Manufacture of Junction Fittings for Bicycles.
Year: 1899

page_text: Manufacture of Junction Fittings for Bicycles.
I, OLIVER IMRAY, of Birkbeck Bank Chambers, Southampton Buildings, in
the County of London, Chartered Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention (as communicated to me from abroad by Geo. L. Thompson Manufactur-
ing Co., of Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, United States of America), to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to the manufacture of cheap and strong fittings for the
junctions of the tubes constituting the frame of a bicycle.
One of these fittings has to receive the tube of the saddle support, the horizontal
upper tube and the two tubes constituting the rear upper fork.
It is made by cutting a piece of sheet metal, preferably steel, to suitable shape,
punching up from it two nipples to enter the rear fork tubes and bending it round
so as to form a tubular part to enclose the saddle supporting tube and two wings pro-
jecting forwards to enter the horizontal upper tube. After bending to shape the edges
are welded together while they are heated by an electric arc directed on them, and
the weld is hammered down to smooth the seam, the shaping is completed by striking
with a die.
Another of the fittings is that which receives the pedal axle, and has joined to it
the two tubes constituting the rear under fork, the tube extending up to the saddle
support fitting above described and the inclined tubes extending to the steering head.
In this case a piece of sheet metal which is to form an inner lining has nipples
punched up from it and attached to it in positions to enter the several tubes and this
being bent round has its meeting edges electrically welded and is enclosed within
another piece which has punched through it holes through which the nipples
project.
This piece is also bent round and has its edges electrically welded and the seam
which is opposite to that of the lining is hammered down.
The third fitting is that for the steering head which has to receive in its upper part
the horizontal tube from the saddle support and in its lower part the inclined tube
from the pedal axle bearing.
A piece of metal having punched up from it nipples to enter these tubes is first
bent to U forin, then into it is inserted another piece to form a lining, this piece
having punched up from it semitubular wings to enter the nipples, and having its
edges electrically welded along the line where these wings meet. This lining piece
is inserted into the U which is then bent completely round to form a tube and has
its edges electrically welded along the front; the seam is then hammered down.
Dated this 28th day of April 1899.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: PAREDE Divy cies.
I, OLIVER IMRAY, of Birkbeck Bank Chambers, Southampton Buildings,
in the County of London, Chartered Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention (as communicated to me from abroad by Geo. .L. Thompson
Manufacturing Co., of Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, United States of America), and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:-
--
This invention relates to the manufacture of cheap and strong fittings for the
junctions of the tubes constituting the frame of a bicycle, as I shall describe referring
to the accompanying drawings.
One of these fittings has to receive the tube of the saddle support, the horizontal
upper tube and the two tubes constituting the rear upper fork.
Fig. 1 is a side elevation,
Fig. 2 is a plan,
Fig. 3 is a back elevation,
Fig. 4 shews the blank before the main seam is welded.
This fitting is made by cutting a piece of sheet metal, preferably steel, to suitable
shape, punching up from it two nipple tubes a¹ a¹ to connect to the rear fork tubes
and bending it round so as to form a tubular part a to enclose the reinforcement of the
saddle supporting tube and two wings a² a projecting forwards, having ends a³ ³ of
sinaller diameter to enter the horizontal upper tube, the end of which meets a
shoulder a. After bending to shape the upper and lower edges are welded together
while they are heated by an electric are directed on them, and the weld is hammered
down to smooth the seam, the shaping is completed by striking with a die.
A reinforcing tube B is inserted in the cylindrical head a to receive on it the
saddle supporting tube, and reinforcing tubes C are inserted in the nipple tubes a¹ a¹
to receive upon them the rear fork tubes.
Another of the fittings is that which receives the pedal axle, and has joined to it
the two tubes constituting the rear under fork, the tube extending up to the saddle
support fitting above described and the inclined tubes extending to the steering
head.
Fig. 5 is a perspective view of this fitting when complete.
Fig. 6 is an end view partly sectional, and
Fig. 7 shews the parts partly formed, the inner one being bent to allow of its
nipples entering those of the outer one.
In this case a piece of sheet metal 6 which is to form an inner lining has two
nipples band one nipple 62 punched up from it in positions to enter the tubes of
the lower fork and the inclined front tube, and this being bent round has its meeting
edges electrically welded at 60 and is enclosed within another piece 63 which has
punched up from it two nipples 68 a third 6º, and a fourth 610 the heads of which,
being cut off, form holes through which the nipples of 6 project and also a piece of a
tube 6' having its end burred over at b7. This piece is also bent round and has its
edges electrically welded and the seam b which is opposite to that of the lining
at bo is hammered down.
The third fitting is that for the steering head which has to receive in its upper
part the horizontal tube from the saddle support and in its lower part the inclined
tube from the pedal axle bearing.
Fig. 8 is a side view and
Fig. 9 is a plan of this fitting

page_text: Fig. 11 is a plan of one of the reinforcements;
Fig. 11 is a sectional plan on the line 11-11 of Fig. 8, and
Fig. 12 is a front view of a piece which underlies the front seam to support it
while it is being welded.
A piece of metal c has two nipples c¹ c¹ struck up from it to connect to the frame
tubes and is bent to U form as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 9. Two other
pieces c² form reinforcements at the top and bottom of the main tube. Each of these
has two semitubular wings c³ projecting obliquely from it, and when the part c² is
bent round to form a tube the edges of the parts c³ meet along the line ct, where
they may be electrically welded, but this is not absolutely necessary as the wings
are to be enclosed within the frame tubes.
The tops of the nipples c¹ being cut off leaving holes, the reinforcing pieces 3 are
passed through these holes and behind them a piece of having side wings of is
inserted, its upper and lower ends and wings fitting into notches c cut half round
the lower and upper edges respectively of the pieces c². The limbs of the piece c
are then bent from the dotted position of Fig. 9 to meet at c³ where they are welded
together.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A junction fitting to receive the saddle supporting tube and to connect to the
horizontal tube and the downwardly extending rear fork tubes of a bicycle frame,
manufactured substantially as described with reference to Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4.
2. A junction fitting to receive the pedal axle, and connect to the saddle supporting
tube, the front upwardly inclined tube and the lower rear fork tubes of a bicycle
frame, manufactured substantially as described with reference to Figs. 5, 6 and 7.
3. A junction fitting to receive the steering spindle and to connect to the upper
horizontal tube and the downwardly inclined tube, manufactured substantially as
described with reference to Figs. 8, 9, 10, 11, 11" and 12.
Dated this 25th of January 1900.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.