IMPROVEMENTS IN OR APPLICABLE TO BICYCLES, TRICYCLES, " AND OTHER SIMILAR MACHINES."
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Walter Mickelwright, of Shepherd's. Bush, and Arthur
George Gladwyn, of Hammersmith, both in the County of Middlesex, for an
Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN OR APPLICABLE TO BICYCLES, TRICYCLES,
"
AND OTHER SIMILAR MACHINES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Walter Mickelwright and
Arthur George Gladwyn at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the
8th February 1881.
WALTER MICKELWRIGHT, of Shepherd's Bush, and ARTHUR GEORGE GLADWYN,
of Hammersmith, both in the County of Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN OR
APPLICABLE TO BICYCLES, TRICYCLES, AND OTHER SIMILAR MACHINES."
The object of this Invention, which relates to improvements in or applicable to
bicycles, tricycles, and other similar machines, is to reduce or do away with the
unpleasant jar or concussion which is transmitted to the rider when riding over
uneven ground.
Our Invention is especially applicable to bicycles, tricycles, and other similar
vehicles having a trailing wheel supported in the forked extremity of a backbone,
upon which the rider's seat or saddle is mounted, because in this construction the
vibrations or shocks of the trailing wheel are directly transmitted through the
backbone of the machine and the seat or saddle to the rider, and in addition to
being unpleasant often produce injurious consequences.
In carrying out our Invention we do not mount the trailing wheel directly in
the hinder or forked end of the backbone, as is usually done, but we somewhat
prolong the fork ends and turn them up and tap their extremities, and on the
screwed ends we fit capped nuts, into which we fit slotted cases.
Each case, in
addition to being slotted, is also formed so as to receive a block, which is capable
of vertical or approximately vertical movement therein, and in these blocks we
mount the axle of the trailing wheel, the axle projecting and being guided by the
said cases.
Between each block and its under capped nut we place a pad of india
rubber or a short length of coiled spring, and between each block and an upper
Price 21

page_text: cap or. nut, which we screw onto the case, we place another length of coiled spring.
The blocks carrying the axle of the trailing wheel are further guided by means
of rods rising therefrom and passing through central holes in the upper caps
or nuts.
:
According to another modification we exactly reverse the above arrangement
and cause the fork to connect with our improved apparatus at the top thereof
instead of at the bottom, as herein before described.
According to another modification we guide the blocks carrying the axle of the
wheel which imparts. the vibration, the effects of which it is desired to remedy,
between uprights secured by nuts to upper and lower cross-pieces, one of which is
secured to the fork.
In passing or travelling over uneven roadways with any of such arrangements
adapted to bicycles, all the shocks are taken up by the springs or yielding con-
trivances and the riding is rendered safe and pleasant. The springs can, with
great facility, be adapted to the rider's weight, or they can be fitted in accordance
therewith.
The application of yielding contrivances or means for taking up the concussion
arising as above mentioned in the manner hereinbefore described is of great
advantage over any existing methods of attaining this object, as should either of
the springs break, the other can be at once removed, and the bicycle can still be
used to all intents and purposes as an ordinary bicycle.
Our Invention moreover enables a smaller trailing wheel than usually to be
fitted to a bicycle, and which hitherto could not be done on account of the great
vibration caused thereby, such small wheel being considered to improve the
appearance of such machines.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, and
.
of an Order of the Lord Chancellor, filed by the said Walter Mickelwright
and Arthur George Gladwyn in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
5th October 1881.
"
WALTER MICKELWRIGHT, of Shepherd's Bush, and ARTHUR GEORGE GLADWYN,
IMPROVEMENTS IN OR
of Hammersmith, both in the County of Middlesex."
APPLICABLE TO BICYCLES, TRICYCLES, AND OTHER SIMILAR MACHINES."
The object of this Invention, which relates to improvements in or applicable to
bicycles, tricycles, and other similar machines, is to reduce or do away with the
unpleasant jar or concussion which is transmitted to the rider when riding over
uneven ground.
Our Invention is especially applicable to bicycles, tricycles, and other similar
vehicles having a trailing wheel supported in the forked extremity of a backbone,
upon which the rider's seat or saddle is mounted, because in this construction the
vibrations or shocks of the trailing wheel are directly transmitted through the
backbone of the machine and the seat or saddle to the rider, and in addition to
being unpleasant often produce injurious consequences which it is the special object
of the Invention to prevent.
We would here remark that since the filing of our Provisional Specification we
have become aware of the arrangements of spring devices for the above mentioned
purpose, which are described in the Provisional Specification of certain Letters
Patent, No. 431880, granted to James Francis Richard Wood, and dated 22nd October,
A.D. 1880, and which are described in the said Specification as consisting in one
modification in terminating the ends of the back fork in C-springs, which terminate
with bearings for the axle of the back wheel, and in another modification in
providing the end of the back fork with double laminated carriage or bow springs
and yielding spring block bearings for the axle of the back wheel. No other
modifications or alternative arrangement of any kind being in any way further
referred to in the said Provisional Specification, and in respect of which arrange-
ments or of proper variations or modifications thereof the said Letters Patent were
sealed unto the said James Francis Richard Wood, and we have also become aware
of the Final Specification lodged by the said James Francis Richard Wood on the
22nd day of April, A.D. 1881, about 2 months after the date of our present
Letters Patent, and after he had fully inspected the construction and method of
operation of our improved spring devices, and had seen Drawings and our fully
illustrated advertisements thereof, and in which Final Specification he has sub-
sequently to the fuller description of the devices to which reference is made in his
Provisional Specification improperly included and described arrangements con-
structed in a material degree according to the principle clearly set forth in the
Provisional Specification lodged by us on the 8th day of February, A.D. 1881, and
in no way referred to in his Provisional Specification, we desire that it should be
clearly understood that we lay no claim to any appliance or combination of
appliances in respect of which the said Letters Patent, No. 431880, were sealed
unto the said James Francis Richard Wood.
Our present Invention is illustrated on the accompanying Drawings in various
modifications of its construction, and one of our improved combinations is fully
illustrated in Fig. 1 in connection with the hind or trailing wheel to which it is
adapted.
In carrying out our Invention we do not mount the trailing wheel directly in
the hinder or forked end of the backbone as has been generally done hitherto, but
we, according to one modification (which is illustrated on the accompanying
Drawings in Fig. 1), somewhat prolong the fork ends 1 and turn them up and tap

page_text: their extremities 2; and on the screwed ends we fit capped nuts 3 into which we
screw preferably cylindrical (or it may be square) cases 4. Each case is laterally
slotted at 5, see Fig. 3, and is internally bored or formed hollow so as to receive a
block which is capable of vertical or approximately vertical movement therein,
and in the two opposite blocks we mount the axle 7 of the trailing wheel 8, the
axle projecting on either side outwards, and passing through and being guided by
the slots 5 of the cases 4. Between each block and its under capped nut we place
a pad of india rubber or a short length of coiled spring 9, and between each block
and an upper cap or nut 10, which we screw into or onto the case at the top, we
place another length of coiled spring 21. The blocks carrying the axle of the
trailing wheel are further guided than as hereinbefore mentioned by means of rods
or continuations 11 rising therefrom or depending therefrom, or rising and depending
therefrom, as hereinafter described, and passing through central holes in the upper
or lower caps or nuts, or in the upper and lower nuts or their equivalents, as
hereinafter referred to. The case 4 is encircled by a tubular piece 20, which
sliding up and down with the axle 7 prevents the access of dust or dirt to the
interior.
We desire it should be clearly understood that the placing of the coiled springs
or of other equivalent yielding contrivances both above and below each of the axle
bearing blocks, and the provision of the latter with upward or downward or
upward and downward continuations or guiding rods which pass freely through
fixed parts of or attached to the case or its equivalent are the material and
characteristic features of our present Invention, and that we lay no claim to any
appliance or combination of appliances otherwise than in which such an arrangement
of upper and lower springs or yielding contrivances and guided axle bearing blocks
does not form an essential part.
According to another modification, which does not need illustrating, we exactly
reverse the above arrangement and cause the fork to connect with our improved
combination of apparatus at the top thereof, instead of at the bottom, as herein-
before described. The inclination of the cases 4 is then in alignment (as illustrated
in Fig. 4) with the back fork i stead of having an angular relation thereto, as
illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3.
According to another modification which is illustrated on the accompanying
Drawings in Fig. 2, we connect the cases directly and about centrally of their
length to the ends of the fork. This connection may be made by brazing the
parts, or by flanging each and bolting them together, or otherwise in any suitable
manner. This modification being in vertical section illustrates the arrangement of
the upper and lower springs, and of the upper. and lower guiding continuations of
the bearing blocks.
According to another modification, which is illustrated in Fig. 3, and is in some
degree a development of the next preceding modification, we make our improved
spring attachment (shown here in exterior view) detachable, with a side
continuation 12 which has a squared bolt hole 13 in its extremity. This enables
the improved attachment to be at once fitted to an ordinary bicycle with no other
alteration than simply filing the usual cylindrical hole in the end of the fork into
a square form, and by then passing a square bolt through the squared holes 13 and
securing it by nuts 15 the whole combination is made secure, and the wheel is
thrown sufficiently far back to allow of free vertical play without any liability of
encountering the upper bend of its fork.
According to another modification, which is illustrated in Fig. 4, we guide the
blocks carrying the axle of the wheel which imparts the vibration, the effects of
which it is desired to remedy, between uprights 16 secured by nuts 17 to upper and
lower cross-pieces 18, 19, one of which, either the upper or the lower one, is
secured to the fork.
Figs. 5 illustrate the bearing block combined with but one continuation or guiding
rod; and Fig. 2 clearly shows the same as combined with both upper and lower
guiding continuations.

page_text: In passing or travelling over uneven roadways with any of such arrangements
adapted to bicycles all the shocks are taken up by the improved spring or yielding
contrivances, and the riding is rendered safe and pleasant. The springs can with
great facility be adapted to the rider's weight by screwing or unscrewing the caps,
or they can be fitted in accordance therewith.
The application of yielding contrivances or means for taking up the concussion
arising as above mentioned in the manner and constructed as hereinbefore described
is of great advantage over many existing methods of attaining this object, and
especially over the faulty and very imperfect arrangements as described, or rather
referred to, in the Final Specification lodged by the said J. F. R. Wood. Should
either of the springs break, the other can be left therein or at once removed, and
the bicycle can still be used to all intents and purposes as an ordinary bicycle.
Our Invention moreover enables a smaller trailing wheel than usually to be fitted
to a bicycle, and which hitherto could not be done on account of the great vibration
caused thereby, such small wheel being considered to improve the appearance of
such machines.
Having now described the nature and object of our said Invention, together with
the manner in which the same is to be or may be performed or carried into practical
effect, we would remark in conclusion that what we consider to be novel and
original, and therefore claim as constituting the Invention secured to us by the
herein before in part recited Letters Patent are,-
1. The use in spring or yielding contrivances for supporting the axles of the
wheels of bicycles, tricycles, and other similar vehicles, of axle bearing blocks
provided with upper or with lower, or with upper and lower continuations,
extensions, or guiding rods in combination with upper and lower coiled, rubber, or
equivalent springs or yielding contrivances, the special purpose of utility of this
combination, and which constitutes the hitherto desired and yet at present totally
novel feature in such contrivances, being that the wheel is so mounted (its bearing
blocks being both laterally and vertically guided)'as that all "wobbling" or side
movement thereof, which occurs with all existing spring yielding contrivances
(Wood's included) is prevented, and both the upward and downward vibration is
fully taken up, and the injurious consequences resulting therefrom altogether
prevented, substantially as herein before described, and as illustrated on the
accompanying Drawings.
And, 2. The use in such spring or yielding contrivances of axle bearing blocks
provided or adapted with either one or more continuations or guiding rods,
extensions, or parts, substantially as and for the purposes herein before described,
and as illustrated on the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, we, the said Walter Mickelwright and Arthur George
Gladwyn, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Third day of
October, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty-
Ano
WALTER MICKELWRIGHT.
(L.S.)
ARTHUR GEORGE GLADWYN. (L.S.)