Improvements in the Crank Brackets or Hangers of Bicycles and the Ball Bearings thereof.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Nov., 1898--Accepted, 11th Mar., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Crank Brackets or Hangers of Bicycles and the
Ball Bearings thereof.
I, WILLIAM HENRY FAUBER, of 806, Marquette Buildings, Chicago, Illinois,
U.S.A., Manufacturer, 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:-
This invention relates to an improved crank hanger for bicycles and more
especially improvements in the construction of the bearings by which the crank
shaft is supported in the hanger sleeve or tube.
The invention consists in the matters hereinafter described and pointed out in
the appended claims.
As shown in the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a view in side elevation
of a crank shaft hanger, illustrating the hanger sleeve, the ends of the frame tubes
adjacent to the hanger sleeve and one of the crank arms.
Figure 2 is a central vertical section through one of the crank-shaft bearings,
taken on line 2-2 of Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a side view of the lock nut to which my invention more especially
relates.
Figure 4 is a similar view showing the inner face of said nut.
Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of said nut taken on line 6 of Figure 4.
Figure 6 is an exterior view of the cone, which is held in place by the said nut.
Figure 7 is a view of the washer which is located between the cone and the
nut.
Figures 8, 9 and 10 are detail sections showing modifications.
Figure 11 is a detail side view of one end of the hanger sleeve.
As shown in said drawings, A indicates a hanger sleeve of ordinary construc-
tion, which is attached to the frame bars A' A2 A3 of a bicycle frame, in a familiar
manner. B indicates the crank shaft which, in the instance illustrated, is provided
with integral crank arm B¹. C and D are the annular members of a ball bearing
of which the inner part C, commonly called the cone, is attached to the shaft B,
and the part D, called the cup, is attached to the hanger sleeve A. The cone C is
secured to the crank shaft by means of screw-threads 6 on said shaft, which screw-
threads are engaged by interior screw-threads on the said cone. The cup D is
shown as having screw-threaded engagement with the end of the sleeve A, by
means of interior screw-threads on the sleeve, which are engaged by exterior
screw-threads on the cup, which latter is adapted to enter the end of the sleeve.
Said cup is shown as extended outwardly beyond the end of the sleeve and pro-
vided with a flange d made of the same external diameter as the sleeve. Said
cup is provided outside of its ball race or bearing surface d, with a cylindric inner
surface. Surrounding the screw-threaded part of the shaft outside of the cone C
is the usual washer provided with a projection or tooth e which is adapted to
engage a groove b¹ in the shaft to hold the said washer from turning. Outside of
said washer located a lock-nut F, which is provided with interior screw threads
adapted to engage the screw-threads and which when tightened against the
077

page_text: washer E and the cone serves to hold the latter from movement when adjusted to its
proper position. The cone C is provided with a marginal flange which extends out-
wardly to the inner cylindric surface of the cup D; the diameter of said flange
being such as to give the smallest practicable space between the flange and the
cup in order to prevent access of dust or dirt to the bearing while at the same
time avoiding possibility of frictional or rubbing contact between these parts.
The outer end or surface of the cone is located at some distance inwardly from
the outer edge of the cup, and in order to provide means for turning or rotating
the cone, the latter is provided on its outer face with spanner holes cl, c¹, adapted
.to receive the prongs of a forked wrench or spanner and extending into, but not
through, the flange of the cone. The lock-nut F is of circular form and has a
marginal flange fl of an external diameter only slightly less than that of the
interior of the cup, so that the annular peripheral surface of the lock-nut is closely
adjacent to the inner cylindric surface of the cup, and turns freely therein without
contact therewith. The lock-nut is made of proper thickness at its central part to
receive the necessary screw-threads from engagement with those on the crank-
shaft, while the flange constituting its outer portion or marginal part is much
thinner than its said inner part. The thickness of said flange at its outer edge is.
moreover, approximately the same as the space between the outer face of the cone
and the outer margin of the cup. Said lock-nut is, furthermore, provided with
spanner holes ff. extending entirely through the same neur its margin and
located at the same distance from the center of the shaft as are the spanner
holes in the flange of the cone. The parts of the crank shaft and crank arm
outside of the screw-threaded part of the shaft are made of such size as to permit
the cone and other parts of the bearing to be slipped over the crank arms in
assembling the parts.
As a preferred construction in a lock-nut the same is made of sheet metal by a
swaging operation and its central or thicker part which engages the central part
of the crank shaft is formed by means of a cylindric flange f which is joined
to the outer marginal part or flange of the nut by an outwardly curved part which
forms an annular rih or bead at the outer face of the nut and an annular groove
in the inner face thereof, as clearly seen in the sectional view, Figure 5. This
construction in the nut gives a desirably smooth and rounded finish to the outer
face thereof, the same presenting a raised rib which surrounds the crank shaft
and which is joined by a curved surface with the flat outer surface of the flange f.
In the operation of adjusting the cone of a hanger made as described a wrench
or spanner is employed having prongs long enough for insertion through the
spanner holes in the lock-nut into those within the cone. In loosening the lock-nut
preparatory to the adjustment of the cone the spanner is first engaged with the
nut alone and the latter turned a short distance backwardly upon the shaft. The
prongs of the spanner are then thrust inwardly until engaged with the holes in
the cone and the latter, together with the nut are then turned to a degree required
for the proper adjustment of the cone. When the cone has been adjusted to a
desired position, the prongs of the spanner are then withdrawn from engagement
with the cone, but are allowed to remain in engagement with the nut, so that
that latter may be turned independently of the cone until properly tightened
against the latter.
A lock-nut provided with a circular flange made as described has the advantage
of filling the entire space between the crank shaft and the margin or end of the
cup, so as to leave no depression or recess liable to receive and retain dirt and dust,
such as is present in prior constructions, where an ordinary or hexagonal lock-nut
is employed to hold in place the cone; it being obvious that where the face of the
cone is sunk below the edge of the cup or hanger sleeve, a sunce is necessarily
left between the side edges of a flat sided nut and the surrounding rim of the cup.
which easily accumulates dirt and is difficult to properly clean. The flange of
the lock-nut being made of approximately the same thickness as the distance
between the washer E and the outer end or marginal face of the cup the outer

page_text: surface of said washer is approximately flush with the edge of the cup and forms
with the latter a practically smooth surface at the end of the hanger, but from
which dust and dirt may be easily removed or wiped. Such smooth surface
formed by the end of the cup and the flanged nut within it, also gives a smooth
and finished appearance to the end of the hanger, which cannot be obtained by
the use of an ordinary nut having flat external faces.
An important advantage gained by the employment of a lock-nut having a
flange which extends to the inner surface of the surrounding cup arises from the
fact that the said flange serves to greatly lessen the liability of the entrance of
dust and dirt to the bearing through the narrow space which is necessarily left
between the stationary cup on the hanger sleeve and the rotating parts which
turn with the shaft. Moreover, the space between the cone and the flange of the
nut forms a recess in which any dust or dirt which may pass the flange of the
nut, will lodge or accumulate instead of entering directly into the bearing as
would be the case if dust or dirt similarly passed the flange on the cone were the
flange of the nut absent, as in prior constructions. The space or recess referred
to is, in the construction illustrated due to the presence between the cone and
the nut of the circular washer E, but the presence of such recess or space is not
necessarily dependent upon the washer nor is the thickness of the space limited to
the thickness of the washer, it being obvious that a space of any desired width
could be formed by cutting away the outer face of the cone or the inner face of
the flange on the nut, or by so locating the flange on the nut with respect to the
central part thereof which engages the shaft as to give a wider space between
said flange and the conc. In the said construction of nut illustrated the central
tubular part thereof may be obviously extended a slight extent inside of the
plane of the outer part or flange, in which case said inner part will come into
bearing against the washer E. when the flange is still a considerable distance
from the cone. This construction is illustrated in Figure 8, wherein the said
washer is shown as sunk in an annular recess in the outer face of the cone, thereby
affording a larger space or recess between the lock-nut and cone. The circular or
flanged lock-nut described has the further advantage of being more easily made
and of therefore being cheaper than a nut with flat side faces.
It will be understood that a flanged lock-nut may be employed which extends
outwardly to a stationary cylindric surface on the hanger sleeve with the same
advantages that are obtained in the special construction herein illustrated. A
construction of this latter kind is shown in Figure 9, wherein a lock-nut F¹ is
employed, the outer margin of which overlaps the end surface of the hanger.
The lock-nut in this instance is shown as made of solid metal and as being
recessed in its inner face to afford a space for accumulation of dust and dirt.
It is to he understood from the above that in a construction embodying my
invention the cup or outer bearing member, when inserted or secured in the hanger
sleeve generally in the manner shown, need not necessarily extend outside of or
past the end of the said sleeve, and that the same general result will he produced
whether the outer margin of the lock-nut reaches to and makes a close joint with
a part of the cup itself, or an annular part or surface formed upon the sleeve
itself.
It will be further understood that the annular part of the bearing which is
adjustably mounted on the crank shaft need not necessarily be the inner part or
cone, but may be an annular part carrying the outer member of the bearing. A
construction of this kind is shown in Figure 10. wherein G indicates the crank-
hanger sleeve, H a flanged disk, having an outwardly extending cone at its
central part, and supported in the hanger by a screw-threaded connection of its
flange with the hanger, and I a disk mounted on the shaft and having at its
outer margin a flange which forms the outer member or cup of the bearer, J a
lock-nut which has a flange reaching to, hut out of contact with. the inner face
of the flange of the disk H, and K a washer interposed between the lock-nut and
the disk I. In this instance the lock-nut is shown as cut away on the inner face

page_text: of the flange thereon, to give a wider or larger space to receive dust or dirt which
may pass the flange.
As a further improvement I provide the flange d of the cup D with a plurality
of notches, , adapted to receive the prongs of a spanner, by which the cup
may be turned into and out of the sleeve, and I make said flange d of a less thick-
ness than the distance between the outer end of the cup and the outer end of the
sleeve and insert between said flange and sleeve a filling ring L. The screw-
threads of the cup are continued nearly to the inner surface of the flange and
the ring L is screw-threaded to fit upon the cup, said ring being counter-bored
at its outer surface to fit closely against the flange. Said ring will, moreover, be
preferably made of slightly greater diameter than the sleeve and flange, so as to
project slightly beyond the same. The edge of the ring may be convexly rounded
and knurled, to afford a finger hold, or spanner holes may be provided on its inner
surface adjacent to the end of the sleeve.
By employing a ring L, located as described, between the flange of the cup and
the end of the sleeve, it becomes possible to make the cup D from sheet metal by a
drawing operation, inasmuch as the flange d need not be of greater thickness than
other parts of the cup. Moreover, this construction greatly facilitates the making
of the notches of a proper size, because they may be readily cut or punched
through the flange d, and will therefore be no deeper than the flange and of a
proper size to receive the prongs of the spanner. The inner ends of said notches
will obviously be closed by the outer face of the ring I, which ring being smoothly
finished, will give a neat and finished appearance to the said notches.
It is also to be noted that the cup D should project beyond the outer end of the
sleeve, because the sleeve must be made as short as practicable in order to permit
the insertion therethrough of a crank shaft having integral crank arms, while at
the same time it is necessary that the hearing should be located as far apart as
possible. By the employment of the ring L the hanger is made of proper length
while at the same time the bearings are properly or placed at the necessary dis-
tance apart and close to the crank arms, and the cup may be economically made,
as herein before described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. The combination with a hanger sleeve, a crank shaft and annular bearing
members, one of which has screw-threaded engagement with the shaft, of a lock-
nut on the shaft provided with a marginal flange having an annular peripheral
surface which is closely fitted to, but is without frictional contact with, an annular
surface of the hanger sleeve.
2. The combination with a hanger sleeve, a crank shaft, and annular bearing
members, one of which has screw-threaded engagement with the shaft, of a lock-
nut provided with a marginal flange which is separated by a space from the outer
face of the bearing member on the shaft anil which has an annular peripheral
surface which is closely fitted to but is without contact with the annular surface
on the sleeve.
3. The combination with a hanger sleeve, a crank shaft and annular bearing
members, one of which has screw-threaded engagement with the crank shaft and
the outer face of which is located within the end face of the hanger sleeve, of a
lock-nut having a marginal flange the outer face of which is flush with the said
end face of the hunger sleeve, and which has an annular peripheral surface which
is closely fitted to but without contact with the part of the hanger sleeve sur-
rounding the same.
4. The combination with a hanger sleeve, a crank shaft and annular bearing
members one of which has screw-threaded engagement with the crank shaft, of a
lock-nut having a marginal flange which has an annular peripheral surface which
is closely adjacent to, but out of contact with, the annular surface of the sleeve,

page_text: said lock-nut and the annular bearing member on the shaft having spanner holes
at equal distances from the shaft axle.
5. The combination with a hanger sleeve, a crank shaft provided with screw-
threads, a cone mounted on the shaft and a bearing cup inserted in the sleeve and
surrounding the cone, of a lock-nut having screw-threaded engagement with the
shaft, said lock-nut being provided with a marginal flange having an annular
peripheral surface which is located within the margin of the cup and is closely
fitted to without frictional contact with the interior annular surface of said cup,
said flange being separated by a space from the outer surface of the cone.
6. The combination with a hanger sleeve, a crank shaft provided with screw-
threads, a cone mounted on the shaft and a cup surrounding the cone, of a lock-
nut having screw-threaded engagement with the shaft, said lock-nut being pro-
vided with a marginal flange having an annular peripheral surface which is
closely fitted to but is without frictional contact with the surrounding margin
of the cup, said lock-nut and cone being provided with spanner holes at equal
distances from the central axis of the shaft.
7. The combination with a bearing sleeve, of a cup fitting in the end thereof,
provided at its inner end with a ball race, said cup extending beyond the end
of the sleeve and provided at its outer end with a radial flange, and provided in
said flange with one or more notches extending laterally therethrough, and a ring
surrounding the cup and filling the space between said flange and the end of
the sleeve.
Da 41: 104L
PAT
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