IMPROVEMENTS IN VELOCIPEDES
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Frederick Forder, of Bilston Street, Wolver-
hampton, in the County of Stafford, and John Traves, of Bilston
Street, Wolverhampton, in the County of Stafford, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN VELOCIPEDES."
Sealed the 21st September 1869, and dated the 19th June 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Frederick Forder and
John Traves at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 19th June 1869.
We, FREDERICK FORDER, of Bilston Street, Wolverhampton, in the
County of Stafford, and JOHN TRAVES, of Bilston Street, Wolverhampton,
in the County of Stafford, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN VELOCIPEDES," to be as follows:-
In the front socket of a velocipede we place a spiral spring or its
equivalent, which bears at its upper extremity against the under side
of the top part of the socket above mentioned and at its lower extremity
against a shoulder or its equivalent on the guide spindle. The front
socket being fixed to the frame and the guide spindle being fixed to
the front wheels or wheel and the socket so arranged that it will slide.

page_text: up and down upon the guide spindle, there is thus by the action of
the spiral spring or its equivalent before mentioned an easier motion
imparted to the frame when the wheel or wheels is or are travelling:
over an uneven surface than there is with velocipedes constructed in the
ordinary way.
A somewhat similar arrangement having been used for Bath chairs
our Invention does not consist of the spiral spring or its equivalent as
applied to the front sockets of conveyances generally, but of its particular
application to the front sockets of velocipedes.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Frederick Forder and John Traves in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 18th December 1869,
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, FREDERICK
FORDER and JOHN TRAVES, both of Bilston Street, Wolverhampton, in
the County of Stafford, Carriage Builders, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of June, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-
second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto us, the said Frederick Forder and John Traves, Her
special licence that we, the said Frederick Forder and John Traves,
our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said
Frederick Forder and John Traves, our executors, administrators, and
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time
and at all times thereafter, during the term therein expressed, should
and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle
of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN VELOCIPEDES," upon the
condition (amongst others) that we, the said Frederick Forder and
John Traves, our executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under our, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the
same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Frederick Forder and John Traves,
do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement, reference being had to the accom-
panying Drawings (that is to say)
Our Invention has for its object improvements in velocipedes, and
consists in the application of a spiral spring within the front socket of
a velocipede, which spiral spring bears at its upper extremity against
the under side of the top part of the said socket and at its lower
extremity against a shoulder or collar on the guide spindle. The said
socket must be of a larger diameter inside than the diameter of the
spindle in order that there may be a sufficiently wide space between
the inside of the said socket and the outside of the spindle for the spring
aforesaid. The front socket being connected to the frame and the guide
spindle being connected to the front wheel or wheels and the said socket
so arranged that it will slide up and down upon the guide spindle, there
is thus by the action of the spring before named an easier motion
imparted to the frame when the wheel or wheels is or are travelling
over an uneven surface than there is with velocipedes constructed in the
ordinary.

page_text: prevent any sudden rising or jumping of the socket A (and consequently
of the frame F) on account of the action of the spring D aforesaid,
though the counter spring E in no way interferes with the compression
of the said spring D by the action of the weight on the socket A or by
any unevenness of the road or way. The counter spring E is used as
a check in case of the spring D becoming suddenly relieved from great
compression.
Having now described our Invention, and in what manner the same
may be performed, we declare that we claim, the application of a spring
above described within the front sockets of velocipedes and for the
purpose of reducing the vibration of those vehicles when travelling.
In witness whereof, we; the said Frederick Forder and John Traves,
have hereunto set our hands and seals, this First day of December,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-
nine.
Witness to the signatures of the
said Frederick Forder and
John Traves,
STEPHEN WATKINS,
Patent Office,
Wolverhampton.
FREDERICK FORDER. (L.S.)
JOHN TRAVES.
(L.S.)