Improvements in Cycles.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Oct., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 13th Dec., 1893-Accepted, 13th Jan,
1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Cycles.
JOHN WILLIAM KENDRICK 25 Bromley Place Nottingham and THE ROBIN
HOOD CYCLE Co. LTD. Parliament Street Nottingham Cycle Manufacturers, de
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Our invention relates to improvements in the means for adjusting the relative
positions of the driving wheel, and the crank axle in tandem safety bicycles for
taking up the wear of the driving chain or chains.
The adjustment has hitherto been obtained by mounting the driving wheel or
the crank axle in a movable bearing or by a slotted joint in the stays connecting
the crank axle bearing with the driving wheel bearing.
According to our invention the stays between the bearings of the crank axle and
the driving wheel are made in two lengths, and the ends of one pair of lengths
fitted to slide upon the ends of the other pair of lengths or upon solid ends in the
same, or in brackets attached thereto. The stays are connected by bridge pieces
and we provide means for moving one pair of lengths upon the ends of the other
pair, or upon the solid ends.in the same, or in the brackets carried by the latter.
We also provide means for locking the stays after an adjustment has been made.
The upper portion of the frame is pivoted to the upright carrying the handle bar,
or the upper cross stay is fitted with means for adjusting its length.
Dated this 26th day of October 1893.
W. H. POTTER, Wh. Sc.,
Newcastle Chambers, Nottingham, Agent for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Cycles.
JOHN WILLIAM KENDRICK 25 Bromley Place, Nottingham and THE ROBIN
HOOD CYCLE Co. LTD. Parliament Street Nottingham Cycle Manufacturers, 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:-
Our invention relates to improvements in tandem safety bicycles, and refers to
improved means for taking up the wear of the driving chain, by altering or
adjusting the distance between the front driving wheel axle and the rear driving
wheel axle.
Hitherto the wear of the chain has been "taken up" by using a pivoted
bearing for the crank axle, or the driving wheel, or by slotted joints in the
stays, or by eccentric bearings, all of which means are more or less defective.
Now the object of our invention is to make a chain adjustment for tandem safety
bicycle in which the objections to the existing means are overcome.
According to our invention the stays between the bearings of the front crank
axle, and the rear crank axle, are made in two lengths, and the ends of one pair of
lengths fitted to slide upon the ends of the other pair of lengths, or upon solid or
other ends in the same, or within a bracket or brackets attached thereto. The ends
of the stays are provided with means for holding them in their placed position, and
the upper stay is pivoted to the handle bar or seat stalk upright, or is provided
DO17

page_text: with means for altering its length according to the alteration made in the length of
the lower stays.
We have illustrated our invention by the accompanying sheet of drawings which
are referred to in the following description and upon which
Fig. 1 is an elevation of the lower part of a tandem safety cycle frame, with our
improved means of adjustment.
Fig. 2 a plan of our improved means of adjustment, one of the stays being shown
partly in section, and Fig. 3 an end elevation of Fig. 2.
Fig. 4 is an elevation showing the pivoted connection between the upper stay and
the handle bar upright, and, Fig. 5 is a plan of Fig. 4.
The crank axle bearing a is connected to the driven wheel bearing b by stays c
and d which are divided into two lengths at a convenient position between the
bearings a and b. In the arrangement shown the stays are divided at the line e d',
the right hand lengths being provided with a cross stay f which is fitted upon the
ends of the stays for the purpose of strengthening the same. The left hand lengths
of the stays are fitted with projecting pieces g which are fastened thereto, and are
fitted to slide within the right hand lengths. The left hand lengths of the stays
are fitted with a cross stay h of similar shape as the stay f, and the two cross
stays and h are connected by a screw k which is attached to the stay f by a
collar. The stay h is tapped to form a nut for the screw k which is locked by
a nut m.
The handle bar upright n is provided at the top with a fitting o which is shaped
to form a hinge p for the top stay q, these means or their equivalents being
provided for the purpose of reducing the strain which would otherwise be thrown
upon the frame by increasing the distance between the bearings a and b. The same
results may be obtained by making the upper stay 9 in two lengths and connecting
the same by a screw coupling.
j
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is
Making the stays between the crank axle and driven wheel bearings of tandem
safety bicycles in two lengths, strengthening the ends of the said lengths with
cross stays and fitting the ends of one pair of lengths to slide upon the ends of the
other pair of lengths, or upon ends fastened therein and providing means for
holding the lengths of the lower stays together, substantially as shown and
described in the accompanying drawings and Specification, and for the purpose set
forth.
Dated this 12th day of December 1893.