Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Dec., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 7th Sept., 1898-Accepted, 29th Oct., 1898
RICHARD MANSELL-JONES, 76, Merton Road, Wimbledon, Surrey, Surgeon, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
To accomplish the above purpose the frame is made so as to permit the front
& hind wheel to rise and fall & thereby accommodate themselves to the inequalities
of rough roads & thus absorb vibration. The frame is made somewhat similar
in shape to that of a rigid frame.
The front part of the frame carrying the front wheel is made as follows. The
seat post has a ball bearing bracket or joint brazed or fixed within two or three
inches of its upper extremity, and on its front aspect; and two levers about six
or eight inches long, half an inch wide & a quarter of an inch thick are con-
nected near half their lengths to the above joint, one on each side, so as to allow
their long arms to hang down on each side and a little in front of the seat post.
The short or upper arms of both levers being connected at their extremities by
ball bearing joints with the rear end of the top bar. The front end of the top
bar being connected by a ball bearing joint with the top of the steering socket,
in the usual position. The lower end of the seat post & also the rear end of
the lower bar are connected to the crank bracket by ball bearing joints. The front
end of the lower bar being strongly brazed to the lower end of the steering socket
in the usual position. The ends of the lower arms or levers are connected to the
levers behind the seat post by steel springs or rubber bands. By these means
the front wheel is permitted to rise and fall to a limited extent and thereby
accommodate itself to the inequalities of the road. The above completes the descrip-
tion of the front frame.
The back part of the frame carrying the hind wheel is made somewhat similar
in its articulations to the front frame. To begin with a ball bearing bracket or
joint is brazed, or fixed, on the hind aspect of the seat post opposite to the joint in
front, previously described. To this joint two levers somewhat similar in shape
& about the same length as the front levers are connected, one on each side, near
their centres, so as to allow their long arms to hang down on each side & a little
behind the seat post. The short or upper ends of these levers being connected by
ball bearing joints with the heads of the stays, and the long ends of the levers being
connected by steel springs or rubber bands to the levers in front of the
seat post. The lower ends of the stays are connected to the hind forks, in the
usual position, by hinge joints. The above completes the description by which
the hind wheel is permitted to rise and fall. The levers above described, both
for the back & front wheels, may be straight, curved, or of any suitable shape.
If considered advisable rubber buffers may be used either in addition, or instead
of the steel springs or rubber bands-in which case they may be wedge shapel
and inserted between the upper levers & seat post, at their junction with each
other, buffer plates being attached to the seat post & levers for this purpose.

page_text: A modification of the above spring frame may be made as follows, a ball bearing
joint is made on each side of the seat post within about three inches of its upper
end. Two levers shaped somewhat similar to the capital letter T are fixed to
this joint, one on each side, at the junction of their perpendicular & horizontal
arms. The horizontal arms being connected in front by ball bearing joints to the
rear end of the top bar, & behind by ball bearing joints to the heads of the stays.
The perpendicular arms of the levers hang down on each side of the seat post,
& are prevented from moving forwards by a stop fixed in it. They are also con-
trolled in their movement backwards by a rubber cord fixed to each end and
passing in front of the seat post. The frame in every-other respect being exactly
similar to the one previously described-by these means both wheels are made to
rise and fall simultaneously when either meets with an obstruction.
Steel spring rods may be substituted for the levers if considered preferable.
1003
1, RICHARD MANSELL-JONES, late of 76, Merton Road, Wimbledon, Surrey, but
now of Sunnyside, Lodge Road, Croydon, in the County of Surrey, Surgeon, 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:
This invention for an improvement in bicycles to prevent vibration relates
to a frame made so as to permit the front and hind' wheel to rise and fall indepen-
dently of the seat piliar socket and thereby accommodate itself to the inequalities
of rough roads and thus absorb vibration, and has for its object to provide an
improved arrangement of such frame.
In the accompanying sheet of illustrative drawings; Fig. 1 is a side elevation
of a bicycle constructed according to this invention, Fig. 2 is a sectional plan
to an enlarged scale of the same, and Fig. 3 is a detail view. Fig. 4 shows a
modified arrangement of the spring.
C
The frame is made somewhat similar in shape to that of a rigid frame. The
diagonal tube or seat post a has a forked bracket 6 brazed or fixed within two or
three inches of its upper extremity, and on its front aspect. A lever c is fulcrummed
by ball bearing joints to the bracket and its long arm hangs down in front of the
tube a. The short or upper arm of the lever e is connected by ball bearing
joints to the rear end of the top or horizontal bar d. The front end of the
top bar dis connected by a ball bearing joint y with the top of the steering
socket e in the usual position. The lower end of the diagonal tube a and also the
rear end of the lower bar f are connected to the crank bracket 2 by ball bearing
joints y, the front end of the lower bar f being brazed to the lower end of the
steering socket e in the usual manner. The end of the longer arm of the lever c
is connected to an adjustable clip g on the seat tube a by rubber bands or rings h
or steel springs i. By these means the front wheel is permitted to rise and fall
to a limited extent and thereby accommodate itself to the inequalities of the road.
The back part of the frame carrying the hind wheel is made somewhat similar
in its articulations to the front frame. A forked bracket is brazed or fixed on
the hind aspect of the tube a opposite to the bracket b in front, previously described.
To this bracket a similar lever m to the front lever c is fulcrummed, so as to
allow the long arm to hang down behind the tube a. The short or upper end

page_text: of the lever is connected by a ball bearing joint with the head of the stays n. The
long end of the lever m is connected by rubber bands or rings h or steel springs i
to the adjustable clip g. The lower ends of the stays n are connected to the hind
forks o, in the usual position, by hinge joints z.
The levers above described, both for the back and front wheels, may be straight,
curved, or of any suitable shape. If considered advisable rubber buffers may be
used either in addition or instead of the steel springs or rubber bands in which
case they may be wedge shaped and inserted between the upper levers and seat
posts at their junction with each other, buffer plates being attached to the seat
posts and levers for this purpose.
Steel spring rods may be substituted for the levers if considered preferable.
The rubber rings work preferably on rollers s to obviate wear.
If the springs h or i should break or from other cause it is desired to make the
frame a rigid frame, the levers c m are connected by the piece t. The piece tis
of course removed when desired to have a spring frame.
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:-
:-
1. A bicycle frame in which the lower members are hinged to the diagonal
tube or seat pillar socket and in which the upper members are hinged to levers
fulcrummed on the diagonal tube.
2. A bicycle frame consisting of the bottom bracket, the lower bar hinged to
the bottom bracket, the diagonal tube also hinged to the bottom bracket, levers
fulcrummed on the top of the diagonal tube, the horizontal bar hinged to the
forward lever, the steering socket rigidly secured to the lower bar and hinged
to the horizontal bar, the back forks rigidly secured to the bottom bracket, the
back stays hinged to the levers and back forks and springs connecting the levers
to the frame.
3. The improvement in bicycles to prevent vibration substantially as described
with reference to the drawings.
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents.