An Improved Anti-vibrating Air Cushion or Pneumatic Tube for Velocipedes.
Year: 1892

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Anti-vibrating Air Cushion or Pneumatic Tube for
Velocipedes.
I, EDWIN HENRY SMITH 9 Cavendish Road Birmingham Builder & Contractor
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 :-
My invention has for its object to prevent or diminish the vibratory motion of
the steering & driving wheels of velocipedes, produced by the inequalities &
roughness of the roads over which they pass, and consists in providing a cushion of
compressed air, at the top of each fork of the velocipede, or in any other suitable
position to receive vibrations of wheels.
I will describe first my pneumatic tube which I make in two ways. First-I
take a metal tube, of any suitable diameter & length, which I close at the top end
with a plug or cap screwed in, in this tube I place an india-rubber tube or ball
closed at both ends, and having near the top a valve suitable for filling it with
compressed air the bottom of metal tube I close with a screw plug or cap, through
which a rod can pass to a piston inside moving freely up and down. This tube
with its india-rubber lining, I fill with compressed air at suitable pressure to bear
the different weights of riders. Which being fixed on to the velocipede in a
position so that the piston and rod connected thereto may receive any upward
bound or jerk of the wheels. The vibration is carried to the cushion of compressed
air in the tube, and is there neutralized or destroyed.
(Second Method). This method consists in taking a metal tube similar to the first
but without the india-rubber and provided with a valve for filling with compressed
air, in this case fitted with a piston having an airtight washer to retain the com-
pressed air. This I fix and use in exactly the same way as method No. 1.
The manner in which my invention is fixed to the front forks, or steering post of
what is known as a safety bicycle is as follows. I take one of my pneumatic tubes
and fix by means of bands or other suitable materials to the front of steering post
cylinder.
The piston rod I connect to the top of forks by a loop through which the
steering rod passes and moves freely in. To the steering rod and piston I allow an
upward motion of two or three inches, and when the wheel is moved or jerked
upwards, by the passage of the bicycle over any obstructions or inequalities of the
roads, the steering rod and connected piston is forced up; this further compresses
the air in the pneumatic tube, which acting as a cushion, and by its resiliency
neutralizes or destroys the vibrations.
The construction of the pneumatic tube fixed over front wheel differs in no
material point from the one used for back or driving wheel.
I take a pneumatic tube and fix it to the back of the seat post by bands as before.
The back forks usually connected separately to the frame, I connect in one,
directly over the wheel, and continue up to the piston of pneumatic tube, which I
there connect to the piston by a ball and socket or other suitable joint. This is
necessary because of the slight alteration of angle produced by the upward motion
of forks and piston. If the seat post is not in a proper position to fix the
pneumatic tube to, I apply it to any other suitable position for receiving vibrations
or to the seat itself, but in this case we fix the tube in an inverted position, so that
the seat rests on the cushion of compressed air in the tube, it being fixed on the
top of piston rod and moving up and down with it. The seat and pneumatic tube
so constructed may be applied to and used with any bicycle, tricycle, or velocipede
now in use.

page_text: I do not bind myself to fix my invention to bicycles, in the position or by exactly
the means herein described, but by any suitable means and in any suitable position
where they will receive the vibrations of wheels and neutralize and destroy them.
In describing my invention as illustrated by the following drawings,
Fig. 1 represents a safety bicycle with pneumatic tubes fixed to the steering post
and seat post with forks connected.
Fig. 2 a full size section of metal tube shewing india rubber lining with air-valve
and piston.
Fig. 3 the attachment to seat post and back forks with section of pneumatic
tube shewing ball joint to piston and fork head or rod.
Fig. 4 an enlarged drawing of steering tube and post with connecting rod and
loop.
A A Fig. 1. is the pneumatic tube fixed to the steering and seat post of the
safety bicycle, B is the tube or cylinder through which the steering post passes.
C. C. the steering post. E. the rod connecting the piston to the head of the forks.
F the loop through which the steering post passes, D is the seat post and G. the
rod of back forks connected to the piston.
Fig. 2. A A, is the metal tube the cap or plug screwed into the top end.
LLLL the india-rubber lining. M the piston, E the piston rod V the air
valve.
Fig. 3. A. is the metal tube, K. K bands by which the tube is fixed to the seat
post. D is the seat post, H. a ball and socket joint, G. top of forks connected by
ball joint to piston, M. the piston.
Fig. 4. A is the metal tube. B. the steering post tube. C. the steering post.
F the collar through which the steering post passes. E the piston rod.
When the wheel of the bicycle passes over any inequality or roughness of the
road, an upward bound or jerk is communicated, through the fork heads, to the
piston in pneumatic tubes, and forces it upwards, so further compressing the air in
the tube, which by its resiliency, destroys or neutralizes the vibratory motion, so
that the rider is protected.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my inven
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
The making of a pneumatic tube or cushion of air so fixed to the forkheads and
frames of velocipedes, or other positions on the same as to be capable of receiving
and neutralizing the vibrations of bicycles, tricycles and other velocipedes, produced
by the machines passing over the roughnesses and inequalities of the roads, sub-
stantially as herein described and illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 5th day of March 1892.
EDWIN HENRY SMITH.