Improvements in the Manufacture of the Lugs; Bottom Brackets, and other parts of Bicycles, Tricycles, and other Velocipedes and like Vehicles.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 24th July, 1897
Complete Specification Left, 19th Apr., 1898-Accepted, 11th June, 1898
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of the Lugs; Bottom Brackets, and
other parts of Bicycles, Tricycles, and other Velocipedes and like
Vehicles.
I, JOHN VERNON PUGH, of Cumnor Cottage, Leek Wootton, near Kenilworth, 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 the manu-
facture of the lugs, bottom brackets and other parts of bicycles, tricycles and other
velocipedes and like vehicles, the said improvements having for their object to
simplify the construction of the said lugs, bottom brackets and other parts and to
facilitate the brazing of the same to the tubes of the velocipede or like frame.
I will describe my invention in connection with the manufacture of the lugs and
other parts of a safety bicycle frame.
In constructing the top and bottom lugs of the head tube of the bicycle frame I
preferably form them in one piece with the said head tube in the following manner.
I take a rectangular blank of thin sheet metal, preferably thin sheet steel, having
wing pieces near each corner the direction of the said wing pieces being nearly
in line with the diagonals of the said rectangular blank.
I first operate on the wing pieces described by a stamping or pressing operation
so as to give them a trough like or semi-tubular figure with closed ends. I next
operate upon the rectangular blank so as to give to it a tubular figure and bring the
half tubes at its corners together so as to form short cylindrical tubes with hemi-
spherical closed ends at angles with the longer tube equal to those which the tubes
of the velocipede frame to be made are to make with the head tube. The edges of
the combined head tube and lugs thus partially made are brazed together.
I expand the ends of the head tube extending beyond the short tubes or lugs so
as to form the ball cups at the top and bottom of the head tube.
The top and bottom lugs may however be formed separate from the head tube
and be connected thereto by brazing in the ordinary way, in which case I take
two blanks having a length equal to that of the lugs to be made each of the said
blanks having two wing pieces and I operate on each of the said blanks in a way
similar to that described with respect to the combined head tube and lugs.
Or I may make each of the said lugs by a stamping or pressing operation from
two blanks the edges of the said half lugs meeting in a plane crossing the axis
of the part into which the head tube is to be fixed and containing the axis of the
short tube on or in which the top horizontal tube of the frame is to be fixed.
In forming the lug for the middle of the handle bar I take two blanks each
having a shape somewhat resembling the letter T or the letter Y and by a stamp-
ing or pressing operation I trough each of the said blanks so that when they are put
together on the handle bar and stem the edges of the two half lugs meet.
Where the two arms of the handle bar make an angle with each other less than

page_text: two right angles I bend the crossing parts of the T shaped half lugs so that they
have a figure in plan resembling the letter V.
In making a bottom bracket according to one arrangement of my invention I
form by a stamping or pressing operation from two sheet metal blanks, two half
brackets the meeting edges of the said half brackets being in the plane of the axes
of the two lugs to which the seat pillar tube and front bottom tube of the frame are
to be respectively connected. The two small lugs for the tubes or branches of the
chain stay fork are formed from a plate which is brazed to or in the bottom bracket,
the two short lugs in the latter case projecting through holes made one in each half
bottom bracket.
Where the two tubes or branches of the chain stay fork meet before reaching the
bottom bracket and are joined to the said bottom bracket by a single lug, I form
the said lug in a way similar to that by which the lugs of the front bottom tube
and seat pillar are made.
The lugs of the bottom bracket may either be formed with closed ends or open
ends; but I prefer to make them with closed ends of a slightly dome shaped
figure.
In forming the top seat pillar lug from sheet metal by a stamping or pressing
operation, I form the said lugs each in two halves the edges of which meet in a
vertical plane containing the axes of the two branches of the lug, or in a plane con-
taining the axis of the lug for the top horizontal tube and crossing the axis of the
lug for the top of the seat pillar tube.
I wish it to be understood that the lugs herein before described may be made with
open ends for the insertion in them of the ends of the tubes to be brazed to the
lugs; or the said lugs may be made with closed ends the tubes in this case taking
on the lugs.
Further where the metal of the lugs is thin the edges may be.flanged outwards
or inwards to facilitate the brazing of the said edges together; or the said edges may
be provided with joints engaging together, and where thought necessary or desir-
able the said lugs may be made with diaphragms for strengthening the same.
Dated this Twenty-fourth day of July 1897.
W. T. WHITEMAN,
Agent for the 'Applicant.
Improvements in the Manufacture of the Lugs, Bottom Brackets, and
other parts of Bicycles, Tricycles, and other Velocipedes and like
Vehicles.
I, JOHN VERNON PUGH, of Cumnor Cottage, Leck Wootton, near Kenilworth, 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 the manu-
facture of the lugs, bottom brackets and other parts of bicycles, tricycles and other
velocipedes and like vehicles, the said improvements having for their object to
simplify the construction of the said lugs, bottom brackets and other parts and to
facilitate the brazing of the same to the tubes of the velocipede or like frame.
I will describe my invention in connection with the manufacture of the lugs and
other parts of a safety bicycle frame.
In constructing the top and bottom lugs of the head tube of the bicycle frame I
preferably form them in one piece with the said head tube in the following manner.

page_text: I take a rectangular blank of thin sheet metal, preferably thin sheet steel, having
wing pieces near each corner, the direction of the said wing pieces being nearly
in line with the diagonals of the said rectangular blank.
I first operate on the wing pieces described by a stamping or pressing operation
so as to give them a trough like or semi-tubular figure with closed ends. I next
operate upon the rectangular blank so as to give to it a tubular figure and bring the
half tubes at its corners together so as to form short cylindrical tubes with hemi-
spherical closed ends at angles with the longer tube equal to those which the tubes
of the velocipede frame to be made are to make with the head tube. The edges of
the combined head tube and lugs thus partially made are brazed together.
I expand the ends of the head tube extending beyond the short tubes or lugs so
as to form the ball cups at the top and bottom of the head tube.
The top and bottom lugs may however be formed separate from the head tube
and be connected thereto by brazing in the ordinary way; in which case I take
two blanks having a length equal to that of the lugs to be made each of the said
blanks having two wing pieces and I operate on each of the said blanks in a way
similar to that described with respect to the combined head tube and lugs.
Or I may make each of the said lugs by a stamping or pressing operation from
two blanks the edges of the said half lugs meeting in a plane crossing the axis
of the part into which the head tube is to be fixed and containing the axis of the
short tube on or in which the top horizontal tube of the frame is to be fixed.
In forming the lug for the middle of the handle bar I take two blanks each
having a shape somewhat resembling the letter T or the letter Y and by a stamp-
ing or pressing operation I trough each of the said blanks so that when they are put
together on the handle bar and stem the edges of the two half lugs meet.
Where the two arms of the handle bar make an angle with each other less than
two right angles I bend the crossing parts of the T shaped half lugs so that they
have a figure in plan resembling the letter V.
In making a bottom bracket according to one arrangement of my invention I
form by a stamping or pressing operation from two sheet metal blanks, two half
brackets the meeting edges of the said half brackets being in the plane of the axes
of the two lugs to which the seat pillar tube and front bottom tube of the frame are
to be respectively connected. The two small lugs for the tubes or branches of the
chain stay fork are formed from a plate which is brazed to or in the bottom bracket,
the two short lugs in the latter case projecting through holes made one in each half
bottom bracket.
Where the two tubes or branches of the chain stay fork meet before reaching the
bottom bracket and are joined to the said bottom bracket by a single lug, I form
the said lug in a way similar to that by which the lugs of the front bottom tube
and seat pillar are made.
The lugs of the bottom bracket may either be formed with closed ends or open
ends, but I prefer to make them with closed ends of a slightly dome shaped figure.
In forming the top seat pillar lug from sheet metal by a stamping or pressing
operation, I form the said lugs each in two halves the edges of which meet in a
vertical plane containing the axes of the two branches of the lug, or in a plane con-
taining the axis of the lug for the top horizontal tube and crossing the axis of the
lug for the top of the seat pillar tube.
I will now proceed to describe with reference to the accompanying drawings the
manner in which my invention is to be performed.
Figures 1 to 7 both inclusive, represent one method of manufacturing according
to my invention the top and bottom lugs of the head tube of a safety bicycle and
Figures 8 to 12 both inclusive, represent modified methods of manufacturing the
said lugs.
In manufacturing the said top and bottom lugs according to the method illustrated
in Figures 1 to 7, I take a flat sheet metal blank marked a Figures 1, 2 and 3 of a
length approximately equal to that of the combined head tube and lugs, the said
blank having wing pieces a³, a³, a², a² near each corner. By a stamping or press-

page_text: ing operation I trough the wing pieces a² and give to them a semi-circular figure
in cross section (see Figure 4) with semi-dome shaped ends. I next bend or roll
up the flat plate a into a cylindrical form and bring the two semi-circular wing
pieces a² at opposite corners of the blank together and thereby form two short
cylindrical tubes or lugs a', a¹ with closed ends projecting from the head tube at at
the angles, which the top and bottom tubes b, c, represented in Figure 5, of the
bicycle frame are to make with the said head tube. I braze the meeting edges of
the combined head tube and lugs thus partially made and expand the ends of the
tube a so as to form the top and bottom ball cups a³, a³ as illustrated in Figure 5;
Figures 6 and 7 are sections taken respectively on the lines, and y y Figure 5.
The top and bottom frame tubes b, c are passed by an endwise motion on to the
short tubes or lugs a', a¹ of the head tube a' as is indicated in dotted lines in
Figure 5.
In making the top and bottom lugs separate from the head tube, I operate upon
short blanks Figures 8 and 9 in a way essentially the same as that described with
respect to the blank Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4 and thereby form lugs, Figure 10,
resembling ordinary lugs excepting that the short tubes a', a¹ on to which the
frame tubes b, c are passed (as is indicated in dotted lines in the said Figure 10
and to which the said tubes b, c are to be brazed) have closed dome shaped ends.
Or I may make each lug in two parts by stamping or pressing sheet metal blanks
so that the meeting edges of the two parts shall be in the plane containing the axis
of the short tube a on to which the frame tube is to be passed and fixed, and open-
ing on opposite sides of the said short tube.
This method of manufacture is represented in Figures 11 and 12, Figure 12
representing a section through the short tube or lug a¹ and showing its joined edges
in a horizontal plane.
By making the ends of the short tubes or lugs described closed at their ends and
dome shaped, the subsequent brazing of the frame tube thereon is facilitated.
Figures 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 and 19 represent the method of manufacturing
according to my invention the lugs for the middle of the handle bars of velocipedes;
Figures 13 and 14 representing a lug for a handle bar the two arms or branches
of which are at right angles to the handle bar stem and Figures 15 and 16 repre-
senting a lug for a handle bar, the arms or branches of which make an angle with
the handle bar stem somewhat greater than a right angle. Figures 17, 18 and 19
represent two methods of making a sheet metal lug for handle bars having
a V shaped junction. In each of the arrangements Figures 13, 14, 15 and 16 I
take two blanks either of a T or Y shape and give to them by a stamping or
pressing operation a semi-circular figure in cross section the ends being made of a
semi-domed shape so that when the two shaped blanks are brought together, the
three ends are closed as represented. The handle bar tubes are passed on to the
ends of the Tor Y shaped lugs and are brazed thereto as indicated in dotted lines
in Figures 13 and 15.
Where the two branches of the handle bar have a V shaped junction I make a
lug having a V. shaped figure in plan (see Figure 17) from two sheet metal blanks
meeting together in the plane indicated by the line f, f (Figure 18) or in the
planes indicated by the lines g, g, g (Figure 19).
Figures 20, 21, 22, 23 and 24 represent my method of manufacturing sheet metal
bottom brackets, the bottom bracket represented in Figures 20, 21 and 22 being for
a frame in which the two branches of the chain stay fork join the bottom bracket
near opposite ends of the said bottom bracket; and the bottom bracket represented
in Figures 23 and 24 being for a frame in which the two tubes of the chain stay
fork join before meeting the bottom bracket and are connected to the latter by one
lug.
In the first method Figures 20, 21 and 22 I form each lug by a stamping or press-
ing operation from three sheet metal blanks, two of the said blanks, represented in
Figures 20 and 21 meeting together in a plane crossing the axis of the bottom
bracket at right angles and passing through the axes of the two middle lugs, (see

page_text: the divisional line in Figure 20) and the third blank represented in Figure 22
being joined to the other two by being soldered in or on the two other parts the
thimble like projecting parts of the blank Figure 22 in the former case passing
through the openings d, d in the partially formed bottom bracket as is indicated
in dotted lines in Figure 21.
In the method represented in Figures 23 and 24 the axes of the three lugs are
all in the plane of the meeting edges of the two parts of the bottom bracket as is
seen by the divisional line in Figure 23.
The lugs of the bottom bracket may have closed, preferably dome shaped, ends or
they may have open ends. In the former case the tubes take on the lug; in the
latter case they may take on or in the lugs as desired.
In forming the seat pillar lugs according to my invention I make each lug from
two sheet metal parts, the said parts meeting together in a vertical plane as is
represented in Figures 25 and 26, or in the planes of the line e, e in Figure 27 that
is in planes passing through the axes of the lugs h, i, i best seen in the plan
Figure 28.
I wish it to be understood that the seat pillar lugs herein before described may
be made with open ends for the insertion in them of the ends of the tubes to be
brazed to the lugs; or the said lugs may be made with closed ends the tubes in this
case taking on the lugs.
Further, where the metal of the lugs is thin, the edges may be flanged outwards
or inwards to facilitate the brazing of the said edges together; or the said edges may
be provided with joints engaging together and where thought necessary or desir-
able, the said lugs may be made with diaphragms for strengthening the same.
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 I claim as
my invention of "Improvements in the manufacture of the lugs, bottom brackets
and other parts of bicycles, tricycles and other velocipedes and like vehicles":-
First; In combined head tubes and lugs made from sheet metal blanks-form-
ing the short tubes or lugs on to which the frame tubes are to be brazed with closed
and preferably dome shaped ends substantially as hereinbefore described and illus-
trated in Figures 1 to 7 both inclusive of the accompanying drawings.
Secondly; Making sheet metal lugs of cycle frames with closed and preferably
dome shaped ends substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in
Figures 1 to 12 both inclusive of the accompanying drawings.
Thirdly; Making T Y and V shaped sheet metal lugs for the handle bars of
velocipedes, each from two sheet metal blanks, the said lugs having closed and
preferably dome shaped ends substantially as herein before described and illustrated
in Figures 13 to 19 both inclusive of the accompanying drawings.
Fourthly Manufacturing bottom brackets from three sheet metal blanks by
a stamping or pressing and piercing operation substantially as hereinbefore
described with reference to Figures 20, 21 and 22 of the accompanying drawings.
Fifthly Manufacturing bottom brackets from two sheet metal blanks by a
stamping or pressing operation substantially as hereinbefore described with
reference to Figures 23 and 24 of the accompanying drawings.
Lastly Manufacturing the top seat pillar lugs of velocipedes each of two sheet
metal blanks by a stamping or pressing operation substantially as herein before
described and illustrated with reference to Figures 25 and 26 or with reference to
Figures 27 and 28 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this Nineteenth day of April 1898.
W. T. WHITEMAN,
Agent for the Applicant.