Improvements in Bicycles, Tricycles, and other Velocipedes.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 27th May, 1893
Complete Specification Left, 24th Jan., 1894-Accepted, 24th Feb., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Bicycles, Tricycles, and other Velocipedes.
I JOHN VERNON PUGH, of Whitworth Works Rea Street South Birmingham
in the County of Warwick Mechanical Engineer do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
In bicycles tricycles and other velocipedes as ordinarily constructed the
connection of the front fork stem with the blades of the fork is effected by means
of a cross piece commonly called the crown to the middle of which the fork stem
is connected and to the ends of which the fork blades are connected. The stem
and fork blades are fixed to the cross piece by being brazed in holes in the said
cross piece. This the ordinary method of construction fails to give the desirable
strength to the joined parts and accidents sometimes happen in consequence of the
failure of the junctions referred to.
My invention has for its object to remedy the defect referred to and consists of
the method of construction hereinafter described whereby great additional strength
is given to the junctions of the fork stem and fork blades with the cross piece.
I employ two cross pieces or crowns made of flat steel plate the said two cross
pieces being situated a short distance apart and parallel. The lower end of the
fork stem and the upper ends of the fork blades have bearings in both cross pieces
and are held firmly in position by means of short tubular pieces having a flange at
one end. These tubular pieces are of such a size that the upper ends of the fork
blades fit tightly therein. The flanged ends of two of these tubular pieces abut
respectively against the underside of the upper cross piece their axes being
respectively coincident with the axes of the holes in the said cross piece and the
flanged ends of two others of the tubular pieces similarly abut on the upper face
of the lower cross piece. A third pair of the said tubular pieces abut on the
underside of the lower cross piece. The unflanged ends of the tubular pieces
between the two cross pieces abut against each other. The parts described are
connected by brazing. In the completed junction the fork blades are virtually
doubled in thickness between the two cross pieces and a short distance below
the lower cross piece the thickening pieces are very securely connected to the cross
pieces by their flanges.
By my invention the junction of the front fork stem to the fork blades is
stronger than the parts above and below the junction and accidents cannot occur
by the failure of the junction of the fork stem with the fork.
Dated this 27th day of May 1893.
W. T. WHITEMAN,
Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Bicycles, Tricycles, and other Velocipedes.
I JOHN VERNON PUGH, of Whitworth Works, Rea Street South Birmingham,
in the County of Warwick, Mechanical Engineer do hereby declare the nature
of my invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
In bicycles, tricycles and other velocipedes as ordinarily constructed, the
connection of the front fork stem with the blades of the fork is effected by means

page_text: of a cross piece commonly called the crown to the middle of which the fork stem
is connected and to the ends of which the fork blades are connected. The stem
and fork blades are fixed to the cross piece by being brazed in holes in the said
cross piece. This the ordinary method of construction fails to give the desirable
strength to the joined parts and accidents sometimes happen in consequence of the
failure of the junctions referred to.
My invention has for its object to remedy the defect referred to and consists
of the method of construction hereinafter described, whereby great additional
strength is given to the junctions of the fork stem and fork blades with the cross
piece.
I employ two cross pieces or crowns made of flat steel plate, the said two cross
pieces being situated a short distance apart and parallel. The lower end of the
fork stem and the upper ends of the fork blades have bearings in both cross pieces
and are held firmly in position by means of short tubular pieces having a flange at
one end. These tubular pieces are of such a size that the upper ends of the fork
blades fit tightly therein. The flanged ends of two of these tubular pieces abut
respectively against the underside of the upper cross piece their axes being
respectively coincident with the axes of the holes in the said cross piece and the
flanged ends of two others of the tubular pieces similarly abut on the upper face
of the lower cross piece. A third pair of the said tubular pieces abut on the
underside of the lower cross piece. The unflanged ends of the tubular pieces
between the two cross pieces abut against each other. The parts described are
connected by brazing. In the completed junction the fork blades are virtually
doubled in thickness between the two cross pieces and a short distance below the
lower cross piece the thickening pieces are very securely connected by their
flanges.
By my invention the junction of the front fork stem to the fork blades is
stronger than the parts above and below the junction and accidents cannot occur
by the failure of the junction of the fork stem with the fork.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawing represents in side elevation the crown
of the front fork of a velocipede constructed according to my invention; that is, the
connection of the fork stem with the fork blades;
Figure 2 is a vertical section of the same taken in a plane at right angles to the
elevation Figure 1 ;
Figure 3 is a horizontal section on the line A A.
Figure 2 and Figures 4 and 5 represent parts of the said crown detached as
hereinafter described.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several figures of
the drawing.
a, b are the two parallel flat steel cross pieces constituting the crown through
holes in which the fork stem c and fork blades d, d are passed and in which they
are brazed. Before the introduction of the stem c into the plate a a flanged tubular
piece or collare (shown separately in vertical section and plan in Figure 4) is
passed onto the said stem c the said flanged collar e occupying such a position on
the stem that when the said stem c has been passed through the two plates a, b the
flange of the collar e abuts against the plate a. Before the introduction of the
stem c into the holes in the plates a, b the flanged tubular pieces or
collars ffff are placed between the said plates a, b their unflanged ends
being presented to each other as represented in Figures 1 and 2.
The flanged
collars,fare of such a length that their flanges fabut respectively against
the underside of the plate a and the upper side of the plate b. The stem c
plates a, b and collars e, f being arranged in the respective positions represented in
Figures 1 and 2 are connected or secured together by brazing.
The method described and represented of strengthening the connection of the lower
end of the stem c with the crown is applied to the strengthening of the connection of the
upper ends of the fork blades d, d with the said crown. The flanged tubular pieces or
collars for the fork blades d, d have a figure in plan corresponding with the cross

page_text: sectional figure of the said blades as seen in Figure 5, which represents one of the
collars for the blades of the fork, in vertical section and plan. The elliptical
flanged collars for the blades d, d of the fork are marked g in the several figures
of the drawing and their flanges are marked g². In this case the outer flanged
collars for the blades d, d are situated on the underside of the plate b instead of
on the upper side of the plate as in the case of the connection of the stem c. In
other respects the connection of the blades d, d with the crown plates a, b is the same
as that described with respect to the connection of the stem c with the said
plates a, b as will be understood by an examination of the section Figure 2.
In addition to brazing the said flanged collars to the stem and blades and crown
plates they may be further secured by rivets or pins. In the drawing I have
represented the flange e² of the collar e secured to the crown plate a by rivets h, h,
the flange being made of a slightly larger diameter than the flanges f of the
collars for that purpose. I have also represented the collars g on the blades d, d
abutting against the underside of the crown plate b as being secured to the cnid
blades d, d by pins i, i.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that I claim as
my invention of "Improvements in Bicycles, Tricycles and other Velocipedes
"
Strengthening the crowns or the connections of the stems and blades of the
front forks of bicycles, tricycles and other velocipedes with the crown plates of
the said forks, by means of short flanged tubular pieces or collars brazed or
otherwise connected to the said stems, blades and crown plates substantially as
hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing.
Dated the Twenty-second day of January 1894.
JOHN VERNON PUGH.