Automatic Lubricator and other Improvements in Cycle Gear Boxes.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Nov., 1892-Accepted, 10th Dec., 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Automatic Lubricator and other Improvements in Cycle Gear
Boxes.
| HENRY FFRENCH-GILLMAN of Old Fort Newcastle County of Wicklow
Ireland Landed Proprietor do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer
tained in and by the following statement :-
The subject matter of this application is designed to operate in conjunction with
air tight cycle gear box No. 15328 of August 26th A.D. 1892 for which I have
already obtained protection, and I claim further improvements.
The endless chain by which motion is transmitted to the driving wheels of
tricycles and bicycles requires to be kept well oiled every link of the chain ought
to be oiled separately.
This being a very tedious process is generally slured over.
I avoid this tediousness by using an automatic lubricator over the chain on the
back cog wheel being the most convenient place.
I construct this lubricator by taking a metal cylinder one inch in diameter and
one inch and a quarter in height, more or less according to the capacity required.
I close one end of this cylinder by a disc having a hole in it closed with a screw
cap. This is the top of the lubricator.
I place a similar disc in the cylinder about half an inch from its lower end, also
having a hole in it, and fit a tap in the hole. This is the bottom of the lubricator.
The tap is to be turned by a wire which passes through the cylinder and out at
the top where the wire is bent over at a right angle and forms a handle, this wire
must be controlled by a ratchet, and a scale marked on the top disc showing when
the tap is open and when shut and the grades between, the bent wire forming the
handle will act as a pointer.
The entire top of the cylinder must be covered with a light dome shaped metal
cap hinged on.
In the open space at the lower end of the cylinder I place a circle of metal
attached to the sides of the cylinder and tapering downwards and inwards leaving
an open hole at the bottom one third of an inch in diameter. In the cavity thus
formed I place a piece of sponge, or other suitable material, which can be secured
in its place by a wire placed crossways passing through the sponge and fixed on to
the hollow cone.
If the lubricator is now filled with oil and the tap turned on the oil will
permeate the sponge and drop on to the chain as it revolves under it.
The chain can be continuously lubricated by setting the tap partly open and
fixing it in place by the ratchet, the oil will then drop only at intervals.
A perforated metal cap could be substituted for the sponge.
The tap could also be controlled from the side of the lubricator. In this case the
dome shaped cap at top is dispensed with, and the ratchet at side of the cylinder
covered with a flat cap hinged on.
.
This ratchet is modified from the usual way, by making the bar in the form of
a bolt which can be moved in and out of the cogs freely, the bolt is bent over at
the end to a right angle and held in place by two pins, which prevents the
vibration loosening it Fig. 13.
I fit this lubricator to my air tight cycle gear box by cutting a hole in the gear
box over the back cog wheel in which I fit a screw thread a corresponding thread
is fixed on the end of the lubricator which can then be screwed in its place.
As the presence of waste oil in the gear box is injurious I provide an automatic
air tight oil escape, in addition to the covered hole already shown by making a hole

page_text: •
in the lowest part of the wooden trough and fitting a metal tube one quarter of an
inch in diameter in it, this tube must project one inch and a quarter beyond the
bottom of the trough, it is then bent over backward to lie close to the bottom on
the outside of the trough. Another bend is then given to the tube to make the
orifice open
downwards, the tube being now bent in the form of a syphon, this will
allow of a free escape of waste oil, the bend in the syphon will hold a few drops of
oil and prevent the ingress of air.
To avoid windage it is advisable to keep the gear box as narrow as possible, and
it being possible to make it very little wider than the chain except for the
difficulty of utilizing the bearings fixed on the machine if the gear box is not made
wide enough to fit them
I overcome this difficulty by blocking the moveable plates to a dome shape in
the place where the moveable plate fits on to the flanged cone.
The splits in the sides of the gear box which allow the spindles to be passed
into their place cannot be closed by overlapping except in case of a tricycle.
In bicycles I provide for an air tight joint by soldering a strip of metal
two thirds of an inch wide on one side of the split and allow it to overlap.
When fitting the gear box to the machine the splits must be opened sufficiently
wide to allow the spindles to be passed through them the parts can then be bent
back into position.
When each cog wheel is covered with a separate box and the space between-
bridged with leather tubing through which the chain runs the tubing must be
stiffened by metal rings placed at intervals to prevent the tubing colapsing on the
chain and causing friction.
Three rings or four might be placed round the outside of each tube, these
rings can be made with a groove on their outside circumference this groove can be
perforated with small holes by means of which the rings can be sewn or rivited on
to the leather tubing, the top tube must be straight and the lower tube slightly
Bagged.
The tubes can be fastened to the holders in the same way two grooves being
cut in each holder.
Telescopic metal tubes might be used but the way shown is the most convenient
one for the purpose.
The wooden or horn trough at the bottom might be dispensed with when each
cog wheel is covered with a separate box and a metal cap substituted.
This cap
should underlap the sides of the gear box by half an inch and could be held in its
place by loops of metal fixed on the edges of the gear box and cap alternately, a
wire bolt being passed through the loops on the principle of a continuous hinge
joint, but the wooden bottom is the most convenient way for the purpose.
As it is desirable the chain should not touch metal after it leaves the cog wheels
I fit the leather tubes inside the metal holders by which the tubes are fastened to
the casing, it is necessary to have the orifice of the holders where they fit into
the gear box beveled to prevent the possibility of the chain catching a chain with
even side links is best for this purpose. All rivet and bolt heads must be counter-
sunk or rounded off and made a close fit as possible, the chain being only as narrow
as its widest part.
The stay holding gear box to the frame of the machine can be soldered on to
the side of the gear box, or a portion of it can be bent to a right angle and held
in a pocket formed of thin metal soldered on to the side of the gear box in the
most convenient place. This pocket must have the opening for insertion of the
stay at its lower end and a bolt or screw passing through the pocket stay and side
of gear box will hold all fast.
The adjustability of this gear box will be increased by cutting the slots in the
stays A A Fig. 1 of No. 1328 oblong.
The automatic lubricator could be constructed in other ways than those shown.
The sponge and perforated cap could be dispensed with and the oil allowed to
drop directly on the chain. The tap could be dispensed with and a valve or disc

page_text: sliding over the hole used instead. Any other shape than that shown would act
as well and the lubricator placed in any position inside or outside the gear box,
but the way shown is a good one for the purpose.
EXPLANATION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 illustrates section of the automatic lubricator, A the tap allowing oil to
escape from the cylinder permeate the sponge E and drop on to the chain, B the
wire which turns the tap bent to a right angle at top of the cylinder, C the
ratchet controlling the tap, D oil supply screw cap H domed cap, F F screw
thread for fixing lubricator to gear box, G G hollow cone for holding sponge in
its place.
Fig. 2 another style of the lubricator, A. the tap, B the handle to turn the tap,
C ratchet to control the tap, G hollow cone for holding sponge in its place,
I perforated metal disc used as a substitute for the sponge, H flat cap covering
ratchet.
Fig. 10 the lower end of the lubricator, E the sponge F the screw thread to fix
on to the gear case.
Fig. 13 illustrates the top of the lubricator, C the coged disc for controlling the
tap, the bolt which moves in and out of the cogs Z the pins holding the bolt
in its place.
Fig. 3 section of grooved and perforated ring for stiffening the leather tubes.
Fig. 4, J the lubricator fixed on the gear box, K the syphon oil escape.
Fig. 5 illustrates how the moveable plate can be divided into two parts if
required to fit the drum of a tricycle on the band brake side.
Fig. section of the moveable plate L L blocked to a dome shape where it fits
on to the flanged cone of the bearing, N section of the pocket holding end of the
stay to side of the gear box M the bolt or screw holding all fast.
Fig. 7 illustrates the holder for fastening the leather tubes to the ends of the
gear box when each cog wheel is covered with a separate box OO leather tube
PP the screw holder QQ section of gear box.
Fig. 8 continuous hinge joint, R R R R R the metal loops S the wire bolt.
Fig. 9 a section showing L the moveable plate.
Fig. 11 N the pocket for holding end of stay to side of gear box M the hole for
screw holding all fast.
Fig. 12 another view of the stay N the pocket M the screw or bolt holding all
fast.
Fig. 14 section of gear box illustrating how a portion of the side of the gear
box can be removed if required to allow of the spindle being passed into its place,
the breech in the side of the gear box is closed by a plate W overlapping at each
side and held in place by R R continuous hinge joints.
This gear box cannot be fitted in one part to a bicycle built with a diagonal stay
between the cog wheels each cog wheel must be covered with a separate box.
When this gear box is fitted to a bicycle in two parts connected by leather tubes
it must be constructed of aluminium, polished brass or plated metal enamel being
inadmissible if made in one part it can be enameled but the moveable plates must
in all cases he of polished or plated metal.
To get up a solid body for applying to the polishing brushes, fill the gear box
with sand well packed in, first closing the slots with plates and stoppers, a slip of
wood can then be placed in the bottom of the gear box and the ends screwed on
to it, a firm body will be the result.
The wooden or horn trough at the bottom of the gear box must be cut straight
at each end Fig. 4 otherwise it could not be fitted into its place.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare what I
claim is :-
1st. In bicycles and tricycles in which motion is transmitted by an endless

page_text: chain working on two cog wheels or other mechanism, I clain lubricating the
mechanism described by dropping oil on it from a reservoir fixed on the machine
and constructed substantially as described.
2nd. The construction of the lubricator as described.
3rd. The various improvements in gear cases as described herein.
Dated this 3rd day of November 1892.
HENRY FFRENCH-GILLMAN,
Old Fort, Newcastle, Co. Wicklow, Ireland.