Improvements in Appliances for Controlling and Regulating the Engines of Motor Cycles and Carriages.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Oct., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 5th July, 1898-Accepted, 6th Aug., 1898
Improvements in Appliances for Controlling and Regulating the
Engines of Motor Cycles and Carriages.
.
-
HENRY CAPEL LOFFT HOLDEN, Major Royal Artillery, Royal Arsenal, Woolwich,
London, S.E., do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows;-
My invention relates to an improved attachment for controlling and regulating
the engines of motor cycles and other automotors in which it is desirable that the
engine should be controlled and its speed regulated without the necessity for
removing the hand or hands from the steering handle.
My invention is primarily intended for such vehicles as are driven by internal
combustion engines though it is applicable by suitable modifications of details
of valve to any form of engine worked by expansion of a vapour or gas, such as a
steam or compressed air engine.
In order to effect this purpose I attach a chamber containing the regulating
valve or valves to a fixed part of the vehicle which in the case of a bicycle or
tricycle may be the steering head, which forms a part of the frame of the machine.
I furthermore arrange the spindle of my valve so that it moves parallel to the axis
of the steering head.
The steering bar passes through the steering head and is terminated above the
head by the handle bar and below by the fork which carries the bearings of the
wheel.
The spindle of the valve is rigidly connected to a collar or sleeve which is free to
move up and down the steering bar above the head and the steering bar can turn in
this sleeve when necessary for the action of steering.
The sleeve has a groove turned around it above the attachment to the valve
spindle and in this groove there are the two arms of a forked lever whereby the
collar can be raised or lowered as desired.
The lever is pivotted, as convenient, to the handle bar and is arranged so that its
general shape follows that of the bar, terminating close to the handle in another
fork in which engages a nut with a milled edge; this nut screws up and down on
a screwed arm pivotted at one end to the handle bar in such a manner that it can
be withdrawn from the fork when required.
The milled nut can be worked by the finger and thumb without removing the
hand from the bar and regulation thus effected, or the nut can be withdrawn from
the fork entirely thereby shutting off the supply.
By thus raising the lever towards the steering handle the supply to the engine
can be regulated and by withdrawing the nut from the fork the lever immediately
returns by the agency of a weight or a spring to its first position and the supply is
cut off.
Dated this 12th dex of October 1807

page_text: TA APP
Engines of Motor Cycles and Carriages.
HENRY CAPEL LOFFT HOLDEN, Major Royal Artillery, Royal Arsenal, Woolwich,
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 an improved means for regulating and controlling the
engines of motor cycles and other automotors whereby it becomes possible to
control the engine without removing the haid or hands from the steering handle
and I effect this in the following manner. In order to make my explanation
clearer will refer to the drawing accompanying the specification.
The drawing shows my invention attached to a handle bar and steering head
such as is used on an ordinary safety bicycle or tricycle, though I do not neces-
sarily confine myself to such vehicles as my invention can by suitable modification
of size and parts be applied to any automotive vehicle which is steered by similar
means.
Referring now to the drawing; A is the valve box in which the regulating
appliance is situate, the latter being suitable for the size and description of engine
it is required to control; this valve box and its connection to the engine does not
form a part of my invention and I therefore do not describe it in detail except-so
far as is necessary to explain the character of my invention; the regulation in the
valve box is effected by the upward and downward movement of the spindle C;
the supply being at a minimum when in its highest position and at a maximum
when in its lowest position. The valve box -A is attached to the frame-work B
of the machine; this portion in a bicycle or tricycle being what is commonly
known as the steering head; through the steering head passes the bar D which
carries the wheel at its lower-end and the handle bar E at its upper end. When
the handle bar is turned D revolves in B and the wheel is then moved and steering
effected. The spindle C is rigidly attached to a collar or sleeve F which is free
to slide up and down the bar ]), whilst the bar D can revolve freely within it.
At the upper part of the sleeve F is a circular groove G in which the forked end
of a lever H lies. By means of the lever H the sleeve F and so the valve spindle C
can be raised or lowered as desired. This lever H is pivotted as convenient on the
handle bar, and is arranged so that its general shape follows that of the handle
bar but terminates close to the handle or grip in another fork I in which engages
a nut K with a milled edge; this nut K screws up and down a screwed rod L
pivotted at M to the handle bar in such a manner as to raise or lower the lever H
by means of the fork. I; moreover the fork I can be released entirely from the
nut K and rod L by turning the latter on its pivot M. The milled nut K can be
worked by the finger and thumb or by the finger alone without removing the hand
from the handle bar and regulation thus effected or the nut. K can be withdrawn
from the fork I entirely which will allow that end of the lever H to fall raising
the collar F and valve spindle C to its highest position thereby shutting off the
supply. The return of the collar F to its highest position may be effected either
by its being pivotted out of centre and overbalanced or by a spring № such as
shown in the drawing.

page_text: 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) An improved arrangement for controlling and regulating the engine or
engines of a motor cycle or other automotive vehicle.
(2) The improved appliance substantially as described and for the purposes set
forth.