Improvements in the Gear Cases of Bicycles, Tricycles, and other Velocipedes.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Oct.,
1895
Complete Specification Left, 2nd July, 1896-Accepted, 22nd Aug., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Gear Cases of Bicycles, Tricycles, and
other Velocipedes.
We, JOHN VERNON PUGH, of No. 52 Lincoln's Inn, Corporation Street,
Birmingham, in the County of Warwick Mechanical Engineer and IIARRY
DAVENPORT of Billesley Common, near King's Ileath in the County of Worcester
Tinman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows-
Our invention has for its object to simplify the construction of the dust proof
closing cases of velocipedes commonly called geat cases in which the chain wheels
and diving chain are enclosed and work.
We will describe oui invention in connection with the gear case of a safety
bicycle
In constructing a gear case according to our invention we make a shallow
metallic box consisting of two flat symmetrical or nearly symmetrical halves
engaging together at their edges, the engaged halves of the case resembling
generally in shape the ordinary gear case. The inner side or half of the metallic
case is fixed preferably by soldering to the chain stay fork at the back of the
driving chain the edges of the half case being of a trough or semi-circular figuie
in cross section. The uner on fixed half of the box has a longitudinal slot at its
middle and near its fiont end through which the part of the chain stay fork
connected to the bottom bracket and also the axle of the driving chain wheel pass.
The tear end of the and innet fixed half of the case has an opening by which it is
passed over the axle of the tear chain wheel of the bicycle. The inuer or fixed
half of the case is preferably made in two parts which are brought into position
by a sliding motion and are soldered or otherwise joined together. The other or
detachable half of the case has its edge curved to spring on and fit over the trough
shaped edges of the fixed part of the case. The detachable half of the gear case
has a vertical slot for permitting it to be passed over the crank and crank axle of
the bicycle. This slot is closed when the detachable half of the case 13 in place
by a slide the inner end of which has a semi-circular concave figure which fits over
the axle.
The slot at the rear end of the fixed half of the case is closed by a similar closing
slide but the outer end of the said rear slide has a tough shaped edge for closing
the rear end of the case. The last named slide as well as that part of the fixed
half or back of the case immediately opposite it have secondary or small slides
which are moved by means of turned out or projecting pieces on them on the
adjusting of the tension of the diving chain.
We prefer to fix the detachable oi closing half of the gear case to the back or
fixed half by means of screws passed through the ends of the case in addition to
the springing of the edges together as hereinbefore described.
Dated this Seventeenth day of October 1895.
W. T. WHITEMAN,
Agent for the Applicants.

page_text: Improvements in the Gear Cases of Bicycles, Tricycles, and
other Velocipedes.
We, JOHN VERNON PUGH, of No 52 Lincoln's Inn, Corporation Street,
Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Mechanical Engineer and HARRY
DAVENPORT, of Billesley Common near King's Heath, in the County of Worcester
Tinman, do hereby declare the nature of our invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement :-
Our invention has for its object to simplify the construction of the dust proof
closing cases of velocipedes commonly called gear cases in which the chain wheels
and diving chain are enclosed and work.
We will describe cur invention in connection with the gear case of a safety
bicycle.
In constructing a gear case according to our invention we make a shallow
metallic box consisting of two flat symmetrical or nearly symmetrical halves
engaging together at their edges, the engaged halves of the case resembling
generally in shape the ordinary gear case. The inner side or half of the metallic
case is fixed preferably by soldering to the chain stay fork at the back of the
driving chain, the edges of the half case being of a tough or semi-circular figme
in cross section. The inner or fixed half of the box has a longitudinal slot at its
muddle and near its front end though which the part of the chain stay fork
connected to the bottom bracket and also the axle of the driving chain wheel pass.
The rear end of the said inner fixed half of the case has an opening by which it is
passed over the axle of the rear chain wheel of the bicycle. The other or
detachable half of the case has its edges curved to spring on and fit over the
trough shaped edges of the fixed part of the case The detachable half of the
gear ense has a slot for permitting it to be passed over the crank and crank axle
of the bicycle. This slot is closed when the detachable half of the case 1 in
place by a slide on slides the inner ends of which have a semi-circulai concave
figure and fit over the axle.
The slot at the rear end of the fixed half of the case is closed by a similar
closing slide but the outer end of the said rear slide has a trough shaped edge for 3
closing the rear end of the case. The last named slide as well as that part of the
fixed half or back of the case immediately opposite it have secondary or small
slides which are moved by means of turned out or projecting pieces on them on
the adjusting of the tension of the driving chain.
We prefer to fix the detachable or closing half of the gear case to the back or 3
fixed half by means of sciews passed through the ends of the case in addition to
the spinging of the edges together as herein before described.
Figure of the accompanying diawings represents in side elevation a safety
bicycle provided with a gear case constructed according to our invention;
Figures 2 and 3 represent respectively in side and end elevations the portion of 4
the frame of the bicycle to which the gear case is connected, together with the
Baid gear case,
Figure 4 is a similar view to Figure 2 the front or outer side of the case being
removed and
Figure 5 is a plan of the part of the bicycle frame, the gear case being repre- 4
sented in horizontal section ;
Figure 6 is a cross section through the dotted line 2, a Figure 2; and
Figures 7,8 and 9 represent sections taken respectively on the dotted lines ‚³, æ³ ;
y, y and z, z Figure 4.

page_text: Figues 2 to 9 both inclusive are drawn to a large scale thau Figure 1.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several figures of
the drawings.
The gear case consists essentially of a fixed part or half a and a removable part
or half the last named part b virtually constituting the cover. The fixed part
or half a consists of a plate forked at its two ends the edges a, a of which plate
are trough shaped. The forked plate is passed onto the frame of the bicycle the
rear part of the slot at the front forked end fitting and being soldered o brazed
on the branch c of the chain stay fork at the driving chain wheel side of the
bicycle, the front or open end of the slot being closed by soldering or brazing to
the said platea a narrow strip of sheet metal indicated in dotted lines in Figure +
and marked a³. The fixed part or half a of the case is further secured to the
branch c of the chain stay fork by a short horizontal web d (see Figures 5 and 8)
and by a vertical web e (see Figures 2 and 4). The front end of the fixed part a
of the case is connected to the tube of the bicycle fiame by the external stay g
(see Figures 2 and 3) and to the bottom bracket by the U shaped strengthening
piece 1.
The rear forked part of the fixed half or pait a is provided at opposite
edges with trough shaped guides a¹, a' (see Figure 9) and is closed by horizontal
slides in the manner hereinafter described.
The
The removable front or cover part b of the gear case resembles the finished rear
half a excepting that its rear end is not forked The cover has a rectangular or
nearly rectangular opening near its front end to permit it to pass the pedal and
crank in putting on and taking off the said cover b. The curved or trough
shaped edges 63, 6 of the cover b spring over the curved or trough shaped
edges a, a when the cover b is applied to the fixed half a of the case.
rectangular or nearly rectangular opening near the front end of the cover 6 15
closed by the horizontal slides m, m² the meeting edges of which embrace or fit
the crank axle. The rear end of the cover b has an opening p through which the
tension of the diving chain may be adjusted from time to time without removing
the cover of the gear case, the eye g of the tension adjusting eye bolt g, q³
bearing against the outer side of the removable half or cover b.
The opening at the rear forked end of the fixed part or half a of the case is
closed by the curved end piece and horizontal slides s, ³ working in the
guides a, a the ear slides being cared by the curved end piece r.
two parts o halves of the case ate further secured together by the thumb
screws, t.
The
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our invention
and m what manner the same is to be performed we declare that we claim as
our invention :-
The improvements in velocipede gear cases herein before descubed and
llustrated in the accompanying drawings, the said improvements consisting
essentially in making the case of two flat symmetrical sides or halves having
senn-circular or trough shaped edges one of the said sides or halves being fixed,
by soldering or brazing, to the frame of the velocipede and the other or removable
side o half engaging with the fixed half by its semi-circular or trough shaped
edges springing over the trough shaped edges of the fixed half substantially as
described aud illustrated.
Dated the Thirtieth day of June 1896.
JOHN VERNON PUGH.
HARRY
DAVENPORT.