Improvements in and connected with Velocipedes,
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Nov., 1896
omplete Specification Left, 12th Aug, 1897-Accepted, 16th Oct., 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Velocipedes,
We FREDERICK HORATIO PHILLIPS of 131 High Street Harlesden in the County of
Middlesex Gunsmith and CHARLES WILLIAM PARTINGTON of 12 Willoughby Park
Road Tottenham in the County of Middlesex Clerk, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to prevent the vibration of velocipedes due to
passing over rough roads fron being transmitted to the riders of such machines.
Now according to this invention as applied to bicycles, I attach to the ends of
the back forks curved racks one on each side of the machine the racks being
preferably secured by means of bolts or studs having the shanks or necks thereof
shaped to fit the slots in the ends of the forks to prevent the said racks from rotating
and also to allow of the adjustment of the driving chain.
Secured to each end of the axle of the driving wheel and in such a manner as to
rotate therewith is a pinion which engages with one of the said racks.
The pinions may be maintained in gear with the racks by means of radius rods
hinged to the crank bracket at one end and provided with bearings for the driving
axle at the other end. Or the ends of the driving axle may move in curved guides
or slots in pieces of metal attached to or forming part of the said racks.
Suitable springs are attached to the ends of the driving wheel axle which springs
tend to normally keep the pinions at the bottom of the racks. By means of the
above described racks pinions and springs the wheel is kept free from lateral move-
ment in the frame and if the racks are curved to a radius equal to the distance from
the pitch line of the rack to the centre of the crank axle the tension of the chain will
be unaltered as the pinions roll on the racks as the distance between the centres of
the sprocket wheels will be constant. I also attach to the front fork rack pinions and
guides similar to those hereinbefore described.
The racks and guides for the front wheel may be either straight or curved as most
convenient. Or as an alternative the ends of the axles may he fitted with antifriction
rollers bearing against curved guides or moving in curved slots springs being used to
keep the axles normally at the bottom of the slots or guides. Similar racks pinions
and guides may be applied to the axles of tricycles and other velocipedes.
Dated this 12th day of November 1896.
T. E. HALFORD.
Agent for Applicants.
We FREDERICK HORATIO PHILLIPS of 131 High Street Harlesden in the County of
Middlesex Gunsmith and CHARLES WILLIAM PARTINGTON of 12 Willoughby Park
Price 8d1

page_text: Road Tottenham in the County of Middlesex Clerk, 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:-
The object of this invention is to prevent the vibration of velocipedes due to passing
over rough roads from being transmitted to the riders of such machines.
Now according to this invention as applied to bicycles. We attach to the ends of
the back forks curved racks one on each side of the machine the racks being prefer-
ably secured by means of bolts or studs having the shanks or necks thereof shaped to
fit the slots in the ends of the forks to prevent the said racks from rotating and also
to allow of the adjustment of the driving chain.
Secured to each end of the axle of the driving wheel and in such a manner as to
rotate therewith is a pinion which engages with one of the said racks.
The pinions may be maintained in gear with the racks by means of radius rods
. hinged to the crank bracket at one end and provided with bearings for the driving
axle at the other end. Or the ends of the driving axle may move in curved guides or
slots in pieces of metal attached to or forming part of the said racks.
Suitable springs are attached to the ends of the driving wheel axle which springs
tend to normally keep the pinions at the bottom of the racks. By means of the
above described racks pinions and springs the wheel is kept free from lateral move-
ment in the frame and if the racks are curved to a radius equal to the distance from
the pitch line of the rack to the centre of the crank axle the tension of the driving
chain will be unaltered as the pinions roll on the racks as the distance between the
centres of the sprocket wheels will be constant. We also attach to the front fork
racks pinions and guides similar to those hereinbefore described.
The racks and guides for the front wheel may he either curved or straight as most
convenient. Or as an alternative the ends of the axles may be fitted with antifriction
rollers bearing against curved guides or moving in curved slots springs being used to
keep the axles normally at the bottom of the slots or guides. Similar racks pinions
and guides may be applied to the axles of tricycles and other velocipedes,
And in order that our said invention may be fully understood we will proceed to
explain the same with reference to the accompanying drawings in which :-
Fig. 1. represents elevation of a bicycle constructed according to this invention.
Fig. 2. shews slot and rack at end of back fork to an enlarged scale.
Fig. 3. shews one end of driving wheel axle also to an enlarged scale the other end
of the axle being similar to that shewn in the Fig.
Fig. 4 shews driving wheel axle supported on radius rods from crank bracket.
The same letters denote the same parts in all the Figs.
a is the steering wheel b the driving wheel e the crank bracket d the steering fork
e the back fork f the back stays is a slotted bracket attached to each side of the
front fork is a rack attached to the bracket g, i is a slotted bracket attached to each
side of the back fork j is a curved rack secured thereto by bolts rivets or otherwise.
The said racks engage with pinions & secured to each end of the driving wheel axle z
so as to rotate therewith the object thereof being to compel both pinions to rotate
together and so maintain the wheel vertical in the fork. is a flanged disc on the
inside of the pinion which disc is free to revolve on the axle and also to move
freely in the slot in the bracket i so as to maintain the pinion k in gear with the
rack and to prevent sideway movement of the driving wheel in the back fork.
m is a disc on the outside of the pinion k which disc is also free to rotate on the
axle x. n is a spring attached at one end to a pin or stud in the disc m and at the
other end to a stud à secured to a prolongation of the bracket i.
By this
The racks h are curved to an arc of a circle with a radius equal to the distance
from the centre of the crank bracket to the pitch line of the teeth of the racks and
the slots are curved to an arc struck from the centre of the crank bracket.
means the tension of the driving chain is unaltered as the pinions rise and fall
in the slots as the machine travels over uneven ground. Or the bracket i may be
dispensed with and the ends of the driving axle rotate in bearings at the ends of
radius rods p hinged to the crank bracket as shewn by Fig. 4.

page_text: The springs are in this case secured at one end to a stud in an arm j¹ attached to
or forining part of the rack j.
The axle of the front wheel is furnished with pinions k' and discs as specified for
the back wheel but the slots in the brackets, g are vertical as the front wheel requires
a vertical movement in the slots only.
q is a spring attached at one end to the disc m and at the other end to a stud r
secured in a prolongation g' of the bracket g.
The springs g and n normally inaintain the pinions at the bottom of the slots and
should be so proportioned to the weight of the rider that when he is seated the
pinions should be at or near the centre of the slots so as to allow free motion up or
down in the slots.
In some cases we may dispense with the racks and pinions and fit the ends of the
axles with antifriction rollers moving in slots the springs and brackets being
retained.
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 :-
1. In a velocipede securing to the axles of the steering and driving wheel or wheels
pinions which engage with racks attached to the forks of the machine the said pinions
being normally maintained at the bottom of the said racks by means of springs for
the purpose stated.
2. In a velocipede the combination of slotted brackets gi having racks hj attached
thereto with pinions k¹ secured to the axles of the steering and driving wheels so as
to rotate therewith and springs q n to normally maintain the said axles at or near the
bottoms of the said slots substantially as hereinbefore specified and for the purpose.
stated.
3. In a velocipede the combination of axles such as x having pinions k keyed or
otherwise secured thereto with discs and m loose on the said axle slotted brackets i
and to receive the discs racks hj secured to the said brackets to engage with the
said pinions and springs q n all substantially as hereinbefore specified and for the
purpose stated.
4. The modified form of the invention as herein before specified and illustrated by
Fig. 4 of the accompanying drawings.
5. The improvements in and connected with velocipedes as shewn by the
accompanying drawings.
Dotad this 19th day of August 1807
T. E. HALFORD,
Agent for Applicants.