Steering Lock for Cycles and other Vehicles.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Sept., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 9th July, 1897-Accepted, 21st Aug., 1897
Steering Lock for Cycles and other Vehicles.
HENRY SLACK RAINFORTH The Uplands Lincoln Engineer do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My arrangement for a fixed or detachable steering lock for cycles consists of a
swinging tube hinged from the head lug. This tube contains a bolt and spring,
which bolt can be withdrawn from the said tube and hooked over a projection
attached to the top tube or lug of the cycle, a spring in the tube drawing the bolt
against the projection. A padlock or similar fastening can be inserted through holes
or slots in the projection or rods, to prevent the machine being used.
Dated this 7th day of September 1896.
I, HENRY SLACK RAINFORTH, of "The Uplands," Lincoln, in the County of
Lincoln, Manufacturer, 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 stateinent :-
This invention relates to steering locks for cycles and other similar steered
vehicles, or, in other words, to the mechanism for rigidly connecting the steering
post to the framing, so that the front or steering wheel cannot, for the time being,
be turned in either direction.
The invention is an improved device capable of being thrown into and out of action
easily, and having as its distinct features simplicity of construction, ready adaptation
to varying grades and constructions of cycles, and inability to get out of order. The
said device is within certain limits a locking one against theft, as it has as one of its
parts a detachable key of a particular construction.
This improved steering lock device is distinguished by a swinging link, jointedly
connected to either the steering post or the framing member of a cycle, having a
reciprocating bolt working within its sleeved body tensioned by a spring, and an
outstanding part or projection in the form of a hook rigidly attached to either of
those parts of the cycles to which the link, as aforesaid, is not connected. The
fitting and arrangement of these said parts are such that the reciprocating bolt
engages the projection when the swinging link is brought into its acting
position.

page_text: In the accompanying sheet of drawings the invention is practically set forth,
Fig. 1 showing a side elevation of a portion of the front top bar member and the
socketted head of a cycle framing, and also a part of the steering post, with the
steering lock device coupling the former parts to the latter. The sleeved body of
the connecting link between the parts is shown in section, which exhibits to view the
locking bolt and its tensioning spring. The dotted lines in this fig. represent
the device in its disengaged position and the means for holding it there. Fig. 2 is a
sectional view of Fig. I and clearly completes the general appearance and construc-
tion of the device. Fig. 3 is a slight inodification of the arrangement for holding
the bolt in engagement with the rigid projection upon the top bar framing member,
whilst Fig. 4 shows separately a form of key for making and breaking the modified
connection.
In Figs. 1 and 2, a is the link between the steering mechanism and the framing
consisting essentially of a sleeved hollow body a partially closed at its one end
and formed at its other end into a bifurcated part a', the branches at a of which
latter are loosely connected to the cross bolt c, of the split clip 2, which connects the
steering post swivelly within the socketted head of the cycle framing. This
bifurented sleevelike link a, which is capable of a free swinging movement upon the
bolt c, has disposed and working longitudinally within its body part a' a bolt e formed
with a collar and a projecting nose e³ upon its inner end and a latch e and a pro-
jecting screwed part e upon its outer end, the latter part e' being simply for the
connection, to the said bolt, of a key in the form of a ring pull f. Disposed against
the inner face of the collar e and the outer end of the link body a, surrounding the
middle part of the bolt, and taking its abutment against the end face g of the link
body, is a coil spring g; its purpose being to pull in the bolt towards the link body,
and to keep the latch et in tight engagement with a forked hook-like projection
carried rigid upon the top framing bar member h of the cycle framing by means of
a clip h, or a similar contrivance. The bolt e at a point near its latch e, when
engaging the hook projection h, passes between the branches thereof and is
thereby stayed laterally.
At a point in the middle of the cross bolt c is a sinking or recess m, into which the
nose e of the said bolt takes, when the hinged connecting device is in its disengaged
position as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, for the purpose of retention.
The inner face n of the latch et is inclined, and the crown 2 of the hooked pro-
jection is curved, to facilitate an easy snap action of the bolt in making connection.
The bolt, as aforesaid, acts in the manner of a piston within its sleeved carrier a²,
and when pulled down for engagement with the projection h has a snapping action
over the curved crown of the projection and under the shoulder . The key fis
only necessary for use when the connection is required to be broken by a pulling
nction of the bolt against the spring.
In Figs. 3 and 4 a slight modification of latch is shown, the latter in this case
being a ball fixed by screwing or otherwise upon the outer end of the bolt e.
cave pocket a is formed upon the edges of the branches of the projection A, into
which the ball seats itself when the steering lock device is brought into use. The
ball latch, as aforesaid, has opposite sinkings &, s, wherein engage tips, a', a³, of a
horse-shoe shaped key t, used for the purpose of disengagement of the ball latch from
its seating. The tip s is formed upon the end of a traversing screw pin, so that
the peg is first introduced, and then afterwards the one at by the screwing up of
the pin.
The form of key can be varied so long as its construction is simple, and its engage-
ment with the latch such as to make the operation of the latter, without the said
key, to disengage the steering lock rather a difficult matter.
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 :-
First. A two part steering lock device consisting of a hinged or swinging link,

page_text: having a reciprocating bolt tensioned by a spring and provided with a latch and a
removable key, and a forked or a bifurcated projection having a shoulder or a concave
seating formed within it; the respective parts being carried by either the steering
mechanism or the rigid framing, as the case may be, substantially as described and
set forth.
Second. In mechanism for locking the steering of a cycle, the combination with
the steering post d and the cycles framing d2 h, of a hinged bifurcated link a having
a hollow body part a², a reciprocating bolt e having a latch piece e with an inclined
side na removable key f and a spring g², and a hooked shaped forked projection h,
between the branches of which the bolt is adapted to take, having a curved crown n²
and a shoulder h² substantially as described.
Third. In a steering lock device as claimed in the preceding claims, the combina-
tion of the bolt e carried by the hinged link a, a projection having a concave
seating f, a ball e having sinkings 8283, and a horse shoe shaped key t with parts 84 85,
substantially as described.
Fourth. The general arrangement and construction of the swinging link, the bolt
carried by it, and the projecting catch as described and set forth.
W. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
11, Burlington Chambers, New Street, Birmingham,
Also at Liverpool, London, and Manchester, Agents for Applicant.