Improvements in Bearings for the Shafts or Axles of Tricycles, Bicycles, and other Velocipedes.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Nov., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 4th July, 1894-Accepted, 4th Aug., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Bearings for the Shafts or Axles of Tricycles,
Bicycles, and other Velocipedes.
We, WALTER JOHN LLOYD and WILLIAM PRIEST, of The Quadrant Cycle
Company Sheepcote Street, Birmingham in the County of Warwick, Velocipede
Manufacturers do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Our improvements consist in constructing and arranging in the manner herein-
after described the parts of bearings for the shafts or axles of tricycles, bicycles
and other velocipedes whereby any strain or flexure of the shaft or axle is
prevented from producing oblique or abnormal pressure on the bearing and
occasioning friction and uneven wear on the bearing.
Our improvements are especially applicable to the principal shafts of tricycles
and we will describe them in connection therewith but our improvements are also
more or less applicable to the driving chain wheel shafts crank shafts and other
shafts or axles of tricycles bicycles and other velocipedes.
In applying our improvements to the shaft of the driving wheels of a tricycle
we proceed as follows. To the underside of that part of the framing of the
tricycle called the bridge, we affix by brazing or otherwise four or other number
of vertical pins having at bottom screw threads. Working on each pin is a
tubular socket carrying a saddle piece constructed in the manner hereinafter
described. The bearing proper is connected to the lower ends of the pendent
sides of the said saddle piece by means of two snugs at opposite points of the
bearing taking into and turning in holes in the lower ends of the sides of the
saddle piece. The socket of the saddle piece is secured to the vertical pin on
which it turns by a screw nut on the screwed lower end of the pin.
As the saddle piece is capable of swivelling on the vertical pin and the bearing
proper is capable of swivelling on the horizontal axis formed by the two saugs
described, the bearing is capable of swivelling in every direction and consequently
of following any inclination which that part of the shaft passing through it may
take. Hence any deviation from its normal or rectilinear direction, which pressure
or injury may give to the shaft, is taken by the swivelling. bearing and undue
friction and wear thereby prevented.
arms.
In order to obtain the maximum of strength with the minimum of weight in
the saddle piece we construct it in the following manner. The upper part of the
said saddle piece consists of a light cross piece attached to the top of the socket
described with a nearly vertical pendent arm at each end and the lower part of
the said saddle piece has a nearly similar construction but with shorter pendent
The cross piece of this lower part of the saddle piece is attached to the
bottom of the socket described. The lower ends of the pendent arms ou each
side of the saddle piece are respectively connected together. The saddle piece
constructed as described has nearly the figure of two triangles situated on opposite
sides of the socket the said socket constituting a side common to the two said
triangles. In order to give the greatest rigidity to the saddle piece we make the
said triangles somewhat dissimilar from each other, that is, while the socket is a
side common to both triangles the other two sides of one triangle differ in
length from those of the other triangle.
Although for the sake of lightness we make the saddle piece of a framing as

page_text: described yet it may be made solid, that is, in one piece with the socket in which
case it may be conveniently made by the casting process.
Dated this 4th day of November 1893
W. T. WHITEMAN,
Agent for the Applicants.
Improvements in Bearings for the Shafts or Axles of Tricycles,
Bicycles, and other Velocipedes.
We WALTER JOHN LLOYD and WILLIAM PRIEST, of The Quadrant Cycle
Company Sheepcote Street Birmingham in the County of Warwick, Velocipede
Manufacturers, 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 improvements consist in constructing and arranging in the manner herein-
after described the parts of bearings for the shafts or axles of tricycles, bicycles,
and other velocipedes, whereby any strain or flexure of the shaft or axle is
prevented from producing oblique or abnormal pressure on the bearing and
occasioning friction and uneven wear on the bearing.
Our improvements are especially applicable to the principal shafts of tricycles
and we will describe them in connection therewith but our improvements are also
more or less applicable to the driving chain wheel shafts crank shafts and other
shafts or axles of tricycles, bicycles and other velocipedes.
In applying our improvements to the shaft of the driving wheels of a tricycle
we proceed as follows:-To the underside of that part of the framing of the
tricycle called the bridge, we affix by brazing or otherwise four or other number
of vertical pins having at bottom screw threads. Working on each pin is a
tubular socket carrying a saddle piece constructed in the manner hereinafter
described. The bearing proper is connected to the lower ends of the pendent
sides of the said saddle piece by means of two smugs at opposite points of the
bearing taking into and turning in holes in the lower ends of the sides of the saddle
piece. The socket of the saddle piece is secured to the vertical pin on which it
turns by a screw nut on the screwed lower end of the pin.
As the saddle piece is capable of swivelling on the vertical pin and the bearing
proper is capable of swivelling on the horizontal axis formed by the two snugs
described, the bearing is capable of swivelling in every direction, and consequently
of following any inclination which that part of the shaft passing through it may
take. Hence, any deviation from its normal or rectilinear direction, which
pressure or injury may give to the shaft is taken by the swivelling bearing and
undue friction and wear thereby prevented.
In order to obtain the maximum of strength with the minimum of weight in the
saddle piece we construct it in the following manner. The upper part of the sail
saddle piece consists of a light cross piece attached to the top of the socket
described with a nearly vertical pendent arm at each end and the lower part or
the said saddle piece has a nearly similar construction but with shorter pendent
arms. The cross piece of this lower part of the saddle piece is attached to the
bottom of the socket described. The lower ends of the pendent arms on each
side of the saddle piece are respectively connected together. The saddle piece
constructed as described has nearly the figure of two triangles situated on
opposite sides of the socket the said socket constituting a side common to the two
said triangles.
We will now describe with reference to the accompanying drawing the manner
in which our invention is to be performed.
Figure 1 represents in side elevation; Figure 2 in end elevation and Figure 3 in

page_text: plan, a portion of a tricycle to the principal and crank shafts of which swivelling
bearings constructed according to our invention are applied.
Figure 4 represents in front elevation and Figure 5 in side elevation one of the
swivelling bearings of the principal shaft detached drawn to a larger scale, and
Figures 6 and 7 represent sections of the said bearing taken in planes at right
angles to one another. The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in
the several figures of the drawing.
We will describe our invention with reference to the bearings of the principal
shaft; a, a is the principal shaft of the tricycle and b, the driving wheels of the
same, the said shaft a being supported from the bridge c of the framing of the
tricycle by the four swivelling bearings marked respectively d, e, f, g, the two
bearings e, f being situated on each side of the middle of the shaft and the other
bearings d, g at the ends of the shaft as best seen in Figures 2 and 3. Each of
the bearings c, d, e, f is of the same kind and we will describe their construction
with reference to the enlarged views of one of the said bearings represented in
Figures 4, 5, 6 and 7. Each swivelling bearing consists of a vertical pin h,
screwed at bottom, situated on the underside of the bridge c, the said pin being
affixed to the said bridge by brazing its looped or ringed upper end thereto.
Working on the plain stem of the said vertical pin is a tubular socket i carrying
the saddle piece k, k having nearly the figure of two triangles situated on opposite
sides of the socket i, the said socket constituting a side common to both of the
triangles. It will be seen by reference to Figures 4 and 6 that the upper part of
the saddle piece k, k of the swivelling bearing consists of a light cross piece k²
attached to the top of the socket i, with a nearly vertical pendent arm at each
end; and the lower part of the saddle piece has a nearly similar construction but
with shorter pendent arms, the cross piece k³ of the lower part of the saddle piece
being attached to the bottom of the socket i. The socket i of the saddle piece is
connected to the fixed vertical pin h on which it turns by the screw nut on the
screwed lower end of the said pin. The lower ends of the pendent sides of the
saddle piece k, k are respectively connected together and the parts below the said
connections are made into eyes k, k which take upon the two snugs mm at
opposite sides of the fixed bearing case n of the bearing proper in which the
shaft a of the driving wheels turns, the said bearing case n being provided with
enlargements at opposite sides for the screwed pins m², m² to take into (see
Figure 6). The snugs m, m at opposite sides of the bearing case n in conjunction
with the shoulders of the pins m² m² constitute a horizontal axis on which the
bearing case or bearing proper n may swivel. A portion of the bearing case
without the screw pin is represented in Figure 8, for the purpose of better
exhibiting one of the snugs m on which the bearing case partly swivels.
From the foregoing description and by reference to the accompanying drawing,
it will be understood that the saddle piece of each bearing is capable of swivelling
on the vertical pin h and the bearing proper of swivelling on the horizontal
axis at m, m and m², m² hence the bearing is capable of swivelling in every
direction and consequently of following any inclination which that part of the
shaft a passing through it may take. Thus, any deviation from its normal or
rectilinear direction, which pressure or injury may give to the shaft is taken by
the swivelling bearing and undue friction and wear thereby prevented.
Although for the sake of lightness we make the saddle piece k, k of a framing
as described and represented, yet it may be made solid, that is, in one piece with
the socket i, in which case it may be conveniently made by the casting process.
In Figures 1, 2 and 3 we have represented our improved swivelling bearings
applied to the crank axle of the tricycle as well as to the principal shaft. The
swivelling bearings of the crank axle are marked p, p and they are connected to
the supporting framing of the tricycle by screwing the upper ends of the vertical
pins to the sides of the said framing.
Although we have only described and represented our improved swivelling
bearings as applied to the principal and crank shafts of tricycles yet the said

page_text: bearings may be used with the shafts or axles of velocipedes generally to which
they are applicable.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that we claim
as our invention ;-
The construction and combination of the parts of swivelling bearings for the
shafts or axles of tricycles, bicycles and other velocipedes herein before described
.and illustrated in the accompanying drawing; that is to say, swivelling bearings
consisting essentially of a socketed saddle piece fitted and turning or swivelling
upon a fixed vertical depending pin carried by the framing of the velocipede, the
lower ends of the pendent sides or arms of the saddle piece supporting horizontal
snugs and axes at opposite sides of the bearing case of the bearing proper, on
which snugs and axes the bearing proper is capable of swivelling, the several
parts being constructed, combined and acting substantially as and for the purposes
described and illustrated.
Dated the Twenty-ninth day of June 1894.
WALTER JOHN LLOYD.
WILLIAM PRIEST.