Year: 1886

page_text: We, PHILIPP LOUIS CHARLES FREDERICK RENOUR, of 46 Roland Gardens, in the
County of Middlesex, Student of the Inner Temple, and ISAAC WATTS BOOTHROYD, of
2 South Road, New Southgate, in the said County, Manager, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:
.
This invention relates chiefly to the reducing of the binding strains and the
friction to which the various bearings of velocipedes are subjected, and to improve-
ments in the method of constructing, mounting, and connecting with each other, and
with the main framework, of the bearing and driving parts with a view to resisting
the strains put upon them, rendering them easily detachable and facilitating the
propulsion of the machine.
These improvements relate principally to those kinds of velocipedes in which the
rider (or riders) communicates the driving power to the wheel not directly through a
pair of cranks but indirectly by means of chains and chain-pulleys, levers acting on the
cranks or hubs, or other connecting gear.
These kinds of velocipedes are usually provided with metal extensions below the
main axle and bearings. We propose to attach the main bearings to these extensions
by means of lug-joints or other similar devices below the bearing instead of above the
same as is usually done, and thus shorten the straining leverage exerted on the exten-
tions whilst at the same time the weight of the rider is suspended from the bearings
instead of pressing on the top of the same and tending to twist them in a vertical.
direction.
In chain-geared machines we mount the bracket or brackets containing the crank-
bearings in such a way that they may be placed either below and in front of the
extensions or behind and above the same, in which latter case, without necessarily
lengthening the chains, the brackets will be raised further froin the ground and at the
same time moved further behind the axle, a change which is rendered desirable when
the weight of a second rider, or other encumbrance, is placed in front of the main axle.
The chain or transmitting wheels themselves are not keyed directly on their shafts
but screwed or otherwise secured to large bosses or flanges on the cranks, thus
strengthening them laterally, and at the same time facilitating their removal without
disturbing the bearings.

page_text: Where it is desired to vary the driving power the chain-wheel is similarly secured
to a flange carrying a bevel pinion or several bevel pinions, the axes of which are
inclined towards the driving shaft; a pair of other bevel wheels of different diameters
are mounted on the shaft (one of them only being rigidly keyed thereon) facing one
another and gearing into the pinions; the leose bevel wheel carries a small hinged
bell-crank or similar device pressed outward by a spring so that its lower arm engages
in one of a series of notches on the axle or bearing sleeve, locking itself thereto and
rendering the gear inoperative: the rider can throw the gear into action by forcing up
the bell crank so as to lock it and the bevel wheel carrying it to the bearing.
The binding strain and friction on the steering arrangement is lessened by pro-
viding the neck with hardened recesses at the top and the bottom for the purpose of
receiving hardened balls or rollers. A bolt with a hardened cone-end is passed through
a vertical hole along the neck and provided with a suitable movable cone at the top:
the whole is then passed into the head and the ends of the bolt and cones secured
thereto.
The head may consist of a single stud or a pair of studs supported on the top of the
forks and provided with hardened grooves for anti-friction balls or rollers to run in :
the neck is then provided with a pair of corresponding parts embracing the former
and capable of adjustment by means of springing together a portion which is slotted
for that purpose.
In some cases the neck carries a projecting fork-shaped piece embracing the part
below the head; the fork-ends are formed at an angle (other than a right angle) either
up or down and act on a pair of studs projecting from a piston or plunger working in
a suitable guide under the head and supported by a spring, thus tending to keep the
machine in a straight, course and easing the strain on the rider's arms.
The variable speed motion above described can, on tricycles, be mounted on the
main axle, and combined with the differential gear, the mitre pinion of the latter and
the inclined pinions of the variable gear being mounted on one and the same piece.
POPPLEWELL, COLTON & Co.,
17 & 18, Southampton Buildings, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicants.

page_text: Improvements in and relating to Velocipedes.
We PILIPP LOUIS CHARLES FREDERICK RENOUP of 46 Roland Gardens in the
county of Middlesex Student of the Inner Temple and ISAAC WATTS BOOTHROYD of
2 South Road New Southgate in the said county Manager 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:-
Our improvements relate chiefly to the reduction of the binding and twisting strains
to which the various bearing and wearing parts of velocipedes are subjected and to
facilitate their easy adjustment or removal by so mounting the bearings and their
connections that all strains pass as near to their central parts as possible and over-
hanging is as much as possible avoided whilst the joining parts are all readily detachable.
On machines in which the propulsion is effected indirectly by chain or levér
and connecting rod gearing attached to an extension of the main frame such exten-
sions are often liable to be twisted or broken owing to their great length especially
when the upper part of the bearings is knuckle jointed to the framework, the strains
on the parts above the knuckle joint and those below usually tending in the same
direction. By reversing the bearing so that the knuckle joint is below, the strains to
a large extent counteract one another, whilst the extension is either shortened or
supported lower down.
This is illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4 of the accompanying drawings, shewing
various forms of extensions, in which A represents the bearing and B the lug to
which the same is attached.
Fig. 3 represents the joint for a fork of a two chain front driving safety bicycle
C being the reduced shank to be fitted and brazed into the bottom of a hollow fork,
the end D being bored to hold the adjustable chain wheel bracket.
Fig. 4 shews part of a fork of a lever-action, machine in which the weight of the
rider is suspended from the bearing on the same principle with the result of reducing
the breaking strain.
In consequence of the peculiar shape and position of the lug B in Figs. 1 and 2,
the driving chain has to pass by the side of the tubular extension instead of under-
neath it as is usually the case. To avoid consequent overhanging of the bottom chain-
wheel D with regard to the bearing bracket supporting it, the chain wheel is not
keyed directly to the crankshaft, but forming in itself a recess, as shewn in section in
Fig. 5 held by screws or otherwise fixed to the crank E (shewn separately in Fig. 6)
the boss of which is specially enlarged to form a large disc. An additional advantage
of this method of mounting the pedal shaft on velocipedes in which the rider is seated
behind the driving axle as in Humber pattern tricycles is that when the machine is
used as a luggage carrier or a tandem it is desirable to bring the seat of the rider
and consequently the pedal bracket further back and at the same time in the case of a
tandem to raise this bracket slightly further from the ground. This end is attained

page_text: by reversing bracket C of Fig. 1 and mounting it on the top of the tube as shewn in
Fig. 2.
Sometimes the chain wheel is in connection with a bevel gear device for the purpose
of varying the speed. Where one of the speeds is either more or less than double the
other one, the variation has been obtained by using a double pinion one part of which
gears into a larger and the part of which gears into a smaller bevel wheel, a great
binding strain being put on the spindle of the pinion. Our improved arrangement is
shewn in Fig. 7. C and E are bevel wheels of different diameters, D being the chain
wheel mounted between them and carrying the spindle of the pinion B¹. This spindle
is inclined towards the cone apex of the bevel wheels. is fixed to the shaft whilst
D and E are loose on the same. The bearing sleeve H is strengthened and keyed to
the shaft and provided with a series of notches on the side exposed to the gear. The
bearing case A is provided with a similar set of notches on its inner circumference, a
small circular space being left free between the bearing case and the bearing sleeve
Bevel wheel E carries a small bell crank catch F which is acted upon by a spring
tending to force one end of the crank into one of the notches on H, thus locking the
gear to the shaft and rendering it inoperative.
The gear is brought into action by means of a handle rod or lever not shewn in the
drawings but easily understood and fitted by one versed in these arts to suit the
exigencies of any particular machine, forcing the circular flange or ring. G which is
mounted on the bearing case outwards so that it impinges against one part of the
catch F and forces the other part into one of the notches or recesses on the bearing
case A.
E is thereby locked to A and the gearing set in motion. It will be seen that
the peculiar position of the pinion B¹ (or pinions as more than one can be used) which
is placed at an angle other than a right angle, equalizes the counteracting thrusting
strains exerted against the spindle of B by the teeth of C and E whilst the whole
arrangement very compact. The binding strain on the steering centres caused by
the thrust against the head, we relieve by the introduction of antifriction spheres.
Where it has been attempted to carry this into effect the process has been too clumsy
or too complicated, great difficulty being experienced through the use of disconnected
hardened parts liable to fracture.
We therefore prefer to construct the steering neck so as to form a self contained
ball bearing as shewn in Figs. 1 and 8. The neck E' is bored through in a vertical
direction, the two ends of the front column being conically recessed to receive the
hardened steel bushes I and J which form the bearings. A spindle G with a fixed
cone on its lower end and a loose adjusting cone H on its upper end is passed through
the vertical hole in the neck, a row of hardened steel balls being introduced into the
bearing cups I and J before adjustinent, which is effected by screwing the cone H.
K is a washer to enable the adjustment to be locked by the circular locknut L
without carrying round cone H.
After adjustment the neck is inserted into the head, the lower end of pin G dropping
into a suitable recess, into which it is pressed and the whole neck locked in its right
position by the nut or screw F. The latter shewn in section on Fig. 8 is made to fit
closely over the top part of the parts fixed to the centre pin without actually coming
in contact with the neck itself. The hardened bushes as described may be dispensed
with where sufficient hardness is to be obtained. Instead of the centre pin separate
male cones attached to the head may be employed or adjustment in the bead may be
effected by reversing the position of the central pin, so that the loose cone is at the
bottom. In this case the pin itself is screwed down from outside and the adjustment
locked by the recessed screw F.
But it is found more advantageous to adjust and lock the neck bearing separately
before putting it in the head, the leverage obtained on the handle bar or other part of
a velocipede rendering adjustment in the head very uncertain and involving great risk
of spinning out the bearing.
Though balls are shewn in the drawings it is obvious that our head and neck may
be so formed as to receive conical rollers in place of balls the surfaces being conical
in place of being curved.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is
Firstly. The method of connecting parts of velocipedes extending below the main
axle with the bearings by means of a joint below the bearing as and for the purposes
described.
Secondly. The improved crank as described brought close up to a bearing and
constructed so as to be capable of having a chain wheel or pulley attached to it.
Thirdly. The method of bringing a pedal bracket further from the driving axle
without altering the chain, by reversing the bracket and mounting it on the further
and higher side of its support for the purposes and in the manner described.
Fourthly. The variable speed gear with a bevel pinion the axis of which is inclined
to the shaft on which it is mounted at an angle other than a right angle substantially
as and for the purposes described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Fifthly. The bell crank engaging at will either in the fixed or the revolving part of
a bearing for the purpose of bringing a variable speed gear into operation substantially
as described.
Sixthly. A steering neck containing hardened balls or conical rollers arranged in the
manner described.
Seventhly. An antifriction steering device substantially as described detachable from
a machine and separately adjustable when so detached.
Eighthly. The hardened bearing cups sitting into recesses so as to be self centering
substantially as described.
Ninthly. A steering device consisting in the combination of a central pin with and
passing through a steering neck from which it is isolated by hardened balls or conical
rollers.
TOITLEWELL, COLTON & Co.,
Agents for the Applicants.