Improvements in or relating to Cycles.
Year: 1897

page_text: Improvements in or relating to Cycles.
I, JOHN RICKETTS, of 1A Ashland Street, Wolverhampton, in the County of
Stafford, Rope Maker, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to cycles its object being the construction of an improved
cycle in which elastic or yielding bearings are provided for the road wheels.
According to this invention I provide each axle with a spring or springs by which
it is connected to the frame; a convenient form of spring is the volute spring and the
preferred form of volute is what may be termed a compound or reinforcing spring,
that is to say a volute spring .composed of two or more sections or portions, one
within the other, and so arranged that although normally they do not touch, yet they
come into action one after the other "cumulatively " should the machine meet with
any sudden shock, for instance, in the ordinary course of working only the outermost
coil of the volute is in action, but when the deflection thereof exceeds a certain limit,
the next innermost layer comes into play, and should the stress still further increase,
the succeeding layer takes in turn its share of duty, so that there is always sufficient
of the spring in reserve in ordinary circumstances to meet all emergencies.
But instead of a volute spring any other spring or springs may be employed for a
like purpose, arranged to act cumulatively.in the manner described.
To enable the spring to be adjusted it may if desired be connected to the frame
through the medium of a sliding or movable piece. A similar connection is adopted
in the case of the chain driven wheel of a cycle, the spring for which can be adjusted
in the desired direction by a screw or other adjusting device so as to move with it
the axle and thereby compensate for slack in the chain; a convenient form of this
adjusting device is that of a yoke encircling the axle and containing the spring or
springs and at its rear end having a screw-threaded extension projecting through a
portion of the frame and provided with adjusting and locking nuts.
The spring or springs may be secured in place in the frame by screws or otherwise;
conveniently they may be secured to an angle piece or bolt device which will slip
into a notch or receiver in a portion of the frame provided for the purpose, and so
shaped that the spring will be retained in position without the employment of any
fastening liable to become loose; or the springs may be kept in position by the
guide plates presently to be described.
The parts of the frames in which the springs are received may conveniently be
given the form of a box or frame the sides of which are closed by guide plates carried
by the axle and rising and falling therewith. There are preferably a pair of plates
on each end of the axle one at each side of the adjacent frame or box, so that
he latter will thereby be closed and dust-proof, the companion plates being pre-
erably connected by cross bolts and distance pieces.

page_text: In order to ensure the steadiness of the wheel the cones of the ball-bearings
may have wide flanges to which the inner guide plates may be fastened if
desired.
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in or relating го сустер.
I, JOHN RICKETTS, of 1a, Ashland Street, Wolverhampton, in the County of
Stafford, Rope Maker, 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 :-
This invention relates to cycies its object being the construction of an improved
cycle in which elastic or yielding bearings are provided for the road wheels.
According to this invention I provide each axle with a spring or springs by which
it is connected to the frame; a convenient form of spring is the volute spring and
the preferred form of volute is what may be terined a compound or reinforcing
spring, that is to say a volute spring composed of two or more sections or portions,
one within the other, and so arranged that although normally they do not touch, yet
they come into action one after the other "cumulatively" should the machine meet
with any sudden shock, for instance, in the ordinary course of working only the
outermost coil of the volute is in action, but when the deflection thereof exceeds a
certain limit, the next innermost layer comes into play, and should the stress still
further increase, the succeeding layer takes in turn its share of duty, so that there is
always sufficient of the spring in reserve in ordinary circumstances to meet all
emergencies.
But instead of a volute spring any other spring or springs may be employed for a
like purpose, arranged to act cumulatively in the manner described.
To enable the spring to be adjusted it may if desired be connected to the frame
through the medium of a sliding or movable piece, as in the case of the chain driven
wheel of a cycle, the spring for which can be adjusted in the desired direction by a
screw or other adjusting device so as to move with it the axle and thereby compensate
for slack in the chain; a convenient form of this adjusting device is that of a yoke
encircling the axle and containing the spring or springs and at its rear end having a
screw-threaded extension projecting through a portion of the frame and provided with
adjusting and locking nuts.
The spring or springs may be secured in place in the frame by screws or otherwise;
conveniently they may be secured to an angle piece or bolt device which will slip
into a notch or receiver in a portion of the frame provided for the purpose, and so
shaped that the spring will be retained in position without the employment of any
fastening liable to become loose; or the springs may be kept in position by the guide
plates presently to be described.
The parts of the frames in which the springs are received may conveniently
be given the form of a box or frame the sides of which are closed by guide plates
carried by the axle and rising and falling therewith; there are preferably a pair of
plates on each end of the axle one at each side of the adjacent frame or box, so that
the latter will thereby be closed and dust-proof, the companion plates being preferably
connected by cross bolts and distance pieces.
In order to ensure the steadiness of the wheel the cones of the ball-bearings may
have wide flanges to which the inner guide plates may be fastened if desired.

page_text: In the accompanying drawings
Figure 1 is an elevation of a bicycle provided with the improved yielding bearings
for the road wheels.
Figure 2 is a full-sized sectional elevation of the front axle bearing with the outer
side plate removed.
Figure 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Figure 2.
Figure 4 is a full-sized sectional elevation of the rear axle bearing with the outer
side plate removed, and
Figure 5 is an end elevation of the same, both plates being in position.
Figure 6 shows a portion of a rear axle bearing in which the springs are secured
in a slightly different manner and
Figure 7 shows a portion of an axle having wide flanges to the
bearings.
.
Like letters indicate like parts throughout the drawings.
cones of the ball-
The front fork tubes A are each connected to, or have formed on their ends an
annular casing B. Within this casing is arranged a laminated spring C whose plates
are arranged cumulatively. The plates are secured at one end of the casing by being
screwed to a block D which is in turn attached by screws D¹ to the casing B in such
a manner that it closes an opening in the latter through which, when the block D is
removed the axle of the wheel may be passed, thus obviating the necessity of spring
the forks to permit the removal of the wheel. The free end of the longest plate
of the spring is formed into a sleeve C¹ which encircles a bush E, the latter screws
upon the end of the wheel axle F and carries rivetted to a flange E¹ a plate G, which
closes one side of the casing B. The other side of the casing is closed by a similar
plate G¹, the two plates G G¹ being secured together by screw bolts and nuts G².
In order to prevent the side plates from shifting around the axle F, a light spring H
is attached by a screw H¹ to the casing B, the arms of the spring resting against
two of the bolts G2 in such a manner as to resist any tendency to shift on the part
of the plates G G¹.
Where the improved bearing is adapted for the driving road wheel axle, the
casing B formed at the end of the chain stay A¹ is constructed as a rectangle with
one side removed, a second casing B which carries the spring C sliding within it for
the purpose of enabling the driving chain to be tightened. The sliding casing B¹
is conveniently stirrup shaped as shown in Figure 4, the laminated spring C
being screwed directly to it by screws B2. A screw-threaded extension B3 of the
casing B¹ projects through an opening in a removable plate J, which closes the open
end of the casing B. A nut K in which is a circumferential groove K¹ is screwed
upon the extension B3 so as to bear against a recess J₁ in the plate J; by screwing
up the nut K the extension B3 is drawn out and the casing B₁ moved within the
casing B so as to tighten the driving chain. In order to lock the nut K in its
adjusted position, a small plate I. whose edge engages with the groove K¹ in the
nut K is carried upon a screw I; after the nut K has been adjusted the screw L'
is tightened up so as to clamp the plate L against the side of the groove K¹ and
so lock the nut K.
The sides of the casing B are closed in by side plates G G₁ connected by screws G2
as in the bearing of the front road wheel. A spring H attached to the casing B
by a screw H¹ has its ends resting against two of the screws G2 so as to prevent
the plates G G from shifting as in the previously described construction.
In order to provide additional strength for the bearing of the rear wheel, two of the
plates of the spring C are carried round to form the sleeve C¹ as shown in Figure 4.
The bush E in this case is not attached to the outer plate G being independent.
The screw-bolts G2 for connecting the side plates G G¹ are provided with
shoulders G³ so that they serve as distance pieces. The nut F¹ which serves as a
lock-nut to the bush E is placed upon the end of each axle F.
In the construction shown in Figure 4 it will be noted that any necessary chain
adjustment may be made without having to remove the side plates G G¹.

page_text: In the construction illustrated in Figure 6 the springs C instead of being screwed
directly into the stirrup-shaped casing B¹ are screwed or rivetted as at B' to an angle-
piece 15 which fits into a notch or recess Be in the casing B¹.
Figure 7 shows a portion of an axle F, in which the cone F2 for the ball-bearing
is provided with a wide flange F³. This flange F³ nay, if desired, be fastened to the
inner guide plate G¹.
If desired the bush E may be formed as part of the side-plate.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
1. A laminated spring such as C secured at one end to the support and by a
portion only of its plate at the other to the axle which it carries the remaining
plates being so disposed as to come successively into operation substantially as
described.
2. In a cycle supporting the road wheel axle on laminated springs which operate
"cumulatively" substantially as described.
3. The combination with a cycle wheel axle of laminated springs within a casing
to which the frame tubes are connected and side plates G G¹ substantially as
described.
4. In a cycle the combination with a casing such as B having side plates G G¹
enclosing laminated springs supporting the road wheel axle of springs such as H
substantially as described.
5. The combination with a cycle wheel axle of laminated spring removably carried
with a casing provided with au opening to permit the removal of the wheel without
springing the forks substantially as described.
6. In a cycle the combination substantially as described with a casing such as B
connected to the frame tubes of a casing such as B¹ sliding within the casing B and
carrying laminated springs which support the road wheel axle.
7. The combination with a casing such as B and plate J of a casing such as B¹
adjustably carried within the casing B and provided with an extension B³ which
projects through the plate J and engages with a nut such as K K¹ substantially as
described.
8. The complete spring bearing for a cycle substantially as described and illustrated
in Figures 1, 2 and 3 or Figures 4 and 5 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 25th day of May 1898.
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.