Year: 1888

page_text: I, ROBERT SPROUL of Pittsburg, P.A. United States of America, Gentleman, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be
perforined, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
This invention has relation to shaft attachments for two-wheeled vehicles, such as
cabs, road carts, gigs and the liko, and has for its object the provision of means
for:
-
1. Pivoting or hinging the shafts in front of the vehicle, that is, forward of the
dash-board or face panel.
2. Preventing, or relieving the vehicle of the jolting, jarring or dipping, usually
called "horse motion," and causing it to travel smoothly and easily over ordinary
roads without discomfort to the occupant.
Two wheeled vehicles of the class to which this invention pertains are usually
provided with rigid shafts, secured either to the front of the vehicle, or to the bottom
or front axle."
When the shafts are rigidly attached in this manner, every movement of the horse
is imparted to the vehicle, causing it to continually rise and fall in front and to produce
a disagreeable and sometimes intolerably jolting or jarring.
So, too, when such vehicles travel over rough or uneven roads, the rigidity of the
shafts prevents the body of the vehicle from properly adapting itself to the inequalities
of surface, and the vehicle is not only jarred and jerked, and prevented from moving
smoothly and with an easy and comfortable motion, but every dip and rise of the
vehicle is imparted in turn to the shafts, and painfully felt by the horse.
In order to overcome the defects and disadvantages of the ordinary method of
attaching the shafts to two-wheeled vehicles, it is necessary first, to pivot or hinge
the shafts instead of rigidly securing them in place, and secondly, it is necessary to
couple the shafts from a point forward of their hinges, to the body of the vehicle, by.
means of elastic or yielding supports, which while normally sustaining the shafts in
a definite position, that is, practically in a straight line forward, will yet allow the

page_text: shafts and body of the vehicle to momentarily change their relations under the strain
or movement incident to the passage of the wheels over irregularities of surface or the
rise and fall of the body of the horse in trotting or moving with any other proper
gait.
In the accompanying drawings, various methods are illustrated of carrying my
iinprovements into effect.
Figures 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings, are respectively side views of a two-wheeled
vehicle, representing different constructions, arrangements, and applications of the
shafts and spring supports or braces.
Figures 4, and 5 are further modifications of the same.
Figure 6 is a front elevation of the shafts, arranged as shown in figure 1.
Figures 7 and 8-are plan views of the device shown in figure 3.
Figures 9 and 10 are vertical sectional views of the shafts and dash board, showing
still further modifications of my invention.
Assuming the prominent features of my invention include in all cases hinged or
pivoted shafts, it may be stated that the shafts may be hinged' to any suitable plate,
standard or device in front of the vehicle, but we prefer to use the standards or
uprights D shown in several figures of the drawings. These consist of irons or plates.
secured to the bottom of the vehicle, and bent up in front of the dash-board, or face
panel, and terminating in eyes for the reception and pivotal attachment of the shafts.
These standards or uprights not only serve as mediums for the attachment of the
shafts to vehicles having light dash-boards or otherwise so constructed as to prevent
plates from being directly secured to such dash-boards or front panels, but they afford
a means for the pivotal attachment to a comparatively narrow vehicle, or one having
a narrow dash-board; of shafts set wider apart than the sides of said dash board.
When such shafts are used the standards will be bent laterally a sufficient distance
from their bases to accomodate the shafts.
The spring braces and their apportenant parts or connections, may take various
forms and relations. The idea and object of a spring brace or support in connection
with pivoted shafts is to allow the latter a limited but spring resisted movement ;
that is, sufficient movement to take up the "horse motion" without allowing the
shafts or vehicle absolutely unrestricted or independent play.
The various forms and arrangements of the spring braces will be described in
order.
As shown in figure 2, the spring braces comprise rods a, a, pivotally or rigidly
secured to the shafts or to the cross-bar connecting the same, and carrying. on their
lower ends, collars or heads a¹.
These rods play in cylindrical casings A, which are secured to plates a², attached to
the body of the vehicle, and which contain each two spiral springs b, b, against which
the heads or collars a¹ abut, so that on the movement of the shafts in either direction,
upward or downward, the motion will be taken up and resisted by the springs. The
plates are preferably bent down so as to present a surface at right angles to the brace
rods, which as shown, are arranged obliquely, or at an angle to the shafts and vehicle
front.
In appropriate cases, the casings AA may be attached to the upper ends of the
standards, the latter being elongated. The brace rods will then be above the shafts,
instead of below.
In figures 3 and 4 are shown, a different construction of brace, the casing A shown
in figure 2, being omitted, and the brace fods encircled by naked spiral springs.
Thus, the brace rods a are secured rigidly, or pivotally to the upright D (as shown in
figure 3,) and pass loosely through a plate or plates a², attached either to the shafts or
the cross piece thereof.; or the said rods may be secured rigidly or pivotally as shown
in figure 4, to extensions of the standards to which the shafts are hinged-Each
brace rod has one spring b above and the other below the shafts, and the up and down
motions are taken up by the said upper and lower springs respectively, bearing
against the inner ends of fixed bearer bosses a¹, and the plates as aforesaid, whilst
tension of the springs is regulated by nuts c.

page_text: Figure 5 illustrates the brace rods attached in any suitable manner to the shafts or
cross bar, and passing loosely through the plates a³, while the springs which encircle
the rod are arranged respectively above and below the said plate a², and the rods
provided with nuts to regulate the tension of the springs.
In the foregoing description, spiral springs have been referred to in connection
with the braces, but if desired, other forms of springs, and other and different
arrangements of the brace rods may be adopted.
Figures 1 and 6 show a construction and arrangement of flat or plate springs,
which may be made of wood or metal, and which, when made of wood or metal, such
as tempered steel, may be laminated or composed of overlapping plates.
These plate springs D D are secured to the bottom of the vehicle forward of the
seat, by suitable bolts and nuts, and when made of steel, the outer end of the spring
or lower plate thereof, is bent around to form an eye d for the attachment of the
brace rods.
•
E designates the brace rods, which are attached either rigidly or pivotally to the
shafts or cross bar, and formed with forks fat their lower ends, embracing the ends
of the springs to which they are attached, by transverse bolts, suitable provision.
being made for lengthening or shortening the rods to regulate the position of the
shafts, or the normal tension of the springs..
The brace rods may be arranged vertically or obliquely.
FF are rods attached to the shafts, and extending rearwardly at an angle towards
the plates a, through which they pass and play, nuts being fitted to their lower ends
to limit their movement.
These rods or braces serve a double purpose.
They act as safety devices in case the springs or rods should break, and also as
restraining devices, should the shafts become disconnected, or the standards to which
they are pivoted bent or broken.
In Figure 9, A' A' is the shaft, pivotedly connected at its inner end to a cross bar
dash-board or other support D, carried by the free part of the vehicle. A is a hanger
rod, jointedly connected at its outer end to the said support D, and carrying at its
inner end a piston or head a', which works within a cylindrical casing A supported,
or jointedly connected to the said shafts, or parts carried by them; and disposed on
the two opposite sides of the said piston or head, are coiled springs b, whose ends take
their abutments against the piston and casing inner ends respectively. In figure 10,
the casing A is hung or suspended obliquely from the support D, while the
hanger rod a, is jointedly connected to the shafts A¹.
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. In shaft attachments for two-wheeled vehicles, the combination with standards
secured to said vehicle, and rising in front of the same, of shafts hinged or pivoted
to said standards, and spring braces connecting the shafts to the body of the
vehicle, substantially as described.
2. In a two wheeled vehicle, the combination with the hinged or pivoted shafts of
yielding shaft sustaining braces, consisting of rods attached to the shafts forward of
the shaft pivots and springs encircling said rods, and located above and below bearing
plates fastened to the body of the vehicle.
3. In a two wheeled vehicle, the combination with standards to which the shafts are
pivoted, of spring shaft supporting braces, consisting of rods and spiral springs
connecting the shafts to a portion of the vehicle above the shafts, substantially as
described.
4. In a two wheeled vehicle, the combination with the hinged shafts and brace rods,
and encircling springs, of spring adjusting nuts attached to said rods, substantially as
described.
5. In a two wheeled vehicle, the combination with the hinged shafts and the brace

page_text: rods of the springs encircling the latter and located respectively above and below
bearing plates attached to said shafts, substantially as descrided.
6. In shaft attachments for two wheeled vehicles, the combination with the hinged
shafts of spring braces fastened above said shafts, and connected thereto by spring
connections, substantially as described.
7. In a two wheeled vehicle, the combination with hinged shafts, having brace rods
attached thereto, of flat or plate springs secured to the bottom of the vehicle, near the
front, and having the brace rods connected thereto.
8. In a two wheeled vehicle, the combination with the hinged shafts and the
yielding spring braces, of supplementary yielding braces, substantially as described.
Dated this 3rd day of December 1888.