Improvements in or relating to Cycles and similar Vehicles.
Year: 1898

page_text: Improvements in or relating to Cycles and similar Vehicles.
I, REINHARD ISIDORE ROMAN, of 31, Lombard Street, in the City of London,
Metallurgical Chemist, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in cycles or similar vehicles and has for its
main object the construction of such vehicles to prevent rust and corrosion. Hitherto
cycles and similar vehicles have been built in steel or wrought iron. The great drawback
in the use of these metals is their tendency to rust and to corrode. This difficulty has
been partly overcome by enamelling or by plating the different parts of the cycle
with the exception of the moving mechanism, that is, axles, cones, cups, balls, and
chain. In respect of the chain gear cases are widely used in part as a protection
against atmospheric and other influences. The protection of plating and enamelling
is temporary, as the plating and enamelling does not protect the metal from rusting
underneath so that the enamelling and plating blisters off and there is then no more
protection against oxidation. It has been found for cyclists generally hard work to
keep machines clean specially after use in damp or wet weather. In order to
partially overcome the difficulty [ Itave constructed the frame of cycles and also the
rim out of Wolfranium and Romanium, which are alloys in which aluminium plays
an important part, and are the subject of Letters Patent No. 19543 of 1893 and
No. 21186 of 1895. Up to the present, however, it has not been possible to replace
steel for those parts which have to resist friction and a heavy strain.
After a long series of experiments I have succeeded in building a non-rusting
cycle or similar vehicle in which not only the frame, handlebar and rim are
constructed of a non-rusting metal but the other parts are also composed of a metal
which will not rust and have at the same time sufficient strength to meet the strains
put upon them. I use for the purpose an alloy composed essentially of copper,
nickel, wolfram, and aluminium. The proportions of the different metals are varied
according to the requirements of the parts for which they are to be used but taken
as a whole the new alloy consists of the four metals in which copper forms the chief
ingredient varying from 56.8 per cent. to 90 per cent., nickel from 3 to 40 per cent.,
wolfram from 1 to 10 per cent., and aluminium from 1 to 10 per cent. The general
qualities of the bronzes are that they are non-rusting, non-corrosive, practically
frictionless, and of a very beautiful appearance, being either golden or silver in
colour. They can easily be forged, rolled, drawn and machined in the same way as
mild steel. They have a large tensile strength from 60 to 110 tons per square inch,
whilst the elongation can, according to the treatment, be either very low or very
high.
As will be well understood the different qualities of these bronzes should be selected

page_text: acording to the use to which it is to be put in the construction of the cycle or other
vehicle. By way of illustration the following table gives examples of the alloys and
the parts for which they may be used:-

page_text: Improvements in or relating to Cycles and similar Vehicles.
I, REINHARD ISIDORE ROMAN, of 31, Lombard Street, in the City of London,
Metallurgical Chemist, do hereby declare the nature of the said invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to cycles or similar vehicles and has for its main object the
construction of such vehicles so as to prevent rust and corrosion. Hitherto cycles
and similar vehicles have generally been built in steel or wrought iron. The great
drawback in the use of these metals is their tendency to rust and corrode. This
difficulty has been partly overcome by enamelling or by plating the different parts of
the cycle with the exception of the moving mechanism, that is axles, cones, cups,
balls and chain. In respect of the chain, gear cases are widely used in part as a
protection against atmospheric and other influences. The protection of plating and
enamelling is temporary, as the plating and enamelling do not protect the metal from
rusting underneath, so that the enamelling and plating blister off and there is then
no more protection against oxidation. It has been found for cyclists generally hard
work to keep machines clean, especially after use in damp or wet weather.
to partially overcome the difficulty I have constructed the frame of cycles and also
the wheel rim, of wolframinium and romanium, which are alloys in which aluminium
plays an important part, and are the subject of Letters Patent No. 19543 of 1893
and 21186 of 1895. Up to the present, however, it has not been possible to replace
steel for those parts which have to resist friction and a heavy strain.
In order
After a long series of experiments I have succeeded in building a non-rusting cycle
or similar vehicle in which not only the frame, forks, handlebar and rims are con-
structed of a non-rusting metal, but the other parts are also composed of a metal
which will not rust, and will at the same time have sufficient strength to meet the
strains put upon them.
According to my invention I construct the framework, forks, handlebars and wheel
rims preferably of wolframinium or romanium, or of of the novel metallic alloy here-
inafter described. For the other parts of the vehicle which have to resist friction and
a heavy strain I employ a new alloy composed essentially of copper, nickel, wolfram
and aluminium. The proportions of the different metals are varied according to the
requirements of the parts for which they are to be used, but taken as a whole the new
alloy consists of the four metals in which copper forms the chief ingredient, varying
from 56.8 per cent. to 90 per cent., nickel from 3 to 40 cent., wolfram from 1 to 10 per
cent., and aluminium from 1 to 10 per cent. The general qualities of the bronzes are
that they are non-rusting, non-corrosive, practically frictionless, and of a very
beautiful appearance, being either golden or silver in color. They can be easily
forged, rolled, drawn and machined in the same way as mild steel, and they will then
have a very large tensile strength, from 60 to 100 tons per square inch whilst the
elongation can, according to the treatment, be either very low or very high.
As will be well understood, the different qualities of these bronzes should be selected
according to the use to which it is to be put in the construction of the cycle or other
vehicle. By way of illustration, the following table calculated on the raw metal cast
in sand gives examples of the alloys and the parts for which they may be used.

page_text: The manner in which the new alloys herein referred to can be produced is fully
described in the Specifications of my applications for Patents 6728 and 6729 dated
19 March 1898.
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
clain is:
1. A cycle or similar vehicle in which the frame, forks, handle bar and wheel rims
and made of wolframinium, roin nium or of the novel non-rusting or non-corroding
metals herein before described and in which the axles, cones, cups, balls, chains or
various other parts are made of an alloy consisting of copper, nickel, wolfram and
aluminium in proportions more or less varying according to the respective require-
ments of the said parts, substantially as herein before described.
2. A non-rusting, non-corroding cycle or similar vehicle constructed substantially
as herein before described.
Dated this 10th day of March 1898.
J. C. MEWBURN & ELLIS,
55 and 56, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.