Improvements in the Manufacture of the Fork Crowns of Cycles.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Nov., 1896
Date of Application, 7th Nov., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 27th Aug., 1897-Accepted, 9th Oct., 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of the Fork Crowns of Cycles.
I, FREDERICK WILLIAM BRIGGS, of 6 Matlock Villas, Chesterton Road, Spark-
brook near the City of Birmingham, Cycle Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to the manufacture of fork crowns for cycles, and consists,
in the one part, in building up the same from four component parts, and in
another part, in making the said crowns from three component parts.
According to the first part of my invention, I take a length of steel tubing of
suitable gauge, and draw the same through dies or otherwise shape the tube until
its cross section resembles the figure of an ordinary fork crown plate. The tube is then
cut up into short lengths of a depth corresponding to that of the crown, and a
loose bottom plate, of a shape corresponding to the inside of the crown is then
introduced into the mouth thereof, but leaving openings at the ends of the shape
of the fork members whose ends are introduced into the hollow crown and whose
upper ends forms rests for the top plate, which is pierced at its middle with a round
hole for the reception of the shank end of the steering post, whose outer or lower
end comes upon the inside of the top of the bottom plate, a distance sleeve sur-
rounding the said shank, being introduced between the said top and bottom plates.
The inner or upper ends of the fork member which pass right through the crown,
abut against the underside face of the unpierced ends of the top plate and being
there brazed. A collar or shoulder is introduced at the junction of the top plate
with the steering post and surrounding the central piercing wherein the said
shank sockets. The whole of the parts are brazed together, or they may be
rivetted and brazed or only rivetted.
As a further form of my improvements, the shell of the box-like crown may be
made by stamping instead of from tubing. Thus, I form a shell of a box figure,
closed at the top and into which the ends of the forks are brazed, whilst the
bottom is closed by a plate, a distance sleeve being preferably located between
the top of the box and the bottom and surrounding the shank of the steering
post, which passes through a middle piercing in the box top, as before.
Or as a further form, the crown may be made up of two half-box like stampings,
with piercings made through them respectively corresponding to the shank of the
steering pillar and the upper ends of the forks, the said piercings being surrounded
by extensions forming sockets. The open mouths of the halves are placed together
and brazed up.
In all cases, the ends of the forks and the shank end of the pillar may be
surrounded by liners or sleeves located between the top and bottom plates of the
crown.
Dated this 6th day of November 1896

page_text: Improvements in the Manufacture of the Fork Crowns of Cycles.
I, FREDERICK WILLIAM BRIGGS of 6 Matlock Villas, Chesterton Road, Spark-
brook near the City of Birmingham, Cycle 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:-
This invention relates to the manufacture of fork crowns for cycles, and consists,
in the one part, in building up the same from four component parts, and in
another part, in making the said crowns from three component parts.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings represents a front elevation of the
front forks of a safety bicycle in which the steering pillar is connected to the fork
sides by a crown constructed according to my invention.
Figure 2 represents, upon an enlarged scale, a vertical section of the said fork
crown with the contiguous parts of the steering pillar and fork sides.
Figure 3 is an elevation of Figure 2 and Figure 4 a topside plan of the same.
Figure 5 is a horizontal section of Figure 3 upon the dotted line.
Figure 6 is a section and an end view of the lower part of the steering pillar.
Figure 7 represents a longitudinal vertical section and a plan of the top plate
component of the improved construction of fork crown.
Figure 8 represents a section and a plan of the blank from which the box like
body part of the crown is made.
Figure 9 shows a section and a plan of the distance sleeve which encircles the
shank or lower end of the steering pillar and is disposed between the top and
bottom closure plates of the crown.
Figure 10 represents a longitudinal vertical section and a plan of the bottom
plate and
Figure 11 represents partly in elevation and partly in section, and also in
plan, the upper ends of the fork sides.
The same letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the said Figures 1
to 11 of the drawings.
Thus, in making up a fork crown from four component parts according to this
form of my invention, I take a length of steel tubing of suitable gauge, and draw
the same through dies or otherwise shape the tube until its cross section resembles
the figure of an ordinary fork-crown plate. The tube is then cut up into short
lengths a, Figure 8, of a depth corresponding to that of the crown, and a loose
bottom plate 6, Figure 10 of a shape corresponding to the inside of the crown, is
then introduced into the mouth thereof a', but leaving openings at the ends of
the shape of the fork members c, whose ends c¹, are introduced into the hollow
crown and whose upper extremities ca, forms rests for the top plate d, Figure 7,
which is pierced at its middle with a round hole d, for the reception of the shank
end e', of the steering post e, whose outer or lower end e, comes upon the inside of
the bottom plate, a distance sleeve f, surrounding the said shank, being introduced
between the said top and bottom plates. The inner or upper ends of the fork
member which pass right through the crown, abut against the underside face of
the unpierced ends of the top plate and are there brazed. A collar or shoulder may
also be introduced at the junction of the top plate with the steering post and
surrounding the central piercing wherein the said shank sockets. The whole of
the parts are brazed together, or they may be rivetted and brazed or only rivetted.
As a further form of my improvements, the shell or box-like body part of the crown

page_text: may be made, by shaping or drawing-through tools, from a blank of sheet metal
instead of from tubing.
Figure 12 represents a vertical section of such a construction of fork crown,
and
Figure 13 shows detail views of the component elements, separately.
Thus, I form a shell a, of a box figure, closed at the top a¹, by an integral plate,
and into which the ends c', of the fork c, are brazed whilst the bottom is closed by
a separate plate b, a distance sleeve f, being preferably located between the inside
of the top of the box and the bottom and surrounding the shank e', of the steering
post e which passes through a middle piercing a, in the box top, as before.
Or as a further form, the crown may be made up of two half box-like stamp-
iags a. al, (as represented in vertical section in Figure 14 and in detail separated
parts in Figure 15) with piercings as, a made through them respectively corre-
sponding to the shank of the steering pillar and the upper ends of the forks, the
said piercings being surrounded by inward extensions at, forming sockets. The
open mouth a5, of the halves are placed together and brazed up.
In all cases, the ends of the forks and the shank end of the pillar may be
surrounded by liners or sleeves located between the top and bottom plates of the
crown.
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:
First: Making the body parts of cycle front-fork crowns from short lengths
of rolled or drawn tubing of the same horizontal section as the crown to be made.
Secondly: Making the front fork crowns of cycles from a tubular body part
and top and bottom plates, with or without a distance sleeve surrounding the shank
end of the steering pillar and interposed between the top and bottom plates the
whole being brazed together, substantially as described and set forth in
Figures 1 to 11.
Thirdly: Making the front-fork crowns of cycles from a shell or body part
having an integral top plate and an open bottom, closed by a loose plate, the whole
being brazed together, with or without a distance sleeve, substantially as described
and set forth in Figures 12 and 13.
Fourthly Making the front fork crowns of cycles from two box-like halves
brazed together at their presented open ends, with or without an interposed lis-
tance sleeve surrounding the shank end of the steering pillar, substantially as
described and set forth in Figures 14 and 15.
Dated this 26th day of August 1897.
FREDERICK WILLIAM BRIGGS.
By Henry Skerrett,
24 Temple Row, Birmingham, Agent for Applicant.