Year: 1897

page_text: I, DAVID ALOYSIUS MARTIN, of the Firm of Martin and Martins, of Granville
Street, in the City of Birmingham, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to safety bicycles, and has for its principal object, to con-
struct a lighter and more rigid and compact frame whereby twisting strains are
avoided or minimised and the weight of the rider is more evenly distributed upon
both wheels of the machine, so that the back wheel is less liable to puncture.
According to my invention, the frame consists of the ordinary seat stay member,
with a bottom bracket terminating its lower end, whilst the upper end of the
same is terminated by a double lug or connection the forward end of which sur-
mounts a long obliquely directed front member constituting the sleeve or head
and terminating at the bottom end in a lower lug or junction, between which and
a forward socket or lug of the bottom bracket, a lower and slightly
diagonal bottom stay member comes. This last named stay has its forward
end directed upwards and is disposed at about a right angle from the seat
stay tube. The integral lug or connection between the combined seat pillar tube
and long head tube may be, if necessary lengthened so that the upper ends of the
seat tube and long head tube may approach each other to any required distance
whilst the lower terminations are widely separated, and the space included between
them and the bottom stay, comprehends a quadrangle, somewhat of the figure of
a triangle with the apex cut off.
The front or head member is greater in length than the seat member and
owing to this increase in length and greater rake of this head member, the front
wheel is relatively much smaller than the back one and the front fork is also
correspondingly small. A steering pillar, which passes up the said long head
member has the usual crown at its junction with the branches of the fork, whilst
the upper end is connected to a single bar which extends forwards in the longer
direction of the machine and carries at its end the handle bar, which makes, with
the said forward member a T figure. This bringing forward of the handle bars
by the steering rod is required in consequence of the upper end of the head being
greatly set back, as its axial line, if continued, would come within the path of the
peak of the saddle.
As a modification of the steering arrangement, instead of the handle bars being
carried by the forward and upward extension bar, I may employ gear for trans-
mitting the motion of the handle bar to the steering pillar, which may consist
of toothed wheels or pinions carried in a bracket, one pinion being made fast
to the top of the steering pillar gearing with an intermediate pinion forward of

page_text: it, and in front of the intermediate pinion is a third pinion carried at the lower
termination of the handle bar stem, which consists of an oblique member running
parallel or nearly so with the general direction of the head which would give
a direct steering action, in effect the same as is used on the existing cycles.
Improvements in Bicycles.
I, DAVID ALOYSIUS MARTIN, of the Firm of Martin and Martins, of Granville
Street, in the City of Birmingham, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention and in in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particu-
larly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to safety bicycles, and has for its principal object to con-
struct a lighter and more rigid and compact frame whereby twisting strains are
avoided or minimised and the weight of the rider is more evenly distributed upon
both wheels of the machine, so that the back whccl is less liable to puncture.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings represents a side elevation of a safety.
bicycle constructed and provided with improved steering gear according to my
invention.
Figure 2 is a topside plan of the same.
Figure 3 is an elevation, upon an enlarged scale, of the summit end of the
steering pillar and its connection with the steering handle bars.
Figure 4 is a front elevation end of Figure 3.
The same letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the said Figures ]
to 4 of the drawings.
The improved construction of framing represented in the said figures com-
prises a seat tube or member a, mounted at its upper end by a combined lug
and seat pillar a¹, whilst its lower end, instead of terminating in the crank axle
bracket as in an ordinary machine, is connected by a junction lug a³, to about
the middle of the diagonal member b,, which proceeds from the lower end of the
elongated or extended ball head sleeve c, to the forward socket d, of the crank
axle bracket d. The seat tube a, and ball head sleeve run preferably parallel or
nearly so, and are brought much closer together than in the ordinary construc-
tion, whereby the length of the front part of the machine is reduced, whilst the
lugs a, c, of the said members a and c are connected together by a short
horizontal top rail or member e. Directed from a top socket d³, on the bottom
or crank axle bracket and a lug or junction a³, on the seat tube, is a diagonally
directed stay or bracing member f, constituting, together with the lower part a*,
of the member a, and the inward portion b¹, of the member b, a triangular struc-
ture, which provides a rigid support for the upper portion of the seat tube.
g are the back stays and h the chain stays, respectively proceeding from the
seat lug a¹ and the rear lugs d³, of the bracket d, and being generally of the ordinary
construction, and between which the rear wheel i is mounted and is driven either
by sprocket wheels 21, 22, chain 23, cranks 24 and pedals 5, as shown or by any
other suitable and well known gearing. The front wheel j, which is smaller than
the rear one, is mounted between front forks j', terminating the lower end of the

page_text: steering pillar which turns within bearings of the ordinary kind in the long ball
head, whilst the upper end k¹, of the said pillar terminates in a single bar, or
right angled extension k, which is directed forwards in the longer direction of
the machine and terminates in branches 2, 3, of the steering handle bar which
may first proceed upwardly and then be curved outwardly and at the
same time forwardly and finally be bent backwards to within a convenient
distance for being laid hold of by the rider. The upward and outward curves of
the bars are made considerable so as to give plenty of clearance for the legs in
steering. The bringing forward of the handle bars by this extension is neces-
sary in consequence of the upper end of the head being greatly set back or brought
much closer to the seat tube, whose upper end is fitted with a seat pillar m, carry-
ing a saddle m¹. If necessary the handle and its extension bars may be con-
nected to the summit of the steering pillar by a clip o, as represented in Figure 5,
whereby the position of the handles may be adjusted to suit the requirements
of different riders.
As a modification of the steering arrangement, instead of the handle bars being
carried by the forward and upward extension bar, I may employ gear for trans-
mitting the motion of the handle bar to the steering pillar, such an arrangement
is represented in Figure 6, and consists of three toothed wheels or pinions p¹, p², p³,
made fast in a fixed bracket 3, at the summit of the head sleeve c, one pinion p¹,
being made fast to the top of the steering pillar and gearing with the intermediate
pinion p², forward of it, and in front of the intermediate pinion is the third
pinion ³, carried at the lower termination of the handle bar stem k¹, which con-
sists of an oblique member running parallel or nearly so with the general direction
of the head c.
According to another modification the upper end of the seat stay member is
terminated by a seat pillar clip constituting an integral part of a short top cross
bar or junction piece having at its forward end an integral lug, surmounting
the long obliquely directed front member constituting the sleeve or head. This
integral stay or connection between the seat pillar and head sleeve is relatively
only a few inches in length, so that the upper ends of the seat tube and long head
tube nearly approach each other whilst the lower terminations are widely separated,
and the space included between them and the bottom stay, comprehends a quad-
rangle somewhat of the figure of a triangle with the apex cut off.
The front or head member is greater in length than the seat member and owing
to this increase in length and the great rake of the said head member, the front
wheel is relatively much smaller than the back one.
Figure 7 represents another modification of steering, in which the extension k,
at the summit k¹, of the steering pillar, is carried forward for a considerable
distance and the handle bars 2, are mounted upon the foremost end. In order
to steady the steering a diagonal stay n, is provided between the extension and
the ball head sleeve c¹, with its lower end proceeding from a swivelling socket n¹,
surrounding the said sleeve and being provided with ball or other bearings, so
that the stay and the extension of the steering pillar move together.
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 improved construction of cycle framing, comprising primarily a
long ball head sleeve c, with short front forks j', for receiving the small front
wheel, a short horizontal top rail or member e, a seat pillar a, and diagonal
member b, b', with back stays g, and chain stays h, in combination with a diagon-
ally disposed bracing member f, the whole being arranged substantially as and
for the purpose herein set forth.
Secondly-In the steering gear of bicycles, mounting or carrying the handle
bars upon a forward extension at or near the summit of the steering pillar, sub-
stantially as described and set forth.

page_text: Thirdly-In the steering mechanism of safety bicycles, transmitting motion
from the handle bar stem to the steering pillar by an arrangement of gearing,
substantially as described and set forth in Figure 6.
AL
0011
1
C
JL
1 1000
DAVID ALOYSIUS MARTIN,
By Henry Skerrett,
24, Temple Row, Birmingham, Agent for Applicant.