An Improvement or Improvements in Steering Mechanism for Tricycles.
Year: 1885

page_text: An Improvement or Improvements in Steering Mechanism for
Tricycles.
I JOHN MARSHALL STARLEY of the firm of Starley Brothers of Saint John's
Works Fleet Street Coventry in the County of Warwick Manufacturers do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVEMENT OR IMPROVEMENTS
IN STEERING MECHANISM FOR TRICYCLES to be as follows:-
"
My invention consists of steering mechanism for tricycles the parts of which are
constructed and combined or arranged in the manner hereinafter described.
When the parts of steering mechanism constructed according to my invention
are in their normal positions the tricycle is steered in a straight path and after the
tricycle has by the action of the rider on the steering handle been made to travel
in a curved path the parts return automatically to their normal positions and the
tricycle resumes a straight path immediately the rider ceases to act on the handle.
The hands of the rider are thus at liberty so long as the tricycle is travelling in a
straight path.
In constructing the steering mechanism of tricycles according to my invention
I make on the lower part of the vertical pin or axis of the front fork of the
tricycle a flat plane the said plane being situated opposite the horizontal socket
into which the tubular backbone of the tricycle is fitted. In the open end of the
tubular backbone a cylindrical plug or piston is situated the said plug or piston
being forced outwards and against the plane on the pin or axis of the front fork by
a strong coiled spring.
The rear end of this coiled spring abuts against the head of a screw situated
axially in the tubular backbone and taking into a screwed hole in a nut or collar
brazed or otherwise fixed in the backbone. The tension of the coiled spring can
be regulated by screwing home more or less the said screw into the fixed nut or
collar. To permit of ready access to the said screw by means of a screw driver a
hole is drilled from the front of the vertical socket in which the axis or head of
the fork works. A hole is also drilled in that part of the pin or axis of the fork
on which the plane described is made and an axial hole is also made in the plug
or piston When the parts are in their normal positions these holes are in the

page_text: same line and a screw driver can be passed through them to the head of the
tension screw.
The action of the mechanism is as follows. The pressure of the plug or piston
on the plane formed on the axis of the front fork tends to prevent the rotation of
the said axis in its socket and to preserve the motion of the tricycle in a straight
line. When for the purpose of steering the tricycle in a curve the rider turns the
handle in either direction one or other edge of the plane on the axis of the fork
bears against and presses back the plug or piston thereby compressing the coiled
spring and increasing its tension. Immediately the rider looses or ceases to press
the handle the pressure of the plug or piston on the edge of the plane causes the
said plane to return to its normal position and the tricycle to travel in a straight
line.

page_text: An Improvement or Improvements in Steering Mechanism for
Tricycles.
€
I JOHN MARSHALL STARLEY of the firm of Starley Brothers of Saint John's
Works, Fleet Street, Coventry in the County of Warwick, Manufacturers do
hereby declare the nature of this Invention. and in what manner the same is to
be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
My invention consists of steering mechanism for tricycles, the parts of which are
constructed and combined or arranged in the manner hereinafter described.
When the parts of steering mechanism constructed according to my invention
are in their normal positions the tricycle is steered in a straight path and after the
tricycle has, by the action of the rider on the steering handle, been made to travel
in a curved path the parts return automatically to their normal positions and the
tricycle resumes a straight path immediately the rider ceases to act on the handle.
The hands of the rider are thus at liberty so long as the tricycle is travelling in a
straight path.
,
In constructing the steering mechanism of tricycles according to my invention.
I make on the lower part of the vertical pin or axis of the front fork of the'
tricycle a flat plane, the said plane being situated opposite the horizontal.socket.
into which the tubular backbone of the tricycle is fitted. In the open end of the
tubular backbone a cylindrical plug or piston is situated the said plug or piston
being forced outwards and against the plane on the pin or axis of the front fork
by a strong coiled spring.
The rear end of this coiled spring abuts against the head of a screw situated
axially in the tubular backbone and taking into a screwed hole in a nut or collar
brazed or otherwise fixed in the backbone. The tension of the coiled' spring can
be regulated by screwing home more or less the said screw into the fixed nut or.
collar. To permit of ready access to the said screw by means of a screw driver a
hole is drilled from the front of the vertical socket in which the axis or head of the
fork works. A hole is also drilled in that part of the pin or axis of the fork on
which the plane described is made and an axial hole is also made in the plug
or piston. When the parts are in their normal positions these holes are in the
same line and a screw driver can be passed through them to the head of the
tension screw.
The action of the mechanism is as follows. The pressure of the plug or piston
on the plane formed on the axis of the front fork tends to prevent the rotation of
the said axis in its socket and to preserve the motion of the tricycle in a straight
line. When for the purpose of steering the tricycle in a curve the rider turns the
handle in either direction one or other edge of the plane on the axis of the fork
bears against and presses back the plug or piston, thereby compressing the coiled
spring and increasing its tension. Immediately the rider looses or ceases to press
the handle the pressure of the plug or piston on the edge of the plane causes the
said plane to return to its normal position and the tricycle to travel in a straight
line.
:

page_text: Figure 1 represents in end elevation; Figure 2 in side elevation partly in
vertical section and Figures 3 and 4 in plan, partly in horizontal section, a portion
of a tricycle to which automatic steering mechanism constructed according to my
invention is applied. In Figures 1, 2 and 3 the parts are represented in the
positions which they respectively occupy when the tricycle is travelling in a
straight path and in Figure 4 the parts are represented in the positions which
they respectively occupy when the. tricycle is travelling in a curved path. The
other Figures represent detached parts of the steering mechanism as hereinafter
described.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several Figures of
the Drawings.
a is the front steering wheel of the tricycle the travelling or driving wheels not
being represented in the Drawings; b is the vertical pin or axis or head of the
front fork c and d is the mud guard. The vertical pin, axis or head b is furnished
with the usual cross bar or other handle for supporting the rider and for turning
the pin, axis or head 6 for steering the tricycle; e is the vertical socket in which
the bottom of the pin, axis or head b works and f is the horizontal socket into
which the tubular backbone g of the tricycle is fitted. The lower part of the
vertical pin, axis or head b is shown detached in front elevation in Figure 5; side
elevation in Figure 6; vertical section in Figure 7 and horizontal section in
Figure 8. On that face of the enlargement at the lower part of the pin, axis or
head which is presented to the tubular backbone g and horizontal socket f, a
plane h is made as best seen in Figures 3. 4 and 8 and in the open end of the
said tubular backbone g a cylindrical plug or piston i (shown separately in
Figures 9 and 10) is fitted, the said plug or piston being forced outwards and
against the plane h on the pin, axis or head 6 by the strong coiled spring k. The
rear end of the spring k takes an abutment against the head of the teusion screw
(shown separately in Figure 11) situated axially in the backbone g, the said screw
taking into a screw box screw nut or screw collar m brazed or otherwise fixed in
the backbone g as seen in Figures 2, 3 and 4.
The screw box, screw nut or screw collar m is represented separately in
Figure 12. By adjusting the position of the head of the tension screw / in the
manner herein after explained by screwing the said screw / more or less into the
fixed screw box or collar m, the tension of the coiled spring k may be regulated.
The position of the tension screw is fixed after adjustment by driving home the
set screw n (see Figure 3) and causing its end to bear against the head of the
screw l.
For adjusting the position of the tension screw by means of a screw driver
taking into the cross nick in the head of the screw, a hole is made through the
vertical socket e in which the pin or axis b works and a hole q is also made through
that part of the pin or axis b on which the plane h is made. An axial hole r is
also made in the plug or piston i. When the steering wheel a is in a line with the
backbone 9, the several holes p, q and r coincide (see Figure 3) and a screw driver
can be passed through them and along the interior of the coiled spring k to the
head of the tension screw l.
When the parts of the steering mechanism are in their normal positions
Figures 1, 2 and 3, the pressure of the plug or piston i on the plane h of the pin,
axis or head 6 tends to prevent the rotation of the said axis in its socket e and to
preserve the motion of the tricycle in a straight path. In order to steer the
tricycle in a curve, the rider turns the handle on the top of the vertical pin or axis
or head b, in one or other direction, in the same manner as the cross handle of an
ordinary bicycle is turned. By the motion of the axis, pin or head 6 in its socket e
one or other edge of the plane h bears against and presses back the plug or piston i
and compresses the coiled spring k as illustrated in Figure 4 and the tricycle is
steered in the required curve.
On the rider loosing or ceasing to press the handle on the pin, axis or head 6 the
pressure of the plug or piston i on the edge of the plane h causes the said plane

page_text: to return to its normal position and with it the axis, pin or head b and steering
wheel a and parts connected with it as illustrated in Figures 2 and 3 and the
tricycle again travels in a straight path.
.
It will thus be seen that when the parts of the steering mechanism are in their
normal positions the tricycle travels in a straight path and after the tricycle has
by the action of the rider on the steering handle been made to travel in a curved
path, the parts return automatically to their normal positions and the tricycle
resumes a straight path immediately the rider ceases to act on the steering handle.
My improved automatic steering mechanism may be applied to tricycles in which
the travelling wheels are situated at the front of the vehicle and their common axle
is operated upon by the steering handle.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that I claim
as my invention ;-
The construction and combination of the parts of steering mechanism of tricycles
herein before described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings; that is to
say, making on the inner face and lower part of the vertical pin or axis or head of
the fork carrying the steering handle and opposite the open end of the tubular
backbone of the tricycle, a plane and the combination with the said plane of a
plug or piston working in the tubular backbone and pressed against the said plane
by a strong coiled spring, whereby the steering parts are preserved in their normal
positions and after steering are automatically returned to their normal positions
when the steering handle is loosed or the pressure removed from it substantially as
described and illustrated; also the arrangement of parts described and illustrated
for regulating the tension of the coiled spring of the plug or piston and for
gaining access to the regulating part.