Year: 1886

page_text: I, WILLIAM GOLDING, of Britannia Works, Yarburgh Street, Moss Side, near
Manchester in the County of Lancaster, Bicycle Manufacturer, 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 relates to further improvements in the same direction as described
in the Specification accompanying my application for Letters Patent Dated
17th June, 1886, N° 8049, and consists
Firstly. In a modification of the pedal mechanism described therein as a roller
claviger.
Secondly. The shape and arrangement of the framework of a tricycle in con-
nection with the pedal mechanism.
Thirdly. Modifying the arrangement of the springs in connection with the head
or hinge of a tricycle and securing them with nuts and set screws instead of pinning
and brazing them in as described therein.
And in order that my said invention may be well understood I now proceed
more particularly to describe the same and for that purpose refer to the accom-
panying Sheet of Drawings.
A A represents the main framework of a tricycle. It is L shaped and is
composed of two straight pieces of steel tubing one placed in a vertical and the
other in a horizontal direction. These are joined together at the bend by a right
angled corepiece which is pinned and brazed into both tubes. This core piece
carries two brackets b³, one on each side, and each bracket is widened out and
terminates in a smooth plane surface, about half an inch in width, set at an anglè
of 45 degrees or thereabouts. These form the guides g for the rollers. Above the
point of junction of the tubes a sleeve i carrying two forks b¹ and b², is pinned
and brazed round the tube. The upper forked bracket 6' terminates in ball bearing
cases which rest upon the hollow axle x¹ of the driving wheels. The lower forked
bracket also terminates in ball bearing cases which support a short subsidiary shaft
parallel to the main axle. This short shaft is carried through the bearings and
has a crank & securely fixed at each end, 180 degrees angular distance apart from
each other. A spur wheel h is keyed or otherwise rigidly fixed to the centre of
this short shaft and it is arranged to gear with a spur pinion a fixed upon the
hollow axle, which is connected with the balance gear of the driving wheels. On

page_text: each side of the machine pivotted to the cranks by the crank-pins is a rod B C D
carrying a roller R upon a fixed stud O. The end B of the rod is slotted to
accommodate a pedal P which is clamped in position in the usual way. The
driving mechanism thus forms, (according to the nomenclature adopted in my
specification No 11990, 1885) a roller claviger of the first kind.
The clavis rod BCD is slightly bent and the roller guide placed at an angle
so as to bring the traverse of the pedal in a vertical direction, and as near the
ground as safe clearance will allow, the extent of the bending and of the inclination
of the guide depending upon the size of the driving wheels.
The length of the cranks depends upon the diameter of the two spur wheels in
gear as the cranks must pass clear of the main axle. These wheels are made of as
small a size as the cranks will allow. The position of the roller R along the rod
depends upon the ratio between the length of stroke of the pedal and the length
of the crank measuring between centres. Thus the length of stroke: diameter of
crank pin circle: : PC: CD. The length of stroke is varied by moving the crank
pin along the slot in the crank or by moving the pedal along the slot in the rod
and clamping in position. The crank pin has a deep bearing in a boss at the end
of the clavis rod at D which secures the rod from lateral oscillation and thus
prevents the roller from running off the guide. The position shewn in the figure
is when the pedals P and P¹ are at midstroke. With the proportions shewn in the
figure the pedal makes an elliptical movement with the minor axis one third the
length of the major axis.
The upper end of the vertical tube accommodates an L shaped seat rod which is
adjustable vertically in it by means of a set screw. The lower end of the tubular
framework carries the neck j with the steering spindle p. The head or steering
centres are vertical and are placed midway between the axle x of the front wheel
and the axle ¹ of the driving wheels; they are held by lugs and A which are
securely attached towards the lower part of a vertical tube t¹. The steering rod
with handle-bar of the usual bicycle pattern is placed within the vertical tube and
is adjustable in it by means of a set screw. The fork of the front wheel is placed
horizontally and is connected to the head by two springs. The head, springs, and
fork of front wheel are substantially the same as described in the specification
first referred to but instead of fixing the springs by pinning and brazing as therein
described a different method is adopted, it being found in practice that the heat
required in brazing affects the temper of the springs. The springs are preferen-
tially made of round bars of steel. Each one consists of a straight length with
a single coil at the top and bottom. The ends of the bars are carried for a short
distance away from the coils in a direction parallel to the straight length and are
then bent backwards at right angles to it. The straight length of the spring is
then secured to the end of the front wheel fork by bolts and screws as shewn in
the figures. To effect this a square shaped rack piece w' is firmly brazed to the
nipple and end of the horizontally placed fork w of the front wheel. This piece
when in position has a smooth vertical face to the rear forming a hollow square.
The upper and lower horizontal pieces of the square have each two concave
recesses cut in them to accommodate the springs. The sides of the springs opposite
to these recesses are filed flat. The springs are then nipped in position by means
of two shaped short flat steel rods w² and w³, and four bolts and nuts u u¹ and v vl
which pass through the pieces above described. The upper pieces are shown in
plan view in the small figure, the straight part of the spring being cut through
just above.
The ends of the springs are secured in the following manner.
The two lugs and which support the steering centres are each made with
a projecting boss on each side. These are drilled through in a horizontal direction
and the four ends of the two springs are passed through these holes, each end
The two
through its corresponding hole, and the ends secured by set screws.
springs, the head, and the front fork are thus rigid together so far as lateral
movement is concerned as neither spring can have any differential action apart

page_text: from the other. The steering is therefore unaffected by the springs but they are
together efficient for excluding the vibration of the front wheel from the rest of
the machine.
It must be understood that I do not limit myself to the use for this purpose of
the particular kind of springs herein described but may use any open shape of
spring which can be fixed substantially in the manner described.
As explained more fully in the specification first alluded to, the effect of a vertical
head or joint placed midway or thereabouts between the two axles is that all three
wheels co-operate equally in the steering. Thus when the handle bar is turned all
three wheels immediately adjust themselves to the turn and each takes up a position
tangent to the arc it describes in turning. In describing it as a head with vertical
centres I do not limit myself to placing the centres exactly in a vertical position.
They may have a slight inclination backwards without affecting the principle of the
steering. The effect of this is to give a slight rake to the steering rod and to
cause the front wheel when turning to incline somewhat out of the vertical line
towards the centre of the curve.
Also instead of the roller R I may use any mere mechanical equivalent such as
a block and slide or a block having an arrangement of rollers running between
guides or any other open arrangement for effecting the same purpose.
In this description and the accompanying drawing the driving mechanism is
represented as attached to a tricycle. I do not limit myself to this application as
it is evident that it and the gear wheels in combination may be equally well
applied to a rear driving safety bicycle, the only alteration required for this purpose
being in the framework alone.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
First. The modification of the mechanism for converting and transmitting motion
(as already generally described under the name of "roller claviger of the first
kind" in my specification No 11990. 1885; and further described in its application
to the propulsion of velocipedes in my specification N° 8049. 1886) to the pro-
pulsion of tricycles and bicycles substantially as hereinbefore described and
illustrated.
Second. The combination and adaptation to bicycles and tricycles of the driving
mechanism with direct gear substantially as herein shewn and described.
Third. The general arrangement and combination of antivibration springs and
a vertically placed head midway between the two axles of a tricycle hereinbefore
described and illustrated.
Fourth. The general combination and arrangement of the several respective
parts and details together forming my improvements in tricycles substantially as
bereinbefore described and shewn in the drawing.
Fifth. The novel construction and arrangement of the framework of a tricycle
substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated.
Dated thin fruntath
2 T
1000