Improvements in Velocipedes
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Apr, 1895
Complete Specification Left, 30th Jan, 1896-Accepted, 30th Apr,
1896
Improvements in Velocipedes
I LEON CAMUS, of 15 Rue des Halles, Paris, in the Republic of France,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows
-
This invention has for its object to render the motion of the cycle much safer,
smoother and more rapid, at the same time giving to the machine much more
firmness, stability and elegance, and enabling two similar machines to be joined
together one parallel to the other
The
It consists of a rigid frame which can only oscillate round the crank axle
bars or forks constituting the frame are composed of metal and shaped wood
the crank axle carries on one side of the frame a brake pulley and on the other
side a transmission pulley with angular grooves
The band brake is operated
through suitable bais levers, cams and rods by giving the handle a twisting
movement on the handle bars The back wheel is driven from the grooved
pulley on the crank axle by means of wire cords consisting of wire twisted on a
hemp core
The steering fork carries the front part of the frame on roller bearings, and has
its prongs connected by a wooden head and provided at their lower extremities
with transverse grooves in which are springs Any shocks thus slightly raise the
forks as the grooves are inclined as well as compressing the springs
The rollers
are of truncated conical shape and are inserted in apertures in a cage, the apertures
being of a less diameter than the rollers
The frame is provided at several points with lateral projections and eyelet holes
for coupling purposes, and at the top of its rear end with a spring box, to which
the saddle is attached in a special way and at the bottom with grooves in which
slide blocks fixed at both the ends of the stationary axle of the driving wheel can
slide under the weight of the rider or shocks
The saddle spring is adjustably attached at its back to a spring box or cylinder
The box
in which slides a plate or piston attached to the axle of the back wheel
1s attached at each side to rods having grooves in which the ends of the back axle
slide The rods securing the plate or piston to the back axle slide in or on the
box iods The saddle spring is fixed at its front to a socket sliding on the
top bar of the frame The distance between the saddle and the crank axle is thus
constant
The bearings consist of a crown of cylindrical rollers placed between the axle
and a sleeve The rollers are separated by a cage having rectangular orifices
The sleeve of the back wheel carries a pulley with angular grooves corresponding
to that fixed upon the crauk axle
The frame is provided at or near its extreme points with projections and two
machines are coupled together by means of tubes passing over the projections and
fixed thereto by a bayonet joint Eyelet holes may also be provided for hooked
connecting rods
Dated this 30th day of April 1905
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40 Chancery Lane, London, WC, Agents

page_text: хшротушению 11
I LEON CAMUS, of 15 Rue des Halles, Paris, in the Republic of France,
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
This invention has for its object to render the motion of the cycle much safer,
smoother and more rapid, at the same time giving to the machine much more
firmness, stability and elegance, and enabling two similar machines to be joined
together one parallel to the other
The
It consists of a rigid frame which can ouly oscillate round the crank axle
bars or forks constituting the fiame are composed of metal and shaped wood
The crank axle carries on one side of the frame a brake pulley and on the other
side a transmission pulley with angular grooves The band biake is operated
through suitable bars levers, cams and rods by giving the handle a twisting
movement on the handle bars The back wheel is driven from the grooved
pulley on the crank axle by means of wire cords consisting of wire twisted on a
hemp core
The steering fork carries the front part of the frame on 1oller bearings, and has
its prongs connected by a wooden head and provided at their lower extremities
with transverse grooves in which are springs Any shocks thus slightly raise the
forks as the grooves are inclined as well as compressing the springs The rolleis
are of truncated conical shape and are inserted in apertures in a cage, the apertures
being of a less diameter than the rollers
The frame is provided at several points with lateral projections and eyelet holes
for coupling purposes and at the top of its rear end with a spring box, to which
the saddle is attached in a special way and at the bottom with grooves in which
blocks fixed at both the ends of the stationary axle of the driving wheel can slide
under the weight of the rider or shocks
The saddle sping is adjustably attached at its back to a spring box or
cylinder in which slides a plate or piston attached to the axle of the back
wheel
The box is attached at each side to rods having grooves in which the ends of
the bach axle slide The rods securing the plate or piston to the back axle slide
in or on the box rods The saddle spring is fixed at its front to a socket sliding
on the top bar of the frame
is thus constant
Ibe distance between the saddle and the crank axle
The bearings consist of a crown of cylindrical rollers placed between the axle
and a sleeve The rollers are separated by a cage having rectangular orifices
The sleeve of the back wheel carries a pulley with angular grooves corresponding
to that fixed upon the crank axle
The frame is provided at or near its extreme points with projections and two
machines are coupled together by means of tubes passing over the projections and
fixed thereto by a baronet joint Eyelet holes may also be provided for hooked
connecting rods
In the accompanying sheet of illustrative drawings
-
Fig 1 shows in elevation all the improvements just mentioned, as applied to a
bicycle
Fig 2 is a part plan of the bicycle,
Fig 3 is an elevation of the handle bars shewing the steering arrangement
Fig 4 is a vertical section of the frame, taken in front of the crank spindle
Figs 5 to 23 are detail views

page_text: the upright tube of the forks and the handle bar, and of the bifurcated
bars C D E F
Between the bifurcated bar- E E is fitted a rigid support composed of two
bifurcatel bars E' E', the bottom parts of which are connected together by the
axle of the driving wheel The bars EE and E' E' slide relatively to one
another with slight friction The bars E' E' terminate at the top in a stationary
piston or plate P (Fig 6) serving to support the springs, that culy the upper rear
part of the frame
The steering forks G have grooves a a¹ at the lower ends in
The frame may oscillate round axis O of the
which are inserted the springs bb¹
crank spindle
On the crank spindle is mounted a brake puller H provided with biake band I
By imparting by hand to the handles J J of the handle ba, a twisting motion
inwards, the rider is enabled to press the band I upon the brake pulley H This
twisting motion is transmitted to the band I by means of a combination of levers e et
rods ff and levers 9 g¹, the cam of the latter causing the socket h and the guide
piece connected thereto, to slide upwards on the tube of the handle bai In this
guide piece a set-sciew kis arranged for regulating the position of the rod which
is attached with its bottom part to one of the ends of the lever K the other end of
which is connected by the rod, to the lever Kit elf attached to the free end of the
bake band I that can be thus pressed more or less against the pulley H
2
This
The
The saddle L M consists of the seat L sliding upon the sping blade M and
adapted to be secured in place by the set screw M¹ as shown in Fig 5 The
spring blade M is fixed at the front end upon the bar A by means of sliding
socket shown separately in Fig 3s having several slots one above the other and
at the back end upon the spindle of the hand wheel N of box A¹ (Fig 6)
spindle is screwed through the plate under which the springs m are located
springs m, the strength and number of which may be ved are coiled round
tubes which are fixed at their upper part to the cover plate of box A, and
slide in the corresponding apertures of the stationary plate P fixed upon the
bars L L (Fig 6) On these bars E¹ E¹ the bifurcated bars EL of the rear
part of the frame e adjusted so that they are free to slide (Fig 23)
7 IS
On the axle O of the crank spindle at the opposite end to the brake pulley H
is another pulley Q having several angular recesses V corresponding to similar
recesses in the pulley Q' mounted on the hub S (Fig 13) of the driving wheel
axle In each of these recesses of both the pulleys Q and Q' a thin cable
inserted composed of wire twisted on a hemp core
The tension of the cable 18
adjusted as shown in Figures 11 and 12 by means of the nuts and s bearing
against the lug t of the bottom bracket, and by the relative motion of the bais EE,
it is possible to increase or to diminish the distance between the centre of the crank
spindle O and that of axle (2
The weight of the 11gid frame, and that of the rider are supported at the rear
part, by the springs in the box A¹, at the middle part by the crank spindle and at
the front pait, by a pot forming a roller bearing (Figs 8 and 9) interposed
between the upper face of the connecting piece u at the top of the fork head T
and the bottom of connecting piece u¹ of the hollow bar B piece u¹ overlapping
piece u Small truncated conical rollers c are inserted into the apertures of
circular plate d which is totated by the rollers, the apertures being of rather
less width than the diameter of the rollers, which cannot pass, entirely though
them
The fork head T is made of wood and receives the two detachable prongs G
and G¹
In order to couple two velocipedes parallel to each other to form a quadricycle,
lateral hooks vart secured to the frame at the points 1, 2, 3, 4, and connecting
tubes (Fig 10) are secured to the hooks by bavonet catches Near the hooks
are 1ngs y, in which wire or metal rods may be hooked for joining two
nachines together the connecting devices being stretched inside the framing thus
formed

page_text: The inclination of the grooves a and a¹ in the lower end of the prongs G 18
such, that when a shock occurs the slide blocks of the axle O' slide in the grooves
and compress the springs 6 and 61 and at the same time slightly raise the fork and
consequently also the front part of the frame In this way the intensity of the
shock, tending to damage the prongs G and G¹ is weakened and its suddenness
diminished
The roller bearings for the axles especially for the axle O³ consist of a series
of cylindrical rollers nn (Figs 13 and 14) arranged in a circle and situated
between the axle O2 and the hub S The rollers are inserted into rectangular
apertures, slightly narrower than the diameter of the cylinders cut in a cylindrical
tube or cage R which is rotated by the cylinders and maintains them at their
respective distances from each other'
igures 19 to 23 represent cross sections showing the construction of the bars
forming the frame of the bicycle The bars consist of a metal base or channel
simple as in Fig 19 or compound as in the Figures 20 and 22 strengthened or
filled with wood
Figure 18 shows the manner, generally in use for joining one bar to another
bai The bars are better suited for decorative purposes and are also much
stronger than those of hollow metal tubes which often get bruised or dented or
break They are of the same weight and retain sufficient elasticity
Figure 23 shows how the connection between the bars E E of the rear part of
the frame and the corresponding bats E' E' is effected The bars E' E' form a
stationary support having a piston P at its top I he bars E' E' may be shaped
as shown in section in Fig 21
This result
The arrangement adopted for adjusting the position of the saddle L M without
allowing it too exter ded elasticity to be regulated with regard to crank spindle O
renders it possible to maintain between the pedals and the saddle the distance
once taken for a certain length of leg Thus the feet need never leave the pedals
whatever the motion of the springs m m under the shocks may be
taken together with the safety insured by the biake on the crank spindle farther
with the weakening of the shocks which is caused by the springs bb in the
grooves a a¹ and by the springs m m of box A finally with the slight raising of
the fork gives a great stability to the rider and renders his fatigues less, at the
same time causing less wear of the different parts of the bicycle
The
The rigid frame A B C D E formed by bars composed of metal bar- combined
with wood (Figs 19 to 23) joined together as shown in Fig 18 is provided with
a saddle LM and a sliding box A' containing springs m m which rest on the top
plate of bars E' I which serve as guides for the sliding bars E E
groove U U formel in the bottom part of bais E E permit the bars to slide in
the connecting pieces u¹¹ in such a manner that the frame can oscillate only
round the crank spindle The teering fork has detachable prongs G G attached
to a wooden head T secured by connecting piece u and provided with grooves a a¹
in which the slide blocks secured to the axle (1 of the front wheel are held by
the springs b¹ The blocks can thus slide in the grooves a a¹ I he brake
pulley is located on the right of crank spindle O ind the brake band I can be
pressed around the pulley by imparting a twisting motion by hand to the
handle J J operating the level arrangement shown in Figures 1 and 3
pulley Q having recesses V corresponding to a pulley Q' with similar recesses V₁
18 mounted upon one end of the hub of the driving wheel-axle inside the bars E
Thin metal cables with hemp cores work in the recesses V and gear the pullevs
together The roller bearing consists of truncated conical rollers c c introduced
in a circular collar like plate d arranged round the upright tube of the handle
bar between the connecting piece u of the fork and the bottom part u' of
bar B The bearing for the axle O' consists of cylindrical rollers n n arranged
In a circle round the axle 02 and fitting between the axle and the inner
circumference of the hub S, the rollers being inserted into apertures in a thin
cylindrical cage R The frame is provided with lateral hooks at the points 1, 2,
The

page_text: 3, 4, working in conjunction with the bayonet catches of the connecting tubes x
and with rings y near the same points for holding wire or metal rods, joined
together and stretched inside the quadricycle formed by the coupling of two similar
bicycles
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is
-
1 A bicycle having its frame constructed of iron bars reinforced with wood,
substantially as described
2 A bicycle having inclined slots in the frout forks, the bearings for the front
wheel sliding in said slots and the springs seated in the slots in rear of said
bearings, substantially as described
3 In combination with a bicycle, a brake pulley secured to the crank shaft, a
band encircling said pulley, the rotating handles secured to the handle bar, and
connections from the same to the band whereby the rotation of the handles will
apply and release the band, substantially as described
4 In a bicycle, the combination, with the rear forks of the frame having a
sliding connection with the axle of the rear wheel, of the supplemental forks
rigidly connected to said axle, and the springs interposed between the upper ends
of the supplemental forks and the main forks, substantially as described
Dated this 29th day of January 1896
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40 Chancery Lane, London, WC, Agents