Improvements in Machines for Drilling Holes in the Rims of Bicycle or other Light Wheels.
Year: 1898

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines for Drilling Holes in the Rims of Bicycle
or other Light Wheels.
JOHN BATEY, Mechanical Engineer, 47, Heytesbury Street, Dublin, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improved mechanism for drilling all the holes in the
rim of a bicycle or other light wheel.
The object of this invention is to facilitate the aforesaid operation by improved
mechanism whereby the whole number of holes in one rim can be operated on at
one and the same time thereby cheapening production and at the same time, to
facilitate the further operations to be performed on any wheel in which the rim is
a component part by reason of the condition that every hole drilled by the machine
will be equally spaced and truly drilled in either one or two planes at true distances
from or on a centre line midway between the two edges of the rim,
The method whereby this object is attained is as follows. In a machine in which
the rim to be drilled is held by adjustable jaws on or in which the rim is secured
and held at an equal distance from the centre of the machine-the said jaws
being made adjustable in or out from the centre and up and down to take in rims
of varying diameters and widths-said rim being held in a true plane whilst the
operation of drilling is performed.
The rim thus held is operated upon by a number of drills equal in number to
the number of holes required according to the number of spokes to be used-each
drill is carried by a spindle running in suitable bearings. The extreme outer
bearing being secured to a circular table carried by arms attached to or forming
part of a central pillar and the inner bearing nearest the centre being carried
by
circular table forming part of
the aforesaid
or attached
central pillar. The inner and outer circular tables may or may
their upper faces in one plane-the object being to provide means for attaching
the bearings of the drilling spindles and the outer table to also form the base
for the adjustable jaws.
a
to
not have
Between the inner and outer table there is an interval or space between which
a double faced bevel or crown wheel is operated the said wheel having a down-
ward extension or sleeve which engages with and is free to rotate upon a portion
of the central pillar which is turned to receive it-said position being immediately
below the central table and above the arms carrying the outer table. A pair of
pulleys one fast & the other loose are fitted to the outside of the downward
extension to enable the same to be driven by a belt or if desired by a toothed
or friction wheel instead of the aforesaid pulleys for the purpose of imparting
rotary movement to the aforesaid double faced bevel or crown wheel. Attached
to each drilling spindle is a pinion wheel said pinion wheels are arranged on two
circular lines to engage with and to work into and be driven by the aforesaid
doubled faced bevel or crown wheel-thereby imparting a continuous rotary
motion to all the drilling spindles, at one and the same time. The outer circle

page_text: of pinions are made a little larger than the inner circle of pinions to enable the
spindles to run at about equal speeds and consequently the drills attached to the
same.
To the end of each spindle nearest to the centre of the machine a socket is
attached in which the end of the spindle is free to rotate-each socket being held
by a collar or clutch working in a groove or against a collar formed on or in the
circumference of each spindle-by which method the spindles and sockets are
attached to each other-being free to rotate about a common centre, but cannot
move endways except together-whereby the means adopted to push out all the
spindles in the act of drilling will by the reverse action bring them all back
again which is effected as follows.
A centre spindle is arranged to work in bearings within the central
pillar carrying at its upper end a conical head-the upper part being raised
a little above the centre plane of the spindles and the lower part
below in al recess provided for the same in the middle portion of
the centre table. The face of the conical head is scored with a number of dove-
tailed or under cut slots in a line with its depth equal to the number of spindles
required and consequently to the number of sockets. To the back end of each
socket is a wing or projection shaped to fit the scored slots in the face of the
conical head-being free to slide up and down in same but not away from it as
the scores are undercut & the projections on the back of the sockets are fitted to
them. It is obvious that any upward or downward movement of the conical
head must effect the said sockets and the spindles to which they are attached as
they are held in one plane-and thereby pushed in or out as the larger or smaller
parts of the cone are brought into the same plane as the centre line of the spindles.
The upward movement of the central spindle is effected by a lever or screw
attached to its lower extremity which may be actuated by either foot or hand
power.
With the conical head and spindle in its normal or lowest position all the
spindles and drills are in their normal condition-nearest the centre of machine—
but when the spindle is raised the largest part of the conical head is brought near
the centre line of the spindles-hence all are pushed out to their greatest distance
from the centre of the machine. This outward or feeding movement is regulated
by the difference between the largest and smallest diameters of the cone-but by
preference a sufficiency of movement is given to suit the smallest size of rim-and
for larger rims longer drills may be used.
The central pillar forms a part of what may be called the main frame of the
machine and is carried by or rests in a suitable base.
Having now described the general arrangement of the invention it is obvious
that various devices may be used for the same purpose. Friction wheels may
be used instead of toothed wheels-and the pinions may be arranged on one circle
to be driven by a single faced bevel or crown wheel, but by preference the machine
as arranged is preferred especially the feeding arrangement.
The operation of drilling a rim by the above machine is as follows.
The rim to be drilled is placed in position and secured by the adjustable jaws
which may be arranged to be worked from one central source or each may be
moved separately by hand-in any case the jaws are made adjustable to take
various diameters and widths of rim-which is held securely at equal distance
from the centre of machine and in a true plane with the centre plane of the drilling
spindles whilst the operation of drilling is performed.
The rim thus held is operated upon by drills equal to the number of holes
the method of driving is put into operation whereby a rotary motion is imparted
to the double faced bevel or crown wheel, and to the pinions and spindles and
drills attached to them—when these are at their full speed the central spindle and
conical head is raised slowly-therby pushing or feeding out all the drills away
from the centre until they penetrate the material of the rim at one time-when
the rim is completely perforated the centre spindle with its head is lowered and

page_text: consequently all the drilling spindles are brought back to their normal position―
the rim is released another one is fixed and the operation is repeated.
Hence every rim of one size drilled by the machine is the duplicate of another
and every hole is true to position and centre line.
Whereby all rims drilled by the machine result in greatly reducing the cost of
the operation of drilling, and at the same time fits the condition of systematic
manipulation of a component part of a complete wheel to make it true circum-
ferentially and transversely thereby reducing the cost of wheel building by
systemising the conditions under which the component parts of any wheel are
arranged and formed to complete their incorporation into one complete system.
Dated this 22nd day of August 1898.
Improvements in Machines for Drilling Holes in the Rims of Bicycle
or other Light Wheels.
I, JOHN BATEY, Mechanical Engineer, late of 47, Heytesbury Street, Dublin,
but now of Beechwood, Ravenhurst Road, Harborne, Birmingham, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement-
This invention relates to improved mechanism for drilling all the holes in
the rim of a bicycle or other light wheel.
The object of this invention is to facilitate the aforesaid operation by improved
mechanism whereby the whole number of holes in one rim can be operated on at
one and the same time thereby cheapening production and at the same time
facilitating the further operations to be performed on any wheel in which the rim
is to form a component part by reason of the condition that every hole drilled by
the machine will be equally spaced and truly drilled in either one plane or in
two planes at equal distances from a centre line midway between the two edges of
the rim.
The machine is shown in the drawings hereunto annexed.
Figure 1 is a side elevation mostly in section of the machine and .Figure 2 is
a plan view.
In the machine the rim to be drilled is held between a number of jaws A which
are ranged in a circle at equal distances apart from one another. Each jaw is
capable of being slid towards or away from the centre of the circle along radial
guides B. The acting face of each jaw is made somewhat V shaped so that wheel
rims of any desired width may be held in them and so that whether a wide or
narrow rim is being held the central line of the rim is always in the same
horizontal plane and is always held truly in this plane whilst the operation of
drilling is being performed.
All the jaws can simultaneously be moved inwards towards the centre or out-
wards away from it along the radial guides so that they always remain concentric
and any wheel rim held by them is kept truly circular.
The way in which they are all caused to move simultaneously inwards or out-
wards is as follows, other ways of effecting the same object might however be
adopted.
Each jaw has a pin A¹ projecting downwards from it which enters a groove Cl
formed radially in a plate or lever C which turns on a fulcrum C².

page_text: 1
The levers are coupled one with another by links C so that when one is turned
on its fulcrum the others turn with it. One lever has fast with it a toothed
are C, into this gears a worm C³ on a spindle C which can be turned. by a hand
wheel on its end so that by turning this spindle all the jaws can be moved
simultaneously inwards or outwards.
In place of the jaws being all moved simultaneously they might be moved
separately by hand but not with equal advantage.
The rim when held is operated upon by a number of drills D equal in number
to the number of holes required according to the number of spokes to be used-
each drill is carried by a spindle E running in suitable bearings F F. Each
outer bearing F is secured to an annular table G which also serves as a support
for the radial guides B which carry the jaws A. The table G is carried by arms H₁
attached to or forming part of a central pillar H, each inner bearing F nearest
the centre is carried by an annular table I attached to the aforesaid central pillar
as shown.
Between the inner and outer tables I and G there is an interval or space in
which is a double faced bevel or crown wheel K having a downward extension or
sleeve which engages with and is free to rotate upon a portion of the central
pillar which is turned to receive it. K¹ is a ball bearing upon which the bottom
of this sleeve or downward extension rests. K2 is a driving pulley fast with the
downward extension to allow of its being driven by a belt. K³ is a loose pulley
below the fast pulley K2 also resting on a ball bearing. If desired the sleeve
might be driven by a toothed or friction, wheel instead of by a belt pulley for
the purpose of imparting rotary movement to the aforesaid double faced bevel
or crown wheel K. Each drilling spindle E passes through a pinion L. These
pinions are arranged alternately in two concentric circles-those in one circle
engaging with and being driven by one face of the bevel or crown wheel K and
those in the other circle engaging with and being driven by the other face of this
wheel so that the pinions do not get in the way of one another. The pinions
might however if preferred be all in one circle. In the above way continuous
rotary motion is imparted simultaneously to all the drilling spindles. The pinions
in the outer circle are made a little larger than those in the inner circle, to enable
all the spindles and the drills carried by them to be driven at about equal speeds.
All the drilling spindles may if desired be in the same plane, preferably how-
ever the spindles are set alternately one a little higher than the other so that the
holes bored in the wheel rim are in two planes as is now commonly the way
instead of all in the same plane.
The inner end of each spindle enters a socket M in which it is free to rotate,
A clutch fixed to the socket and entering a groove or working against a collar
formed in or on the circumference of each spindle keeps the spindles and sockets
attached to each other whereby the means adopted to push out all the spindles in
the act of drilling will by the reverse action bring them all back again which
is affected as follows:-
-
The inner ends of all the sockets are formed to fit into dovetail grooves formed
in the inclined sides of a cone N¹. This cone N¹ is mounted upon the top of a
central vertical spindle N capable of being moved up and down in bearings
within the central pillar.
It is obvious that any upward or downward movement of the conical head
must move the said sockets and the spindles to which they are attached outwards
or inwards.
The upward movement of the central spindle N is effected by a screw on its
lower extremity.
A nut N2 screwing on to the screw and having a bevil wheel N³ fast upon it
rests upon a horizontal cross piece forming part of the pedestal. A pinion N
on a spindle No which can be turned by a hand wheel N upon it gears with the
bevil wheel N³ so that by turning the hand wheel in one or other direction the
nut 2 can be revolved either in a direction to raise or to lower the cone.

page_text: With the conical head and spindle in its normal or lowest position all the
spindles and drills are in their normal condition-nearest the centre of machine-
but when the spindle is raised the largest part of the conical head is brought
near the centre line of the spindles-hence all are pushed out to their greatest
distance from the centre of the machine. This outward or feeding movement
is regulated by the difference between the largest and smallest diameters of
the cone-but by preference a sufficiency of movement is given to suit the smallest
size of rim-and for larger rims longer drills may be used.
In the drawings the end of each spindle is shown to be formed into a socket
split longitudinally and coned somewhat on its exterior.
A correspondingly coned nut screws on to this coned exterior so that when the
stem of a drill has been inserted into the socket and the nut screwed on the parts
of the socket are forced inwards and caused to grip and hold the stem.
The central pillar forms of a part of what may be called the main frame of the
machine and is carried by or rests in a suitable base.
The operation of drilling a rim by the above machine is as follows:-
The rim to be drilled is placed in position and secured by the adjustable jaws-
these keep it truly circular and in one flat plane concentric with the assemblage.
of drilling spindles whilst the operation of drilling is performed.
A rotary motion is then imparted to the double faced bevel or crown wheel, and
to the pinions and spindles and drills attached to them-when these are at their
full speed the vertical central spindle and conical head is caused to be raised
slowly thereby pushing or feeding out all the drills away from the centre until
they have penetrated the material of the rim. When the rim is completely per-
forated the vertical central spindle with its head is lowered and consequently all
the drilling spindles are brought back to their normal position-the rim is then
released another one is fixed in its place and the operation is repeated.
Hence every rim of one size drilled by the machine is the duplicate of another
all the holes are at equal distances apart and all are in true position relatively
to the rim's central line.
By drilling the rims of wheels in the above way not only is the cost of the
operation of drilling much reduced but by reason of the wheel being held truly
circular and in one flat plane during this operation the rims are all made to corre-
spond accurately one with another thus the subsequent building up of wheels
systematically so as to be perfectly true and with substantially a uniform tension
on all of its spokes is rendered practicable.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed. I declare that what
I claim is
1. The combination of the clamping jaws ranged equidistantly in a circle and
capable of being moved towards or away from the centre of the circle the series
of radial drills ranged equidistantly within this circle for drilling the holes
required in a wheel rim held in the jaws and means for simultaneously giving a
revolving and an endway movement to all the drills.
2. The combination of the clamping jaws ranged equidistantly in a circle, means
for moving all the jaws simultaneously inwards or outwards, the series of radial
drills ranged equidistantly within this circle and means for giving simultaneously
a revolving and an endway movement to all the drills.
3. The combination of the series of radial spindles ranged equidistantly in a
circle and each carrying a drill, the pinions through which they can be moved
endwise the toothed wheel gearing with the pinions and driving them all
simultaneously and the central cone which can be raised and lowered for acting
upon the inner ends of all the spindles and simultaneously moving all the spindles
outwards or inwards.
4. Ranging the drill spindle pinions in two circles one within the other to

page_text: gear with two rings of teeth on the toothed wheel so that larger pinions may be
used without their interfering with one another.
5. The clamping jaws ranged in a circle and all moved simultaneously inwards
or outwards by arms mounted on axes and all linked together in such a way that
if one is turned the others all turn with it.
6. The combination of mechanism substantially as hereinbefore described and
illustrated in the drawings annexed for drilling wheel rims.
Tad 20th Jove of Amil 1900