Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Mar., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 27th Dec., 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 16th Feb., 1889
We FREDERICK HOPKINSON and LEONARD CHARLES HOPKINSON of 49 and
50 Cleveland Street Doncaster in the county of York Engineers do hereby declare
the nature of our invention to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object improvements in velocipedes and othor wheeled
carriages and relates to that class known as two track.
We elucidate the nature of our invention as applied to that class of velocipedo
using two front steering wheels having their axles swivelling on independent pivots
and turned from a cross-bar carrying steering handles, as follows.
We employ a divided backbone or frame having at the front end of each half of
the said backbone or frame bearings or sockets provided to receive the pivots of the
steering wheels, said pivots being connected by links to the steering handle or we
could employ front wheels running loosely on an axle mounted on or in a suitable
socket and turned by the handle bar.
The halves of the backbone or frame are suitably pivoted together either at the
centre or other part or by hinging them on to a rigid axle carrying the rear driving
wheels if such be employed.
With reference to the type of machine before mentioned we provide the rear ends
of the said jointed back bone or frame with suitable bearings supporting the driving
wheels carried on independent axles on which are mounted chain wheels. On the
pivot or centre of the divided back bone or frame we mount a structure carrying the
steering post, seat, pillar or fixture pedals and a rod or extension produced backwards
to engage with a lever or link connecting the halves of the divided back bone or
frame such acting as the fulcrum on which they oscillate or other suitable means
producing the same result may be employed. The pedal shaft is mounted advan-
tageously with balance gear which drives two chains running over each chain wheel
on the independent axles which are carried by the divided backbone or frame or I can
use other suitable transmitting gear.

page_text: By this construction of velocipede each wheel is free to rise and fall on meeting
obstructions independently of the others and the driving wheels are always being
driven.
To provide for the rise and fall of the front steering wheels the links connecting
the steering heads or sockets to the steering post may be of spring metal or be jointed
or otherwise flexibly connected thereto.
Cushioning springs may be suitably applied to the velocipede or vehicle and it is
obvious that our invention may be applied to other road vehicles other than
velocipedes.
Dated this 94th day of March 1000

page_text: WO FREDERICK HOPKINSON and LEONARD CHARLES HOPKINSON 49 and 50 Clovoland
Street Doncaster in the County of Yorkshire Engineers do hereby declare the nature
of our said invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed to ho
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
Our invention has for its object improvements in velocipedes and other wheeled
carriages and relates to that class known as the "two track" variety-that is to say
pairs of wheels making parallel tracks. We elucidate as follows the nature of our
invention in the first instance as applied to that class of velocipede using two front
steering wheels having their axles swivelled on independent pivots and turned from a
cross bar carrying steering handles.
The two first sheets of drawings and figures and letters of reference marked thereon
are now referred to and in these
Figure 1 is an clovation of a velocipede constructed according to our invention.
Figure 2 is a plan of the same.
Figure 3 is a back elevation of the machine.
Figure 4 is a side elevation of the form of joint we prefer to adopt between the
backbones and
Figure 5 is a transverse cross sectional elevation of the same.
A A' are a pair of backbones placed side by side and jointed at B B' to bearings CC'
carrying axles D D on which are mounted chain wheeles E E'.
On the front ends of the backbones are mounted steering sockets F F¹ fitted with
pivots, carrying steering wheels G G₁. These pivots are jointed at H H' to links II'
in turn universally jointed at J J' to a crossbar K which swivels on a frame L carried
from a rod M fixed to the steering pivot of the handle bar. The backbones are
centrally or otherwise jointed so as to allow cach carrying its wheels to rise and fall
independently of each other as follows.
To each backbone we braze or fix discs N N' having parallel butting surfaces as
scen in Fig. 5 and also in Fig. 4.
Round the outer periphery of these discs we place an adjustable strap N' (See
Figs. 4 & 5) which can be set up or tightened by nuts 0 0¹.
To this strap are brazed or otherwise affixed stays or tubes P P one (P) carries
the steering pivot of the handle bar and the other one carries the seat spring
and seat pillar Q There are eyes R R (the ones on the corresponding side not
being shewn) fixed to the strap and to these are firmly screwed or fixed V shaped
brackets S S which carry the driving chains and cranks. The cranks may be
mounted on a balance gear in a box and each chain runs to the chain wheeles E E¹.
The V shaped brackets S S' also carry stays which oscillate at their other ends
on the axles D D¹.

page_text: From the stay or tube P¹ I pivot a rod or curved bar R2 carrying a pinion S
gearing in racks T T¹ carried by each backbone respectively so that such arrange-
ment forms a support for the seat pillar and spring.
The action of the machine is as follows.
The backbones carrying each pair of wheels can rise and fall independently of
each other as they oscillate on the strap N2. The links I I¹ pivoted to the cross
bar K worked from the steering handle allow the two front wheels to be steered
at all times without affecting the handle bar which always moves in unison with
the seat and pedals.
Thus the machine can mount obstacles without shock to the rider or riders.
If desired the discs and straps forming the pivot between the backbones might
be replaced by a pin passing through the discs or plates each carrying a backbone
or by other suitable form of joint.
We lay no claim to the use of stay rods carried from a chain wheel or wheels
(or a balance gear for carrying pedals and oscillating from the axles of driven
chain wheels in order to maintain the distance between driving and driven chain
wheels.
If desired bands or straps could be substituted for chains. The machine might
also be arranged as a tandem or sociable velocipede.
It will be seen that our machine acts exactly like a pair of parallel scale beams
fitted together.
On sheet 3 figure 6 shews our invention in plan as applied to the framing of
a baby carriage. Figure 7 being an end elevation.
Figure 8 is a side elevation. a is the central pivot on which move the backbones
or frames bbl.
The said backbones or frames carry stays ce running to the centre of the
pivot a so forming central stays. The stud axles d d d carry the wheels of
the vehicle.
Centred on the pivot a is a frame e to carry the body of the carriage. This
frame has a tongue f which fits in a rocking har g pivoted to cach backbone or
frame thus connecting their ends. The fulcrum is at a and the body of the
carriage oscillates on the tongue and a rocking bar g whereby the occupant of
a baby carriage is not affected by vibration.
Figure 9 is a plan diagram shewing whereby our invention may be used as a
bogio for rolling stock or for other vehicles or for gun carriages and the like
wherein the wheels have not to be steered in order to operate the vehicle. a
represents the pivot which carries the backbones 62 63 and each for the sake of
strength are made in parallel form.
From the bearing of the pivot a I carry a frame or platform h on which 1
support the body of the vehicle, gun or the like.
On each frame 63 63 we mount stud axles i¹2 23 on which we mount our
wheels jjjja.
It will therefore be seen that the parallel frames 62 6³ will rise and fall over any
obstacle which the wheels on each side may meet.
Figure 10 is a side elevation of our invention as applied to a cart van or vehicle or
a gun carriage or other vehicle adapted to a military ambulance or the like.
Figure 11 also shews a plan of the same. a' is the pivot which passes through the
backbones and also through the main frame K. and which also carries the frame
for supporting the body of the vehicle or the like.
The parallel sides of the pivoted backbone or frames are linked at m m¹ as before
mentioned. The axles 2 12 are pivoted at o' respectively to the backbones or
frames 6 to which the circular guides p p¹ are attached and shafts g g¹ are attached
to these axles, whereby the front wheeles can be steered to operate the vehicle.
The rod or balance lever connecting the frames or backbones allows the wheels on
each side of the vehicle to rise and fall as before described.
s shews the body of the carriage.
In Fig. 12 we shew a modification of our invention wherein we attach backbones or

page_text: frames on tubes or mountings through which passes an axle or spindle t on
which are mounted wheels u u' the other ends of the backbones or framor carrying
wheels von stud axles as shewn or a through axle might be used.
We are well aware that it has been proposed to joint the frame of a velocipede
(other than a four wheeled velocipede) in such manner that the frame could allow a
single pair of driving wheeles to rise and fall from each side, and we lay no claim
to such principle.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
FirstA velocipede having four wheels cach one track pair being carried on
backbones or frames pivoted together and one parallel or facing pair of wheels being
used as drivers and the other parallel or facing pair as steerers whereby each one track
pair of wheels can rise and fall independently of the opposito one track pair as
described.
Second: A carriage or like vehicle having four wheels each one track pair being
carried on backbones or frames pivoted together whereby each one track pair of
wheels can rise and fall independently of the opposite one track pair as described.
Third-A frame for a vehicle in which the support for the body of the same is
carriod from a pivot pin or joint connecting a parallel pair of backbones or franes
and on each end of which backbones or frames is mounted a pair of wheels in parallel
track as described.
Fourth-A frame for a vehicle in which the support for the body of the same is
carried from a pivot pin or joint connecting a parallof pair of backbones or frames on
which are mounted a pair of wheels in parallel track one pair of wheels being used
as drivers and the other pair as steerers or both as drivers and steerers substantially as
described.
Fifth-The construction and application of frame for vehicles substantially as
described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 21st day of December 1888.
POPPLEWELL, COLTON & Co.,
17 & 18, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicants.