IMPROVEMENTS IN VELO- CIPEDES
Year: 1885

page_text: We, WILLIAM SMITH of 3 Standard Hill Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, Machinist
and GEORGE HICKING of Lenton Road, The Park, in the same town, Wine Merchant,
do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN VELO-
CIPEDES," to be as follows that is to say:-
This Invention relates to velocipedes for carrying one or two persons and it has
for its object the improved construction and arrangement of such vehicles whereby
the power of the rider is applied to the driving wheels without the use of chain or
other gearing whilst the steering arrangements are greatly improved and the
machine rendered safer and more comfortable to ride.
In carrying out the Invention there are two large driving wheels fitted together
side by side having their axles connected together by a cranked shaft. The two
driving wheels have the ordinary forks with bearings for the wheels the fork
of each wheel being connected together at the top by a cross piece. This cross
piece has rigidly fixed to it at about its middle a back bone, carrying a saddle and
having a steering wheel. The rigidity of the back bone is further ensured by stays
or rods connecting it to the forks of the driving wheels at each side. The steering
wheel is carried at the end of the back bone so as to swivel, and has connected to
a crank on the fork carrying the steering wheel a horizontal rod which is connected
to a small crank at the end of a vertical rod. This vertical rod is carried in
bearings on the crank shaft between the driving wheels and also in bearings on
the cross piece connecting the forks of the driving wheels. Suitable handles are
fitted to the top of the vertical rod (similar to bicycle handles) and the velocipede
is thus conveniently steered by the rider, who being seated at a convenient height
is enabled with greater safety and comfort to drive the machine by his feet acting
direct on cranks on the driving axle of the two driving wheels.

page_text: We WILLIAM SMITH and GEORGE HICKING of the town and-county of Nottingham
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 :-
This invention relates to velocipedes and. it has for its object the improved 5
construction and arrangement of such vehicles whereby the power of the rider is
applied to the driving wheels without the use of chain or other equivalent gearing
whilst the steering arrangements are greatly improved thereby rendering the
machine more comfortable to ride.
;
The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying 1
drawings.
Figure 1 is a front elevation and Figure 2 a side elevation of the machine A is
the backbone to which the fork L of a small steering wheel B is connected by a
joint such as the usual Stanley head. C are the two large driving wheels carried
in the forks E by a cranked shaft D having bearings F in the said forks which are
rigidly connected at the top by a cross framing G to the back bone A which carries
the saddle. Tho rigidity is increased by a stay or rod H connecting the lower end
of the backbone to the forks E at each side. The steering wheel B runs in a fork L
upon which is an arm J jointed to a horizontal rod M which is connected to a small
arm N at the end of a vertical rod O. This vertical rod is carried in bearings P
on the frame G and stay H.
A suitable handle bar R is fitted to the top of the vertical shaft O and the
velocipede can thus be conveniently steered by the rider who being seated at a
suitable height is enabled to drive the machine by his feet acting direct on the
cranks on the driving axle D, thus dispensing with the need of chains or the like.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is:—
>
1. The herein described velocipede frame consisting of a back bone such as A
adapted to carry at its lower end the steering wheel fork and at its upper end.
rigidly connected with the cross frame G G and forks E substantially as specified.
2. In a velocipede the combination with a framework such as specified in claim 1
of a stay H connected to the back bone A and the two forks EE and affording
a bearing for the lower end of the steering rod O substantially as specified.
3. In à velocipede two driving wheels such as C supported in rigid forks E and
driven by the feet of the rider acting directly upon the cranked axle which carries
the said wheels in combination with a steering wheel B, carried in a movable fork L,
suitably jointed to the back bone A with which the said forks are rigidly connected
substantially as specified.
•

page_text: 4. In a velocipede the combination with a backbone A, cross-frame G, G, and
forks E all rigidly connected together, of a steering mechanism consisting of a
handle bar R, rods O, M, and arms N, J, the whole constructed and operating
substantially as specified and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
5. The complete velocipede substantially as described and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
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