I made a similar suggestion to Ray, in that I thought it might perform the same function as the "gadget" supplied by Constrictor to make the setting up of the Super Champion Osgear striking fork derailleur easier.
The gadget was clamped to the end of the dreailleur cable, and used to take up tension on the cable against the spring pressure, until the striking fork was in the correct alignment, at which time, the cable pinch bolt could be tightened.
Without the gadget, the pinch bolt has to be tightened in various positions on the cable on a hit-and-miss basis until the striking fork was aligned correctly, resulting in a mangled cable. The gadget not only avoided this problem, it enabled adjustment to be more finely-tuned.
The gadget could be either removed or left in situ after set-up was completed.
You can see a scan of the Super Simplex from the 1936 catalogue, and a scan of the Constrictor gadget from the V-CC sturdy guide compiled by Gordon Selby on:
http://smg.photobucket.com/
I just missed a Super Simplex last year from a V-CC member. He had given it to a friend to sell at a cycle jumble on his behalf, and it had sold before he could contact his friend to get it for me. At least it went to a good home - Hilary bought it! I had the opportunity to examine it on a visit to Hilary's house, and the quality of manufacture looked similar to the SC.
I'm not sure about the effectiveness of the parallellogram design though: surely it would make the chain MORE likely to rub, since the chain is at an angle as it moves across the sprockets, and surely needs a fork which moves in an arc to correspond, as far as possible, with that angle? If the Simplex fork retains its front-rear alignmment while the chain is moving across the sprockets at an increasing angle, then surely, there's more chance of the chain rubbing?
Super Champion sold and incorporated Nivex components into some of their own products, including the jockey wheel on some SC tension arms.
Neil Foddering Weymouth, Dorset, England
>From: "Mark Stevens" <mark@lentran.com>
>To: <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
>Subject: [CR]Ray's wierd bit on ebay and WLTB Huret
>Date: Mon, 26 Feb 2007 20:20:44 -0000
>
>Ray has asked if anyone can identify the Simplex gizmo - 280087096093 - My
>humble suggestion is that is for tensioning the cable on Simplex's change
>fork derailleur. I have a tension arm - no jockey or pivot/spring and a
>lever and quadrant but no change fork assembly. It works much like an
>Osgear as far as I can tell. does anyone have any ''Gen'' or pics of this
>derailleur? I also have atension arm marked 'Nivex', again no more parts or
>info. I would be pleased to hear from anyone with bits to match.
> Also looking for a Huret Louison Bobet rear derailleur to fit a 1955
>A.S.Gillott with twin cable stops.
> Mark Stevens Evanton Scotland