Improvements in and relating to the Manufacture of Cycle Frames.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Nov., 1896.
Complete Specification Left, 24th Sept., 1897-Accepted, 30th Oct., 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to the Manufacture of Cycle Frames.
I, FREDERICK ARTHUR ELLIS, of Sylvan Works, Sylvan Grove, Old Kent Road, in
the County of Surrey, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
My invention relates to the manufacture of cycle frames and consists in an
improved method and means for mechanically and securely locking or fixing the ends
of the tubular members of the frame in the sockets, by which the said tubular
members are joined together.
To carry my invention into effect, I wedge out mechanically the ends of the tubular
members into recesses, provided for that purpose in the mouth of the sockets receiving
the said tubes, and I may split the ends of the tubes if necessary to enable them to
spread more easily under the internal wedging pressure.
To produce the said wedging pressure I insert into the end of the tube, either a
loose split washer or plug, or provide such split plug as part of the socket adapted to
enter the opening of the tubular member when entered into the mouth of the
socket.
To force open the said split plug or washer with great force, I form a taper hole in
the centre of the same, which may be screwed or plain, and force down a plug therein
either screwed or plain according to whether the taper hole is provided with a female
screw or is plain; or vice versa the taper may be on the central plug and the central
hole may be parallel.
I may provide the ends of the tubes, when I use separate split plugs or washers,
with tongues adapted to be bent under each section of the split plug; so as to hold
the same securely in the end of the tube, before it is fixed by wedging out.
If the split ring or washer and the central plug are screwed respectively with a
female and male screw, the central plug can be screwed into place from the interior
of the tube by a long key inserted through the open end of the tube; or similarly
where the central taper hole and central plug are plain I can force in the central plug
by blows or pressure by a bar tool entered through the open end of the tube.
To complete the joints when the other ends of the tubular members are to be fixed
to the front post or saddle post, I can key up the split plug or washer by a short
central plug inserted and closed from the open end of the adjoining front post or
saddle post. If a central screw plug is used as aforesaid a spanner can be inserted
into the open end of the front post and the saddle post.
In this way, perfectly sound and rigid joints, hetween the tubular members and
their respective sockets, can be made, metal to metal, without brazing, the plugs and
keys being left in the ends of the tubes; and it is obvious that a frame so made can
be taken to pieces for renewal of a part when required.
Dated this 23rd day of November 1896.

page_text: I FREDERICK ARTHUR ELLIS, of Sylvan Works, Sylvan Grove, Old Kent Road, in
the County of Surrey, Engineer, 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:-
My invention relates to the manufacture of Cycle frames and consists in an
improved method of and means for mechanically and securely locking or fixing the
ends of the tubular members of the frame in the sockets by which the said tubular
members are joined together.
To carry my invention into effect, I wedge mechanically, outwards or inwards, the
ends of the tubular members into recesses provided for that purpose in the mouths
of the sockets or about an internal plug or projection from the said sockets, receiving
the ends of the said tubes; and I split in two or inore, preferably in three, places, the
ends of the said tubes to enable them to spread or to compress under the internal
or external wedging pressure.
And in order that my invention may be the better understood I now proceed to
describe the same with reference to the drawings annexed hereto, and to the letters
and figures marked thereon.
Figure 1 is a sectional view of a tubular member wedged into a socket.
Figure 2 is a sectional detail of the tube end and Figure 3 is a plan of same.
Figure 4 is a plan of the split wedging socket, detached, and Figure 5 is a sectional
view of the same.
Figure 6 is a letail of the central taper plug.
Figure 7 is a sectional view of a modified manner of making the said wedged
joint.
Figure 8 is a sectional view of a modified form of such wedged joint before the
central taper plug is forced home.
Figure 9 is a sectional of such joint when the central plug has been forced home.
Figure 10 is a sectional view and plan of the end of the tube adapted for such a
joint.
Figure 11 is a modified form of making such a wedged joint by external wedging
pressure.
Figure 12 is a detail detached view of the split wedge washer employed in above
joint, and
Figure 13 is an outside view of the end of the tube, shouldered and slotted to adapt
it for such a joint.
A is the tubular member that it is desired to joint mechanically to the socket A¹.
To carry out my invention, as in Figures 1 and 7, I insert a loose split washer or
annulus B, shown as a detached detail in Figures 4 and 5, the said annulus being
divided into three or more sections, so that it is capable of uniform expansion in every
direction.
To force open the said split annulus B, I provide a taper hole C, Figure 5, in the
centre of the same, the said taper hole being either screwed or plain, and having its
taper either reverse to the external taper of the annulus B, or parallel to it, according
to whether it is more convenient to insert the central taper plug into the central
hole C of the annulus B from one side or the other, as in Figures 1 and 7 respectively.
The centre plug D may be either screw threaded, and screwed into its taper socket by
a suitable spanner E, to forcibly expand the split annulus B. when the hole C is
tapped with a thread; or equivalently the plug D may be hammered or forced into its
socket C, when both are of plain surface, as in Figures 8 and 9.

page_text: I split the ends of the tubular member A into three or more sections by the slits a
Figures 2, 3 and 10, so that the ends of the tube may be forced out by the expansion
of the annulus B, and thus engage into the recess I, provided in the inouth of the
socket. I may provide bent-over lips G, Figs 1. 2. and 3, at the ends of the tube
whore a loose annulus or washer is used, to prevent the same from dropping through
the tube, when it is first inserted.
Equivalently I may form a projecting annular nose or boss, Figs. 8 and 9, solid
with the socket A', and split the same into 3 or 4 sections, so that it will expand
upon the forcing into its contre of the taper plug D as before described; and the
shoulder K of the tube A split into sections, as in Fig. 10, may be forced into a
suitable recess in the socket A¹.
Equivalently my invention may be carried into effect, by a converse squeezing and
wedging action, external to the end of the tube, forcing it to engage with a central
nose or projection of the socket, as in Fig. 11.
For this purpose I swage down the end of the tube A to reduce the diameter of its
end L, Fig. 13, and split that end into three or more sections by slots which will allow
the end to collapse by external pressure.
I insert a shouldered steel sleeve M within the end of the tube, to strengthen it at
the joint, the lower end of such washer being also split by slots into 3 or more
sections to allow it to compress under external pressure.
To the exterior of the tube end L I apply an external screwed washer of steel N
Fig. 12, also slotted nearly through its depth into three or more sections, and externally
of a taper or coned form and screw threaded; and over this taper washer I apply a thin
nut P of best or silver steel, by which the split washer N may be compressed forcibly,
and the tube A and split sleeve M within it, so as to forcibly grip the solid nose Q of the
socket A', and actually engage therewith, if a rim K on the sleeve M and correspond-
ing recess on the nose Q be provided; or, if corresponding serrations or threads be
provided upon the interior of the sleeve M, and upon the exterior of the nose Q, a
strong and mechanically clamped joint is afforded between the end of the tube A and
the socket A', which can be entirely closed up from outside, and which may be
readily released for taking the members to pieces by removal of the nut P.
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
claim is.
1st. In a cycle frame, a wedging annulus, either inside or outside the ends of
tubular members, split wholly or partially into 3 or more sections, adapted to
expand or to close its diameter under internal expanding or external compressing
pressure, in combination with a male or female socket projection provided with
peripheral recesses or depressions into which the expanded or compressed tube end
may engage, under said internal or external pressure, to form a mechanically clamped
joint between the said tubular member and socket.
2nd. In a cycle frame joint, in combination, a loose internal annulus, split into
3 or more sections, a taper central hole therein, either screwed or plain, à central
taper plug either screwed or plain, and an internally recessed female socket mouth,
adapted to receive, and engage with, an expanded split tube-end, substantially as and
for the purposes described.
3rd. In a cycle frame joint, in combination, an internal split projecting nose or
annulus, formed as part of a socket, and within a surrounding socket-mouth, a central
taper plug adapted to be screwed or driven into said annulus, and a peripheral recess
within external rim of socket, adapted to engage the expanded shoulder of a split
tube-end therein, substantially as and for the purposes described.
4th. In a cycle frame joint, in combination, a circular solid projecting nose upon a
ket, with peripheral recesses or engaging indentations therein, a tube end,
shouldered down and split in three or more sections, a steel washer therein, the lower
part of which is also split, and an external coned and partially split annulus, fitting
over the reduced end of tube, peripherally screwed and fitted with a thin nut, adapted

page_text: to compress annulus tube and washer upon said nose, substantially as and for the
purposes described.
5th. In a cycle frame, the combination and arrangement of means to form
mechanically clamped joints between the ends of tubular members and sockets
connecting same, substantially as described herein, and illustrated in the drawings
annexed bereto.
Dated this 24th day of September 1897.
FELL & JAMES,
1 Queen Victoria Street, London, E.C., Agents for the Applicant.