Improvements in the Steering Heads of Safety Bicycles and other Front Steering Velocipedes.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Aug., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 24th May, 1895-Accepted, 29th June, 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Steering Heads of Safety Bicycles and other
Front Steering Velocipedes.
I, ROBERT WALKER SMITH, of The Eadie Manufacturing Company, Limited,
of Hunt End, Redditch, Worcestershire, Cycle Manufacturers' Manager, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows :—
This invention has reference to the steering heads of tandem and other bicycles
and of other front steering velocipedes. It is well known that the front forks of
tandem bicycles (and of some other velocipedes) sometimes break at the top under
the bottom plate of the crown, and the tubular steering post which is fixed to the
fork also sometimes breaks, this breakage being caused by the metal having become
crystalized through the vibration to which the fork and tubular steering post are
subjected when the machine is being ridden. This defect it is the object of my
invention to overcome.
I will describe my invention as applied to a head which is made with ball bearings
at the top and bottom but it is to be understood that my invention is similarly
applied to those heads which are made with flat or coned bearings instead of the
balls.
Heretofore it has been customary to form the top and bottom ball races in the top
and bottom ball head lugs respectively, but according to this invention I make the
top and bottom ball races entirely separate from the ball head lugs and I fix the
said ball races to the ends of a thin metal connecting tube which encircles
the tubular steering post and extends from the top to the bottom of the head and
is made small enough in diameter as to have a certain amount of side play in the
ball head tube. Fitting in each of the ball head lugs and around the said ball race
connecting tube I provide one or more collars or washers or springs of indiarubber
or other suitable springy or cushionable substance and against which the ball races
also bear thus forming spring buffers at the top and bottom of the ball head which
allow of the said ball race connecting tube and steering post and front fork moving
slightly up or down or sideways or to and fro independently of the velocipede frame
and thus the said buffers absorb the vibration to a great extent and prevent the
crystalizing and breaking of the steering post or of the front fork as aforesaid.
Instead of providing the spring buffers as aforesaid at both the top and bottom of
the ball head I may dispense with the spring buffer at the top of the ball head and
provide the spring buffer at the bottom of the ball head only.
Dated this 23rd day of August 1904.
CHARLES BOSWORTH KETLEY,
Agent for the Applicant.

page_text: Improvements in the Steering Heads of Safety Bicycles and other
Front Steering Velocipedes.
I, ROBERT WALKER SMITH, of The Eadie Manufacturing Company, Limited,
of Hunt End, Redditch, Worcestershire, Cycle Manufacturers' Manager, 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 reference to the steering heads of tandem and other bicycles
aud of other front steering velocipedes. It is well known that the front forks of
tandem bicycles (and of some other velocipedes) sometimes break at the top under
the bottom plate of the crown, and the tubular steering post which is fixed to the
fork also sometimes breaks, this breakage being caused by the metal having
become crystalized through the vibration to which the fork and tubular steering
post are subjected when the machine is being ridden.
This defect I overcome by my invention which I will describe by referring to
the accompanying drawings which represent my invention applied to a steering
head which is made with ball bearings at the top and at the bottom, but it is to be
understood that my invention may be similarly applied to those steering heads which
are made with flat or coned bearings instead of ball bearings.
Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of the steering head of a tandem bicycle or other
velocipede constructed according to my invention;
Fig. 2 is an elevation of the ordinary steering post part of the said steering head
shewing also the usual construction of the upper part of the front fork which is
fixed to the steering post;
Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation of the top and bottom lug and connecting tube of
the said steering head with my invention applied ;
Fig. 4 shews one of the buffer parts of the same separately as hereinafter
described;
Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation of the top and bottom ball races and their
connecting tube; and
Figs. 6 and 7 shew respectively the bottom and top ball races separately.
The same letters of reference indicate the same or corresponding parts in all the
figs. of the drawings.
Heretofore it has been customary to form the top ball race A in the top ball
head lug B and also to form the bottom ball race C in the bottom ball head lug D,
but according to this invention I make the top and bottom ball races A and C
entirely separate from the corresponding ball head lugs B and D and I fix the said
ball races A and C to the ends of a thin metal connecting tube E which encircles
the ordinary tubular steering post F and extends from the top to the bottom of the
steering head and is made small enough in diameter to have a certain amount of
side play in the ball head tube G. This metal tube E with the top and bottom
ball races A and C fixed thereto is shewn separately by Fig. 5. For convenience
of connecting the parts together these top and bottom ball races A and C are fixed
to the tube E by being screwed thereon. Fitting in each of the ball head lugs B
and D and around the ball race connecting tube E, 1 provide collars, washers or
springs of indiarubber or other suitable springy or cushionable substance marked
respectively H and 1 one of which is shewn separately by Fig. 4 and which are
also shaped as shewn to fit between the ball races A and C and the ends of the top
and bottom lugs B D. These indiarubber or like collars, washers or springs H
and I thus form spring buffers at the top and bottom of the ball head which allow
of the ball race connecting tube E and steering post F and front fork J moving

page_text: slightly up and down or sideways or to and fro independently of the velocipede
frame of which the top and bottom lugs B D and their connecting tube G form a
part; and thus the said buffers H and I absorb the vibration to a great extent and
prevent the crystalizing and breaking of the steering post F or of the front fork .J
as aforesaid.
Instead of providing the spring buffers H and I as aforesaid at both the top and
bottom of the ball head I may dispense with the spring buffer H at the top of the
ball head and provide the spring buffer I at the bottom of the ball head only. In
this case the top ball race A will be formed with the top lug B in the usual manner,
and the tube E to which the bottom ball race C is fixed will be made short as
shewn for instance by Fig. 8 and merely extend upwardly for a short distance
through the bottom buffer I.
My said invention is similarly applied to those steering heads which are made
with flat or with coned bearings in the top lug B and in the bottom lug D instead
of the ball bearings, the collars A and C on the tube E being then made of a flat
or coned shape as may be required.
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. The herein described improvements in the steering heads of safety bicycles
tandem bicycles and other front steering velocipedes to prevent the breaking of
the front fork or the steering post through the vibration of the machine, consisting
in making the top and bottom (or only the bottom) ball races or bearing collars
entirely separate from the top and bottom lugs B D and interposing indiarubber
or like spring buffers between the said top and bottom (or only the bottom) ball
races or bearing collars and the said top and bottom lugs and also between the said
lugs and a tube fixed to said bearing collars outside the steering post all substan-
tially as and for the purposes set forth.
2. In the steering head of a safety bicycle tandem bicycle or other front steering
velocipede, the combination with the top and bottom lugs B D and the connecting
tube G fixed thereto, of the indiarubber or like spring buffers H I fitting in the top
and bottom lugs respectively, the tube E with its top and bottom ball races or
bearing collars A. C fixed thereto and fitting in and against said spring buffers, and
the steering post F turning freely in the tube E, all substantially as hereinbefore
described and illustrated by the accompanying drawing.
3. In the steering head of a safety bicycle tandem bicycle or other front steering
velocipede, the combination with the bottom lug D of the indiarubber or like
spring buffer I fitting therein and the bottom ball race or bearing collar C made
with tube E and fitting in and against said spring buffer, and the steering post F
turning freely in the tube E and steering head, all substantiaily as and for the
purposes hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawing.
Dated this 23rd day of May 1895.
CHARLES BOSWORTH KETLEY,
Agent for the Applicant.