the three bosses a² as at which is afterwards
drilled out or otherwise removed. The bottom die D, see Fig. 8, has four small
sinkings fff so as to form the four lugs a' as as a through which the small
bolts or screws pass to secure the meeting edges of the bottom bracket together
at the division a'. The top die C has two cross grooves gg shaped so as to form
the set off ribs all a on the stamping A which in the finished bottom bracket
receive the rings of the ball bearings.
In order to bend the stamping A into approximately the form shewn by
Figs. 1, 2 and 3 we may employ such a tool for instance as shewn by Figs. 9 and 10
which consists of a disc H having an upwardly projecting centre pin I of about
the same diameter as the inside of the main portion of the bottom bracket A. when
closed as shewn in Figs. 1, 2 and 3. Near this upwardly projecting pin there
is a block J made with two holes to receive the bosses a² as of the stamping A this
block J being renovable and fitted in between the wedge k and the stop which
is fixed to the plate H. L is an iron bar made as a socket at one end of a size
to fit on to the boss at of the forging A. In order to bend the stamping A into
the required cylindrical form the stamping is placed in the position shewn by
Fig. 9 with its two bosses a a³ engaging in the corresponding holes in the block J.
By means of the metal bar L engaging with the boss at the stamping A is then
bent round the centre pin I as shewn by Fig. 10. The stamping A is then
removed from the pin I by being lifted off the same (the removable block J coming
away also) and then the closing of the stamping A, so as to bring the meeting
edges together, is completed by the top and bottom closing tools M N which are
made to correspond with the outside shape of the finished bottom bracket so that
the bottom bracket A will lie upon the bottom tool N and then when the top
tool M descends the meeting edges of the bottom bracket will be properly closed
together as shewn in Figs. 1, 2 and 3. These meeting edges are then secured
tegether by the usual small bolts passing through the lugs a' as a al⁰ or if desired
the meeting edges are brazed welded or otherwise secured together.
From the foregoing description of our invention as applied to the manufacture of
an ordinary bottom bracket anyone skilled in the art will readily be able to apply
our invention also to the manufacture of various kinds of lugs and the like for
bicycles, tricycles and other velocipedes such for instance as shewn by the remaining
figures of the accompanying drawings to which we will now refer :-
In making the stamped seat pillar lug O of the form shewn in elevation by
Fig. 13 and in plan by Fig. 14, the top and bottom stamping dies have to be shaped
to make the stamping of the form shewn in sectional elevation and in plan by
Fig. 15 which has the form of the scat pillar lug when the sides are opened out
from the vertical division o' midway between the two back bosses o³ ³ so that these
bosses stand out equally on each side of the main central boss o*.
In making the stamped steering pillar lug P shewn in elevation by Fig. 18 and
in plan by Fig. 19, the top and bottom stamping dies have to be shaped to make
the stamping of the form shewn in sectional elevation by Fig. 16 and in plau by
Fig. 17 which has the form of the steering pillar lug P when the sides are opened
out from the vertical division p' midway between the two bosses p² p³ so that these
bosses stand out equally on each side as shewn in Figs. 16 and 17. The dies
'

page_text: are also shaped so as to stamp the bottom flange p' which forms the top cup for the
ball bearing.
In making the front top lug Q shewn in elevation by Fig. 22 and in plan by
Fig. 23 the top and bottom stamping dies have to be shaped to make the stamping
of the form shewn in sectional elevation by Fig. 20 and in plan by Fig. 21 which
has the form of the top lug Q when the sides are opened out from the vertical
division which extends down the front of the vertical boss q' and the side
portions bend outwardly to the form shewn by Figs. 20 and 21 equally on each
side of the central boss q which latter will then come in the bottom die as will be
understood by an examination of Fig. 20. The dies are also shaped so as to form
the cupped flange 9 which in the finished top lug forms the ball race.
be understood that the meeting edges at the division g' are brazed welded or other-
wise secured together.
It will
In making the bottom front lug R shewn in elevation by Fig. 26 and in plan by
Fig. 27 the top and bottom stamping dies have to be shaped to make the stamping
of the form shewn in sectional elevation by Fig. 24 and in plan by Fig. 25 which
has the form of the front bottom lug R when the sides are opened out from the
vertical division which extends down the front of the vertical boss and the
side portions bent outwardly to the form shewn by Figs. 24 and 25 equally
on each side of the central boss which latter will then come in the bottom die
as will be understood by an examination of Fig. 24. The dies are also shaped
so as to form the cupped flange which in the finished bottom lug forms the
ball race.
The meeting edges at the division have to be brazed welded or
otherwise fixed together.
In making the tee lug S shewn in front and end elevation by Fig. 30 the top
and bottom stamping dies have to be shaped to make the stamping of the form
shewn in sectional elevation by Fig. 28 and in plan by Fig. 29 which has the form
of the tee lug T when the sides are opened out from the horizontal division t¹,
which extends along the top boss and the side portions t*, to, bent outwardly to the
forin shewn by Figs. 28 and 29 equally on each side of the central boss 4 which
latter will then come in the bottom die as will be understood by an examination of
Fig. 20. The meeting edges at the division t¹, have to be brazed welded or
ctherwise secured together.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is: :-
1. The method of manufacturing bottom brackets, lugs and the like for the
frames of bicycles tricycles and other velocipedes, according to which a metal
stamping is first made of the form which the finished bracket lug or the like would
have if the same were divided longitudinally in one part and opened out, the said
stamping being afterwards bent and closed and its meeting edges brazed welded
or otherwise fixed or connected together as herein set forth.
2. Stamped metal bottom brackets lugs and the like for the frames of bicycles
tricycles and other velocipedes made as denoted under Claim 1, namely from a
stamping having the form which the finished bracket lug or the like would have
if the same were divided longitudinally in one part and opened out the said
stamping being afterwards bent and closed and its meeting edges brazed welded or
otherwise fixed or connected together as herein set forth.
Dated this 9th day of April 1895.
CHARLES BOSWORTH KETLEY,
Agent for the Applicants.