Improvements in or relating to Bicycles.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Mar., 1898-Accepted, 2nd July, 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Bicycles.
I, JOSEF PALMEN, of Sittard, in the Kingdom of Holland, Merchant, 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:
The present invention relates to cycles of the construction known as the "Rover"
and the like, and comprises a novel hub construction of the driving wheel and
of the bearings of the driving mechanism, which renders it possible to replace the
chain driving arrangement by a direct transmission, the principal parts of which
cannot well be placed within the frame forks, such for instance as toothed wheel
gearing, or driving shaft gearing.
Although it has often been attempted to supply these cycles with driving
mechanism of this kind,. the same have not succeeded in practice, because they
mostly involve considerable alterations of the well established frame and hub
construction, itself desirable on many grounds, and because on the same grounds
there would be necessary for the manufacture of such new devices mostly the.
provision of new machines and tools instead of those hitherto in use.
All these drawbacks have been obviated by the present invention, because for
carrying the same into effect the ordinary machinery hitherto used can be made
use of for the most part, and on the other hand the improved construction of the
hubs do not show any inferiority to the most satisfactory ones hitherto in use.
The principal points which had to be taken account of in this respect are:-
1. The rotation of the axle in the bearings of the frame fork, and the securing of
the spokes of this rotating axle, instead of as hitherto, securing the same to a
rotating hub upon the fixed axle.
2. A dust-proof ball bearing which is easily taken to pieces and easily lubricated.
3. The avoidance of any considerable increase in weight of the whole bearing.
4. Sufficient strength.
5. The possibility of varying the unimportant parts to meet special requirements.
My invention secures not only the first condition but also all the others, which
are alone of importance in practice.
Sheet 1 of the accompanying drawings shews various modifications of the new
hub construction.
Sheet 2 shews three modifications of the application of gearing for the trans-
mission of power in such cycles.
'
Sheet 3 shews various details belonging thereto.
Referring to the modification illustrated in Figure 1 in elevation and partial
section, and in Figure 2 in section, of the improved hub construction, the rotating
axle A has the form of a drum. Its left side pivot a is constructed as a simple
screw bolt, whilst the right side pivot b is constructed as a screw bolt of three
different diameters (see also Figure 3). Its casing is provided with bore holes o
on both sides, in which the spokes of the driving wheel' are secured. For the
same purpose there might, however, also be attached to it perforated discs or

page_text: rings, or the drum itself may be constructed with a perforated ring flange. The
pivots a and b have their threads opposed one to the other; upon each there is
screwed a threaded sleeve c of harder material (see Figure 4) and in a groove upon
the same the balls run. The ball race is made in two parts; it consists of the
cone e and the cone f, both held together by means of a screw cover g (see also
Figure 5). Immediately over the ball race there is provided in the screw cover g
an oil hole 1, in which a hollow nipple i attached to the forked piece H (Figure 6)
can engage, the perforation of which is in communication with a bore hole i¹ in
the forked arm G, and which consequently prevents at the same time the revolving
of the screw cover g. The hollow nipple i can also be attached to the covering
piece h, whereby the hole ¹ is no longer requisite. The cone e is held fast by
a screw pin m (Figure 5) in g, and the cone f is provided with a toothed ring.
A projection n attached to the frame fork G engages in one of the said teeth
(Figures 1 and 7), and thus holds the cone f fast. The screw cover g might also
be placed in an eccentric E as shewn in Figure 8, which eccentric is held fast on
the one hand by H, so that after the releasing of the set screw k the distance
between the treadle crank disc and the driving wheel axle A can be increased
or diminished by turning the eccentric E.
Upon the intermediate diameter b¹ of the stepped pivot b of the axle A there
is screwed a tooth or crank wheel R provided with a reversed screw thread, and is
made fast by means of a nut M screwed upon the part 62. The wheel R con-
sequently is placed in this case outside the frame fork G, it could, however be
placed within the same without in any way disturbing the ball bearing (see
Figure 9).
Figure 10, Sheet II shews the application of the first mentioned modification,
and Figures 11 and 12 that of the second modification; to tooth gear transmission.
If the gear wheels are supported partly inside, and partly outside (see Figures 13
and 14) the transmission ratio can be easily altered when the wheels are so supported
in the bearings as to be easily interchangeable. For this purpose it is advisable
to construct the treadle crank R₁ in the form shewn in Figures 15 and 16. In
this form the treadle crank shaft W ends in a polygonal, and somewhat conically
formed pin Z. The crank hub N fitting upon this pin possesses a disc flange S;
by screwing the screw U into the pin Z both the wheel R¹as also the crank hub N
are pressed firmly upon the pin Z. After the release of the screw U the wheel R¹
can be at once exchanged for a wheel of larger or smaller diameter.
A like purpose is served by the modifications shewn on Sheet III relating to
the support of the gear wheels R2 and R³.
Figure 17 illustrates partially the form of the fork G for the transmission
illustrated in Figure 10.
Figure 18 shews a broken off section of the middle wheel, and
Figure 19 shews the same in its bearing.
In the space indicated by the arrow (Figure 17) the hind wheel can rotate freely,
because the bearing pin % of the middle gear wheel is so secured to the part of
the frame fork. G, that nothing projects to the inside. The said pin Z forms a
screw, the head p of which serves as the race for the balls L, whilst a cone P
serves as race for the other set of balls L'. The said race P is held in place by
the nut u screwed upon the end of Z (see Figure 19.) For the gearing illustrated
in Figure 13 the reversed construction is more suitable (see Figures 20/23), that
is to say, in this case the pin Z is secured to the inner wheel R³ and the fork G
is formed as the hub L at the corresponding place. The outer wheel R³ is simply
screwed between the cone P and the nut u upon the pin Z (Figure 2) and can,
after the said nut u is taken away, be equally quickly interchanged with a larger
or smaller wheel. If it be entirely left out then the same bearing will be
applicable for the driving gear illustrated in Figure 11.
As already mentioned at the beginning of this specification one can also make
use of a driving shaft gearing arranged as shewn in Figure 10 instead of the

page_text: tooth wheel gearing illustrated, which in the case of the usual method of construc-
tion the bearings for such cycles was hitherto quite impossible.
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 bicycle in which the spokes of the driving wheel are secured to a drum A
revolubly supported in the bearings H upon the, frame fork G instead of being
geared to a hub or box rotating upon a fixed axle, the said drum having fixed
upon its screw bolt 61 driving organs R either inside or outside of the fork G.
2. The improved ball bearing for the cycle characterized in Claim 1 consisting
of a box c upon the screw spindle a or b of the drum axle A, the said box having
a groove d serving as the ball race, and a supporting part consisting of two conically
bored rings e and f, which are themselves held together immovably, and so as to
be easily lubricated by means of a screw box g adjustably supported centrally or
eccentrically in the aperture in the fork H.
3. The improved method of securing the treadle crank applicable to the cycle
characterized in Claim 1 in which the hub N of the treadle crank is secured upon
the polygonal and somewhat conical end Z of the treadle crank shaft W by means
of the nut u in order by means of its disc shaped flange S whenever necessary to
hold firmly the gear wheel R¹ placed upon the same pin.
4. The improved ball bearing adapted to be attached at any desired point of the
cycle frame G of the cycle characterized in Claim 1, consisting essentially of a hub
attached to the fixed or movable part, and formed in the shape of a double ball
race LL, and of a screw attached to the fixed or movable part, and forming with
its head the counterpart to the one ball race L whilst the cone P forms the counter-
part for the other ball race L¹, together with the nut u which serves to hold an
these parts together.
W. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
322, High Holborn, London, W.C., Patent Agents for the Applicant.