Improvements in Cycles.
Year: 1896

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Cycles.
I ROBERT JOHN ALPE of 292 Burbury Street Birmingham in the County of
Warwick Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention has for its object improvements in cycles and consists firstly of a
device for locking the steerage head by which the front wheel can be readily locked
to any angle thus preventing the machine from being ridden if stolen and secondly of
a device for adjusting the driving wheel by which it can readily be moved backwards
or forwards with the greatest exactness thus affording means for the most perfect
adjustment of the chain. In carrying the first part of my invention into effect
I provide a collar around the ball head of the inner tube of the steerage head of the
machine in which I provide a number of notches, and to the top of the outer socket
of the head I mount a cross spindle having at its centre a projecting collar running
about two thirds around its circumferance and mounted in a position for the said
collar to engage with one of the notches formed upon the inner tube. The cross
spindle is provided with a suitable head for receiving a key by which the said spindle
may be turned for its collar to be in or out of engagement with the notches as
may be desired. This affords a ready means by which the front wheel and fork may
be locked at an angle to the machine for the purpose herin before mentioned.
In the second part of my invention the ends of the spindle of the driving wheel
are mounted on each side in a disc so as to have a movement eccentric to the centre
of the disc when the disc is turned. This eccentric disc is mounted to revolve in
one end of a strap the other end of which is pivotted to the back fork ends of
the frame and is provided with a centre stud having a nut head by which it can
be turned in either direction so as to adjust the position of the spindle which is
guided by the usual fork slots in the end of back fork.
The strap is so pivoted to the frame as to allow the eccentric to rise or fall as it
is turned but also prevents it from moving in a horizontal direction while the
spindle is prevented from rising or falling by the slots in the fork end but at the
same time is free to make the required horizontal movement for the adjustment of
the chain.
Dated this 8th day of June 1896.
ROBERT JOHN ALPE.
Improvements in Cycles.
I ROBERT JOHN ALPE of 292 Burbury Street Birmingham in the County of
Warwick Engineer 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 :-
My invention has for its object "Improveur.ents in cycles" and consists firstly of a
device for locking the steerage head by which the front wheel can be readily locked
to any angle thus preventing the machine from being ridden or stolen and secondly
of a device for adjusting the driving wheel by which it can readily be moved

page_text: backwards or forwards with the greatest exactness thus affording means for the most
perfect adjustment of the chain.
For the better illustration of my invention I have appended hereunto a sheet of
drawings upon which
Figure 1 is a view of a cycle having my improved lock A and adjustment B
attached thereto.
Figure 2 is an enlarged front view of the head shewing my improved locking
arrangement.
Figure 3 is a sectional plan of Figure 2 when unlocked.
Figure 4 is a similar plan to Figure 3 but shewing it in position when locked.
Figure 5 is an elevation of the arrangement for adjusting the driving wheel.
Figure 6 is a sectional plan of Figure 5.
In carrying the first part of any invention into effect I provi le a collar A around
the ball head of the inner tube of the steerage head of the machine in which I provide
a number of notches a' and to the top of the outer socket F of the head I mount the
cross spindle D having at its centre a projecting collar d' running from one to two
thirds around its circumference and mounted in a position for the said collar d¹ to
engage with one of the notches a¹ formed upon the inner collar A.
The cross spindle is provided with a suitable head d² for receiving a key E by
which the said spindle may be turned for its collar to be in or out of engagement
with the notches as may be desired, a spring J being provided to engage with the
notches, so as to prevent the spindle D from turning or being turned without the
assistance of the key. This affords a ready means by which the front wheel G and
fork H may be locked at an angle to the machine for the purpose hereinbefore
mentioned.
In the second part of my invention the ends of the spindle K of the driving wheel
are mounted on each side in a disc B so as to have a movement eccentric to the
centre of the disc when the disc is turned. This eccentric disc B is mounted to
revolve in one end of a strap M the other end of which is pivoted at m' to the back
fork end of the frame and is provided with means such as a centre stud having
a nut head, or holes 6' for receiving a key as shewn and by which it can be turned in
either direction so as to adjust the portion of the spindle which is guided by the
usual fork slots l' in the end of back fork. The strap M is pivoted to the frame m¹
so as to allow the eccentric B to rise or fall as it is turned, and also prevents it from
moving in a horizontal direction while the spindle K is prevented from rising or
falling by the slots in the fork end but at the same time is free to make the required
horizontal movement for the adjustment of the chain.
It will be seen that the eccentric B and strap are made entirely apart from the
fork L by which means in supplying a frame the strap can be attached on one side
of the fork ends L the other being supplied seperately so that after the wheel is
placed in position any little inaccuracy in the frame can be rectified when drilling
and tapping the hole for the pin m' in the fork end, on the other side.
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 arrangement for locking the steerage head of cycles substantially as & for
the purpose herein set forth and shewn.
2nd. The eccentric disc B and strap M mounted and operated substantially as and
for the purpose herein set forth and shewn.
3rd. The improvements in cycles substantially as and for the purpose berein set
forth and shewn upon the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 8th day of April 1897.
ROBT. J. ALPE.