Improvements in the Construction of Tubes and Nipples for Bicycle Frames and the like.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 24th June, 1896-Accepted, 25th July, 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by WILLIAM SECHER, Society for Savings Building,
Cleveland, Ohio, United States of America, Patent Attorney.]
Improvements in the Construction of Tubes and Nipples for
Bicycle Frames and the like.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent
Agents, 45 Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, 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 :-
The annexed drawings and the following description set forth in detail, one
mode of carrying out the invention; such specific mode being but one of various
ways in which the principle of the invention may be used.
In said annexed drawings,
Figure I represents a top plan view of the stamped and drawn blank of one form
of my improved tube and nipple for bicycle frames; Fig. II, an edge view of the
same;
Fig. III, a section of the bent blank before welding its edges;
Fig. IV, a section of the bent blank after welding;
Fig. V, an end view of the welded tube and nipple ;
Fig. VI, a plan view of the stamped and drawn blank for the steering head of a
bicycle, and
Fig. VII, a perspective view of the finished head.
Two forms in which my invention may be embodied are illustrated in the
drawings, one form being a coupling which may be placed around one tubular
part of a bicycle frame and have the end of another tubular part secured to its
nipple, and another form in which the nipples are directly formed upon the tubular
frame part, in this case, the steering head.
In producing this tube and nipple, a piece of sheet steel, of the shape and size
required for forming the tubular part, is placed between dies in a suitable press,
and is stamped and drawn to assume the form of a body portion, A, and one or
more nipples, a. The body portion is now bent, by means of suitable dies, to
assume the shape of a tube, as illustrated in Fig. 111, the edges of the blank
meeting and abutting. The meeting and abutting edges are now united by electric
welding, whereby the tubular portion and the nipple form one integral whole. The
meeting edges of the body portion of the blank may be united by brazing or any
other known manner of uniting abutting metallic portions, although I prefer
electric welding, as the latter mode forms an absolutely integral joint. Fins, a',
are formed at the joint by the fused metal being crowded out, as illustrated in
Fig. IV, and such fins are removed by cutting, grinding, filing or other similar
process, when a complete and entire tuhe is formed. The entire method of forming
the nipple or nipples and the tubular portion, is the same whether the tubular
portion is long or short, and whether one or more nipples are formed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. The improved method of forming tubes and nipples for bicycle frames,
substantially as described and illustrated.

page_text: 2. A tube and nipple for a bicycle frame, which consists of a piece of sheet
metal stamped and drawn to have an integral nipple and bent to form a tube and
having the meeting edges united by fusing metal at the same, substantially as set
forth.
Dated this 24th day of June. A D 1896
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.