Improvements in or relating to the Arrangement and Construction of Bicycles, Tricycles, or other Velocipedes.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Nov., , 1895
Complete Specification Left, 4th Aug., 1896-Accepted, 19th Sept., 1896
TROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to the Arrangement and Construction
of Bicycles, Tricycles, or other Velocipedes.
I, JOSEPH JOHN STATHAM of 10 New Church Road, Camberwell, S.E. Surrey,
Amateur Bicyclist, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention consists of improvements in or relating to bicycles tricycles or
other velocipedes and has for its objects (inter alia) to re-distribute the weight of
the rider viz. to place a part of said weight onto the felloe or rim of the wheel
(or onto the spokes thereof) instead of all on the bearings as heretofore and also
to assist the rider in propelling the machine and having other objects and
improvements.
I will now proceed to describe my present invention.
The bicycle tricycle or other velocipede as a whole may be constructed in any
manner suitable for my purpose and for the sake of example I will describe my
present invention as applied to a "safety" bicycle of the present well-known type.
The saddle is mounted on a vertically movable rod or support sliding in or on
or otherwise suitably guided in or on a tubular or other pillar or support on the
ordinary or any suitable backbone or frame.
This vertically movable rod at its lower end is carried on a longitudinal rod or
lever which at one end (i.e. forwardly of said vertical rod) is guided on a vertical
guide rod fixed in or to the frame or otherwise suitably supported and guided so
as to be capable of vertical movement and connected by a pivot or knuckle joint at
this said end a spring or springs being combined therewith in such manner as to keep
said longitudinal rod raised to its highest point.
The other end of said longitudinal rod extends rearwardly (i.. behind said
vertical rod supporting the saddle) advantageously beyond the axle of the hind
wheel and then curves upwardly or terminates in any suitable form to have a spring
connected thereto (either direct or indirectly) as hereinafter explained.
Between the point where the said saddle supporting rod is carried on said longi-
tudinal rod or lever and the rearmost end of the latter (advantageously about
midway between the two said points) I pivot or hinge or otherwise suitably mount
a lever or arm which at its lower end is or may be forked (or otherwise suitably
formed) and descends below said longitudinal rod but does not extend beyond the
periphery of the back wheel of the bicycle.
The other or upper end of this pivoted lever or arm extends to a suitable distance
above the longitudinal rod and is connected to the rearmost end of the latter by a
strong spring which thus normally pulls the upper end of said pivoted lever
rearwardly and consequently normally forces the forked or lower end forwardly.
In or cu or carried by the said forked or lower end of said pivoted lever is a
small wheel or wheels or roller or equivalent which runs in a circular groove or
channel or on a circular flange or ledge formed or mounted specially for the purpose
in or on the back wheel either on the felloe or rim or adjacent thereto or on the
spokes thereof.
.
"
'
By the aforesaid means I have obtained very satisfactory results.
I do not confine myself to the exact details as above set forth as in a three or

page_text: more wheeled velocipede the above-described apparatus or its arrangement or
application might require some alteration or modification to adapt same to the
varying forms of frames or machines.
If desired my invention may be applied to the front wheel or side wheel in a
velocipede instead of the back wheel as described.
Dated this 4th day of November 1895.
TONGUE & BIRKBECK,
Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in or relating to the Arrangement and Construction
of Bicycles, Tricycles, or other Velocipedes.
I JOSEPH JOHN STATHAM of 10 New Church Road, Camberwell, S.E.
Surrey, Amateur Bicyclist, 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 consists of improvements in or relating to bicycles tricycles or
other velocipedes and has for its objects (inter alia) to place a part of said weight
onto the felloe or rim of the wheel (or onto the spokes thereof) instead of all on the
bearings as heretofore and also to assist the rider in propelling the machine and
having other objects and improvements.
I will now proceed to describe. my present invention.
The bicycle tricycle or other velocipede as a whole may be constructed in any
manner suitable for my purpose and for the sake of example I will describe my
present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings as applied to a
66 safety" bicycle of the present well-known type.
The saddle a is mounted on a vertically movable rod or support b sliding in or on
or otherwise suitably guided in or on a tubular or other pillar or support on the
ordinary or any suitable backbone or frame-the saddle being steadied by the
downwardly projecting pin e fixed thereto working loosely and telescopically within
the saddle pillar d i.e. like a plunger.
This vertically movable rod b at its lower end is carried (i.e. pivoted at b¹) on a
longitudinal rod or lever e which at one end e¹ (i.e. forwardly of said vertical rod b) is
guided on a vertical rod/fixed on or to the frame z or otherwise suitably supported
and guided so as to be capable of vertical movement and connected by a pivot or
knuckle joint at this said end e', a spring (or springs) ' being combined therewith
in such manner as to keep said end e' of longitudinal rod e raised to its highest
point.
The other end of said longitudinal rod e extends rearwardly (i.e. behind said
vertical rod supporting the saddle) advantageously beyond the axle y of the hind
wheel or thereabouts and is slightly curved upwardly or terminates in any suitable
form to have a spring connected thereto (either direct or indirectly) as hereinafter
.explained for instance by means of a rod g pivoted to said end 2 and adapted to
slide through the upper end of the hereinafter described lever h and controlled by
a spring g¹ held by nut on said rod
Between the point b where the said saddle supporting rod 6 is carried on said
longitudinal rod or lever e and the rear end of the latter (advantageously about
midway between the two said points) I pivot or hinge at h or otherwise suitably
mount a vertically acting lever or arm h which at its lower end is or may be
forked (or otherwise suitably formed) and descends below said longitudinal rod e
.but advantageously does not extend beyond the rim x of the back wheel of the
bicycle.

page_text: The other or upper end of this pivoted lever or arm h extends to a suitable
distance above the longitudinal rode and is connected at h³ to the rearmost.
end of the latter by a strong spring or as above described and shown in the
drawings the spring normally keeping the upper end of said pivoted lever h
rearwardly and consequently normally forces the forked or lower end forwardly.
In or on or carried in any suitable manner by the said forked or lower end ³ of
said pivoted lever h is a small wheel (or wheels) or roller such as the roller i or
equivalent which runs in a groove or channel ; or on a flange or ledge formed or
mounted specially for the purpose in or on the back wheel right round same
either directly on the felloe or rim e as shown or adjacent thereto or on the spokes.
thereof.
In the arrangement shown in the drawings the small wheel or roller i is free to.
revolve on the spindle k carried by the pin which has the spring combined
therewith and is pivotally mounted at in the end of the lever h-the upper end
of said pin being pivoted to and controlled by a rod m which latter in turn is free
to slide through and turn in the guide n fixed to the frame of the bicycle and controlled.
by a spring o held by a nut m¹ on the end of said rod m.
By the aforesaid means I have obtained very satisfactory results.
I do not confine myself to the exact details as above set forth as in a three or more.
wheeled velocipede the above described apparatus or its arrangement or application
might require some alteration or modification to adapt same to the varying forms of
frames or machines.
If desired my invention may be applied to the front wheel or side wheel or all
the wheels of a velocipede instead of the back wheel as described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is :-
1. The combination with the saddle or seat of a bicycle or other velocipede
of a character adapted to be fitted with my present improvements of a vertically
movable rod such as b adapted to support said saddle, a lever such as e having
said rod 6 pivoted thereto and the end of said lever pivotally connected to
the main frame of the velocipede, another lever such as h pivoted to said lever e
and carrying a spring-mounted small wheel or roller such as i at the lower end
thereof and a channel or track such as j on or near the rim of the wheel of
the machine in which track or channel said small wheel or roller i is adapted to
operate substantially in the manner and for the purposes herein before set forth.
2. Means for the auxiliary driving of a bicycle or other velocipede adapted to
be fitted with same-combined and arranged to act substantially in the manner and
for the purposes herein before described and illustrated in the drawings hereunto.
annexed.
Dated this 4th day of August 1896.
TONGUE & BIRKBECK,
Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,.
Agents for the Applicant.