Improvements in and connected with the Construction of Cycles.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 6th July, 1898
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with the Construction of Cycles.
I, STANLEY COOPER, of 258, Waterloo Street, Oldham, in the County of
Lancaster, Manager, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:
My said invention relates to the construction of cycles and has reference to the
method of securing the wheels in the forks and also to means for adjusting and
taking up the slack of the driving chain.
Under present practice the threaded ends of the spindle upon which the wheel
revolves, protrude to some extent beyond the forks so as to provide bearings for
the retaining nuts.
When it is desired therefore to remove the wheels the forks must be sprung
apart to enable the spindle to be removed from the forks, thus putting an undesir-
able strain upon the forks.
Under my invention I am enabled to dispense with the springing of the forks
and to effect this I form the bearing cones on their outer faces each with an
annular groove or recess. The locking nuts are also provided with a reduced
ring or extension adapted to enter the annular grooves formed in the cones.
The reduced ring on the nut passes through the fork to engage with the screwed
spindle and enter the groove in the cone. As a consequence I am enabled to
reduce the length of the spindle so that the wheel may be removed from or replaced
within the forks without springing them apart. Further the lock nuts are provided
by means of the reduced ring entering the recess in the cone, with an extended
bearing upon the screwed end of the spindle. The nuts are not bored through
and thus shroud the spindle ends and present a neater and more attractive finish.
To adjust and take up the slack of the chain I mount the driving axle excen-
trically in a bearing carried by the bottom bracket. The bottom bracket is formed
as a clip to securely grip the bearing. Upon the bearing I form a worm wheel
and between lugs on the bottom bracket I mount a worm secured to a bolt passing
through the lugs, the worm engaging with the worm wheel on the bearing.
By revolving a nut on the end of the bolt the lugs are brought together thus
reducing the diameter of the bottom bracket and securely gripping the bearing.
When it is desired to adjust the driving chain, the nut is slackened and by means
of a suitable key engaging with a squared end formed on the bolt the worm may
be revolved thus turning the axle bearing and tightening or slackening the chain
as desired. When the chain has been properly adjusted the nut is again operated
to lock the bearing in position in the bracket.
By these means not only can the most delicate adjustment be obtained but the
worm forms a positive locking for the bearing. A suitable dust cover is provided
for the worm.
A great advantage from the use of this means of taking up slack in the driving
chain lies in the fact that the usual slots in the back stays are dispensed with
and holes only need be drilled out for the spindle. The difficulty of obtaining true
centreing of the back wheel is thus overcome.

page_text: I am aware that excentric bearings have been before used, the novel feature of
this part of my invention being the worm gearing by which the bearing can be
readily operated and positively locked in position.
Improvements in and connected with the Construction of Cycles.
STANLEY COOPER, of 258, Waterloo Street, Oldham, in the County of
Lancaster, Manager, 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 and accompanying drawings:-
My said invention relates to improvements in the construction of cycles, and has
reference to the method of securing wheels in position in the front fork or back
stays, and also to means for adjusting and taking-up the slack of the driving chain.
I will first deal with that part of my invention which relates to the securing of
the wheels in the forks and stays, afterwards referring to the improved method of
taking-up the slack of the driving chain.
In securing a wheel in the front fork, under the present practice, the threaded
ends of the spindle upon which the wheel revolves pass through and protrude to
some extent beyond the limbs of the fork, the spindle being secured in position
by means of nuts and washers as is well understood. When it is desired therefore
to remove the wheel, the limbs of the fork must be sprung apart, to enable the
spindle to be removed, thus putting a very undesirable strain upon the fork.
In addition to this the operation of removing and replacing the wheel is not one
that can be readily performed by an unskilled person.
Under my invention I am enabled to dispense with the springing of the forks
and to remove the wheel with the utmost facility.
The manner in which I carry this into effect is shown in Fig. 1 of the annexed
drawings, which shows the extremities of the limbs of the fork with the wheel
hub attached, the view being partly in section.
In the said drawing, a represents the ordinary hub, running on ball bearings b,
confined between the cup and cone c, d. According to my invention I form the
outer faces of the bearing cones with annular grooves or depressions d' as clearly
shown in the left hand side of Fig. 1. The wheel is secured to the fork by special
locking nuts g. These locking nuts g are provided with reduced tubular exten-
sions adapted to pass through the holes drilled in the limbs of the fork and to
enter the annular grooves formed in the cones. In entering such annular
grooves the tapped portions of the locking nuts engage the screwed ends of
the spindle h, which is made shorter than heretofore, so that by a continued
screwing-up of the nuts g the wheel is firmly and readily secured in position.
The length of the spindle h, is preferably about equal to the distance between
the limbs of the fork at the point of attachment. By the arrangement of parts
above described, I am enabled to remove the wheel from, or replace the same
within, the fork without springing the limbs apart and without any difficulty
whatever. Owing to the reduced tubular extensions g', of the locking nuts g,
entering the annular recesses in the cones, the locking nuts are provided with an
extended bearing or hold upon the screwed ends of the spindle h.

page_text: The nuts y are not bored through and thus shroud the spindle ends and present
a neater and more attractive finish.
Although I have referred above only to the method of securing the axle of the
front or steering wheel, it will be obvious that I may fix the axle of the rear
wheel in position, in a similar manner.
For instance in Fig. 2 I show an axle h, for the rear wheel of a bicycle, carrying
cones d formed with annular recesses d¹.
This axle is secured in position, in holes drilled in the back stays, by means
of locking nuts g, having tubular extensions g', and washers i. Where the cycle
would be fitted with a step for mounting purposes the step would be formed in one
with the locking nut g as indicated in the left-hand side of Fig. 2. In this instance
the tubular extension g' formed on the step is shown as not having been screwed
home.
The axle might be mounted in bearing jaws in the back stays, and the usual
draw bolts may be fitted for chain adjustment purposes, but I prefer that the rear
wheel be fixed and the chain adjusted by a movement of the chain wheel as herein-
after described.
Referring to my improved method of adjusting or taking up the slack of the
driving chain I will now proceed to describe the same with the aid of Figs. 3 to 6
of the drawing.
Fig. 3 is a side view of the bottom bracket and parts, constructed in accordance
with my invention, the lug j for ease of illustration, being disposed vertically and
not at the usual angle.
Fig. 4 is an inverted plan view of Fig. 3.
Figs. 5 and 6 are detail views.
In carrying my invention into effect, I mount the driving axle or crank shaft k,
excentrically, in a bearing carried in the bottom bracket m. This bearing is
capable of being revolved so that the position of the crank, shaft may be shifted
a distance equal to the degree of the excentricity of its centre. The bottom
bracket is formed as a clip by cutting the same at m', the clip being arranged to
bind on and grip the bearing at the required times. Upon the bearing, I form
a segmental ring of worm teeth n, the teeth being cut on a collar standing out
excentrically from the bearing, as clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 5.
Between lugs m³, formed on or attached to the bottom bracket m, I mount a
worm o, the said worm being carried on a squared shoulder p', of a bolt p, passing
freely through holes drilled in the lugs. The worm o, carried on the bolt p,
engages with the worm wheel teeth a, the bolt p being held in position by means
of a washer and lock nut 7. By screwing-up the nut q', on the bolt P, the
lugs mare forced together, contracting the diameter of the clip bracket m, so
that the revolvable bearing is securely held in position.
When it is desired to adjust the driving chain, the nut q is slackened back, and
the bolt revolved to left or right by means of a suitable key engaging a squared
end *, formed on the end of the bolt p, so that the worm o, gearing with the
worm wheel teeth n, is actuated, thus turning the axle bearing and tightening
or slackening the chain as desired.
When the chain has been properly adjusted, the nut q' is again operated, as
hereinbefore described, so as to cause the clip m to bind on and hold the bearing
in its adjusted position.
By these means not only can the most delicate adjustment of the chain be
obtained but the worm forms a positive locking means for the axle bearing i
until such time as the nut ql is tightened.
I prefer to provide a suitable dust cover
as to shroud in the worm o and slit m¹.
indicated in Fig. 7 which is so applied
A great advantage from the use of this means of taking-up the slack in the
driving chain, lies in the fact that the usual slots in the back stays can be dispensed
with, and only holes need be drilled out for the spindle or axle of the rear wheel,
which, when once fixed need not be touched.

page_text: Thus the difficulty now experienced in obtaining true alignment of the rear
wheel after taking-up the slack of the chain, is overcome, as by adjusting the
crank shaft bearing, in the indicated manner, the necessity for interfering with
the back wheel is non-existant.
I am aware that excentric bearings have been used, before the date of my
patent, and I therefore lay no claim to such excentric bearings per se.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:
-
1) As a means of securing wheels in position in the front fork or back stays of
cycles, forming the cones with annular depressions, and providing locking nuts
with tubular extensions which engage the screwed ends of the wheel axle and
enter such annular depressions in the cones, in the manner, for the purposes,
and substantially as herein before described and shown in Figs. 1 and 2.
2) As a means for actuating an excentric bearing such as 1, the double purpose
bolt carrying a worm, the bolt not only serving to rotate the bearing by means
of the worm but also to bind the clip bracket and so secure the parts when
adjusted, in the manner, and substantially as described with reference to Figs. 3
to 6.
3) The general arrangement construction and combination of parts for adjusting,
or taking-up the slack of, cycle driving chain, substantially as hereinbefore
described, and shown in Figs. 3 to 7 of the drawings.
Dated this 4th day of April 1893.
For the Applicant,
E. K. DUTTON & Co.,
Chartered Patent Agents,
5, John Dalton Street, Manchester.