Improvements in or connected with Velocipedes, said Improvements being also applicable to other Vehicles.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 19th May, 1896
Complete Specification Left, 17th Dec., 1896-Accepted, 17th Apr., 1897
Improvements in or connected with Velocipedes, said Improvements
being also applicable to other Vehicles.
I, ROBERT GERMAN, of 707, Fulham Road, London, Engineer, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to improvements in or connected with velocipedes, the object
being, by an improved and novel arrangement of wheels to reduce jolting and
vibration to a minimum so as to render the use of pneumatic tyres unnecessary,
thus doing away with the liability of puncture and the consequent inconvenience
resulting therefrom. A velocipede fitted with my improvements will still have a
single track, while owing to the vibration being greatly reduced, it can be propelled
with less power and exertion than velocipedes as hitherto constructed, and an increased
speed may be readily attained.
In carrying my invention into practical effect, I replace the single front or the
single back wheel by two other wheels mounted in suitable forks and secured one
at each end of a bar or cross rod, the said bar or cross-rod, in the case of the
front being pivoted between the ends of the ordinary fork in such a manner that
either end of the said rod carrying the two wheels may rise and fall with the
inequalities of the road or upon meeting an obstacle. The steering of the machine
is effected in the ordinary manner by turning the fork to the right or left which
swings the aforesaid rod round in the required direction, the front wheel being
rigidly secured to the end of the rod for steering purposes and the rear wheel of the
front pair being carried by a fork loosely mounted in a ball head or socket so as to
form a trailing wheel and automatically turn from side to side with the direction or
motion of the machine. In a like manner the rear wheel of the velocipede may be
replaced by two wheels mounted upon the ends of a cross bar or connecting rod
pivotted between the sides or ends of the frame, in which case one of the wheels of
the rear combination would be actuated or revolved by means of a chain, chain wheels
and pedals in the ordinary manner.
My improvements may be applied to velocipedes of all kinds and to other vehicles
to which such improvements are suitable such as motor cars, carriages and
the like.
As my improvements are capable of some modifications without departing from
the principle thereof, I do not restrict myself to materials, dimensions or to the precise
form or placement of the several parts thereof.

page_text: Improvements in or connected with Velocipedes, said Improvements.
being also applicable to other Vehicles.
I, ROBERT GERMAN, of 707, Fulham Road, London, Engineer, 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 relates to improvements in or connected with velocipedes, the object
being, by an improved and novel arrangement of wheels, to reduce jolting and
vibration to a minimum so as to render the use of pneumatic tyres unnecessary,
thus doing away with the liability of puncture and the consequent inconvenience
resulting therefrom. A velocipede fitted with my improvements will still have a
single track, while owing to the vibration being greatly reduced, it can be propelled
with less power and exertion than velocipedes as hitherto constructed, and an increased
speed may be readily attained.
In carrying my invention into practical effect, 1 replace the single front or the
single back wheel, or both of them, by two or more other wheels mounted in suitable
forks and secured one to each end of a rocking bar or cross-rod, the said rocking
bar or cross-rod, in the case of the front being pivoted between the ends of the
ordinary fork in such a manner that either end of the said rod carrying the two
wheels may rise and fall with the inequalities of the road or upon meeting an obstacle.
The steering of the machine is effected in the ordinary manner by turning the fork
to the right or left which swings the aforesaid rod round in the required direction,
the front wheel being rigidly secured to the end of the rod for steering purposes
and the rear wheel of the front pair being carried by a fork loosely mounted in a
ball head or socket, so as to form a trailing wheel and automatically turn from side
to side with the direction or motion of the machine. In a like manner the rear
wheel of the velocipede may be replaced by two or more wheels, mounted upon the
ends of a cross-bar rocking bar or connecting rod pivotted between the sides or ends
of the frame, in which case one of the wheels of the rear combination would be
actuated or revolved by means of a chain, chain wheels and pedals in the ordinary
manner.
My improvements may be applied to velocipedes of all kinds, and to other
vehicles to which such improvements are suitable, such as motor-cars, carriages and
the like.
In order that the essential features of my invention may be more fully understood,
I will now proceed to describe same with reference to the accompanying drawing,
which is a diagrammatic side elevation, illustrating the application of this invention to
an opened framed safety bicycle.
According to my invention I replace the ordinary front wheel of a velocipede by
two or more wheels such as w, w¹, for instance carried in forks f, f, and arranged
one in front of the other at the ends of a cross or rocking bar b, said bar being
carried by the ordinary steering fork a and designed to be operated by the handle-
bars h. The rear wheel to of the front pair may be mounted or arranged in such a
manner as to be free to turn from side to side independently of the front wheel w¹
thus acting as a trailing wheel.
In a like manner the rear wheel w of the velocipede is mounted at one end of
cross or rocking bars b', pivoted as at c between the arms d of the rear fork, while the
opposite extremity of said cross or rocking bar b¹ is furnished with a fork f
carrying a second wheel w³, thus forming at the rear part of the velocipede a pair
of wheels to replace the ordinary single wheel usually employed.

page_text: The wheel w would be operated by means of any convenient arrangement of chain
wheels, chain, cranks, and pedals in the ordinary manner, and I wish it to be
understood that I do not restrict myself in any manner to the constructional
details, as they would necessarily have to be altered to suit various designs of
machines.
It is obvious that although I have described and illustrated my invention as
applied to velocipedes, it can also be advantageously employed in connection with
other vehicles, such for instance, as carriages, traps, broughams, motor-cars,
wheel-barrows, and for rolling stock generally, when and where it is found suitable
for the purpose.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The improvements in or connected with velocipedes, which improvements are
also applicable to other vehicles, substantially as herein described and shown, and
for the purposes specified.
2. The improvements in or connected with velocipedes, comprising the replacement
of the ordinary front wheel by two or more wheels such for instance as w, w¹,
carried in suitable forks or the like such as f, f, and arranged one in front of the
other at the ends of a suitable cross or rocking bar such as b, the ordinary rear
wheel being replaced by two or more wheels such as w2, w, carried at the ends of
suitable cross or rocking bars or a rocking frame such as b³, which is pivoted
between the back fork d of the frame of the velocipede, the whole in combination
with suitable chain, chain wheels, cranks and pedals for operating same, substantially
as herein described and shown, and for the purposes specified.
3. In connection with velocipedes and other vehicles, the replacement of any single
wheel designed to come into contact with the ground, by two or more wheels
arranged one in front of the other at the ends of a pivotted cross or rocking bar,
rocking frame or the like, substantially as herein described and shown and for the
purpose specified.
Dated this 8th day of December 1896
F. G. CASSELL
(Of Cassell & Co.),
22, Glasshouse Street, Regent Street, London, W.,
Agent for the Applicant.