IMPROVEMENTS IN BICYCLES, PARTLY APPLICABLE TO TRICYCLES AND OTHER VELOCIPEDES
Year: 1884

page_text: other Velocipedes.
I JOHN FARRAN of 46 Clifton Street Old Trafford Manchester in the County
of Lancaster Mechanician do hereby declare the nature of my invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN BICYCLES, PARTLY APPLICABLE TO TRICYCLES AND OTHER
VELOCIPEDES," (which invention has been partly communicated to me from abroad
by Lyman C. Perkins of the City of Pennsylvania in the United States of America
and is partly my own invention) to be as follows:-
This invention consists of Improvements in Bicycles of the class which have the
small steering wheel in front of the driving wheel the objects of the improvements
being to strengthen and render more shapely than usual the frame of the machine,
to prevent jarring of the bicycle when the small wheel meets with an obstruction,
to firmly secure the handle bar to the steering frame, to provide a simple brako
operating device and to improve the character of the driving clutch.
The frame which carries the small steering wheel is forked at the lower end to
receive the wheel and is pivotted to the main frame by a pin and two lugs the said
pin being near the lower end of the steering frame, and the lugs being adapted to
sockets in a boss at the upper end of the same.
Usually the main frame carries at the front an inclined tube, through which the
steering rod passes and in which it has its bearing, but by using in place of this
inclined tube independent pivotal points the frame can be made in a curved form
and thus impart a more graceful appearance to the bicycle than is possible when
the straight frame is used.-The upper pivotted lugs form part of the stem of the
handle and the said stem is threaded for the reception of two nuts which bear upon
the opposite sides of the steering frame and serve as a means of adjusting the stem
so that the lug will always fit snugly in its socket and wear of the parts can be
readily taken up.
In order however to prevent the handle from being twisted round out of position
on the frame, the stem has on one side a recess to which is adapted the point of
a set screw carried by the lower forked frame.
The axle of the small steering wheel is adapted to boxes which are guided in
slots in castings formed on the opposite legs of the forked lower end of the frame,
the boxes being acted upon by springs contained in the castings so that the wheel
is forced to yield when it meets with an obstruction and thus prevents the jarring
of the main frame. The upper portion of this frame is slotted near the front end

page_text: for the reception of the brake lever which is pivoted to the frame by a transverse
pin, and acts upon the driving wheel.
One arm of this lever carries the brake shoe and the other arm is connected by
a wire, cord chain or other flexible connection to one arm of a bell crank lever
which is hung in a slot on the handle and the other arm of which is acted on by
the usual brake lever in the handle. A spring serves to depress the front arm of
the brave lever and hold the brake shoe free from contact with the driving wheel
under ordinary circumstances.
If desired the brake levers may be dispensed with and the handle bar be free to
turn in bearings on the stem and may have a drum to which the upper end of the
cord or chain is attached so that by slightly turning the handle in its bearings the
cord will be tightened and the brake applied, the use of the levers is however
preferable.
The driving wheel is operated by clutch gears on opposite sides of the hub each
gear being driven by a strap connected at one end to the drum of the clutch and at
the opposite end to a treadle lever hung to the main frame.-The improved clutch
gear is constructed as follows:-
The axle on which the driving wheel turns is secured to the main frame so as to
be incapable of movement independently thereof and the drum to which the driving
strap is connected is free to turn on the axle, and to the hub of this drum is
clutched a hub to which are hung the inner ends of a series of pawls, the outer ends
of which are adapted to engage with an internal rack inside a drum the hub of
which is screwed or otherwise securely fastened to the hub of the driving wheel.
Each of the pawls has a transverse opening to receive a plug and a spring, the
tendency of the spring being to force one of the said plugs against the inner face
of the drum and the other against a plate bolted to the drum.
These spring plugs serve to impart a certain retaining friction which prevents
the pawls from dropping down and disengaging with the teeth of the ratchet on
the backward movement of the hub.
The first result of this backward movement is to draw the pawls inward until
their ends are free from the teeth, in which position they remain without change
until the motion is reversed, whereupon the first result is the throwing out of the
ends of the pawls until they engage with the teeth, by this means the objectionable
clicking noise which accompanies the backward movement of an ordinary pawl and
ratchet clutch is effectually overcome.-The retraction of the drum and pawl hub is
effected by a spring. This spring is connected at the inner end to the hub of the
drum and at the outer end to a bolt which is secured by suitable nuts to a plate
6ixed to the axle, so that the inner end of the spring is the moving end, the spring
winding and unwinding from the inside so as to avoid the objectionable scraping of
the convolutions of the springs against each other which results when the inner end
of the spring is fastened and the outer end movable.
A bolt is adapted to a slot in the plate so that the spring can be tightened and
there is a washer which prevents the access of dust or moisture to the spring.
A washer interposed between the drum and the plate similarly prevents the access
of dust or moisture to the gearing of the clutch and the plate and washer each have
an opening for the reception of a bolt which secures the spring to the plate and
both the washer and the plate is moved to tighten the spring.
The improved clutch gear is also equally applicable to other classes of bicycles,
and to tricycles and other velocipedes.

page_text: other Velocipedes.
I JOHN FARRAN of 45 Clifton Street Old Trafford Manchester in the County of
Lancaster Mechanician do hereby declare the nature of the invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN BICYCLES PARTLY APPLICABLE TO TRICYCLES AND OTHER VELOCIPEDES
"
(the said invention being partly communicated to me from abroad by Lyman
C. Perkins of the City of Pennsylvania in the United States of America and partly
my own 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 consists of certain improvements in bicycles of the class which
have the small steering wheel in front of the driving wheel the objects of our
improvements being to strengthen and render more shapely than usual the frame of
the machine, to prevent jarring of the bicycle when the small wheel meets with an
obstruction to firmly secure the handle-bar to the steering frame, to provide a
simple break-operating device, and to improve the character of the driving clutch.
These objects I attain in the manner hereinafter set forth reference being had to
the accompanying drawings in which-
Fig. 1 is a side view of a bicycle with my improvements:-Figs. 2 to 6 detached
views on a larger scale of parts of the bicycle; Fig. 7 an enlarged section of one of
the driving clutches. Fig. 8 a transverse section on the line 1. 2 Fig. 7. Fig. 9 a
transverse section on the line 3. 4 Fig. 7. Fig. 10 a face view of Fig. 7; and
Fig. 11 a view of part of Fig. 8 with some of the parts in a different position.
In Fig. 1 A represents the main frame of the bicycle B the large driving wheel.
D the small steering wheel and F the frame which carries the latter, this frame
being forked at the lower end to receive the wheel D and being pivoted to the
frame A by a pin a and lugs b b¹ the said pin a being near the lower end of the
frame and the lugs bb₁ being adapted to sockets in a boss c at the upper end of
the frame.
Usually the frame A carries at the front an inclined tube through which the
steering rod passes and in which it has its bearing. By using in place of this
the independent pivotal points as shown I am enabled to make the frame F of the
curved form represented, and thus impart a more graceful appearance to the
bicycle than is possible when the straight frame is used.
The upper pivot lug b¹ forms part of the stem d of the handle G and said stem is
threaded for the reception of nuts e e which bear upon opposite sides of the frame F
and serve as a means of adjusting the stem & that the lug b¹ will always fit snugly
in its socket, and wear of the parts can be readily taken up, or if preferred the
lugs b and b¹ may be formed with sockets and the pivota may be on the frame A as
shown at Fig. 4.
In order however to prevent the handle from being twisted around out of
position on the frame, the stem d has in one side a recess d¹ to which is adapted
the point of a set screw f carried by the frame F as shown in Fig. 3.
The axle of the small steering-wheel D is adapted to boxes g which are guided
in slots g' in casings H formed on the opposite legs of the forked lower end of the
frame F, the boxes being acted upon by springs contained in the casings, so that

page_text: the wheel D is free to yield when it meets with an obstruction and thus prevents
the jarring of the main frame.
I have shown coiled springs h but rubber blocks or helical springs may it will be
evident, be substituted for the same if desired.
The upper portion of the frame A is slotted near the front end as shown in Fig. 4
for the reception of the brake lever I which is pivoted to the frame by a transverse
pin . One arm of this lever carries the brake shoe l' and the other arm is con-
nected by a wire, cord, chain or other flexible connection m to one arm of a bell
crank lever J which is hung in a slot in the handle and the other arm of which is
acted upon by the usual brake-lever J on the handle.
The combination of brake lever J¹ and bell crank lever is one that has been
heretofore used in bicycles, the brake shoe, however being carried directly by the
bell-crank lever and acting on the rim of the driving wheel, which is carried by
and turns with the yoke having the handle. In front-wheel-steering bicycles
however the handle bar has a movement independent of the frame A which carries
the driving-whoel, hence the use of the brake-lever on said frame A and the con-
nection of the same to the lever on the handle bar by a flexible connection the
twisting of which (as the handle-bar is turned to steer the bicycle) will not
interfere with its efficiency.
A spring & serves to depress the front arm of the lever I and hold the brake
shoe I free from contact with the driving wheel under ordinary circumstances
If desired, the brako levers J and J¹ may be dispensed with, and the handle bar
may be free to turn in bearings on the stem d and may have a drum to which the
upper end of the cord or chain m is attached, so that by slightly turning the
handle bar in its bearings the cord will be tightened and the brake applied.
The use of the lever J, J', is however preferred.
The driving wheel B is operated by clutch gear on opposite sides of the hub,
each gear being driven by a strap connected at one end to the drum of the
clutch and at the opposite end to a treadle lever N hung on the frame A as shown
in Fig. 1.
My improved clutch gear is shown in Figs. 7 to 11 on reference to which Mis
the axle on which the driving wheel turns this axle being secured to the main
frame A so as to be incapable of movement independently thereof.
The drum P to which the driving-strap n is connected is free to turn on the
axle and to the hub g of this drum is clutched a hub p to which are hung the
inner ends of a series of pawls S, the outer ends of which are adapted to engage
with an internal rack T in a drum V the hub r of which is screwed or otherwise
securely fastened to the hub s of the wheel B.
Each of the pawls S has a transverse opening Fig. 7 for the reception of plugs t
and a spring u the tendency of the spring being to force one of the said plugs
against the inner face of the drum V. and the other against a plate W. bolted to
the drum. These spring plugs serve to impart a certain retaining friction which
prevents the pawls from dropping down and engaging with the teeth of the rack T
on the backward movement of the hub p. The first result of this backward move-
ment is to draw the pawls inwards until their ends are free from the teeth as
shown at Fig. 11 in which position the pawls remain without change until the
motion is reversed whereupon the first result is the throwing out of the ends of the
pawls until they engage with the teeth. By this means the objectionable clicking
noise which accompanies the backward movement of an ordinary pawl-and-ratchet
clutch is effectually overcome.
The retraction of the drum P and pawl hub is effected as usual by a spring Y.
This spring is connected at the inner end to the hub g of the drum P and at the
outer to a bolt w which is secured by suitable nuts to a plate X secured to the
axle M so that-the inner end of the spring is the moving end the spring winding
and unwinding from the inside, so as to avoid that objectionable scraping of the
convolutions of the spring against each other which results when the inner end of
the spring is fastened and the outer end movable.

page_text: The bolt w is adapted to a slot w¹ in the plate ✗ (see dotted lines Fig. 10) so
that the spring can be tightened as desired and between the plate X and an outer
plate X intervenes a washer x which fits snugly to the inside of the flange of the
drum P, and prevents the access of dust or moisture to the spring. A washer y.
interposed between the drum V and plate W similarly prevents the access of
dust or moisture to the gearing of the clutch.
The plate X and washer each have an opening for the reception of the
bolt w which secures the spring Y to the plate X both the washer and plate X¹
turning on the hub of the said plate X when the bolt wis moved to tighten the
spring Y The improved clutch gear is also equally applicable to other classes of
bicycles and to tricycles and other velocipedes.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the saine is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
1. The combination of the main frame A and driving-wheel B of the bicycle
with the steering-wheel D carried by a curved frame F hung to the frame A. by
upper and lower independent pivots as set forth.
2. The combination of the frame A having a boss c the driving wheel B
the steering wheel D the frame F and the pivot pin a and pivot lugs b b' as set
forth.
3. The combination of the frame A having a boss c with the frame F having
pivot lugs bb the upper of which is threaded for the reception of adjusting
retaining nuts e as set forth.
4. The combination of the frame A. the frame F the pivot lugs bb¹ the nuts e
the handle-stem & forming the lug b' and having a recess d¹and the bolt f whereby
twisting of the handle is prevented as set forth.
5. The combination of the frame A, and its driving wheel, the brake lever I
hung to the said frame, the swinging steering-frame and handle-bar and a flexible
connection m between said brake lever and the braking mechanism on the handle-
bar as specified.
6. The combination, in a ratchet clutch for bicyclos tricycles and other velocipedes
of the drum V having an internal rack, the driving drum P and a hub p connected
to said driving-drum and carrying pawls S and two spring plugs t t projecting
from the opposite sides of each pawl and forming a frictional retainer therefor, as
set forth.
7. The combination of the drum V and its rack the drum P and the pawls and a
retracting-spring connected at the inner end to the hub of the said drum P and at
the outer end to a fixed plate, as specified.
8. The combination of the pawl-drun retracting spring bolt u and plate X
having a slot w¹ for the adjustment of the bolt as described.
9. The combination of the driving-drum the fixed plate X the cover plate X'
and the protecting washer as set forth.
10. The combination of the driving drum the drum V on the driving-wheel
and the washer y as set forth.