Improvements in Cycle Frames.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Apr., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 8th Jan., 1898-Accepted, 5th Mar., 1898
PROVIDIONAL DIUIFICATION.
Improvements in Cycle Frames.
We, WALTER CLAUDE JOHNSON, of The Dignaries, Westcombe Park, Blackheath,
in the County of Kent, Electrical Engineer, and GEORGE CHARLES PEARSON, Of
Victoria Works, Old Charlton, Kent, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
According to this invention, instead of brazing the tubes into the lugs as in the
ordinary method we make the parts a good fit into each other and we hold the
whole together by means of one or more stays which are provided with tightening
screws for drawing the parts together.
According to one method of carrying out the invention we provide small ears
on the sockets of the head tubes to which we attach a loop stay which reaches
nearly to the seat column. To the ends of the chain stays we attach another loop
stay the arms of which pass along each side of the wheel and of the seat column.
These two stays we join by connectors which are provided preferably with right
and left hand screw threads fitted with suitable nuts by which they can be drawn
together.
The bottom bracket on the seat column we also provide with small ears to which
is attached one end of a tension rod the other end being connected to the lug on the
seat pillar bracket which takes the back stay of the machine.
This tension rod is in two parts, the meeting ends being provided with right and
left hand screw threads fitted with suitable nuts for drawing the parts together as
before described.
We employ any of the usual methods for locking the adjusting nuts. According
to another arrangement the said tension rod for the seat column can be placed
inside the column.
In addition to making the sockets and tubes a good fit we may also employ a
cement or other composition in the socket to further insure a firm joint.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicants.
Improvements in Cycle Frames.
We, WALTER CLAUDE JOHNSON, of The Dignaries, Westcombe Park, Blackheath,
in the County of Kent, Electrical Engineer, and GEORGE CHARLES PEARSON, of
Victoria Works, Old Charlton, Kent, 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:-
According to this invention, instead of brazing the tubes of cycle frames into the

page_text: lugs as in the ordinary method, we make the parts a good fit into each other and we
hold the whole together by means of one or more stays which are provided with
tightening screws for drawing the parts together.
According to one method of carrying out the invention we provide small ears on
the sockets of the head tubes to which we attach a loop stay which reaches nearly
to the seat column. To the ends of the chain stays we attach another loop stay
the arms of which pass along each side of the wheel and of the seat column. These
two stays we join by connectors which are provided preferably with right and
left hand screw threads fitted with suitable nuts by which they can be drawn
together.
The bottom bracket on the seat column we also provide with small ears to which
is attached one end of a tension rod the other end being connected to the lug on
the seat pillar bracket which takes the back stay of the machine.
This tension rod may be in two parts, the meeting ends being provided with
right and left hand screw threads fitted with suitable nuts for drawing the parts
together as before described.
We employ any of the usual methods for locking the adjusting nuts. According
to another arrangement the said tension rod for the seat column can be placed inside
the column.
In addition to making the sockets and tubes a good fit we may also employ a
cement or other device in the socket to further insure a firm joint.
On the accompanying drawing we have shewn some arrangements by way of
example for carrying the said invention into effect; Figure 1 shews a side view
of a cycle frame with one arrangement applied thereto and Figure 2 shews.an
enlarged part cross section thereof. The tubes A A¹ are accurately fitted into the
sockets of the fittings BB B2, and are held securely in that position by means of
stays or ties CC₁ of which C is attached to the middle of the head tube and is
adjustably secured to the looped stay C¹ which passes on either side of the 'seat
column E and 'has its ends attached to the chain stays D of the bicycle. The end
of stay C connected to fitting B may be formed with a T head arranged to drop
into a slot in B so that when the stay is tight it cannot get out; or it may be
secured to B in any other suitable manner.
The other end has a head formed on it against which a small screwed collar F
takes a bearing in tightening up. This collar (which may either be slid on C
before the head is formed thereon, or it may be in halves) is screwed into the
other part of the connector G, (which is slipped on to the stay C¹) and thereby
puts a strong tension on the stays CC which thus put the parts A A¹ BD and Ŏ
of the frame in compression.
The tension rod H which connects the bottom bracket I to the seat lug J consists
of a steel rod provided with a small head at the top end arranged to catch upon the
body of the bolt which secures the back stays, while the lower end which is screwed,
passes through a boss on the bottom bracket, .and being fitted with an adjusting
nut and lock nut or other locking arrangement, thus firmly secures I and J on
the column E.
The various sockets are 'bored a tight fit for the tubes on to which they are
preferably shrunk, and they also have shoulders formed in them to take the thrust
due to the tension rods.
Instead of shrinking the sockets on to the tubes they may be made a tight fit
and a cement or other composition such as litharge may be employed to insure a
firm joint. Or the ends of the tubes and the inside of the sockets may be tinned,
a solder of low melting point being used so that it would fuse at the temperature
required for enamelling and so that the consequent heating would not affect the
tubes more than that due to the enamelling.
Figure 3 shews a modification of the arrangement at Figures 1 and 2 in which the
end sockets of the 'head piece B have small ears K formed on them to which the
stay C is connected 'by means of links P.
Figures 4, 4 and 5 shew respectively a vertical section, part plan, and cross section

page_text: at ab Figure 4 of an arrangement for giving the tubes additional support in the
sockets, by causing the ends of the tubes to fit into annular recesses L formed in
the sockets; also, for preventing any twisting of the sockets on the tubes the latter
are formed with bulges M that fit into corresponding notches in the mouths of the
sockets.
These bulges could be made by means of a tool consisting of a sleeve fitting
the inside of the tube and outside of the socket, having a tapered hole in its centre
and one or more small tongues of any desired shape arranged to work radially in it,
such that when a tapered mandril is forced into the central hole of the sleeve the
tongues are forced outwards, forming corresponding projections on the outside of the
tube; or they could be formed by a suitably constructed pair of nippers.
Figure 6 shews a mode of securing the head tube B to its socket in the manner
described in the Specifications to Johnson's Patent 4449 of 1897 and 6664 of 1897,
that is to say, the tube is expanded by internal pressure into the larger internal
diameter of the socket, with the interposition of a spiral or netting of hard metal
wire between the two surfaces in which it is embedded by the pressure. According
to another arrangement here shewn for preventing the socket from twisting on the
tube A this may be cut so as to form one or more tongues N, as shewn in plan at
Figure 7 and in cross section at cd at Figure 8, which tongues are bulged outward
somewhat, and bent, so that when the tube is inserted into the socket the tongues
will spring into suitable recesses formed in the latter, and thus hold the socket
securely against twisting.
The tongues N could be readily cut out and shaped by a pair of suitably con-
structed nippers.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. Uniting the parts of cycle frames together by simply fitting the tubular parts
into the sockets of the connecting pieces or brackets, and securing them in that
position by means of stays or ties connected to the separate parts and provided
with tightening devices substantially as described.
2. In uniting the parts of cycle frames in the manner referred to in the first
claim, the use of a tie or stay such as C, attached at one end to the head tube or
to ears on the sockets thereof and connected by a screwed connector such as FG
to a looped tie or stay such as C₁ which is attached to the chain stays of the frame,
the bottom bracket and top socket of the seat column being secured together by a
tie or stay such as H, substantially as described with reference to the accompanying
drawing.
3. In cycle frames secured together by ties or stays in the manner referred to
in the first and second claims securing the tubes in their sockets against twisting
by cement or other equivalent means, substantially as described.
Dated this 8th day of January 1898.
Dated this 8th day of January 1898.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicants.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicants.