AN IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF VELOCIPEDE
Year: 1885

page_text: I, ARTHUR CHARLES STERRY of Heatherlea, Redhill, in the County of Surrey,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for AN IMPROVED
CONSTRUCTION OF VELOCIPEDE, to be as follows:-
The object of the present invention is to provide lateral support for such
Velocipedes (whatever the motive power used) as, like the ordinary bicycle, have
two wheels in the central vertical plane of the vehicle, the supports being so
mounted that, any rising or falling movement imparted to them is not transferred
to the body of the vehicle.
In applying my invention to an ordinary bicycle I attach preferably to the back
bone of the machine either between the front and rear wheels or in some other
central position, a vertical guide in which slides a rod, pivotted to the bottom of a
frame to which is fixed a transverse axle fitted with a pair of wheels.
In this frame are formed in a vertical direction, a pair of segmental guides, each
segment being the converse of the other, that is to say, the curves of one segmental
guide being struck from one side of the machine and the curves of the other
segmental guide being struck from a corresponding point, on the other side of the
machine.
In these segmental guides slide loose segmental pieces slotted obliquely to receive
a retaining stud which projects laterally from the vertical guide, the direction of
each slot being opposed to the direction of the curves of its own segmental piece
and opposed to the direction of the other slot.
The slots and the segmental guides are of such a pattern that they will check,
through the stud upon the vertical guide, the lateral motion of the bicycle.
When however one or other of the supporting wheels is raised, say, by the
inequalities of the road, the frame receives a tipping movement controlled by the
segment pieces with which its guides are fitted, and no transference of this motion
to the back bone of the bicycle takes place.
To facilitate the turning of curves the lifting of either lateral wheel may be
effected through the agency of the steering gear.
Provision may be made for lifting both the supporting wheels from the ground
together, should the rider deem it desirable to do so, and the axle of these wheels
may be made to telescope to facilitate the storage of the machine.

page_text: I have described my invention applied as I prefer it in a line with the bicycle
wheels but the guides and slides may be placed on opposite sides of the central
line, a spring or springs being in some cases attached to the central support and
connecting the transverse axle therewith for the purpose of transmitting the
weight of the rider to the axle.
I ARTHUR CHARLES STERRY of Heatherlea, Redhill in the County of Surrey,
Gentleman 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 object of the present invention is to provide lateral support for such
velocipedes (whatever the motive power used) as have like the ordinary bicycle,
two wheels in the central vertical plane of the vehicle; the supports being so
mounted that, any rising or falling movement imparted to them is not transferred
to the body of the vehicle.
In the accompanying Drawings
Fig. 1 Sheet I is a side elevation of a velocipede constructed according to my
invention with lateral supporting castor wheels.
Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation (on the line 1-2 of Fig. 1) looking rearwards; and
Figs. 3 and 4 shew in front and side views the guide box and its fittings, by
which the rising and falling motions of the side wheels are controlled, detached and
on an enlarged scale.
A is the framing of the velocipede fitted with a driving wheel B and a front
steering wheel C in the usual or any approved manner.
A'A' are bars extending from the upper to the lower part of the frame A and
carrying a horizontal pin 1 which extends across from one bar to the other and
forms a centre of motion for the lateral supporting wheels when one or other is
raised by meeting an obstruction on the road. E is a guide box formed of two
parallel plates and made fast to an axle F which axle is fitted at its extremities
with forks to carry the wheels G G and is brought at its centre as near to the
ground as convenient in order that the position of the box E may be as low as
possible. An opening is made through this guide box for the passage of the pin D
and the inner faces of the guide box have segment shaped shallow grooves cub in
them to receive correspondingly shaped slotted guide plates H H which cross each

page_text: other in the box in such manner as to allow of the pin D being passed through
their slots before being fixed to the bars A'. These plates I face with a veneer of
hard wood to enable them to move with considerable friction in the grooves of the
box when the frame A is inclined out of the vertical.
Connected to the bottom of this box E or forming a pendent extension of one
side thereof is an arm E' in which an elongated eye is formed to receive a cross
pin E2 attached to the bars A¹ by lugs which embrace them and slide thereon.
The slotted guide plates H H are formed the converse of each other that is to say
the curve of one guide plate is struck from the bite of the wheel G with the ground
and the curve of the other guide plate from the bite of the wheel G¹ with the
ground. The effect of this arrangement is that the wheels on either side are free
to run over any obstruction or inequality in the road without communicating a
sideway motion to the frame A because when the wheel on one side rises the box
will be carried up leaving one guide plate behind and carrying the other with it
over the pin, whereas should the frame A be inclined to either side the guide
plates H are simultaneously moved in opposite directions unless the friction of the
guide plates H is sufficient to stop their movement.
Figs. 5 shew detached in longitudinal and transverse sectional views a modified
form of the pin D which is intended to put friction on the slotted guide plates H.
The pin it will be seen is composed of two parts D D¹ which are coupled together by
a socket joint the joint being made permanent by means of a flat spring d inserted in
vertical saw cuts made in the joint coupling and secured in place by rivets. The
saw cut made in the part D is slightly tapered to allow of the lateral play of the
spring & on the coupled ends. To the parts D D' collars d' d' are fixed, their
distance apart being slightly in excess of the thickness of the overlapping
plates H, H, so as not to interfere with their movement when yielding to an
obstruction on the road. Should, however, the lateral tipping of the frame A
occur the divided pin will be caused to press laterally against the opposing edges of
the slots of the guide plates and being thereby bent out of the straight line the
collars d¹ d² will lose their parallelism and grip the guide plates thereby staying
the further lateral movement of the frame A. When the balance of the frame is
recovered the plates H will be released from the grip of the collars the pin at the
same time recovering its normal form.
Figs. 6 and 7 shew the means for obtaining an elastic connection between the
main frame A and the box E. I is a coiled spring made fast at one end to the
pendent arm E¹ of the box E and at its other end to the frame A. When therefore
the normal position of the frame A or of the axle F with respect to each other is
altered the spring I will tend to restore the parts to their relative positions. By
the action of the spring I the tendency will be for the pin D to stand at the upper
end of the slots of the guide plates H, H as shewn at Fig. 7.
Fig. 8 is a modification of my invention the velocipede being fitted as before
with lateral supporting wheels and Fig. 9 is a sectional elevation of the same on
the line 3-4 Fig. 8.
In this example the box E carrying the guide plates is dispensed with and
slotted guide plates H H are fitted loosely to the axle F to receive the pin D
carried by the frame A. The normal position of which pin is at the top of the
slots. The axle F has a pendent projection F which rides upon the lower part of
the frame A and a coiled spring I elastically connects the axle F and the frame A
together. The dotted lines in Fig. 9 shew the guides H as working on separate
pins carried by the frame A.
Figure 10 shews in diagram view an obvious substitute for the guide plate H by
which the stability of the velocipede is maintained. In this example the axle F is
fitted with a guide plate F in the upper part of which a triangular opening is
formed to provide two inclined guides for the reception of the pin D fitted to the
frame A of the bicycle. The normal position of this pin in the triangular opening
is at the apex but the tipping of either the frame or of the axle will cause the pin
to travel over one or other of the inclined guides of the opening. To ensure the

page_text: retention of the pin in its normal position the spring I is used as before which
connects the frame and the axle elastically together. In this arrangement the side
wheels will be free to yield to any irregularity of the road without disturbing the
verticality of the frame A.
Figure 11 shews a pair of inclined guides fitted each with a pin which projects
from a pair of arms K K pivotted to the framing A. These arms are forced apart
by a coiled spring I which while yielding to the tipping movement of the axle F
will serve to restore the pins to their normal position in the inclined guides. This
arrangement is used in combination with the slotted plates H H of Fig. 9, or the
triangular opening as shewn in Fig. 10.
Fig. 12 shews in diagram the arms K K of Fig. 11 projecting through a slot in
the axle and bearing against the axle itself by the pressure of the interposed
spring I in place of carrying pins working in inclined guides. These arms are
pivotted to the frame A as before and will offer the required resistance to the rise
of one or other of the lateral wheels or offer substantial support to the frame A
when tipped to either the right or the left hand.
Instead of attaching the lateral wheels as before described to the frame A the
same object will be attained by attaching them to the steering part so as to turn
with it.
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
1. The application to bicycle frames of an axle carrying a pair of lateral
supporting wheels such frame and axle being so connected together by a pin or
pins and guide plate or guide plates that the axle is free to move independently of
the frame and yet controls the lateral motion of the frame in the manner and for
the purpose above set forth.
2. In a velocipede fitted with lateral supporting wheels the axle of which is free
to tip without imparting motion to the fraine of the velocipede, the connection of
such axle to the frame by a spring so arranged as to counteract any tendancy of
the frame to lose its normal vertical position.
Dated this 14th day of October 1885.