IMPROVEMENTS IN VELOCIPEDES
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Chester Hickling, of Maidenhead, in the County
of Berks, Bicycle Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
VELOCIPEDES
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Chester Hickling at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 26th April 1879.
ALFRED CHESTER HICKLING, of Maidenhead, in the County of Berks, Bicycle
Manufacturer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN VELOCIPEDES,”
This Invention relates, firstly, to an arrangement of parts constituting a tricycle,
whereby greater facility in driving is obtained than heretofore; secondly, to means
for contracting the width of tricycles to facilitate their admittance into houses;
thirdly, to the construction of bearings for the axles of velocipedes, the object being
to facilitate the adjustment and renewal of the same when worn; and, fourthly,
to the construction of detachable cranks and the mode of attaching them to their
axles.
In carrying out the first part of my Invention I employ two large wheels
mounted on the same axle, and I place the steering wheel in front. The framing
consists of a bar or bars braced together at the front end, which is pointed and
expands laterally rearwards for a short distance, then for a short distance it main-
tains its parallelism, and terminates in a raised part, which is expanded laterally to
receive the seat of the rider. A socket is formed in the forward end of the frame
for the skin of the steering wheel fork; and in rear of this the frame dips to
bring it to a level for carrying the bearing of a chain wheel axle, on which the
pedal cranks for driving the velocipede are fitted. The bearings for the axle of the
main wheels are fitted to bracket extensions of the rear part of the framing.
The chain wheel on the pedal crank axle communicates the driving motion by
means of an endless chain to another chain wheel keyed upon the driving axle to
which the main wheels are fitted.
The vehicle may be provided with any convenient steering and also brake
apparatus.

page_text: which
To provide for the contraction of the width of tricycles when out of use,
forms the second head of my Invention, I construct the driving axle of the tricycle
in 3 parts, the main portion, or that which turns in bearings in the side frames, I
make of a weldless steel tube; and I form the journals of this axle the one on a
tube, which fits into one end of the axle, and the other on to a solid rod of two
diameters, the larger one fitting into the hollow axle and the smaller diameter
fitting into the tube of the other journal. Or if preferred the wheel axles may
both be solid. To secure these parts to the axle I provide screw caps, which will
draw the parts together and tend to tighten as the vehicle is propelled forward.
To permit of the vehicle being brought within doors it will be only necessary to
loosen the gcrew caps, and the ends of the axle may then be thrust inwards, so
that the wheels may be brought close up to the framing. By this means a con-
traction in width of several inches may be readily obtained.
The third part of my Invention is more specially applicable to bicycles, and
consists in forming the bearing surfaces for the axles so that they may be readily
To this end I
renewed by an inexperienced porson when deteriorated by wear.
fit on end of the axles short sleeves which are embraced by the fork sockets, the
same being divided and coupled up by bolts and nuts. These sleeves may be held
fast by tightening the screws, or they may be allowed to rotate with the wheel axle.
The ends of the sleeve enter annular recesses made in the hub of the wheel and
the head of the crank or of the screw cap, as the case may be, for the purpose of
preventing tho entrance of dust or dirt into the bearing. And further, to prevent
the lateral play of the parts due to end wear, collars are fitted against a shoulder
on the axles to receive the nipping pressure of the crank heads or the screw caps.
In carrying out the fourth part of my Invention I increase longitudinally the
width of the crank arm just below the socket to give it additional strength, and I
slit the arm longitudinally from the socket inwards for the distance, say, of two
inches, to give the same the power of yielding to pressure. Through the split part
of the crank arm I drill a hole transversely to receive a screw, to the end of which
I apply a lock nut; and by turning this screw 1 regulate the amount of nip which
may be applied to the crank axle, and by slackening the bite of screw the crank
may be readily detached.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Alfred Chester Hickling in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 25th
October 1879.
ALFRED CHESTER HICKLING, of Maidenhead, in the County of Berks, Bicycle
Manufacturer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN VELOCIPEDES.”
This Invention relates, firstly, to an arrangement of parts constituting a tricycle,
whereby greater facility in driving is obtained than heretofore; secondly, to means
for contracting the width of tricycles to facilitate their admittance into houses;
thirdly, to the construction of bearings for the axles of velocipedes, the object being
to facilitate the adjustment and renewal of the same when worn; and, fourthly,
to the construction of detachable cranks and the mode of attaching them to their
axles.
In the accompanying Drawing my improvements are shewn in several views;
Fig. 1 is a plan view of tricycle, illustrating the first and second heads of my
Invention; Fig. 2 is a side elevation, and Fig. 3 is a back elevation of the same.
In these Figures A, A, are two large wheels mounted on the same axles; and
B, B, is the main framing of the carriage, upon the rear end of which is mounted
the seat for the rider above the axle of the wheels A.
Fitted to the forward end of the framing is the steering wheel C. The framing B
consists of two tubular bara brazed together at the front end, which is pointed and
expands laterally rearwards for a short distance, then for a short distance it maintains
its parallelism, and terminates in a raised part, which is expanded laterally to receive
the seat D. A socket is formed in the forward end of the frame for the stem of the
steering wheel fork, and in rear of this the frame dips, as shewn in Fig. 2, to bring
it to a level for carrying the bearing of a chain wheel axle E on which the pedal
cranks for driving the velocipede are fitted. The bearings for the axle of the main
wheels are fitted to bracket extensions B¹ of the rear part of the framing B.
The chain wheel E' on the pedal crank axle communicates the driving motion
by means of an endless chain E to another chain wheel E³ keyed upon the driving
axle F.
The seat D is mounted on an elastic support, which is capable of adjustment
vertically to give any desired inclination to the seat. On the inner sides of the
back ends of the tubes constituting the framing A two pairs of lugs are brazed to
receive each a vertical rod a, which rods are threaded at their lower ends and fitted
with clamping nuts, the tightening up of which will secure these rods adjustably to
the framing. The upper ends of these rods terminate in eyes which carry a pair of
cross bars b, and connected to these rods is a pair of bearings c, to which the seat D
is attached.
These springs c are connected to the rods b by their ends being coiled around
those rods, as shewn in Fig. 2.
When it is desired to raise or lower the front edge of the seat it is only necessary
to shift the position of the gripping nuts on the front rods a, and in like manner
when the height of the seat requires altering the back rods may be similarly
adjusted.
The vehicle may be provided with any convenient steering and also brake
apparatus.
To provide for the contraction of the width of tricycles when out of use I make
the driving axle of the bicycle telescopic, constructing it in a peculiar manner,
which I will now describe. This axle is composed of three parts F, F¹, F³. The
main portion F is mounted in the bearings carried by the bracket extensions B¹.
This central portion of the axle is formed of a weldless steel tube, and fitted into its
opposite ends, so as to slide therein over feathers, are the solid cylindrical portions
F, F, of the axle, to which the wheels A, A, are respectively keyed.

page_text: In order to retain the telescopic axle at its proper length, tapered locking pins f
are employed. These pins are passed through tapered holes drilled in and through
the hollow and solid portions of the axle, and they are threaded at their smaller
ends to receive winged nuts f¹, which when screwed up will bind the parts firmly
together.
When it is desired to contract the width of the vehicle, in order to bring it
within doors, it will be only necessary to withdraw the locking pins; and the
wheels may then be brought closer together, as shewn by dots at Fig. 3.
The third part of my Invention is more especially applicable to bicycles, and
consists in forming the bearing surfaces for the axles, so that they may be readily
renewed by an experienced person when deteriorated by wear. To this end I fit
on the end of the axles short sleeves, which are embraced by the fork bearings, the
same being divided and coupled up by bolts and nuts.
This arrangement is shown in the detached views Figures 5 and 6, where g are
the collars fitting into the axle h and gripped by the hinged bearings i. The ends
of the sleeves enter annular recesses made in the hub k of the wheel and in the
head of the crank & or of the screw cap, as in the case of the hind wheel, for the
purpose of preventing the entrance of dust or dirt into the bearings.
As an improvement in detachable cranks I construct the same as shown at
Figures 4 and 6; thus I increase the width of the crank arm just below the socket
to give it additional strength, and I slit the arm longitudinally from the socket
inwards, as shewn at Fig. 6, for the distance, say, of two inches to give the same
the power of yielding to pressure. Through the split part of the crank arm I drill
a hole transversely to receive a screw, to the end of which I apply a lock nut, and
by turning this screw I regulate the amount of nip which may be applied to the 2
crank axle. By slackening the bite of the screw the crank may be readily
detached.
Having now set forth the nature of my Invention of "Improvements in
Velocipedes," 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 framing A, which provides for the mounting of
central driving gear, as and for the purpose above described.
Secondly. The construction of telescopic or contracting driving shaft above
described.
Thirdly. The mode of applying detachable bearing surfaces to the axles of;
velocipedes as above described.
Fourthly. The construction of detachable crank as above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Chester Hickling, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Twenty-fourth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy nine.
A. C. HICKLING. (L.S.)