Improvements in and relating to Steering Locks for Velocipedes.
Year: 1899

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Steering Locks for Velocipedes.
I, WILLIAM CHATER LEA, of 116 to 120 Golden Lane, in the County of London,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
According to my invention I pass a bolt with a screw-threaded end through one
of the lugs, preferably the top one of the front member of a velocipede frame. The
screwed end of the bolt may take into a screwed bush formed on the lug, or alter-
natively a tube, partially cut away as hereinafter described, may be inserted into
the lug and in that case one end of such tube will be screw-cut, for engagement
with the said bolt. The bolt is located in proximity to the steering stem and
such bolt is cut away eccentrically to a graduating arc of the circumference of the
steering stem. The end of the bolt that is not screw-cut is provided with a lever
or cross-pin, or it might be a milled head.
The bolt having been placed in such position that its cut-away part is con-
centric to the axis of the steering stem, the steering stem is inserted in the front
member of the frame and it will be seen that when the bolt is in its normal posi-
tion, that is to say with the largest are of its cut-away part towards the steering
stem, the steering will be free; but upon turning the said bolt so that the less
cut-away part is towards the steering stem that part of the bolt will come into
contact with the said stem, and at the same time, owing to the screw-engagement
of the bolt, the cut-away part thereof will tend to become eccentric to the axis of
the steering socket. In this way a reliable and quickly-acting lock is produced.
It will be understood that when the bolt is inserted in a tube, part of the latter
is cut away to enable the bolt to engage with the steering stem.
Preferably the arrangement is such that the lever or cross-pin of the bolt
depends therefrom when the bolt is in its normal position and in that case the
weight of the lever maintains the bolt out of engagement from the steering stem.
In some cases instead of forming the bolt rigid and in one piece I may con-
struct it so that its central part has a certain spring or "give" in it and the cut-
away part instead of being approximately circular in transverse section may
be angular or with "flats
engage with the said bolt.
upon it, and flats" may be formed on the stem to

page_text: I, WILLIAM CHATER LEA, of 116 to 120 Golden Lane, in the County of London,
Engineer, 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 steering locks for velocipedes and comprises the im-
provements hereinafter indicated."
In the accompanying drawings, which are illustrative of my invention,
Figure 1 shows in elevation the front portion of a bicycle frame.
Figure 2 is a sectional plan on the line - Figure 1, drawn to an enlarged
scale.
Figure 3 is a sectional elevation on the line y-y Figure 2, and
Figure 4 is a detail hereinafter referred to."
Like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawings.
a represents the front member of the bicycle frame; b is the top lug and c the
bottom one; d is the steering stem, and e the fork crown.
9
According to my invention I pass a bolt f with a screw-threaded end through
one of the lugs, preferably the top one b. The screwed end g of the bolt may
take into a screwed bush formed on the lug, or alternatively, as shown in
Figures 2 and 3, a tube h partially cut away as hereinafter described may be
inserted into the lug and in that case one end of such tube will be screw-cut for
engagement with the said bolt f. The bolt is located in proximity to the steering
stem d and such bolt is cut away eccentrically as shown at i to a graduating are
of the circumference of the steering stem. The end of the bolt that is not screw-
cut is provided with a lever or cross-pin j, or it might be a milled head.
The bolt having been placed in such position that its cut-away part i is con-
centric to the axis of the steering stem d, the steering stem d is inserted in the
front member a of the frame and it will be seen that when the bolt is in its
normal position, that is to say as shown in the drawings with the largest arc of
its cut-away part towards the steering stem, the steering will be free; but upon
furning the said bolt so that the less cut-away part is towards the steering stem
that part of the bolt will come into contact with the said stem, and at the same
time, owing to the screw engagement of the bolt, the cut-away part thereof will
tend to become eccentric to the axis of the steering socket. In this way two dis-
tinet forces are employed namely the one derived from turning the holt upon its
axis and the other derived from the longitudinal or screw-like displacement of
such bolt. Thus a reliable and quickly-acting lock is produced.
It will be understood that when the bolt is inserted in the tube h, part of the
latter is cut away to enable the bolt to engage with the steering stem.
Preferably the arrangement is such that the lever j of the bolt depends
therefrom when the bolt is in its normal position and in that case the weight
of the lever maintains the bolt out of engagement from the steering stem.
In some cases instead of forming the bolt rigid and in one piece I may con-
struct it so that its central part has a certain spring or "give" in it and the cut-
away part instead of being approximately circular in transverse section may,
as shown in Figure 4, be angular or with flats k
upon it.
In some cases instead of causing the bolt f to bear directly upon the steering
stem, I may insert between the front member a and the said stem a split collar 7
which may be provided with a thickened wearing surface m. In any case the
front member is slotted as shown at n.

page_text: 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. In a velocipede steering lock the bolt f so arranged that the locking is
effected by the combined rotation and longitudinal displacement thereof, sub-
stantially as set forth.
2. The velocipede steering lock constructed substantially as set forth and illus-
trated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 7th day of November 1899.
A. F. SPOONER,
323, High Holborn, London, Agent for the Applicant.