3-085-765 - The Print Collector/Heritage Images

Travelling portion of jig and press, with cycle-frame in position, 1898. Advances in bicycle manufacture. 'Mr. Crowden, the inventor, began his engineering career with Messrs. Stothert and Pitt, of Bath...At his plan for constructing braze less cycles he worked for some years, finally abandoning it in favour of his hydraulic system, which bids fair, in the opinion of experts, to entirely supersede brazing. The advantages of the hydraulic system over the brazing process are numerous. Addressing the Institute of Mechanical Engineers at their annual meeting at Birmingham, Mr. T. B. Sharp expressed the opinion that "with a mechanical arrangement of joint a cycle-frame could be produced which would be 15 to 20 per cent stronger than if brazing were had recourse to, and there would be no dangerous points of weakness just where strength was specially required." The substitution of the hydraulic process for that of brazing would set free a very large proportion of the workmen and of the space in cycle-factories, thus largely increasing the output, while there would be a considerable saving in the cost of fuel, gas, and brazing materials'. From "Illustrated London News", 1898.