Improvements in Tandem Velocipedes.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Sept., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 22nd May, 1896-Accepted, 27th June. 1396
Improvements in Tandem Velocipedes.
I, JOHN VERNON PUGH, of No. 52 Lincoln's Inn, Corporation Street
Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Mechanical Engineer, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention consists of the improvements hereinafter described in connecting
the rear bottom bracket of tandem velocipedes to the frame, whereby the range of
motion of the said rear bottom bracket on the said frame for adjustment of the
tension of the driving chains is considerably increased.
In carrying my invention into effect I make slots in the underside of the tube or
tubes of the tandem frame connecting the front bottom bracket with the rear or
driving wheel of the velocipede and I provide the said tube or tubes at the slotted
part with a solid bush capable of a sliding motion in the said tube or tubes. In
the said bushes downwardly projecting screw pins are brazed the ends of the said
screw pins projecting through the slots in the tubes and passing through holes in a
plate or plates surmounting the rear bottom bracket. Screw nuts are screwed on the
ends of the screw pins by the action of which screw nuts the tube or tubes of the
frame is or are gripped between the head plate or plates of the rear bottom bracket
and the bush or bushes in the said tube or tubes of the frame. When the screw
nuts are relaxed the bottom bracket and bush or bushes in the tube or tubes may
be moved in one or other direction and the proper tension on the driving chains
effected when the parts are again locked in their adjusted position.
When only one tube is employed, the lug effecting the junction between the
second seat pillar and the tube of the frame connecting the bottom of the second
seat pillar with the top of the first seat pillar is brazed on the top of the horizontal
tube constituting the chain stay but when two parallel tubes or more than two
parallel tubes are combined to form the chain stay of the frame, the lug herein before
referred to is brazed between the top pair of parallel tubes.
When two tubes or more than two tubes are combined to form the chain stay
the slot for the pins carrying the bottom bracket to work in may be cast in the lug
hereinbefore referred to instead of in the tubes of the frame.
Dated this Seventh day of September 1895.
W. T. WHITEMAN,
Agent for the Applicant.
Improvements in Tandem velocipedes.
I, JOHN VERNON PUGH, of No. 52 Lincoln's Inn, Corporation Street,
Birmingham in the County of Warwick, Mechanical Engineer do hereby declare
the nature of my invention and in what manner the same is to be performed
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My invention consists of the improvements hereinafter described in connecting
the rear bottom bracket of tandem velocipedes to the frame, whereby the range of

page_text: motion of the said rear bottom bracket on the said frame for adjustment of the
tension of the driving chains is considerably increased.
In carrying my invention into effect I make slots in the underside of the tube or
tubes of the tandem frame connecting the front bottom bracket with the rear or
driving wheel of the velocipede and I provide the said tube or tubes at the slotted
part with a solid bush capable of a sliding motion in the said tube or tubes. In
the said bushes, downwardly projecting screw pins are brazed the ends of the said
screw pins projecting through the slots in the tubes and passing through holes in a
plate or plates surmounting the rear bottom bracket. Screw nuts are screwed on
the ends of the screw pins by the action of which screw nuts the tube or tubes of
the frame is or are gripped between the head plate or plates of the rear bottom
bracket and the bush or bushes in the said tube or tubes of the frame. When the
screw nuts are relaxed the bottom bracket and bush or bushes in the tube or tubes
may be moved in one or other direction and the proper tension on the driving
chains effected when the parts are again locked in their adjusted position.
When only one tube is employed the lug effecting the junction between the
second seat pillar and the tube of the frame connecting the bottom of the second
seat pillar with the top of the first seat pillar is brazed on the top of the horizontal
tube constituting the chain stay but when two parallel tubes or more than two
parallel tubes are combined to form the chain stay of the frame the lug hereinbefore
referred to is brazed between the top pair of parallel tubes.
When two tubes or more than two tubes are combined to form the chain stay the
slot for the pins carrying the bottom bracket to work in may be cast in the lug
hereinbefore referred to instead of in the tubes of the frame.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings represents in side elevation a portion of
the frame of a tandem bicycle to which the rear bottom bracket is connected
according to my invention, the said frame having two parallel tubes for the chain
stay Figure 2 is a plan of underside of the same, the rear bottom bracket being
removed;
Figure 3 is a longitudinal vertical section taken through one of the parallel
chain stay tubes, and
Figure 4 is a cross section through the chain stay tubes;
Figure 5 shows the modification. in the construction of the lug necessary for
connecting the inclined tubes of the frame with the chain stay when the said chain
stay consists of one tube only; in other respects the arrangement Figure 5 differs
in no essential respect, from the arrangement Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4.
Figures 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 represent modifications of my invention hereinafter
described.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several figures of
the drawings.
I will first describe the arrangement Figures. 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5.
a, a are the parallel tubes of the tandem bicycle frame constituting the chain
stay and is the rear bottom bracket of the said tandem bicycle in which rear
bottom bracket the rear crank axle works. On the upper side of the bottom
bracket and in one piece therewith I cast two parallel plates 62, 63 which
plates, when the bottom bracket bis applied to the chain stay bear against
the underside of the said tubes a, a. The chain stay tubes a, a are provided at the
part where the rear bottom bracket is to be connected thereto with solid
bushes c, e the said bushes carrying downwardly projecting screw pins c², c² which
are attached thereto preferably by brazing: The projecting ends of the said
screw pins c², c² fixed in the bushes c, c pass through slots d, d in the tubes a, a
(see Figure 2) and through holes e, e in the plates 62, 62 of the bottom bracket b
the said bottom bracket being fixed to the chain stay tubes a, a by the screw
nuts ff taking on the said screw pins ², ². The slots d, d in the chain stay
tubes a, a permit of the sliding of the bottom bracket and bushes c, c with
respect to the chain. stay tubes a, a when the screw nuts f,fare relaxed for the
adjustment of the tension of the driving chains of the velocipede.. After the

page_text: adjustment of the tension of the said chains the bottom bracket is fixed to
the tubes a, a by the screwing up of the screw nuts f, f.
It will be seen by an examination of Figure 5 that one plate 62 only on the
bottom bracket b is necessary with single tube chain stays.
In the arrangement Figures 6, 7, 8 and 9 the slots to permit of the sliding of
the bottom bracket are made in the plates 62, 6 of the said bottom bracket (see
Figures 7 and 8) instead of in the chain stay tubes a, a.
In Figure 8 the parallel chain stay tubes are omitted. In adjusting the position
of the bottom bracket in the arrangement last described the bushes c, c and screw
pins c, cremain stationary.
Instead of forming slots in the chain stay tube or tubes of the frame the lug
connecting the two inclined tubes of the frame with the chain stay tube or tubes
may have a slotted tube or tubes cast in one piece therewith as is illustrated in
Figure 10 where the cast lug is marked y the ends of the tube or tubes a. a of
the velocipede frame being brazed or otherwise fixed in the tubular ends of the
cast lug g
I wish it to be understood that my invention is applicable to doublets, triplets,
quadruplets and other tandem multicycles.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that I claim as my
invention of "Improvements in tandem velocipedes " ;-
The construction and arrangement or combination of parts herein before described
and illustrated in the accompanying drawings for connecting the rear bottom
bracket of tandem velocipedes to the frames of the same, the said construction
and arrangement of parts consisting essentially in making slots in the chain stay tube
or tubes of the frame and providing the said tube or tubes at the slotted parts with
solid bushes carrying screw pins which screw pins pass through holes in a plate or
plates on the bottom bracket, screw nuts taking on the ends of the screw pins and
bearing against the underside of the bottom bracket plate or plates and thereby
fixing the said bottom bracket to the chain stay tube or tubes; also the modifi-
cation in which the slots for the screw pins to pass through are made in the bottom
bracket plate or plates instead of in the chain stay tube or tubes substantially as
described and illustrated.
Dated the Twenty-second day of May 1896.