Improvements in or relating to Joints for Frames for Cycles and other Vehicles, and for Tubular Struotures generally.
Year: 1896

page_text: Improvements in or relating to Joints for Frames for Cycles and
other Vehicles, and for Tubular Struotures generally.
We, HENRY BELCHER, General Manager of Humber & Company Limited,
Beeston, in the County of Nottingham, and FREDERICK EASOM of 53 City Road,
Beeston, in the County of Nottingham, Engineer, and FREDERICK WESTWOOD of
Aitken Chambers Cannon Street, Birmingham in the county of Warwick, Cycle
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to joints in which both parts of the joint are tubular; the
invention is particularly applicable.to aluminium or its alloys where brazing is
difficult or imipracticable.
In carrying out the invention the joint is made in one form by drawing the tube,
the end of which is split, into a tapered socket, and forcing the divided portions
apart so as to fix them in the lug. In another case the tube is drawn into the
lug which is tapered in the opposite direction, that is to say, the larger diameter
of the tapered hole in the lug is at the mouth or outside, the split ends of the
tube being forced together as the tube is drawn into the lug, a plug or strengthen-
ing device being employed inside to prevent the ends of the tube from collapsing.
In another arrangement the ends of the tube are forced apart by screws directly
operating upon them. In yet another the end of the tube is not split at all.
In the first described arrangement the lug is. bored taper with the smaller end
inside, and the end of the tube is split or partly split and may be strengthened
by a cross tube also partly split. A portion of this cross tube may be bored out
tapered and a bolt with a tapered neck or loose tapered washer may be placed in
it, the effect being that as the tapered bolt or washer is forced inwards it opens
out the divided portion of the tube thus tending to jam it in the lug, and also the.
tube is drawn further into the lug thus tending to jam it in the tapered hole in the
lug so that a double locking or jamming effect is obtained!
There is also another feature in this joint where the lug has a double function,
as for example, at the head of a cycle, and another tube crosses the first tube, and
it is 'essential to make a tight joint between the lug and the two tubes. In some
cases, and in particular at the head of a cycle, where it is impossible to have any-
thing passing across the tube which forms the head and through which the crown
tube or stem of the steering fork has to pass, the second tube must be left with a
clear passage-way. To join those two we prefer to form one or more recesses or
openings in the second tube adapted to receive corresponding projections, or
generally the whole end of the first tube, and to lock these two together by
drawing the first tube into or against, the second tube in the manner already
described, or by other suitable means.
In the second case we employ the lug and tube, splitting the tube and placing the
aluminium or other liner inside it. We form a hole through the tube, and plug,
and a larger opening in one or both sides of the lug upon which enlargements

page_text: may be formed for this purpose. The bolt is provided at one end with an eccentric
at the neck adapted to engage with the hole in the lug, so that when the bolt is
turned round the tube will be moved endwise into the lug, thus forming the joint
as above described. This eccentric arrangement may be employed for the other
joint already described in place of the conical bolt or washer. If desired the bolt
may be arranged to act as an eccentric at both ends by providing a suitably shaped
eccentric washer which may have a D-shaped hole or other means to cause it to
rotate with the bolt when the latter is turned:
The eccentric bolt may be used for the tube which is not split, but is merely
moved longitudinally into the tapered recess in the lug.
If it be desired to force the plug into the tube in the direction opposite to that
in which the tube is forced into the lug this may be done by forming the bolt as
a double or treble eccentric; that is to say, one eccentric at the neck would operate
upon the lug itself, the next one on the substance of the tube which may, if desired,
be thickened at this part for the purpose, and the next one upon the plug.
Where the joint is made by merely forcing apart the ends of the split tube, this
may be effected by placing a screw in one side of the split tube and screwing it
against the other side so as to force them apart, both sides of the tube being for
this purpose strengthened or thickened inside as by a solid piece of metal or
closed tube upon one side, and a tube in which the screw screws upon the other;
the ends of the screw may be coned to fit into a corresponding recess in the closed
tube or plug upon which it operates. A similar result may be obtained by employ-
ing two screws meeting in the centre and thus forcing apart the divided ends of
the tube as before. In these arrangements the heads of the screws may be
screwed up flush with the surface of the lug so that there is nothing projecting,
a saw-cut or other suitable means being provided by which they may be turned.
Where the invention is applied to aluminium, steel or other liners or equivalent
supports may be employed to afford the necessary strength.
Dated this 94th dor of Docomo 1906
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in or relating to Joints for Frames for Cycles and
other Vehicles, and for Tubular Structures generally.
We, HENRY BELCHER, General Manager of Messrs Humber & Company
Limited, Beeston; in the County of Nottingham, and FREDERICK EASOм, Engineer
of 53 City Road, Beeston, in the County of Nottingham, and FREDERICK WESTWOOD
of Aitken Chambers, Cannon Street, Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Cycle Manufacturer, 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:-
This invention relates to joints in which both parts of the joint are tubular; the
invention is particularly applicable to aluminium or its alloys where brazing is
difficult or impracticable.
In carrying out the invention the joint is made in one form by drawing the tube,
the end of which is split, into a tapered socket, and forcing the divided portions
apart so as to fix them in the lug. In another case the tube is drawn into the
lug which is tapered in the opposite direction, that is to say, the larger diameter
of the tapered hole in the lug is at the mouth or outside, the split ends of the

page_text: also the exterior of the ends of the tubes may be roughened by milling or other-
wise to afford a better gripping surface.
Having now particularly described and ascertained' the nature of the said in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:-
1. In a tubular joint the combination with a lug A and a split tulie B of a tapered
sleeve such as E and bolt 1 to expand B within the lug substantially as described
or illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings..
2. In a tubular joint the combination with a lug A of a tube B with split end,
nuts such as ' and screws G. the ends of which abut against each other for the
purpose of expanding the end of the tube B within the lug substantially as
described or illustrated in Figure 5 of the accompanying drawings.
3. In a tubular joint the combination with a lug A of a tube B with split end and
a screw G passing through the lug and screwing into one part of the tube and
bearing upon a block F on the interior of the tube B so as to expand the end
of the latter within the lug substantially as described or illustrated in Figures 3
and 4 of the accompanying drawings.
4. In a tubular joint the combination with a lug such as A of a tube B and a bolt
such as H carrying eccentrics H¹ H by rotation of which the end of the tube B
may be forced into the lug substantially as described or illustrated in Figures 6
and 7 of the accompanying drawings.
5. In a tubular joint the combination with a lug such as A of a tube B with
split end and tapered block such as L therein and a belt such as H with one or more
eccentrics HH3 by rotation of which the blank L is forced into the end of the
tube B and the latter expanded within the lug substantially as described or
illustrated in Figures 8 and 9 of the accompanying drawings.
101 1
1007
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicants.

page_text: igures an under side view of the same..
Figure 3.is a side elevation of a modification.
Figure 4 is a sectional underside view of the same.
Figure 5 is a part sectional plan of a further modification.
Figure 6 is a side elevation of yet another construction.
Figure 7 is a part sectional underside view of the same.
:
Figure 8 is a side alevation of a form of joint somewhat similar to that shown in
Figs. 6 and 7...
Figure 9 is an underside view of the same partly in section.
Like letters indicate like parts throughout the drawings.
In the construction shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the lug A is formed as ordinarily
with a hole bored in its underside. In one end of the tube B is fixed a transverse
tube C, one end of which is formed conical internally, the other end having a
screw-thread cut in it. A slit as at Cis cut half way down the tube C in the
longitudinal direction, the cut being also carried through the end of the tube B
as at B. Into the couical and tapped tube C is inserted a screw D carrying. a
conical sleeve E, which as the screw is tightened up opens out the divided portion
of the tube B jamming it within the lug A. If the hole in the lug A, through
which the screw carrying the conical sleeve is passed; be also formed conical and the
part suitably arranged, the tightening of the screw may have the effect of drawing
the end of the tube B slightly into the lug in addition to jumming it there.
For convenience in fixing the transverse tulie C may be secured within a bush
or liner B which is itself inserted in the end of the tube B as shown in Fig. 1.
In the form illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4 the tube B is slit at the end and provided
internally with a short tube or nut F. Into this nut and through the wall of the
lug A is screwed a screw G provided with a conical end G which by bearing against
a solid block F causes the two halves of the end of the tube B to be expanded
within the lug A. The screw G is preferably formed headless as shown.
As shown in Fig. 5 the end of the tube B is provided within its slit end with
two internally, screw-threaded tubular pieces hereinafter termed nuts situated
opposite each other, into which two screws G are screwed through the lug A. It
will be seen that by the abutment of the ends of the screws G against each other the
end of the tube B may be expanded within the lug.
As shown in Figs. 6 and 7 the end of the tube B is not slit but slightly tapered
and has slots B3 cut in it, through which and through the lug A is passed a bolt H.
The latter has an eccentric H formed upon one end beneath the head H2, the other
end being screw-threaded and provided with a key-way to enable another eccen-
tric H³ to be passed over the screw-thread and fixed to the bolt by means of a
key H. These eccentrics engage with holes in the lug A, a washer J and nut K
being passed on to the end of the bolt H. It will be seen that with this arrange-
ment by rotating the bolt II and with it the eccentrics H H³ the end of the tube B
may bo'drawn tightly into the lug A which is tapered' or formed conical interiorally
to receive the tapered end of the tube. A supporting tube or bush B is preferably
inserted into the ends of the tube B to prevent its collapsing.
Figures 8 and 9 show a modification of this last construction where a block L
preferably of aluminium is inserted into the end of the tube B, which is slit ás
at B: The eccentrics H H here operate both upon the lug A and also upon the
end of the tube B, the rotation of the bolt H causing the block L to be moved into
the end of the tube B and so, jam the latter against the enlarged interior of the
lug. A
It must be understood that the above described method of jointing may be.
applied to tubes of other than circular cross section; and also to structures having
double tubes with a web between them instead of single tubes.
The above mentioned" devices are particularly suitable for use in uniting
aluminium tubes, steel bushes or liners being employed where necessary for 5
strengthening purposes. If desired the ends of the tubes to be inserted in the lugs
may be made thicker in place of or in addition to employing's bushes or liners,

page_text: tube being forced together as the tube is drawn into the lug, a plug or strengthen-
ing device being employed inside to prevent the ends of the tube from collapsing.
In another arrangement the ends of the tube are forced apart by screws directly'
operating upon them. In yet another the end of the tube is not split at all.
In the first described arrangement the lug is bored taper with the smaller end
inside, and the end of the tube is split or partly split and may be strengthened
by a cross tube also partly split. A portion of this cross tube may be bored out
tapered and a bolt with a tapered neck or loose tapered washer may be placed in
it, the effect being that as the tapered bolt or washer is forced inwards it opens
out the divided portion of the tube thus tending to jam it in the lug, and also the
tube is drawn further into the lug thus tending to jam it in the tapered hole in the
lug so that a double locking or jamming effect is obtained.
There is also another feature in this joint where the lug has a double function,
as for example, at the head of a cycle, and another tube crosses the first tube, and
it is essential to make a tight joint between the lug and the two tubes. In some
cases, and in particular at the head of a cycle, where it is impossible to have any-
thing passing across the tube which forms the head and through which the crown
tube or stem of the steering fork has to pass, the second tube must be left with a
clear passage-way. To join these two we prefer to form one or more recesses or
openings in the second tube adapted to receive corresponding projections, or
generally the whole end of the first tube, and to lock these two together by
drawing the first tube into or against the second tube in the manner already
described, or by other suitable means.
In the second case we employ the lug and tube, splitting the tube and placing the
aluminium or other liner inside it. We form a hole through the tube and plug,
and a larger opening in one or both sides of the lug upon which enlargements
may be formed for this purpose. The bolt is provided at one end with an eccentric
at the neck adapted to engage with the hole in the lug, so that when the bolt is
turned round the tube will be moved endwise into the lug, thus forming the joint
as above described. This eccentric arrangement may be employed for the other
joint already described in place of the conical bolt or washer. If desired the bolt
may be arranged to act as an eccentric at both ends by providing a suitably shaped
eccentric washer which may have a D-shaped hole or other means to cause it to
rotate with the bolt when the latter is turned.
The eccentric bolt may be used for the tube which is not split, but is merely,
moved longitudinally into the tapered recess in the lug.
If it be desired to force the plug into the tube in the direction opposite to that
in which the tube is forced into the lug this may be done by forming the bolt as
a double or treble eccentric, that is to say, one eccentric at the neck would operate
upon the lug itself, the next one on the substance of the tube which may, if desired,
be thickened at this part for the purpose, and the next one upon the plug.
Where the joint is made by merely forcing apart the ends of the split tube, this
may
be effected by placing a screw in one side of the split tube and screwing it
against the other side so as to force them apart, both sides of the tube being for
this purpose strengthened or thickened inside as by a solid piece of metal or
the other:
closed tube upon one side, and a tube in which the screw screws upon
the ends of the screw may be coned to fit into a corresponding recess in the closed
tube or plug upon which it operates. A similar result may be obtained by employ-
ing two screws meeting in the centre and thus forcing apart the divided ends of
the tube as before. In these arrangements the heads of the screws may be
screwed up flush with the surface of the lug so that there is nothing projecting,
a saw-cut or other suitable means being provided by which they may be turned.
Where the invention is applied to aluminium, steel or other liners or equivalent
supports may be employed to afford the necessary strength.
In the accompanying drawings
Figure 1 is a part sectional side elevation of a form of tubular joint constructed
in accordance with this invention.