Abstract: There is disclosed a method of making an endless band, or a plurality of separably connected endless bands, from flexible weldable material especially plastics material. The method involves, basically, joining together two superimposed like strips of such material by welding together each pair of corresponding ends. Large quantities of such bands, separably connected together, can be continuously produced by feeding two batches of strip material forward in superimposed relationship, welding them together at intervals, and forming a tear-seal connection at the weld. Endless bands so formed are disclosed.

Abstract: A method of truing a newly built spoke wheel having a hub and rim, subsequent to fitting spokes to the wheel and loosely screwing nipples to the spokes at the wheel rim. The method comprises securing the rim and hub in a concentric relationship, locally depressing the rim relative to the hub to a datum radius in the region of a nipple, tightening said nipple at least partially, and further locally depressing said rim relative to said hub in the region of each of said remaining nipples until all of said nipples are tightened as desired.

Abstract: A back pedal brake hub having a clutch that is axially shiftable for selective engagement with a brake assembly to effect braking when the clutch is shifted in one direction or with a shell to transmit forward drive motion when the clutch is shifted in another direction with no axial loading of the ball races supporting the shell regardless of the direction in which the clutch is shifted. The engagement between the clutch and the shell is accomplished by means of mating teeth or dogs integrally connected with each of the clutch and the shell so as to provide positive form-locking engagement.

Abstract: There is disclosed a brake block for a bicycle which comprises a block of friction material, an elongate rigid brake shoe element fixed to the block, the ends of the brake shoe element being surrounded by the friction material, and means for securing the block in a braking mechanism. Also disclosed are methods of making brake blocks for bicycles. One method comprises locating an elongate rigid brake shoe element in a mould, the shoe element having fixed thereto a stud for securing the block in a brake mechanism, moulding a block of friction material around the shoe element so that the end portions of the shoe element are surrounded by the friction material and removing the brake block so formed from the mould.

Abstract: There is disclosed a Derailleur block comprising a sleeve adapted to be secured to a bicycle wheel hub, a sprocket carrier mounted on the sleeve with interposed ball races and free wheeling mechanism, and a number of sprockets having different numbers of teeth secured in axially spaced relationship on the carrier. At one end of the block there is a cone for adjusting the ball-race clearances in co-axial screw threaded engagement in the carrier, and in screw-threaded engagement with the protruding end of the cone, there is a lock nut. The lock nut serves not only to secure the cone after adjustment, but as an abutment for the sprocket assembly which is thereby readily removable. Both cone and lock nut are accessible for manipulation externally of the block.

Abstract: An epicyclic change-speed hub for a bicycle has a driver which overlaps both the planet cage and gear ring in the axial direction of the hub and is connectable with such planet cage and gear ring by respective pawl and ratchet couplings. A spring-loaded coupling sleeve is provided which is movable axially of the hub and such sleeve serves to control, according to its axial position, the operation or otherwise of the coupling between the driver and the planet cage. The coupling sleeve is in two parts, one part being intended to control the coupling between the driver and the planet cage and the other part being co-operable, according to position, with a pawl and ratchet coupling between the gear ring and hub shell to control the operation of such latter coupling. The spring loading is applied to the coupling sleeve parts between the sleeve and a fixed datum and also between the individual parts of the sleeve.

Abstract: A pawl member is formed as an integral structure from a synthetic plastics material, the said member having a pawl tooth extending outwardly from a body part and including a tail for co-operation with an abutment to load the tooth into or out of engagement with a co-operating ratchet formation the member being so designed having regard to its intended context as to operate within the strain limit of the material concerned during normal usage.

Abstract: A gear hub for a bicycle has two co-operating epicyclic gear trains selectively connectable together to a drive input means and to the gear hub under the control of an axially fixed, manually actuable rotatable cam operating on various pawls through axially shiftable cam followers to give a requisite drive transmission path through the gear trains appropriate to the gear ratio selected.