Improvements in or relating to Gear Cases for Velocipedes and the like.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Mar., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 1st Dec., 1897-Accepted, 29th Jan., 1898
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Gear Cases for Velocipedes and the
like.
We, WILLIAM STEVENSON LOUDON and ARTHUR WALTER ADAMS, Director and
Manager respectively, of the Simplex Gear Case Company Limited, of Simplex
Works, Days Lane, Coventry, Warwickshire, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
Our invention relates to cases for covering the driving gear of velocipedes and
the like, especially driving gear consisting of an endless chain fitted over a driving
and a driven toothed wheels, and has for its object, the production of a light, rigid,
silent and cheap case of metal or other suitable material.
Hitherto such metal cases have usually been constructed of an outer channelled
frame to which the more or less flat sides have been soldered, numerous parts and a
great deal of shaping and fitting being required.
According to our invention we construct the gear case of four principal pieces raised
from sheet steel or other suitable material in suitable presses. Each piece forms
approximately half one side, or a quarter of the whole case, and is provided with a
curved up portion along one edge which portion is sufficient to form rather more
than half laterally of the outer part corresponding to the channelled frame herein-
before mentioned. Two of the pieces are jointed together by their curved up edge
portions to form the upper part of the case and the other two pieces are similarly
jointed together to form the lower part of the case. The two parts of the case
preferably meet in, or approximately in, a plane passing through the axes
of the two chain wheels. The two pieces constituting the upper part of the
case are connected by soldering together the over-lapping margins of the
curved edge portions, which inargins are "set" by means of suitable lipped rolls so
that the outer surface of the joint is flush and smooth when finished. The two pieces
constituting the lower part of the case are similarly connected together. Some or all
of the four pieces are pressed with panels each set a suitable distance out of, but
preferably parallel to, the main plane of the piece. The upper and lower parts of
the case are fitted together with the top edges of the lower part entering grooves
formed along the lower edges of the upper part. These grooves are formed by
pressing up the lower edges of the upper part and soldering strips along side of
the same to the inside of the case. A recess may also be pressed in the outer
side of the upper part to accommodate the member of the upper back fork of a
diagonal framed safety bicycle when closely built. The raised panels, raised grooved
pieces and the like greatly increase the rigidity of the case allowing it to be built
lighter without sacrificing strength and preventing noise from buckling; the
fewness of parts and small quantity of solder required contribute to the lightness and
reduce the cost of manufacture.
The parts of the case may be secured together and to the machine by any suitable
known means and be provided with chain adjustment slides and other well known
features. We prefer however to mount a J shaped wire hook in a sleeve soldered to

page_text: the top edge of the case; the longer part of the hook is free to turn but, not slide
lengthwise in, the sleeve, whilst the curved part is adapted to embrace the above
mentioned member of the upper back fork.
8211
CT1
1097
Improvements in or relating to Gear Cases for Velocipedes and the
like.
We, WILLIAM STEVENSON LOUDon, and Arthur WALTER ADAMS, Gear Case
Manufacturers, of Simplex Works, Days Lane, Coventry, Warwickshire, 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:-
i Our invention relates to cases for covering the driving gear of velocipedes and the
like, especially driving gear consisting of an endless chain fitted over a driving and a
driven toothed wheels, and has for its object, the production of a light, rigid, silent
and cheap case of metal or other suitable material.
Hitherto such cases have usually been constructed of an outer channelled frame to
which the more or less flat sides have been secured, numerous parts and a great deal
of shaping and fitting being required. According to our invention we employ a
stamping or pressing process for shaping the sheet metal or other suitable material
from which the case is constructed.
And in order that our invention may be properly understood we will in describing
the same refer to the accompanying drawings, wherein
Figure I is a front elevation and Figure II is a back elevation of a gear case
constructed according to our invention and suitable for a rear driving safety
bicycle.
Figure III is a transverse section of the same on the line a-a in Figs. I and II,
and
'A
Figure IV is a similar view showing a modification.
Figs. III and IV are drawn to a larger scale than Figs. I and II. The same reference
numerals indicate the same or corresponding parts throughout the drawings.
1
We prefer to construct the gear case of four principal pieces A, B, C and D raised
from sheet steel or other suitable material in suitable presses. Each piece forms
approximately half of one side, or a quarter of the whole case and is provided with a
curved up portion 2 along one edge, which portion is sufficient to form rather more
than half (laterally) of the outer part corresponding to the channelled frame
hereinbefore mentioned. Two of the pieces (A and C) are jointed together by their
curved up edge portions 2 to form the upper part of the case, and the other two
pieces (B and D) are similarly jointed together to form the lower part of the case.
The two parts (upper and lower) of the case preferably meet in, or approximately in,
a plane passing through the axes of the two chain wheels. The two pieces constituting
the upper part of the case are connected by soldering together or otherwise uniting
the overlapping margins of the respective curved edge portions 2, which margins are
"set" by means of suitable rolls and one margin may be grooved as shown to facilitate
the soldering process. The rib 5 set up by the grooving may be arranged either
inside the case as shown in Figs. I, II, and III so that the outer surface of the joint

page_text: is flush and smooth when finished, or the rib 5 may be arranged on the outside of the
case as shown in Fig. IV. The two pieces B, D constituting the lower part of the case
are similarly connected together. Some or all of the four pieces are pressed with
panels 6 each set a suitable distance out of, but preferably parallel to, the main plane
of the piece. These panels may be of any suitable shape, such as the larger panels
shown in Figs. I, II and III, or they may be smaller and of more fanciful design as
shown in Fig. IV, or of either shape as may be preferred. The upper and lower parts
of the case are fitted together with the top edges 7 of the lower part entering grooves
formed along the lower edges of the upper part. These grooves are formed by
pressing up the lower edges 8 of the upper part and soldering strips 9 alongside of
the same to the inside of the case. A recess 10 may also be pressed in the outer
side of the upper part A to accommodate the member of the upper back fork of a
diamond framed safety bicycle when closely built. The raised panels 6, raised groove
pieces 8 and the like greatly increase the rigidity of the case allowing it to be built
lighter without sacrificing strength and they prevent the noise which arises in some
cases from the material buckling; the fewness of parts and small quantity of solder
required contribute to the lightness and reduce the cost of manufacture.
The parts of the case may be secured together and to the machine by any suitable
known means and be provided with chain adjustment slides 11, extensions 12 and
other well known or desirable features. We sometimes mount a J shaped wire hook 13
in a sleeve 14 soldered to the top edge of the case; the longer part of the hook is
free to turn in, but not to slide lengthwise, in, the sleeve, while the curved part is
adapted to embrace the above mentioned member of the upper back fork; or this
hook device may be adapted to engage with any other suitable part of the machine
to which the gear case is attached.
In constructing gear cases for other types of velocipedes than the rear driving
safety bicycle we proceed substantially as herein before described, but modifications,
may be made without exceeding the fair scope of our invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is:-
1. In a gear case constructed of pieces of sheet metal or other suitable material,
pressing or stamping the said pieces to shape with curved-up edge portions whereby
the said pieces may be secured together, substantially as herein described.
2. In a gear case constructed of pieces of sheet metal or other suitable material
pressing or stamping the said pieces to shape with curved up edge portions and
with raised panels and with groove pieces, substantially as and for the purposes set
forth.
3. In means for attaching gear cases to velocipedes and the like, a J shaped hook
free to turn in, but not to slide in, a sleeve on the gear case, and adapted to engage
with a member of the upper hack fork of the diamond frame of a bicycle or other
suitable part of the machine to which the gear case is attached, substantially as set
forth.
4. The improvements in or relating to gear cases for velocipedes and the like,
substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
G. DOUGLAS LEECHMAN,
18, Hertford Street, Coventry, 75, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., and .
49, Middle Abbey Street, Dublin, Patent Agent for the Applicants.