Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Nov., 1886.
Complete Left, 22nd Aug., 1887.
Complete Accepted, 7th Oct., 1887.
We, ISAAC WATTS BOOTHROYD, of 15, Circus Street, Greenwich in the county of
Kent, Manager, and PHILIPP LOUIS CHARLES FREDERICK RENOUF, of 46, Roland
Gardens, in the County of Middlesex, Student of the Inner Temple, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is the improved construction of the steering apparatus
of velocipedes, and especially of those velocipedes in which a rider has to control the
balance of a second rider or of any considerable weight.
We mount the seat of one rider behind the driving axle of the velocipede and that
of the second rider or the luggage carrier in front of the same, in such a way that the
seat or seats and the pedalling contrivance which is preferably of the reciprocating
type are constrained to sway or move laterally in unison with such axle. The steering
hinge or centre is placed between the pedal shaft and the centre of the rear or steering
wheel, so as to be nearly in the centre of the machine, and is operated on by a connec-
tion with the steering handles. The steering neck is bored through to receive a
pointed steel pivot or else is provide with a pair of grooved and hardened steel sleeves.
These hardened ends are covered by hardened cups turned out so as to form a V-ring
containing balls; these are previously passed into their places through a hole or holes
in the circumference of the cups; a small stop over these holes maintains the balls in
their position.
In order to simplify the manufacture of the neck, the sides of the latter are perfectly
flat; the usual round boss is either dispensed with entirely, in which case the tube

page_text: which is to be fitted to the neck is "jumped up" or thickened at one end and then
bent upwards and flattened so as to cover the flat part of the neck; or else the boss
consists of a separate moveable piece of light metal of suitable dimensions which
is interposed between the tube and the neck all three being brazed up together.
This construction of neck will be found of great advantage in ordinary bicycles, as
the trouble of centering, turning shaping and setting down the boss in the usual
manner is avoided, a decrease in weight being effected at the same time.
Dated this 22nd day of November 1886.
POPPLEWELL, COLTON & Co.,
Agents for the Applicants.
Improvements in Velocipedes.
We ISAAC WATTS BOOTHROYD of 15 Circus Street Greenwich in the County of Ken
Manager and PHILIPP LOUIS CHARLES FREDERICK RENOUF of 46 Rolands Gardens in
the County of Middlesex Student of the Inner Temple, do hereby declare the nature
of our said invention and in what manner the same to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
We construct our improved velocipede by mounting a seat, the steering handles and
a pedalling contrivance of the rotary or of the reciprocating type behind a pair of
driving wheels, and a second seat for a rider, or else a receptacle for goods in front of
the driving wheels. The frame work is so arranged that the seat or seats with the
pedalling mechanism are rigidly connected with the supports of the axle-bearings and
are constrained to move in unison with the same when the machine is being steered to
the right or to the left.
The non-driving steering wheel is supported by a horizontal projection, joined to
the main frame by means of a hinge or joint situated between this steering wheel
(instead of vertically above as is usually the case) and the front axle;-the non-driving
wheel being placed in the rear.
The handles of the rider who steers are connected with this joint by means of
connecting rods or by means of a pair of discs and flexible bands crossing from left to
right so as to produce the proper deflection of the trailing wheel.
It will be seen that, the steering head or joint being thus placed nearer to the centre
of the machine than is generally the case, and the support of the riders being fixed to
that part of the frame which is in front of the head, the weight of both riders will
always be carried and swayed in the direction the machine is taking, the danger of

page_text: being thrown out when describing a curve at a great speed being greatly reduced. In
order to decrease the friction at the hinge or joint we prefer to introduce balls or
rollers in the manner described below, and for the purpose of easier manufacture, and
diminition of weight we prefer to join the various parts in the manner hereafter
described.
In the annexed drawings Fig. 1. represents a velocipede with reciprocating, or
lever propelling gear, Fig. 2 a velocipede driven by the usual rotary action pedal gear,
whilst Fig. 3, in which the actuating mechanism is left out for the greater clearness,
shows a top view of the velocipede when describing a curve to the right.
B. represents the front or main frame, supported by D, the axle of the driving wheels,
and joined at A to C, the forks of the trailing wheel.
The seats e and fare rigidly attached to frame B, whilst the steering handles, g are
capable of moving in a pivot, and are attached to a disc h which communicates with k,
a similar disc, fixed to the neck of the frame C by means of the flexible bands i, i
crossing from right to left as appears more clearly in Fig. 3.
In Fig. 1, m is a bearing attached to the main-frame B and on which are pivoted a
pair of reciprocating levers l. 1. ; these pedalling levers drive by means of connecting-
rods n. na chain wheel situated above the axle D, and driving this axle. By this
means we dispense with a second chain and pedal bracket, on tandem volocipedes.
In Fig. 5 A represents the steering neck of this or any other kind of velocipede, the
vertical barrel being pierced and having a hardened pin with conical ends B. B.
inserted through it.
These conical ends are pivoted in hardened cups provided with antifriction
spheres, one such cup is shewn separately in Fig. 4. in section. The cup C is
provided with an internal V groove, one side being pierced with a hole of sufficient
dimensions to admit of the insertion of the balls; this hole is plugged with a hardened
piece D, the inner part of which completes the V groove and the outer part of which
is threaded together with the surface of the cups C, and is capable of being screwed into
the frame of the velocipede as a whole with C.
The dimensions of the V groove and the number of the balls being such as to
corrrespond in such a manner that the latter form one continuous circle or arch, it
will be seen that the cup can be removed and handled without the balls dropping out.
The cup C may also be made of similar shape and section but without the plug D, but
divided vertically in two halves, which when screwed into their place into the head or
other support, form one continuous whole. The Neck A, in fig. 5 is let into a solid
& separate boss E, shewn separately in fig. 6 and provided with a slot for receiving
the neck, to which it is attached by a peg passing through a hole, f, before being
brazed to the neck. This boss E may form the crown of the forks C in the drawings
fig. 1 and fig. 2 or it may be used to be inserted in the backbone or other part of other
kinds of velocipedes the object of this construction being to enable the neck A to be
set at any desired angle, by pivoting it on the pin or peg passing through hole f. and
brazing it up in the required position.
But where the neck has to be joined to a tube and it is desirable to save as much
weight as possible we sometimes dispense with this solid boss altogether, by treating
the tube in the following manner.
The latter end of the tube is "jumped up" or thickened, and then slightly bent up;
it is then flattened and pressed into a shape corresponding to that of the flat neck,
which then inserted, pegged on, and brazed up. Instead of "jumping up" the tube
we may substitute a light stamping of tubular or sheet metal of the same shape as
the flat of the neck and insert this between the neck and the tube.
We are aware that velocipedes for one or two riders have been constructed in which
a front steering wheel is connected with the driving wheels by means of a head or
hinge placed between the axle of the driving wheels and the supports of the non-
driving wheels, and in some respects similar to the velocipede illustrated in fig. 2, but
with this distinction that the riders were placed on the hinder part of the framework,
and when describing a curve did not immediately follow the direction intended to be

page_text: taken, in consequence of which arrangement the steering of such velocipedes involved
considerable danger to a novice, but-
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said Invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we claim is :--
1. A velocipede for two riders, in which the steering hinge or head is placed between
the front or driving axle, and the non-driving, trailing wheel, and in which the seats
and the propelling mechanism used by both riders are rigidly mounted on the part of
the frame in front of such hinge or head, in such manner that the two riders are
constrained to move together with the front or leading portion of the frame, when
describing a curve substantially as, and for the purpose described.
2. A Tandem velocipede with reciprocating lever action and steering apparatus
substantially as described.
3. A hardened cup containing antifriction on spheres or rollers inserted in the
manner or manners and for the purpose described.
4. On steering necks of velocipedes, a loose boss capable of being set at any angle,
substantially as and for the purposes described.
5. The manner described in the letter press of joining the tubular framework to a
flattened steering neck.
Dated this 19th day of August 1887.
POPPLEWELL, COLTON & Co.,
Agents for the Applicants.