Improved Construction of the Framing or Forks of Bicycles, Tricycles, or similar Velocipedes, and the Adaptation and Application of Springs thereto for the purpose of Reducing the Vibration of such Machines whilst being Ridden.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Feb., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 13th June, 1892-Accepted, 16th July, 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Construction of the Framing or Forks of Bicycles, Tricycles,
or similar Velocipedes, and the Adaptation and Application of
Springs thereto for the purpose of Reducing the Vibration of
such Machines whilst being Ridden.
STEPHEN PEARSON, Junior, Butt Bank, Fourstones, in the Parish of Warden, in
the County of Northumberland, Manufacturer's Clerk, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
This my invention relates more particularly to an improved construction of the
forks of bicycles, tricycles or similar velocipedes and the adaptation and application
of springs thereto by the use of or with which I am enabled to greatly reduce the
vibration of such vehicles whilst being ridden.
To carry my invention into practice I make the lower ends of the forks of such
machines longer than usual curving them downwards and then upwards and
continuing the free ends in a horizontal direction this may be done either in the
original construction of the forks or by fixing my invention to the ends of the
ordinary forks of existing machines after removing the wheel and axle.
To each of the elongated improved constructed forks (by means of a rivet, bolt
and nut, coned bearing, ball bearing, or the like) and intersecting them, I attach
and pivot moveable metal plates of a suitable shape and size with the free ends
turned downwards and extending in a horizontal direction corresponding with the
extended forks above. In and through each of the said pivoted moveable metal
plates I form a hole in which I fit or fix the axle on or to which the wheel is fitted
and between the free ends of the elongated forks and the free ends of the pivoted
moveable metal plates I fix by any suitable means in a vertical position springs of
any suitable shape and size.
For the purpose of strengthening the elongated forks and to assist in carrying
the hinge or pivot I attach another metallic plate of suitable shape and size which
is held in position by the bolt and nut passing through the hole in the forks
from which the wheel and axle has been removed and by the hinge or pivot already
referred to.
Another mode of carrying my invention into practice is by hinging or pivoting
the moveable metal plates to the elongated forks without intersecting them in case
it might be found desirable to compress the springs instead of expanding them as
in the former case, always provided that the hinge or pivot shall be on the outside
of vertical lines passing through the centre of the wheels or wheels' base-that is to
say the hinge or pivot shall not be placed within the distance comprised by the
wheels' base.
In order that my invention may be more readily explained and understood in
5 detail I have hereunto annexed a sheet of drawings.
11000
STEPHEN PEARSON, JUNIOR,
Butt Bank, Fourstones, Northumberland.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Construction of the Framing or Forks of Bicycles, Tricycles,
or similar Velocipedes, and the Adaptation and Application of
Springs thereto for the purpose of Reducing the Vibration of
such Machines whilst being Ridden.
I, STEPHEN PEARSON, Junior of Butt Bank Fourstones in the Parish of
Warden in the County of Northumberland, Manufacturer's Clerk 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 :-
This my
invention relates more particularly to an improved construction of the
forks of bicycles tricycles or similar velocipedes and the adaptation and application
of springs thereto by the use of or with which I am enabled to greatly reduce the
vibration of such vehicles whilst being ridden.
To carry my invention into practice I make the lower ends of the forks of such
machines longer than usual curving them downwards and then upwards and
continuing the free ends in a horizontal direction; this may be done either in the
original construction of the forks or by fixing my invention to the ends of the
ordinary forks of existing machines after removing the wheel and axle.
To each of the elongated improved constructed forks (by means of a rivet, bolt
and nut, coned bearing, ball bearing or the like) and intersecting them I attach
and pivot movable metal plates of a suitable shape and size with the free ends
turned downwards and extending in a horizontal direction corresponding with the
extended forks above.
In and through each of the said pivoted movable metal plates I form a hole in
which I fit or fix the axle on or to which the wheel is fitted and between the free
ends of the clongated forks and the free ends of the pivoted movable metal plates
I fix by any suitable means in a vertical position springs of any suitable shape and
size.
For the purpose of strengthening the elongated forks and to assist in carrying
the hinge or pivot I may attach another metallic plate of suitable shape and size
which may be held in position by the bolt and nut passing through the hole in the
forks from which the wheel and axle has been removed and by the hinge or pivot
already referred to.
Another mode of carrying my invention into practice is by hinging or pivoting
the movable metal plates to the elongated forks without intersecting them in case
it might be found desirable to compress the springs instead of expanding them as
in the former case always provided that the hinge or pivot shall be on the outside
of vertical lines passing through the centre of the wheels or wheels' base-that is
to say the hinge or pivot shall not be placed within the distance comprised by
the wheels' base.
In order that my invention may be more readily explained and understood in
detail will now proceed to explain the accompanying drawings in which
Figure 1. shows a side view of the end of one arm of the fork of an ordinary
velocipede with my invention applied to it, Figure 3 showing a similar side view of
my invention as applied when formed in one with the fork, Figure 4 being a plan
view of the same.
Figure 2 shows a modified view of the same arrangement.
Like letters indicate like parts throughout the following description.
Referring to the drawings, 1 is the lower end of one arm of a cycle fork and 1ª is
a curved extension of same..
At 2 is centred the curved arm 2ª and at 3 the axle of the cycle wheel is
mounted.
Between the outer ends of the arms 1º 2ª, a spring 3ª is secured as shown.

page_text: The drawing illustrates only one of the two arms forming the fork with my
invention applied but as will be understood both of the fork arm ends must be
similarly arranged.
When therefore the cycle in running encounters any obstruction on the road, the
tendency of the machine due to the momentum is to go forward and in so doing the
outer extremity of arm 2ª is depressed, the inner extremity being raised, and as
the wheel is mounted on the inner extremities of these arms, the effect of meeting
the obstruction is to increase the wheel base of the machine and so assist the
machine in overcoming the obstruction.
This increase of wheel base, it will be seen, is measured by the degree of vibration
of the short arm of arm 2ª.
The above arrangement can be fitted to an ordinary machine by removing the
wheel from its ordinary bearings in the fork and by bolting or otherwise securely
fastening the extensions 1ª and arms 2" to the fork end.
Fig. 3 shows the fork and extension thereof constructed in one piece and Fig. 2
shows an obvious modification of the above construction whereby the spring 3ª will
be compressed instead of extended, on the cycle encountering an obstruction as
above described.
I am aware that it is not new to extend the forks for the purpose of centering a
cycle wheel on centres of separate vibrating levers or to use springs in connection
with such separate vibrating levers but in all the arrangements hitherto adopted
the effect of this construction has always been to shorten the wheel base and so to
check the progress of the machine.
By my invention the effect of the construction is to increase the wheel base and
so to assist the progress of the machine, and in practice the beneficial results
accruing to my invention, are of a most material nature.
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 improved construction in the framing or forks of velocipedes consisting in
a sufficient extension of the forks to enable the wheel to be mounted on the inner
ends of vibrating arms or levers whose centres of motion on the said extensions of
the forks are in front or in advance of the wheel centre, the opposite or outer ends
of the vibrating arms being connected with the ends of the fork extensions by
springs substantially in the manner and for the purposes hereinbefore described and
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
2. The combination with the extended fork ends of cycles of vibrating levers
mounted in front of the wheel centre and carrying the wheel at their inner ends and
having spring attachments to the extended fork ends at their outer ends for the
purpose of increasing the wheel base of the machine when encountering obstructions
and of reducing vibration substantially as set forth.
Dated this 9th day of June 1892.
A. CRAWHALL CHAPMAN,
3, St. Nicholas Buildings, Newcastle-on-Tyne, Patent Agent.