Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Feb., 1887
Complete Left, 22nd Nov., 1887
Complete Accepted, 23rd Dec., 1887
We, BRUCE GREEN, of No. 5, Holborn Viaduct, in the City of London, Optician,
and SYDNEY LEE, of No. 60, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Bicycle
Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows :-
This invention relates to improvements in that class of tricycles which have two
steering wheels in front and a driving wheel in the rear. In machines of the nature
referred to, nearly the whole of the weight of the rider is supported by the driving
wheel, the consequence being that the said wheel, when the machine is being used,
travels in an extremely unsteady manner, and the object of this invention is to
obviate that disadvantage by employing one or more stay rods or tubes to support
the wheel.
In the construction of machines of the type herein before referred to, the front end
of the backbone of the machine is mounted on the upper part of the steering rod by
means of a "Stanley head" or socket head, and this invention consists in connecting
one end of a suitable stay rod or tube, in a similar manner, to the lower end of the
steering rod above the axle of the wheels, or, to a prolongation of the same, or, an
equivalent thereof, projecting below the said axle. The other end of the stay rod or
tube is connected to the end of the fork carrying the pedals, or the last mentioned end
of the stay rod or tube is bifurcated and the ends of the fork thus formed are provided
with bearings for the driving wheel, in this case, the stay rod or tube is sometimes
provided with a bracket carrying the spindle of the pedals. Although we have
hereinbefore referred to "Stanley heads" and socket heads as being employed for
mounting the front ends of the backbone and stay rod or tube on the steering rod, we
do not desire to confine this invention to the employment of such contrivances, as
there are many similar mechanical means which will answer the purpose, that is to
say, will allow of the steering rod and axle of the steering wheels to be turned for the
purpose of steering the machine without in any way affecting the backbone and stay
rod or tube, and we desire to extend this invention to the employment of any such

page_text: "
mechanical means as may be suitable for the purpose. It will be understood that the
said
Stanley heads," socket heads or their mechanical equivalents constitute the
centre or centres within which the steering rod is turned.
When the machine is provided with more than one stay rod or tube, all the rods or
tubes are constructed and arranged substantially as hereinbefore described.
In some cases, when the socket head at the end of the stay rod or tube is above the
axle of the steering wheels, the said socket head is made in one with the socket head
at the end of the backbone.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Tricycles.
We, BRUCE GREEN, of No. 5, Holborn Viaduct, in the City of London, Optician,
and SYDNEY LEE, of No. 60, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Bicycle
Agent, 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 :-
66
Our said invention relates to improvements in that class of tricycles which have
two steering wheels in front and a driving wheel in the rear. In machines of the
nature referred to, nearly the whole of the weight of the rider is supported by the
driving wheel, the consequence being that the said wheel, when the machine is being
used, travels in an extremely unsteady manner, and the object of this invention is to
obviate that disadvantage by employing a stay rod or tube to support the said wheel.
In the construction of machines of the type herein before referred to, the front end of
the backbone of the machine is connected with, or mounted on, the upper part of the
steering rod by means of a Stanley head" or socket head, and this invention
consists in connecting the front end of a stay rod or tube in a similar manner to a
prolongation of the steering rod, or an equivalent thereof, extending below the cross
tube carrying the axles of the steering wheels, and, in connecting the opposite end of
the said stay rod or tube to the end of the fork or rod or tube carrying the pedal
bearings, or, the last mentioned end of the stay rod or tube is bifurcated and the ends
of the fork thus formed are provided with bearings for the driving wheel, in this case
the ends of the fork of the backbone will be respectively arranged at each side of the
driving wheel, and, in some cases, the stay rod or tube is provided with a bracket
carrying the bearings for the spindle of the pedals. Although we have hereinbefore
referred to "Stanley heads" and socket heads as being employed for connecting or
mounting the front ends of the backbone and stay rod or tube to, or on, the steering
rod, we do not desire to confine this invention to the employment of such contrivances,
as there are other similar mechanical means which will answer the purpose, that is to
say, will allow of the steering rod and cross tube carrying the axles of the steering
wheels being turned, for the purpose of steering the machine, without in any way
affecting the backbone and stay rod or tube, and we desire that this invention should
extend to the employment of any such mechanical means as may be suitable for the
purpose. It will be understood that the said "Stanley heads," socket heads or their
mechanical equivalents constitute the centre or centres within which the steering rod
and extension thereof turn.
We will now refer to the accompanying drawing which is a perspective side
elevation of a tricycle constructed in accordance with this invention with one of the
front wheels removed. A. is the steering rod; B. the backbone; C. is a tube attached
to the head of the backbone, and forming therewith a socket head within which the
steering rod is situated; D. is the cross tube carrying the axles of the steering wheels;
a. which is the prolongation, below the axle D, of the steering rod A, has the socket

page_text: head e. at the end of the stay rod or tube E, mounted thereon, the inner end of the
said stay rod or tube is fixed to the rod or tube F. to which is also attached a bracket
carrying the pedal bearings. The rod or tube F. is here illustrated as an extension of
the saddle pillar.
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. In the construction of tricycles of the type herein before referred to, the
employment of a stay rod or tube, the front end of which is mounted on, or connected
to, an extension of the steering rod, at a point below the cross tube carrying the axles
of the steering wheels, by means of a socket head or "Stanley head" or other similar
contrivance, whilst the rear end of the said stay rod or tube is connected to a fork or
rod or tube fixed to, and extending from, the underside of the backbone, substantially
as, and for the purpose, hereinbefore described and shown in the accompanying
drawing.
And Secondly. In the construction of tricycles of the type hereinbefore referred to,
the employment of a stay rod or tube, the front end of which is mounted on, or
connected to, an extension of the steering rod, at a point below the cross tube
carrying the axles of the steering wheels, by means of a socket head or "Stanley head"
or other similar contrivance, whilst the rear end of the said stay rod or tube is
forked and arranged to carry the bearings of the driving wheel, substantially as, and
for the purpose, hereinbefore described.
Dated this 22nd day of November 1887.
VAUGHAN & SON,
Agents for the Applicants.