Improvements in or Relating to Cycle Frames.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Apr., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 15th Dec., 1897-Accepted, 2nd Apr., 1898
Complete Specification Left, 15th Dec., 1897-Accepted, 2nd Apr., 1898
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or Relating to Cycle Frames.
We, WALTER ELSWORTHY LILLY, of 39, Trinity College, in the City of Dublin,
Mechanical Engineer, and GEORGE TYRRELL MCCAW, of Taghnevan, Lurgan, in
the County of Armagh, Ireland, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object to provide frames for cycles especially designed
to prevent "sagging" or twisting, or side whip" therein. The improved frames
may be employed with particular advantage in ladies' safety cycles.
In one construction of frame for a single machine we mount the bottom-bracket
at or near the centre of a short vertical or nearly vertical tube or rod or on two such
tubes or rods; for convenience we hereinafter refer to this tube or these tubes as
the vertical tube."
The upper and lower ends of the vertical tube are connected by inclined tubes to
the steering head, and another inclined tube extends upwards and backwards from
the upper end of the vertical tube to form the seat pillar to which is connected the
back wheel fork in the usual manner, and the lower end of this fork is connected
by the chain-stays to the bottom bracket also in the usual manner. The lower end
of the vertical tube is connected to the upper end of the seat pillar by stays which
may be connected to the chain stays at the points at which these stays cross each,
other.
In a second construction of frame for a single machine we connect the lower ends
of the two front inclined tubes to a horizontal or nearly horizontal stay to the front
end of which is connected an upwardly and rearwardly extending tube constituting
the seat pillar, this tube being suitably connected to the upper of the two front
inclined tubes at the point of intersection therewith. The bottom bracket is
mounted within the triangle formed by the lower ends of the two last-named inter-
secting tubes and the horizontal stay, and is secured to the chain stays which extend
across this triangle and are suitably connected to the intersecting tubes. The rear
ends of the horizontal and chain stays are connected by upwardly extending stays
to the upper end of the seat pillar.
The details of construction hereinbefore described in connection with frames of
single machines are equally applicable to tandem and other multiple machines and
as an example of one such application we will describe a tandem frame embodying
the before described vertical tubes. In such arrangement the rear part of the
frame may be similar to that herein previously described in connection with a single
machine but the two forwardly inclined tubes leading from the vertical tube in this
example connect with the front saddle-pillar which is connected to the upper end of
a second vertical tube whose lower end is also connected to the upper end of this
forward saddle pillar, the two ends of the vertical tube being connected to the
steering head in substantially the manner previously described. The lower ends
of the two vertical tubes may be connected by a suitable stay; if desired the upper
ends may be connected in like manner.
The tubes or stays may be used either singly or in duplicate as desired.

page_text: Alternatively the connection between the vertical tube and the steering socket
may be made by tubes or stays extending to the socket from the top and bottom
ends of the vertical, with crossed diagonals between them to form a cross-braced
frame; or any one of the members of this frame may be omitted.
Dalhin the A 1007
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicants.
Improvements in or Relating to Cycle Frames.
•
We, WALTER ELSWORTHY LILLY, of 39, Trinity College, in the City of Dublin,
Mechanical Engineer, and GEORGE TYRRELL MCCAW, of Taghnevan Lurgan, in
the County of Armagh, Ireland, Civil Engineer, 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 provide frames for cycles especially designed
to prevent sagging" or twisting, or side whip" therein. The improved frames
may be employed with particular advantage in ladies' safety cycles.
In one construction of a frame for a single machine, we mount the bottom-bracket
at or near the centre of a short vertical, or nearly vertical tube, or rod, or on two
such tubes or rods; for convenience we hereinafter refer to this tube, or these tubes
as the vertical tube."
64
The upper and lower ends of the vertical tube are connected by inclined tubes
to the steering head, and another inclined tube extends upwards and backwards
from the upper end of the vertical tube, to form the seat pillar to which are con-
nected the back stays in the usual manner, and the lower ends of these stays are
connected by the chain-stays to the bottom bracket also in the usual manner. The
lower end of the vertical tube is connected to the upper end of the seat pillar, by
stays, which may be connected to the chain-stays at the points at which these stays
cross each other.
In a second construction of frame for a single machine, we connect the lower
ends of the two front inclined tubes to the ends of a horizontal or nearly horizontal
stay or duplex stays to the front end of which is connected an upwardly and rear-
wardly extending tube constituting the seat pillar, this tube being suitably con-
nected to the upper of the two front inclined tubes at the point of intersection there-
with. The bottom bracket is mounted within the triangle formed by the lower ends
of the two last-named intersecting tubes and the horizontal stay or stays and is
secured to the chain stays which extend across this triangle and are suitably con-
nected to the intersecting tubes. The rear ends of the horizontal and chain stays
are connected by upwardly extending stays to the upper end of the seat pillar.
The details of construction hereinbefore described in connection with frames of
single machines are equally applicable to tandem, or other multiple machines and
as an example of one such application we will describe a tandem frame embodying
the before described vertical tubes. In such arrangement the rear part of the frame
may be similar to that herein previously described in connection with a singlo
machine, but the two forwardly inclined tubes leading from the vertical tube, in
this example, connect with the front saddle-pillar which is connected to the upper
end of a second vertical tube, whose lower end is also connected to the upper end of
this forward saddle pillar, the two ends of the vertical tube being connected to the

page_text: steering head in substantially the manner previously described. The lower ends of
the two vertical tubes may be connected by a suitable stay; if desired the upper
ends may be connected in like manner.
The tubes or stays may be used either singly or in duplicate as desired.
Alternatively the connection between the vertical tube, and the steering socket,
may be made by tubes or stays extending to the socket from the top and bottom
ends of the vertical, with crossed diagonals between them to form a cross-braced
frane; or any one of the members of this frame may be omitted.
In the accompanying drawings:-
Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4 are side perspective views of various constructions of cycle
frames according to this invention.
Figures 1 and 2 show two constructions of "dropped" frames for single bicycles,
and
Figures 3 and 4 show two tandem bicycle frames similar in type to those illus-
trated in Figures 1 and 2 respectively.
Like letters indicate like parts throughout the drawings.
"
With reference first to Figure 1: In this construction of a "dropped-frame
for a single bicycle, a tube A, which forms the seat pillar, and a forwardly-inclined
tube B are joined at their lower extremities in a socket C. A vertical or approxim-
ately vertical tube D, has its upper end joined to the socket C, and its lower end to
the middle lug of a T shaped socket E. A tube F connects the lower end of the
tube D, to the lower extremity of the head-tube G at the socket H. The upper
end of the before-mentioned tube B, unites with the top of the steering head G at
the socket J. The tubes B and Fare, in this construction, approximately parallel,
and are diagonally braces by the tube K the ends of which enter the sockets C and H
respectively. The top of the tube A is connected with the lower end of the
vertical tube 1 by a stay L, the ends of which severally enter the sockets M and E,
Back-stays N are joined to the socket M in the usual manner and their lower ends
are connected by chain-stays to the crank-bracket 1', which is placed approxim-
ately at the centre of the vertical tube D. The stay L passes between the chain-
stays and is preferably joined to them by a suitable socket O'.
In Figure 2 another construction of dropped frame for a single bicycle is shown,
in which the tubes A and B instead of terminating in a socket forming the top of
a vertical tube, are extended through the socket as at a b, and have their lower
extremities joined by a horizontal or approximately horizontal stay or stays Q and
sockets R, R. The stay L, as in the frame illustrated in Figure 1 connects the
top of the tube A to the bottom part of the frame, in this case however it is dupli-
cated, forming a double stay, the lower ends being received by the socket R¹.
The central socket C is joined to the lower end of the head tube G by a tube K,
and the top of the steering head G is connected to the lower extremity of the seat-
pillar extension a by a tube or tubes S.
The tubes K. and S are united at the point where they cross one another, by a
socket T, and form diagonal stays, or braces, which give great stiffness to the frame.
The back-stays N and chain-stays are placed as hereinbefore described with
reference to Figure 1, the crank bracket P being placed within the triangle formed
by the tubes a, b, Q and supported by suitable sockets U, U', on the tubes a and b.
The tubes forming the double stay L are joined to the chain stays by suitable
sockets (
In Figure 3 is illustrated a tandem bicycle frame of the same type of construc-
tion as the single frame shown in Figure 1.
The rear part of this machine is substantially the same as that herein previously
described for a single bicycle, (Figure 1) but the tubes B F and K leading from the
vertical tube I are connected to a front seat pillar tube A'. The lower end of this
tube terminates in a socket C¹ on the top of a vertical tube D¹; and the extremities
of the vertical tube D' are joined to the head-tube G, by tubes B', K' and F¹ in a
similar manner to that described with reference to the tubes B, K, and F, in
Figure 1.

page_text: A stay L connects the tube A¹ at the socket H with the lower end of the vertical
tube D, which is joined to the corresponding end of the other vertical tube D) by
a stay V, the upper extremities of the tubes D and D' being joined if desired in liko
manner by a stay V₁. The stay V₁ is preferably joined to the stay L' at the point
where they cross each other, by a socket V2; and is also joined in like manner by
the socket V3 to the tube F.
The front crank bracket P' is mounted on the tube D' in an approximately central
position and is joined to the rear crank bracket by chain stays 02.
Figure 4 illustrates another construction of a "dropped" frame for a tandem
bicycle, according to this invention. The frame shown may be taken as an exten-
sion of the single frame illustrated in Figure 2. The tube B is joined at, its upper
end to a tube A¹ which forms the front seat-pillar tube. A tube B₁ connects, the
lower extremity of the tube A' with the upper end of the head-tube G at the
socket J¹. The tubes a, b, a¹, bl may be looked upon as extensions of
the tubes A, B, A₁ and B'; their lower ends are connected by stays Q.
The sockets C and C are connected by a stay W, and stays L are provided to
join the top of the tube A with the lower extremity of the tube b. The stays L are
preferably joined to the chain stays where they cross one another by suitable
sockets 01.
The front crank bracket is placed in the triangle formed by the tubes a, b, Q,
and is carried by sockets U2, U³ upon the tubes a¹, b¹.
A suitable adjustment may be provided for altering the distance between P and Pi
and thus regulating the tightness of the front driving chain, although this may be
done by any of the usual methods.
The crank brackets l' and P are connected by means of stays 02 which are
carried by sockets U and U2 attached to the tubes a and b¹.
In other respects the tandem cycle frame is constructed in a similar manner to
the single frame illustrated in Figure 2, and described with reference thereto.
It is to be understood that although the various members composing the frames
herein described are termed tubes, and are preferably made in that form, they may
be of any suitable shape or cross section convenient for the purpose.
Again, where any members of the frame cross one another, as, for example A, a,
B, b, Figure 2, they may, instead of being made in the form of four separate tubes
united in one plane at their point of intersection, be so made that only two long
tubes are used, which are united, where they cross each other, by a common socket,
but which are not, at that point, in the same plane.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. A cycle frame construction comprising tubes forming a braced U-shaped frame
such as L E F, LQ S, or L V F and crank brackets carried above the lowest
member of that frame substantially as described or illustrated in Figures 1, 2, 3
and 4 of the accompanying drawings.
2. In a cycle frame a stay or stays such as L or L' connecting the top of the seat-
pillar tube with the lowest member of the frame, substantially as described or
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
3. In a cycle frame the combination of two or more triangles such as A D L or
A L¹ one side of each of which is formed by a vertical tube D or D', substan-
tially as described or illustrated in Figure 3 of the accompanying drawings.
4. In a cycle frame the combination with the seat-pillar tube, chain stays, and
vertical tube D or D', of a stay or stays L or L' substantially as described or
illustrated in Figures 1 and 3 of the accompanying drawings.
5. In a cycle frame the combination with the back stays N and chain stays (
of a triangle A L 6 substantially as described or illustrated in Figures 2 or 4 of
the accompanying drawings.

page_text: 6. The complete cycle frames substantially as described or illustrated in
Figures 1 or 2, or 3, or 4 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 7th day of December 1897
W. E. LILLY.
GEORGE TYRRELL MCCAW.
Boult & Wade,
Agents for the Applicants.