Year: 1892

page_text: The decision of the Comptroller-General, of the 5th day of May 1893, allowed,
under Section 18 of the Patents, &c. Act, 1883, an Amendment of this
Specification.
Date of Application, 26th Aug., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 7th Sept., 1892-Accepted, 26th Nov., 1892
Air Tight Cycle Gear Dvs.
HENRY FFRENCH-GILLMAN Old Fort Newcastle County Wicklow Ireland
Landed Proprietor do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:
I prevent dirt and wet of any sort collecting on the chains and cog wheels of
tricycles and bicycles by enclosing chains and cogwheels in a box made of any soft
pliable metal, or of leather and metal combined.
I make this box in one part closed on all sides except the bottom, the exact
shape being immaterial. I insert the mechanism it is intended to cover through
the opening at the bottom, I fill up this opening, with a slip of wood, horn, or other
suitable material.
This slip of wood I hollow out on its inside surface in the form of a trough
which receives the sag of the chain and prevents all rattle, this box must
be split directly underneath the spindles to allow of their being passed into their
place. I close these splits by fixing metal loops on each side of the split and pass
a wire bolt through them on the principle of a continuous hinge joint, or I dispense
with this hinge joint by cutting the sides of the split to a V shape. I carry
back and pedal spindles through slots cut in the sides of the gear box, these slots
must be considerably larger than the said spindles. I close these slots with plates
of metal these plates of metal are held tight against the inside of the gear box.by
strips of metal fixed to the sides of the gear box, these strips of metal overlap the
edges of the plates an inch or more allowing sufficient room for the plates moving
up or down backward or forward this movement provides for chain adjustment and
easy fitting of gear box to machine.
, I fit these plates to machines having side adjustable bearings by cutting a hole
in the plate to fit the thread of the screw on the adjusting cone which can then be
screwed home, the flange on this cone will hold the plate tightly in its place, the
catch which holds the flanged cone in its place can be fixed on the outside of the
plate.
On spindles not fitted with flanged cone side adjustable bearings, I fix special
bearings on the plates, or, I make the hole in the adjustable plate a close,
but free fit for the spindle and then place a ring of metal close against the outside
of the plate a penthouse fixed on the side of the gear box turns rain and dust,
this ring can be in two parts or one, if the joints of this gear box are calked with
tallow and beeswax it will be air and dirt tight.
Holes to lubricate chain and cog wheels can be made in any suitable place,
these holes can be closed in any ordinary way, or with a moveable plate fixed on
as already described, this gear box will not hold lubricating material, none must
be used except what lies on the chain.

page_text: When the oil holes of the bearings are covered by this gear box I provide for
access to them by fixing tubes over, the oil holes carrying the mouths of these
tubes to openings in the casing these openings can be closed in any ordinary way.
When arms of the machinery pass through the gear box I close the slots caused
thereby by moveable plates fixed as before described A screw nut and rubber
washer round the arm makes the hole air tight.
Friction and loss of speed is caused on cycles by the upper part of the band
hanging on the brake drum
I prevent this by placing a bracket under the sag of
the band and fix the bracket to the gear box.
When fixing this gear box to machinery of some sorts I avoid the necessity of
stays by allowing parts of the metal sides of the gear box to project in the required
places.
Dated this 25th day of August 1892.
HENRY FFRENCH-GILLMAN,
Old Fort, Newcastle, County Wicklow, Ireland.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION (AMENDED).
Air Tight Cycle Gear Box.
HENRY FFRENCH-GILLMAN Old Fort Newcastle County Wicklow Ireland
Landed Proprietor 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 :-
Bicycles tricycles and other vehicles propelled by an endless chain working
on two cog wheels collect dirt and wet on this mechanism, causing loss of speed
by friction and rapid wear of the parts.
I prevent this by enclosing the chain and cog wheels in a casing made of leather-
metal and wood, or of metal and wood combined.
I make this box in one part closing all sides except the bottom, the exact
shape being immaterial I insert the mechanism it is intended to cover through
the open bottom, I fill up the opening at bottom with a slip of any light tough
wood such, as willow wood, this slip of wood I hollow out on its inside surface in
the form of a trough which receives the sag of the chain and prevents all rattle
it also imparts the necessary stiffness to the casing.
This trough can also be made of horn, cork or other suitable material and must
be bent in a curve to fit the sag of the chain, the lower ends of the casing can
be screwed or bolted on to this trough.
It being necessary to split the sides of this box directly underneath the spindles
of the pedal gear to allow of their being passed into their place, I close these
splits by fixing metal loops on each side of the splits and pass a wire bolt through
them on the principle of a continuous hinge joint, a better plan is to cut the
wooden trough which closes the opening in the bottom of the box, half an inch
shorter than the opening and fill up the vacant space by bending the front part of
the box backward, this will cause the edges of the splits to overlap and lie
close together, this split is covered on the inside by a moveable plate hereafter
described.
:
I carry the pedal spindles and back cog wheel spindles through openings cut in
the sides of the gear box, the slots for the pedal spindle must be cut curved at
the top and to a V shape at the lower side. The slots for the back cog wheel
must be cut curved at the top, and straight at the sides leaving an open space in
the sides of the gear box extending to its lowest end, the breadth of this slot for
the back spindle must be a little larger than the diameter of the spindle passing
through it. The diameter of the slots for pedal spindles must be large enough to
allow for chain adjustment.

page_text: I close these slots by metal plates which must overlap the edges of the slots
considerably, these metal plates are held tight against the inside of the sides of
the gear box by strips of metal fixed to the sides of the box, these strips of metal
overlap the edges of the plates an inch more or less as required to form a tight
joint, allowing sufficient space for the plates moving up and down backward and
forward, this movement provides for chain adjustment and easy fitting of the air
tight gear box to the machine. I fit these plates to the crank axle of a tricycle
which has bearings adjustable by means of a flanged cone screwed in from the
side by cutting a slot in the plate large enough to fit the thread of the screw on the
flanged cone which can then be screwed home, the catch holding the flanged cone
in its place can be fixed on as usual on the outside of the plate.
When the bearings on the machine cannot be utilized as described (this occurs
once on a bicycle and twice on a tricycle) I place a ring round the spindle which
has two flanges projecting from its periphery one of the flanges must screw off a
hole is then cut in the plate a close fit for the ring the flange is then screwed
home.
A roller is placed between the spindle and the ring, making it in fact a roller
bearing, a cone or balls can also be used and fitted on in the ordinary way, this
roller bearing can be made very thin and light.
The ring might be fixed to the spindle and the flanges revolve round the plates,
but in practice this plan will not work, the way shown being the most convenient
one for the purpose of an air tight fit.
When the machine is not furnished with side adjusting flanged bearings, I place
flanges on the bearings it may be furnished with. This gear box can be affixed to
bicycles in substantially the same manner, it can be affixed to bicycles in the
ordinary manner by stays clamped or bolted to the frame.
When fitting this gear box to tricycles and in some cases to bicycles I avoid the
necessity of using stays by allowing a square inch or more of the material composing
the sides of the gear box to project where required and bolt this projection to the
frame.
If the joints of this gear box are calked with a mixture of tallow and beeswax it
will be air, rain, and dust tight.
I make a hole in the box directly over the back cog wheel for lubricating chain
and pinion wheels, and another hole directly underneath. to drain off waste oil, these
holes can be closed in any ordinary way or by moveable plates fixed as already
described.
If this gear box is made of leather the trough at bottom can be dispensed with
and a plain slip of wood substituted, or-the-lower-ends can be-stitched, laced,-or
bolted together, but these would not be convenient ways for the purpose.
This gear box will not hold lubricating material. All the joints being at the
bottom of the box waste oil resting in the box would dissolve the tallow calking and
run out.
I keep the lubricant on the chain always fresh, moist, and free from stickiness by
total exclusion of air from the gear box, this answers all practical lubricating
purposes as the chain cannot utilize more than the thin film of oil adhering to it,
the presence of waste oil would be therefore a useless encumbrance and must be
drained off. This box will cover the oil holes of the crank bearings. I provide for
access to them by fixing tubes over the oil holes carrying the mouths of these tubes
to openings in the sides of the box. I.close these openings by sliding plates, or in
any ordinary manner.
As it is necessary for certain parts of the machinery other than the spindles to
pass through this casing I close the slots caused thereby, by moveable plates fixed
as before described making the hole in the plate a tight fit for the projecting
arm and using a rubber washer and screw nut round the arm to make an air
tight fit.
Friction resulting in loss of speed is caused on eyeles fitted with band brakes by.
the-apper part of the band hanging on the brake drum. -I prevent this by placing

page_text: a bracket on the side of the gear box, this bracket projects under the seg of the
-band.
This gear box could be made telescopic, or it could be made in another way,
-cover front and back cog wheels with a separate box, made and fitted as described,
cutting four round holes in the edges where the chain passes through them, then
bridge the space between with two sections of leather piping the ends of the piping
to screw into the holes through which the chain passes, the piping is fitted at the
ends with brass screws made in the same way as ordinary water hose joints, this
piping or tubing can be made of any suitable material, if telescopic of metal or
wood.
In practice the moveable plate is held tightly against the side of the gear case by
the strip of metal as before described no space being allowed as shown in Fig. 5
owing to the impossibility of illustrating the idea otherwise.
EXPLANATION OF DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 illustrates exterior aspect of the gear box made in one part for a tricycle.
A A stays at top formed by projecting parts of the sides of the gear box.
BB moveable plates filling up the openings in the sides of the gear box where
spindles pass through. CC splits in side of gear box allowing spindles to be passed
into their places. D continuous hinge joint closing the split under crank spindle,
the moveable plate at back spindle is screwed on to the wooden trough. E hole
for oiling covered in bearings of crank axle by means of a tube fixed over oil hole.
FFF screws fixing lower end of gear box to wooden trough. G hole for oiling
chain. H hole for escape of waste oil. K slot for projecting portion of mechanism,
required in some builds of tricycles.
Fig. 2 interior aspect of sanie style of gear box. L L being the wooden trough
at the bottom, open at the ends.
Fig. 3 end section of wooder trough.
Fig. 4 section showing moveable plate B held in place by strip of metal M.
Fig. 5 section of the moveable plates B B B B fitted to ordinary ball bearings
and held in place against the sides of the gear box by strips of metal M M M M.
L the wooden trough at the bottom of gear box.
Fig. 6 moveable plate.
Fig. 7 strip of metal for holding moveable plate against the side of the gear box.
Fig. 8 illustrates tube N for conveying oil from hole E in the side of the gear
box to covered in bearings in the crank axle of tricycles.
Fig. 9 each cog wheel covered with a separate box 000, the space between
bridged with leather tubes P P through which tubes the chain runs. LL the
slips of wood or horn closing the bottom of the box.
Fig. 10 the exterior aspect of same style of gear box, to fit bicycles only.
000 the separate boxes. P P the separate tubes of leather. B the moveable
plate closing hole where spindle passes through side of the gear box. C split
allowing spindle to be passed into its place. D continuous hinge joint for closing
the split. FF screws fixing lower end of gear box to wooden trough.
Fig. 11 section of gear box fitted to back axle of a bicycle, the flanged cone of
bearing being inside the moveable plate B B as required by the build of machine.
When fitting this gear box to bicycles stays A A of Fig. 1 are omitted, and the
stay X of Fig. 11 used instead. Z the clamp holding stay ✗ to the frame of the
machine.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare what I
claim is :-
1st. In bicycles and tricycles in which the motion is transmitted by an endless
chain working on two cog wheels, or by three or more cog wheels, I claim enclosing
the mechanism described in an absolutely air tight casing constructed in one part
with a wooden or horn bottom substantially as described.

page_text: 2nd. Covering front and back cog wheels with separate boxes connected with
tubes or pipes substantially as described.
3rd. Total exclusion of air from gear cases and easy fitting of same-to-machine
by using moveable plates to cover the slots in the sides of the easing, fixed to the
sides of the easing and fitted to the spindles substantially as described.
3rd. Use of moveable plates in detachable gear cases for chain adjustment on back and
front spindles, if fitted as shown herein.
4th. Conveying oil to covered in bearings as described.
oth. Fixing a bracket on the side of the gear box under the seg of the brake
band.
HENRY FFRENCH-GILLMAN,
Old Fort, Newcastle, County Wicklow, Ireland.