Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Jan., 1887.
Specification Accepted, 11th Mar., 1887.
We, WILLIAM SMITH, Machinist and GEORGE HICKING, Wine Merchant, both of
the Town and County of Nottingham, 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 relates to velocipedes for carrying one person and it has for its
object the improved construction and arrangement of such vehicles where the power
of the rider is applied to the driving wheels, without the use of chains or other
equivalent gearing.
The Invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying sheet of
drawings. Fig. 1 is a side elevation and Figure 2 a front elevation of the machine.
The Invention comprises the employment of two driving wheels A A carried upon
a crank shaft B which may be provided with balance gear if desired, the crank shaft B
is carried in three bearings Cat the lower end of curved framings D D and centre
bar E all connected together at their upper ends; the bars DD and E of the framing
are constructed in two parts the lower portion of each dde being arranged to slide
telescopically within the other and are secured by set screws F in a well known
manner.
The back bone G fitted with a saddle H is attached to the centre bar E and at its
lower end is fitted a steering wheel I carried in a fork J attached to the swivel K
which is connected to the back bone G by an adjustable socket L. The machine is
steered in the same manner as described in our specification No. 9600 of 1885 by a
cross bar M. fitted on the front of the framing and to the upper end of a rod N, the
lower end of which is connected by levers and a connecting rod O to the swivel K
of the steering wheel its upper end being connected to the centre bar E by bracket R;
the rod N is constructed in two parts in the same manner as D D and E of the
framing; by this arrangement the height of the saddle H and cross bar M can be
raised or lowered to suit the rider and secured at any height by means of the set
screws F, the steering wheel I being suitably adjusted by the movable socket L.
The back bone G is also rigidly connected at its lower end by means of a stay P to
the upper portion of the centre bar E of the framing. To assist the rider in steering
the machine a T shaped spring Q is secured to the centre bar E the two upper ends

page_text: of which rest on the cross bar M on each side of the rod N to which it is pivotted,
when the cross bar M is turned the spring Q is displaced and by its action the cross
bar M is automatically returned to its normal position.
In some cases the driving wheels A are placed inside the two outer bars D of the
framing instead of outside as described.
The height of the saddle H can also be adjusted to suit the rider by connecting the
upper end of the back bone G fitted with saddle H to the centre bar E of the framing,
by means of a movable socket which is made to slide up and down the centre bar E
and is secured at a convenient height by set screws.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we claim is :-
1 In a velocipede the employment of an adjustable backbone such as G, adapted
to be raised or lowered substantially as specified.
2 In a velocipede the combination with an adjustable back bone such as G, of a
framing such as D E capable of moving upon rods de which carry the bearings of
the main axle for the purpose of adjusting the position of the saddle, substantially
as specified.
The complete velocipede substantially as specified.
WILLIAM SMITH.
GEO. HICKING.