Improvements in or appertaining to Bicycles.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Mar., 1891-Accepted, 11th Apr., 1891
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or appertaining to Bicycles.
A communication from abroad by WILLIAM EARL THOMPSON, of Milwaukee,
in the County of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, United States of
America, Insurance Agent.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of the Agency for
Foreign Patent Solicitors, 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, and 6, Bank Street,
Manchester, both in the County of Lancaster, and 323, High Holborn, in the
County of Middlesex, Civil 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 :-
The invention relates to the novel construction of the backbone-supporting fork
that straddles the front wheel of a bicycle, and the invention consists in a fork con-
structed of a minimum number of parts necessary to supporting yieldingly the
backbone and seat thereon in such manner as to, so far as is possible, prevent the
Jar and vertical motion of the wheel, caused by passing over stones or other
inequalities on the track, from being transmitted to the rider.
In the drawings,
Figure 1 is a fragment of the front wheel of a bicycle, with the improved fork
attached thereto.
Figure 2 is a front view of the same fragment of a wheel and the fork shown in
Figure 1.
Figure 3 is an enlarged view of the lower end of one leg of the fork showing its
connection to the axle of the front wheel of the bicycle, parts being broken away
to show the construction of other parts behind those broken away.
Figure 4 is a front view of the same parts shown in Figure 3, portions being
broken away and others shown in section to exhibit interior construction.
The bicycle wheel A is loose on its axle B. The improved fork consists of the
stem C and the legs D D. The legs of the fork are each formed in two parts E
and F. The parts E at their upper extremities are affixed to or made integral
with the stem C. At their lower extremities the parts E E are pivoted to the
parts FF at a distance from the axle B. the parts F F being at their lower
extremities secured rigidly to the axle B, conveniently by receiving the axle there-
through, and being secured thereon against rotation by keys or splines G G and
against movement endwise thereon by being interposed between collars H H fixed
on the axle and nuts II turned on the axle against the parts F F on the outside.
The parts F F are continued beyond the points K K at which they are pivoted to
the parts E E, projecting upwardly and rearwardly a distance therefrom and are
then curved over towards, and are secured to the parts E E conveniently by being
inserted in brackets L L rigid on the parts E E, and held therein by set screws M M
turning through the brackets against the bracket-inserted portions of the parts F F.
These extended portions of the parts F F upwardly beyond the pivotal point K
are elastic and form volute springs N N which are adapted to hold the two parts E
and F of the legs of the fork yieldingly in position relative to each other. As the
general direction of the fork is upward and rearwardly in an oblique direction from
the supporting axle B, it will be understood that any slight vertical motion or
sudden jar given to the wheel will be modified by the action of the springs, so that
the motion or jar will not be transmitted in its intensity to the rider in his seat on
the backbone supported on the fork.
A desirable method of connecting the parts E E to the parts F F is shown in
Figures 1 and 2, which consists in constructing the lower extremities of the parts E E

page_text: with bifurcate ends OO forming sockets in which the parts F F are pivoted by
means of bolts passing through them at K.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is
--
1. A bicycle fork having legs formed in two parts pivoted together at a distance
from the supporting axle, the lower parts of the legs being continued upwardly
beyond the pivotal points, which continuations of the lower parts are elastic and
form springs connected rigidly at their upper extremities to the upper parts of the
legs of the fork, substantially as described.
2. In a bicycle, the combination, with a wheel and its axle loose therein, of a
fork supported on the axle, the legs of which fork are constructed in two parts
pivoted together, the lower parts being continued upwardly and secured at a
distance from their pivotal points to the upper parts forming springs integral with
the lower parts of the legs adapted to support the legs yieldingly, substantially as
described.
3. In a bicycle, a fork having legs in two parts, the upper parts of which E E
have bifurcate lower extremities OO, in combination with lower parts F F of the
legs secured rigidly to the axle of the wheel and pivoted at a distance therefrom to
the parts E E in the bifurcate extremities O O, and springs N N integral with the
parts F projecting upwardly therefrom and secured rigidly at their upper ends to
the parts E E, substantially as described.
Dated this 9th day of March 1891.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.