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1959 Norman-Built Western Flyer Cantilever

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1936 -

320px-Im19360408Cy-NCL.jpg


1947 -

445px-Im19470402Cycling-Norman.jpg


1955 -

492px-Im1955MCSC-Norman.jpg


1955 -

487px-Im19551109Cy-Norman.jpg


1962 advert illustrating the cycle's Shuresta model XPT propstand -

Shuresta advert of 1962. .jpg

20230305_155844-jpg.jpg


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20230305_143428-jpg.jpg


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curious regarding maker of cycle's anterior hub

we are all familiar with the BH marking but the HR one is new to me

did a spot of checking and was unsuccessful in locating a hub manufacturer with the HR initials

in the photo there appears to be what may be a period following the letter R; this of course may be nothing more than a chance corrosion pit

there is no evidence of a period following the letter H; this makes me wonder if the R could be an abbreviation for the word Registered as in "Registered Patent"

perchance our most august @dnc1 shall be able to share a few lumens of his not inconsiderable light on this hub and its marking...


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View attachment 1811450

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curious regarding maker of cycle's anterior hub

we are all familiar with the BH marking but the HR one is new to me

did a spot of checking and was unsuccessful in locating a hub manufacturer with the HR initials

in the photo there appears to be what may be a period following the letter R; this of course may be nothing more than a chance corrosion pit

there is no evidence of a period following the letter H; this makes me wonder if the R could be an abbreviation for the word Registered as in "Registered Patent"

perchance our most august @dnc1 shall be able to share a few lumens of his not inconsiderable light on this hub and its marking...


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When I zoom in, it looks like it reads "R. PA..." to me.
This definitely suggests 'Registered (or Regd.) Patent' to me.
@Oilit, could you post some more details on the front hub wording please, so the mystery may be solved?
 
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View attachment 1811450

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curious regarding maker of cycle's anterior hub

we are all familiar with the BH marking but the HR one is new to me

did a spot of checking and was unsuccessful in locating a hub manufacturer with the HR initials

in the photo there appears to be what may be a period following the letter R; this of course may be nothing more than a chance corrosion pit

there is no evidence of a period following the letter H; this makes me wonder if the R could be an abbreviation for the word Registered as in "Registered Patent"

perchance our most august @dnc1 shall be able to share a few lumens of his not inconsiderable light on this hub and its marking...


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When I zoom in, it looks like it reads "R. PA..." to me.
This definitely suggests 'Registered (or Regd.) Patent' to me.
@Oilit, could you post some more details on the front hub wording please, so the mystery may be solved?
I should have looked closer at the wording on that hub, I've been looking around and here's another off of a 1954 women's Hercules and on this one you can see it actually says "H.R. Pattern", although that still doesn't tell me much. This bike also has a Lucas light set and a bottom bracket very similar in shape to the women's Norman, but I need to get a picture of the bracket.

WHM - 8.jpg


WHM - 1.jpg
 
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Looking through an old magazine I picked up a while back, I noticed this ad for Metal Pressings showing a bicycle rim. Could the "M.P." on the Jointless rims be for Metal Pressings? I'll have to take another look at the chain on this bike to see if there's any markings.

Metal Pressings Ad.jpg


Export Trader Cover.jpg
 
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Haven't found anything about "Metal Pressings Limited" on the internet but there's plenty on the Woolwich Dockyard. Founded by Henry VIII, by "the first decade of the 1700's there were more ships launched from Woolwich than from any other English yard" (Wikipedia). From 1831 Woolwich became a specialist yard for marine steam engineering but as ships got bigger and construction moved to steel it became overshadowed by yards at Portsmouth and Devonport and the dockyard closed in 1869. But the Royal Arsenal at Woolwich had developed along with the dockyard and much of the site was taken over by the Ordnance Stores Department for warehouses and shops until WWII, when "stores and facilities were removed from Woolwich Dockyard in an attempt to protect them from aerial bombardment". From 1942 it became the Central Repair Depot of the Royal Army Ordnance Corps and the main Boat Stores Depot of the Royal Army Service Corps, both eventually taken over by the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers. But in 1926 the western part of the site was sold to the Royal Arsenal Co-operative Society, and "the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, one of the last military units on site, moved out in 1966." Much of the land is now housing estates which "have encroached on the historic character of the area."
 
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