An Improved Steering Lock for Safety Bicycles and other Front Steering Velocipedes.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Aug., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 6th May, 1895-Accepted, 15th June, 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Steering Lock for Safety Bicycles and other Front
Steering Velocipedes.
I, ROBERT WALKER SMITH, of The Eadie Manufacturing Company, Limited,
of Hunt End, Redditch, Worcestershire, Cycle Manufacturers' Manager, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:
—
This invention consists of the hereindescribed improved steering lock which is
more particularly designed for use on safety bicycles to lock the steering pillar and
steering wheel in a line with or at any desired angle to the other wheel so that
when thus locked the safety bicycle can readily be supported leaning against a wall
or other support.
My invention can also be similarly applied to other front steering velocipedes.
I will describe my invention as applied to a safety bicycle.
In carrying out my invention I provide a stout spring catch preferably made in
the form of a steel or other metal spring of flat section which is bent into somewhat
the shape of the letter C and is arranged to partly encircle the top lug of the steering
post to which one end of the said spring is fixed by a serew or by other means.
The other end of the said spring has formed with it an inwardly projecting tooth
which engages in a vertical notch in the said top lug and is also adapted to engage
in a notch or in any one of a series of notches which I provide in the collar part of
the usual clip which is fixed on the steering pillar which latter turns in the steering
post the said steering pillar having as usual the wheel fork at its lower end
carrying the steering wheel axle and steering wheel. Passing through the spring
catch at or near its toothed end I provide a set screw the front end of which bears
against the said top lug of the steering post. When this set screw is turned in one
direction its fore end bearing against the top lug of the steering post forces the
toothed end of the spring catch out of the notch in the collar part of the clip of
the steering pillar so that the pillar is then free to turn as desired. When it is
desired to lock the steering pillar, the steering pillar has to be turned so that the
steering wheel is in a line with the back wheel, or so that the steering wheel makes
any other desired angle with the back wheel, and then the said toothed end of the
spring catch will engage in the notch or in some one of the said notches which
I provide in the steering pillar and thus lock the steering pillar and steering wheel
in that position so as to prevent the steering pillar turning in the steering post.
As the toothed end of the spring engages with the notch in the top lug of the
steering post as well as in the notch in the collar part of the clip of the steering
pillar, the steering pillar is rigidly secured and cannot be wrenched round.
Instead of my invention being fixed to the top lug of the steering post it may
be similarly fixed to the bottom lug of the same and the toothed end of the spring
catch adapted to engage in a notch in the said bottom lug and in another notch, or
in any one of a series of notches, provided in the usual bottom collar of the
steering pillar.
Dated this 2nd day of August 1891
CHARLES BOSWORTH KETLEY,
Agent for the Applicant.

page_text: An Improved Steering Lock for Safety Bicycles and other Front
Steering Velocipedes.
I, ROBERT WALKER SMITH, of The Eadie Manufacturing Company, Limited,
of Hunt End, Redditch, Worcestershire, Cycle Manufacturers' Manager, 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 consists of the hereindescribed improved steering lock which is
more particularly designed for use on safety bicycles to lock the steering pillar
and steering wheel in a line with or at any desired angle to the other wheel so that
when thus locked the safety bicycle can readily be supported leaning against a
wall or other support.
My invention can also be similarly applied to other front steering velocipedes.
I will describe my invention as applied to a safety bicycle and refer to the
accompanying drawings on which
Fig. 1 shews the front fork and the steering post and steering pillar of a safety
bicycle with my invention applied;
Fig. 2 shews the upper part of the same on an enlarged scale;
Fig. 3 is a plan of the same shewing the steering pillar unlocked ;
Fig. 4 is a plan of the same shewing the steering pillar locked:
Fig. 5 is a plan of the top lug separately;
Fig. 6 shews the spring part of my improved steering lock separately;
Fig. 7 shews my invention applied to the lower part of the steering post.
The same letters of reference indicate the same or corresponding parts in all the
figs. of the drawing.
Referring firstly more particularly to Figs. 1 to 6 both inclusive, in carrying out
my invention I provide a stout spring catch A shewn separately by Fig. 6
preferably made in the form of a steel or other metal spring of flat section which
is bent into somewhat the shape of the letter C and is arranged to partly encircle
the top lug B of the steering post C to which one end a of the spring A is fixed
by the screw d or by other means. The other end a³ of the spring A has formed
with it an inwardly projecting tooth a³ which engages in a vertical notch in the
top lug B and is also adapted to engage in a notch el or in any one of a series of
notches eeee which I provide in the collar part of the usual clip E which is
fixed on the steering pillar F which latter turns in the steering post C the said
steering pillar having as usual the wheel fork at its lower end and carrying the
steering wheel axle and steering wheel which latter are not shewn on my drawing.
Passing through the spring catch A at or near its toothed end a³ I provide a set
screw G the front end of which bears against the top lug B of the steering post.
When this set screw G is turned in one direction its fore end g will bear against
the top lug B of the steering post and (as shewn in Fig. 3) force the toothed
end as of the spring catch A out of the notch 2 (or out of any one of the other
notches eee) in the collar part e of the clip E of the steering pillar F so that
the pillar is then free to turn as desired. When it is desired to lock the steering
pillar F the steering pillar has to be turned so that the steering wheel is in a line
with the back wheel, or so that the steering wheel makes any other desired angle
with the back wheel, and then when the screw G is screwed outwardly the toothed
end a³ of the spring catch A will engage in the notch e as shewn in Fig. 4 or will
engage in some one of the other notches e e e in the steering pillar collar e and
thus lock the steering pillar and steering wheel in that position so as to prevent
the steering pillar turning in the steering post. As the toothed end a³ of the

page_text: spring A engages with the notch b' in the top lug B of the steering post C as well
as in one of the notches el eee in the collar part of the clip E of the steering
pillar F the latter is rigidly secured and cannot be wrenched round.
Instead of my invention being fixed to the top lug B of the steering post as
above described and illustrated by Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 my invention may as
shewn by Fig. 7 he similarly fixed to the bottom lug H of the same and the
toothed end a of the spring catch A be arranged to engage in a notch h in bottom
lug H and in another notch or in any one of a series of notches f'f
provided in the usual bottom collar of the steering pillar F.
Instead of employing a screw G for forcing the toothed end of the spring catch A
out of the notches in the steering pillar and steering post and for causing the
spring tooth to engage with said notches as above described, other means may be
employed for these purposes and combined with the spring catch A without
departing from the nature of my invention.
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. The combination with the steering pillar and fixed steering post of a safety
bicycle or other front steering velocipede, of the spring catch A arranged to
encircle or partly encircle the top lug of the steering post and fixed at one end to
the same and made with a tooth a³ and provided with a set screw G or other
equivalent device by which the toothed part of the catch can either be caused to
engage with notches in the said lug and collar fixed on the steering pillar and thus
lock the steering pillar and steering post together or be disengaged therefrom to
allow the steering pillar to turn, all substantially as hereinbefore described with
reference to Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6 of the accompanying drawing.
2. The combination with the steering pillar and fixed steering post of a safety
bicycle or other front steering velocipede, of the spring catch A arranged to
encircle or partly encircle the bottom lug of the fixed steering post and fixed at
one end to the same and made with a tooth a³ and provided with a set screw Gor
other equivalent device by which the toothed part of the catch can either be
caused to engage with notches in the said lug and lower collar of the steering
pillar and thus lock the steering pillar and steering post. together or be disengaged
therefrom to allow the steering pillar to turn, all substantially as hereinbefore
described with reference to Fig. 7 of the accompanying drawing.
3. As a means for locking the steering pillar in the steering post of a safety
bicycle or other front steering velocipede the gripping band A made with tooth a
at one end and provided with set screw G as hereinbefore described and shewn by
Fig. 6 of the accompanying drawing.
Dated this 4th day of May 1895.
CHARLES BOSWORTH KETLEY,
Agent for the Applicant.