Improvements in Driving Chain Covers for Cycles and Motor Vehicles.
Year: 1899

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Driving Chain Covers for Cycles and Motor Vehicles.
I, HORACE WALTER DOVER, Managing Director of Dover Limited, of Park Road,
St. James' End, Northampton, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in chain covers for single and tandem
bicycles and tricycles, motor-bicycles, motor-tricycles, automobiles and motor-cars
in which chains are used, and the invention has for object to provide a light and
elegant chain cover for preventing the skirt or trousers of the rider from becom-
ing entangled with or soiled by the driving gear and which is capable of being
dismounted for cleaning or any other purpose and replaced with the utmost
facility.
The chain cover is constructed of a panel of celluloid or similar material having
a marginal flange clamped between the inner and outer members of an open
frame or rim constructed of two superposed strips of steel or other metal rolled
or otherwise brought to concavo-convex section, the margin of the celluloid
panel being moulded to a corresponding curvature and clamped between the two
strips by rivets passing through the strips and the intervening celluloid whereby
the latter is very firmly secured.
The body portion of the chain cover extends nearly to back fork end and it
is completed by a detachable end portion encircling the hub sprocket wheel.
In order to admit of a chain cover suited for a machine frame having parallel
compression stays, and cranked fork ends, being adapted to suit a frame having
splayed compression stays the celluloid panel is strengthened and ornamented
by a rim formed of two half-round wires rivetted together with the celluloid
between them, this rim following the configuration of the slot which would require
to be cut in the panel to give passage to the splayed compression stay, so as to
serve as a guide for the knife in cutting such slot which is done if required after
the said rim is rivetted to the panel. This rim also forms a strengthening finish
for rear end the frame of the chain cover to which it is also rivetted.
The chain cover is supported on the machine frame by a bracket clamped to
the frame in rear of the bottom bracket, the ends of the upwardly and down
wardly extending arms of said bracket being bent to fit within the hollow
transverse curvature of the chain cover frame which is capable of being easily
sprung into position of engagement with the ends of the bracket, the one end
of the bracket having a stud which enters a hole in the said frame so as to
5 determine and ensure the position of the chain cover in the longitudinal direction.
The chain cover is supported at its rear open end upon a similar bracket clamped
to back fork limb, the ends of the bracket being adapted to fit in the hollow of
the frame of the chain cover as before, but without engaging with it by a stud
and hole, the security of the connection of the cover being ensured by the

page_text: detachable end portion of the cover. The said end portion has a rim formed
of a steel strip of concavo-convex cross section and U-shape to which is rivetted
a semi-annular front plate adapted to stiffen the rim and partially enclose the
front of the hub sprocket wheel, this end portion being connected to the chain
cover proper, by the forwardly projecting ends of its U rim entering into sliding
engagement with the rim frame of the chain cover by each of said ends fitting
tightly between the ends of the two members of which the cover frame is formed
and which project for the purpose somewhat in rear of the point where the
celluloid panel terminates.
This detachable end portion being entirely of metal and therefore comparatively
rigid, serves by its engagement with the frame of the chain cover to reinforce
the same and hold it in secure engagement with rear bracket on which it is
supported as above described, so that although the chain cover may be easily
sprung on and off the bracket, the detachable end portion when applied serves to
lock it so to speak, in position.
Improvements in Driving Chain Covers for Cycles and Motor Vehicles.
1, HORACE WALTER DOVER, Managing Director of Dover Limited, of Park Road,
St. James' End, Northampton, 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: —
This invention relates to improvements in chain covers for single and tandem
bicycles and tricycles, motor-bicycles, motor-tricycles, and automobiles in which
chains are used, and the invention has for object to provide a light and elegant
chain cover for preventing the skirt or trousers of the rider from becoming
entangled with, or soiled by, the driving gear and which is capable of being
dismounted for cleaning or any other purpose and replaced with the utmost
facility.
The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming part of
this specification wherein Figure 1 is a face view of a chain cover. Figures 2, 3,
and 4 are cross-sections of the same on lines 2-2,; 3-3, and 4-4 respectively.
Figure 5 shews the detachable rear end of the cover separately. The same letters
of reference denote like parts in all the figures.
The chain cover is constructed of a panel A of celluloid, patent leather, or
similar material, fixed in a rim or frame B. The panel A is formed with a
flange which is clamped between the inner and outer members of the frame
or rim B, the said rim or frame being constructed of two superposed strips 61, b²,
of steel or other metal rolled or otherwise brought to a concavo-convex cross-
section and bent to the configuration of the chain cover, whilst the flange a
of the panel is moulded to a corresponding curvature and clamped between the
two strips 1, 2, by rivets passing through the strips and the intervening flange
of the panel whereby the latter is very firmly secured.
In the operation of moulding the flange of the panel so as, to bring it to the
transversely curved form, upturned in a direction substantially perpendicular
to the plane of the panel as shewn, the pressure of the mould may, in the case

page_text: f a panel of celluloid or similar material, extend slightly inwards from the
ange itself so as to form a bevelled marginal impression a¹ around the panel
orresponding in configuration to that of the frame B. The body portion of
he chain cover thus constructed extends nearly to the back fork end and it is
ompleted by a detachable end portion C which encircles the hub sprocket wheel.
Grepresents in dotted lines, one of the compression stays of the machine frame.
The panel A is strengthened and ornamented by a rib 1) formed of two half
round wires d', d³, bent to a configuration such as shewn, and rivetted together
with the panel between them, the rib thus formed following the configuration
of the longitudinally extending opening or slot G¹ which would require to be cut
in the panel A in order to give passage to the compression stay when, as is
frequently the case, the compression stay runs in an outwardly splayed or oblique
guide for the knife and
direction. In cutting out this slot the rib 1 serves as a
when the slot has been thus cut, the rib D then serves as a rim or border to
stiffen the panel and protect the edges of the slot and it also strengthens the
rear end of the frame 13 to which its ends are also rivetted.
The chain cover is supported on the machine frame by a bracket E formed of
two members e¹, es, clamped to the stay G in rear of the bottom bracket, the
return end portions of the upwardly and downwardly extending arms of said
bracket being bent to a curvature corresponding to the transverse curvature of
the frame B which frame is capable of being easily sprung into position of
engagement with the ends e3 of the bracket. The one end of the bracket has
a stud e which enters a hole in the frame B so as to determine and ensure the
position of the chain cover in the longitudinal direction. The chain cover is
supported at its rear open end upon a similar bracket F formed of two members
ff, clamped to the stay G, the ends f³ of the bracket being curved to fit in
the hollow of the frame B of the chain cover as before.
The security of the connection of the frame B with the bracket F is ensured
The said
(without a stud and hole) by the detachable end portion C of the cover.
end portion C has a rim formed of a steel strip è of concavo-convex cross section
and U-shape to which is rivetted a semi-annular front plate c¹ adapted to stiffen
the rim and partially enclose the front of the hub sprocket wheel, this end por-
tion C of the chain cover being detachably connected to the chain cover proper.
by the forwardly projecting ends of its rim entering into sliding engagement
with the rim frame B of the chain cover, each of said ends & fitting (as shewn
in Figures 1 and 4) tightly between the ends of the two members 61, 62, of which
the frame B is formed. For this purpose the ends of these members b¹, 2, project
somewhat in rear of the point where the flange of the panel A terminates, and
are set parallel to the centre line of the cover, the ends of the detachable end
cap C being also set parallel to each other so as to enable the length of these ends
to be varied by cutting them without interfering with the telescopic fit. This
detachable end portion C being entirely of metal, and therefore comparatively
rigid, serves by its engagement with the frame B of the chain cover to reinforce
the same and hold it in secure engagement with the rear bracket F so that,
5 although when the end portion C is detached the chain cover may be easily
sprung on and off the brackets E and F, the detachable end portion C when
applied serves to lock the chain cover in position.
In applying such chain covers to tandems, the cover for the rear chain would
be similar in form to that for a safety bicycle as above described, and be fitted
30 in the same way, whilst that for the front chain would also be similar but of a
more parallel shape as regards the upper and lower members of its frame, by
reason of the two sprocket wheels on which the front chain runs being of equal
diameters. The front cover would in other respects be constructed and mounted
The two covers may be entirely
detachably in the same way as the rear one.
55 separate so that the one may be dismounted without disturbing the other, or the
rear end of the main frame of the one may be connected to the front end of the
main frame of the other,

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:-
-
1. A driving chain cover constructed of a panel having its edge flanged and
clamped between the two members of a rim frame formed of two strips of sheet
metal superposed and rivetted together with the flange of the panel between
them substantially as specified.
2. A driving chain cover constructed of an enclosing rim frame formed of two
strips of sheet metal of curved form in transverse section, the strips being super-
posed upon an intervening flange formed on a side panel enclosing the space
within the frame and the strips and intervening flange being rivetted together
substantially as specified.
3. The combination with a driving chain cover having a sheet metal rim frame
of transversely curved section, of supporting brackets having return ends of
corresponding curvature to, and adapted to fit within the hollow of, the curved
rim substantially as specified.
4. The combination with a driving chain cover having a sheet metal rim
frame formed of superposed metal strips of transversely curved section rivetted
together and clamping between them the intervening flange of a panel enclosing
one side of the frame, of a detachable end cap having a rigid U-shaped rim
frame of transversely curved section and whose ends are adapted to slide and fit
between the members or strips composing the frame of the chain cover and
thereby lock the frame of the chain cover on its supporting bracket substantially
as specified.
5. In a driving chain cover formed of a panel of sheet material fixed in a rim
frame, the combination with the panel, of a rib, such as D, formed of two half
round wires rivetted together on opposite sides of the panel and serving to
strengthen the panel, as a guide for cutting out the slot therein, and as a pro-
tective frame for the edges thereof substantially as specified.
Dated this Unth day of June 1899
Dated this Unth day of lune L899
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
Chartered Patent Agents,
53, Chancery Lane, London.
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
Chartered Patent Agents,
53, Chancery Lane, London.