Patent ID: 6412803
Filing Date: 2002-07-02
Classification: B62K

Abstract:
A front fork and wheel assembly for cycles, comprising:(a) a bifurcated front fork including at least one horizontal crown portion, and a pair of parallel spaced vertical leg portions extending downwardly from said crown portion, said leg portions having lower ends containing axle dropout openings, respectively, at least a first one of said dropout openings having a non-circular cross-sectional configuration, each of said fork leg portions including upper and lower tubular telescopically-arranged sections; (b) compression spring means arranged within at least one of said leg portions for biasing vertically apart the sections of said one leg portion; (c) shock absorber means for dampening the vertical displacement of the sections of said one leg portion; (d) wheel means including a tubular hub; (e) a tubular axle extending through said hub, said axle having first and second end portions that extend within said leg portion dropout openings, respectively, at least said axle second end portion being internally threaded and having a non-circular cross-sectional configuration corresponding with the non-circular cross-section of said first dropout opening; (f) tensioning means for displacing together the end extremities of said leg portions prior to the locking thereof to said axle, said tensioning means including a tensioning bolt having a shank portion threadably connected with said axle second end portion, said tensioning bolt having an enlarged head portion operable to cooperate with the outer surface of the associated leg portion that is remote from the other leg portion; and (g) locking means for locking said axle end portions within said dropout openings, respectively, thereby to increase the torsional stiffness of said front fork.