Improvements in the Construction of Cycle Frames, applicable to all kinds of other Machines and Engineering Purposes.
Year: 1896

page_text: Improvements in the Construction of Cycle Frames, applicable to all
kinds of other Machines and Engineering Purposes.
WILLIAM FRASER Engineer Dovedale School Road Moseley Birmingham lo
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The principal object of my Invention is, to completely obviate the brazing of
the tubes into the sockets, or brackets, of a cycle frame, or the like; in fact all
other parts that are at present either brazed into, or outside, tubes of every kind
and description.
In cycle building, the brazing process both softens, weakens or disfigures the
various parts, and necessitates finished work being done a second time; and when
brazed tubes are used, the making of one joint invariably undoes the other, and
the use of aluminum tubes, and fittings has been practically abandoned, on account
of the impractibility of brazing them together. It will thus he seen that a sub-
stantial substitute for the brazed joint will not only obviate all the defects and
shortcomings I have enumerated, but will considerably reduce the cost of construc-
tion, as all the various parts can be fitted and finished and put together for good,
and in the event of Aluminum or bright unrustable metal being used for the tubes
and fittings, they would not require to be dismantled for the purpose of either
enamelling or plating. One of the methods of making my improved joint is, the
socket for receiving the tube is bored to fit. same tightly, but tapering slightly,
towards the bottom (the desired taper depends entirely upon the thickness of the
tube to be used) the very bottom of same being bored about one eight of an inch
less in diameter than the tube, for the purpose of screwing or tapping, then a
hollow nipple, the end of which is screwed to fit same, and also tapered to corre-
spond with the tapered part, and with a parallel part to fit the inside of the tuhe.
The tapered part of the said nipple is fitted with two projections, one on each side,
for the purpose of engaging the tube by means of two suitable slots in same. The
said slots being about the same length as the tapered part on the nipple (about
three eights of an inch long or thereby) and the projecting parts on the nipple
ahout half that length enables the said nipple to ascend the inside of the tube,
first the length of the parellel part, then by pressure, on the nipple the slotted
end of the tube would spring to allow the tapered part also to ascend, the slots in
same being about one quarter of an inch longer than the projections on the nipple,
allows said nipple to ascend still further up the tube if required. The process
of coupling is best accomplished by first screwing the nipple cone into the bottom
or screwed part of the socket, and then by pressing the tube in between same, and
the inside walls of the socket, the tube can then be pressed home, i.e., pushed on to
the tapered part of the said nipple cone care being taken that the projections
engage with or enter the slots in the tube, for the purpose of causing the said
cone to revolve along with the tube; then by unscrewing the nipple cone which is
accomplished by revolving the tube the slotted ends are caught or jammed between
the tapered part of the inside nipple cone, and the tapered walls of the socket;

page_text: thereby effecting a permanent and reliable joint. A small pin may also be inserted
through them to prevent the cone from working back. To effect a joint at each
end of the tube, the nipple cones and socket ends require to be screwed right and
left respectively. It is obvious that the nipple cones can be made as effective with
a solid end either with or without a screwed tail, or with a small screwed or tapped
hole in same, and the bottom end of the socket or bracket made to suit either,
would practically give the same results. In cases where the tube cannot be made
to revolve, for example-when D, oval or other shaped tubes are used, a nipple
cone with a solid end can be made any shape, and forced up the tube, by means of
a set pin or other suitable device, attached to the tapered or widest end of the
socket, and hold or jam the tube between the tapered parts as effectually as the
method already described. Or, the tube can be pressed or driven in between
the inside nipple cone and the walls of the socket, and thereby jammed; or the
tapered parts of the nipple cone and socket respectively may both be screwed, and
the tube be made to form a screw upon itself between the two, i.c., the tube would
have a forced up thread instead of the ordinary cut thread. The outside of the
socket may also be screwed and fitted with a screwed cap to suit for the purpose of
tightening the socket from the outside against the walls of the inside nipple cone.
The sockets may also have one or more circular grooves, cut inside of same, and
the tube either with or without a nipple cone forced by means of a suitable
appliance into the said grooves, and then pinned in the ordinary way to prevent
either from revolving in the socket. The socket may also have the tipple cone
attached or cast upon the outside end of same, but with the taper the opposite
way, and the outside inner end of the socket screwed and fitted with a cap to engage
with the said screwed part, the outer end of the cap being made to fit the tube and
tapered to engage or jam same on the tapered part of the nipple cone. It is obvious
that two tubes may be connected by means of a double tailed connection by either
of the methods already described, and used for any purpose whatever outside cycle
manufacturing.
Dated 15th December 1896.
Improvements in the Construction of Cycle Frames, applicable to all
kinds of other Machines and Engineering Purposes.
I, WILLIAM FRASER, Engineer residing at "Dovedale" School Road, Moseley,
in the City of Birmingham, do hereby declare the nature of this invention anil in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to the construction of cycle frames and also to other
machines and constructional objects used for engineering purposes. It consists
in an improved device for the purpose of connecting or joining-up one tubular part
to another, or one tubular part to a bracket lug or its equivalent, in such a manner
that a perfect and permanent joining of the two parts is the result.
The primary object of the invention is to obviate the brazing of the tubular
members into the sockets or lugs when constructing a cycle's frame, but, neverthe-
less, for all other such brazed parts the invention is equally applicable.
A cycle frame constructed with brazed joints is an expensive production, owing
to the necessity of its requiring to be afterwards trimmed or dressed; but another
important feature is that the brazing process both softens and weakens the metal
at the point where it should be strong. Further, aluminium tubes and fittings

page_text: have been practically abandoned on account of their inability of being brazed
together satisfactorily.
This invention is a mechanical device, for joining up such parts, capable of being
fitted cheaply and of reducing the general cost of the joints construction. The
same is set forth in its various forms in the accompanying sheet of drawings, its
chief parts being a taper socket for receiving the tube, a nipple cone for expanding
the tube within the said socket, and an actual locking means, all constructed and
arranged in the particular manner hereinafter set forth.
In the said sheet of drawings the invention is shown applied to one of the lugs
of the bottom bracket of a cycle's frame, and the principal form of joint is set
forth in Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, the last three mentioned figures showing the parts
constituting the joint separated. In this form of joint the lug a is formed upon
its inside into a coned or tapered socket a³, the largest diameter being at the
bottom of the said socket. The actual bottom of the socket a is bored out a
little less than the largest diameter of the coued part, and its walls are internally
screwed, whilst the bore of the mouth a' of the said socket, outside the coned part,
is by preference for a short distance made parallel.
A hollow coned ferrule or nipple c, of the same taper as the coned part a³ of the
socket, having a screwed part, at its one end, a parallel part 3 at its other
end, and also opposite grooves running a portion of its length, formed within
its walls, is adapted to loosely fit and seat itself within the socket a³, as aforesaid,
by its screwed part engaging the screwed bottom a³ of the said socket.
The tubular member d, which is to be rigidly and permanently connected to the
lug a, is parallel before being introduced into the coned circumferential space
between the socket a³ and the ferrule or nipple e, and its introduced end for a
short distance. is longitudinally split or slit at d, hut when the said end d³ is in
position within the circumferential space, as aforesaid, it conforms to the coned or
tapered figure. Opposite ribs d' are also formed longitudinally upon the inside
walls of the end of the tube d, for a short distance, to engage the opposite
grooves within the coned nipple or ferrule c, so that if the tube d is rotated it
rotates the cone.
In making the joint hy these parts the conical nipple or ferrule c is first screwed
as far as possible into the screwed hole as of a coned socket, leaving a circum-
ferential space, equivalent to the thickness of the tube d, between it and the said
socket. The parallel and split end of the tube d is then introduced over the
parallel part of the cone and under the parallel mouth at of the socket, and
subsequently forced, by pressure, into the said socket into the position shown in
Fig. 1, the split end opening out or being expanded by the coned ferrule.
While the tube is being so forced into the socket the one part is held in a jig, or
both of them are so held, and the position at which the tube d is slipped on
brings the ribs d' thereof into engagement with the grooves of the ferrule.
Now to lock the joint the tube d is rotated by suitable means, and with it the
coned nipple c by reason of the ribs and the grooves e. This rotation of the
tube is in the direction for unscrewing the coned nipple from its screwed
hole a, so that the said nipple travels outward from the coned socket a² and, in
consequence of the tube d being held within the coned part as, further expands
and jams the expanded end of the tube between it and the coned seating of the
socket. The tube d is so turned until it resists, when its expanded end is firmly
gripped between the coned nipple and the coned socket.
To prevent any possibility of the joint becoming loosened, by an unscrewing of
the tube d, the latter is, after being clamped as before described between the coned
surfaces, given a slight back and forth rotation, which, by the tremendous friction
excited between the coned surfaces, causes the latter to become ripped up or
damaged, the result of which is that a fusing of the clamped surfaces of the tube,
ferrule and socket is the result.
Such a joint renders the tube d and the socket a practically solid.
In practice, if the two ends of a tubular member have to be connected to

page_text: different sockets the screwed parts upon the coned ferrules are fashioned respectively
right and left handed, so that the two joints are made at the same time by the one
rotation of the tubular bar.
In Fig. 6 of the sheet of drawings a slight modification of this form of joint is
illustrated. The inner end of the coned ferrule c is not connected to the bottom
of the coned socket by a screw, for the purpose of traversing it forward by a
rotation of the tube, but is left free and unconnected and has its inner end c
closed, against which the end of a set pin e, carried by the back part of the lug,
works, the purpose of the said set pin being to force outwards the conical ferrule
and place a good grip upon the expanded end of the tube d. A transverse peg
prevents the conical ferrule becoming looso after being set up. This form of joint
is particularly applicable to joining up tubular parts of a cross section other than
round, the form shown in Fig. 6 being a D-section of tube, which will not permit
of a rotation as the socket is also of D-shaped cross section.
83
In Fig. 7 the conical ferrule c has upon it an angular shank g fitting within a
hole in the bottom of the socket to. prevent its rotation, and within the bore of the
coned socket a is formed a concentric groove or depression a, within which the
metal of the end of the tube d is forced by longitudinal compression of the tube
within the socket of the lug. The coned ferrule in this case does not advance but
only constitutes an expanding plug, the permanency of the joint being made
through the displacement of the metal of the tube into the groove a³, and by the
transverse peg e³.
In Fig. 8 is shown a modified form of Fig. 7. In this form the exterior surface
of the coned ferrule is formed with a worm or a screw upon it, as also is the bore
of the taper socket a³, the pitch of the screwed parts being the same, so that the
end of the tube & when screwed into the space between them has a like thread
forced up in its walls. To lock this joint the exterior a³ of the lug is V-threaded
and a clamping nut a engages it which, by screwing up, forces the metal of the
walls of the socket onto the flared tube end; a transverse peg e³ being then placed
through the whole of the parts to prevent them becoming loosened.
In Fig. 9 another modification is shown, the conical ferrule e in this case loosely
fitting within the coned socket a². The connection end of the tube d is enlarged,
forming a curved shoulder 3 between it and the small-diameter tube hody, over
which latter the metal a³ of the mouth of the socket a is spread or spun to make
good the joint, the ultimate locking being effected by the transverse peg . In
this joint the base of the socket may be formed with sinkings, into which take
projection's upon the end of the tube for the purpose of preventing the tube's
rotation and, if necessary, corrugations may be formed upon the shoulder
which the turned over edge ³ can be forced.
into
It must be understood that the end of the tube is first forced into position
between the coned ferrule and socket, and then the fixing and locking means is
brought to bear, which makes a strong and serviceable joint between the parts.
In any form of the joints set forth where a circular tube is being connected the
slight back and forth rotation of the said tube for fusing the surfaces of the
different parts of the joint may be carried out, which will dispense with the use
of a transverse peg.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
First. A mechanical joint for connecting tubular parts and tubular and socket
parts together consisting of a conical socket part a³, the bottom part of which is
of largest diameter, a coned part c of a similar inclination to the said socket part
and which is adapted to fit within the said socket part so as to leave a circum-
ferential space between it and the bore of the socket, and a split tubular flared
end clamped between the said socket and cone by being forced in position
longitudinally between them, substantially as described.

page_text: Second. In a mechanical joint as set forth, the combination of a conical socket a
of larger diameter at its bottom, a traversing cone c connected to and disposed
within the bottom of the said socket by screwed parts a³ and having within its
walls longitudinal grooves ³, and a split ended tube d having longitudinal ribs d'
thereon, adapted to be clamped between the clamped parts a,c, and flared by being
forced into the space between them and afterwards locked substantially as
described.
Third. In a mechanical joint as set forth in Fig. 7, the combination of the
coned socket as having a groove a³ within its bore, a cone e adapted to lie within
said socket, a forced-in split ended tube d clamped between the said socket and the
cone having a displaced rib within its walls to fit the groove a³ within the socket,
and a locking pege, substantially as described.
Fourth. In a mechanical joint as set forth in Fig. 8, the combination of a coned
socket a internally and externally screwed, an internally screwed cone lying
within the said socket, a forced-in flared tube d having a forced-up thread upon its
end by the act of introducing it between the socket and the cone, a clamping ring
or nut a screwing upon the outside of the said socket, and a transverse peg e³,
substantially as described.
Fifth. In a mechanical joint as set forth in Fig. 9, the combination of a coned
socket a having a spun over mouth a, a split ended tube d with a shoulder
upon it adapted to fit within said socket, a cone e fitting tightly the bore of the
split end of the tube arranged within the socket a³, and a transverse peg c³,
fubstantially as described.
ubstantiany
described.
Dated this 14th day of October 1897.
W. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
11, Burlington Chambers, New Street, Birmingham,
Also of Liverpool, London and Manchester, Agents for Applicant.