Improvements in or relating to Cycles.
Year: 1898

page_text: Improvements in or relating to Cycles.
I, ALEXANDER CRAIG, Chief Engineer, Messrs. Humber and Company Limited,
Coventry, in the County of Warwick, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to cycles, more particularly those known as carrier
cycles, or those fitted with a seat for a passenger, and has for its object to pro-
vide an improved method of attaching the box or seat to the machine.
a
In applying this invention to a carrier tricycle having single rear driving
wheel and two front steering wheels with the carrier box between them, the
latter is connected near its top by a pivotted rod or link to the steering head
of the machine. The box is also connected at its sides in a similar way by
two links which are pivotted to the steering necks of the side wheels. The
three links are preferably all of the same length.
A coiled spring, supported upon a bracket on the framing of the machine, is
arranged at the back of the carrier box whcih is provided with a projection
bearing upon the upper end of the spring so that the box is held up, being,
however, free to rise and fall when the machine is passing over uneven ground.
It will be seen that the whole attachment is similar to that commonly
employed for connecting a cycle lamp to the clamp by which it is fixed upon
the lamp bracket.
It will be seen that as above described the spring is always in compression
but if desired it may be arranged to be in tension.
A seat for a passenger may be attached to the machine in a similar way the
attachment may also be employed for ambulance or other forms of cycles.
If desired a seat suspended in this way may be provided with pedals and a
chain wheel for driving the machine, the suspension links being so arranged
that the movement of the seat will not materially affect the tightness of the
driving chain.
It is obvious that the number of suspending links may be varied in accord-
ance with requirements, also more than one spring may be employed if desired.
Dated this 29th day of October 1898.
ידזו
DOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: 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 cycles, or like vehicles, more particularly those
known as carrier cycles, or those fitted with a seat for a passenger, and has for
its object to provide an improved method of attaching the box or seat to the
machine.
In applying this invention to a carrier tricycle having a single rear driving
wheel and two front steering wheels with the carrier box between them, the
latter is connected near its top by a pivotted rod or link to the steering head
of the machine. The box is also connected at its sides in a similar way by
two links which are pivotted to the steering necks of the side wheels. The
three links are preferably all of the same length.
A coiled spring, supported upon a bracket on the framing of the machine, is
arranged at the back of the carrier box whcih is provided with a projection
bearing upon the upper end of the spring so that the box is held up, being,
however, free to rise and fall when the machine is passing over uneven ground.
It will be seen that the whole attachment is similar to that commonly
employed for connecting a cycle lamp to the clamp by which it is fixed upon
the lamp bracket.
As above described the spring is always in compression but if desired it
may be arranged to be in tension.
A seat for a passenger may be attached to the machine in a similar way;
the attachment may also be employed for ambulance or other forms of cycles,
or like vehicles, whether driven by man power or by a motor.
If desired a seat suspended in this way may be provided with pedals and a
chain wheel for driving the machine, the suspension links being so arranged
that the movement of the seat will not materially affect the tightness of the
driving chain.
It is obvious that the number of suspending links may be varied in accord-
ance with requirements, also more than one spring may be employed if desired.
The top link may in some cases be advantageously replaced by a spiral spring,
whose ends are rigidly connected respectively to the frame of the bicycle and
to the seat or carrier.
The accompanying drawings illustrate by way of example an application of
the invention for attaching a seat to a tricycle, having two front steering
wheels.
Figure 1 is a side elevation and
Figure 2 a front view of the framework of the seat and the connecting
mechanism.
Like letters indicate like parts in both figures.
A is the framework of the seat which is placed between the two front wheels
of the tricycle. B is a link pivotted at B1 to a lug fixed on the steering tube C
of the tricycle, and at 132 to a lug B3 fixed on a back bar A¹ of the seat frame..
Preferably two links are employed, placed side by side, one on each side of the
steering tube.
:
Depending from each side bar A2 of the frame are a pair of curved bars A4 A5
forming a foot platform to the seat, each pair being connected by a short bar A
carrying a cross bar A7 between them. Each bar A has a central boss A8 into
which is screwed or otherwise secured a pin A9 on to which is pivotally secured
one end of a suspensory link D.
A cross bar A10 is placed behind and parallel to the cross bar A7 and fixed
in any convenient manner to the frame of the cycle. Each end of this cross
bar is formed as a solid pin A on to which is pivotted the back end of one of
the links D.
Pins E pointing upwards are secured in any convenient fashion, on the cross
bar A, one towards each end of the same; corresponding pins E¹ pointing

page_text: downwardly are secured on the underside of the bottom frame of the seat. Each
pair of pins E E', carries a helical spring F, on which the seat rests.
It is evident that the shape of the suspensory links and other details of con-
struction, such as the manner of pivotting, etc., will vary according to the type
of machine and the shape of the seat, box, or carrier to be attached.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
1. In a cycle or like vehicle attaching a carrier or seat to the frame of the
vehicle by pivotted links such as B 1), and a spring or springs such as F.
substantially as described or illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
2. The combination with a cycle of the complete seat and attachment sub-
stantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 31st day of July 1899