Improvements in Bicycles.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 21st May, 1892
Complete Specification Left, 20th Mar., 1893-Accepted, 22nd Apr., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Bicycles.
I, EBENEZER THOMAS GOLDSMITH of 119, Queen's Road Croydon, in the
County of Surrey, Plumber, do hereby declare the nature of this invention (a com-
munication to me by William A. Fleming of Lewiston, in the County of Nez Percé,
in the State of Idaho, United States of America, and Martin Luther Goldsmith
of Lewiston aforesaid, Contractor,) to be as follows:-
This invention relates to rear driving safety bicycles and has for its object to
enable wheels of larger diameter to be used, to so shape and brace the frame as to
combine lightness and strength and adapt it to a lady rider, to enable the machine
to be geared up or down at the will of the rider without dismounting or to enable
the pedal shaft to be put out of gear for running down hill without revolving, to
provide an improved spring support for the steering wheel bearing capable of being
rendered rigid when required.
The main frame or backbone is curved upwards at its forward part over and
concentrically with the front wheel from a point about level with the wheel
axles, the remainder of the frame being horizontal and forked to receive the
rear wheel.
The steering wheel bearings are in lever like extensions pivoted to the extremities
of the limbs of the steering wheel fork, the upper end of each lever extension
taking a bearing on a spring fitted in a guide frame secured at its upper end to the
steering fork and at its lower end to the brace of the mud guard, the motion of
the lever extension being limited in one direction by abutting against the steering
fork to which it may be inade rigid by a sliding collar.
The seat standard is forked or inverted U-shaped, its limbs being secured to the
forked horizontal part of the backbone to which it is braced by. forward diagonal
braces connected to its lower extremities and to the upwardly curved forward part
of the backbone and by rearward diagonal braces above and below the backbone
connected to the standard and to the driving wheel fork, these tie rods forming
a double truss brace serving to hold the standards against longitudinal or transverse
displacement, whilst admitting of setting the seat standard at any rake desired, the
lower braces being connected to the lower ends of the standard so as to form a
guard for the sprocket wheels on the pedal shaft. This shaft is journaled in the
lower ends of the forked standard, the shaft being held in position by collars.
Loose upon the pedal shaft are two sprocket wheels of different diameters,
respectively geared by pitch chains with sprocket wheels on the driving wheel.
Midway between the said sprocket wheels a double clutch is splined to the pedal
shaft and is adapted to be thrown into engagement with corresponding clutch teeth
on the sprocket wheels or to be disengaged from both when running idle. This
clutch is surrounded by a collar connected with and operated by a lever extending
up the seat standard to a point within easy reach of the rider and provided with
means of locking it in whichever position it may be set. One of these sprocket
wheels is provided with a brake flange encircled by a brake strap connected by rods
and bell crank levers with the brake lever on the steering handle.
The clutch teeth are so formed that they may be thrown into engagement when
the parts are rapidly revolving and are so constructed that the rider can control the
machine by the pedals instead of by the brake if desired.
For this purpose
the teeth are of stepped form on the rear or non-driving face so as to admit of the
teeth of the one member of the clutch readily entering between those of the other
member sufficiently to communicate motion thereto notwithstanding that the one
member may be rapidly revolving and the other member stationary, the teeth

page_text: when thus partly engaged readily entering to their full depth, the facility for
engagement afforded by this stepped form being accompanied by great strength
of tooth.
By means of these improvements, the machine may be readily geared up or down
or thrown out of gear for running down-hill without the rider dismounting or
removing his feet from the pedals which remain stationary when the machine is
running free. The peculiar construction of the frame enables larger wheels to be
used, the form of the frame and arrangement of the braces being such that a lighter
frame is obtained or one capable of sustaining a heavier load than others of the
same weight, and the spring extension levers of the steering wheel fork avoid
vibration and jolting on rough reads whilst admitting of easy repair in case of
need by the conversion of the fork into a rigid one when required.
Dated this 21st day of May 1892.
E. T. GOLDSMITH,
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Bicycles.
1, EBENEZER THOMAS GOLDSMITH, of 119, Queen's Road, Croydon, in the
County of Surrey, Plumber, do hereby declare the nature of this invention (a com-
munication to me by William A. Fleming of Lewiston, in the County of Nez Percé,
in the State of Idaho, United States of America, and Martin Luther Goldsmith,
of Lewiston aforesaid, Contractor) 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 rear driving safety bicycles and has for its object to
enable wheels of larger diameter to be used, to so shape and brace the frame as to
combine lightness and strength and adapt it to a lady rider, to enable the machine
to be "geared up" for speed or "geared down" for power at the will of the rider
without dismounting or stopping, or to enable the pedal shaft to be put out of
gear for running down hill without revolving, to provide an improved spring
support for the steering wheel bearing capable of being rendered rigid when
required.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this
Specification, wherein
Figure 1 is an elevation of the improved bicycle.
Figure 2 is a detail view of the pedal shaft, the chain wheels being in section on
line 1-1 Figure 1 to shew the clutches.
Figure 3 is a face view of one chain wheel with brake rim.
Figure 4 is a detail view of part of the steering wheel fork shewing one of the
lever extensions thereof.
Figures 5 and 6 are rear and front views of the same.
Figure 7 is a detail section, on line 2-2 Figure 1, of the spring of one of the
lever extensions.
The same letters of reference denote like parts in all the figures.
The main frame or backbone A is curved upwards at its forward part A' over
and concentrically with the front wheel B from a point about level with the wheel
axles, the remainder A2 of the backbone being horizontal and forked to receive the
rear wheel C. The bearings of the steering wheel B are in forwardly inclined or
curved lever-like extensions D of the steering wheel fork pivoted at d¹ to the
extremities of the limbs of the steering fork E, the upper end d of each lever
extension taking a bearing on a spiral spring guided by a U-shaped frame g
pivoted by its upper ends g¹ to the limb of the steering fork E, its lower part being

page_text: steadied by embracing the stay-rod h of the mud guard, the spring f being
confined between cross-plates ff" apertured to slip on to the U-link g on which
the upper cross-plate slides as the spring is compressed by the motion of the lever
extension D. The upper cross-plate is provided with a coned or knife-edge
bearing for the tail end d of lever D to rest on so as to allow of free angular
motion of said lever whilst provision may be made for raising the lower cross-
plate to regulate the initial tension of the spring to suit the rider. Each lever
extension D is pivoted at d' in a slot in the end of the limb of the fork E, the
motion of the lever extension being limited in the other direction by abutting
against the fork with which, in the event of the spring breaking, it may be made
rigid by a sliding collar E' slid down so as to imprison the tail end of the lever D
within the hollow of the fork. The seat standard I is forked or inverted U-shaped,
its limbs being secured to the fork A' by straps J embracing both, as shewn in
Figure 2, and by a pair of forward diagonal braces K connected to the lower
extremities of the forked standard I and to the upwardly-curved forward part A¹
of the backbone at A' and by pairs of rearward diagonal braces L, M, below and
above the fork A' connected to the standard and to the fork, as shewn, these tie-
rods forming a double truss brace serving to hold the standard I against longitudinal
or transverse displacement whilst admitting, by means of right and left screw-
couplings on the tie-rods, of setting the standard I at any rake desired, the lower
braces also forming a guard for the sprocket wheels on the pedal shatt N. This
sbaft N is journaled in the lower ends of the forked standard I, the shaft being
held in position by collars n. Loose upon the pedal shaft N are two sprocket
wheels O, P, of different diameters, respectively geared by pitch chains o, p, with
sprocket wheels on the driving wheel C. Midway between the said sprocket
wheels O, P, a double clutch Q is splined to the pedal shaft N and its clutches 9 9¹
are adapted to be thrown into engagement with one or other of corresponding
clutches on the sprocket wheels O, P, or to be disengaged from both when
running idle, as shewn in Figure 2. This clutch Q is surrounded by a collar &
connected with and operated by a lever S pivoted to the seat standard I and
extending up the same to a point s within easy reach of the rider and provided
with means of locking it in whichever position it may be set. The sprocket
wheel O is provided with a brake flange encircled by a brake strap t¹ connected
to a lever 1 pivoted on a cross-bar I¹ of standard I, said lever T being connected
by rods and bell crank levers t³ with the brake lever T¹ on the steering handle.
The teeth of the clutches q g¹ rare so formed that they may be thrown into
engagement when the pedal shaft N is rapidly revolving and are so constructed
that the rider can control the machine by the pedals, instead of by the brake, if
desired. For this purpose the teeth are of the stepped form shewn on the rear or
non-driving face so as to admit of the teeth of the one member of the clutch readily
entering between those of the other member sufficiently to communicate motion
thereto, notwithstanding that the one member may be rapidly revolving and the
other member stationary, the teeth when thus partly engaged readily entering to
their full depth, the facility for engagement afforded by this stepped form being
accompanied by great strength of tooth. The stepped form of the teeth on the
rear face also admits of applying power in the rearward direction for checking
the speed by means of the pedals, instead of by the brake.
By means of these improvements the machine may be readily "geared up" for
speed or "geared down for power or thrown out of gear for running down hill
without the rider dismounting or removing his feet from the pedals which remain
stationary when the machine is running free. The peculiar construction of the
frame enables larger wheels to be used, the form of the frame and arrangement of
the braces being such that a lighter frame is obtained or one capable of sustaining
a heavier load than others of the same weight, and the spring extension levers D
of the steering wheel fork avoid vibration and jolting on rough roads whilst
admitting of easy repair, in case of the springs f breaking, by the conversion of the
fork into a rigid one when required.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
1. In a bicycle, the combination, with the steering wheel fork, of the lever
extensions pivoted thereto, as described, and carrying the steering wheel bearings,
and of the spring supports for said lever extensions situated between said extensions
and the mud-guard braces, as described.
2. In a bicycle, the combination, with the steering wheel fork, of the lever
extensions pivoted thereto, as described, and carrying the steering wheel bearings,
and of the springs supporting said lever extensions and carried by U-shaped links
attached to the steering fork and steadied by the mud-guard brace, substantially
as described.
3. In a bicycle, the combination, with the horizontal driving wheel fork, of the
forked seat standard having its limbs clamped to the limbs of the driving wheel
fork and supported by a pair of double truss braces, substantially as specified.
4. In a bicycle, the combination, with the forked seat standard mounted on and
braced to the driving wheel fork, as described, of the pedal shaft mounted in the
lower ends of the seat standard and the change driving gear and clutch mechanism
on said pedal shaft, substantially as specified.
5. In a bicycle having change driving gear and clutch mechanism on the pedal
shaft, as described, making the clutch teeth, of stepped form, as described, to
permit of easy engagement of the clutches when one part is revolving and the other
is stationary, and to enable reverse power to be applied by the pedals, as
described.
SML 1002
E. T. GOLDSMITH,
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.