IMPROVEMENTS IN THE STEERING MECHANISM OF LOOSE-BACK VELOCIPEDES
Year: 1884

page_text: I, GEORGE HOOкHAM of 7 & 8 New Bartholomew St. Birmingham, Manufacturer
do hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN THE STEERING
MECHANISM OF LOOSE-BACK VELOCIPEDES to be as follows:-
In Tricycles of the "Humber" or " loose-backed" type instead of simply fixing
the stem of the steering handle in the front part of the frame, the handle is free to
rotate in a vertical bearing. A small toothed wheel fixed on the stem of the handle
gears into a larger toothed wheel (or sector of such wheel) which forms the forward
end of the "back-bone." The back-bone is pivoted at the centre of this wheel or
sector. The effect is that the hands operate upon the steering gear at a mechanical
advantage, and the machine is rendered easier and safer to ride.
In Tricycles of the kind known as the "Humber" or "loose-backed" class, in
which all that part called in the trade the "back-bone" (having the hind wheel
attached to it) has an angular movement in the plane of the road, the steering is
effected by means of a handle which is rigid with the front part of the frame. The
saddle is attached to the "back-bone," and consequently when a twisting motion is
imparted by the hands to the handle, the two front wheels are forced into planes
that are not parallel with the plane of the hind wheel, and the whole machine turns
to the right or left. The machines as usually constructed upon this principle are
dangerous inasmuch as an unperceived obstacle in the road striking one of the
driving wheels tends to make the machine swerve, and unless the hands are at
the moment being held in a rigid position a sudden swerving takes place, and the
machine, especially if running rapidly, is liable to be thrown over. Similarly, the
pressure of the feet on the pedals tends to turn the machine, and this makes
the machine difficult to ride.
My object is to increase the power of the hands to control this tendency to
swerving; and, to effect this, instead of making the handle rigid with the front
part of the body I fix it so that it is free to rotate on a vertical axis moving in a
vertical cylindrical cavity in the front part of the machine. It has no motion in
any other direction. I fix on the upright stem of the handle, just above its bearing
in the frame, a small toothed wheel.
At a short distance to the rear of this bearing, and in a line drawn at right
angles to the axle of the front wheels I pivot the back-bone; and on the forward

page_text: end of the backbone I fix a larger toothed wheel (or sector of such wheel) which
gears into the smaller toothed wheel on the upright stem of the handle already
described. It will be understood that the central portion of the front part of the
frame has a projection to receive the pivot of the back-bone; or the back-bone may
be pivoted as at present, and the vertical bearing for the handle be formed in a
projection carried out in front.
It will be apparent that, a twisting motion being imparted to the handle, the
machine will be turned out of its course, and in the same direction as it would be
with the ordinary arrangement; but a given angular motion of the handle will
turn the machine through an angle smaller in proportion as the radius of the
toothed wheel on the handle is smaller than the radius of the toothed wheel
(or sector) on the backbone. Conversely any external obstruction tending to twist
the machine will tend to twist the handle through a larger angle in the same
proportion. That is to say, external forces tending to turn the machine out of its
course act at a mechanical disadvantage with respect to the hands; or in other
words the power of the hands to keep the machine in its course is increased.
Similarly the tendency of the thrust of the feet on the pedals to twist the machine
is lessened; and thus the machine is made easier and safer to ride.
By the addition of a light frictional brake on the upright stem of the handle the
two parts of the machine are practically locked in any relative position although
the hands, acting at a mechanical advantage as aforesaid, easily turn the handle for
the purpose of steering.
The handle might move in a vertical bearing in the forward end of the "back-
bone and the small wheel upon it gear into a larger toothed wheel (or sector) fixed
upon the central portion of the front part of the frame. But I prefer the
arrangement formerly described, as in the latter case motion of the handle in
any direction would turn the machine in the opposite direction to that in which
the handle was turned.

page_text: I, GEORGE HOOKнAм of 7 and 8 New Bartholomew Street, Birmingham, in the
County of Warwick, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of said invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE STEERING MECHANISM OF LOOSE-BACK VELOCIPEDES,"
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement :--
In Tricycles of the type known as the Humber or loose-backed type in which
the whole of the part called in the trade the back-bone has an angular movement
in the plane of the road, the steering is effected by means of a handle which is rigid
with the front part of the frame-The saddle is attached to the back part and
consequently when a twisting motion is imparted' by the hands to the handle, the
two front wheels are forced into planes that are not parallel with the plane of the
hind wheel and the whole machine turns to the right or left-The machines as
usually constructed are dangerous inasmuch as an unperceived obstacle in the road
striking one of the driving wheels tends to cause the machine to swerve and unless
the hands are at the moment being held in a rigid position a sudden swerving
takes place and the machine, especially if running rapidly, is liable to be thrown
over.
My object is to increase the power of the hands to prevent such swerving; and
to effect this, instead of making the handle rigid with the front part of the body
I fix it so that it is free to rotate on a vertical axis moving in a vertical cylindrical
cavity in the front part of the machine-It has no motion in any other direction-
I fix on the upright stem of the handle just above its bearing in the frame a small
toothed wheel-At a short distance to the rear of this bearing, and in a line drawn
at right angles to the axle of the front wheels I pivot the back-bone and on the
forward end of the back-bone I fix a larger toothed wheel (or a sector of such
wheel) which gears into the small toothed wheel on the upright stem of the handle
already described-It will be understood that the central portion of the front part
of the frame has a projection to receive the pivot of the back-bone; or the back-
bone may be pivoted as at present, and the vertical bearing for the handle formed
in a projection carried out in front.
It will be apparent that a twisting motion being imparted to the handle, the
machine is turned out of its course, and in the same direction as it would be with
the ordinary arrangement; but a given angular motion of the angle will turn the
machine through a smaller angle, in proportion as the radius of the toothed wheel
on the bandle is smaller than the radius of the toothed wheel (or sector) on the
back-bone-Conversely any external obstruction tending to twist the machine will
tend to twist the handle through a larger angle in the same proportion, that is to
say, external forces tending to turn the machine out of its course act at a mechanical
disadvantage with respect to the hands; or in other words the power of the hands
to keep the machine in its course is increased-Similarly the tendency of the thrust
of the feet on the pedals to twist the machine is lessened, and the machine is made
easier and safer to ride.

page_text: By the addition of a light frictional break on the upright stem of the handle the
two parts of the machine are practically locked in any relative position, although
the hands acting at a mechanical advantage, as aforesaid, easily turn the handle for
the purpose of steering-The handle might move in a vertical bearing in the forward
end of the back-bone and the small wheel upon it gears into a larger toothed wheel
(or sector) fixed upon the central portion of the front part of the frame-But
I prefer the arrangement formerly described as in the latter case motion of the
handle in any direction would turn the machine in the opposite direction to that in
which the handle was turned.
I will now proceed to describe my invention with reference to the accompanying
Drawing In all the figures the same letters stand for the same parts.
Figure 1 is a plan partly in horizontal section of those parts of a Tricycle to
which my invention is applied-Figure 2 is a front elevation of figure 1 upon a
reduced scale-Figure 3 is a side view of figure 2, and figure 4 is a plan showing
the strap and pulley arrangement, which acts as a brake upon the spindle carrying
the bar handles, and assist the steadying action of the hands in guiding the
machine-S, S is the sleeve of the axle of the two front wheels-T T is the
back-bone-A is the section of the stem of the handle-B the section of the pivot
of the back-bone-F is a small toothed wheel keyed on to the stem of the handle-
g is the toothed sector forming the fore-end of the back-bono and gearing into A-
C, C is a solid forging or malleable casting fixed to the sleeve S. S-D. D is part of
the same carried backwards to form the bracket bearing for the pivot B. b. b and
shown in dotted lines in figure l are the traces of pulley wheels fixed
respectively to the stem of the handle and the stem for the saddle H; a strap a, a,
a, a, passes tightly round these pulley wheels and acts as a brake upon the handle
and assists the steadying action of the hands as before described-This is not a
necessary part of the invention.
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 what
I claim is
First The use of a small toothed wheel or pinion fixed upon the stem of the
handle of loose-backed tricycles, bicycles and other velocipedes, gearing with a
toothed sector, or a toothed wheel on the fore end of the loose-back, the parts being
arranged, combined and acting in the manner and for the purpose as described and
illustrated in the several figures of the Drawing.
Secondly The use of a brake in conjunction with the gear as described and set
forth.
GEORGE
HOOKHAM.
By Henry Skerrett,
6, Livery Street, Birmingham,
Agent to the Applicant