Improvements in the Manufacture of Cycle Chain Adjusters.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Dec., 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Cycle Chain Adjusters.
I, JOHN EDWARD MEREDITH, of Dynamo Works, Woodcock Street, in the City
of Birmingham, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
This invention has reference to what are known as cycle chain adjusters which
are used to adjust the position of the axle of the back wheel of a bicycle or other
velocipede relatively to the crank axle so as to adjust the tension of the driving
chain. The said cycle chain adjuster consists of a boss or flange which is pierced with
a hole for the wheel axle and has on one face a projecting rib which takes into
the slot of the cycle frame and which is continued and forms the shank which is
screw threaded to receive the adjusting nut. Heretofore the said cycle chain
adjusters have usually been made as metal stampings which have afterwards been
finished by machining. This method' of manufacture is comparatively expensive.
By my invention I considerably reduce the cost of manufacture of the said adjusters
as I will describe by referring to the accompanying drawing on which Fig. 1 is
a cross section of a rolled metal bar from which my improved cycle chain adjusters
are formed; Fig. 2 shews how the cycle chain adjuster blanks are cut from the
said bar and Fig. 3 shews one of the said cycle chain adjuster blanks separately.
In carrying out my invention I first form a rolled or drawn metal bar A of
about the same shape in cross section as represented by Fig. 1, that is to say, the
bar A is of flat section with a central flat strengthening rib a running along one
side of the same from end to end corresponding with the rib b₁ of the
required cycle chain adjuster which rib takes into the slot of the cycle frame. The
bar A is made of the same width as the boss part B of the required cycle chain
adjuster. By means of dies in a press I cut out from the bar shewn by Figs. 1
and 2 the cycle chain adjuster blanks Ben to end as represented in Fig. 2 in
which the parts of the bar which are cut away for scrap are shaded. It will be
seen that the central rib portion a¹ of the bar A forms the rib b¹ which runs along
the face of the boss B and also forms the shank part 6².
Dated this 24th day of December 1897
Improvements in the Manufacture of Cycle Chain Adjusters.
I, JOHN EDWARD MEREDITHI, of Dynamo Works, Woodcock Street, in the City
of Birmingham, Manufacturer, 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:-
This invention has reference to what are known as cycle chain adjusters which
are used to adjust the position of the axle of the back wheel of a bicycle or other

page_text: velocipede relatively to the crank axle so as to adjust the tension of the driving
chain. The said cycle chain adjuster consists of a boss or flange which is pierced with
a hole for the wheel axle and has on one face a projecting rib which takes into
the slot in the back fork of the cycle frame and which is continued and forms
the shank which is screw threaded to receive the adjusting nut. Heretofore the
said cycle chain adjusters have usually been made as metal stampings which have
afterwards been finished by machining. This method of manufacture is
comparatively expensive.
By my invention I considerably reduce the cost of manufacture of the said
chain adjusters as I will describe by referring to the accompanying drawing on
which Fig. 1 is a cross section of a rolled metal bar from which my improved
cycle chain adjusters are formed; Fig. 2 shews how the cycle chain adjuster blanks
are cut from the said bar; Fig. 3 shews separately one of the cycle chain adjuster
blanks which has been cut from the said bar; Fig. 4 shews the said blank after
the shank has been turned and screwed and the hole drilled in the boss part to
receive the back wheel axle and Fig. 5 shews the said cycle chain adjuster
finished.
The same letters of reference indicate the same or corresponding parts in all the
figures of the drawing.
In carrying out my invention I first form a rolled or drawn metal bar A of
about the same shape in cross section as represented by Fig. 1, that is to say, the
bar A is of flat section with a central flat strengthening rib al running along one
side of the same from end to end corresponding with the rib b' of the cycle chain
adjuster B which rib takes into the slot in the back fork of the cycle frame. The
bar A. is made of about the same width and thickness as the boss part 63 of the required
cycle chain adjuster. By means of dies in a press I cut from the bar shewn by
Figs. 1 and 2 the cycle chain adjuster blanks B end to end as represented by Fig. 2
in which the parts of the bar which are cut away for scrap are shaded. It will
be seen that the central rib portion a¹ of the bar forms the rib b' which runs along
the face of the boss 63 and also forms the shank part 62 of the chain adjuster B.
After the blanks have been cut out as shewn in Fig. 3 the shank part 2 is turned
and screw threaded and the hole is drilled in the centre of the boss part ³ to
receive the back wheel axle so that the blank will now have the appearance
represented by Fig. 4. The face of the rib part 6 at the boss end 3 is afterwards
recessed down and reduced to the usual thickness as shewn in Fig. 5 thus finishing
the cycle chain adjuster.
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:
-
The manufacture of cycle chain adjusters of the kind herein referred to from
the rolled or drawn metal bar A of the cross section substantially as described and
shewn by Fig. 1 said bar having a longitudinal rib a¹ which forms the rib b¹ and
shank 3 of the required cycle chain adjuster blanks when they are cut from said
bar in the manner substantially as described and illustrated.
Dated this 24th day of August 1898.
CHARLES BOSWORTH KETLEY,
Agent for the Applicant.