Thread size of Sturmey-Archer oil lubricator/nipple
Zog The Undeniable
measuring the major diameter of the lubricator thread gives almost 1/4",
and the pitch *seems* to be slightly finer than 1mm, so probably 26 TPI.
Can anyone confirm the thread is the most likely candidate for an early
20th century British component, i.e. BSC 1/4", before I go looking for a
suitable tap? I'm putting one in the shell of a hub which currently
uses grease lubrication.
Thanks.
Tom Reingold
I'm sorry I can't remember, but I am pretty sure it's not metric or
English. They used something called Whitworth, or was it Whitworth? We
called it Sturmey Archer threading.
I don't think you'll find a suitable tap!
Tom
Zog The Undeniable
> I'm sorry I can't remember, but I am pretty sure it's not metric or
> English. They used something called Whitworth, or was it Whitworth? We
> called it Sturmey Archer threading.
>
> I don't think you'll find a suitable tap!
1/4" Whitworth (or BSW) is still very common, because 99.999% of all
cameras have it on their baseplate - it's the standard tripod thread.
I've just tried the oil nipple in the bottom of a camera, and it doesn't
go in fully - the pitch is different, although it does seem to be a 1/4"
thread. 1/4" Whitworth is a rather coarse 20 TPI and this nipple looks
more like 26 TPI.
M6 (very slightly smaller diameter, 25.4 TPI because it's 1mm pitch)
might be close enough for a *plastic* oil nipple; I'm trying the metal
version at the moment since that's what I have around, but these don't
actually have a properly oil-tight cap so are better for bling than for
a bike that goes in the back of the car.
I could always just use a shortened screw, but it's not very
authentic-looking, and fiddly to open.
carl...@comcast.net
Dear Zog,
Probably 2/7th inch with 33 & 1/3rd tpi.
:-)
A similar cry for mercy--
Er, a similar cry for help produced this suggestion to consult a
Sturmey-Archer oracle via emai:
"Try dropping an email to Sturmey Archer Hub Specialist Peter Read. He
will probably sell you original S-A nuts in the size you are looking
for."
Email: pho...@read3101.freeserve.co.uk
--from
http://oldroads.com/d_eng_ra.asp?OQID=19485&QuestionNum=19493&RID=19491
Cheers,
Carl Fogel
Barry Harmon
@energise.enta.net:
Here's a detailed reference on British fasteners.
http://www.enginehistory.org/BSFasteners/BSReference_3.pdf or the main
entry
http://www.enginehistory.org/british_fasteners.htm
You'll note that the English and Metric standards name by the size of the
wrench that fits the nut while the Whitworth standard names by the nominal
diameter of the bolt. I.e., a 1/4 Whit is a bolt that's 1/4 in diameter
and 0.445 across the flats.
Jsut to confuse things, there is a standard called British Standard Cycle,
which was used on mototcycles. I don't know if it was used on bikes.
Barry Harmon
Zog The Undeniable
> Jsut to confuse things, there is a standard called British Standard Cycle,
> which was used on mototcycles. I don't know if it was used on bikes.
It was and is. Most of the weird ISO threads are based on it.
Tom Reingold
> Zog The Undeniable <hrothga...@yahoo.com> wrote in news:g7vdma$136b$1
> @energise.enta.net:
>
> > I read elsewhere that this was 10-24, but it's much bigger than that;
> > measuring the major diameter of the lubricator thread gives almost 1/4",
> > and the pitch *seems* to be slightly finer than 1mm, so probably 26 TPI.
>
> > Can anyone confirm the thread is the most likely candidate for an early
> > 20th century British component, i.e. BSC 1/4", before I go looking for a
> > suitable tap? I'm putting one in the shell of a hub which currently
> > uses grease lubrication.
>
> > Thanks.
>
> Here's a detailed reference on British fasteners.
>
> entry
>
> http://www.enginehistory.org/british_fasteners.htm
>
> You'll note that the English and Metric standards name by the size of the
> wrench that fits the nut while the Whitworth standard names by the nominal
> diameter of the bolt. I.e., a 1/4 Whit is a bolt that's 1/4 in diameter
> and 0.445 across the flats.
>
> Jsut to confuse things, there is a standard called British Standard Cycle,
> which was used on mototcycles. I don't know if it was used on bikes.
>
> Barry Harmon
Wow, I always wondered why a 1/4 inch wrench fit a nut that was almost
1/2 inch in size. I thought they were using a different inch, though I
couldn't find reference to that inch. Thank you for offering that
explanation!
Tom
carl...@comcast.net
Dear Zog,
It may not suit your needs, but here's a plastic Sturmey-Archer oil
nipple from Harris Cyclery;
http://harriscyclery.net/itemdetails.cfm?id=816
Cheers,
Carl Fogel
Barry Harmon
>
>
> Wow, I always wondered why a 1/4 inch wrench fit a nut that was almost
> 1/2 inch in size. I thought they were using a different inch, though I
> couldn't find reference to that inch. Thank you for offering that
> explanation!
>
> Tom
>
>
>
>
If you're interested in this sort of thing, get "Machinery's Handbook" out
of your local library and skim the section on threadforms, etc. It's
really fascinating reading (Really!) that shows the various methods people
have used to specify nuts and bolts. You can skim the section in about 5
or 10 minutes.
The standardized thread may be the most important unsung
invention/development of the Industrial Revolution, one of the two or three
things that made it possible.
Barry Harmon
Zog The Undeniable
Sadly I'd need to order the entire world stock to meet the minimum value.
Zog The Undeniable
Well, the plastic ones use the same thread as the metal ones (Sturmey
weren't going to retool and spend money!) However, I have also got some
plastic push-in oil nipples designed for BBs, and these are just the
right diameter to have an M6 thread cut into them. So I'll drill and
tap the shell M6. I don't want to go for the simple push-in option
because the filler caps on these are tight, and the shell is only about
2mm thick so there's not much there to stop it falling out when it's
oily and spinning round at 500rpm (this is going in a 16" wheel).