Year: 1885

page_text: "
I JOHN ASBURY of Cheylesmore, Coventry in the County of Warwick, Machinist,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The chief object of the present invention is to obtain a spring connection
between the fork of the steering wheel of a tricycle of the "Cripper" type, and
the steering wheel, in order that the vibrations of the wheel may not be com-
municated to the rider's hands, at the same time reducing to a minimum the lateral
or sideway movement of the wheel, which has been found so prejudicial to the
rigidity of machines hitherto constructed with spring steering fork connections.
In carrying out the above object, I interpose between the ends of the fork of the
steering wheel, and the ends of the axle of the wheel, a pair of springs of a con-
struction which forms the subject of my invention.
These springs are formed of steel rods bent or looped in the direction of their
length, to ensure elasticity, and are clamped above to the ends of the fork, and
below to the ends of the axle of the wheel, the planes in which the springs lie
being parallel to each other, and at right angles to the direction of the axle.
A pair of springs formed and mounted as just described, will be found to yield
together in a vertical direction, but to resist any lateral or sideway tipping move-
ment of the wheel, the tendency of one spring to compression being counteracted
by the disinclination of the other spring to expand.
Although I have described my invention as applied to the steering forks of
Cripper" tricycles, it will be evident that the looped rod springs are applicable
to the steering forks of velocipedes of other forms, and also to the fork of a trailing
wheel, such as that used in an ordinary bicycle, or in a tandem tricycle.

page_text: pedes with their Steering Wheels, Applicable also to Trailing
Wheels.
I JOHN ASBURY of Cheylesmore, Coventry in the County of Warwick, Machinist,
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 chief object of the present invention is to obtain a spring connection
between the fork of the steering wheel of a Tricycle of the "Cripper" type, and the
steering wheel, in order that the vibrations of the wheel, may not be communicated
to the rider's hands, at the same time reducing to a minimum the lateral or sideway
movement of the wheel, which has been found so prejudicial to the rigidity of
machines hitherto constructed with spring steering fork connections.
In carrying out the above object, I interpose between the ends of the fork of the
steering wheel, and the ends of the axle of the wheel, springs formed of steel rods
bent or looped in the direction of their length, to ensure elasticity. These springs
are secured above to the ends of the fork, and below to the ends of the axle of the
wheel, the planes in which the springs lie, being parallel to each other, and at right
angles to the direction of the axle.
In the accompanying drawings, I have shewn the front or steering wheel of a
Cripper" Tricycle with my invention applied to the fork thereof.
Figs. 1 and 2, Sheet I, are side and end views shewing one form of my spring
connections in position.
Figs. 3, 4, 5 and 6, Sheets II and III, are similar views shewing modified forms
of the same.
The form of spring shewn at A in Figs. 1 and 2, lies entirely behind the centre
of the wheel, and may be termed a single spring. It consists of a steel rod or bar
looped in the direction of its length, and bent back upon itself in the manner
shewn. One end of this rod or bar is clamped at b to the fork B of the wheel C,
at right angles to the said fork, and the other end is gripped by a clamping piece c,
which carries one end of the axle of the wheel C.
The modification shewn at A', Figs. 3 and 4, may be termed a double spring,
being formed of two looped rods, one loop lying behind, and the other in front of
the centre of the wheel C.
The upper ends of the rods forming the spring A¹ are clamped to the fork B at b,
as shewn, and the lower ends of the rods, instead of being gripped by a clamping
piece, as in the case of the lower end of the rod forming the single spring, are
pivotted to the supporting piece c³, which is somewhat similar to, and performs the
same office as, the clamping piece c shewn in Figs. 1 and 2.
The modification shewn at A' in Figs. 5 and 6 is also a double spring, but it is
formed of a single double looped rod or bar of considerable length, and bent at an
angle between the loops, so that the whole spring takes the form of a triangle, the
intention being to make the springs do the office of the sides of the fork B of the
arrangements described.

page_text: The apex of the triangular spring A2 is held in a socket formed in the fork
head B*, and the ends of the bent looped rod which forms the base of the triangle,
are gripped by a clamping piece c², similar to that shewn at c in Sheet I, but
formed somewhat wider, in order to grasp well the two ends of the rod.
A pair of springs formed and mounted so as above described, will be found to
yield together in a vertical direction, but to resist any lateral or sideway tipping
movement of the wheel, the tendency of one spring to compression, being counter-
acted by the disinclination of the other spring to expand.
Although I have described my invention as applied to the steering forks of
"Cripper" tricycles, it will be evident that the looped or bent rod springs are
applicable to the steering forks of Velocipedes of other forms, and also to the fork
of a trailing wheel such as that used in an ordinary bicycle or in a tandem tricycle.
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
The means for mounting the wheels of Velocipedes above described with reference
to the drawings, whereby vibration is neutralized, and rigidity in lateral or sideway
directions maintained.