An Improved Cover for the Chain or other Gearing of Bicycles or Tricycles.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Oct., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 27th Apr., 1893-Accepted, 27th May, 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Cover for the Chain or other Gearing of Bicycles or
Tricycles.
I, HORACE WALTER DOVER of 15, Beaconsfield Terrace, Northampton,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to an improved dust proof casing for enclosing the gearing
chains or wheels of velocipedes, particularly of what are known as rear driving
safety bicycles.
My invention has for its object to provide a very light and easily detachable
casing for enclosing the gearing whereby to practically exclude all dust and which
is so put together and secured that whilst ensuring a dust proof closure it can be
dismounted for cleaning, oiling, repairs to the chain, chain wheels, bottom bracket
bearings, dismounting the hind wheel, and refixed in position with great facility.
The casing is made preferably of papier-maché japanned to render it waterproof
or of other light dust-proof material, and the invention consists essentially in the
means whereby the parts of the casing are united to form a dust proof joint capable
of being readily connected and disconnected. It also comprises the means whereby
the casing is supported in position and whereby whilst affording the necessary
facility for the adjustment of the chain gearing, the entry of dust is prevented
around the wheel axes.
The casing is made preferably in two slightly unequal parts, the joint or line of
division being longitudinal and in the plane of the centres of the hub and bottom
bracket axes, the larger part being at the underside to allow of the sag of the
chain. The casing is supported in position by internal bow-shaped bracket pieces
fixed the one to the adjacent rear leg and the other to the axle of the rear hub,
and to prevent the entry of dust the rear hub bracket is made with an internal
guard plate considerably larger than the aperture in the casing which prevents the
admission of dust whilst enabling the notches in the casing to be made large enough
to permit of adjustment of the gear. Affixed to this bracket on the inner side
between the chain wheel and the flange of the hub are circular plates in halves
overlapping each other with a hole in the centre just large enough to fit the hub.
These plates are held together by a rivet on one side and a projection through
which a screw passes which fixes them to the bracket. On the side of the plates
next the spokes are spring flanges, the casing fitting between said flanges and the
plates to ensure a dust tight joint on the inner side and allow for adjustment of the
gear. These plates and flanges being fixed to the bracket, keep true to the hub
centre when the chain is adjusted. The cap which fixes the other bracket to the
rear leg is made to leave a space for the casing to fit between which holds the
casing firmly in position and makes a better joint round the rear leg.
The edges of the two parts of the casing abut and are provided on the outer face
of the casing with flanges which are outwardly recurved or turned back from the
edges in opposite directions. These oppositely directed flanges are embraced by
covering clips which have inwardly recurved flanges that fit over and interlock
with the flanges of the casing. These flanges of the casing are in sections extending
at one end of the casing from the bottom bracket and axle to near the end of
the casing and at the other end of the casing from the spring flanges above
mentioned and the hub to near the end of the casing and are covered by the
interlocking clips which are preferably bent to a U-form so as to extend around
and cover the unflanged ends of the casing, the limbs of these U-shaped clips being
of unequal lengths so as to more readily engage with and slide on to the flanges.
A separate interlocking straight clip is also used which engages with recurved

page_text: flanges on the middle portion of the abutting edges at the front side of the casing,
while the back portion of the casing is provided on one edge-the upper half-
with a strip which overlaps the edge of the lower half of the casing. The strip
is bent slightly outwards, to facilitate the edges coming together, and the edge of
the lower half is held against said strip by springs fixed within the upper half
which are bent in the opposite direction to the strip, to facilitate the entry of the
edge between them.
ניחנים
2000
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Cover for the Chain or other Gearing of Bicycles or
Tricycles.
I, HORACE WALTER DOVER, of 15, Beaconsfield Terrace, Northampton,
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:-
My invention relates to an improved dust-proof casing for enclosing the gearing
chains or wheels of velocipedes, particularly of what are known as rear driving
safety bicycles.
My invention has for its object to provide a very light and easily detachable
casing which is so put together and secured that whilst ensuring a dust-proof
closure it can be dismounted for cleaning, oiling, or repairs, and refixed in position
with great facility. The casing is made preferably of papier-maché, moulded upon
a core, hardened and japanned to render it waterproof, in the usual way of making
articles of that material. Or the casing may be made of other light dust-proof
material, and in any case it may vary in shape to suit the particular make of
machine to which it is applied.
The invention consists essentially in the means whereby the parts of the casing
are united, and whereby, whilst affording the necessary facility for the adjustment
of the chain gearing, the entry of dust is prevented around the wheel axes.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this
Specification, wherein
Figure 1 is a side elevation of the casing (partly broken away to shew the
internal fittings).
Figure 2 is a cross-section of same, on line 2-2 Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a sectional view of the joint at the rear end of the casing.
Figure 4 is an elevation of the internal supporting bracket for the casing.
Figure 5 is a horizontal section of the forward end of the casing, taken in the
plane of the joint. Figure 6 is a similar view of the rear end.
Figure 7 is a face view of the opposite side of the casing to that shewn in
Figure 1, shewing the joint plates at the driving wheel spindle.
Figures 2 to 6 are drawn full size and Figure 7 half size.
The same letters of reference denote like parts in all the figures.
The
The casing is made in two parts A, A, the joint or line of division being
longitudinal and in the plane of the centres of the hub and pedal shaft axes.
casing is supported in position by an internal bracket C of a shape which may be
varied to suit the different kinds of frames and which bracket is fixed by a strap c
and nuts to the rear leg or stay D of the frame, said bracket having a nib c¹ on its
outer face adapted to come between the abutting edges of the parts A, A', so as
to support the casing. The edges at the outer side of the two parts A, A', of the
casing are shaped to allow the stay D to pass between them, as shewn, and the
edges at this shaped part may be garnished with a slip of felt, or other soft

page_text: material, so as to prevent rattling of the case. The straight abutting edges of
the two parts A A are provided at the forward end of the case, with flanges e, e',
of thin sheet metal rivetted to the case on the inside and outwardly recurved so as
to pass around the edges and project from the outer face of the case in opposite
directions similar to those shewn at in Figure 2. These oppositely directed
flanges e, e, are embraced by a covering clip E which has inwardly recurved
flanges e, e, that fit over and interlock with the flanges e, e¹ of the casing.
These flanges are provided on both the front and rear outer faces of the casing, but
do not extend around the rounded end of the casing and the covering clip E is of
U-shape, as shewn in Figure 5, so as to extend around and cover the joint at the
rounded end of the casing, the limbs of this U-shaped clip being of slightly unequal
length so as to more readily engage with and slide on to the flanges e, e' of the
casing, the clip being provided with a knob or bow to enable it to be grasped and
easily slid on or off. To make a better joint at the front end of the casing, the
part A has an internal lip or cover stripe of metal over which the part A fits.
Similar outwardly-projecting and oppositely recurved flanges f, f, are provided on
the middle portion of the abutting edges at the outer side of the casing, which are
engaged by a straight interlocking clip F, the flanges and clip extending rearwards
only as far as the point where the stay D comes through. At the rear end of the
casing the upper part A is provided with an external lip g of sheet metal rivetted
to the part A and extending around the rounded end of the said part, this lip
overlaps the edge of the lower half A¹ of the casing and the two parts A, A,
being united by a stud y engaging in a hole in lip g. At the rear side of the
casing a similar lip h is provided, as shewn in Figures 2 and 7 which overlaps the
joint, springs fixed inside the upper half A holding the edge of the lower
half A against the lip, the springs and the lip being slightly flared or bent in
opposite directions to facilitate the entry between them of the edge of part A'.
This side of the case is so shaped as to wholly enclose the forward end of the
stay D and to fit snugly around the boss D' of the frame which forms the bearing
of the pedal shaft P. The shape of this inclined rear side of the casing would be
adapted to suit the frame of the machine and in some instances the casing might
be quite flat. At the front side of the case a tight joint is made around the
pedal shaft by means of a pair of thin metal discs I rivetted together and fitted
loose on the pedal shaft, the outer dise being cupped sufficiently to admit the
parts A, A, of the casing between the two discs, the edges of the parts A, A', being
formed with semi-circular recesses at this point corresponding in diameter to the
cupped portion of the outer disc I so as to fit snugly around the central cupped
portion of the disc. The nice fitting of the casing to the pedal axle P and the wear of
the casing by the rotation of the pedal axle is thus avoided, the double disc I forming
a bushing which takes all the wear and whilst making a practically dust-tight
closure keeps the casing out of contact with the pedal axle and chain wheel Q. At
the rear hub a dust-tight closure is made by somewhat similar means, provision
being however made for, the adjustment of the driving chain tension to the extent
of, say, ths of an inch without impairing the closure, the means being slightly
different at the outer or front side and at the rear side of the case. At the former
a pair of circularly-corrugated spring metal discs J similar to the discs I
clamped between collars screwing on a threaded boss j₁ fixed on the hub spindle
between the cone bearing of the driving wheel R and the back fork K. These
screw-collars determine the position of the casing and admit of adjusting it
laterally with regard to the gearing. The semi-circularly notched edges at the
front sides of the parts A, A, of the casing fit between these discs J to a sufficient
depth to allow of the shifting, of the relative position of the discs and casing to
the extent necessary for the adjustment above mentioned without the apertures
in the casing being thereby uncovered by the discs. At the other or back side of
the case a joint is made by two semi-oval segment plates I. fitting closely around
the hub between the chain wheel and the flange of the hub in which the
wheel spokes are fixed. These plates are slightly cupped so as to clear the hub
are

page_text: flange and their margins fit between the parts A, A', of the case and cover
plates M rivetted thereto, the cover plates M corresponding in form to the semi-
circular apertures cut in the edges of the parts A, A', of the case at this part,
these apertures being closed by the plates L which are able to slide stiffly beneath
the cover plates to the extent of the adjustment required to be made. The
plates L are provided with extensions which pass out from beneath the cover
plates M and serve as handles for pressing the plates L into contact with the hub
after making the adjustment. To prevent the lower member of the driving
chain S rattling against the case, should the chain become so loose as to sag, a
light spring N is fixed in the lower part A¹ of the case and terminates in a
leather pad n which presses lightly against and embraces the sides of the chain.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is―
1. A gear case for velocipedes, made of papier-maché, japanned or varnished,
constructed in halves united by means, substantially such as herein specified, for
making a dust-tight joint.
2. A gear case constructed in parts whose abutting edges are provided at
certain parts with oppositely recurved flanges, in combination with sliding clips
having inwardly recurved flanges adapted to interlock with the flanges of the case,
substantially as and for the purpose specified.
3. The U-shaped interlocking clip for uniting the flanged edges at the front and
rear sides and covering the joint at the rounded end of the case.
4. The combination, with the casing constructed as described, of the pairs of
spring metal discs adapted to fit about the pedal and hub axes and to receive the
apertured parts of the casing between them so as to form a dust tight closure
between said axes and the casing and permit of the necessary adjustment for
tightening the chain, as specified.
5. The combination, with the casing made in halves, of segmental plates fitting
around the hub and fitted to slide between the casing and cover plates attached
thereto around the aperture for the hub at the rear side so as to form a dust-
tight closure for said aperture and afford freedom for adjustment, as specified.
6. The combination, with the herein described casing, of the internal bracket
adapted to be clamped to the stay and to support the casing, as specified.
7. The herein described gear casing constructed in halves and provided with the
means for uniting them and making a dust tight closure around the pedal shaft
and wheel hub axes with freedom for adjustment, substantially as specified.
Dated this azil der of 11009
H. W. DOVER,
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.