Improvements in Cycles.
Year: 1898

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Cycles.
I, CAMILLE LIPPENS, of 82, Rue du Cornet de Poste, Gendbrugge, in the
Kingdom of Belgium, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention has for its object an improved arrangement of bicycle or other
cycle enabling the ordinary pneumatic tyres to be entirely dispensed with whilst
obtaining a running which is free from shock or jolts even on the worst roads.
The arrangement is essentially characterised by the ordinary rigid and in-
flexible frame being dispensed with and in its place a special hinged fram
being adopted, the arrangement being completed by the arrangement between
two suitably selected bars of the frame, of a suitable spring intended to receive
and absorb any shock due to the running.
The principle may be realised in various ways. A simple and inexpensive
form of construction is shown as an example in the accompanying drawings,
Figure 1 being a view of the bicycle as a whole, and Figure 2 a detail of the
fork of one of the bars forming the frame.
As may be seen in the drawings the frame is composed of a bar 1 arranged
as usual, a bar 2 fixed to the bar 1 but movable on the pedal axle, a bar 3
connected by a hinged joint A to the bar 1 and terminating at the rear in a
fork so as to give passage to a bar 4, said bar 3 being also connected by a
hinged joint B to a fork 6 of the frame, said fork being itself hinged at to
the rear fork 5 which is fixed otherwise to the sleeve surrounding the pedal
axle, and finally the bar 4, which supports the seat pillar P is hinged at D
so as to be able to move in the fork which terminates the bar 3.
Ris a spring of steel, indiarubber or any other elastic material sufficiently
resistant, attached by its two ends to the bars 2 and 3 and following approxi-
mately the direction of the bar 4 which carries the saddle or seat pillar. It
may also be attached by its lower end to the bar 4 itself.
It is evident that all jolts due to the meeting obstacles whilst running or
to the inequalities of the ground are necessarily received directly by the said
spring R which of course absorbs them so that the cyclist experiences them
very little or not at all.
A stop Farranged as a measure of precaution on the bar limits the vertical
descending movement of the bar 3 and a roller H arranged in the fork of the
bar 3 guides the bar 4.
The arrangement hereinbefore described may be further completed by the
arrangement on the bar 6 of an air cushion or a suitable elastic or resilient
body G but this arrangement is not indispersable.
It is evident that the hinged jointing A of the bar 3 may be adopted for the
bar 2 and that the same result would be realised. The pattern shown is only
an example of numerous constructive arrangements which may be adopted and
therefore it is not considered necessary to examine these details or describe

page_text: more particularly the other parts of the bicycle, such as the front fork, steering
bar, pedals or the like which are of the ordinary pattern.
Dated this 28th day of June 1898.
W. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in Cycles.
I, CAMILLE LIPPENS, of 82, Rue du Cornet de Poste, Gendbrugge, in the
Kingdom of Belgium, 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 has for its object an improved arrangement of bicycle or ether
cycle enabling the ordinary pneumatic tyres to be entirely dispensed with whilst
obtaining a running which is free from shock or jolts even on the worst roads.
The arrangement is essentially characterised by the ordinary rigid and in-
flexible frame being dispensed with and in its place a special hinged frame
being adopted, the arrangement being completed by the arrangement between
two suitably selected bars of the frame of a suitable spring intended to receive
and absorb any shock due to the running.
The principle may be realised in various ways. A simple and inexpensive
form of construction is shown as an example in the drawings accompanying the
Provisional Specification, Figure 1 being a view of the bicycle as a whole, and
Figure 2 a detail of the fork of one of the bars forming the frame.
As may be seen in the drawings the frame is composed of a bar 1 arranged
as usual, a bar 2 fixed to the bar 1 but movable on the pedal axle, a bar 3
connected by a hinged joint A to the bar 1 and terminating at the rear in a
fork so as to give passage to a bar 4, said bar 3 being also connected by a
hinged joint B to a fork 6 of the frame, said fork being itself hinged at C to
the rear fork 5 which is fixed otherwise to the sleeve surrounding the pedal
axle, and finally the bar 4, which supports the seat pillar P, is hinged at 1
so as to be able to move in the fork which terminates the bar 3.
R is a spring of steel, indiarubber or any other elastic material sufficiently
resistant, attached by its two ends to the bars 2 and 3 and following approxi-
mately the direction of the bar 4 which carries the saddle or seat pillar. It
may also be attached by its lower end to the bar 4 itself.
It is evident that all jolts due to the meeting obstacles whilst running or
to the inequalities of the ground are necessarily received directly by the said
spring R which of course absorbs them so that the cyclist experiences them
very little or not at all.
A stop F arranged as a measure of precaution on the bar 4 limits the vertical
descending movement of the bar 3 and a roller H arranged in the fork of the
bar 3 guides the bar 4.
The arrangement hereinbefore described may be further completed by the
arrangement on the bar 6 of an air cushion or a suitable elastic or resilient
body G but this arrangement is not indispensable.
It is evident that the hinged jointing A of the bar 3 may be adopted for the
bar 2 and that the same result would be realised. The pattern shown is only
an example of numerous constructive arrangements which may be adopted and

page_text: therefore it is not considered necessary to examine these details or describe
more particularly the other parts of the bicycle such as the front fork, steering
bar, pedals or the like which are of the ordinary pattern.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is;-
1. An arrangement of hinged frame for bicycles and velocipedes in general,
consisting of bars 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 hinged or jointed at A B C D in combination
with a metallic or other spring (R) of sufficient power fixed at one end to the
upper bar 3 and at the other end to the lower end of either of the bars 2 or 4
near the pedal axle and intended to receive and absorb shocks due to the
jolting of the machine, substantially as hereinbefore described and shown in
the accompanying drawings.
2. In a cycle frame of the kind described, the application, between the bar 6
and the saddle pillar, of an air cushion or other suitable resilient body (G) to
induce ease of travelling, substantially as herein before described and shown in
the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 3rd day of March 1899.
W. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Agents for the Applicant.