Improvements in Gear Cases for Cycles.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Apr., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 27th Jan., 1894-Accepted, 17th Mar., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Gear Cases for Cycles.
We GEORGE EDLEY READING, Engineer, of 81 Portland Road, South
Norwood, in the County of Surrey, and HARRY EDWARD PARKIN, Engineer, of
30 King Street, Covent Garden, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
:
This invention relates to gear cases for bicycles and other cycles of that class in
which the driving chain and chain wheels or equivalent gearing are completely
enclosed in a case that protects the gearing from dust and other dirt and usually
contains also lubricating oil for oiling the gearing and has for its object to
construct the said case in such manner that the whole of the said gearing can be
readily got at or examined and removed if desired and consists essentially in
making the gear case in two parts, one part fixed to the frame of the and the other
or cover part secured to the fixed part by hinges and catches or other suitable
fastenings.
In a gear case constructed according to this invention, for a bicycle, the inner
or fixed part of the case is soldered or otherwise 'secured to the frame of
the bicycle and the outer part or cover comprises the whole of the front
side of the casing and is provided with a suitable slot to enable it to pass
the crank. A small hole may also be provided in the fixed part and opposite
the said slot to enable the nut of the chain bolt to be manipulated. The slot
and hole are covered by strips sliding in guides in the case or a single U shaped
In order to prevent
strip spans the case and thus also acts as a fastening.
leakage of oil at the bottom joint, a small tray or dish is arranged to slide into
the case from the crank end and be suitably secured, its edges and back end
passing under suitable strips secured to the case so that any oil splashed about,
drains back to the oil dish. The oil dish can also be made in one piece with
the curved crank or front end of the case which in this case is made separate
from the fixed part and is secured to the main body of the case by screws or
other suitable fastenings. A slot closed by a sliding strip is provided in the.
back end of the fixed part of the casing to enable the hind wheel to be
removed, or the whole of the back end is made removable and fits on the back
end of the case and is secured by screws.
Dated this 20th der of April 1893
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Gear Cases for Cycles.
We GEORGE EDLEY READING, Engineer, of 81 Portland Road, South
Norwood, in the County of Surrey, and HARRY EDWARD PARKIN, Engineer, of
30 King Street, Covent Garden, 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 :-
This invention relates to gear cases for bicycles and other cycles of that class
in which the driving chain and chain wheels or equivalent gearing are completely

page_text: enclosed in a case that protects the gearing from dust and other dirt and usually
contains also lubricating oil for oiling the gearing; and has for its object to
construct the said case in such manner that the whole of the said gearing can
be readily got at or examined and removed if desired; and consists essentially
in making the gear case in two parts, one part fixed to the frame of the machine
and the other or cover part secured to the fixed part by hinges and catches or
other suitable fastenings.
A gear case for a bicycle constructed according to this invention comprises
three principal parts, the back side, the front side and the front end the back
side being fixed to the frame of the bicycle and the other two secured to this
part. The back side is provided at its rear end with a circular hole and slot
covered by a slide to admit of the rear chain wheel being inserted and slid into
place or removed and its outer edges are curved to extend beyond the front
side of the chain. The front side is hinged along one edge to the back side
and is secured to it along its other edge by suitable fastenings. It extends from
the crank axle to the extreme rear end of the case and is provided near the
crank axle with an opening covered by a slide.
The front end surrounds the front half of the front chain wheel and has attached
to its lower part an oil tray or dish which is slid into the case from the front
end, its upper edges passing under strips soldered to the sides so that it receives
any oil drippings. The front end is secured to the back and front sides by
screws or other suitable fastenings.
In the accompanying sheet of illustrative drawings
Fig. 1 is an elevation of a gear case for a bicycle constructed according to this
invention showing so much of the bicycle as is necessary for a clear under-
standing of the invention.
I
Fig. 2 is a similar view to Fig. 1 showing the case opened out.
'Fig. 3 is a cross section, and Fig. 4 is a back end elevation of the same.
Fig. 5 is a detail view showing the manner in which the front end butts against
the back part of the case.
The back side a of the case with its curved flanges b projecting beyond the
ront of the chain extends from the crank axle c to the rear extremity of the
case and is soldered to the tube d of the bicycle frame. It is provided at its
rear end with a circular hole e and slot f through which the rear chain wheel
is inserted into or withdrawn from the gear case. The hole e and slot fare
closed by the removable pieces g sliding in guides on the rear of the back side
and which allow of the adjustment of the rear axle to take up slack in the
chain. A strip is soldered at its upper edge to the inside of the back side a
and a strip is also soldered at its back edge to the lower flange b. The upper
and lower flanges are also provided with sockets alternating with equal sized
spaces. A strip m is also soldered inside the front edge of the case and extends
slightly beyond the crank axle c.
The front end n surrounds the front half of the front chain wheel its front
side also extending a slight distance beyond the said axle. Soldered to the
front end a slightly above its lower edge is the oil dish or tray p extending a
considerable distance towards the back. The front end butts against the back
side and the strip m secured to the back side covers the joint. Nuts are
secured to the extension of the front end and a nut is also secured to the top
of the strip m.
The front sides of the case extends from the rear of the case to the crank
axle and is provided on its upper and lower edges with sockets alternating
with the sockets 1. It is also provided with a recess covered by a slide v for
the crank axle. A. pin w passes alternately through the sockets and t of the
lower edges of the back and front sides and thus forms a hinge on which the
front side can turn. The front side is suitably recessed at a to receive the nut y
of the rear axle and the adjacent parts of the bicycle frame. A strip similar to

page_text: the strip on the back side may be soldered at its upper edge to the front
side with its lower. edge projecting inwards but above the edge of the oil tray.
The front end n with its oil tray is first slid into place, the edge of the back
side of the tray passing under the strip h and its rear end under the strip i.
The front side is then turned into place and secured by pius taking alternately
into the sockets and t on the upper edges of the back and front sides. Screws
are then inserted through the front side and the front end of the top and screwed
into the nuts fixed on the front end and flange of the back side respectively.
It is obvious that the manner of securing the parts may be modified in various
ways without departing from the nature of this invention, for example instead
of screws the front side may have projecting wedge shaped pieces taking into
recesses in the front end and drawing it up tight against the sides as the front
side is turned into place and the front side may be hinged at the top and have a
flange on its lower edge forced tightly over the lower flange of the back side and be
held by friction or the top edge of the front side may be shaped to spring over the
top flange of the back side.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. A gear case for a cycle consisting of a main portion enclosing the gearing and
secured to the frame and a front side hinged along one edge to the main portion
and adapted to be detachable, secured along its other edges to the said main portion
substantially as described.
2. A gear case for a cycle consisting of a back portion secured to the frame of
the cycle, a front end adapted to slide on to the back portion and a front side
hinged to the back portion along one edge and adapted to be secured thereto along
its other edges substantially as described.
3. A gear case for a cycle, consisting of a back portion secured to the frame of
the cycle, a front end carrying an oil tray adapted to slide within the back portion;
and a front side hinged along one edge to the back side and adapted to be secured
thereto along its other edges, substantially as described.
4. A gear case for a cycle constructed substantially as described with reference
to the drawings.
Dated this 24th day of January 1894.
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents.