An Improved Chain Protector for Cycles.
Year: 1893

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Chain Protector for Cycles.
RICHARD MORRISS WOODHEAD, of Russell Street Nottingham, Engineer,
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 :-
My invention relates to the improved construction of a cover, to exclude dust
from the chain and sprocket wheels of a cycle, ny purpose being to decrease the
difficulty and cost of manufacture, provide a ready means of access to the chain,
and so construct the entire case that it may be readily detached when desired; and
in order that my invention may be clearly understood reference is hereafter made
to the accompanying drawings in which similar letters of reference indicate corre-
sponding parts in the several figures.
Fig. I is the front view of one modification of my device showing the hub-cap a
(constructed in the usual way) and also the gear wheel cover, Fig. 4, removed.
Fig. 2 is a back view of the same parts showing also the slide, Fig. 7, removed.
Fig. 3 is a plan of the same parts as in Fig. 1.
Fig. 4 is the front view of the removable disc or cover enclosing the sprocket
wheel upon the crank axle.
Fig. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of the same, and with Fig. 6 illustrates
how the cover is grooved and dovetailed or jointed to the body of the case.
Fig. 7 shows a removable slide or panel formed in the back of the case, aud
Figs. 8 and 9 illustrate in section the manner of its construction and the way in
which it may be secured to the case.
In the several figures already mentioned, as also in Figs. 10, 11, and 12, which
illustrate the different modifications of my invention, c is a suitable flange formed
upon the usual crank bracket of a safety bicycle or the equivalent part of a tricycle,
and to this a sufficiently strong plate is firmly fixed and serves as a foundation to
which the body of the case is secured by screws, and it will be readily understood
that by withdrawing these and the screws at e after removing the cap a, the
sprocket wheel cover and the slide, Fig. 7, the entire case is detached from the
machine. In the modification illustrated in Figs. 10, 11, and 12, the usual
construction of the machine frame is modified, in that the bottom leg instead of
being in the usual manner brazed into its place is secured there by clamps or their
equivalents formed upon the frame at g and may therefore be drawn out from the
machine, thereby releasing the entire case from the frame. In this modification a
tube or tunnel is built diagonally into the case, corresponding to the position of the
removable leg which telescopes into it. To complete the arrangement whereby 1
make the case easily detachable from the machine and also to facilitate the removal
or manipulation of the chain without removing the entire case, I make a longitudinal
gap at the back, into which I fit the slide or panel shown in Fig. 7 capable of
being withdrawn from the body of the case itself. This panel dovetails into
grooves as illustrated in Figs. 8 and 9 or I employ some other suitable or equivalent
device for keeping it in position, or enabling it to be removed for the purpose
already stated.
The other improvement has reference to the detachable disc, Figs. 4 & 5,
enclosing the sprocket wheel upon the crank axle, which instead of being soldered
to, clamped, bolted or wedged into the case as heretofore, has in my device a
groove, h, Fig. 5, formed around its periphery, except the section where a guide
projects inwards and assists to thread the groove of the disc upon the edges of the
gap which is formed at the point k shown in Fig. 1, to permit of its being started
into the disc groove; the fixing of the disc is completed by revolving and further
031

page_text: threading it
button at l.
upon
the edges of the gap. It may then be secured by a screw or
The reverse process obviously serves to detach the disc.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The combination and relative arrangement of parts forming a cover or case to
exclude dust from the chain and sprocket wheels of a cycle, which said parts are
severally detachable from each other and from the cycle frame, in the manner and
for the purpose substantially as described herein, and as illustrated by Figs. 1, 2, 3,
4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 of the drawings herewith or any mere modification thereof.
2. The combination and relative arrangement of parts forming a cover or case to
exclude dust from the chain and sprocket wheels of a cycle, which said parts and
also the bottom leg of the cycle frame are severally detachable from each other and
from the machine in the manner and for the purpose substantially as described
herein and as illustrated by Figs. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12 of the drawings
herewith or any mere modification thereof.
3. A cycle gear case constructed with a longitudinal gap in combination with a
corresponding panel, sliding or otherwise adapted to fit and be fixed therein or
removed as required, substantially as described herein, and as illustrated by the
drawings herewith.
4. The arrangement and construction, in a cycle gear case, of a removable disc,
enclosing the sprocket wheel upon the crank axle, whereby the disc is grooved upon
a section of its periphery in manner to embrace the edges of a corresponding gap in
the case, and adapted thereby to secure the disc in position or permit of its removal
as required.
5. The arrangement and construction of a safety cycle frame whereby the leg or
stay connecting the crank bracket and axle loop on the chain side is held by clips
formed upon the said bracket and loops, and adapted to hold the said stay in
position or permit of its removal as required, substantially as described herein and
as illustrated by Figs. 10, 11, and 12 of the drawings herewith.
January 14th 1893.
RICHARD MORRISS WOODHEAD.