Improvements in Velocipedes.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Feb., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 20th Apr.. 1596-Accen'ed, 13th June, 1896
Improvements in Velocipedes.
JULES TRUFFAULT of 277 Boulevard Pereire, Paris, Engineer do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
These improvements refer to velocipedes, in particular bicycles and tricycles of
the kind described in the Specification to my Patent No. 18963 of 1892, in which
the frame is constructed of several parts connected together by an articulated
joint, instead of being formed of a single rigid structure.
According to my present. improvements the frame of the machine is formed of
three parts, connected together on the one hand by articulated joints and on the
other hand by articulated connecting levers or links with the interposition of
caoutchouc blocks acting as springs. The one part of the frame consists of a
triangular tubular structure-the upper bar of which constitutes the saddle support
and the socket for the fork of the steering wheel; a second part consists of the
support for the steering wheel, and the thiril the support for the rear wheel, these
three parts being connected together by a pivot joint at the bottom, close to the
bearings of the pedal shaft, which are formed on the part of the frame that
supports the hind wheel.
Between the first, second, and third parts of the frame are interposed caoutchone
blocks, so that while the parts supporting the steering wheel and hind wheel can
move up and down with these wheels, in turning upon their pivotal connection with
the middle part which carries the rider, this remains practically stationary, being
independent of the up and down motion of the wheels with the exception of such
slight motion as may be transmitted through the said caoutchone blocks, and the
rider is thus more or less entirely relieved of the unpleasant concussions due to
uneveness of the road.
As before stated, the middle part of the frame carries the socket for the fork of
the steering wheel as however this wheel necessarily moves up and down
relatively to the said socket, the steering fork has to be made of two separate parts,
the upper part working in the said socket and carrying the steering handles,
while the lower part, which is the actual fork connected to the axle of the steering
wheel is carried in a socket on the part of the frame carried by the steering wheel,
and these two parts are connected together by any suitable articulated connection
which, while allowing the lower part to move up and down with the wheel.
independently of the upper part, will cause the lower part to turn in its socket.
with the upper part when this is turned for steering. By preference such
connection consists of radius rods pivoted on the one hand to the forked lower end
of the upper part, and on the other hand to rearward projecting arms on the fork
of the lower part.
The part of the frame carried by the hind wheel, in addition to its pivoted
connection with the lower end of the middle part, is also connected at its upper
part with the latter by means of jointed links.
In applying my invention to tricycles, the vertical bar carrying the saddle is
fixed firstly to a horizontal transverse bar situated over the axle of the rear
wheels, at a certain distance above it, and secondly to a horizontal bar extending
forward and constituting the frame for the steering fork of the front wheel, with
which is combined a separate pivoted part of the frame carried by the steering
wheel and arranged in the same manner as described with reference to the bicycle.

page_text: The before mentioned horizontal bar is connected by pivoted links to horizontal
arms projecting forward from the axle, a caoutchouc block being interposed
between the link and the arm which serves as a spring support to the horizontal
bar and the vertical support for the saddle. For supporting the middle part of
the axle of the rear wheels against the strain to which it is subjected by the
driving chain, I fit loose on the same two rings which are connected by pivoted
links to a bracket on the underside of the before mentioned longitudinal bar, which
also has a downward projecting bracket carrying the pedal shaft.
Dated this 27th day of February 1896.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.
1, JULES TRUFFAULT, of 277 Boulevard Pereire, Paris, Engineer, 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:-
These improvements refer to velocipedes, in particular bicycles and tricycles of
the kind described in the Specification to my Patent No. 18963 of 1892, in which
the frame is constructed of several parts connertel together by an articulated
joint, in-tead of being formed of a single rigid structure.
According to my present improvements the frame of the machine is formed of
three parts, connected together on the one hand by articulated joints, and on
the other hand by articulated connecting levers or links with the interposition of
rantchone blocks acting as springs. The one part of the frame consists of a
triangular tubular -tructure the upper bar of which constitutes the saddle support
und the socket for the fork of the steering wheel; a second part consists of the
support for the steering wheel, and the third, the support for the rear wheel, these
three parts being connected together by a pivot-joint at the bottom, close to the
bearings of the pedal shaft, which are formed on the part of the frame that
supports the hind wheel.
Between the first, second and third parts of the frame are interpose caoutchoue
blocks, so that while the parts supporting the steering wheel and bird wheel can
move up and down with these wheels, in turning upon their pivotal connection
with the middle part which carries the rider, this remains practically stationary,
being independent of the up and down motion of the wheels with the exception of
such slight motion as may lie tran-mitted through the said caontehoue blocks, and
the rider is thus more or less entirely relieved of the unpleasant concussions due to
unevenness of the road.
As before stated, the middle part of the frame carries the socket for the fork of
the steering wheel; as however this wheel necessarily move up and down
relatively to the said socket, the steering fork has to be made of two separate parts,
the upper part working in the said sicket and carrying the steering handles while the
lower part, which is the netual fork connected to the axle of the steering wheel, is
carried in a socket on the part of the frame carried by the steering wheel, and
these two parts are connected together by any suitable articulated connection which,
while allowing the lower part to move up and down with the wheel independently
of the upper part, will cause the lower part to turn in its socket with the upper
part when this is turned for steering. By preference such connection consists of
radins rods pivotted on the one hand to the forked lower end of the upper
part, and on the other hand to rearward projecting arms on the fork of the lower
part.

page_text: The part of the frame carried by the hind wheel, in addition to its pivotted
connection with the lower end of the middle part, is also connected at its upper
part with the latter by means of jointed links.
Figs. 1, 2 and 3 of the accompanying drawings shew a bicycle constructed
according to my invention; Figs. 4 to 7 shew its application to tricycles.
Referring to Figs. 1 to 3, which shew respectively a side view, an end view
and an enlarged detail of a bicycle, the framing is composed of three separate parts
pivotted together. The middle part is composed of three tubes A B C, with or
without an intermediate stay D; this part carries the socket E for the steering
fork. The tube B, which carries the stem of the saddle, has at its lower part a
rectangular loop F, an enlarged front view of which is shewn at the section Fig. 3,
taken on the line 3, 3, Fig. 1, which loop serves for the pivotal connections of the
two other parts of the frame. The second part of the frame which supports the
front wheel consists of a tube G pivotted at a and terminating in a socket E
the axis of which is normally in line with that of the socket E.
The socket E' serves as pivot for the fork H' which carries the front wheel.
The socket E serves as pivot to a second fork H. The two forks H and H' are
connected to each other by means of links & b' which extend from the lower ends
of the limbs of the fork H to the ends of arms c c projecting backwards from and
formed in one with the fork H. Instead of this mode of connection, any other
night be employed, which would enable the turning motion of the fork H to be
imparted to H while. allowing their independent longitudinal notion, such as
grooves in the one part in which slide studs on the other part.
A caoutchouc block I is arranged between the tube C of the central part and
the tube G of the front part.
The third part of the frame which supports the rear wheel consists of the
tubes J and K forming at their union the bearing for the pedal shaft P while at
their other ends they are connected by the bar d.
The pedal bearing has a projecting lug e which is pivotted to the loop F.
A caoutchouc block is interposed between the tube J aud the tube B carrying
the saddle stem.
At their upper ends these parts are connected by toggle links fg jointed
together at h, which links serve as lateral guides to the rear frame.
When the machine is lifted, the two outer parts of the frame cannot separate
from the middle part beyond a certain limit, on account of front link connection b
and the rear link connection. g. These links are prevented from extending to a
straight line by means of a lug k on the one link which, when opening to a certain
angle, bears against the underside of the other link.
It will be seen from the above described construction, that on the bicycle
passing over unevennesses of the road, the front and rear parts of the frame and
the wheels are free to move up and down to an extent iudicated by the dotted
positions, while more or less compressing the caoutchouc blocks I and I, without
in any material degree imparting the resulting concussions to the middle part of the
frame and the saddle.
The caoutchouc blocks are held between cups formed or fixed on the
framing.
When applying the invention to tricycles, the framing is also composed of three
parts, namely a central part carrying the saddle, and consisting inaiuly of the
tube Z, which is carried by the transverse bar M, and the tube L.
The front part of the frame has no special feature, being substantially the same
as the front part of the bicycle frame above described, and it is therefore not
shewn. But the part of the frame which carries the rear wheels and their axis
is constructed as shewn in the part side elevation at Fig. 4, plan at Fig. 5, and
section on line 6, 6, of that figure, at Fig. 6.
Each of the bearings N of the shaft O carries an arm R pivotted at i to an
arm Qfixed on the end of the cross bar M. A caoutchouc block ; is placed
between the lugs fixed on the arms R and Q, as shewa at Fig. 7, which is a

page_text: section on line 7-7 Fig. 5, which block nets in the same manner as the "ocks 11
of Figs. 1 and 2, in being more or less compressed by the vertical motion of the
arm when rising and falling with the axle M and rear wheels as these pass over
unevennesses of the road.
In order to prevent undue strain being put on the middle of the shaft O by
the strain on the driving chain, I provide struts pivotted at one end to
collars m on the shaft on each side of the driving gear, and at the other end to
an axis a carried by brackets formed by rods pq fixed to the framing of the
machine.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
A framing for velocipedes, bicycles, or tricycles, composed of three separate
parts connected to each other by pivotal joints and so arranged that the middle
part, which serves to carry the rider, remains practically unaffected by the
concussions to which the two outer parts that carry the wheels are subjected,
substantially as described.
Dated this 20th day of April 1896.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.