Improvements in and connected with Gear Cases for Cycles.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Dec., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 13th Sept., 1898-Accepted, 15th Oct., 1898
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Gear Cases for Cycles.
We, (MRS.) BERTHA ISABEL DACRE HOPKINS, of Church Hill, Northfield, in the
County of Worcester, and PERCY EVERITT, of the Firm of Hopkins, Taylor, and
Company, of 107 to 109, Upper Trinity Street, Deritend, in the City of Birming-
ham, Cycle Manufacturers, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows;-
This invention has for its object improved means for giving access to the driving
chain without removing the gear case from a cycle, and improved means for use
in fixing together, and to the framing of a cycle, the two halves of a longitudin-
ally-divided gear case.
The object first above stated is accomplished, according to this invention, by
forming an opening through the outer side of the lower (or upper) portion of the
case, in such position therealong as to expose a portion of the chain which extends
between the sprocket or chain wheels, and extending such opening through the
lower (or upper) rim of the case, and providing a sliding-piece, fitted to slide in
vertical grooves formed at the side edges of the opening through the side of the
case, which is shaped with a portion to close in the opening through the side of
the case and with a portion to close in the opening through the rim. Any suit-
able means may be used for holding the sliding-piece in place when closed, such,
for instance, as a couple of wire bolts carried by the rim portion of the sliding-
piece, which are slid into staples fixed to the case.
A corresponding opening may be formed, also, through the opposite side of the
case, and the sliding-piece be formed of a U-shape or corresponding shape,
that is to say, with two side pieces to slide within vertical grooves in the sides of
the openings through the opposite sides of the case, and with a yoke which joins
together the lower (or upper) edges of such parts and closes in the opening through
the rim.
The sliding-piece may be formed of sheet metal, or of celluloid, or of sheet metal
having a celluloid panel in the portion thereof which closes in the opening through
the outer side of the case, or may be of any suitable material.
The means above described, by which a portion of the chain is exposed which
extends between the sprocket or chain wheels, enables the chain to be very readily
cleaned, as a rag or instrument can be readily pushed vertically through the links,
owing to the opening which is left in the rim of the case in addition to the opening,
or openings, through the side, or sides, and the chain can be otherwise, also, very
conveniently manipulated. It is preferred to form the opening for access to the
chain in the lower portion of the case, to ensure that any dirt which drops off
from the chain, in cleaning, will fall through the bottom of the opening.
The object secondly above stated is accomplished, according to this invention,
by means of a clip which is formed with a loop or U-shaped portion to pass down
one side, and over the top and under the bottom, of the back stay, and with two
ears to which are fastened, respectively, the upper and lower halves of the case.

page_text: The clip is passed around the portion of the back stay which is within the case
when the case is fixed, and the two ears of the clip come, respectively, against
the inside faces of the upper and lower halves of the case, which are fixed thereto
by means of screws which are passed through holes in the case and screwed into
the ears of the clip. The clip is, preferably, made of sheet metal, with screwed
nuts soldered or brazed at the backs of the ears, into which the screws are screwed.
For convenience in putting the parts together, a modified form of the clip,
which in itself constitutes a somewhat special feature of the invention, is used.
This consists of a clip of the character of that above described, but in addition
thereto the metal of one of the ears is continued as a flat strip of such length
beyond the portion which is required for the car that, when bent back against the
outer face of such ear, it will span across the hollow of the clip and extend across
the face of the other ear also; and this strip is bent back in this manner. The
clip is sprung into place around the back stay, and remains, consequently, suffi-
ciently rigid therewith to avoid any need for holding it by hand during any
portion of the operation of fixing the case thereto. In this modification, the bent-
back strips is, of course, between the ears and the side of the case, which is fixed
thereto.
With either form of clip, it is preferred to solder or braze washers to the outer
faces of the ears, or to the outer face of the bent-back strip, as the case may be,
around the pin holes, to form bearing fillets for the sides of the case which are
screwed thereagainst.
The means above described for use in fixing the case in place are employed
towards the rear end of the case. The forward end of the case may be fixed in
the usual or any convenient manner.
Dated this 13th day of December 1897
STEPHEN WATKINS,
Wolverhampton, Agent for the Applicants.
Improvements in and connected with Gear Cases for Cycles.
We (MRs.) BERTHA ISABEL DACRE HOPKINS, of Church Hill, Northfield, in the
County of Worcester, and PERCY EVERITT, a Director of Hopkins, Taylor and
Company, Limited, of 107 to 109, Upper Trinity Street, Deritend, in the City of
Birmingham, Cycle Manufacturers, 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 has for its object improved micans for giving access to the driving
chain without removing the gear case from a cycle, and improved means for use
in fixing together, and to the framing of a cycle, the two halves of a longitudin-
ally-divided gear case.
The object first above stated is accomplished, according to this invention, by
forming an opening through the outer side of the lower (or upper) portion of the
case, in such position therealong as to expose a portion of the chain which extends
between the sprocket or chain wheels, and extending such opening through the
lower (or upper) rim of the case, and providing a sliding-piece, fitted to slide in
vertical guides formed at the. side edges of the opening through the side of
the case, which is shaped with a portion to close in the opening through the side of
the case and with a portion to close in the opening through the rim.
A corresponding opening may be formed, also, through the opposite side of the
case and the sliding-piece be formed of a U-shape or corresponding shape,

page_text: that is to say, with two side pieces to slide within vertical guides in the sides of
the openings through the opposite sides of the case, and with a yoke which joins
together the lower (or upper) edges of such parts and closes in the opening through
the rim.
The sliding-piece may be formed of sheet metal, or of celluloid, or of sheet metal
having a celluloid, or other transparent or semi-transparent, panel. in the portion
thereof which closes in the opening through the outer side of the case or in each
portion which closes in an opening through a side of the case, or may be of any
suitable material.
The means above described, by which a portion of the chain is exposed which
extends between the sprocket or chain wheels, enables the chain to be very readily
cleaned, as a rag or instrument can be readily pushed vertically through the links,,
owing to the opening which is left in the rim of the case in addition to the opening,
or openings, through the side, or sides, and the chain can be otherwise, also, very
conveniently manipulated. It is preferred to form the opening for access to the
chain in the lower portion of the case, to ensure that any dirt which drops off
from the chain, in cleaning, will fall through the bottom of the opening.
A gear case formed with an opening and provided with a sliding-piece of the
character above described, for the purpose set forth, is illustrated, by way of
example as made of metal, by Figures to 4, inclusive, of the drawings herewith,
and as made chiefly of leather by Figures 5 to 9, inclusive, of the drawings here-
with.
In these sets of views, Figures 1 and 5 represent side elevations of the cases
as seen looking towards their outer faces, but in Figure 1 the opening, aforesaid,
is shewn to be only partially closed by the sliding piece, whereas in Figure 5 it
is shewn to be entirely closed. Figures 2 and 6 are longitudinal sections, to an
enlarged scale, of the middle portions of the cases respectively, taken in the planes
indicated by lines and yy of Figures 1 and 5, respectively, except that in the
case of Figure I as well as Figure 5 the sliding-piece is closed in. Figures 3 and 7
are, respectively, transverse sections, to the same scale as Figures 2 and 6, taken
in the planes indicated by lines r¹ and y'y' of Figures I and 5, respectively,
except that in Figure 3 as well as Figure 7 the sliding piece is closed in. Figure 4
is a section, to a still larger size, corresponding to the section shown by Figure 3,
with the upper half of the case omitted. Figure 8 is a section, to the scale of
Figures 6 and 7, taken on line 2 of Figure 5; and Figure 9 is a view, to the
same scale, of the underside of the middle portion of the case shewn by Figure 5,
illustrating a convenient method of preventing the sliding piece from slipping
down in its guides. In the sections shewn by Figures 3, 4, 7 and 8, for the sake
of avoiding unnecessary confusion of lines, some of the parts are omitted which
lic beyond the planes in which the sections are taken.
Referring first to the case illustrated by Figures 1 to 4 inclusive, the opening A
for access to the gear chain is shewn as formed through both sides, as well as
through the bottom or rim, of the middle portion of the lower half B' of the
case. The sliding piece C is formed with two opposite sides c to close in the
opposite openings through the sides of the case, and with a yoke c¹ which closes
in the underside of the opening when the sliding-piece is pushed up into place.
The side edges of the sides of the sliding-piece are guided along grooves at the
sides of the opening, and the top edges of the sides of the sliding-piece pass
up, as the sliding-piece is closed, into grooves along the top edges of the opening.
The grooves may be formed in any convenient manner, such as by soldering strips
inside the case which are bent, as seen in cross section, to ensure that their inner
or free edges will stand back somewhat from the sides of the case. The sliding
piece C is somewhat longer than the opening A, on account of its edges requiring
to enter within the grooves at the side edges of the opening, and the ends of the
yoke cof the sliding-piece close up against the portions m of the lower side of
the rim of the case which project a short distance at each end within the sliding-
piece. The sliding-piece C may be held up in its closed position by any convenient

page_text: These
means, such for instance as by wires d which are capable of sliding endways
through sheaths e soldered to the underside of the case, and which, when shot in,
enter coresponding sheaths f soldered to the underside of the sliding-piece.
wires may have heads g.each formed either by bending a short length of the metal
downwards, or as a small lump of solder; and small lumps of solder may be
caused to adhere to the underside of the case to act as stops to the backward
movement of the wires. The sliding-piece illustrated is shewn to have an open-
ing formed through each side thereof which is filled in with a piece of celluloid D.
The piece of celluloid may be held in any convenient manner, such as by means
of strips of metal i having their outer edges soldered to the backs of the sides of
the sliding-piece. The inner edges of one of these strips, in the case of each pane
or piece of celluloid, may be closed in against it after it has been slipped in place
between the other strips and the corresponding side of the sliding-piece.
Referring now to the case illustrated by Figures 5 to 9 inclusive, a sliding-
piece C, which corresponds to that described with reference to the metal case
already described, and may be constructed in the same manner, is fitted to slide
within grooves formed with a sheet metal frame E which acts as the margin
along the top and ends of the opening through the middle of the opposite sides
and rim of the lower portion of the case, and the inner edges of this frame
correspond to the top and side edges of the opening already described through
the metal case, that is to say, they are formed with grooves to receive the
sliding-piece. The frame is open at its lower side, and is formed of two opposite
sides which are joined together at the top by a yoke n which, when the case is in
place upon the cycle frame, passes over the stay thereof, and are joined together
at their lower ends, and to the metal rim or frame F which carries the leather
of which the case is chiefly composed, by means of curved portions kk which pass
underneath the ends of the rim or frame F and overlap one another. These over-
lapping portions of each lower end of the frame E are fixed together, and to the
corresponding end of the rim or frame F by means of a bolt which passes
through them. The frame E is formed with a flat portion m² at each side which
passes inside the leather, and with a flange m¹ which comes against the outer
face of the leather and of which the edge is pressed somewhat into the leather in
order to avoid any liability of a rider's dress catching thereagainst. The section
of the frame is clearly shewn more especially by Figures 6, 7 and 8, which shew
the flange m to form a portion of a piece of sheet metal which is formed with
a double bend which provides two grooves, namely an outward groove o to receive
the edge of the leather and an inward groove o¹ to receive the edge of the sliding-
piece. The inner edge of the flat metal m³ is soldered within the part which
forms the groove o when the part m¹ has been bent back, and this plate m² forms,
as above indicated, the supporting surface of the frame at the inner face of the
leather. This special construction of frame is not, of course, essential; it is simply
described as being convenient. Figure 9 shews the lacing of the case to be
crossed underneath the sliding-piece C to prevent it from slipping down in its
guides.
The object secondly above stated is accomplished, according to this invention,
by means of a clip which is formed with a loop to pass down one side and over
the top and under the bottom of the back stay and with two ears to which are
fastened, respectively, the upper and lower halves of the case. The clip is passed
around the portion of the back stay which is within the case when the case is
fixed, and the two ears of the clip come, respectively, against the inside faces of
the upper and lower halves of the case, which are fixed thereto by means of bolts
or screws. The clip is, preferably, made of sheet metal, with screw nuts soldered
or brazed at the back of the ears to receive screws by which the two halves of
the case are fixed to the clip. This part of the invention is illustrated by
Figures 10, 11 and 12 of the drawings herewith, which shew a modified form of
the clip above described, which in itself constitutes a somewhat special feature

page_text: of the invention, on account of the special convenience it affords of putting the
parts together.
Figure 10 is a side elevation of the clip as it appears previously to being put
in place around the back stay. Figure 11 is a back elevation of the clip, and
Figure 12 is a vertical section through the middle of the clip, shewing the two
halves of the case to be fixed to the back stay by means of the clip. In this
view as much only of the two halves of the case are shewn as is required for the
purpose.
The clip G is formed with a loop p to pass across the top and bottom and across
the back of the stay H, and with ears q on to the backs of which are soldered or
brazed screwed nuts r. The end of one of the ears y, preferably the lower one,
is originally considerably extended in length, as shewn by broken lines s,
Figure 10, and this extension is subsequently bent back to pass up across the
front of both the ears and to span across the hollow of the clip, as shewn; and at
the outer or front face of this bent back portions it is preferred to solder or
braze washers t which bear against the inner faces of the upper and lower
halves BB of the case, respectively. The clip is sprung into place around the
back stay H by springing back the upper end of the part s sufficiently for the
purpose, and remains, consequently, suficiently rigid therewith to avoid any need
for holding it by hand during any portion of the operation of fixing the case
thereto, though it will, no doubt, often be found convenient to steady the clip
by hand while fixing the first half of the case. The screws u by means of which
the upper and lower halves of the case are fixed to the clip pass, of course, through
the washers t and are screwed into or through the nuts r, thus securely tightening
the clip around the stay H as well as securely fixing the halves of the case to the
clip.
The parts acts as a keep and answers the purpose of preventing the upper and
lower portions of the clip from springing open, and thus tends to more securely
hold together the two halves of the case, and it tends also to stiffen the case.
bar or keep made separately from the other portion of the clip and fastened
thereto by screws might of course be used in place of the bent back part s.
A
We have not thought it necessary to illustrate the simpler form of clip first
described, as it will be obvious that this may correspond with the clip G illus-
trated, but with the portions thereof omitted, washerst in such case being prefer-
ably brazed to the front faces of the ears q With this simpler form of clip the
ears q, or the washers at the outer faces thereof if such are used, bear directly
against the inner sides of the upper and lower halves of the case, respectively.
The means above described for use in fixing the case in place are employed
towards the rear end of the case, as indicated by the broken lines Figure 1. The
forward end of the case may be fixed in the usual or any convenient manner, and
in addition thereto, means of the usual or any convenient character are used for
fastening together the halves of the case at their ends or elsewhere as required.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said in-
vention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:-
1. In a gear case for a cycle, an opening through one side of the lower, or
upper, portion of the case and through the rim of such portion, in such position
therealong as to expose a portion of the chain which extends between the sprocket
or chain wheels, and means for closing in such opening through the side and
rim of the case, substantially as described.
2. In a gear case for a cycle an opening through one side of the lower, or
upper, portion of the case, and through the rim of such portion, in such position
therealong as to expose a portion of the chain which extends between the sprocket
or chain wheels, and a single sliding piece adapted to close in such opening
through the side and rim of the case, substantially as described.
3. In a gear case for a cycle, an opening through both sides of the lower, or

page_text: upper, portion of the case, and through the rim of such portion, in such position
therealong as to expose a portion of the chain which extends between the sprocket
or chain wheels, and means for closing in such opening through the sides and rim
of the case; substantially as described.
4. In a gear case for a cycle, an opening through both sides of the lower,; or
upper, portion of the case, and through the rim of such portion, in such position
therealong as to expose a portion of the chain which extends between the sprocket
or chain wheels, and a single sliding piece adapted to close in such opening
through the sides and rim of the case, substantially as described.
+
:
5. Å cycle gear case provided with means for giving access to the driving
chain without removing the gear case from the cycle, substantially as described
and shewn, as applied by way of example to a metal and leather gear case,
respectively, by Figures 1 to 9 inclusive of the drawings herewith...
6: The means of connecting the upper and lower portions of a longitudinally
divided gear case to one another and to the back stay of a cycle, which comprise
the use of a clip formed with a loop to pass above and below, and across one side
of, the stay, and with ears to the upper and lower of which the upper and lower
divisions of the case are, respectively, fixed by means of screws or the like, sub-
stantially as described.
7. A clip, for use in fixing together and to the back stay of a cycle the upper
and lower portions of a longitudinally divided gear case, formed with a loop to
pass above and below, and across one side of, the stay, with upward and down-
ward ears, and with a bar or keep which spans across the hollow of the clip, and
with provision for use in connecting the upper and lower halves of the case to
the upper and lower ears respectively, substantially as described.
8. A clip for use in fixing together and to the back stay of a cycle the upper
and lower portions of a longitudinally divided gear case, substantially as described
and shewn by Figures 10 to 12, inclusive, of the drawings herewith.
Dated this 12th day of September 1898.
STEPHEN WATKINS,
Wolverhampton, Agent for the Applicants.