Improvements in and in connection with Bicycles and similar Wheeled Vehicles.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Aug., 1895-Accepted, 14th Nov., 1396
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and in connection with Bicycles and similar
Wheeled Vehicles.
A communication by HORACE E. DODGE and JOHN F. DODGE, both of Detroit,
in the County of Wayne and State of Michigan, United States of America,
°
Machinists.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S., M.1.M.E. of The Agency for
Foreign Patent Solicitors, 6 Lord Street, Liverpool and 6 Bank Street,
Manchester, both in the County of Lancaster, 118 New Street Birmingham
in the County of Warwick and 322 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex
Civil 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 :-
This invention relates to bicycles and similar wheeled vehicles, and has for its
object among other things improvements in the several axle bearings of such
vehicles.
In the drawings,
Figure 1 shows in section the main wheel axle.
Figure 2 shows in section the crank shaft and bearings.
Figure 3 is a cross section at line 13 a-13a of Figure 2.
Figure 4 shows a detail of a holder used to prevent the outer cones of Figure 2
from becoming unscrewed when the cone case or inner shell is removed.
Figure 5 shows the pedal bearings.
Figure 6 is a sectional view of one of the outer hollow cone bearings.
Instead of the form usually known as cone bearings, in which a right cone and a
hollow cone are opposite to each other and the bearing balls are interposed between,
two right cones are employed whose bearing surfaces are so disposed as to form a.
V-shaped groove within which rest the balls, and opposed are two hollow cones
which are also so disposed as to form a V-shaped groove.
Referring to Figure 1, 1 indicates the axle, on one end of which is secured a
bearing double cone or spool, 2, held from movement in one direction by the
collar 1, and held from movement in the other direction by the nut 3 and washer 4;
between the washer 4 and the cone spool 2 is a groove 4. At the other end of
the axle the spool 2 is loose on the shaft, but held from rotating around it by a
spline 26.
The hub consists of a shell 5, enlarged at each end and internally screw threaded.
Into the sockets formed by the enlarged ends of the shell are inserted first the
inner bearing hollow cones 6 6ª and second the outer bearing hollow cones 8 8.
The latter cones are screw threaded, and engage with the screw threads of the
socket, and they also project beyond the edges of the socket and receive the jam
nuts 7 7. On each of the bearing cones 8 8" is a collar 8° 8° that extends inward
toward the nut 3 3, and between the collar 8 and the washer 4 is a space adapted.
to be filled by some soft dust arresting material (preferably felt). A similar space
is formed between the collar 8 and a collar 3° on the nut 3º.
When the parts are assembled, the requisite number of balls B B are placed in
the grooves, and the spool 2 adjusts itself along the axle 1, the nut 3 presses the
spool 2 closely against the collar 1, and the nut 3ª presses against a shoulder 1.
The bearings are free from all strain from such nuts. It is practically impossible

page_text: to tighten the cone nuts 8 8ª so as to prevent the free rotation of the wheel on the
axle, and the self adjusting spool 2 prevents strain from one spool to the
other.
In connection with the crank shaft there is the same feature of self adjusting
spools, but inasmuch as the crank shaft rotates and the case is held fixed, there are
changes of construction.
There are two cases, an outer case 10 split on the under side and provitel with
bolt ears 10%, 10%, 10%, and with frame sockets 11, 11, 11, an inner case 12, also
split, but with the split turned upward; the inner case is screw threaded at each
end, and with interior collars 12, 12, against which the inner cones 6, 6 abut;
the spool 2 is held from rotating on the shaft by a spline, but is free to adjust
itself lengthwise, and the spool 2 is held by nut 13 against collar 14; in cach of
the spools 2, 2 is a ring concentric with the shaft and extending toward the end
of the shaft. Between the ring 2 on the end and the inward extending collar 8
is interposed the felt absorbing dust guard 84, and between the corresponding
ring 2 and the collar 8 is interposed the felt ring 8.
Instead of the external jam nut, the device shown in detail in Figure 4 is used,
and this lies entirely within the case and between the edges of the inner split case..
It consists of two holts, 21, 21, strained apart by the spring 22; preferably this
is a coiled spring on a core 22, which passes through holes in the upturned ends of
the bolts 21, 21. The outer end of each bolt 21, 21° is serrated and engages with
serrations or knurls in the inner end or face of the bearing nuts 8 8".
On one protruding end of the shaft is secured first a sprocket wheel 23; next, a
nut 24; and finally a pedal arm 25. The sprocket wheel 23 is held firmly against
the collar 14 by the left handed nut 24, and the pedal arm is keyed to the shaft in
the usual manner. The sprocket wheel 23 is further secured to the shaft 1 by n
projection 26 on the back of the pedal arm, which extends through a suitable hole
in the rim of the sprocket wheel 23. To the other end of the shaft 1 is secured
the second pedal arm.
At the outer end of the pedal arm is the pedal (shown in Figure 5). My corre-
spondents prefer to make this with cone bearings of the common form; but they
arrange at the inner end a dust guard of peculiar make. On the axle is a ring 32
concentric with the axle, and forming therewith an annular cup 33. Outside of
this cup, the shell 34 of the pedal heel extends in close fit, but not so close,
however, that the one will not freely turn within the other; to the inside of the
shell is secured a ring 35, and the walls of this ring extend under the walls of the
ring 32, and lie within or partly within the cavity 33. The two annular cups thus
formed fit into each other, so that the outer wall of the cup on the axle fits within
the cavity of the cup on the shell, and the inner wall of the cup on the shell fits
within the cavity of the cup on the axle. A felt ring is inserted in the cup on the
shell, and the edge of the cup on the axle engages this felt ring. (Of course the
parts might be reversed.) It will be noticed that the construction thus produced
resembles somewhat the construction found in Figure 2, so far as it relates to the
location and use of the felt ring.
The entire inner casing of the crank axle bearing can be easily removed after
the pedal arm has been taken off the end opposite the sprocket, by loosening the
bolts in the eyes 10%, 10%, and the removed bearing can be immersed in benzine and
washed without disassembling the cones or removing the balls.
The V-shaped groove in the spools and the V-shaped groove that is formed
between the rings which constitute the hollow cones together form an opening that
is substantially square in cross section, and presents four bearing points to the
balls.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by
my foreign correspondents, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. In a bearing for wheel hubs, the combination of a shell provided with a

page_text: bearing groove at each end, an axle provided with counter bearings, one of which
is rigid and the other of which is adjustable along the axle, substantially as
specified.
2. In an axle bearing, an outer split case provided with means whereby it may
be attached to the vehicle frame, and with means whereby it may be contracted on
an inner shell, an inner split shell, ball bearing cones adapted to be inserted in the
inner shell, and an axle provided with cone bearings, substantially as described.
3. In an axle bearing, an outer split shell, provided with means whereby it may
be contracted, an inner split shell threaded at its ends, threaded cone bearings
adapted to engage with the inner shell and knurled on their inner faces, a spring
pressed holder adapted to engage the knurled faces, substantially as described.
4. In an axle bearing, in combination with a case and outer or hollow cone
bearings, an inner or right cone bearing, a soft gasket and means for holding the
same spaced from the cone, whereby an oil duct is formed around the axle between
the gasket and the bearing, substantially as described.
5. In an axle bearing, in combination with a case and hollow cone bearings
disposed at the ends of said case, an axle and cone bearing thereon, one of said
cone bearings being free to move longitudinally along the axle, whereby the cones
are self adjusting to bring the cones and hollow cones into opposing engagement
with interposing. balls, substantially as specified.
6. In combination with ball bearing axle and shell, provided with opposing
annular cavities, the walls being adapted to interlock, and a gasket adapted to be
pressed by the walls of one cavity against the bottom of the other, substantially as
described.
7. In combination with a crank axle and crank arm, a detachable sprocket
secured to the crank arm, substantially as described.
8. In combination with the crank shaft, the holding nut 24, and the crank arm 25
provided with a projection 26 adapted to engage the sprocket wheel and drive the
same, substantially as described.
Dated this 6th day of August 1896.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Agents.