Improvement in the Construction of Crowns or Bridges of the Forks or Wheel Carriers of Velocipedes or other such Vehicles.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Jan., 1891
Complete Specification Left 23rd Sept., 1891-Accepted, 7th Nov., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvement in the Construction of Crowns or Bridges of the Forks
or Wheel Carriers of Velocipedes or other such Vehicles.
I, HENRY WILLIAM JAMES Cycle Manufacturer Sampson Road North Spark-
brook Birmingham do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:
:-
An improved and simple method of forming hollow crown pieces or bridges used
in the manufacture of hollow forks or wheel-carriers for velocipedes and other such
vehicles.
I take a stamping or drop forging with lugs for steering post and fork sides, but
instead of making the said stamping or drop forging as thin and as light as possible
as is the general rule I make the top of crown or way of bridge much deeper or
thicker giving sufficient substance to allow of a hole being bored through the top
of crown or way of bridge thus making a light and tubular bridge without the
trouble of building it up from tube & lug stampings or castings.
January Ninth 1891.
HENRY WILLIAM JAMES.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvement in the Construction of Crowns or Bridges of the Forks
or Wheel Carriers of Velocipedes or other such Vehicles.
I HENRY WILLIAM JAMES, Cycle Manufacturer, Sampson Road North, Spark-
brook, Birmingham, 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 the construction of the junction piece for connecting
together the branched members of the forks of velocipedes and like vehicles, and
for carrying the steering post, and is usually called the crown or bridge, my said
invention consists in making the body part of the said junction piece, hollow or
tubular, and in the form of a bridge, which spans the extremities of the branched
members of the sides of the fork, and with a hollow neck directed from the middle
top side of the said bridge, and upon which said neck, the steering post, comes.
The said junction piece or crown, is preferably produced from a stamping or
drop forging, with lugs as aforesaid, made in one piece with it.
The body part of the said stamping or drop forging, is then bored through from
end to end, forming a hollow bridging part.
Junction pieces or crowns constructed according to my invention, are light, and
endowed with great strength, which is capable of resisting transverse or other strain
or twisting imparted to it, when in use.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawing, represents in side elevation, the fore part
of a safety bicycle, provided with a forked junction piece or crown, constructed
according to my invention.
The said forked junction piece or crown, is made tubular or part tubular, and is
employed as an accouplement for both connecting together the branched members
of the said fork, and also for carrying the steering post, and which accouplement.
and carrying is performed by hollow and pierced lugs, carried at the middle and
ends of a tubular or hollow bridge part, which spans the branched members of the
forks at their upper extremities.
Figure 2 represents in front elevation, the said junction piece or crown, full
[Price 6d.

page_text: sized, and with portions of the sides or branches of the fork, and also a portion of
the lower part of the post connected to it.
Figure 3 is an end view of Figure 2.
Figure 4 is a longitudinal vertical section of the junction piece or crown, without
the branches or post parts, and which section is taken upon the dotted lines A B
Figure 3.
Figure 5 is a transverse section upon the dotted lines CD Figure 4, and
Figure 6 is a horizontal section upon the dotted lines E F Figure 4, looking from
the underside.
The same letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures
of the drawing.
The body part of the said junction piece or crown, consists of a tubular bridging
part u, with an allthrough axial hole a², directed from end to end of it, and with the
ends of the underside of the said junction piece, provided with flat lugs, or flat and
pierced lugs, which take into the upper parts &, of hollow branched members b,
constituting the sides of the fork.
The middle part of the top side of the said bridged crown or fork junction piece,
has an upright and hollow neck a', with a base collar a, and upon which neck and
base the lower and socketed end 3, of a steering post c, takes, and is there brazed.
The branched and hollow members connected to the lugs a', are likewise brazed.
The application of my invention to the forks or wheel carriers of other wheeled
vehicles, differs in no essential respect from its application to a velocipede fork or
wheel carrier as herein described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
:-
First In the crowns or junction pieces of the forks or carriers of cycles and
other wheels, making the body or bridge part of the same, hollow or of a tubular
construction, substantially as described and set forth.
Secondly-A crown or junction piece of the forks or carriers of cycle and other
wheels, consisting of a hollow or tubular body or bridging part a, a², with connection
lugs and neck a³, a', (pierced, hollow or solid) made integral or in one piece with
the said crown or junction piece, as described and set forth.
Thirdly Making hollow crowns or tubular and bridging junction pieces of the
construction, as referred to in the preceding claims, by stamping or drop forging.
Dated 22nd day of September 1891.
HENRY WILLIAM JAMES.
By Henry Skerrett,
6, Livery Street, Birmingham, Agent for Applicant.