Improvements in the Crowns of Cycle Forks, and in the Manufacture of the same.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Apr., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 3rd Jan., 1895-Accepted, 9th Feb., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Crowns of Cycle Forks, and in the Manufacture
of the same.
We, ROBERT WOOTTON, of Corporation Street, Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Merchant, and FRANCIS HENRY GRIFFITHS, of 27 Trafalgar Road,
Handsworth, in the County of Stafford Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of
our said invention to be as follows:-
:-
Our invention has for its object improvements in the crowns of cycle forks and in
the manufacture of the same by which such crowns are produced more expeditiously
while they can be made from the scrap of plate steel thus considerably reducing the
cost of such articles while in appearance they can be finished equal to that of the
ordinary crown.
In carrying our invention into effect we take a strip of plate steel the centre of
which we stamp or press into a wavy form i.e. with a depression in the centre
suitable for fitting the steering head and a depression at each side into which the
heads of sides of the fork fit. The ends of the strip being turned up are then bent
over to form a corresponding shape on the reverse side the two ends of the strip
butting in the centre of the steering head at which point a joint is formed by
braizing the ends of the strip together and on to the steering tube. After the first
side of the crown has been pressed a shaped mandrel may be used when pressing the
ends over to form the reverse side of the crown. The crown is provided with a
cover when fixed which is braized to the said cover.
Dated this 2nd day of April 1894.
GEORGE BARKER,
77, Colmore Row, Birmingham, Agent for Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Crowns of Cycle Forks, and in the Manufacture
of the same.
We, ROBERT WOOTTON, of Corporation Street, Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick Merchant, and FRANCIS HENRY GRIFFITHS, of 27 Trafalgar Road,
Handsworth, in the County of Stafford Engineer, do bereby declare the nature of
our said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
Our invention has for its object improvements in the crowns of cycle forks and in
the manufacture of the same by which such crowns are produced more expeditiously
and so that they are more readily adaptable to any variation in the size of the head
while they can be made from the scrap of plate steel thus considerably reducing the
cost of such articles while as regards appearance and strength they can be made
equal to that of an ordinary crown.
In carrying our invention into effect we take a strip of plate steel the centre of
which we stamp or press into a wavy form i.e. with a depression in the centre
suitable for fitting the steering head and a depression at each side into which the

page_text: heads of sides of the fork fit. The ends of the strip being turned up are then bent
over to form a corresponding shape on the reverse side the two ends of the strip
butting in the centre of the steering head at which point a joint is formed by brazing
the ends of the strip together and on to the steering tube. After the first side of
the crown has been pressed, a shaped mandrel may be used when pressing the ends
over to form the reverse side of the crown. The crown is provided with a cover
when fixed which is brazed to the said crown.
In order that our invention may be clearly understood and more easily carried
into practise we have appended hereunto a double sized sheet of drawings upon
which we have fully illustrated the nature of our said improvements together with
the mode of carrying the same into effect.
Figure 1., is a view of a strip of plate metal suitable for forming one of our
crowns.
Figure 2., is a side view of the same strip after the first process of bending.
Figure 3., is a similar view to Figure 2 but after the second process of bending.
Figure 4., is also a similar view.
Figure 5., is an elevation of Figure 4, after a still further process of bending.
Figure 6., is a plan of the crown complete.
Figure 7., is an elevation of Figure 6.
In the manufacture of the crown we use any scrap or strip of plate metal A
Figure 1 which we stamp press or bend into a form such as shown by Figure 2 thus
giving it the centre wave a¹ which fits the steering head B and the waves a at
each side which are afterwards formed to fit the heads of the side tubes C of the
fork. The ends of the strip are then bent or pressed over at a as shown by Fig. 3
being further bent around at as until the ends a³ and a butt at the centre of the
steering head B at which point the joint is formed by brazing the ends a & a*
together and on to the steering tube B. The joint in the crown renders the crown
more springy and allows of the crown being readily sprung to fit the steering head B
before the brazing is effected. Shaped mandrels as shown by dotted lines F Figure 3
may be used for bending the ends of the strip over after it has been converted into
the wavy form shown by Fig. 2. The crown is provided with the cover D which
is brazed or otherwise secured to the crown.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
The improvements in the crowns of cycle forks and in the manufacture of the
same, substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth and shown upon the
accompanying drawings.
Dated this 2nd day of January 1895.
GEORGE BARKER,
77, Colmore Row, Birmingham, Agent for Applicants.