AN IMPROVED ARRANGEMENT FOR CONTROLLING THE STEERING OF VELOCIPEDES
Year: 1885

page_text: Velocipedes.
I REGINALD MASTERS SMITH of No 25 Craven Street, Charing Cross in the
parish of Saint Martins in the Fields in the County of Middlesex, clerk do hereby
declare the nature of my said invention for "AN IMPROVED ARRANGEMENT FOR
CONTROLLING THE STEERING OF VELOCIPEDES" to be as follows:-
"
The object of my invention is to keep the steering wheel of a Velocipedo in a
direct line and to restore it to its central position after it has deviated therefrom
without any assistance from the rider. In most tricycles and in many "safety
bicycles it is impossible to release the hand or hands from the steering handle for
an instant as there is nothing to keep the steering wheel running in a straight line,
many devices have been arranged to get over this difficulty but all have been more
or less unsuccessful. The most common device is to use two springs, one on each
side of the head, but the great objection to this arrangement is that the resistance
of the springs increases the further the wheel deviates from the straight line, by
the use of my arrangement this is obviated.
As my arrangement can be fitted to all type of Velocipedes I will describe its
construction generally and not as applied to any particular machine. I fix on to
the head of the steering wheel a short lever, and on to the frame carrying the neck
forming the centre of the head I fix a spring preferably a flat one. This spring is
fixed in a line with the lever before mentioned and is placed with the thin edge
uppermost so that its flexibility operates transversely with the frame. The end of
this spring passes through a guide or guides on the end of the lever fixed to the
head. When the steering wheel is turned for the purpose of steering the machine
the arm attached to the head moves transversely with the frame and acts on the
spring and forces it out of its natural position, and as the angle which the short
lever makes with the spring decreases in proportion as the steering wheel is
turned out of its straight course, so the force of the spring exerted on the short
lever decreases and vice versa.
ROBT. ED. PHILLIPS, M.I.M.E.,
Consulting Engineer & Patent Agent,
Royal Courts Chambers,
70, 71, & 72, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agent for the Applicant,

page_text: An Improved Arrangement for. Controlling the Steering of
Velocipedes.
I, REGINALD MASTERS SMITH of No. 25 Craven Street, Charing Cross in the
Parish of Saint Martins in the Fields in the county of Middlesex, Clerk do hereby
declare the nature of my said invention for "AN IMPROVED ARRANGEMENT FOR
CONTROLLING THE STEERING OF VELOCIPEDES," and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :—
"
The object of my invention is to keep the steering wheel of a velocipede in a
direct line and to restore it to its central position after it has deviated therefrom
without any assistance from the rider. In most tricycles and in many "safety
bicycles it is impossible to release the hand or hands from the steering handle for
an instant as there is nothing to keep the steering wheel running in a straight line;
many devices have been arranged to get over this difficulty but all have been more
or less unsuccessful. The most common device is to use two springs one on each
side of the head, but the great objection to this arrangement is that the resistance
of the springs increases the further the wheel deviates from the straight line; by
the use of my arrangement this is obviated.
As my arrangement can be fitted to all types of Velocipedes I will describe its
construction generally and not as applied to any particular machine. I fix on to
the head of the steering wheel a short lever, and on to the frame carrying the neck
forming the centre of the head I fix a 'spring preferably a flat one. This spring is
fixed in a line with the lever before mentioned and is placed with the thin edge
uppermost so that its flexibility operates transversely with the frame. The end of
this spring passes through a guide or guides on the end of the lever fixed to the
head. When the steering wheel is turned for the purpose of steering the machine
the arm attached to the head moves transversely with the frame and acts on the
spring and forces it out of its natural position, and as the angle which the short
lever makes with the spring decreases in proportion as the steering wheel is turned
out of its straight course, so the force of the spring exerted on the short lever
decreases and vice versa.
In order that my invention may be fully understood I will more particularly
describe it with the aid of the accompanying drawings on which similar parts are
marked with like letters of reference.
Fig. 1 is a side elevation and Fig. 2 a plan of a steering wheel fitted with my
apparatus. Referring to these figures it will be seen that fixed to the head of the
fork A carrying the steering wheel B, is a short lever or arm C on the end of which
is mounted, so that it is free to turn on its own axis, a slotted pin D. Fixed to
the frame of the machine E by a clip F is a flat spring G placed in a line with the
lever or arm C so that its free end works through the slotted pin D. The spring G
has its thin edge in the vertical pláne so that its flexibility operates transversely
with the frame. When the steering wheel is turned for the purpose of steering the
machine the lever or arm C attached to the head of the fork moves transversely
with the frame E, and acting on the spring G causes it to bend as shown in dotted
lines in Fig. 2. As the angle which the arm C makes with the spring G decreases

page_text: in proportion as the steering wheel B is turned out of its straight course, so that
the force of the spring G exerted on the short lever decreases until at the angle at
which it is shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2. it becomes nil and no force is required
to overcome the strength of the spring to keep the steering wheel in that position.
It will be seen that in this apparatus the strength of the spring is greatest when
the steering wheel is in its mid-position, and decreases as it is turned out of the
straight line.
The spring G may if desired be fixed direct to the frame of the machine, but by
mounting it on a clip adjustable on the frame as shown in the drawings, the
strength of the spring may be varied by shortening its effective length.
It will be obvious that the details of this apparatus may be varied in many
ways, for instance, I sometimes use two springs instead of one, fixing them close
together where they are attached to the frame of the machine, and letting their
free ends bear one on each side of a stud or roller mounted on the end of the arm
fixed to the head of the fork carrying the steering wheel. Again I sometimes
reverse the positions of the various parts, carrying the spring from the rear of the
fork carrying the steering wheel, and fixing the arm carrying the slotted pin or its
equivalent on to the frame of the machine; or when it is practicable I mount the
slotted pin or its equivalent direct on to the frame of the machine.
I do not bind myself to the use of a flat spring as a round wire Spring will act
equally well, or I may use a rigid arm or arms mounted on, or connected with, coil
springs which are arranged to exert power to keep the arm or arms in a central
position.
It will be clear that in velocipedes with more than one steering wheel each
wheel may be fitted with one of these controllers, or in machines in which the
driving wheels are also used as steering wheels one controller may be arranged to
control the action of the frame carrying such wheels.
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. An apparatus for controlling the action of the steering wheel or wheels
of velocipedes as hereinbefore described and shown.
Secondly. A steerage controller consisting essentially of a rigid arm, and a
flexible arm, attached respectively to the frame carrying the steering wheel, and to
the main frame of the machine, or vice versa constructed, arranged and operating,
as and for the purpose herein before described and shown.
Thirdly. The combination of the arm C fixed to the fork of the steering wheel,
the slotted pin D, or its equivalent, and the spring G, all combined, arranged, and
operating, as and for the purpose herein before set forth.
Dated this 11th day of Decemben 1005