I recently acquired these Rene Herse crank bolts.
They are cause for me to reflect on the use of bolts with an integrated washer. Jan Heine in the authoritative book on Rene Herse reflects on Herse’ early work as a fitter with the Breguet aircraft manufacturer. The reasonable claim is that Herse would have learned much from aircraft design philosophy of the time and that this knowledge would find its way into his thinking on bicycle design and engineering. Moreover, referencing the author Ronald Barker, Heine suggests that it is also possible that Ettore Bugatti, who had links to Breguet would also have translated design concepts from the aircraft technology of the day with regard to, for example, the design of his bolts and nuts for his automobiles.
What is known is that both Rene Herse and Ettore Bugatti had links to the aircraft industry. Herse worked at Breguet, according to Heine from around 1928 and Bugatti designed aero engines as early as 1914 for Diatto, Duesenberg and Breguet.
What is also known is that Bugatti produced his own bolts and nuts. It is possible that there might be several reasons for this. From a business perspective it would have made sense for Bugatti and Herse to produce their own nuts and bolts in order that customers purchased replacements from them. Particularly if they were distinct is design and size.
Typical Bugatti nut with integrated washer. Image from Conway. H, Bugatti, Haynes Publishing Group, Somerset, 1989, p.442.
The technical attributes of Bugatti’s nut with integrated washer are well articulated in Hugh Conway’s authoritative text on Bugatti when he writes
“…the outer diameter of the washer now increases to that of the corners of the hexagon, rather than a little less than the distance across the flats. This addition definitely makes a Bugatti nut much less likely to become loose.”[1]
As a rule Bugatti’s bolts had square heads and odd-millimetre threads whilst his nuts had integrated washers as per the image. The technical merits of the Herse bolt with integrated washer are less clear but they do provide the increased coverage, and therefore grip, exhibited by the Bugatti nut.
In any event both the Bugatti and Herse bolts and nuts possess design and technical merit. They are well made and have a distinctive aesthetic.
[1] Conway, H. Bugatti, Haynes Publishing Group, Somerset, 1989, p.442.
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