Shellwin lightweight hubs
Posted: Friday 12th June 2020
Shellwin hubs were manufactured at The King’s Heath Engineering Co. Ltd. (Kingsway Works, High Street, Birmingham 14).
They were designed to reduce the risk of spoke breakages by using a bevelled flange which the manufacturers claimed produced a more rigid flange. This eased the line of the spoke from hub to rim, thus reducing stresses which could lead to breakage. The easier spoke line can be seen in the image on the right.
The hub shell and flanges were made of special light alloy polished with solid nickel chrome molybdenum steel spindles grooved and with hollow ends, hardened steel cones, washers and lock nuts. The rear hub was fitted with a larger diameter locknut which gave a greater area with which to secure the wheel in the frame dropouts and so reduce the chance of the wheel pulling over.
The cups and cones were standard size and used ¼” diameter balls front and rear.
Shellwin supplied spacing washers of various thicknesses to enable the wheelbuilder to centre the hub in the correct position in relation to the number of gears used and also to tailor the hub to fit the dropout width.
The hubs were produced in both small and large-flange models although I have never seen a small-flange version. The small-flange was available as double-fixed or gear-fixed and I assume it did not feature the angled flange. The front was 4″ over the cone lock nuts and axle was 5 1/8″. The rear hubs 4¾” over the locknuts with spindle length of 5¾”.
The large Flange model has an angular rim edge and lightening holes drilled in flanges.
Diameter of flanges 3″. The front hub is 3¾” over the cone lock nuts with 5″ axle.
The rear hub available as double-fixed or gear-fixed, width over cone lock nuts 5, axle length 6¾
Sources:
Brown Brothers Catalogue 1952
Posted: Friday 12th June 2020
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