Improvements in the Manufacture of Parts of Velocipedes.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 6th June, 1890
Complete Specification Left, 6th Mar., 1891-Accepted, 11th Apr., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION..
Improvements in the Manufacture of Parts of Velocipedes.
1, ROBERT HOWARTH, of 53, Goldthorn Terrace, Penn Road, Wolverhampton,
in the County of Stafford, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion to be as follows :-
It relates to an improved means of producing those parts of velocipedes which
are commonly stamped by means of suitable dies, parts thus made are limited in
shape to rough general outline, and being solid are relatively very heavy, these
can only be reduced to the required dimensions and weight by an expensive process
of machine work, the object of this invention is to produce such parts, equal in
strength but of lighter section, in a cheap reliable and expeditious manner.
To carry out the purpose of my invention, instead of using steel or iron stampings,
or iron castings made .malleable by a process of annealing, I cast such parts with
any known mixture of brass, bronze or copper alloy of suitable tensile strength and
ductility, by these means castings can be at once obtained possessing great strength
and durability, without limit to shape either internally, or externally having metal
so distributed, locally, that the strongest form to resist fracture can be obtained
without unnecessary weight thus avoiding machine work except for actual fitting
or finish.
Dated this 5th day of June 1890
· Dated this 5th day of "Lune 1890
ROBERT HOWARTH.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Parts of Velocipedes.
1; ROBERT HOWARTH, of 53, Goldthorn Terrace, Penn Road, Wolverhampton,
in the County of Stafford, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to an improved means of producing those parts of
velocipedes which are commonly stamped by means of suitable dies; parts thus made.
are limited in shape to rough general outline, and being solid are relatively very
heavy. They can, moreover, be reduced to the required dimensions and weight
only by an expensive process of machine work.
Now, the object of this invention is to produce corresponding parts, equal in
strength but of lighter section, in a cheap reliable and expeditious manner.
The above object is effected, according to this invention, by casting such parts in
any known mixture or alloy of metals containing copper, such as brass or bronze,
of suitable tensile strength and ductility, in such shapes as will give an exterior
surface sufficiently plain as to require little or no machining to fit it for the
purpose required, and which, in consequence of its plainness, and. of the approxima-
tion to the finished size of which the casting of the parts admits, may indeed in many
instances be finished entirely by bobbing without the application of a machine tool
or file thereto, the interior being lightened out by chambering and strengthened if
required by ribs or flanges. Such parts of velocipedes, formed as castings in the
material and in the manner described, possess great strength and durability com-
bined with lightness, as the metal may be readily distributed locally to give the
strongest form to resist fracture. Considerable saving in cost of manufacture is
also effected.
As illustrations of the method of carrying out my invention, I have shewn on
the accompanying drawings a lug for a sliding bottom bracket of a safety bicycle,

page_text: and also a handle-clip for a safety bicycle or front steering tricycle, formed as
castings in the manner described. Referring first to the lug for a sliding bottom
bracket: Figure 1 is a plan thereof, Figure 2 a side elevation, Figure 3 a section
taken on line of Figure 2; and Figure 4 a section taken on line Y y of Figure 1.
The casting is hollow as shewn, and is made plain on the exterior so that it
requires merely bobbing to finish it for plating or enamelling. It is strengthened
interiorly with upward and downward Hanges a which form also guides for the
vertical pin which carries the bottom bracket, and with vertical ribs to stiffen the
outer sides c and also the flanges a. The boss d, through which the hole is
formed for receiving the endway screw used in tightening up the driving chain,
is continued somewhat into the interior of the casting to give the necessary length
of bearing.
Referring now to the handle clip, which is given as an illustration of the applica-
tion of the invention to a velocipede part made according to this invention but
without being strengthened with internal flanges or ribs :-Figure 5 is a plan
thereof, Figure 6 a section taken on line of Figure 5, and Figure 7 a section
taken on line y y of Figure 6. The exterior surface is plain for facility in
finishing. The part f is cored straight through to receive the handle bar; and
the part g, which is intended to clip the steering spindle, is chambered out, as
shewn, as are also the ears h. The chambering of the part g leaves inwardly
projecting flanges at top and bottom thereof, as shewn and the chambering out
of the cars leaves an inwardly projecting flange & around each ear, as shewn.
These inwardly projecting flanges lend, of course, considerable strength to the
casting, with the minimum quantity, and therefore weight of, metal.
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
The improvements in the manufacture of those parts of velocipedes which are
usually stamped in dies, which consist in casting them in any known mixture or
alloy of metal containing copper, such as brass or bronze, of suitable tensile strength
and ductility, in forms which are plain (or sufficiently so to be convemently finished
as described) on the exterior, and which are chambered out, and suitably
strengthened if required, in the interior, substantially as described and shewn, for
the purpose set forth.
Dated this 4th day of March 1891.
STEPHEN WATKINS,
Wolverhampton, Agent for the Applicant.