IMPROVEMENTS IN VELOCIPEDES
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Henry Smith, of No. 436, Euston Road, in the
County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN VELOCIPEDES."
Sealed the 24th September 1878, and dated the 26th March 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Henry Smith at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 26th March 1878.
JAMES HENRY SMITH, of No. 436, Euston Road, in the County of Middlesex.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN VELOCIPEDES.”
My Invention relates to means of casing the hands and feet of persons using
bicycles or other forms of velocipedes from the vibration to which they are exposed,
of providing for giving an audible alarum, and for the tightening up of the spokes
of the wheels.
I make the steering handle in two lengths, jointed together in the middle, and
on each side of the middle I provide a ball and socket joint, in which each length
of the handle can oscillate and also revolve. To one of the lengths near the middle
I attach the brake cord, and I provide a spring which presses downwards the joint
of the two lengths of handle. Thus the operator holding the handle by its two
ends is eased by the spring from the usual vibration, and he can also by turning
round the handle apply or relieve the brake. Also by turning the handle partly
round so that the joint lies crosswise he renders the handle rigid when desired.
Above the steering head a gong or bell may be mounted with a hammer con-
nected to the handle joint, so that the operator by depressing his hands can cause
the gong or bell to sound for the purpose of giving an alarum.
In order to ease the feet from vibration I mount the foot plate by springs on a
boss that embraces the crank pin.
For tightening up the wheel spokes that are usually made of wire I make the
nave of the wheel in two thicknesses; the one thickness is radially grooved to

page_text: receive the ends of the spokes, and the other thickness has a volute groove or several
such grooves to receive studs or nuts projecting from the spokes or the turned up
ends of the spokes. By turning the one thickness of nave partly round on the face
of the other the volute groove has the effect of drawing all the spokes simultaneously
inwards. The volute thickness being fixed on the driving axle while the other 5
thickness is free to revolve thereon the act of driving will have the effect of
automatically tightening up the spokes.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said James Henry Smith in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 25th
September 1878.
JAMES HENRY SMITH, of No. 436, Euston Road, in the County of Middlesex.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN VELOCIPEDES."
My Invention relates to: means of easing the hands and feet of persons using
bicycles or other forms of velocipedes from the vibration to which they are exposed,
of providing for giving an audible alarm, and for the tightening up of the spokes of
the wheels.
I make the steering handle in two lengths, jointed together in the middle, and
on each side of the middle I provide a ball and socket joint, in which each length of
the handle can oscillate and also revolve. To one of the lengths near the middle I
attach the brake cord, and I provide a spring which presses downwards the joint of
the two lengths of handle. Thus the operator holding the handle by its two ends
is eased by the spring from the usual vibration, and he can also by turning round
the handle apply or relieve the brake. Also by turning the handle partly round, so
that the joint lies crosswise, he renders the handle rigid when desired.
Above the steering head a gong or bell may be mounted with a hammer con-
nected to the handle joint, so that the operator by depressing his hands can cause
the gong or bell to sound for the purpose of giving an alarum.
In order to ease the feet from vibration I mount the foot plate by springs on a
boss that embraces the crank pin.
For tightening up the wheel spokes, that are usually made of wire, I make
the nave of wheel in two thicknesses; the one thickness is radially grooved to
receive the ends of the spokes, and the other thickness has a volute groove, or
several such grooves, to receive studs or nuts projecting from the spokes or the
turned up ends of the spokes. By turning the one thickness of nave partly round
on the face of the other the volute groove has the effect of drawing all the spokes
simultaneously inwards; the volute thickness being fixed on the driving axle while

page_text: VE
On the accompanying Drawings are shewn my before-described improvements in
velocipedes, Fig. 1 being an elevation, and Fig. 2 a part section of the steering
head, shewing the method of easing vibration to the hands of the operator.
A is the steering handle in two lengths, jointed in the middle; B, the joint
shewn in dotted lines working in a ball B'; C, the ball and socket joint in which
each length of the handle can oscillate and also revolve; D, the brake cord attached
to one of the lengths of handle A, near the middle; E is the spring which presses
down the joint of the two lengths of handle; the operator holding the handle by its
two ends is eased by the spring from the usual vibration; also by turning round the
handle in the ball and socket joints C he can apply or relieve the brake, and by
turning the handle partly round so that the joint lies crosswise he renders the
handle rigid. F is the gong or bell mounted above the steering head G, a hammer
H hinged to the steering head being made to strike the gong at the pleasure of the
rider. For this purpose a pin h fixed to the ball B' passes through and works in a
slot h¹ in the steering head; the operator on depressing the handle causes this pin
to rise in the slot and come in contact with the hammer, thereby causing it to
strike the gong, and so sound an alarum, or the hammer may be fixed to the pin,
and on the rising of the pin the hammer also rises with it, and comes in contact
with the gong.
Figs. 3 and 4 shew the mode of easing the feet from vibration.
I is the foot plate mounted by springs J on a boss or tube 1' that embraces the
crank pin K, so that the operator on depressing his feet is eased by the springs
from the usual vibration.
Figs. 5 and 7 shew the mode of tightening up the spokes of the wheel, Fig. 5
shewing the one thickness of the nave of the wheel radially grooved with the
spokes in position; Fig. 7 shews the other thickness of the nave volute grooved to
receive the studs or nuts of the spokes or the turned up ends of the spokes; by
turning the one thickness of nave L, Fig. 7, partly round on the face of the other
thickness M, Fig. 5, the volute groove L' has the effect of drawing all the spokes
M' simultaneously inwards, the volute thickness being fixed on the driving axle N-
while the other thickness is free to revolve thereon.
Fig. 6 shews the radial thickness with the spokes projecting, ready for the
volute thickness to be placed in position, Fig. 8 shewing the nave with the two
thicknesses together with the spokes projecting. The act of driving will thereby
have the effect of automatically tightening up the spokes.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I do not limit myself to
the precise manner of carrying my Invention into practice as shewn on the
accompanying Drawings, as the same may be variously modified without departing
from the essential feature of my Invention, but what I claim is,
First. So arranging the steering handle of a velocipede that the vibration of
the wheels is not conveyed to the hands of the rider, substantially as herein
described.
Second. Sounding a gong or bell by means of depressing the handle of a
velocipede, substantially as herein described.
Third. The method of easing the feet from vibration by mounting the foot plate
by springs on a boss embracing the crank pin, substantially as described.
Fourth. Making the nave of the wheel in two thicknesses, one thickness radially
grooved, receiving the ends of the spokes, the other thickness volute grooved to
receive the studs or nuts or turned up ends of the spokes, so that on turning the

page_text: one thickness partly round on the other the volute groove has the effect of drawing
all the spokes simultaneously inwards, substantially as and for the purpose herein
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Henry Smith, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.
TT SMITH