Improvements in the Manufacture of Frames for Bicycles and other Vehicles.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Oct., 1897-Accepted, 29th Jan., 1898
Improvements in the Manufacture of Frames for Bicycles and
other Vehicles.
(A Communication by ARTHUR L. MOORE, of 135, Ingleside Avenue, Cleveland, in
the County of Cuyahoga, and State of Ohio, United States of America,
Manufacturer.)
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S., M.I.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:-
In tubular frames for bicycles and other vehicles, the tubular frame members are
united by connecting parts which are of various shapes to specifically adapt them
for use in different parts of the frame. These parts, however, whatever be their
shape, or whatever be their functions other than as mere connections, have these
common characteristics, viz., each consists of a tubular body and one or more lugs
which project from said body.
Many manufacturers of bicycles wish to make their frames with so-called flush
joints. To produce such frames the ends of the frame tubes must embrace the lugs
of the connecting parts, and the ends of said tubes must either be shaped to fit
against the body part of said connection, or else the end of the frame tube must be
butted up against an annular shoulder on the lug, which shoulder is of the same
diameter as the frame tube.
All manufacturers wish to make these frames light, strong, and cheap as
possible. It has been found that connecting parts made of sheet metal bent into the
desired shape, combine in the highest degree these three desirable qualities,-strength,
lightness and cheapness.
But certain difficulties have been encountered in the successful use of the sheet
metal connecting parts heretofore made, in the manufacture of flush joint frames.
Among these difficulties are the following: If, in making such sheet metal.
connecting parts, a shoulder is formed on the lugs to butt the ends of the frame
tubes against, the lugs are not as strong as they ought to be. If, on the other hand,
the lugs do not have such shoulders, it is, as before stated, necessary to cut the ends of
the frame tubes so that they will accurately fit against the body of the connecting
part. This adds considerably to the manufacturers expense of making. the frame,-
which is objectionable. If these difficulties are overcome, there remains the difficulty
of fastening the tube and enclosed lug. This is preferably effected by brazing: but
it is a difficult operation to get the melted spelter to run between the lug and tube;
because, as heretofore made, the ends of the lugs of sheet metal connecting parts.
have been open, wherefore, unless the greatest care is employed, the spelter will run
into the ends of the lugs, rather than between the lugs and tube. Moreover, it is
practically impossible to know in most cases whether or not the spelter did flow
between the surfaces to be united, or into the open end of the lug.
The object of this invention is to overcome all of the difficulties above referred to,

page_text: and to provide sheet metal connecting parts for tubular frames for bicycles and like
structures, which, when made in a shop equipped for such work, may be constructed
for very little more than similar parts as heretofore made, and which are much
stronger than the older frames, and are of such shape that when placed in the hands
of a bicycle maker, they may be used by him to make flush joint frames, cheaply,
and with the assurance that the lugs and frames may in all cases be firmly brazed
together.
The invention consists in a sheet metal connecting part having a tubular body and
one or more integral tubular lugs which project from the body at the desired angle
or angles, which lugs have closed convex arch-shaped extremities. It also
consists of a sheet metal connecting part having a tubular body, and one or more
integral tubular lugs, and a short collar secured upon each lug at its base, said collar
having its inner end irregularly shaped to fit against the body around and
adjacent to the lug, and having its outer end lying all in one plane.
The invention is illustrated in the drawing, wherein Figure 1 is a side elevation of
one form of connecting part, to wit: a bicycle frame head embodying the invention,
and two tubular frame members which it serves to connect, the drawing being partly
in section; Figure 2 is a side view of a connecting part, in the form of a crank
hanger; and Figure 3 is a perspective view of one of the collars, which are secured
upon each lug.
Referring to the parts by letters, A represents the tubular body. B B represents
seamless lugs which are integral with the body, being stamped or drawn out there-
from before the body is formed, by suitable machinery and dies, the construction of
which is well understood. These lugs have convex arch-shaped outer extremities b,
which are integral with the lugs themselves and are formed during the drawing
operation. These arch-shaped extremities close the outer ends of the lugs, except for
a small vent hole b¹ which is formed through the convex ends to facilitate the escape
of such gas as may be generated during the brazing operation. After the lug has
been formed, the body is formed by bending the blank into cylindrical form, bringing
its two edges together. The meeting edges of the blank are welded together,
preferably electrically, wherefore the seam or joint a¹, shown in Figure 2, does not
pass through the lugs, which lugs are therefore seamless. C represents the collar
which is fitted upon each lug. The inner end of this collar is shaped so that when
the collar embraces the lug this inner end fits against the body adjacent to the lug.
The outer end of this collar is all in one plane, preferably at right angles to the axis
of the lug. This collar must be considerably shorter than the lug, and should be as
short as practicable. When secured in place as described and shown, its outer end
forms an external shoulder c around the lug, against which the end of the frame
member, embracing the lug may abut.
There are two distinct advantages which are due to forming the lugs B with the
convex arch-shaped extremities; first, the lugs are stronger than they would be if
their ends were not closed as described; second, after a lug and a sufficient amount of
spelter, indicated in Figure 2 of the drawing by E, have been inserted into the end
of the frame member D, and the extreme end of said frame member has been
crowded against the shoulder c, thereby making a flush joint, as shown in Figure 1,
the spelter may be melted without loss, because the arch-shaped ends of the lug
prevent the spelter, whether in its dry or fluid form, from running into the end of
the lug and it also guides the fluid spelter, so as to compel it to run between the
lug and surrounding tube.
The described collars when made in a factory equipped to do such work, may be
very cheaply formed, so that their inner ends will, when the collars surround the lugs
nicely, fit against the body; and these collars under such circumstances, add compar-
atively little to the cost of these connecting parts.
When the connecting parts, constructed as described, are placed in the hands of
the manufacturer, it costs him very little to put the frames together, because the ends
of the tubes are given the necessary shape, when they are sawed to the proper
length.

page_text: The drawing illustrates two forms of the connecting parts, viz., a frame head and
a crank hanger; but any of the connecting parts used in a bicycle frame may be
constructed so as to embody the invention as herein before described.
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 correspondent I declare that what I claim is :-
1. A connecting member for tubular frames, made of sheet metal and consisting
of the tubular body having in one side a welded seam extending from end to end, and
having one or more integral seamless lugs projecting from said body, each lug having
an integral convex arch-shaped extremity, substantially as specified.
2. A connection for the members of a tubular frame, made of sheet metal and
consisting of a body and one or more integral tubular lugs, combined with a collar,
shorter than the lug, secured upon said lug, having its outer end lying all in one
plane transverse to the lug, and having its inner end fitted to and lying against the
body part of said connection, substantially as specified.
3. A connection for the members of a tubular frame, made of sheet metal
consisting of a tubular body having projecting therefrom, at suitable angles, one or
more integral tubular lugs with integral convex arch-shaped ends, combined with collars
shorter than the lugs secured upon the lugs, each collar having its outer end lying
in all one plane transverse to its lug, and its inner end fitted to and lying against the
body part, substantially as specified.
Dated this 93rd day of October 1897.