IMPROVEMENTS IN VELOCIPEDES, PART OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS 18 APPLICABLE TO OTHER WHEEL VEHICLES
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Starley, of Coventry, in the County of
Warwick, Mechanician, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
VELOCIPEDES, PART OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS 18 APPLICABLE TO OTHER WHEEL
VEHICLES."
Sealed the 13th May 1875, and dated the 17th November 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Starley at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
17th November 1874.
I, JAMES STARLEY, of Coventry, in the County of Warwick,
Mechanician, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN VELOCIPEDES, PART OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS IS APPLICABLE
TO OTHER WHEEL VEHICLES," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to various improvements in velocipedes whereby
among other advantages I am enabled to increase their stability and
improve their speed. I am also enabled to adapt them for the use of
both sexes, and to arrange them to carry two persons at the same
time.

page_text: My Invention embraces also improvements in the wheels of such
vehicles, the object being to combine strength and lightness with beauty
of appearance.
The large wheel of the velocipede I construct in the following
manner: The hub which is made broad is composed of two hollow
flanged cones keyed end to end on the wheel axle. The flanges which
form the outer ends of the hub I pierce with holes to receive steel pins
which are severally tapped to receive the threaded ends of inclined wire
spokes. The spokes are connected in pairs to the rim of the wheel,
which is made of trough-shaped steel to facilitate their attachment, and
they are led the one from, say, the upper side of the left-hand end of
the hub, and the other from the under side of the right-hand end of the
hub to the rim. This arrangement will involve the crossing of the
spokes (of which there may be any desired number, say twenty pairs)
near the hub and ensure its stability.
An incidental advantage of the use of the hollow coned hub is that
it will allow of the steering fork being made with broad bearings while
steering the front wheel. This is important as great strain is put upon
these bearings.
The small or hind wheel I propose to make in a somewhat different
manner. Thus, I fit the wheel axle with what may be termed a laterally
expanding divided hub, and to this hub I secure radial spokes formed
of lengths of wire which are attached at one end to a collar (constituting
the fixed portion of the-hub), and led up through an eye on the rim
of the wheel, and then down to a flange on the adjustable portion of the
hub. This adjustable portion is free to slide endways on its axle, and
it is tapped to receive a-screw plug which when made to bear against
the end of the axle will tighten up the wire spokes.
The seat of the velocipede I secure to end of a spring which is
made fast at its lower end to the frame of the velocipede, and at about
its middle bears upon a fixed fulcrum. I thus obtain an amount of
elasticity that will ensure ease to the rider when passing over rough
ground, and that by the use of a simple and cheap construction of
spring.
In adapting the velocipede to receive a side seat 1 joint the frame
near the front wheel so as to allow of its being turned out of line, and

page_text: axle which I secure in a position parallel to the front wheel by means
of a strut. The spring which carries the seat I pivot upon the frame,
and by means of a crutch at its rear end I secure it in its adjusted
position midway between the planes of motion of the two wheels.
The crank axle of the front wheel I provide with a special arrange-
ment of treadles (on one end thereof) suitable for a lady's use, and this
I make detachable to permit of the velocipede being adapted when
required for the ordinary rider. On the steering fork I form a bracket
for carrying a stud axle, and on this axle I mount a pair of treadle
levers. To the crank shaft I attach a double crank which I suitably
connect by means of links with the treadle levers.
When a large front wheel is used I raise the treadles in order to give
the rider a proper command over the velocipede, pivotting them on stud
pins carried by brackets projecting from the steering fork, and connecting
them by links of suitable length with the crank axle.
In order to adapt the velocipede to receive two riders I fit to either
end of the crank axle a double throw crank, and these double cranks
I provide with ordinary treadles. The frame I fit with a seat on either
side, the same being carried by springs which are set parallel to the
frame.
The wheel constructed with expanding hub and radial spokes as
above described I propose to apply to light vehicles, such as gigs.
In mounting a pair of these wheels I use two axles which severally
extend across the framing of the carriage, and turn in bearings carried
by the springs which support the body of the carriage. These axles
will lie parallel to each other and in the same horizontal plane.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said James Starley in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 15th May 1875.
1
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
STARLEY, of Coventry, in the County of Warwick, Mechanician, send
greeting

page_text: year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in
the thirty-eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said James Starley, Her special
licence that I, the said James Starley, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said James Starley, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the
term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN VELOCIPEDES, PART OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS IS APPLICABLE TO OTHER WHEEL
VEHICLES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said James
Starley, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed
in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James Starley, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to a
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement, reference being had to the Drawing here-
unto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to
say:
-
This Invention relates to various improvements in velocipedes whereby 2
among other advantages I am enabled to increase their stability and
improve their speed. I am also enabled to adapt them for the use of
both sexes, and to arrange them to carry two persons at the same
time.
My Invention embraces also improvements in the wheels of such 3
vehicles, the object being to combine strength and lightness with beauty
of appearance.
In Sheet I. of the accompanying Drawings Fig. 1 shews in side
elevation my improved velocipede adapted for a lady's use; Fig. 2
is a plan view; and Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the same.
I will first describe the constructions of wheels which I have designed
specially for velocipedes. The details of their construction are best
shewn in Sheet II. of the Drawings, where Fig. 4 is a partial side
3

page_text: .
elevation of a large velocipede wheel; Fig. 5 is a partial transverse
section of the same; and Fig. 6 is an edge view of a portion of the hub
with its attachments.
The large wheel of the velocipede I construct in the following
manner: The hub which is made broad is composed of two hollow
flanged cones A, A, secured end to end on the cranked axle B. The
flanges a which form the outer ends of the hub I pierce with holes to
receive steel pins 6 which are severally tapped at their opposite ends
(see Fig. 6) to receive the threaded ends of inclined wire spokes c.
These spokes are formed with heads, and are passed through holes
drilled in the rim C of the wheel (which is made of trough-shaped
steel) to facilitate their attachment, and their threaded ends are then
inserted in the pins 6 and screwed up until the heads of the spokes bear
tightly against the rim. To ensure the spokes acting as tension rods
I arrange them as shewn at Figures 5 and 6, that is to say, I arrange
the spokes in pairs, leading the two spokes of each pair from points at
opposite sides of the wheel to the same pin 6 in the flange a of the boss,
but to opposite sides of that flange. This arrangement I follow for the
spokes of both flanges, and I thus produce a crossing of the spokes
which will possess an elegant appearance, while at the same time I
secure great stiffness with the use of a light, wire. This arrangement
will involve the crossing of the spokes (of which there may be
any desired number, say twenty pairs) near the hub and ensure its
stability.
An incidental advantage of the use of the hollow-coned hub is that
it allows of the steering fork D being made with broad bearings D¹.
This is important as great strain is put on these bearings while steering
the front wheel, and moreover the extension of these bearings into the
hub, as shewn at Fig. 5, provides for the retention of a large supply of
lubricating material within the friction surfaces.
The mode of constructing the small or hind wheel is best shewn in
the plan view, Fig. 7, the right-hand end of which Figure shews this
new construction of wheel in section. I fit the wheel axle with what
may be termed a laterally expanding divided hub E, E', and to this hub
I secure radial spokes e formed of lengths of wire which are attached
at one end to a collar E (constituting the fixed portion of the hub), and
led up through an eye on the rim F of the wheel, and then down to a
flange on the adjustable portion E¹ of the hub. This adjustable portion

page_text: is free to slide endwise on its axle G, and it is tapped to receive a screw
plug E² which when made to bear against the end of the axle will tighten
up the wire spokes.
Referring now to Figures 1, 2, and 3, it will be seen that the frame H
of the velocipede is cranked laterally to throw the hind wheel and seat
out of line with the front wheel. This frame H is jointed near its
upper end to a piece H¹ by which it is connected to the steering fork I.
This joint provides for the lateral adjustment of the frame for the purpose
hereafter described.
The seat K of the velocipede I secure to the end of a spring L which
is made fast at its lower end to the frame H, and at about its middle
bears upon a fixed fulcrum L'; I thus obtain an amount of elasticity
that will ensure ease to the rider when passing over rough ground,
and that by the use of a simple and cheap construction of spring.
The hind wheel I mount on a swinging axle M which I secure
in a position parallel to the front wheel by means of a strut m or a
clamping nut.
The crank axle B of the front wheel is provided with a special
arrangement of treadles (on one end thereof) suitable for a lady's
use, and this I make detachable to permit of the velocipede being
adapted when required for the ordinary rider. From the steering
fork I projects a bracket I' for carrying a stud axle N which I
support by means of a tie rod N¹ pendent from the upper part of the
steering fork I. Upon the stud axle N a pair of treadle levers O, O',
is mounted, the same being connected by link rods o, o¹, to cranks
on the crank shaft, which shaft is fitted with a detachable double crank
piece P.
When a large front wheel is used, as indicated in the Drawing, I
raise the treadles by bending the treadle levers upwards in order to give
the rider a proper command over the velocipede. By this arrangement
of velocipede it will be understood that a lady while seated on the side
seat K (see Fig. 2) will be opposite the treadles and in an easy position
to work them, her balance being preserved by the relative positions of
the front and back wheels.
In order to adapt the velocipede to receive two riders I fit to either
end of the axle of the front wheel a double crank pieće P (as shewn in
the plan view, Fig. 8,) and these crank pieces I provide with ordinary
treadles. The frame H, by reason of its joint connection with the

page_text: piece H', I am enabled to shift laterally, or from the position of Fig. 2
to that of Fig. 8, and then firmly secure in that position by a clamping
screw at the joint in order that it may receive two seats K, one on
either side thereof. The seats are carried by springs L which are
jointed to a cross bar L that is pivotted to the frame H. These
springs rest upon a double forked crutch L' which serves to retain
them in position.
The wheel constructed with expanding hub and radial spokes as
above described with reference to Fig. 7, I propose to apply to light
vehicles, such as perambulators, Bath chairs, and gigs. In mounting
a pair of these wheels I use two axles Q, Q, which severally extend
across the framing of the carriage, and turn in bearings R, R, carried
by the springs which support the body of the carriage. These axles
will lie parallel to each other and in the same horizontal plane.
Having now set forth the nature of my Invention of "Improvements
in Velocipedes, Part of which Improvements is applicable to other
Wheel Vehicles," and explained the manner of carrying the same
into effect, I wish it to be understood that under the above in part
recited Letters Patent I claim,―
First. The construction of velocipede wheel, as described with reference
to Figures 4, 5, and 6 of the Drawings.
Secondly. The construction of expanding lub wheel, and the mode
of applying the same in pairs to carriages, as described with reference to
Fig. 7.
Third. The arrangement of velocipede with side seat for ladics' use,
as described with reference to Sheet I. of the Drawings.
Fourth. The adaptation of the single side seat velocipede of Sheet I.
to the carrying of two persons, as described with reference to Fig. 8 of
the Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Starley, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Fourteenth day of May, in the J
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five.
year of our
JAMES STARLEY. (I's)
JAMES STARLEY (L's)