The Modern Bicycle and Its Accessories

by Alex Schwalbach; Julius Wilcox

The [Safety Gear Case] is the patent of James Parkes of Toledo, O., and the essential features are as follows: The best quality of harness leather is used in its manufacture, and is first treated with a solution of their own, which renders the leather very hard and impervious to water. The leather is then pressed in an iron form, in two similar sections, one of which fits over the upper half, and one over the lower half of the sprockets and chain. These two sections are held together by means of two patent hook fasteners at the ends and a system of lacers down the side of the case. On the inner side of the case an aluminum plate, through which the rear hub passes, is arranged to slide freely with the rear wheel, thus permitting the chain to be lengthened or shortened without removing the gear case. The case is light, noiseless and dust-proof. A large variety of patterns are made, and the case is made in sizes to fit any style of bicycle. The leather is finally enamelled in any desired color, thus making a beautiful and attractive addition to any bicycle.

ORIGIN OF THE GEAR CASE.

With the Englishman’s idea of utility, the first thought was to completely cover sprockets and chain with a large sheet metal case, upon the same plan as gear cases had been previously used in mills and factories for enclosing running chains. Various devices for gear cases were in use when, in 1886, J. H. Carter patented in England an oil-containing gear case for bicycles. This was a standard in gear case construction for some years, riders thinking it necessary to keep their chains running through a bath of oil in order to insure easy movement of the joints; however, it was discovered a few years later that a chain would run equally well without the oil bath, and, in fact, there were many disadvantages about keeping a chain constantly soaked in oil, especially because the oil would gum and thus retard rather than assist. In the early nineties gear cases were brought out, of many constructions, but the standard set up by Carter remains to this day the English idea of a case, and, with all of their improvements in case construction, they have not gotten very far beyond it.

To the English mind a gear case must be made entirely distinct from the bicycle itself, not a part of it, but an accessory that shall be quickly removable or attachable after it is once fitted. This, of course, necessitates a great many joints, and as joints of thin material, whether sheet metal or celluloid, cannot be perfectly made to exclude dust and driving rains, and as such joints are always more or less noisy when a bicycle is in use, they are not even yet satisfied with the gear case, but realize its great usefulness, even when only partially efficient, so that it has become a fixture on nearly every English wheel. Several attempts were made to introduce English cases into this country, but with lamentable failure, for several causes. In the first place American bicycles are not built to take English cases.

ESSENTIAL QUALITIES.

Every American bicycle has individualities of its own, and especially in the running gear. No clearances have been allowed, and it is simply out of the question to attach the foreign type of case unless the bicycle is built for it. However, in some instances, bicycles were made with that end in view and the cases were attached, but American riders found that their unsightliness, excessive weight and inefficiency made them more of a nuisance than a help, and the gear case came into public disfavor. However, in spite of these discouragements, the necessity of a clean chain appealed so strongly to an American mechanic that, without any knowledge of the gear case constructions of Europe, he set to work to devise a method of thoroughly protecting the chain, and during the season of ’96 made many experiments to ascertain the construction that could be successfully applied to American bicycles and appeal to American riders. The study of road conditions showed that a gear case must be not simply a protection for mud, but every joint must be dust-tight and rain-proof. In a country like England, where mud is the prevailing condition, these absolutely tight joints are not so essential, but in this country they took first place. Again, the case must have good appearance and be comparatively light in weight, and, as the worst problem of all, it must be adaptable to some few hundred distinct makes of bicycles, no two of them alike in the running gear.

CLEVELAND
GEAR CASE.

The inventor started with the idea of covering the chain with an endless rubber tube, which should be split in its inner length and run with the chain. As it reached the sprockets it would be separated by a separator and follow around the sprocket over the chain, clinging to either side of the sprocket. This was theoretically a very good idea, but in practice developed many serious objections. In the first place, the tube was liable to catch between chain and sprocket teeth. It increased the friction of the machine and could not be made to be of very long life. It was also neither dust nor rain tight, and proved a nuisance instead of a blessing. Still following up the idea of utilizing rubber, a case was devised having rubber chain runs with rubber box over front and rear sprocket, this rubber box suitably supported by metallic parts. The only objection to this was the quick wearing out of the chain runs by the constant friction of the chain. Still retaining the rubber boxes, light metallic chain runs were substituted for the rubber, and it was then found that an ideal construction as regards strength and tightness of joints was obtained. These cases were put in public use after being exhibited at the Chicago and New York cycle shows of 1897, and have been sold and used quite extensively during the past season. They have been very much improved, so that all objections to the early models have been completely done away with, and today an American gear case, known as the Frost, is to be had upon any first class ’98 bicycle, being offered by nearly every bicycle maker. As it can be attached to old bicycles, there is no reason why every rider cannot have an up-to-date feature, with the comfort and pleasure assured by a clean chain. It has been actually proven that they will stand driving rains, snow storms, blizzards, dust storms, constant use on the dustiest of roads, and, in fact, have proven absolutely impervious to all foreign substances, keeping the chain and running gear perfectly clean and in condition for an entire season without any attention being given.