IMPROVEMENTS IN VELOCIPEDES
Year: 1880

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Starley at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 31st December 1880.
JAMES STARLEY, of Coventry, in the County of Warwick, Mechanician.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN VELOCIPEDES."
The chief object of this Invention is to provide a means for contracting laterally
that class of velocipedes known as tricycles, and thereby enabling them to pass
through narrow entries, and to be packed away in a contracted space.
To this end I form the frame of two jointed bars of steel, preferably hollow or
trough shaped for the sake of lightness.
This frame will resemble somewhat in plan view a pair of compasses, the free
ends of the limbs being extended downwards to receive the crank or pedal shaft.
Bolted to one of the pendent ends of this framing is a pair of brackets in which
a short axle is mounted to receive a chain wheel. In a line with this short axle,
and at the opposite side of the frame, is a removable bearing which rests in a
bracket made fast to the frame.
This bracket is intended to receive one end of the treadle or crank shaft, and
the other end is connected by a flanged coupling with the chain wheel axle before
mentioned.
The travelling wheels of the tricycle are mounted on stud axles carried by the
framing, and to one of these wheels is affixed a chain wheel which is driven from the
first mentioned chain wheel through an endless chain passing around both wheels.
The limbs of the compass framing are kept apart by means of a hinged stay
bar, the centre pin of which is used to carry the seat of the rider.
From this seat the rider is free to work the crank shaft by means of treadles in
any approved manner.
The centre pin of the framing will constitute the socket for, or it may be the
stem of, the steering fork, which fork will carry bearings as usual for the axle of
the steering wheel.

page_text: This wheel may either be situate in front or in rear of the rider, suitable
connections being provided to bring it under the easy control of the rider.
The tricycle it will be understood is driven only on one side, but if preferred
both of tho travelling wheels may be brought into connection with the crank
shaft.
When it is desired to contract. the width of the vehicle it will only be necessary
to unship the crank shaft and to press together the limbs of the hinged frame, the
hinged strut bar yielding to permit of this movement. When thus compressed the
vehicle will be narrow enough to pass through any doorway, and will occupy but
Little space when stowed away.
The seat I make adjustable on its support to suit the convenience of different
riders.
As an improvement in the chains used for transmitting motion in velocipedes I
form the links with a transverse bowle at the middle of their length, the axle of
which bowle will be a pin rivetted to the opposite sides of the link. The bowles
of a chain formed with such links will engage with the teeth of the chain wheels,
and as they are worn the length of the chain will not be affected thereby.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, and
of an Order by the Lord Chancellor, filed by the said James Starley in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 22nd July 1881.
CHARLES WEST, of Coventry, in the County of Warwick, and JOHN MARSHALL
STARLEY, of Coventry, in the County of Warwick, Executors of James Starley, of
Coventry, in the County of Warwick, Mechanician, who departed this life on
the Seventeenth day of June, One thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN VELOCIPEDES."
The chief object of this Invention is to provide a means for contracting laterally
that class of velocipedes known as tricycles, thereby enabling them to pass through
narrow entries and to be packed away in a contracted space.
To this end the frame to which the steering wheel and the pair of travelling
wheels are attached is formed of two light bars or tubes of steel jointed together
at one end, and resembling somewhat in plan view a pair of compasses.
In Sheet I. of the accompanying Drawings, Fig. 1 shews in side elevation,
Fig. 2 in plan view, and Fig, 3 in front elevation the improved tricycle.
In these Figures, A, A*, are two tubes or light bars jointed together at a and
constituting the framing, which may be contracted or expanded at pleasure, the
same being held stiff in its expanded position by means of a jointed cross bar A¹.
The limbs of this cross bar are secured by pins to the sides of the frame, and the
jointed bar is made rigid by means of a projecting picce from one limb being held
by a catch pivotted to the other as clearly shewn at Figures 2 and 3.
B is the steering wheel mounted in a fork as usual. The stem of this fork works
in a socket formed in an extension of the bar A* close to the joint pin a; C, C*,
are the travelling wheels, the latter C* only being driven.
The front ends of the limbs A, A*, of the frame are bent downwards to receive
the crank or pedal shaft D, which is made capable of being readily detached to
permit of the lateral contraction of the tricycle frame.
The limb A is cranked laterally for the purpose to be presently explained, and
to its extremity is made fast a plate from which a stud axle d projects horizontally.
Mounted loosely on this stud axle is a chain wheel E, the hub of which is fitted
with a recessed plate e for the reception of a coupling plate d¹ forged on the pedal
shaft D. This recess and coupling plate are shaped to effect such an interlocking of
the parts as will ensure the rotation of the chain wheel when the pedal shaft is
driven.
A bearing is provided at d for the journal of the pedal shaft, which bearing is
made fast to the extremity of the limb A, and is of such form as will allow of the
shaft being unshipped with facility.
Situate on the outer side of the limb A*, but in the same vertical plane as the
chain wheel E is a second chain wheel E¹ attached to the hub of the travelling
wheel C and serving to drive the same through an endless chain which receives
its motion from the chain wheel E.
The travelling wheels C, C*, turn on stud axles carried by brackets attached to
the underside of the limbs A, A*, respectively.
The centre pin of the hinged stay bar is used to carry the seat F of the rider
and it is made adjustable vertically for the purpose of raising and lowering the
seat.
From this seat the rider is free to work the pedal shaft D as usual.
The steering wheel it will be seen is brought within the easy control of the
rider in the manner common to velocipedes of this class.
From the foregoing it will be understood that when it is desired to contract the

page_text: width of the vehicle, it will only be necessary to unship the pedal shaft D, lift the
catch of the jointed cross bar A¹, and press together the limbs of the hinged frame.
The jointed cross bar A', will then yield to permit of this movement, and the
tricycle will be compressed to the position shewn in the plan view, Fig. 4, Sheet II.
When thus compressed the vehicle will be narrow enough to pass through any
ordinary doorway, and will occupy but little space when stowed away.
This Invention relates, secondly, to an improvement in the chains used for
transmitting motion in velocipedes, the object being to increase their durability.
In Sheet II., Fig. 5 is a plan view of a portion of the improved chain; Fig. 6 is
a side view of the same partly in section, it being shewn as applied to a chain
wheel. In these Figures, 'g are the links of which the chain is constructed.
These links are connected together at gl as usual, and they are fitted with a
transverse bowle g² at the middle of their length, the axle of which bowle will be
a pin rivetted to the opposite sides of the link. The bowles of a chain formed
with such links will engage with the teeth of the chain wheels, as shewn at Fig. 6,
and as they are worn the length of the chain will not be affected thereby.
Having now set forth the nature of the Invention of Improvements in
Velocipedes," we wish it to be understood that under the above in part recited
Letters Patent we claim,-
"
First. Constructing and fitting the frame of tricycles as above described, whereby
they admit of being readily contracted laterally for the purposes above set forth.
Secondly. The improvement in the driving chains of velocipedes above described.
In witness whereof, wc, the said Charles West and John Marshall Starley,
as such executors as aforesaid, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this
Twentieth day of July, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and eighty one.
CHARLES WEST.
(L.S.)
JOHN MARSHALL STARLEY. (L.S.)