Improvements in the Manufacture of Metal Tubes suitable for use in the Construction of Velocipedes and similar Vehicles.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Nov., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 16th Nov., 1891-Accepted, 19th Dec., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Metal Tubes suitable for use
in the Construction of Velocipedes and similar Vehicles.
We, JOHN EARLE and GEORGE BOURNE, both of Hooper Street Tube Works,
Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Tube Manufacturers, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Heretofore the frame-work of bicycles and other' velocipedes has usually been
made to a large extent from what are known as seamless or weldless tubes, but
owing to the cost of such tubes they cannot be economically used in constructing
low priced machines.
Now our invention has reference to the manufacture or production of tubes of
great strength at a comparatively low cost and such as can be advantageously used
in the construction of velocipedes and similar vehicles.
And in order that the nature of our invention may be clearly understood we will
proceed to explain the same, by reference to the accompanying drawings which
shew in cross section various constructions of tubes according thereto. In carrying
out our invention we take a strip of metal, by preference mild steel, and heated to
a suitable temperature, or cold, and form the same in any suitable manner, as for
instance by drawing through suitable dies or rolls, into a skelp the adjacent side
portions 2 of which are turned inward as shewn in Fig. 1, so as to form inwardly
projecting ribs the depth of each of which is say about three times that of the
thickness of the metal strip from which the tube is formed and a cavity or space 3
being left between them. Hard solder is then placed in this cavity or space and
the tube is passed through an ordinary brazing stove so as to melt the solder and
thus connect the turned in portions together. The tube thus made is afterwards
finished by drawing through dies or rolls at a draw bench in the usual way. As
will be obvious the turned in side or edge portions 2 of the tube may be variously
arranged. Thus one of them may be of greater width and be so bent as to
surround the other as shewn in Fig. 2, and form a gutter or cavity 3ª for the
reception of the solder. To obtain greater strength a strip of metal 4 may be placed
between the joints and soldered to the turned in portions 2 as shewn in Fig. 3;
this strip 4 extending longitudinally through the centre of the tube and thus con-
siderably increasing its strength against collapse in the plane of the joint. Or
a similar result can be obtained by making the tube of a strip of metal of sufficient
width to admit of its turned in side or edge portion 2 extending diametrically across
the interior of the tube as shewn in Fig. 4, a space 3 being left between the said
turned-in portions 2 for the reception of the solder. Or one only of the turned in
portions 2 may be thus made to extend across the interior of the tube; the other
portion to which the first is soldered being made shorter as shewn in Fig. 5.
Dated this 6th day of November 1891.
JOHN
EARLE,
By L. W., per F. B.
GEO. BOURNE,
By L. W., per F. B.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Metal Tubes suitable for use
in the Construction of Velocipedes and similar Vehicles.
We, JOHN EARLE and GEORGE BOURNE, both of Hooper Street Tube Works,
Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Tube Manufacturers, 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:-
Heretofore the frame-work of bicycles and other velocipedes has usually been
made to a large extent from what are known as seamless or weldless tubes, but
owing to the cost of such tubes they cannot be economically used in constructing
low priced machines.
Now our invention has reference to the manufacture or production of tubes of
great strength at a comparatively low cost and such as can be advantageously used
in the construction of velocipedes and similar vehicles.
And in order that the nature of our invention may be clearly understood we will
proceed to explain the same, by reference to the drawings filed with our Provisional
Specification, which shew in cross section various constructions of tubes according
thereto.
As
In carrying out our invention we take a strip of metal, by preference mild
steel, which may be heated or cold, and form the same in any suitable manner, as
for instance by drawing through suitable dies or rolls into a skelp the adjacent side
portions 2 of which are turned inward as shewn in Fig. 1, so as to form inwardly
projecting ribs the depth of each of which is say about three times that of the
thickness of the metal strip from which the tube is formed and a cavity or space 3
being left between them. Hard solder is then placed in this cavity or space and
the tube is passed through an ordinary brazing stove so as to melt the solder and
thus connect the turned in portions together. The tube thus made is afterwards
finished by drawing through dies or rolls at a draw bench in the usual way.
will be obvious the turned-in side or edge portions 2 of the tube may be variously
arranged. Thus one of them may be of greater width and be so bent as to
surround the other as shewn in Fig. 2, and form a gutter or cavity 3" for the
reception of the solder. To obtain greater strength a strip of metal 4 may be
placed between the joint and solder to the turned in portions 2 as shewn in Fig. 3;
this strip 4 extending longitudinally through the centre of the tube and thus
considerably increasing its strength against collapse in the plane of the joint. Or
a similar result can be obtained by making the tube of a strip of metal of sufficient
width to admit of its turned in side or edge portion 2 extending diametrically
across the interior of the tube as shewn in Fig. 4, a space 3 being left between the
said turned in portions 2 for the reception of the solder. Or one only of the
turned in portions 2 may be thus made to extend across the interior of the tube;
the other portion to which the first is soldered being made shorter as shewn in
Fig. 5.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is:-
The hereinabove described improvements in the manufacture of metal tubes
according to which a tube is made by bending a strip of metal into a tube, the side
or edge portions of the plate being turned inward and so as to leave a space or
cavity between them for the reception of solder, placing solder within the said
space or cavity, soldering the two turned in portions together, or to an intermediate
strip of metal extending longitudinally within the tube, by passing the tube through

page_text: a brazing furnace, and finishing the tube thus formed by drawing substantially as
hereinabove described with reference to the several examples illustrated in the
drawings hereunto annexed.
Dated this 16th day of November 1891.
W. LLOYD WISE,
Per F. J. Brougham,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicants.