AN IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF TRICYCLE
Year: 1885

page_text: We JOSEPH WHITE of Earlsdon near the City of Coventry, Watch Manufacturer
and JOHN ASBURY of Cheylesmore, Coventry in the County of Warwick, Machinist,
do hereby declare the nature of our invention for "AN IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION
OF TRICYCLE," to be as follows:―
The object of this invention is to simplify the construction of Tricycles, and
materially to reduce their cost of manufacture without detracting from their
efficiency.
In carrying out this object we make the front and sides of the frame of bent
tubing as usual and string upon it all the parts requisite for carrying the crank
axle, the travelling wheel axle, and the pull up and steering handles. To complete
the frame, a transverse bar of malleable cast iron is secured to the rear ends of the
tubing. This bar is crescent shaped in cross section, with a fin or rib on its upper
side extending from end to end thereof for the purpose of giving it stiffness. Cast
with this bar, at its extremities are socket pieces which receive the ends of the
tubing and are secured thereto by brazing, and at the centre of the casting is a
socket for carrying the stem of the seat. The socket extensions of the cross bar
have vertical holes drilled through them to receive each the threaded pin of a
clamping ring which rings serve to hold firmly short steel tubes that form the
bearings for the travelling wheel axle. The axle is turned down at its ends to fit
these short tubes before their clamping rings are put in place, and when in place,
the rings are made fast to the framing by nuts which fit onto the screwed pins
that project upwards through the socket castings. Clamping screws tapped into
the rings serve to bind the tubular bearings to the rings and provision is made for
oiling these bearings through the rings. One of the travelling wheels is keyed to
its axle and the other is fitted loosely thereon, balance gear being slipped onto the
axle before the loose wheel is secured in place.. The balance gear is of the usual
Starley type and its box provides the friction surface for the brake strap. As the
travelling wheel axle lies snugly within the hollow cross bar, the two parts will
reciprocally add strength the one to the other, and thus with a comparatively light
frame, sufficient. strength will be secured.
The bearings for the crank axle consist, like those of the travelling wheel axle,
of short steel tubes, which are carried by socket pieces clipped to the frame tubing
and secured in place by binding screws. The fulcrum for the brake lever projects
from a socket strung upon the frame tubing and the steering wheel is mounted as
usual in a socket carried by a curved branch from the tubular framing.
D
.

page_text: We JOSEPH WHITE of Earlsdon near the City of Coventry, Watch Manufacturer,
and JOHN ASBURY of the City of Coventry in the County of Warwick, Machinist
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:
The objects of this invention are to simplify the construction of Tricycles, and
materially to reduce their cost of manufacture, without detracting from their
strength or durability.
In carrying out these objects, we make the front and sides of the frame, as
usual, of bent tubing, and string upon the tubing the parts requisite for carrying
the crank axle and the steering wheel, while the parts for carrying the pull up
and steering handles are fitted into the ends of the tube. To complete the frame,
we now, according to our invention, secure to the tubing a transverse bar, made
crescent-shaped in cross section, with a fin or rib on its upper side extending from
end to end thereof.-This bar is so situate as to lie snugly over the axle of the
driving wheels, the bearings for which axle it carries.
We form this cross bar, with its bracket couplings, and the sockets for carrying
the bearings, the seat stem, and tilt rod, of malleable iron, either by stamping or
casting.
In the accompanying drawing,
Fig. 1 shows in side elevation a tricycle formed according to our invention, the
near travelling wheel being removed, the better to show the frame and the parts
connected therewith; and
Fig. 2 is a back view of the Tricycle.
In these Figures, A is the tubular framing and B the cross bar.
Fig. 3 is a cross section, on an enlarged scale, of this cross bar, the brackets 6 of
which are socketted to receive the ends of the tube A.
These ends, at the time of insertion into the sockets, are preferably straight, the
curving of them, to bring them into the position for receiving respectively the
steering handle rod C and the pull up or grip handle rod D, being effected after
the brazing of the tube to the cross bar.-E E are the travelling wheels, and F is
the front steering wheel.
The extremities of the cross bar B are formed into sockets b¹, which are intended
to receive the screw stems of pendent ring bearings e for the travelling wheel
axle e-The bearings in this case are ball bearings fitted with adjusting collars, as
usual, and the screw stems are supported by tightening nuts e, which serve to fix
the bearings firmly to the cross bar.-6 is a central socket for receiving the seat
stem G, and 63 is a socket into which is screwed a tilt rod H. I is the crank or
pedal axle carried in bearings i, which are strung onto the tube A, and are fitted
with antifriction balls and adjusting collars, like the bearings of the travelling
wheel, axle.
a is a tubular extension of A, for carrying the fork stem ƒ of the steering
wheel F, which is mounted and actuated in the usual manner.

page_text: The compound axle c¹ of the travelling wheels is fitted with a bush at its
opposite ends to receive the antifriction balls of the bearings. One of the
travelling wheels is keyed to its axle, and the other is fitted loosely thereon as
usual, balance gear being slipped on to the axle before the loose wheel is secured
in place.
The balance gear is of the usual Starley type, and its box provides the friction
surface for the brake strap.
A simple mode of fitting parallel bearings for the travelling wheel axle to the
cross bar is shown in the detached views, Figs. 4.-In these Figures it will be seen,
that the ring e serves to carry a short tube e*.-This tube, which is preferably
made of steel, forms a parallel bearing for the travelling wheel axle, which is
turned down at its ends to fit the pair of short tubes before their clamping rings
are put in place. When in place, the rings are made fast to the framing by nuts e²,
as before described.-Clamping screws e tapped into the rings, will serve to bind,
the tubular bearings e* to the pendent rings, and we provide for oiling these
bearings through the rings as shown at e¹.
The bearings for the crank axle will consist, like those of the travelling wheel
axle, of short steel tubes, which are carried by socket pieces clipped to the frame
tubing, and secured in place by binding screws.
Referring now to Fig. 3, it will be seen that the travelling wheel axle lies snugly
within the hollow cross bar. By this arrangement, the two parts will reciprocally
add strength the one to the other, and thus, with a comparatively light frame,
sufficient stiffness will be secured to prevent the springing or bending of the
compound axle.
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
1st The use, in the manufacture of Tricycle frames, of a socketted cross bar
constructed as and for the purpose described with reference to the drawing.
2nd Mounting the parallel bearings of Tricycles in the manner described with
reference to Figs. 4.