AN IMPROVEMENT IN TRICYCLES
Year: 1885

page_text: I LEONARD FREDERICK APPLETON 171 King's Road Camden Road N W. Com-
mission Agent do hereby declare the nature of my invention for AN IMPROVEMENT
IN TRICYCLES to be as follows:-
The invention consists of an arrangement for lowering, and raising the front
wheel of tricycles, especially in the case of Tandem Tricycles of the shape known
as the Humber Type Tandem, where the small front wheel is permanently raised
above the ground.
The object of my invention is to provide means whereby this wheel may be
lowered or raised at pleasure, and I effect the same by connecting the said wheel
with the foot-rest in such a manner, that by pressing with one or two feet on the
foot-rest the wheel is made to press on the ground, this wheel is allowed to run
freely and in any direction on the ground, and is not intended as a stearing wheel
but as a preventative against the back wheel lifting from off the ground and
destroying the stearing power of the machine.
The parts which connect the wheel to the foot-rest are provided with a spring or
are made of springy steel to minimize the vibration caused by any inequalities of
the road. Although I prefer the manner described above for lowering the wheel, it
can be done by extending an arm or a series of levers to any other part of the
machine as for instance the handles so that the lowering could be worked by hand,
either by the front or back rider.
When the machine is ascending a hill or is on level road the small wheel is held
up by means of a spring, or springs and does not touch the ground, but in
descending a hill, the feet of the front rider can be placed upon the foot-rest and the
machine made to run upon four wheels instead of three, which in itself not only
gives greater resistance to the progress, but enables the brake to be very strongly
applied without fear of throwing the machine and riders over.
It will be seen by this that the machine is made much safer without diminishing
the speed unless you require to do so The same system may be applied to
machines which have a wheel in front which touches the ground as it can be raised
in like manner,

page_text: "
I LEONARD FREDERICK APPLETON of 171 Kings Road, Camden Road, London,
in the county of Middlesex, Commission 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 :—
My invention consists of an, arrangement for lowering and raising a small
"safety" wheel, fitted on the front of a tricycle or other velocipede to prevent it
tipping forward, either on the application of the brake, or when any obstruction
on the road comes in contact with the driving wheels and suddenly checks the
progress of the machine,, Hitherto these sinall "safety", wheels have been fixed to
some part of the machine so as to be permanently raised above the ground, and so
that they only come in contact with it when the rear or trailing wheel leaves it.
The object of my invention is to provide means whereby the "safety" wheel niay
be lowered on to the ground and kept there, or raised clear of the ground at
pleasure. I attain this end by connecting the "safety" wheel with the foot rest,
or rests, in such a manner that by pressing with the feet on the foot rest, or rests,
the wheel is caused to come in contact with the ground. The wheel is inóunted in
a socket or head and is so arranged that when it. is on the ground it will run as a
castor wheel, and consequently will not have any control, or effect, on the steering
of the machine, as it is ouly intended as a preventative against the rear or trailing
wheel lifting off the ground; and destroying the steering power of the machine.
My invention is applicable to all types of tricycles in which the driving wheel,
or wheels, run in front of a rear, trailing, or steering wheel, or wheels, whether
single or tandem machines, but it is specially suited for tandem tricycles of the
"Humber" type. In order that my invention may be fully understood. I will
more particularly describe it with the aid of the accompanying drawings, in which
similar parts are marked with like letters of reference..
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a "Humber" tandem tricycle showing one method
of carrying out my invention. Fig. 2. is a plan thereof, with certain parts of the
machine not shown, for the sake of clearness, & Figs. 3 and 4 are views showing
another method of carrying out my invention, the former showing the wheel clear
of the ground, and the latter in contact with it.
. T
Referring to Figs. 1 and 2. A. designates the small "safety" wheel mounted. in a
fork B, the top of which fits in a socket formed on the end of an arm C pivotted
on the end of the frame X of the machine. The arm C is extended upwards past
the joint and carries at its extremity a foot rest D. The arm C is connected by a
rod F with a small bell crank lever E pivotted on the pedal crank axle bracket of
the rear rider, or on any other convenient part of the frame. The free arm of the
bell crank lever E is provided at its extremity with a foot rest c. ‚A, spring G
keeps the "safety" wheel clear of the ground unless it is operated upon to bring it
in contact therewith. The socket of the "safety "wheel is constructed so that the
wheel will trail as a castor when it is in contact with the ground, and so that the
fork will have a slight vertical play controlled by the spring b so as to minimize
the vibration set up by the inequalities of the road. The socket is also fitted
with an annular cam and spring, or any other convenient form of controller, to
keep the wheel from swinging about when clear of the ground, and to keep it

page_text: running straight until it is otherwise controlled by the steering of the machine,
when it is on the ground.
Referring to Figs. 3 and 4. which show another method of carrying out my
invention A designates the small "safety" wheel mounted in a fork B preferably
made of spring steel in a bow shape as shown. The top of the fork is carried in a
Bocket formed on the forward extremity of the frame X of the machine. The top
of the fork is extended upwards and carries at its extremity a small bracket b¹ on
which is pivotted an arm or lever C carrying at its upper end a foot rest D. The
arm C is connected with the footrest for the rear rider by the rod F which is
connected with the arm C, through a bell crank C¹ pivotted on a bracket / carried
from the frame X. The bracket x also serves to carry a rigid foot rest for use
when the "safety" wheel is not required to be brought into contact with the
ground.
The other parts of the machine to which no reference has been made present no
novel features and I do not in any way limit myself to the application of my.
invention to the type of machine illustrated in the accompanying drawings, neither
do I limit myself to the exact arrangements for carrying out my invention as
hereinbefore described and shown, as it can be done in many other ways without
departing from the scope of my invention. For instance the wheel may be
controlled from the handle bar, or bars, through a series of levers, or it may be
controlled from the handles and footrests combined, or from the handles of one
rider and the footrests of the other; or again in tandem machines it may be
controlled by the front rider only. When it is controlled from the handle bar
I prefer to manipulate it by the brake lever so that one action simultaneously
operates both the brake and the "safety" wheel.
It will be seen that normally the small "safety" wheel is clear of the ground, but.
in descending hills the wheel may be brought into contact with it by either or both
of the rider's putting their feet on the foot rests and pressing thereon, thus causing
the machine to run on four wheels instead of three, which not only gives greater
stability to the machine but also allows the brake to be strongly applied without
fear of throwing the machine over.
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. The application to velocipedes having three or more wheels, of a small
"safety" wheel which can be lowered, and raised, as and for the purpose herein-
before described and shown, or any mere modification thereof.
Second. The application to velocipedes for one or more riders, and having two
driving wheels and one rear or trailing wheel, of a small "safety" wheel placed in
front of the other wheels and which is capable of being lowered and brought into
contact with the ground, or raised therefrom, as and for the purpose hereinbefore
set forth.
Third. The combination of the wheel A, the fork B, the arm C, the footrest D,
the spring G, the bell crank lever E and the rod F, all combined, arranged, and
applied, to the frame of a velocipede and operating as and for the purpose herein-
before set forth.