IMPROVEMENTS IN VELOCIPEDES
Year: 1886

page_text: We WILLIAM HILLMAN, WILLIAM HENRY HERBERT and GEORGE BEVERLY
COOPER all of the Premier Works, Coventry in the County of Warwick,
Velocipede Manufacturers do hereby declare the nature of said invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN VELOCIPEDES to be as follows:-
Our invention relates firstly to improved means for taking up the slack of or
tightening the driving chain when the same has become slack from wear or other
causes.
For this purpose we mount the chain wheel in bearings upon an arm as hereto-
fore but instead of forming such arm with a working joint or centre upon which
it is capable of being moved in order to obtain the required adjustment we
dispense with such joint and utilize the natural elasticity or flexibility of the
metal for that purpose. This we effect by means of a rod or it might be a chain
one end of which is connected to the lower end of the arm and the other end
of which is connected to the frame of the machine a screw and nut or other suit-
able means being employed to give the necessary power for effecting the required
adjustment.
Our invention relates secondly to a novel construction of the chain wheel which
is much lighter than the ordinary cast or stamped form.
In carrying this part of our invention into effect the rim may be cast, swaged
or stamped out in the ordinary manner but according to our invention the arms
and centre are stamped or punched out of sheet steel or other metal in one piece
and the arms are connected by rivetting or otherwise to a flange on the rim and
the centre is similarly secured to a disc or flange on the axle. The ends of the
arms are made to fit closely the inner periphery of the rim.
Our invention relates thirdly to a novel arrangement of springs for retaining the
guiding wheel automatically in line or parallel with the other wheel or wheels in
straight running.
For this purpose we employ a flat or other section torsional spring at one or
both sides of the fork one end of such spring being connected to the frame of the
machine or to an offset carried thereby and the other end thereof being connected
to the axle of the wheel; or we may employ bowed springs of a round or other
suitable section to effect the same object.
WILLIAM HILLMAN.
WILLIAM HENRY HERBERT.
GEORGE BEVERLY COOPER.
By Harris & Mills,
23, Southampton Buildings,
Agents.

page_text: We WILLIAM. HILLMAN, WILLIAM HENRY HERBERT, and GEORGE BEVERLEY
COOPER all of the "Premier Works" Coventry in the County of Warwick,
Velocipede 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, Firstly to improved means for taking up the slack of, or
tightening the driving chains when the same has become slack from wear or other
causes.
For this purpose we mount the axes carrying the chain wheel and cranks in
bearings upon an arm as heretofore, but instead of forming such arm with a
working joint or centre upon which it is capable of being moved in order to obtain
the required adjustment we dispense with such joint and utilize the natural
elasticity or flexibility of the metal for that purpose; This we effect by means of
a rod or it might be a chain, one end of which is connected to the lower end of
the arm and the other end of which is connected to the frame of the machine, a
screw and nut or other suitable means being employed to give the necessary power
for effecting the required adjustment.
Our invention relates, Secondly to a novel construction of the chain wheel which
is much lighter than chain wheels of the ordinary cast or stamped form.
In carrying this part of our invention into effect, the rim may be cast, swaged
or stamped out in the ordinary manner but according to our invention the arms
and centres are stamped or punched out of sheet steel or other metal in one piece
and the arms are connected by rivetting or otherwise to a flange on the rim and
the centre is similarly secured to a disc or flange on the axle. The ends of the
arms are made to fit closely the inner periphery of the rim.
Our invention relates, Thirdly to a novel arrangement of springs for retaining
the guiding wheel automatically in line or parallel with the other wheel or wheels
in straight running.
For this purpose we employ a flat or other section torsional spring at one or
both sides of the fork one end of such spring being connected to the frame of
the machine or to an offset carried thereby and the other end thereof being
connected to the axle of the wheel; or we may employ bowed springs of a round
or other suitable section to effect the same object.
And in order that our said invention may be more clearly understood and
readily carried into effect we will proceed aided by the accompanying drawings
more fully to describe the saine.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a side view of a safety bicycle showing the present improvements
applied thereto. Figures 2, 3, 4 and 5 are separate views of parts of the same
and Figures 6 and 7 are respectively a side view and a front view of the front
fork showing a slight modification applied thereto of part of the present invention.
In carrying the first part of the present invention into effect, we mount the
axis a carrying the chain wheel a¹ and cranks a² in bearings at the lower end of an
arm bas heretofore but instead of connecting such arm as heretofore to the back-
bone or frame c of the machine by a working joint or centre upon which it is

page_text: capable of being moved in order to obtain the required adjustment in tension of
the chain we dispense with such working joint and utilize the natural elasticity
or flexibility of the metal for that purpose. This we effect by means of a rod d
or it might be a chain, one end of which is connected to the lower end of the
arm band the other end of which is connected to the backbone or frame c by a
screw d¹ formed on the rod d and by nuts d' d' as shown, other suitable connecting
means may however be employed to give the necessary power for effecting the
required adjustment.
The invention relates, Secondly to a novel construction of the chain wheel
whereby it is made much lighter than those of the ordinary cast or stamped forin,
In carrying this part of our invention into effect, the rin e of the wheel may
be formed by casting, or by swaging or stamping the same in the well known
manner but according to the present invention the arms e and centre e³ are
stamped or punched out of sheet steel or other metal in one piece.
The arms e are connected to the rim e by rivetting or otherwise fixing the
same to a flange e¹ on the interior of the rim e and the centre e³ is similarly secured
to a disc or flange a³ on the crank axle a, a covering disc et being employed by
preference to give further strength and solidity to the centre e³.
The ends of the arms e³ are made to fit closely the inner periphery of the rim c
in order to secure further strength and solidity in the construction of the wheel.
The invention relates, Thirdly to a novel construction of automatic steering
apparatus.
For this purpose we employ a flat or other section torsional spring g at one
or both sides of the fork h, a single flat spring being shown at Figures 6 and 7
and two round or square springs being shown at Figure 5. These springs g are
connected at the upper end to the backbone or frame c of the machine or to an
offset c' carried thereby as shown and the lower end being connected to the axle ¿'
of the steering wheel i; or we may employ bowed or curved springs of a round
or other suitable section and fixed as above described to effect the same object.
We would here remark that although we have shown our invention applied to
safety bicycle, it is equally applicable to other classes of velocipedes.
I
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
nvention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that
what we claim is :-
1. The employment in velocipedes of an arm, fixed rigidly to the frame or back-
one, to carry the axis carrying the chain wheel and cranks and employing the
atural elasticity or flexibility of such arm in combination with an adjustable
ension rod to take up the slack of, or tighten the driving chain substantially as
erein shown and described.
2. The peculiar method of constructing the chain wheel of velocipedes substan-
ally as herein shown and described.
3. The employment in velocipedes of one or more torsional springs to obtain what
known as "automatic steering" substantially as herein shown and described.
Dated this 4th day of N
1000