IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO VELOCIPEDES
Year: 1886

page_text: I, WALTER PHILLIPS of Coventry, in the county of Warwickshire, manager to
the firm of D. Rudge & Co, Bicycle and Tricycle Manufacturers, do hereby declare
the nature of my said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO
VELOCIPEDES to be as follows:-
The object of my invention is to mount the steering wheel of a tricycle or other
velocipede in such a manner that a large wheel may be used, that the usual
vertical fork may be dispensed with, that the rigidity of the machine may be
increased, and that the wheel shall always preserve a central position with respect
to the driving wheel, so that the tricycle will always travel in a straight line
unless it is operated upon by the rider for the purpose of altering the course of the
machine.
To attain this end, I proceed as follows:-I mount the steering wheel on an
axle, the length of which is about equal to half the diameter of the wheel, and I
mount the wheel in a fork, the prongs of which are preferably made of circular
tubes. At the top of the fork where the two prongs join, I fix a stout pin standing
out at right angles to the prongs of the fork in a plane with the centre line of the
wheel. This pin fits in a vertical socket on the end of the central tube of the
frame of the machine, so that the fork carrying the steering wheel lies horizontally..
In the lower face of the socket on the main frame of the machine, are cut two
V shaped recesses at opposite points to one another, and on the base of the vertical
pin, or on the face of the fork to which the pin is fixed are two V shaped pro-
jections which fit into the two V shaped recesses, on the face of the socket, this
arrangement forms a cam which serves to keep the steering wheel always in a
direct line with the centre of the machine. A strong spiral spring is placed round
the vertical pin between the top of the socket and the nut on the end of the pin
which keeps the fork up to the socket and yet allows it to move slightly in a
vertical direction to enable the cam to release itself, when the wheel is turned for
the purpose of steering.
Immediately behind the socket on the main frame of the machine is a long
tubular socket to carry the vertical steering bar which is provided at its upper end
with a transverse handle bar, and at its bottom end with a short lever in the face
of which is cut a slot, this lever is fixed to the steering bar at right angles to the
transverse handle bar, and lies immediately under the central tube of the frame of

page_text: the machine in the rear of the socket carrying the vertical steering bar. Imme-
diately under this lever is another lever fixed to, or forming part of the horizontal
fork carrying the steering wheel. On the end of this lever is a pin which engages
with the slot in the lever fixed to the steering bar; by this means the motion of
the transverse handle bar is communicated to the steering wheel which turns on
the vertical pin as a centre in the rear of its periphery. By varying the lengths of
the levers fixed to the horizontal fork, and to the steering bar respectively, the
steering may be geared up or down as desired. I prefer to make the slot in the
one lever, and the pin on the other lever, coned, or of other suitable shape, so that
the one may be readily adjusted with respect to the other to take up any slackness
between them that may arise through wear.
Instead of arranging the fork carrying the steering wheel perfectly horizontal, I
prefer to slope it slightly downwards from the centre of the wheel to the rear of
its periphery. By this means the vertical steering bar and centre pin are raked
slightly backwards which brings the transverse handle bar into a more convenient
position for the rider, and cants the steering wheel over when it is turned out of
the straight line to that side, towards which the wheel is turned.
יה.
تيمم
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1000
ROBT. ED. PHILLIPS, M.I.M.E.,
Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Velocipedes.
I WALTER PHILLIPS of Coventry in the County of Warwickshire, Manager to
the firm of D. Rudge & Co. Bicycle and Tricycle Manufacturers 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 object of my invention is to mount the steering wheel of a tricycle or other
velocipede in such a manner that a wheel of a large diameter may be used, that
the usual vertical fork may be dispensed with, that the rigidity of the machine
may be increased and that the wheel may always preserve a central position with
respect to the driving wheels so that the tricycle will always travel in a straight
line unless the steering wheel is operated upon by the rider for the purpose of
altering the course of the machine.
To attain this end I proceed as follows:-I mount the steering wheel on an axle
the length of which is about equal to half the diameter of the wheel and I mount
the wheel in a horizontal fork the prongs of which are preferably made of circular
tubes. At the top of the fork where the two prongs join I fix a stout pin standing.
out at right angles to the prongs of the fork in a plane with the centre line of the

page_text: wheel. This pin fits in a vertical socket on the end of the frame of the machine so
that the fork lies horizontally. In the lower face of the socket on the frame of
the machine are cut two V shaped recesses at opposite points to one another and
on the base of the vertical pin or on the face of the fork to which the pin is fixed
are two V shaped projections which fit into the two V shaped recesses on the face
of the socket. This arrangement forms a cam which serves to keep the steering
wheel in a direct line with the centre of the machine. A strong spiral spring is
placed round the vertical pin between the top of the socket and a nut on the end
of the pin which keeps the fork up to the socket and yet allows it to move slightly
in a vertical direction to enable the cam to release itself when the wheel is turned
for the purpose of steering.
Immediately behind the socket on the main frame of the machine is a long
tubular socket to carry the vertical steering bar, which is provided at its upper
end with a transverse handle bar and at its lower end with a short lever, in the
face of which is cut a slot. This lever is fixed to the steering bar at right angles
to the transverse handle bar and lies immediately under the central tube of the
frame of the machine in the rear of the socket carrying the vertical steering bar.
Immediately under this lever is another lever fixed to, or forming part of the
horizontal fork carrying the steering wheel. On the end of this lever is a pin
which engages with the slot in the lever fixed to the steering bar; by this means
the motion of the transverse handle bar is communicated to the steering wheel
which turns on the vertical pin as a centre in the rear of its periphery. Owing to
the position and arrangement of these levers the steering is geared down, that is
to say the transverse handle bar turns through a greater angle than the steering
wheel, which gives greater control over the steering wheel and makes it less
sensitive in operation. I prefer to make the slot in the one lever and the pin on
the other lever coned or of other suitable shape so that the one may be readily
adjusted with respect to the other to take up any slackness between them that
may arise through wear.
Instead of arranging the fork carrying the steering wheel perfectly horizontal I
prefer to slope it slightly downwards from the centre of the wheel to the rear of its
periphery. By this means the vertical steering bar and centre pin are raked
slightly backwards which brings the transverse handle bar into a more convenient
position for the rider and makes the steering wheel cant or lean over when it is
turned out of the straight line to that side towards which the wheel is turned.
In order that my invention may be fully understood I will more particularly
describe it with the aid of the accompanying drawings in which similar parts are
marked with like letters of reference.
In the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 is a side elevation and Fig. 2 a plan of a
tricycle the steering wheel of which is mounted according to my invention and
Figs. 3 and 4 are a side elevation and plan respectively on a larger scale showing
more clearly the details of my invention. Referring to these figures A designates
the steering wheel which is mounted loosely on the long axle B carried by the
ends of the prongs of the horizontal fork C. D designates the centre pin fixed to
or forming part of the end of the fork C, and fitting in the socket forming part
of the main frame X of the machine. E designates the cam formed by the
V shaped projections on the base of the pin D and the V shaped recesses in the
face of the socket x. F designates the coil spring to allow the cam to operate
and & the nut and the washer on the end of the pin D by means of which the
strength of the spring F may be adjusted as desired. G designates the vertical
steering bar mounted in the tubular socket ¹ forming part of the main frame ✗
of the machine and carrying at its top end the transverse handle bar H fitted with
handles h of the usual type. J designates the slotted lever fixed to the lower end
of the steering bar G and K the lever fixed to or forming part of the horizontal
fork C and carrying a pink engaging with the slot j in the lever J. The pin k
and the slot may if desired be coned to provide for adjustment for wear, or the
pink may be provided with a roller to engage with the slot j.

page_text: The parts of the machine to which no reference has been made present no novel
features and do not come within the scope of my invention; the type of machine
illustrated in the accompanying drawings being a convenient though not an
exclusive one as my invention is equally applicable to bicycles and other types of
tricycles and other velocipedes.
I am aware that the steering wheels of velocipedes have already been mounted
in forks placed horizontally and I am also aware that the steering wheels have
already been mounted, and arranged, to cant or lean over when turned for the
purpose of steering the machine and I am furthermore aware that, annular cams
consisting of V shaped projections and recesses engaging with and kept up to one
another by a spring, have already been used and therefore I do not broadly claim
them, but having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my
said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that
what I claim is :-
First. Mounting the steering wheel of a bicycle, tricycle, or other velocipede,
substantially as and for the purpose herein before described and shown.
Second. In a velocipede the combination of the horizontal fork C, the vertical
steering bar G, and the transverse handle bar H, all arranged and operating as and
for the purpose hereinbefore set forth..
Third. In a velocipede the combination of the horizontal fork C supporting the
long axle B carrying the steering wheel A, the vertical pin D, the cam E and
spring F all arranged and operating as and for the purpose herein before set
forth.
Fourth. In a velocipede the combination of the horizontal fork C the vertical
pin D, the lever K, the vertical steering bar G, the slotted lever J, the transverse
handle bar H, and the pin k all arranged and operating as and for the purpose
hereinbefore set forth.
Fifth. In a velocipede the combination of the horizontal fork C, the vertical
pin D, the cam E, the vertical steering bar G, the levers J and K and the pin k, all
arranged and operating as and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth.
Dated this 18th day of March 1886.
ROBT. ED. PHILLIPS, M.L.M.E.,
Agent for the Applicant.