Reducing the Tread in Cycles by Means of an Improved Form of Wheel.
Year: 1897

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Reducing the Tread in Cycles by Means of an Improved Form of
Wheel.
WILLIAM JOSEPH RYMER WATSON 10 Rue de la Duchesse, Antwerp, Broker,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of my invention is to get a narrow tread or in other words a short
distance between the feet of the rider.
As is well known the distance of the chain wheel from the centre of the driving
wheel limits the narrowness of the tread of bicycles.
In carrying out my invention I so place & fix the spokes that they either stop
short of the space occupied by the chain sprocket wheel, or they pass through a
holder so as to make space for the chain sprocket wheel going nearer the centre
of the hub; or right on the centre.
In the case of the spokes stopping short. I adopt a new form of disc on the hub
into which the spokes are fastened on the side of the wheel where the chain
sprocket wheel goes, this disc is set back on the hub nearer to the disc on the
other side than is usual and is made of increased diameter & is dished outwarils
after it clears the diameter of the chain wheel. In this way the chain sprocket
wheel can be put nearer the centre of the hub; or right on the centre. The
spokes on the side with the new form of disc are therefore shorter than the
spokes on the other side having less distance to go before they reach the disc on
the hub.
Of course the angle of the short spokes may be the same as the spokes of
ordinary length.
Instead of putting the sprocket wheel direct on the hub, I may put the sprocket
wheel on the disc into which the spokes are fastened.
Or the space for the sprocket wheel can be obtained by making a skeleton frame
to hold the spokes, which may terminate on its outer parts or be passed through
holes and terminate nearer the centre of the wheel, this holder.thus performing an
equivalent function to the dished disc 'hereinbéfore referred to. I thus obtain a
narrower tread; at the same time the driving power is more direct towards the
centre of the driving wheel.
] sometimes form my sprocket wheel so as to form the attachments to the 'hub
out of line with the teeth. This sprocket wheel can be employed on a bicycle in
either position, that is to say, the boss part which fixes it to the hub may be on the
inside or the outside; the sprocket wheel being dished. Or the teeth part of the
sprocket wheel may be carried on an attachment to the hub, which attachment is
fixed to the hub, at or near the centre of the machine, and the teeth part of the
sprocket wheel fixed on the attachment, as far out from the centre as desired.
I may make a recess on both sides of the wheel by fixing the spokes onto the disc
or frame on both sides. 1 may make the recess by, a disc or discs placed on the
centre of the hub with parts extending outwards on each side for the spoke
attachments.
Dated this 4th day of March 1897.

page_text: :
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Reducing the Tread in Cycles by Means of an Improved Form of
Wheel.
I WILLIAM JOSEPH RYMER WATSON of 10, Rue de la Duchesse, Antwerp,
Belgium, Broker, 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:-
The object of my invention is to get a narrow tread or in other words a short
distance between the feet of the rider.
As is well known the distance of the chain wheel from the centre of the driving
wheel limits the narrowness of the tread of bicycles.
In carrying out my invention I so place and fix the spokes that they either stop
short of the space occupied by the chain sprocket wheel, or they pass through a
holder so as to make a space for the chain sprocket wheel going nearer the centre
of the hub; or right on the centre.
In the case of these spokes stopping short I adapt a new form of disc on the hub
into which the spokes are fastened on the side of the wheel where the chain
sprocket wheel goes, this disc is set back on the hub nearer to the disc on the
other side than is usual, and is made of increased diameter and is dished outwards
after it clears the diameter of the chain wheel. In this way the chain sprocket
wheel can be put nearer the centre of the hub; or right on the centre.
The dished disc or equivalent frame may be fastened to the hub in any suitable
way, for instance, it may be screwed on the hub up to a collar on the hub and a set
pin passed through the disc and the collar on the hub when it is up against such
collar. The screw would be preferably so arranged so that the pull of the driving
tended to lock the parts.
The disc may if necessary be ribbed in order to give it greater rigidity, and may
naturally take other forms than the precise one shown on the drawings. The
spokes on the side with the new form of disc are therefore shorter than the
spokes on the other side having less distance to go before they reach the disc on
the hub.
Of course the angle of the short spokes may be the same as the spokes of
ordinary length.
Instead of putting the sprocket wheel directly on the hub, I may put the
sprocket wheel on the disc into which the spokes are fastened. Or the space
for the sprocket wheel can be obtained by making a skeleton frame to hold the
spokes, which may terminate on its outer parts or be passed through holes and
terminate nearer the centre of the wheel, this holder thus performing an equivalent
function to the dished disc herein before referred to. I thus obtain a narrower
tread; at the same time the driving power is more direct towards the centre of the
driving wheel.
1 sometimes form my sprocket wheel so as to form the attachments to the hub
out of line with the teeth.
This sprocket wheel can be employed on a bicycle in either position, that is to
say,
the boss part which fixes it to the hub may be on the inside or the outside;
the sprocket wheel being dished. Or the teeth part of the sprocket wheel may be
carried on an attachment to the hub, at or near the centre of the machine, and the
teeth part of the sprocket wheel fixed on the attachment as far out from the centre
as desired.
I may make a recess on both sides of the wheel by fixing the spokes on to the
disc or frame on both sides as shown in Fig. 3.

page_text: I may make the recess by a disc or discs placed on the centre of the hub with
parts extending outwards on each side for the spoke attachments.
It is of course obvious that driving gear other than sprocket wheels may be
placed nearer the centre of the wheel than is possible in the ordinary construction
of the wheel, for instance, bevelled gear.
The chain sprocket wheel or other gear wheel which may be put on the hub may
be of any form and secured either in the usual way to the hub or secured to the
disc, hub or frame which bolds the spokes.
In order that my invention may be more fully understood I illustrate the same
on the annexed drawings.
"H" is the hub of the wheel, it will be noticed that the chain sprocket
wheel "C" is nearer the centre of the wheel than usual, and may be put
as much nearer to the centre of the wheel as the rim "R" will permit; due
regard being bad to the clearance of the chain. "D" is the dished disc which is
secured to the lub "H" on the rim of which the spokes "S" are fastened.
Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the wheel on the chain side.
Fig. 3 shows my improved wheel with a space on both sides of the hub, in this
case the dished disc or frame to hold the spokes is made double and may be either
in one piece or in two pieces each secured to the hub. The dished disc may be
in the form shown in the side elevation Fig. 2. in order to make it additionally
light.
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. A cycle wheel so formed so that the centre is less in breadth than where the
spokes terminate in the usual way such reduction in breadth being arrived at
substantially as described and shown in the drawings herewith with special
reference to Fig. 1.
2. A cycle wheel less in breadth across the centre than an ordinary wheel such
reduction in breadth being obtained substantially as described and shown in the
drawings with special reference to Fig. 3.
Dated thie 15th day of March 1897.
WILLIAM JOSEPH RYMER WATSON.