Improvements in Telescopic Tricycles.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 15th June, 1888
Complete Specification Left, 15th Mar., 1889--Accepted, 15th June, 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Telescopic Tricycles.
I, CHARLES TUCKER, of Pitsford, Northampton, in the County of Northampton-
shire, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this Invention to be as follows:
My Invention has reference to improvements in that class of tricycles which are
supplied with a double central driving gear, and has for its object to construct such
tricycles so as to render them likewise telescopic.
For this purpose I provide each half of the axle of such machine with à male
screw-thread turned in a reverse direction so that if the first half axle has a right-
handed screw thread, the other half will receive a left-handed screw thread. Upon
each half of the axle travels. or turns an outer tube provided internally upon a
portion of its length with a female screw thread and forming the extensions of
the shaft when the tricycle is fully expanded and ready for use.
By turning the wheels mounted on each one of the above mentioned outer tubes in
one direction or another, the axle can be expanded or collapsed, i.e., the tubes can
be made to move outwardly or inwardly. In order to arrest the tubes when the
expansion is completed, each end of the shaft is provided with a threaded .bush
provided with a collar, the thread of which is reverse to the thread formed on the
end of the shaft into which such bush has to be screwed. The outer tubes are
further secured when expanded by a spring blade carrying a pin or screw which
enters a corresponding notch of the outer tube and which is arranged upon a fixed
sleeve centrally mounted upon such outer tubes in order to strengthen and con-
solidate the whole of the arrangement.
According to a modification of my Invention, instead of providing the shaft and its
outer tubes with screw threads, I simply construct them both smooth and allow the
outer tubes to slide on the two halves of the shaft the outer ends of which are split in
order to receive a nut provided with a tongue which enters the slit thus formed in the
said shaft ends and fulfils the same purpose as the above mentioned screw threaded
bush by arresting a pin travelling through the slots of the shaft ends and pivotted at
each end upon the outer tubes when the machine has been sufficiently expanded.
A spring provided with a pin or screw as above described is similarly used in
this case.
HUGHES, ELI & HUGHES,
76, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Telescopic Tricycles.
I, CHARLES TUCKER, of Pitsford, Northampton in the County of Northampton-
shire 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 :-
My Invention has reference to improvements in that class of tricycles which are
supplied with a double central driving gear, and has for its object to construct such
tricycles so as to render them telescopic.
For this purpose, I provide each half of the axle of such machine with a male screw
thread, the two threads being turned in a reverse direction so that if the first half-axle
has a right handed screw thread, the other half will receive a left handed screw thread.
Upon each half of the axle travels or turns an outer tube provided internally upon a
War 17

page_text: portion of its length with a female screw thread, and forming the extensions of the
shaft when the tricycle is fully expanded and ready for use.
In order to arrest the tubes when the expansion is completed, each end of the shaft
is provided with a threaded portion, provided with a collar, the thread of which is
reverse to the thread formed on the body of the shaft. The outer tubes are further
secured when expanded by a spring blade carrying a pin or screw which enters a
corresponding notch of the outer tube and which is arranged upon a fixed sleeve
centrally mounted upon such outer tubes in order to strengthen and consolidate the
whole of the arrangement.
According to a modification of my Invention, instead of providing the shaft and its
outer tubes with screw threads, I simply construct them both smooth and allow the
outer tubes to slide on the two halves of the shaft the outer ends of which are split in
order to receive a nut provided with a tongue which enters the slit thus formed in the
said shaft ends and fulfils the same purpose as the above mentioned screw threaded
rod by arresting a pin travelling through the slots of the shaft ends and pivotted at
each end upon the outer tubes when the machine has been sufficiently expanded.
A spring provided with a pin or screw as above described is similarly used in
this case.
And in order that my Invention may be more fully understood, I have shewn the
same in the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. is a longitudinal section of a part
of my improved telescopic screw axle, in its extended position. Fig. 2 is a longi-
tudinal section of part of a modified form of my improved telescopic axle likewise in
its extended position. Fig. 3 is a plan of my improved axle when collapsed, this view
being applicable to both arrangements. Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are detail views.
Like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawings.
My improved extensible and collapsible axle shewn extended in Fig. 1 and
collapsed in Fig. 3 consists of two halves H H¹ connected together by the inner
extremity E of the axle half H which extremity is of smaller diameter than the rest
of the axle so as to enter through the right hand half H of the said axle. This
extremity E carries a shoulder piece P upon which is mounted at the left hand end
thereof a bevel gear wheel T while a similar wheel rests against the left end of the
said shoulder piece as clearly shewn in fig. 1. These two bevel wheels mesh with an
upper and a lower gear wheel g (Fig. 3) (one only of which is shewn in the drawing)
these wheels being mounted vertically in a slot of the chain wheel W. as is usual in
central driving gears. The outer ends of the axle halves H and H¹ from the wheels T
outwardly are solid and are each provided with a screw thread s s¹, one thread turning
in a different direction to the other as clearly shewn. The hub axle A of the tricycle
wheel which is hollow carries a screw thread internally which meshes with that
formed on the corresponding axle half as shewn at k, fig. 1. To the end of the
shaft H is fixed a centrally perforated disc d through which passes the small screw
threaded outer end o of the inner axle half being secured thereto by means of a nut n.
The object of this disc which slides within the hub is to prevent the tricycle axle from
being extended too far such extension being limited by the said disc d coming into
contact with the screw thread k inside the outer tube t which fits upon the collar c of
the wheel T and on the hub axle A serves to conceal the screw and consolidate each
axle half. It is free to slide to and fro. In order to prevent the extended axle from
collapsing when the machine is travelling, a catch shewn as applied to the modified
axle represented in Fig. 2 is used likewise for the axle shewn in Fig. 1. This catch
consists of a bent finger f pivotting at o upon a curved strap q fixed in any suitable
manner to the outer tube t. The bent extremity 6 of this finger passes at p through
corresponding perforations formed in the various tubes composing the axle, and
the tail end e thereof is under the control of a spring blade i also conveniently fixed
or rivetted to the outer tube t. My improved telescopic axle is shewn in a collapsed
state in Fig. 3 that is to say when the tricycle being out of use for the time is required
to be passed through a narrow door in order to be stored away. In this case
the catch is fixed into another hole p¹ to keep the axle steady. When the same has to
be extended the tail end e of the catch is depressed, the wheels are turned by hand in

page_text: order to unscrew the hub axles A until the extremity b of the finger is able to enter
the perforation p when the tricycle is ready for use. It is collapsed by a similar but
reverse operation..
The tricycle axle shewn in fig. 2 is similar to that of fig. 1 with only two
exceptions. There are no screw threads on the axle halves H H¹, the hub axles A
merely sliding thereon by means of a pin v fixed across each hub axle and travelling
through a longitudinal slot formed in the upper & lower part of each half of the
tricycle axle, which in this case is hollow. In order to prevent the hub axle A from
extending too far the outer end o of the axle H is screw-threaded and receives a like-
wise screw threaded cap c¹ Fig. having a central tongue z which enters the slot l.
Fig. 5 is a cross section on line xx of Fig. 1 and Fig. 6 is an end view of the right
hand axle H' a part only of which is shewn on the drawing.
Having thus particularly described my Invention and in what manner the same
is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is
1. The improved extensible and collapsible tricycle axle shewn in fig. 1 of the
drawings comprising two solid axle halves provided with screw threads formed in
reverse directions over which halves are screwed the hub axles and means for pre-
venting too great an extension and a collapse (when extended) of the tricycle axle
substantially as and for the purpose described.
2. The modified form of extensible and collapsible tricycle axle shewn in fig. 2 of the
drawings comprising two hollow axle halves H H¹ upon which slide the hub axles A
and means for preventing too great an extension and a collapse (when extended) of
the tricycle axle, substantially as and for the purpose described.
3. In combination with an extensible and collapsible tricycle axle such as described
in claim 1 the disc d and the nut n screwed upon the outer screw threaded extremity o
of the axle, substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.
4. In combination with the modified form of extensible and collapsible tricycle
axle such as described in claim 2 the tongued cap c screwed upon the screw threaded
extremity o of the axle substantially as and for the purpose described.
5. In combination with the extensible and collapsible tricycle axles described in
claims 1 and 2 the use of a spring catch for securing the axle in its extended or
collapsed position substantially as and for the purpose described.
Dated this 15th day of March 1889.
HUGHES, ELI & HUGHES,
76, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.