CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN BICYCLES, TRICYCLES, AND OTHER VELOCIPEDES OR CARRIAGES, AND IN WRENCHES TO BE USED THEREWITH, WRENCHES BEING APPLICABLE FOR SUCH USES" OTHER
Year: 1879

page_text: 6
LETTERS PATENT to William Bown, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Manufacturer, for the Invention of CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN BICYCLES,
TRICYCLES, AND OTHER VELOCIPEDES OR CARRIAGES, AND IN WRENCHES TO
BE USED THEREWITH,
WRENCHES BEING APPLICABLE FOR
SUCH
USES"
OTHER
Sealed the 25th July 1879, and dated the 29th January 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Bown at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 29th January 1879.
WILLIAM BOWN, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Manufacturer.
"CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN BICYCLES, TRICYCLES, AND OTHER VELOCIPEDES OR
CARRIAGES, AND IN WRENCHES TO BE USED THEREWITH, SUCH WRENCHES BEING
APPLICABLE FOR OTHER USES."
My improvements relate, firstly, to the bearings of wheels for bicycles, tricycles,
and other velocipedes or carriages, and this part of my Invention may be considered
as improvements or extensions upon Joseph Henry Hughes's Patent, Number 3531,
One thousand eight hundred and seventy seven, of which I am the registered pro-
prietor. In that Patent is claimed the construction of bearings by the combination of
conical or curved surfaces and steel balls with the means of adjustment to compensate
for wear of the parts, and in carrying out this Invention that important element forms
the basis of my operations. In the first place I sink a curved or coned recess on
each end or side of the hub into which I fix a hardened steel ring or its equivalent
of a similar shape. A parallel spindle or axle passes through the hub, on the outer
ends of which I pass hardened steel bushes with by preference grooves formed
round their peripheries for carrying and supporting a suitable number of hardened
steel balls, which balls have an outer bearing against the interior of the hardened
steel rings before mentioned. A suitable cap is placed over the working parts at
each outer end to prevent dust or grit entering the interior. The steel bushes are
set up into position by being made to slide or screw on the spindle and secured by
a swivel nut connected thereto or other equivalent, but I prefer to slide the bush on
the spindle, as by this means I obtain a regular and even adjustment. In fixing
this hub end wheel to the bicycle, tricycle, or carriage, the spindle or axle is passed
through the ends of the fork with the bearing between the bushes passed into
position on the spindle or axle until the balls are in contact with the hardened

page_text: steel rings, when the whole can be firmly secured by lock nuts or their equivalents
applied to the outer ends of the axle, the insides of the fork pressing against the
bushes and securing them firmly in position. In case of wearing of the parts the
lock nuts can be loosened, permitting the bushes to be advanced on the spindle
with the balls until they come in contact with the contracted surfaces of the
-hardened-steel-rings, thereby forming a simple and universal adjustable beam. By
this arrangement as described I am enabled to obtain direct-bearing-on-the-
balls and also-the-great-advantage-of reducing the frictional points of bearing
surfaces.
As a modification, instead of placing the parts forming the bearing in the hub of
the wheel, I may place them in separate covers or cases outside the hub on each
side and independent of the hub. In this case the internal hardened steel conical
or curved surfaces will be inclined the reverse way, being formed on the insides of
the said cases and facing the hub; and this latter mode is particularly suitable for
tricycles, or carriages already in existence, as the bearings can be readily applied
without interfering with the hub or wheel as originally constructed.
Secondly. My improvements relate to the pedals of bicycles and other velocipedes,
and consist in connecting the outside plates at each end by flat bars of iron or steel,
and placing on the top and bottom sides of these flat bars a suitable number of
india rubber rings or their equivalents, held in position by outer plates and secured
by pins rivetted or otherwise secured on the outsides, and passing loosely through
holes in the middle plate or bar. The top sides of these outer plates may be fluted
or otherwise roughed to form a foot hold. By this construction it will be seen that
when the pressure of the foot is brought on the pedal the elastic connection will
cause the plates to give slightly, thereby avoiding all rigid resistance.
Thirdly. My improvements refer to the handles of bicycles or other velocipedes,
and consist in lining or bushing the same with india rubber or other flexible or
elastic material for the purpose of obviating the very unpleasant and injurious
sensation consequent on the vibration of the machine.
Fourthly. My improvements consist in providing suitable means to prevent the
necessity (in case of the breaking of a spoke in the wheel of a bicycle or velocipede)
of removing the india rubber tyre to withdraw the said spoke; this I effect in the
following way-Instead of carrying the spoke through the rim of the wheel I
connect to the rim opposite each spoke, by rivetting or otherwise, a link or nipple of
suitable construction so arranged that the end of the spoke shall lie inside it
perfectly secure, and admitting, in case of the breaking of the spoke, of the link
or nipple being opened or exposed so that the broken spoke can be withdrawn
without, as before stated, having to remove and replace the india rubber tyre.
Fifthly. My improvements relate to wrenches specially applicable for bicycles
(but also applicable for other uses), and consist in hinging to each side of an ordinary
-strap_with_a.jaw_at_each end an additional bar or strap with a suitable sized jaw
at its free end. By these means I am enabled to obtain-in-a-small-compass-a.
wrench carrying several sized jaws for different sized nuts.

page_text: Fig. 1 represents a longitudinal section of the bearing; and Fig. 2, an end view
with the cap removed. As will be seen I sink the 2 curved recesses A, A, at each
side of the hub B into which the hardened steel rings C, C, are fixed. On the
outer end of the spindle D I by preference slide the hardened steel bushes E (shown
detached at Fig. 3) with suitable conical or curved grooves formed around their
peripheries for supporting the hardened steel balls F, F, of which there may be any
suitable number. The spindle D passes through a thoroughfare hole in the side
and through a tapped hole in the side I, and secured in position by the lock nut J;
the balls F, F, have an outer bearing against the interior of the hardened steel
bushes E before mentioned. The caps G, G, are placed over the working parts at
each outer end to prevent dust or grit entering the interior, and secured in position
by screws, as shown, passing partly through the bush and hub as at a, a, or by
pins passing wholly into the hub as at b, b, or the caps may be screwed into the
hub if desired. A groove is formed in the spindle D at.c into which the small pin
passes first through the fork H; this prevents jamming of the fork against the
bearing when turning corners. The balls are kept apart by the insertion of the
steel ring, as shewn in section at d, d, Fig. 2. To adjust this bearing after wear
the lock nut I must be unscrewed and the spindle D screwed up by turning the
head J until the parts are adjusted as required, the lock nut A must then be
tightened up when the bearing will be firmly secured in position.
Fig. 5 represents a further modification of the bearing referred to, in which it
will be seen that instead of forming the bearing in the hub of the wheel I place
them in the separate cases K, K, outside the hub L and independent of it. The
hub is tapered at each end as at M, and the balls N are held in the divided cases K, K,
the internal sides of the case and the tapered ends M of the hub forming the conical

page_text: '
surfaces for the balls to work against. To adjust the said bearing after wearing,
-the-lock-nut-O-must-be-unscrewed_and, the spindle P screwed up by turning the
-head Quntil properly adjusted, when the hollow nut R and lock nut O have to be
-screwed up tight to securely fix the parts in position.
Figs. 6-and-7-represent-front and sectional; end views of my improved tredal
referred to under the second head,-which-improvements.consist in connecting the
outside plates R, R, at each end by the flat bars of iron or steel S, S, and placing on
the top and bottom sides of these bars the-blocks-or-rings-of-india-rubber_T, T, or
their equivalents, which are held in position by the outer plates U, U, by the pins,
shown in dotted lines, which pins pass throug thoroughfare or loose holes in the
bars S, S, as seen, the top sides of the foot plates U, U, are roughed as shewn or
otherwise. By this construction of pedal plates it will be seen that when the
pressure of the foot is brought on the pedal, the elastic connection will cause the
plates to give slightly, thereby avoiding all rigid resistance.
As a modification of this spring or clastic connection I may construct the pedal
as shown at Fig. 8, in which I use india rubber rings V, V, secured on the reduced
part of the tubes or foothold W at each side, and held in position by the nut X, the
rubber being confined in position by the tube Y, this arrangement being repeated
on the other side I produce the same yielding effect when the pressure of the
foot is on the pedal as in the former case.
Fig. 9 represents a section of a bicycle or velocipede handle forming the third
part of my improvements which consist in inserting at each end of the said
handle the india rubber or other elastic linings as at Z, Z, by which the unpleasant
and injurious effect consequent on the vibration of the bicycle is entirely obviated;
Fig. 10 is a detached view of the india. rubber washer, and Fig. 11, a detached
view of the metal washer used for holding the rubber washer in its place.
Figs. 12 and 13 represent side and edge views of the appliances referred to
under the fourth head of my Invention for preventing the necessity (in case of the
breaking of a spoke in the wheel of a bicycle or velocipede) of removing the
india rubber tyre to withdraw the said spoke. Instead of carrying the spoke
through the rim of the wheel I secure the part marked A¹ in the same
manner as the head of the spoke, viz., inside the felloe or rim by rivetting or
otherwise; the part B' works loose through a hole in the tail part of A¹, the
spoke C¹ proper passing through the bracket B¹, as shewn in dotted lines, so that
supposing the spoke C should break, the part B', by means of the spoke, can
be turned around at right angles to its present position, thereby permitting the
broken spoke to be removed and replaced in the same manner.
Figs. 14 and 15 represent part sectional side and edge views of the wrench
referred to under the fifth head of my improvements. The strap or part D' carrying
the larger jaw E¹ is hinged at F¹ which allows the wrench to be doubled over for
putting in-the-pocket. The-moveable-jaw_G₁is wedge shaped on its bottom side,
andlis adjusted to any size of nut within the range of its action, and fixed in position
by turning the stem H, which has the effect of wedging the part I' against the
taper or wedge shaped bottom side of the moveable jaw G¹, thereby firmly holding
it in any desired position according to the size of nut or pin to be turned.
Having now described the nature of my Invention and the manner of giving
effect to the same, I wish it understood that I do not purpose confining myself to
the general details herein described and exhibited, as the same may be varied
without departing from the spirit of my Invention, but what I claim and wish to
protect by these my in part recited Letters Patent, is,-
Firstly. The. modifications and extensions of Hughes' Patent, No. 3531, 1877, as
described and exhibited at Figs. 1 to 5 of the accompanying Drawings.
Secondly. The improvements in pedals of bicycles or velocipedes as described and
exhibited at Figs. 6, 7, and 8.
Thirdly. The improvements in handles for bicycles and velocipedes, as described
and exhibited at Figs. 9, 10, and 11.
Fourthly. The means or their equivalents for preventing the necessity of removing

page_text: the tyre from velocipedes in case of breaking of spoke, as described and exhibited
at Figs. 12 and 13.
Fifthly. The improvements in wrenches for velocipedes and other purposes, as
described and exhibited at Figs. 14 and 15.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Bown, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty eighth day of July, in the year of our Lord One thou-
sand eight bundred and seventy nine.
WILLIAM BOWN. (L.S.)
Witness,
WM LOACH.