Improvements in or relating to Anti-vibration Devices for Cycles.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Mar., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 15th Dec., 1899-Accepted, 20th Jan., 1900
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Anti-vibration Devices for Cycles.
I, JOHN WILLIAM PARKER, of 27, Alexandra Road, West Kensington Park, W.,
Mechanic, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:
-g
This invention relates to an improved construction of spring frame for cycles,
particularly applicable to a rear-driving safety bicycle and has for its object
minimizing or preventing vibration due to inequalities of the road being com-
municated to the rider.
The steering post carrying the front steering wheel is so mounted in the socket
of the frame as to be capable of sliding up and down therein, within certain
defined limits, its movement being controlled by a suitable spring or springs. A
convenient way of effecting this is as follows:-The steering post is of a greater
length than the socket of the frame so that in its normal position there is a space
between the bottom edge of the socket and the crown of the fork. At or near
the top of the socket and fixed thereto is an internal collar against which the
upper end of a spiral spring encircling the steering post takes a bearing, its
lower end bearing on a washer forming one part of a ball bearing, the other part
taking a bearing on a shoulder formed on the steering post.
The upper end of the steering post is screw threaded to adapt it to receive an
internally threaded sleeve, its upper end forming the usual lug or clamp, pro-
vided for adjusting the height of the steering pillar carrying the handle bar.
The lower outer side of this sleeve forins one of the points of contact for a ball
bearing, the races of which are carried by the socket so as to allow of a perfectly
free up and down or sliding motion as well as a rotary or turning movement. A
nut or collar is also screwed on to the steering post immediately below the ter-
mination of the sleeve which nut or collar by coming into contact with the
internal collar fixed to the steering socket not only forms a stop for limiting the
downward movement of the steering post but also provides a means for rendering
the steering post-when desired-rigid or incapable of sliding up and down in
the socket under the control of the spring in the following manner: On the
outside of the socket are two or more spring fingers whose upper ends are rigidly
fixed thereto whilst their lower ones carry projecting studs passing freely through.
holes in the socket and then adapted to engage a groove or channel formed on
the circumferential edge of the said nut or collar. Any suitable device may be
employed for keeping the studs either in or out of engagement with the groove
such for instance as a rotatable ring carried on the outside of the socket and
provided with cam shaped recesses or inclined slots engaging the spring fingers.
The lower end of the steering socket is further provided with ball races so
arranged that the outside of an enlarged part on the steering post forms one of
the points of contact for the balls so as to allow of a perfectly free up and down
or sliding motion.
To prevent the jolting and vibration received by the rear or driving wheel being
transmitted to the rider I pivot or hinge the back forks oarrying the driving

page_text: wheel to the frame and control their movement by a suitable spring or springs;
a convenient way of effecting this is as follows:-The lower back forks extending
from the axle of the driving wheel to the pedal-crank axle bracket, are hinged
to the latter by making their front ends terminate in strap shaped split lugs
adapted to engage the reduced ends of the pedal crank axle bracket, means being
provided for tightening or adjusting the lugs to compensate for wear.
To keep
the lugs in their proper position and to take up any lateral wear, lock nuts or
collars are threaded on to the reduced ends of the bracket. To lock the usual
disc adjusting cups of the pedal crank axle ball bearing in the bracket after
adjustment I prefer to provide screws passing through the lock nuts or collars on
the ends of the bracket and impinging on the threads of the disc adjusting cups.
The upper back forks extending from the rear ends of the lower back forks to
the upper part of the diagonal member carrying the seat pillar, are hinged at
their lower ends to the usual slotted pieces terminating the
ends of the lower back forks and at their upper ends to links or arms
hinged or pivotally connected to a lug carried by the upper portion of the
diagonal member. The movement of the back forks is controlled by any suitable
form of spring, preferably by so arranging a series of leaf or plate springs in
compression that their free ends exert a downward pressure on the arms or links
which connect the lug on the diagonal member with the upper back forks.
Dated this 15th day of March 1900
rear
Improvėmėnts in or relating to Anti-vibration Devices for Cycles.
I, JOHN WILLIAM PARKER, of 27, Alexandra Road, West Kensington Park, W.,
Mechanic, 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 an improved construction of spring frame for cycles,
particularly applicable to a rear-driving safety bicycle and has for its object
minimizing or preventing vibration due to inequalities of the road being com-
municated to the rider.
In the accompanying drawing which shows a convenient method of carrying
my invention into practice. Figure 1 is a broken view in side elevation-partly
in section of a rear-driving safety bicycle frame constructed according to the
present invention, and Figures 2, 3, 4 and 5 are detail views.
-
Throughout the views similar parts are marked with like letters of reference.
The steering post A carrying the front steering wheel is mounted in the
Bocket B of the frame X so as to be capable of sliding up and down therein, within
certain defined limits, its movement being controlled by a suitable spring C. The
steering post A is of a greater length than the socket B of the frame so that in
its normal position there is a space between the bottom edge of the socket and
the crown of the fork. In the upper portion of the socket B and fixed thereto
is an internal collar b against which the upper end of the spiral spring C encircl-
ing the steering post takes a bearing, its lower end bearing on a loosely mounted
washer or race & forming one part of a ball bearing D.
•
The lower portion of the steering socket B is further provided with a ball bear-

page_text: ing E to allow of a perfectly free up and down or sliding motion. This is pre-
ferably accomplished by fitting on the lower end of the steering post A a sleeve a
adapted to form one of the points of contact for the balls of the bearing E, the
races e and e, the latter an adjustable one, are carried by the lower end of the
steering socket B. The shoulder formed by the top of the sleeve a and the upper
ball race e serves to support the other part or race d' of the ball bearing D. To
prevent the ingress of mud or dust to these bearings I prefer to make the lower
adjustable ball race el in two parts adapted to receive between them a packing
ring of any suitable material.
The upper end of the steering post A is screw threaded to adapt it to receive
an internally threaded sleeve F, its upper end forming the usual lug or clamp f
provided for adjusting the height of the steering pillar Y carrying the handle
bar. The lower outer side of this sleeve I forms one of the points of contact for
a ball bearing H the races h and ¹ of which are carried by the socket B so as to
allow of a perfectly free up and down or sliding motion as well as a rotary or
turning movement.
The sleeve terminates at its lower end in a collar or nut fl either made in
one with the sleeve F or screwing independently on the steering post A. This
collar or nut f by coming into contact with the internal collar 6 of the steering
socket B or with the race h of the bearing H not only forms a stop for limiting
the upward and downward movement of the steering post A but also provides
a means for rendering the steering post A-when desired-rigid or incapable of
sliding up and down in the socket B under the control of the spring Ū in the
following manner: On the outside of the socket B are rigidly fixed by their
upper ends spring fingers I. These spring fingers I carry at their lower ends
inwardly projecting studs adapted to pass freely through holes formed in the
steering socket B and then to engage a groove or channel formed on the circum-
ferential edge of the said collar or nut f. Any suitable device max be employed
for keeping the studs i either in or out of engagement with the groove or channel f*
such for instance as a ring J rotatable on the outside of the socket B and provided
with cam shaped recesses or inclined slots; engaging the spring fingers I, as
shown by Figures 1, 2, and 3 or instead of rotating the ring J it might be made
capable of being slided over the spring fingers so that to cause the projecting
studs i to engage the groove or channel the ring J would be at its lowest posi-
tion see Figure 4 and when in the position shown by dotted lines on Figure 4,
the studs would be out of engagement with the groove or channel f owing to
the outward springing tendency of the carrying fingers I.
To prevent the jolting and vibration received by the rear or driving wheel
being transmitted to the rider I pivot or hinge the back forks carrying the
driving wheel to the frame and control their movement by a suitable spring or
springs; a convenient way of effecting this is as follows:-The lower back
forks T extending from the axle of the driving wheel to the pedal-crank axle
bracket U are hinged to the latter by making their front ends terminate in strap
shaped split lugs & adapted to engage the reduced ends of the pedal crank axle
bracket U. A sorew t¹ or equivalent device is provided for tightening or adjust-
ing the lugs t to compensate for wear. To keep the lugs t in their proper posi-
tion and to take up any lateral wear, lock nuts or collars are threaded on to the
reduced ends of the bracket U. To lock the usual disc adjusting cups V of the
pedal crank axle ball bearing in the bracket U after adjustment I prefer to
provide screws passing through the lock nuts or collars u and impinging on the
threads of the disc adjusting cups V.
The upper back forks W extending from the rear ends of the lower back forks T
to the upper part of the diagonal member X¹ carrying the saddle pillar Z are
hinged at w to the usual slotted pieces terminating the rear ends of the lower
back forks T and are hinged at their upper ends by a pin or bolt k to a link or
arm K hinged or pivotally connected at to a lug L carried by the upper portion
of the diagonal member X¹. The movement of the back forks is controlled by

page_text: any suitable form of spring, preferably of the form shown which consists of a
series of leaf or plate springs M in compression so arranged that their free ends m
exert a downward pressure on the arm or link K.
To render the back part of the frame rigid-when desired-I may provide a
swinging arm N pivotted to the pin or bolt and adapted to engage when a
rigid back frame is required-as shown in dotted lines in Figure 1-the bolt
carried by the usual clamp or lug for adjusting the height of the saddle pillar Z,
The arm N is kept in this position as well as in its normal position i.e., clear of
the bolt by means of a spring finger 0 fixed to one or both of the back forks W
and carrying on its free end a projecting pin o adapted to engage either one of
two holes n bored in the boss of the arm N and also with coinciding holes bored
in the end of one or both of the back forks W.
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:-
(1) In a cycle, providing the front steering wheel post with an anti-vibration
device constructed and arranged substantially as hereinbefore described and shown.
(2) In a cycle, hinging and providing the forks carrying the driving wheel or
wheels with an anti-vibration device constructed and arranged substantially as
herein before described and shown.
(3) A spring frame for cycles constructed and arranged substantially as herein-
before described and shown.
(4) A rear driving safety bicycle frame provided with anti-vibration devices
and with or without means for rendering such devices inoperative, constructed and
arranged substantially as herein before described and shown.
(5) A spring controlled steering post for cycles consisting of a spring such as C
acting between a shoulder on the said part and an internal collar such as 6 fixed
on the steering socket B, of ball bearings such as D, E and H, of a nut or collar
such as f fixed on the steering post and of means or not for rendering the said
steering post rigid when desired such as studs i carried by spring fingers such
as I, and adapted to engage both holes in the steering socket B and a groove
or channel such as f* formed in a nut or collar such as f¹ carried directly or
indirectly by the steering post A, as set forth.