Improvements in or connected with the Hubs and Spindles of Wheels for Velocipedes and other Vehicles.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Apr., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 24th Dec., 1897-Accepted, 19th Mar., 1898
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with the Hubs and Spindles of
Wheels for Velocipedes and other Vehicles.
I, BENJAMIN JOSEPH BARNARD MILLS, of 23, Southampton Buildings, in the
County of London, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention,
(a communication to me from Victor Claude Androt, and Firmin Accary,
Mechanical Engineers, both of Charlieu, Loire, in the Republic of France)
to be as follows:-
The improvements in, or connected with, hubs and spindles forming the subject
of the present invention are characterized by a new mode of regulation, which
consists in elongating or shortening the spindle carrying the cones or races for
the bearing balls, the outer cones remaining always fixed on the ends of the hub.
The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:-
Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section representing the hub and spindle of a back or
driving' wheel, and
Fig. 2 is a similar view of the hub and spindle of the front or steering wheel,
in which the hub alone is in section.
The construction represented in these two figures is identical, except that a
chain wheel is fixed on the one hub and not on the other; the letters of reference
in the following description apply to both figures.
The spindle, which is fixed to the forks FF by nuts EE, is in two parts united
by screwing together. One of these parts, A, has an external cylindrical screw-
thread which screws into the socket D formed in the other piece A¹. The socket D
is split lengthwise, and is provided externally with a conical screw-thread, upon
which a nut G is screwed, and by means of which all play which might exist
between the two parts can be suppressed, at the same time leaving them their
freedom of turning one upon the other.
The cones or races CC₁ for the balls are solid with the parts A A¹ of the spindle,
and the outer cones BB¹ are screwed tightly into the ends of the hub M, the form
of which latter is not altered. This tight screwing is effected by means of the
milled edge of the cone, and finally by means of a key with pins fitting the holes
in the end of said cone, which latter is not altered during adjustment.
Outside the cones BB¹, in the open spaces between them and the forks, the
two parts of the spindle are formed with angular or flat parts HH', which can bo
acted upon by an ordinary spanner.
It will be understood that this arrangement renders the adjustment very easy;
it is only necessary to slacken one of the nuts E to enable the corresponding part
of the spindle to be turned, whilst the other part remains fixed to the fork and
cannot turn. The spindle can then be either elongated or shortened with all desired
precision by turning the loose part in the one direction or the other.
The tightening of the nut E, by again fixing the spindle to the fork, renders
the adjustment secure. It is to be remarked that the adjustment can be effected
equally well from either end of the spindle without displacing the wheel, which
remains always in the centre of the fork.

page_text: I would here remark that the details may be modified without departing from
the peculiar character of the invention.
Dated 1: 9.1
1007
HARRIS & MILLS,
23, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents.
Improvements in or connected with the Hubs and Spindles of
Wheels for Velocipedes and other Vehicles.
I, BENJAMIN JOSEPH BARNARD MILLS, of 23, Southampton Buildings, in the
County of London,, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention,
(a communication to me from Victor Claude Androt and Firmin Accary,
Mechanical Engineers, both of Charlieu, Loire, in the Republic of France,)
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
The improvements in or connected with hubs and spindles forming the subject
of the present invention are characterised by a new mode of regulation which
consists in elongating or shortening the spindle carrying the cones or races for
the bearing balls, the outer cones remaining always fixed on the ends of the hub.
The invention is illustrated, as applied to a velocipede, in the drawings accom-
panying my Provisional Specification, in which:-
--
Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section representing the hub and spindle of a back or
driving wheel, and
Fig. 2 is a similar view of the hub and spindle of the front or steering wheel,
in which the hub alone is in section.
The construction represented in these two figures is identical except that a
chain wheel is fixed on the one hub and not on the other.
The letters of reference in the following description apply to both figures.
The spindle, which is fixed to the forks FF by nuts E E, is in two parts united
by screwing together. One of these parts, A, has an external cylindrical screw
thread which screws into the socket D formed in the other piece A¹. The socket D
is split lengthwise and is provided externally with a conical screw thread, upon
which a nut G is screwed and by means of which all play which might exist
between the two parts can be suppressed, at the same time leaving them their
freedom of turning one upon the other.
The cones or races C C¹ for the balls are solid with the parts A A¹ of the spindle,
and the outer cones BB¹ are screwed tightly into the ends of the hub M, the form
of which latter is not altered. This tight screwing is effected by means of the
milled edge of the cone and finally by means of a key with pins fitting the holes
in the end of said cone which latter is not altered during adjustment.
Outside the cones B B¹, in the open spaces between them and the forks, the two
parts of the spindle are formed with angular or flat parts HH', which can be acted
upon by an ordinary spanner.
It will be understood that this arrangement renders the adjustment very easy;
it is only necessary to slacken one of the nuts E to enable the corresponding
part of the spindle to be turned whilst the other part remains fixed to the fork
and cannot turn. The spindle can then be either elongated or shortened with
all desired precision by turning the loose part in the one direction or the other.
The tightening of the nut E, by again fixing the spindle to the fork, renders the
adjustment secure.

page_text: It is to be remarked that the adjustment can be effected equally well from either
end of the spindle without displacing the wheel which remains always in the centre
of the fork.
I would here remark that the details may be modified without departing from the
peculiar character of the invention, which has been described as applied to a veloci-
pede by way of an example only.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. In hubs and spindles of wheels for velocipedes and other vehicles, a hub
closed at both ends by cones screwed or fixed firmly therein and containing a
spindle in two parts, screwed the one into the other, said spindle carrying the inner
cones or races for the balls and being capable of being lengthened or shortened
for adjustment by causing one part to turn whilst the other remains fixed, sub-
stantially as herein shown and described.
2. The improvements in or connected with the hubs and spindles of wheels for
velocipedes and other vehicles, substantially as herein shown and described.
Dated this 24th day of December 1897.
HARRIS & MILLS,
23, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents.