Improved Means for Taking up the "Slack" and Maintaining the Tension of the Driving Chains or Bands Employed in connection with Velocipedes.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Oct., 1889-Accepted, 30th Nov., 1889
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means for Taking up the "Slack" and Maintaining the
Tension of the Driving Chains or Bands Employed in connection
with Velocipedes.
We, GEORGE LEONARD MORRIS WILLIAM THOMAS WILSON and NATHANAEL HENRY
STRICKLAND of the Referee Cycle Works, Henry Street, Gray's Inn Road
London W.C. Cycle Makers 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 :-
Our Invention has for its object to produce a simple, efficient easily manipulated
means for lightening or taking up the slack" of the driving chains or bands of
velocipedes which being extremely light add little to the weight of the machine.
When employed in connection with rear-driving safety bicycles the arrangement is
adapted to the ends of the rear fork so as to adjust the position of the axle of
the driving wheel and consequently tighten the driving chain as may be required.
In the accompanying drawing Figures 1, 2 and 3 represent our improvements
adapted to the rear fork ends of a safety bicycle as just described.
The axle a of the driving wheel is capable of adjustment within the longitudinal
slot of the fork end in the ordinary manner by means of the lock nut c. The washer
flange or ring B which is interposed between the-lock nut c and the fork end is
formed in combination with the screwed bolt, stem or continuation C which latter is
cranked to said flange or ring at d.
An adjusting nut A is carried on the screwed bolt C, a collar or rim e of the
adjusting nut engaging within the slots or recesses formed in the fork end. This
adjusting nut is formed with a square or hexagon head Figure 1 to permit of its
being rotated by a spanner or wrench. It may however terminate in a milled forma-
tion Figure 2, or be formed with wing pieces similar to a "butterfly nut as shown
Figure 3. The adjusting nut shown in Figures 2 and 3 is capable of rotation by
hand or a convenient number of "tommy" holes may be provided to facilitate thie
rotation of same.
When the tension of the driving chain is any way to be altered, the lock nut c is
loosened and the adjusting nut A rotated thus imparting travel to the screw threaded
bolt C and consequently altering the position of the axle a. The axle, on being
brought into the position necessary for it to assume, is held by the lock nut c.
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 :-
In the means herein described for adjusting the tension of the driving chains or
bands of velocipedes, the combination with a screw threaded bolt C connected to
the axle of the driving wheel by the flange or washer B, of an adjusting nut A
terminating in a square, milled, or butterfly formation, the collar or rime of said
mut engaging in slots formed in the fork end substantially as set forth.
Dated this 20th day of October 1889
JAMES STEVENSON,
Gray's Inn Chambers, 20, High Holborn, London, W.C., Agent for Applicant.