IMPROVEMENTS IN BICYCLES AND VELOCIPEDES, AND IN THE MACHINERY AND APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREFORE
Year: 1871

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Frank Joseph Noble and
William Henry James Grout at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents, with their Petition, on the 2nd June 1871.
We, FRANK JOSEPH NOBLE and WILLIAM HENRY JAMES GROUT,
both of Watson Street, Stoke Newington, in the County of Middlesex,
Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
“IMPROVEMENTS IN BICYCLES AND VELOCIPEDES, AND IN THE MACHINERY AND
APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREFORE," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in the improvements of the several working
parts of bicycles and velocipedes. We propose making the reach or back-
bone of steel or iron with a slight curve instead of being in a radius with
the wheel; a brass, steel, or iron socket is screwed and rivited through
the reach or backbone, and bored out conical to receive the spindle or
fork, which is provided with bearings at the lower end to carry the front
wheel. The upper part is fitted with a brass frame and handle to steer
or regulate the velocipede to any point desired by the rider. We also
form a boss or joint at the front end of the reach or backbone, to which
we attach the spring made of steel, having an oval hole or slot four inches
more or less from the end of the spring to allow it to pass over the

page_text: socket as before named; the other or back end of the spring is fastened
or secured to a knuckle joint and pin. A boss is formed at the lower
end of the reach, to which we fix a step for mounting and dismounting.
We also fit a lever brake at the lower end of the reach or backbone fitted
with a roll revolving on steel centres or bearings, and grooved out to fit
the india-rubber tyred wheels. The treadles by which the velocipede
or bicycle is propelled we make of metal and other material, with
flat or oval parts covered with india-rubber, so as to admit of the rider
to use the front part or toes instead of the waist of the foot; the bear-
ings throughout the bicycle and velocipedes are fitted with brasses, and
made with a margin to cover the recess or bearings so as to exclude all
dust and grit. We shall use for lubricating the bearings of the same an
oil cup made conical on the inside, and fitted with a ball or valve to
cover the outlet at the bottom, through which the oil passes on to the
bearings when the velocipede is in motion, the oil ceasing to flow when
the machine remains stationary.
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The machinery and apparatus we shall use for bending to any circle or
diameter the steel or iron rims or felloes for bicycles and velocipedes,
and other wheels, is as follows We make three or more cast-iron rolls
fitted into a cast-iron frame; these rolls are grooved, or may have margins
or projections formed thereon to suit the shape of the steel or iron rim
or felloe, the Vor U shape being the best adapted for receiving the india-
rubber tyre. These india-rubber tyred wheels being rendered nearly
noiseless we shall introduce the use of bells of various sounds or an
alarum which can be set in motion at a given time by the rider, there-
by avoiding running or coming in contact with other vehicles.